Attraction

St. Florian's Gate in Krakow: walls, tickets and hours

The main gate of old Krakow stands at the northern end of Floriańska Street. You walk under it on the way to the Barbican; the walls and a tower beside it, and the chapel inside the gate, open in season, on a ticket shared with the Barbican.

St. Florian's Gate is the main city gate of old Krakow and, as the Museum of Krakow puts it, the only gate in the circuit of the former city walls that survives today. It stands at the northern end of Floriańska Street. You walk under it between the Old Town and the Barbican, and in season a ticket takes you up on to the walls beside it.

What is St. Florian's Gate?

The gate is a defensive tower more than 34 metres high, built on a rectangular plan of 8.5 by 9.27 metres. It belongs to the only stretch of Krakow's medieval fortifications that has survived in full: about 200 metres of wall with the gate and three towers, Pasamoników, Stolarska and Ciesielska. From the inside this stretch is visited as the City Defence Walls, a branch of the Museum of Krakow on ul. Pijarska.

History of St. Florian's Gate

The gate is first mentioned in historical sources in 1307; that is the date of a record, not of construction. Its oldest stone part probably dates from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, and in the 14th century it had the form of a tall stone tower. At the end of the 15th century, when the Barbican was built, it gained a brick storey. It is named after the church of St. Florian in Kleparz. The Baroque cap on top was added after the damage of the Swedish invasion in the 17th century.

A fortified passage known as the neck once linked the gate with the Barbican. Together the two formed the so-called Gate of Glory (Porta Gloriae), through which the Royal Road entered the city. In 1806 Emperor Francis II decided that the city walls should go. In 1817, thanks to the efforts of Feliks Radwański, the northern section with St. Florian's Gate and the Barbican was saved; the neck was demolished in the 19th century.

What to see at St. Florian's Gate and the city walls

The eagle and St. Florian: on the outer face a relief of the Piast eagle from 1882, designed by Jan Matejko, and on the city side a Baroque relief of St. Florian.
The altar in the passage: a small altar of Our Lady of Piasek (Matka Boska Piaskowa), moved to the vaulted passage in 1835 from the neck.
The chapel: on the first floor of the gate tower, founded by the Czartoryski princes and decorated with plant and geometric motifs. Its neo-Gothic balcony on the city side was designed in 1840 by Karol Kremer.
The guards' walkway: the gallery on the walls. Through its observation and firing openings you look out on the Planty, and from the route you see Floriańska Street with St. Mary's Basilica in the background.
Pasamoników Tower: a medieval tower more than 31 metres high, with an interior open to visitors.

St. Florian's Gate and city walls tickets and hours

You need a ticket to go up on the walls and into the Barbican. The passage under St. Florian's Gate is part of Floriańska Street. The City Defence Walls and the Barbican are seasonal: in 2026 they are open from 10 May to 30 October, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 18:00, and closed on Mondays. Out of season, from November until spring, they are closed. The Museum of Krakow announces the dates each year and has not yet given those for 2027. Last entry is at 17:30 for individual visitors and 60 minutes before closing for groups.

There is one combined ticket for both sites, and you cannot buy a ticket for only one of them. It costs 22 PLN standard, 16 PLN reduced and 44 PLN for a family of up to 4 people; children under 7 go in free. There is no free admission day. The ticket shows the date and time your visit is due to start, and you can see the second site within 3 days of that date, on days when it is open. Tickets are sold at both sites, at the museum's Visitor Centre and online.

There is no cloakroom or toilet. Rucksacks and bags over 30 litres, long umbrellas, food and drink are not allowed, and the only animals admitted are assistance dogs. Once you leave both sites you cannot go back in on the same ticket. The route has stairs and part of it is in the open air; the museum may close the sites or shorten the hours, for example because of the weather. If stairs are a difficulty, ask the museum about access. Details checked in October 2026; confirm them on the Museum of Krakow website.

Where is St. Florian's Gate?

The gate is at the northern end of Floriańska Street, about seven minutes on foot from the Main Market Square and about 20 minutes from Wawel Castle. The Barbican stands just beyond the gate, and the passage also leads out to the Planty. We also run an electric cart tour of the Old Town; it does not include tickets to the walls.

Tips for visiting St. Florian's Gate and the walls

On days when the Barbican is open, Tuesday to Sunday in season only, the Ceremony of Opening the City Gates passes through the gate: after the bugle call at 10:00 a procession walks from St. Mary's Basilica along Floriańska Street to the Kleparz Gate in the Barbican, which is opened at 10:20. Part of the neighbouring Barbican is covered by scaffolding during roof conservation that will last until the end of 2027.

The museum's guided tour is paid separately, covers both sites, starts at the City Defence Walls and has to be bought at least 4 days ahead; the museum gives about 60 minutes for both sites on a guided visit. Both are also part of its combined Medieval Kraków route.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a ticket for St. Florian's Gate?

You need a ticket to go up on the walls and into the Barbican. The passage under the gate is part of Floriańska Street, and you see the gate itself from the street and from the Planty.

How much are the tickets?

The combined ticket for the City Defence Walls and the Barbican costs 22 PLN standard, 16 PLN reduced and 44 PLN for a family (checked in October 2026).