Krakow Shopping Tips by gosiaPL Top 5 Page for this destination

Galerie d'Art Naif (part 1): The best of naive folk art

If you're looking for authentic naive folk art, the gallery has it in great choice! From statues inspired by Christian religion to those expressing Jewish tradition and culture. All made by local folk artists - the owner of the gallery picks his stuff very carefully and does not sell anything of "mass production" (authenticity before quantity). And he speaks English :-)

The gallery is in the Jewish part of the Kazimierz district, and in a major street there. It's a must at least to check when visiting that area.

What to buy: Little statues of old Jews in traditional garments, as well as statues and pictures inspired by Christian religion.

What to pay: That really varies and depends on the size.

Address: 11 Jozefa St.

Directions: One of the main streets in the Jewish Kazimierz. You won't miss it - some naive art items are displayed outside.

Other Contact: galeria@artnaive.sky.pl

Phone: (012) 421 06 37

Theme: Local Craft

Galerie d'Art Naif (part 2): Cute naive art, not quite in the folk style

Another type of items in the naive art gallery is made by artists who simply follow the naive style and those pieces are quite sweet. Some of them look as if made by children.

The gallery also organizes exhibitions promoting the naive style artists. When I was there they were preparing for an exhibition of paintings - all of one wall was literally covered with pictures and the artist himself was arranging them.

If necessary, the owner of the gallery ships the items abroad for you at an additional fee.

What to buy: These would be paintings, statues and a variety of seemingly useless objects, like a 1.5m long crocodile or the Wawel dragon (see the picture).
Prices will vary with size.

Address: 11 Jozefa St.

Directions: One of the main streets in the Jewish Kazimierz, you won't miss it.

Other Contact: galeria@artnaive.sky.pl

Phone: (012) 421 06 37

Theme: Art

ECCO store: Need a new pair of comfy shoes?

Who knows what may happen to your shoes when you spend hours walking in the streets of the Old Town? I had to discard my most comfy shoes as the sole in one of them simply cracked and they were no use in wet weather.

There are lots of shoe stores in Krakow's Old Town and even in the Market Sq., but I recommend Ecco shoes stores! One of them is on the corner of Florianska St. just a few meters away from the Florian Gate, and the other one (which offers a greater selection) is in Slawkowska St. that goes off the Market Sq. I bought mine in Slawkowska St.

Prices vary from $50 to $100+ depending on the shoes' technology, so you choose how much comfort and air you want for your feet :-)

Address: 13-15 Slawkowska St.

Phone: (+48 12) 429 44 80

Theme: Shoes

Open air gallery in the Square: Made by local artists

Even in winter (Jan 2004) the local artists display their graphics, waterpaints and drawings by the Cloth Hall. They are nice smallish pictures of Krakow's most famous landmarks (but not only).

Another "open air gallery" is by the Florian Gate where you'll see paintings displayed on Krakow's mediaeval walls.

If you'd like to take some local art home, these two sites are definitely the ones to explore.

What to pay: Prices vary a lot but you can negotiate :-)

Theme: Art

The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice): Gift shopping paradise The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) Review

The Cloth Hall is the largest gift shopping place in Krakow. It's right in the middle of the Market Square, can't be any more convenient, can it? :-)
It used to be artisans' and merchants' centre for selling their goods, now it's a real paradise if you're looking for typical gifts from Krakow or Poland.

What to buy: Amber & silver jewellery (or amber & gold, which I find to be a bit over the top), leather bags, T-shirts, folk art & costumes, dolls in folk costumes, cristalware, pottery, hand made chess sets... you name it. Just poke around and you'll sure find something for your sweetheart or kids.

My advice: poke around first to see what's available and then pick your item. You wanna be patient especially with amber & silver jewellery, there's tons of it!

What to pay: It really varies with the size and design.

Directions: In the middle of the Market Square.

Theme: Gifts

A variety of shops: Florianska St.

Florianska St. has many shops that are worth checking. For example if you want to buy some nice amber (and not only) jewellery, you'll find that Florianska offers greater choice of designs, and they would often be nicer and more unique than the ones at the Cloth Hall that target an average tourist.
It also has several shoes stores and clothes stores... It's good to keep the street in mind as an option.

Directions: Exit the market square at Mary's Church towards the Florian Gate and you're in Florianska St.

Theme: Other

The ARIEL Restaurant and Gallery: Jewish gallery in the Kazimierz quarter

The Ariel restaurant has a small gallery in which you can buy little (and bigger!) statues of Jews in traditional garments, paintings with Jewish motifs, menorahs as well as other Jewish tradition and culture paraphernalia.

They also have a good selection of books and photo albums on the Jewish Kazimierz.

What to buy: It seems the little Jewish statues are very popular - and they have plenty of them!
The price varies with size but, if I remember well, the smaller sizes are about 35-50 zl ($9-$13).

Address: 18 Szeroka St.

Directions: The heart of the Jewish town.

Phone: (012) 421 79 20

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.ariel.ceti.pl

Salva Foto Komis: Heaven for old camera lovers

Andre Salva Photo Shop is the place to go if you like old cameras. And I don't mean just second-hand... At Andre's shop you'll find items that date back even to before the WWII and some even before WWI...!

Andre is a very nice guy, he speaks English and French. He'll explain to you everything you want to know about his cameras, parts and accessories. And if you're looking for a specific item, he will take the effort to find it for you and then he'll send it over. Among his customers are camera lovers from all over the world!
Also, if something goes wrong with your camera (touchwood!), he will give you a free estimate on repair and recommend the best service outlet.

Open Mon-Fri, 9:00am-6:00pm (with a break 1:00-3:00pm). His website presents only a small selection from what he has to offer.

Address: 10 Zwierzyniecka St.

Directions: Find Radisson SAS hotel outside the Planty walkway and turn into Zwierzyniecka St. Andre's shop is in the yard (go through the gateway).

Phone: (012) 430 15 29

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.photo-salva.prv.pl