Poland's Kraków named among world’s top cities for arts and culture

Britain's Time Out magazine has ranked Poland's southern city of Kraków among the world's 20 best cities for arts and culture in 2026.

A night view of Kraków’s Main Market Square, with its historic Cloth Hall and St. Mary’s Basilica.

Photo: Jacob Fryer/Unsplash.com/CC0

London, Paris and New York topped the list compiled by the publication, while Kraków placed 10th, described by Time Out editors as "the country’s cultural heart."

In its profile of Kraków, the magazine praised the city’s architectural heritage and cultural diversity.

"From the well-preserved Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance palaces in the UNESCO-protected Old Town to the rich Jewish heritage of the Kazimierz district and industrial revitalisation of Zabłocie, this city keeps you busy exploring," Time Out wrote.

Magazyn @timeout opublikował ranking najlepszych miast W Europie pod względem artystyczno-kulturalnych zasobów. Palmę pierwszeństwa zdobył Londyn, a tuż za nim uplasowały się Paryż i Berlin. Do pierwszej dziesiątki trafił @krakow_pl. @kultura_gov_pl https://t.co/EoYD2ObYDa

— Redakcja Polska Polskiego Radia dla Zagranicy (@RadioZagranica) May 19, 2026

Among the city's cultural highlights, it singled out the Czartoryski Museum, home to Kraków's most treasured art collection, including Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine; Wawel Royal Castle and its "mesmerizing Jagiellonian tapestries;" the annual Jewish Culture Festival that "brings klezmer bands and a diverse cultural agenda to the atmospheric streets of Kazimierz in the summer;" and the MOCAK Museum, "a hotspot for contemporary art."

Kraków ranked ahead of cities such as Copenhagen, Athens and Cairo.

The rankings were based on surveys of 24,000 residents in more than 150 cities worldwide, who were asked to assess the quality and affordability of their local cultural scenes.

The results were then combined with the insight of Time Out's panel of editors, writers and cultural experts.

(mk/gs)