Jama Michalika is one of the most popular coffee places in Krakow and a real legend too. It was opened in 1895 and from ordinary café, it has quickly became a favourite place of artists meetings. What’s interesting, ‘jama’ means ‘cave’ in english. The place was called like this, cause… it had no windows then! Along with Piwnica Pod Baranami Jama Michalika is on of the most known place of independent cluture in Krakow.

Among the guests of Jama Michalika we can notice: painters, poets, writers and actors, such prominent names as – Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński, Malczewski, Mehoffer, Lucjan Rydel, Włodzimierz Tetmajer, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Stanisław Wyspiański, Hanka Bielicka, Jacek Fedorowicz, Jerzy Kryszak, Andrzej Zaorski, Marian Opania, Tadeusz Drozda, Stanisław Tym, Andrzej Rosiewicz. Also first polish cabaret – Zielony Balonik was conceived here.

Even Józef Piłsudski, hero of I World War, was a proud guest of this historical coffee bar! Recently, in Jama Michalika are often organised concerts, recitals and poetry evenings. It’s the place where you always likely to meet some classy celebrities! Not only guests make the place so special- most of the furniture is originally from XIXth century.

You can find Jama Michalika on Floriańska street. You will recognize it when you see the characteristic, green door.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow was officially opened in may 2011. All the exhibitions there are well-made, up-to-date and very interesting for art lovers. You can get familiar with young, polish artists as well as the foreign and well known ones. MOCAK presents such artists as: AES+F, Tomasz Bajer, Tymek Borowski, Edward Dwurnik, Leopold Kessler, Krištof Kintera, Ragnar Kjartansson, Jarosław Kozłowski, Robert Kuśmirowski, Lars Laumann, Norman Leto, Piotr Lutyński, Małgorzata Markiewicz, Bartek Materka, Maria Michałowska, Józef Robakowski, Maria Stangret, Beat Streuli, Paweł Susid, Marian Warzecha, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Leto, Piotr Lutyński, Małgorzata Markiewicz, Bartek Materka, Maria Michałowska, Józef Robakowski, Maria Stangret, Beat Streuli, Paweł Susid, Marian Warzecha, Krzysztof Wodiczko.

Sometimes, things you see can really astonish you! For instance, the exhibition ‘Women of the World’…It was made to show problems of women existence and stereotypes, but it integrally consists of photos of men! For those who take an interest in fashion, travels, new cultures or history, there is always something interesting to see in MOCAK. This visit will be truly worth your every minute!

You can find the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow on Lipowa street. You can check their current exhibitions on their website: www.mocak.com.pl

Worth mentioninge detail is – the project ‘Creation of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow’ is co-financed by the European Union as part of the ‘European Funds for Małopolska ‘ 2007– 2013 Operational Programme for the Małopolska Region.

World Press Photo is the most important contest for all press photographers in the world. It is held every year and contains many categories, such as: photo of the year, art, nature, every day life, portraits, people of sports and the prize of teenager jury.

This year is the 14th time since the exhibition started being held in Krakow. The author of 2010 years winning photo was Jodi Bieber from Africa, who has won eight prizes in this contest already. She is the author of famous picture of woman from Afganistan named Bibi Aisha, which shows an horrifying view: her face, devastated after the revenge of her husband who had cut her nose and ears out.

This time, the biggest number of photos were taking part in contest- hard to believe, but it contains 108 059 art works! The number of photographers reached almost 6 000 and they are of 125 nationalities. For people who are interested in problems of modern world, or curious to see tropical spaces mixed with pictures of post-war ruins- the way is only one. To see this exhibition!

You will able to see World Press Photo exhibition in Bunkier Sztuki, located on Plac Szczepański. It will be available to visit from 7th to 28th October. If you willing to have more information, you can read about the Bunkier’s gallery. They have even more very interesting exhibitions to see- so stay in touch!

The main aim of the Manggha Centre has been to promote Japanese culture. With many permanent exhibitions – on the art, history and culture of Japan, the center serves well to its main objectives. The exhibition is changed regularly to provide the best information and present the culture of Japan in the best possible way. Apart from permanent exhibitions you can see many temporary ones. The building is also rented for many temp exhibitions not necessarily connected to the Orient.

Definitely worth visiting. We strongly recommend visiting it.

People who appreciate art – would be in heaven to hear that the Museum is a home for such pieces as The Lady With An Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci. Apart from paintings you can appreciate Antiquities, European Painting and Sculpture, European Decorative Art, Armoury and Graphic Art Room

Highly recommended to everyone.

National Museum in Krakow has many buildings and branches all around Krakow. One common characteristic is that all of them host the best polish art.

Main building is Poland’s richest museum, a house for three permanent exhibitions and the chief venue for temporary exhibitions. The gallery of the 20th-century Polish art upstairs houses nearly 500 outstanding works by Poland’s modern artists, with a tilt towards those most important for Krakow. Arranged with regard to schools and trends rather than chronology the exhibits provide a wide cross-section of the Polish art, starting from the 1890s up to now. Also permanent are two other exhibitions: of decorative art and of the Polish arms and army uniforms. The Museum tends to be rather conservative, it’s not trying to be hip and follow the most modern trends as Bunkier Sztuki.

The Main Building is home to three permanent galleries – Arms and Colours in Poland, Gallery of Decorative Art and 20th-Century Polish Art.

As for most of polish museums the admission to National Museum in Krakow is free of charge.

The gallery has numerous achievements in the exhibiting and publishing field. Over the nearly 40 years of its history BUNKIER SZTUKI has presented such esteemed artists as: Bruno Schulz, Tony Cragg, Krzysztof Penderecki, Hans Arp, Marta Deskur, Tadeusz Kantor, Stanislaw Dróżdż, Katarzyna Kozyra, Rafał Bujnowski, Wilhelm Sasnal, Mirosław Bańka, Hanne Darboven, Jarosław Kozłowski, Andrzej Pawłowski, Zofia Kulik, Leon Tarasewicz, Alicja Żebrowska, Jadwiga Sawicka, Marek Chlanda, Grzegorz Sztwiertnia, Andreas Kaufmann.

The gallery promotes artists connected with the Krakow’s scene. It helps to get young artists of to a good start. It is known for its exhibitions of the works of classic artists from around the world and from Poland. It organizes exhibitions presenting the condition of contemporary painting, video projects. It hosts problem exhibitions reflecting on the topic of the institution of the gallery itself, the exhibitions, the identity of artists, curators and the strategy of artistic action in today’s world. Most of the exhibitions are accompanied by extensive catalogues and discussion meetings with the participation of critics.

Meetings in the BUNKIER SZTUKI (a bunker of arts) Club constitute an extremely important area of activity. Presentations, discussions and film projections are held on an average of 3 times a week and make up the following cycles: Women artists behind the camera, Interpretations, Institutions, I am, therefore I create, Crirtic on the edge of a nervous breakdown, Movies, Gender Politics, Pre-texts, Philosophical Dictionary, Student versus Professor, Van Gogh’s ear.

BUNKIER SZTUKI employs experienced curators (of the exhibitions, the portal, the Club), it has its own technical crew. The exhibition space, divided into three floors gives the possibility of adjusting the interior to the demands of any exposition. Various types of lighting can be used.

The permanent exhibition, Traces of Memory, is a contemporary look at the Jewish past in Poland. Currently there is also an exhibition on Righteous of the Nations – those who rescued Jews from the Holocaust.

Apart from that the museum offers temporary exhibitions, mainly focusing on Jewish culture, concerts, lectures and dancing classes. Only occasionally something really exclusive happens in Galicia – hindu dancing or modern bailey performances.

Monotony of permanent exposition and lack of customers are drawbacks of this place. On the other hand you can meet friendly people working there who always try to help. All of them english-speaking and ready to assist if you are looking for something in particular.

The cabaret has been active incessantly since 1956, with some fifty, perhaps sixty premieres during this time. It was founded by a group of artists. It remained as the synonymous of artistic Krakow. For young artists it had been a pass to glorious careers. For most of its time Piwnica had had a charismatic leader – Piotr Skrzynecki. He made it famous and put it on the map of polish culture. 1997 was a year of mourning for the Lambs Cellar. Piotr Skrzynecki passed away. Along with this loss Piwnica and it’s potential started to deteriorate.

Now it’s a place which lives in a shadow of it’s former glory. The artists got older and for young people it sassed to be the only choice to have good laugh and express their political attitude. Te programme of the the Saturday’s night cabarets focuses on the personae of Piotr Skrzynecki.

Piwnica is a place of a great value for Poles and for the tradition of independency in thinking during communistic times in Poland. That is why, despite of what guide books might say, it would not be an interesting place for foreign visitors for the facts that it is necessary to know the context of polish culture and the language to understand the performance.