The embanked promenades that run along both banks of the Vistula through the centre of Krakow, laid out on the old flood defences and now the city's favourite open-air living room. The paths link Wawel, Kazimierz, and Podgórze in an almost unbroken green ribbon, busy with walkers, runners, cyclists, and rollerbladers, and they give some of the best low-angle views of the castle rising over the water.
In the warm months the river fills with barki — moored barges converted into floating bars and cafes — and the grassy banks become an informal beach where students and families spread out with drinks until late. There are bike-rental docks, occasional river cruises, and footbridges including the graceful Father Bernatek pedestrian bridge between Kazimierz and Podgórze, hung with lovers' padlocks and acrobat sculptures. It is the natural place for an evening stroll once the day's sightseeing is done.