Norbertine Convent and St. Margaret's Chapel

Riverside convent and the wooden chapel where the Lajkonik sets out

Address ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki 88, Zwierzyniec, Kraków
Opening Hours Convent church open around services; chapel exterior anytime
Admission Free

At the Salwator tram terminus, where the city gives way to the river meadows of Zwierzyniec, stands one of Krakow's oldest religious houses: the convent of the Premonstratensian (Norbertine) sisters, founded in the 12th century and rebuilt in fortress-like Baroque after fire and flood. The complex sits right on the bank of the Vistula, its long walls and tower a familiar sight to anyone walking or cycling the riverside path.

Across the road, on a small rise, the tiny octagonal wooden Chapel of St. Margaret dates from 1690 — a rare survival of timber sacred architecture in the city. The square between the two is the starting point of the Lajkonik, the costumed hobby-horse rider who, in a tradition going back centuries, parades from Zwierzyniec into the Main Market Square each year in the week after Corpus Christi. It is a quiet, atmospheric corner, the gateway to a walk up to the Kościuszko Mound or along the river.

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