Walk with Us: “Dębniki: A Town of Villas and Bats”

Who were the first inhabitants of Dębniki? What was this place famous for, and how did it transform from a craftsmen’s settlement into a villa district? Which famous architects left their mark here? Join us on a walk full of surprises and architectural gems.

12 September 2026, 11.00

Today’s Stare Dębniki is situated in a picturesque bend of the Vistula, opposite the Royal Castle. It was once a craftsmen’s settlement on the outskirts of Kraków, known for the production of leather and building materials, supplied to Wawel, amongst other places. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it began to undergo rapid change. In place of the old settlement, a charming villa district was built, where the tradition of suburban manor houses was combined with the latest architectural trends of the era.

Join us for a walk entitled “Dębniki: A Town of Villas and Bats”, during which we will explore the history of Stare Dębniki and discover who the first residents of this unique neighbourhood were. We’ll also take a closer look at the architecture of the local residences and the works of outstanding architects, including Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, Henryk Jasieński and Edward Kreisler. We’ll see ornate Art Nouveau houses as well as Modernist and Functionalist buildings.

An event as part of the “Walk with Us” series.

Practical information:

• duration: approx. 90 minutes,
• participation fee: 10 zł,
• booking required via the bookshop’s website,
• meeting point: 2 Powroźnicza Street, in front of the former manor house of Beata Matejkówna-Kirchmayerowa,
• for further information, please email: warsztaty@mck.krakow.pl,
• the walk will be held in Polish.  

Host:

Joanna Majewska-Grabowska – translator from Ukrainian, educator and museum guide, lecturer and promoter of Ukrainian culture and literature.

We warmly invite you to join us!