The Okrąglak on Plac Nowy (Kazimierz) — history and zapiekanki
The Okrąglak (“Round House”) is a twelve-sided market hall on Plac Nowy in Kazimierz, built in 1899–1900 to a design by Jan Rzymkowski. Before the war it housed the Jewish community’s ritual poultry slaughterhouse; today it’s famous above all for zapiekanki, Polish open-faced baguette sandwiches. It has been a listed monument since 2008. Here’s the story of the Okrąglak and what goes on around it on Plac Nowy.
The history of the Okrąglak
The market hall on Plac Nowy was built in 1899–1900. It’s a twelve-sided pavilion with an open courtyard in the middle; originally it held 37 small shops. From 1927 part of the hall was occupied by the Jewish community’s ritual (kosher) poultry slaughterhouse — in the eastern part of the building — and its extension, designed by Józef Weinberger, opened in January 1928. In 1929 the square got a new concrete surface and an underground public toilet with a kiosk.
During the German occupation, when Kazimierz’s Jewish community was murdered in the Holocaust, the slaughterhouse was closed. After the war small-scale trade returned to the Okrąglak, although for years many stalls were used mainly as storerooms.
The Okrąglak today — home of the zapiekanka
Today the windows of the Okrąglak are all about zapiekanki — this is Kraków’s best-known place for them. Several kiosks serve both the classic version with mushrooms and cheese and ones with more unusual toppings, so you can run your own taste test. There are also small grocery shops. Since 2022 Plac Nowy has been part of the Kazimierz and Stradom Cultural Park, and the city has long been preparing plans to redesign the square.
Markets on Plac Nowy
- Monday to Friday — flea market: antiques, books, vinyl records.
- Saturday — antiques and second-hand market.
- Sunday — clothing market, the most popular of all.
- Early on Friday mornings — pigeon and bird breeders.
Where to stay in Kraków
The Okrąglak is the heart of Kazimierz, and Hotel Regent at Bożego Ciała 19 is a few minutes’ walk from Plac Nowy — perfect for a late-night zapiekanka. In the Old Town, about 500 m from the Main Square, there’s Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town at Świętej Gertrudy 6.
Plan your stay in Kraków
Frequently asked questions
What is the Okrąglak in Kraków?
A twelve-sided market hall from 1899–1900 on Plac Nowy in Kazimierz, now Kraków’s best-known place for zapiekanki.
Where is the Okrąglak?
On Plac Nowy, in the centre of Kraków’s Kazimierz district.
When are the markets on Plac Nowy?
A flea market Monday to Friday, an antiques market on Saturdays, a clothing market on Sundays, and pigeon and bird breeders early on Friday mornings.
Updated in October 2026.