Kraków’s oldest residential building — the city’s oldest townhouses
The oldest surviving residential building in Kraków is the house at św. Krzyża 23 — today the presbytery of the Holy Cross parish, built in the early 14th century. It’s about 700 years old, and according to the Citizens’ Committee for the Restoration of Kraków’s Monuments it is the only residential building in the city that has kept its 14th-century appearance. Where else can you find Kraków’s oldest townhouses?
The house at św. Krzyża 23 — about 700 years old
The building stands right next to the Church of the Holy Cross and the Słowacki Theatre, but it’s almost six centuries older than the theatre (opened in 1893). It was built in the early 14th century as a single-storey defensive building by the city walls, for the guards — hence the narrow windows and thick walls. Later it housed Benedictine nuns, then the Hospitaller monks of the Holy Spirit, and today it is the parish presbytery. Work is under way in the cellars on a future museum.
Długosz House — Kanonicza 25
On Kanonicza Street, leading from Wawel towards the Main Square, stands Długosz House. The site’s history goes back to 1335, when a royal bathhouse operated here. From 1450 to 1480 the chronicler Jan Długosz lived here, giving the building its name. Today it houses the rector’s office of the Pontifical University of John Paul II.
Świechowicz House — Grodzka 23
On the Royal Route, on Grodzka Street, stands a townhouse whose oldest parts date from the mid-14th century. It’s one example of how much of the Middle Ages hides inside Kraków’s townhouses — often behind façades rebuilt in later centuries.
Margrave’s House — Main Square 47
On the corner of the Main Square and Floriańska Street stands the Margrave’s House (Kamienica Margrabska), also known as “Under the Mint”. It owes its name to Margrave Franciszek Wielopolski, who owned it in the early 17th century. In the 19th century it was home to the well-known Hotel Drezdeński.
The oldest townhouses in Poland
Kraków doesn’t have Poland’s oldest townhouse. Contenders for the title include the House of the Seven Electors in Wrocław (with cellars from the second half of the 13th century) and the house at Old Town Market Square 20 in Toruń (ceiling beams dated to around 1266). But Kraków’s house at św. Krzyża 23 is among the oldest residential buildings in the country to retain its medieval look.
Where to stay in Kraków
Our own hotels are historic buildings too: Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town occupies a restored townhouse from 1876 at Świętej Gertrudy 6, about 500 m from the Main Square, and Hotel Regent is in an 18th-century townhouse in Kazimierz.
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest residential building in Kraków?
The house at św. Krzyża 23, today the presbytery of the Holy Cross parish — built in the early 14th century, about 700 years ago.
Where is Kraków’s oldest townhouse?
At św. Krzyża 23, next to the Church of the Holy Cross and the Słowacki Theatre. Długosz House (Kanonicza 25) and Świechowicz House (Grodzka 23) are also very old.
What is the oldest townhouse in Poland?
Contenders include the House of the Seven Electors in Wrocław and the house at Old Town Market Square 20 in Toruń — both from the 13th century.
Updated in October 2026.