Wolnica Square

You’ve arrived at Wolnica Square, once the main market square of the town of Kazimierz. Located along the salt route from the Wieliczka mines, the square, originally twice its current size, was the town’s administrative and commercial centre. Its name comes from the Polish word wolny, meaning “free”, a reference to the privilege of free trade that was once granted here. The square was home to a town hall, a weighing station, and even a cloth-shearing workshop. Yes, cloth used to be sheared to be made thinner and smoother. It’s hard to imagine how many trades have disappeared over time. The beautiful Renaissance-style building that dominates one side of the square is the old town hall—the last surviving witness to Kazimierz’s time as an autonomous city. It now houses the Ethnographic Museum, which celebrates Poland’s rich folk traditions and culture. The square took on its current form in 1800, when the town of Kazimierz was officially incorporated into Kraków.