Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich w Krakowie

About the museum

The Czartoryski collection began in Puławy, where Princess Izabela Czartoryska created the first museum on Polish lands at the beginning of the 19th century, with national relics. After the November Uprising the collections went to Paris, and in 1876 they were opened to the public in Kraków, in the former City Arsenal and in the Piarist Little Monastery (Klasztorek).

The complex includes the Czartoryski Palace on ul. św. Jana, the Klasztorek and the Arsenal on ul. Pijarska. In 1950 the museum became a branch of the National Museum in Kraków. From 1991 the collections were looked after by the Princes Czartoryski Foundation. At the end of 2016 the State Treasury bought the collection together with the Kraków buildings, and in 2017 the collection went to the National Museum.

A thorough renovation began in 2010, and the museum reopened in December 2019. The Arsenal was opened in 2021, and a new exhibition in the Klasztorek in June 2023. The collections include Western European painting, ancient and medieval art, applied arts, militaria and national relics.

Highlights

• Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci (second floor, room 7)
• Landscape with the Good Samaritan by Rembrandt
• Western European painting, applied arts, militaria and ancient art
• Klasztorek with 19th-century display cases and relics collected by Izabela Czartoryska
• Tours with audio description, in sign language and for families

Permanent exhibitions

• Sztuka czasów Rembrandta i Dama z gronostajem – Rooms with the most famous works of the collection: the painting by Leonardo da Vinci and the canvas by Rembrandt, shown in the palace.
• Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich. Klasztorek – The exhibition in the former Klasztorek recalls Izabela Czartoryska’s museum in Puławy and shows relics and curiosities in original 19th-century display cases.

Founded

1796

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every Tuesday – free admission to the permanent exhibitions; individual visitors collect a free pass at the ticket office.

The ticket to the Czartoryski Museum also gives access to the permanent exhibitions in other branches of the National Museum (Ciołek, Matejko, Mehoffer, Szymanowski, Czapscy, Szołayscy, Arsenał) and is valid for 3 months. The annual pass of the National Museum does not include the Czartoryski Museum. If tickets are sold out online, an additional allocation is sometimes available at the ticket office.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

All levels of the museum are adapted for people with mobility disabilities: there are lifts, wide corridors and toilets on the ground floor. The route for blind visitors is marked from the entrance, and a tactile, audible information board stands at the ticket office. A sensory path with copies of artefacts runs through the rooms, and an audio guide with audio description, a video guide in sign language and sensory baskets are available. The museum has a quiet zone.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

A family audio guide route is available. In the courtyard stands the Miejsce Poznania i Eksperymentu (Place of Discovery and Experiment), a mobile piece of furniture with drawers containing worksheets for families with children, art materials and contemporary copies of artefacts to touch.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Café and museum shop in the branch; the cloakroom is mandatory and free of charge. Online bookshop: eksiegarnia.mnk.pl.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum offers hire and provision of its spaces.

Plan your visit