I'll be in Kraków at the very start of October this year, and I am particularly interested in the Jewish sights. I am aware that they always tend to be closed on Saturdays (apart from a rare few that stay open), but my trip will also overlap with Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
Does anyone know if these special holidays will cause particular closures or altered opening hours, especially of sights like synagogues and cemeteries? Thanks in advance for any information! :)
I will also be in Krakow those days and I'm planning on either Thursday September 24 in the Jewish Quarter or Monday September 28. I think there are a couple of Jewish sites that are closed on Mondays, read in RS Central Europe Guidebook. So I will probably do 9/24 to be sure. I also read on one of the tour sites that the Jewish sites will be closed on Sukkot. I'm assuming that means the first 2 days: 9/26 and 9/27. Best of luck to you and happy travels!
Here's something from Chabad's website: "Sites generally maintain normal operating hours between 9/27 and 10/2, 2026, though hours may shift ahead of Shabbat and holidays." Also, I was mistaken about what RS guidebook said. It says: "Monday comes with a few closures of non-Jewish sights: the Ethnographic Museum and Museum of Engineering and Technology." Hope this helps. To be sure, I may contact Krakow Chabad next week.
I went there a couple of years ago and they were open. They mostly follow Polish (i.e. Catholic) holidays.
Jewish holidays this fall:
Sept. 12-13 New Year
Sept. 21 Day of Atonement
Sept. 26-27 First days of Festival of Booths
Oct 3-4 Final days of Festival of Booths
With one exception they all begin on Saturday, so if a sight is typically closed on Saturday, it will likely be closed on Sunday as well. If it's a synagogue, it may be closed or have limited hours on the intermediate days of the Festival of Booths.
My assumption would be that if the sight is operated by the Jewish community or some of its members, it would likely observe the holidays. If it is run by others, and is generally open on Saturdays, it would be open on the holidays.
