While vacationing in Krakow with my brother, I knew I wanted to visit the Czartoryski Museum for the art. I didn’t research the museum and its collections in detail prior to our visit, so I didn’t exactly know what was in store for us. While I was mesmerized by displays in each of the 26 exhibit rooms, some pieces stood out to me more than others. Here are the ten pieces at the Czartoryski Museum that made my jaw drop, gave me a pensive pause, surprised me, or simply left me saying, “how cool.” I think each of these are unmissable pieces at the Czartoryski Museum. Now, let’s see if you can find them among the historical jumble of treasures which awaits you here!
The 10 Unmissable Pieces (In Our Opinion)
#1 Lady With an Ermine
(Dama z gronostajem) by Leonardo da Vinci, painted around 1490
This is the painting the Czartoryski Museum is most known for. It’s the reason I went to this museum in the first place and even knew of the place. Inside the museum you will find Lady with an Ermine in a small, dimly lit room off the Rembrandt Hall. The piece is small (only 21 x 16 inches) but it commands the room. I was surprised that we were able to clearly and closely view this painting without having to deal with too many tourists taking selfies with the Lady.
The piece dates to 1489 or 1490 which means Leonardo da Vinci painted this piece before the Mona Lisa. It’s a masterpiece and some say it is even more beautiful and better preserved than her famous cousin, the Mona Lisa. The theory behind who the lady is, the symbolism of the ermine is worth diving into. It reads like a soap opera in the form of a painting, if you ask us!
#2 Landscape with the Good Samaritan
By Rembrandt van Rijn, 1638
This is the second most well-known painting at this museum. The Old Dutch Master, Rembrandt, is best known for his portraits and paintings of groups which is why this piece is such an incredible work – it’s one of his few landscape paintings. And when I say “a few” we mean 10, maybe 12 in total. This piece is a rare early oil landscape. It’s also small but incredible to see in real life. The scene is powerful and has that classic dramatic lighting effect Rembrandt is known for. I still can’t believe it is in this museum.
#3 Ring of King Sigismund I of Poland (1467 – 1548)
This is a Renaissance gold ring with a large diamond. The story behind the ring is just as spectacular as the ring itself. King Sigismund was buried with this ring. In 1791, Tadeusz Czacki, a historian, took the ring from the royal tomb (along with some other items). Sometime before 1813, the historian presented the ring to Princess Izabela Czartoryska. She put the ring on display at the museum in Pulawy. The ring was displayed alongside other precious relics of former Polish kings and queens. Shortly after the Nazis invaded Poland during World War II, the ring was looted. It was eventually found at the Pforzheim Jewelry Museum in Germany – the world’s only publicly owned museum dedicated to the history and art of jewelry. In 2026, the ring made its way back to Poland. It’s remarkable to think this ring survived the horror of World War II, wasn’t damaged or melted down, and made its way back to its homeland.
#4 Sirens
By Teofil Kwiatkowski, 1845
This piece caught my eye and held my attention; no surprise since sirens are magical creatures known for seducing travelers with their singing. It’s a beautiful piece and enclosed in an ornate, gold leaf frame. It’s also a piece by a Polish painter.
#5 The Lockets and Hair Relics Collection
In the first two rooms in the museum, the Rooms of the Czartoryskis, is where you will find these quirky relics or were they romantic keepsakes? The Princess had a thing for collecting locks of hair from European royals, artists and poets. She would stash them away in ornate lockets. This practice was common in the 18th and 19th centuries and viewed to preserve the memory of a loved one or revered hero.
#6 Sabre with Scabbard
Owned by Grand Hetman of the Crown Stanislaw Jan Jablonowski (1634 – 1702)
This piece is in the Room of the Victory of Vienna. I couldn’t get over how ostentatious this piece was. It had me saying “wow” out loud. It’s an ornate ceremonial saber presented to the Polish King Jan III Sobieski by the pope. Also, in this same room you will see the winged hussar suit of armor which were used by troops in battle. You’ll likely say “wow” when you see those too.
#7 Cartonnage
With the Mummy Asetemkhbit, Egypt, 9th Century B.C.
I did not expect to see an ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus here but that is exactly what I walked into when I entered the Ancient Art Gallery. It gets even better. Inside the painted wooden sarcophagus is cartonnage with the mummy of Takhenemti (the priestess Asetemakhbit).
Outside the sarcophagus, in front of it, are a bunch of little figurines carved in precious stones. Don’t skip over these! These are called amulets or ushabti figurines. They represent different gods. They were found inside the sarcophagus and strategically placed into the mummy’s linen wrappings to provide protection and to assist the priestess in her journey to the underworld.
#8 Historia Poloniae usque ad annum 1406
Kraków, circa 1459-1463
The most valuable historical work of the Polish Middle Ages. Jan Dlugosz wrote his famous Chronicles of the Famous Kingdom of Poland for over 25 years. In twelve books, he recounted the story of the foundation and history of the Polish state until 1480. In these, he presented the legendary and documented past of Poland in a broad international context. The work on display is the 15th century autograph of the Roczniki, a manuscript authorized by Dlugosz himself, as evidenced by the corrections and additions made by his hand. The codex contains a description of the history of Poland from the earliest times to 1406, written by Dlugosz’s writers, at his request and under his supervision.
#9 Polyptych with the Coronation of the Virgin and Saints
By Venetian painter Jacobello di Bonomo, circa 1370
The work is done in 14th century Gothic/Early Renaissance style with a rich gold leaf background and a pointed, pinnacled architectural frame. I think this piece is in a room called the “Medieval Parlor”. It’s surrounded by other church art and easy to find.
#10 Statue of Venus
Roman Empire, early 1st century. Marble. Rome, early 1st Century
This is a classical piece and if you can’t get to Italy to see these types of sculptures then you are not going to want to miss this one. It’s a headless, full-length status of the goddess next to a dolphin and small Eros (Cupid) figure. These are traditional iconic symbols signifying the mythical birth of Venus from the foam of the sea. These types of statues were used as decorative pieces to symbolize love, beauty and fertility. It was purchased by Prince Władysław Czartoryski while he was traveling in Italy in the 1880s.
How the Czartoryski Museum Came to Be
In Poland, a long time ago, there once was a precocious Princess who was passionate about art and loved collecting it. Her name was Princess Izabela Czartorski. She lived an aristocratic life marked by luxury and scandal. She first began collecting art in the 1780’s during travels to Switzerland, England and Scotland. Her collection grew and eventually became Poland’s very first museum in ~1800 in Puławy, Poland. It was intended to celebrate Poland’s cultural heritage and assembled under the theme of “the past for the future”. This motto in Polish is “Przeszłość Przyszłości” and is clearly displayed in the very first exhibit room you enter after scanning your entrance ticket.
The museum was only around for about 30 years before the Princess and her collection escaped to Paris after the Polish insurrection. It took another 45 years before things returned to Poland. The Princess’ grandson is the one who returned the collection to its present-day home in Kraków. During World War II, the Nazi’s occupied Poland. The entire collection was taken to Germany and while most pieces have since been returned to Kraków, hundreds of pieces remain missing to this day. One missing piece is Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man. It is arguably one of the most famous and most valuable stolen paintings of all time.
It wasn’t until 2016 that the Czartoryski Museum came under the control of the Polish state. The Polish government, with funding support from the European Union, paid €100 million for the collection which includes the still missing Raphael portrait.
Visiting the Museum
Admission
The museum is open six days a week: Tuesday – Sunday and closed on Mondays. Check the official museum webpage for current opening hours.
On the museum’s website you will read “it is highly recommended you purchase tickets in advance”. This is a must if you visit during peak season (June – August). I visited in early October and did not purchase tickets in advance. I showed up at the time we wanted to and were able to walk straight up to the ticket counter.
Hot tip! Plan to visit on a Sunday when many retail stores around Kraków are closed in observance of Poland’s national Sunday trading ban (zakaz handle) in effect since 2018.
Location
The museum is in Kraków’s Rynek Glowny medieval town square, in a picturesque corner known today as Czartoryski Alley. It is made up of three buildings, the Palace, the Monastery and the Arsenal. Exhibits can be found in each of the three buildings.
Museum Layout
The museum has a total of 26 exhibit rooms spread across two floors. At a very high level here is what you will find on each floor:
First Floor – pieces related to the Czartoryski family and their history plus a wing dedicated to Far Eastern Art. Most of the works on Floor One are Polish or related to Poland’s history.
Second Floor – a mix of ancient art, Renaissance masterpieces and the Polish Room. The focus on Floor Two is European art.
You will access the second floor via stairs and a gorgeous skybridge overlooking the recently renovated courtyard.
Tours
There are three tour options available to visitors
- You can pay to join a tour with an actual guide
- You can go pay for an audio guide that will pace you through the collection.
- You can go on a self-guided tour and rely on the basic English descriptions located by each piece.
We did option 3 and roamed the museum as we pleased. It was difficult to see some of the works at time due to very dim lighting and we didn’t always understand just how impressive some pieces were until we got home and googled them. But we didn’t want to be rushed and didn’t want to have to pay for an audio guide, so this option worked well for us.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far into this post then you know the Czartoryski Museum, while on the smaller side, packs a big punch. From 15th century Renaissance art to artifacts spanning hundreds of years of world history, this is a fantastic place to linger a little longer and perhaps take a closer look at pieces you normally would skip over.
After two hours wandering the exhibits, I left the museum both impressed and unable to stop talking about all the surprising pieces that caught my eye. The stories behind the pieces sometimes give them new meaning so if you’re someone who likes to know what you’re looking at to fully enjoy it, be sure you purchase an audio guide with your admission. You won’t regret it.
Now, I am dying to know what pieces I’ve shared in this post excite you the most. Which would you want to see first, or which would you skip? Tell me in the comments below. If you’ve visited Czartoryski Museum, let me know that too.
As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully this was a fun “armchair travel” moment for you.
~ Alyssa
