Every hour on the hour, keep your ears open for the Hejnał playing his trumpet from the top of St. Mary’s Church Tower.  Legend has it that during a Mongol Invasion in the 1200’s, the Hejnał began playing his trumpet to warn the city, and was shot in the heart.  Today if you listen closely, you will notice the tune cuts-off abruptly to mimic the legendary tale.

During the height of tourist season, you can climb the tour and visit the trumpeter, who is actually an active member of the fire brigade, playing the tune every hour, once in each cardinal direction.  And at noon, it’s played live over the Krakow Radio Station!  Visiting information for the tower from the official St. Mary’s Website:

Visiting the bugle call center of Mariacka
From June, the tower is open from Tuesday to Sunday

Please purchase entry-tickets (for charitable purposes) to maintain the legacy of St. Mary’s Church
Regular Ticket – PLN 20
Reduced Ticket – PLN 12 (children over 8, students up to 26, seniors 60+, pensioners)

Children under the age of 8 are not allowed in the tower for safety reasons.
It is not possible to reserve seats in advance.

Tickets can be purchased only at the visitor service point on the day of the visit (Plac Mariacki 7).

Visiting days and hours:
The tourist service point is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10:00 and 17:30 and on Sundays from 13:00 to 17:30. From Tuesday to Saturday, entrances to the tower take place at the following times:

10:05 – 10:30 10:30 – 10:55 11:05 – 11:30 11:30 – 11:55
12:05 – 12:30 12:30 – 12:55 13:05 – 13:30 13:30 – 13:55
14:05 – 14:30 14:30 – 14:55 15:05 – 15:30 15:30 – 15:55
16:05 – 16:30 16:30 – 16:55 17:05 – 17:30 17:30 – 17:55

On Sundays and holidays, the entrance to the tower takes place at the following times:

13:05 – 13:30 13:30 – 13:55 14:05 – 14:30 14:30 – 14:55 15:05 – 15:30
15:30 – 15:55 16:05 – 16:30 16:30 – 16:55 17:05 – 17:30 17:30 – 17:55

Additional information:
While playing the bugle call, it is not possible to stay at the level of the bugle caller’s room.
The number of entries per day is limited.
In case of bad weather conditions, the tower may be closed.
Entrance to the tower from ul. Floriańska.
A group of up to 10 people can enter the tower (two entries per hour).
Photographing and filming in the tower, excluding personal use, requires prior consent. Requests should be sent to: archwium@mariacki.com
Purchasing a ticket automatically means you accept the regulations.

Regulations for visiting the bugle call tower of St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow

Want to learn more about Krakow’s legends?  Pick up The Legends of Krakow from any bookstore in the Old Town.

And as always, if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at emilysguidetokrakow@yahoo.com