One Outdoor Pool for a Million People
During the late-June 2026 heat wave that swept across Poland, Kraków residents had precious few places to cool off outdoors. The city of over one million people has exactly one open-air swimming pool: Wandzianka, in the Nowa Huta district on Bulwarowa Street, offering a lap pool and a smaller recreational pool. That stark ratio sits at the center of a growing civic debate about urban infrastructure and climate resilience.
The situation is a relatively recent one. Kraków once had several outdoor pools. The pool in Krakowski Park operated during the interwar period before being filled in during road expansion works in 1938. The Cracovia Sports Club pool opened that same year, survived the Second World War, and served residents for decades before closing at the turn of the 1990s and 2000s; its remains were filled in by 2015. The Wisła pool on Władysława Reymonta Street ran from 1964 until 2010, when its operator cited annual subsidies as the reason for closure. Two others, OSIR Krakowianka in Borek Fałęcki and the Polfa pool on Eisenberga Street, also shut down around the same period.
Three Projects, No Firm Opening Dates
Three separate initiatives could eventually restore outdoor swimming to more of the city, but none has a confirmed completion date.
Eisenberga Street (Oficerskie Housing Estate): An indoor facility called the Przystań Sports and Recreation Center opened here in 2021. The operator who signed the lease agreement also committed to building an outdoor pool on the eastern portion of the site, designed by the ARP Manecki architectural firm. Construction deadlines of March 2026 and then April 20, 2026 both passed without work beginning. As of late June 2026, the designated site remained an empty lawn. The city has indicated the situation could justify terminating the contract and imposing penalties, meaning a new operator or approach would be needed, pushing any opening further into the future.
Mackiewicza Street, Prądnik Biały (Nowa Clepardia): A multifunctional sports hall is under construction on land belonging to the Clepardia Sports Club, designed again by ARP Manecki, with completion scheduled for March 2027. The complex will include an indoor pool with an adjustable floor, squash and tennis courts, a bowling alley, and a roller skating rink. Two outdoor pools that previously operated on this site were closed in 2022 when construction began. Those outdoor pools, along with a skatepark and amphitheater, are planned for a second phase. The city has not announced a timeline for that phase.
Borek Fałęcki (former Krakowianka site): The city took over the former Krakowianka complex on Żywiecka Boczna Street in 2025. Kraków Deputy Mayor Łukasz Sęk indicated to the lovekraków.pl website that a recreational complex with an open-air pool could be built there, though no concrete plans have been published.
Natural Swimming Areas Fill Part of the Gap
Kraków does have three natural swimming areas: Przylasek Rusiecki in Nowa Huta, Bagry in Płaszów, and the Zakrzówek swimming area, which opened in June 2023. Zakrzówek in particular has become a popular destination, drawing large crowds daily during summer. These sites are valuable, but all sit at a distance from the city center.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent accommodation operators in Kraków, particularly those catering to summer visitors, should note that outdoor swimming options remain limited and geographically concentrated in outer districts. Guests arriving during heat waves will ask about cooling off. Providing clear, up-to-date guidance on Wandzianka, the three natural swimming areas, and their transport connections is a practical way to add value right now. Hosts near Prądnik Biały or the Eisenberga area may eventually benefit from new facilities, but should not plan around those openings in the near term.
The details in this post were first reported by Przemysław Ciępka for Architektura i Biznes (architekturaibiznes.pl), published June 29, 2026. This post is published by the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by Krakow Travel.