Krakow Fortress Tourism Product of 2023

The Krakow Fortress tourist program has been named 2023 Tourism Product by a Business Forum jury.

The program and Tourism Product of the Year symbol are intended to identify locations in Poland that are fascinating and worth seeing, and interesting tourism products and projects. The award is meant to emphasize tourism services and products of the highest standards, which guarantee the highest quality for customers. It is also intended to create and facilitate a positive message through cultural activities, both for the local community and tourists.

The award is given on the basis of the jury’s analysis of entry forms sent in by participants,  in two categories: Tourism Service of the Year and Tourism Product of the Year. This is now the seventh year for which the award has been given. To date, five enterprises have won the award, and Krakow is the only local government authority to receive it. Some firms’ entries are under consideration, and these may still receive the award. Several entries were rejected.

Program winners have a chance to meet at the finale gala held during the Polish Tourism Congress. This year it will be held on 1 December 2023 in Krynica.

The idea for an award for the best products and services was born a few years ago at the Polish Tourism Congress in Świdnica.

The competition program is organized by the ForumBiznesu.pl website, which also publishes its Business Forum edition as part of the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily. The website provides current news on business, law, politics or for example CSR. The Business Forum also organizes national competitions for businesses and institutions, such as Best Quality – Quality International, Innovation of the Year, Leaders of Corporate Social Responsibility (for instance, the category of Sound Local Government), Friendly Municipality, Good Brand – Quality, Trust, Prestige, Tourism Product/Service of the Year.

Krakow Fortress is one of the city’s most captivating tourism products, designed to show tourists and residents the historical heritage of Krakow’s architectural defense systems, such as Wawel, the defensive walls with St. Florian's Gate and the Barbican, and over a hundred buildings of the 19th century Krakow Fortress located in various parts of the city and outside its administrative borders.

With time, these locations have become intertwined with the city and now serve new purposes, and the green areas surrounding them are used for recreation. Some of the buildings are now the property of the Municipality of Krakow.

The Krakow Fortress, as a tourism product, brings together different facilities and those managing them, so that they can jointly present the historical heritage of Krakow’s architectural defense systems. They are fully available and are becoming increasingly popular among tourists and residents. The goal is to present both the individual facilities and the entire defense system. On a daily basis or on certain days, many of those in charge of the Krakow Fortress heritage open them to the public for sightseeing with tourist guides or by themselves, produce notice boards, open remembrance halls, exhibit historical artifacts, and organize special events, lectures or walks.