It may have seemed to many Kraków residents that hell had frozen over in recent weeks. The park on Zakrzówek—a place that has gone down in the collective memory as exceptionally beautiful, mainly because of its wild, untamed character—has been officially opened. What does it look like after the changes?
Kraków's Zakrzówek is one of those places that could become the protagonist of a viral video promoting Kraków as well as the Old Town or Kazimierz. The limestone rocks surrounded by wildlife were a sanctuary of peace for locals, as well as a place to go for a Sunday stroll. Like any important Kraków space, for many years its development was in question—how did the history of the place evolve?
The way Zakrzówek was finished is still controversial
photo by Wiktor Bochenek
from quarry to bathing area
The area of the former quarry still in the 1990s did not resemble the bathing area we know today. Officially, the excavation was closed and flooded in 1992, although this was only the beginning of the history of the struggle for the area. As everywhere else in Kraków, there were temptations to erect buildings here as well.
In 2006, part of Zakrzówek, along with a large reservoir, was purchased by a developer who wanted to build a housing development in its immediate vicinity. However, the first actions to defend Zakrzówek and its character appeared a year earlier. The conflict between the developer and residents had been going on for several years and included attempts to create a Natura 2000 reserve in the area. Signatures were also collected for an appeal to preserve the green areas in Zakrzówek. The efforts included the „Ej Ludzie Let's Buy Back Zakrzówek” campaign, and the area began to be increasingly recognized outside of Kraków.
In the first days after the opening, the biggest problem was waste, which they tried to clean up right away
photo by Wiktor Bochenek
In 2014, after many years of battles, residents succeeded in getting a Local Land Use Plan passed for the area, but this did not mean the end of the struggle over its character. In 2016, the city bought back some of the Zakrzówek land held by a developer. That same year, an international competition for the development of Zakrzówek Park was announced. In addition to representatives of the authority, the jury of the competition included representatives of residents. The competition did not bring the desired results—it was decided not to award the main prize.
The main material of which the platforms were made is wood
photo: Wiktor Bochenek
In 2017, a contractor for the Zakrzówek Park development project was selected through a tender. The tender was won by the F11 Design Studio. A year later, an ecological utility was enacted on part of Zakrzówek.
The project assumed the netting of part of the small reservoir, so again the voice was raised by residents, who pointed out the lack of need to net the rocks in Zakrzówek in the geological expertise. In 2020, activists organized meetings within the framework of the Civil Dialogue Commission, happenings in defense of Zakrzówek or petitions against netting the area. They also proposed building a bathing area on a large reservoir. In the end, the rocks were netted, and the bathing area was located on a small reservoir.
The space available to beachgoers consists of several basins
photo by Wiktor Bochenek
lavish opening and small problems
The Zakrzówek bathing area was officially launched on June 22, 2023, and very quickly began to be popular with beachgoers. Unfortunately, the first thing that caught the eye was... the sea of garbage left behind by irresponsible Zakrzówek beachgoers.
How does the bathing area finally look like? First of all, it is full, already in the morning hours on a weekday we will meet people here. Wooden piers with separate basins are repaired on a regular basis. The part by the small reservoir in the axed part of Zakrzówek looks better than it might seem. The nets used are not visible. Instead, the basins allow a larger group of people to enjoy swimming than before.
The limestone rocks have been secured with nets
photo: Wiktor Bochenek
However, it was not without shortcomings—primarily on the technical side. Currently, the elevator for people with disabilities is inaccessible, which significantly hinders the use of the pools. Using the toilets, which are located at the top of the complex, is also a problem. There is also a question about the massing of the building on Wyłom Street. Wasn't it worthwhile to inscribe its facade into the landscape with a differently chosen material, choosing white stone instead of wood, for example? The wood and glass facade finds it difficult to find its way into the stony surroundings.
A small building with a wood-and-glass facade was located on the side of Wyłom street
Photo: Wiktor Bochenek
wildness vs. beachfront
Regardless of how our sympathies and antipathies to the concepts that have shaped discussions about the development of Zakrzówek for many years are distributed—"Annushka has already spilled the oil." The wild character of a fragment of this unique place in Kraków has been obliterated, but the final assessment of the development will depend primarily on its use. Whether it will be a place loved by Cracovians as before, in its more natural character, we will only find out in some time.
A final assessment of Zakrzówek requires some time perspective
photo by Wiktor Bochenek
