The Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow is a true gem on the map of European aviation museums and a must-see for any military enthusiast. Located on the site of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airport, one of the oldest military airports in Europe operating since 1912, the museum impresses not only with its extensive collection, but also with the unique atmosphere of a place with authentic aviation history.

The museum's collection includes more than 200 aircraft, including exhibits that are unique in the world. Among the most valuable are World War I-era aircraft, such as the Albatros C.I and Aviatik C.III, which are among the few surviving examples in the world. A special pride of the museum is its collection of Polish aeronautical constructions from the interwar period, including the famous PZL P.11c fighters, which resisted the Luftwaffe in the 1939 September campaign.

A unique feature of the exhibition is the museum's modern main building with the characteristic shape of an aircraft propeller, opened in 2010. The building, designed by the Pysall.Ruge Architekten studio, has been recognized as one of the most interesting museum buildings in Poland and provides the perfect backdrop for the exhibits on display. Inside are not only airplanes, but also a rich collection of aircraft engines, pilot equipment and memorabilia related to the history of Polish aviation.

The museum offers visitors the opportunity to see up close such aircraft as the Soviet MiG-29, the American F-16, and the Polish TS-11 Iskra. Particularly interesting is the exposition of helicopters, including the Mi-24 - a powerful combat helicopter that inspires awe with its size and armament. For lovers of older designs, a real treat will be the collection of World War II aircraft, including the famous Spitfire, which took part in the Battle of Britain.

A noteworthy exhibit is the one dedicated to Polish aviators fighting in 303 Squadron and other RAF units during World War II. Their heroic deeds, depicted through original memorabilia, photographs and documents, are an important part of Polish military history. The museum also preserves memorabilia of famous Polish aircraft designers, such as Stanislaw Skarzynski, who was the first Pole to fly across the Atlantic.

For families with children, the museum has prepared interactive exhibit elements, including flight simulators that let you feel like a real pilot. There are also modeling workshops and aviation-themed film screenings. The spacious grounds around the museum, where the larger machines are exposed, are the perfect place to take a walk and take photos against the backdrop of the impressive aircraft.

The General Emil Fieldorf 'Nil' Home Army Museum is the only facility of its kind in Poland that comprehensively presents the history of the Polish Underground State and its armed forces. Located in the historic building of the former Austrian barracks on Wita Stwosza Street, the museum was opened to the public in 2000, and in 2012 underwent a thorough modernization, thanks to which the exhibition gained a modern, multimedia character.

Upon entering the museum, visitors are transported back in time to occupied Poland. The exhibition is divided chronologically and thematically, leading visitors through the successive stages of underground activity - from the creation of underground structures to the dramatic finale in the form of the Warsaw Uprising and the post-war fate of Home Army soldiers. Particularly moving are the reconstructions of a conspiratorial printing house, radio station or field hospital, which allow one to feel the atmosphere of those times.

Among the most valuable exhibits are original documents of the Polish Underground State, including orders from the Home Army Commander-in-Chief, underground press and fake documents used by members of the resistance. The museum also has an impressive collection of weapons used by the partisans, including the famous Sten submachine guns, which were manufactured in underground workshops, as well as airdropped Allied weapons.

A unique element of the exhibition is a collection of memorabilia of General Emil Fieldorf 'Nile', the museum's patron, who as commander of the Home Army's Kedyw organized the most important diversionary actions, and was murdered by the communist authorities after the war. His story, as well as the fate of many other soldiers of the 'outcasts,' is an important part of the museum's narrative of post-war repression against members of the Home Army.

The Home Army Museum is distinguished from other museums by its modern approach to presenting history. Multimedia installations, touch screens and film projections complement the traditional display cases with exhibits, making the tour attractive also to the younger generation. Of particular interest is a room dedicated to everyday life in occupied Poland, where visitors can see a reconstruction of a wartime apartment and learn about the realities of life under German occupation.

For those interested in the history of the Cracow underground, the museum offers a special exhibition on the activities of the Home Army in Cracow and Malopolska. Here you can learn the stories of local heroes, sabotage actions carried out in the city, and see places related to the underground on an interactive map of Krakow. Of note is the exposition dedicated to the 'Koppe' action - an attempted assassination attempt on the senior SS and police commander in the General Government, which took place in Krakow in 1944.

The museum regularly organizes educational events, including meetings with veterans, documentary film screenings and historical reconstructions. Special educational programs have been prepared for schools to introduce young people to the difficult history of Poland during World War II in an accessible way. The museum's extensive library and archives are a valuable resource for researchers studying the history of the Home Army and the Polish Underground State.

The Krakow Fortress, one of the largest fortification works in Europe, is a fascinating, though often overlooked by tourists, element of the city's military history. Built by the Austrians between 1850 and 1916, the fortress consisted of dozens of forts, artillery batteries and other defensive structures, forming a ring around the city about 60 kilometers long. Today, the preserved forts are a unique testimony to 19th-century fortification art and are an excellent destination for military and alternative tourism enthusiasts.

One of the best-preserved structures of the Krakow Fortress is Fort Kosocice 50 1/2 O 'Barycz', located in the southern part of the city. This armored artillery fort, built between 1897 and 1899, represents the pinnacle of Austrian fortification thought. Its distinctive mass with powerful artillery positions and a system of underground corridors still impresses visitors today. The fort was designed to take maximum advantage of the terrain - partially blending into the hillside, it was difficult for the enemy to detect and destroy.

Inside the fort, the original elements of the equipment have been preserved, including the rotating mechanisms of the armored domes, the ventilation system and the barracks infrastructure for the crew. Of particular interest are the preserved inscriptions in German, instructions for operating the equipment and traces of the daily life of the soldiers stationed at the fort. It is worth noting the well-thought-out defense system, which included not only artillery positions, but also protections against infantry attack in the form of moats, ramparts and entanglements.

The Kosocice Fort, like other Krakow Fortress facilities, was never used as intended in full-scale warfare. Paradoxically, when World War I broke out, the fortifications proved obsolete in view of the development of artillery. Nonetheless, the forts performed an important logistical function and provided support for the Austro-Hungarian army. After Poland regained its independence, the forts passed into the hands of the Polish military, and during World War II some of them were used by the Germans.

Completing Krakow's military history is the IS-2 Tank, a monument located on Ignacy Moscicki Street in the Nowa Huta district. This Soviet heavy tank, placed on a pedestal, commemorates the liberation of Krakow from German occupation in January 1945. The IS-2 (Iosif Stalin-2) was one of the most powerful tanks of World War II, equipped with a powerful 122mm cannon capable of destroying German Tiger and Panther tanks.

The tank monument in Nowa Huta has an interesting history. It was set up in the 1950s as a symbol of Polish-Soviet friendship and an element of communist propaganda. After the political changes in 1989, unlike many other monuments from the communist era, it was not removed, but remained as a testimony to history. Today it is a distinctive landmark in Nowa Huta and a reminder of the complicated fate of post-war Krakow.

It is worth noting that Nowa Huta, where the IS-2 tank monument is located, is itself a fascinating example of socialist realist architecture and urban planning of the Cold War period. The district was designed as a model socialist city and was intended as a counterbalance to 'bourgeois' Old Kraków. Today, it is a unique example of the architecture of that period and is increasingly appreciated by tourists looking for alternative attractions.

While visiting Krakow's military sites, it is also worth noting lesser-known but equally interesting places, such as the anti-aircraft shelter under the Kosciuszko Mound or the remains of World War II fortifications. For those interested in military history, Krakow also offers specialized tourist routes, including the 'Krakow Fortress Route', which leads through the most important surviving forts and other defensive facilities of the former fortress.