You know me, I’m always hunting down weird and offbeat things to do in order to bring you the best alternative experiences that Europe has to offer. I hit the jackpot in Amsterdam with the Lloyd Hotel which features rooms with swings and beds for eight people and the Katten Kabinet, a museum dedicated exclusively to cat art. Then there was Prague, where I stumbled across all sorts of weird and wonderful things.
Finding such weird and offbeat attractions was a little tougher in Krakow. But have no fear, I did happen to find at least one strange place which happens to be none other than the Pharmacy Museum (Muzeum Farmacji). Located in a 15th-century building, the museum spans over five stories from the basement to the attic, even retaining its original gothic cellars, renaissance ceilings, and a 19th-century fresco.
Weird & Offbeat: The Pharmacy Museum in Krakow
Founded in 1946, the history of pharmacy throughout the middle ages to modern times is featured through the 22,000 objects on display including old lab equipment, rare books, glassware, furniture, and various pharmaceutical instruments.
In fact, a few full-scale pharmacies from previous times have been painstakingly recreated such as this old apothecary cellar where herbal medicines were hung to dry.
The Pharmacy Museum in Krakow has quite a few interesting details, like this old advertisement – “Tell me, doctor …” and beautiful stained glass windows.
So if you’re looking for something weird and offbeat to do in Krakow (or like me have a desperate need to escape the cold), then stop by the Pharmacy Museum. It’s rare and one of the few of its kind in the entire world, the largest of its kind in Europe, and heck, you may even learn something new. Also, admission is insanely cheap at around €2 euros for adults.
What do you think about the Pharmacy Museum in Krakow? Can you recommend any other cool things to do in the city?
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Good To Know
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Booking.com2) Want to experience Krakow on a guided tour? See some options with Get Your Guide.
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This kind of place in right up my alley. Might actually have a chance to visit Krakow soon — I’ll make note of this museum. Went back and looked at your Prague article, too. I must have walked right by that golem and didn’t see it. Does kind of look like Darth Vader!
Two Euros is cheap!! You should head to Vienna – there are a few weird museums there
@Cathy – Definitely make a stop! Why not … It’s only two Euros. 🙂
And let me know what you think!
Seems like a cool and quirky little museum! Love the photos
@Andrea – I will return to Vienna sometime! I want to go to the mortuary museum. 🙂
@Jarmo – Thanks! It was a fun place to visit. 🙂
Super cool! The photos are super cool – all the bottle shots!
That’s exactly the kind of article I want to see in a travel blog. Offbeat is king 🙂
That is really great. Love little quirky museum’s. We went to a creepy one in Tasmania once that was only a few dollars as well!
@Jade and @Mauro – Thanks! Hope you make it there to enjoy the museum or city someday. 🙂
@Cole – Me too! I have some vague plan to hit up quirky museums all around the world. Europe is the perfect place to begin. =)
Imagine what it must have been like to train to be a pharmacist in that day and age… i would have felt like a wizard or something 😛
@Jade – Ha ha! I shudder to think about some of the things they had to when mixing their potions and such. There were some pretty gross ingredients. 🙂
No these are places that I am thoroughly interested in. The area where the history of pharmacy took place looks a place for some weird voodoo acts but it still looks really cool. Thank you for sharing!
@Alexa – Thanks! It is a pretty cool place for sure.
Great find! I think this would be pretty entertaining.
Very cool, quirky museums are my favorite. There’s also a Pharmacy Museum at Heidelberg Castle as well, but it looks smaller than this one.
@Stephanie – It was indeed entertaining! You’d be surprised to learn about some of the lengths people went to for … the sake of sexual health for example. LOL.
@Laurel – We have a shared love for them. I can hit up some in Berlin with you when you’re here for ITB if you like. And cool, maybe I can check out that one at the castle sometime!
A pharmaceutical museum just doesn’t draw me in, but there’s something about “apothecaries” that does! It just sounds so…. ancient, and sort of magical. 😛
@Christy – I pretty much feel the same, and didn’t stay at the museum long but it ended up being a little more interesting than I thought. 🙂
I think you’d enjoy San Marino (weird and offbeat in itself, as the world’s oldest republic – from 301). There are all sorts of odd museums in this little country: Museum of torture instruments, Museum of curious objects, and much more.
@Sophie – I’m headed to Italy next month so maybe I can spend some time there and indulge in all things weird.