The Avenue of Stars (Aleja Gwiazd) is Kraków's walk of fame: a row of stars set into the riverside promenade of Bulwar Czerwieński, at the foot of Wawel Hill. It was started in 2008 by the city and the radio station RMF FM, and the first star went to Céline Dion. Since then musicians and film people have added their names, and some their handprints, often on the day of a concert in the city.
The Avenue of Stars at a glance
- Where: Bulwar Czerwieński, the Vistula boulevard below Wawel Hill, close to the Wawel Dragon statue.
- Created: in 2008, with Céline Dion's star; new stars are still added every few years.
- What it is today: an open-air walk of fame along the river, free and open at all times. It is run by the City of Kraków with RMF FM, and the film stars are linked to the Mastercard OFF CAMERA festival.
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes to walk the stars, longer if you continue along the boulevards.
From Céline Dion to Bryan Adams
The avenue began in 2008 as a joint project of the city and RMF FM, one of Poland's largest radio stations, based in Kraków. Céline Dion, who gave her first concert in Poland that year, received the first star. In July 2009 the Polish rock band Maanam unveiled theirs, placed right next to Wawel and the Wawel Dragon. That became the pattern: artists playing in Kraków walk down to the river a few hours before their show to unveil their star. Bryan Adams did exactly that on 31 July 2025, before his concert at the Tauron Arena. The German rock band Scorpions are on the avenue too.
The film world joined later. Guests of Mastercard OFF CAMERA, Kraków's international festival of independent cinema, leave a star and a handprint in the pavement. Among them are the French director Luc Besson, the actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Claudia Cardinale, and the composer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, who won an Oscar for the score of Finding Neverland and unveiled his star and handprint on 25 May 2023. The organisers have not published a full list, so part of the fun is finding names you know.
What to look for
- Céline Dion's star: the one that started it all in 2008.
- The handprints: film guests press their hand into the plaque next to their star. Put yours next to theirs and compare.
- Bryan Adams's star from 2025, one of the more recent additions.
- Polish names alongside the international ones, such as the rock band Maanam, unveiled in 2009.
- The setting: look up from the stars to the brick walls of Wawel Castle above the river.
The dragon next door
A few steps along the boulevard stands the Wawel Dragon, a bronze sculpture by Bronisław Chromy set up in 1972 outside the cave under Wawel Hill, and it breathes real fire at intervals. The legend says a dragon lived in that cave and terrorised the city until a clever shoemaker fed it a sheep stuffed with sulphur. Burning with thirst, the dragon drank from the Vistula until it burst. It is only a legend, but the cave, the Dragon's Den, is real, and in season you can walk down into it from the castle hill and come out by the statue.
Tips for your visit
- Combine the stars with Wawel: visit the castle and cathedral first, then walk down to the boulevard, or come out through the Dragon's Den.
- The stars are set into the ground of a shared promenade, so watch out for cyclists and scooters while you look down.
- Come in the late afternoon or at sunset, when the light hits the castle walls and locals come down to walk along the river.
Nearby
- Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral: the castle and coronation church of the Polish kings, on the hill right above the boulevard.
- Wawel Dragon: the fire-breathing bronze dragon at the foot of the hill, a short walk along the river.
- Kazimierz: the old Jewish quarter, now full of synagogues, cafés and bars, a short walk south-east.
- Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology: across the river from Wawel, in a building by the architect Arata Isozaki, opened in 1994.
See Kraków with World City Trail
Our Kraków scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 11 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 47 minutes of walking. It includes the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall, St Mary's Basilica and St Florian's Gate. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch or Polish.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Kraków.
Play the Kraków scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Kraków →
Play the outdoor escape game in Kraków →
Facts checked in October 2026.