Princess Izabela Czartoryska established the collection in Puławy before it was moved to Kraków to protect it from the Russian partitioners.
The 'Lady with an Ermine' is the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci currently located in Poland.
The museum's library collection includes a rare first edition of Nicolaus Copernicus's 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium'.
The collection narrowly survived World War II, having been hidden in various locations including Sieniawa and Germany after being looted by the Nazis.
The museum holds an extensive collection of militaria, including oriental armor and weapons collected during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The portrait 'Lady with an Ermine' is technically owned by the Polish state following a 2016 purchase agreement with the Princes Czartoryski Foundation.
The Czartoryski Museum houses the oldest public collection in Poland, founded by Princess Izabela Czartoryska in 1796. The collection is globally recognized for holding Leonardo da Vinci's 'Lady with an Ermine' and Rembrandt's 'Landscape with the Good Samaritan'. The museum is located within a complex of historic tenement houses and former city fortifications. After a multi-year renovation that concluded in 2019, the museum reopened with modernized exhibition spaces. It features diverse artifacts including ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, alongside European fine art. The core of the collection was amassed by the Czartoryski family to preserve Polish national heritage during the partitions. The displays follow a chronological and thematic narrative reflecting both private collecting habits and national history. The site operates as a branch of the National Museum in Kraków.
The central courtyard area, which offers a striking contrast between the historic stone architecture and the modern glass-roofed structural additions.
Book tickets well in advance online, as entry to see the Leonardo da Vinci painting is strictly timed and limited.
Allow extra time for the security check process at the entrance.
Focus on the first-floor galleries to see the most significant fine art pieces before the crowds arrive.
Trying to walk in without a pre-purchased ticket; skip-the-line status is rarely available for walk-ins.
Closed on Mondays.
Large backpacks and umbrellas must be left in the cloakroom; photography is allowed without flash.
