Inauguration on the Vistula

The city of Kraków officially opened a new pedestrian and bicycle footbridge across the Vistula river on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at 18:30. The opening ceremony brought together municipal leaders and local residents who filled the crossing between the Kazimierz and Ludwinów districts. Events included the sounding of the traditional St. Mary's trumpet call, entertainment activities, and the distribution of local obwarzanki bread to visitors. Cyclists performed an inaugural ride across the river, while illumination in Kraków's civic white and blue colors lit up the steel arches. Stanisław Kracik, the acting mayor of Kraków, addressed the gathering to mark the physical reconnection of the two riverbanks.

“Your presence convinces me that this investment is not an extravagance at all, because you simply need it. You came, you want to enjoy it, you want to use it and you perfectly understand the symbolism of a bridge that connects Ludwinów with Kazimierz after 115 years.”

Design and technical parameters

The crossing spans roughly 130 meters in length, nearly 14 meters in width, and reaches a peak height of 16 meters. Designed by architect Kazimierz Łatak, the structure uses intertwining steel ribbons arranged in a sinusoidal curve. The bridge floor divides into three distinct zones, featuring dedicated thoroughfares for pedestrian and bicycle traffic alongside an elevated central viewing area. Accompanying infrastructure works delivered renovated pedestrian paths, new connecting stairs, access ramps, and modern night lighting. The structure connects Inflancki Boulevard between Skawińska and Wietora streets on the Kazimierz side with Wołyński Boulevard near Ludwinowska Street on the southern bank.

“It is a very pleasant sight that the footbridge has been filled with the people for whom it was designed and conceived.”

Two decades of planning and construction

The municipal government first drew up plans for a crossing at this location in 2006, securing an initial building permit before financial constraints halted development. Łukasz Szewczyk, director of the Municipal Investments Board, noted that the city returned to the project in 2022 after an earlier 2018 attempt stalled due to negative conservation reviews regarding sightlines toward the Church on the Rock. Kraków selected a contractor on 1 August 2023 with a bid of 114 million PLN, compared to the 38 million PLN spent on the earlier Bernatka footbridge.

Bernatka footbridge38

Kazimierz-Ludwinów contractor tender114

Bernatka footbridge

38 million PLN

Kazimierz-Ludwinów contractor tender

114 million PLN

Data from the article text

Heavy construction commenced in January 2024, causing temporary closures and detours along the Vistula boulevards for summer runners and cyclists. On-site engineering adjustments added 500,000 PLN to the budget, bringing total project costs close to 120 million PLN prior to the 4 October 2026 opening, seven weeks past the contracted target date of 11 August 2026.

Local debate and naming process

The project generated public debate over urban conservation, tree removal on the boulevards, and the concreting of grass around the foundation pillars. Critics had questioned the crossing's visual impact on Kraków's UNESCO-listed skyline and proposed alternative locations, such as connections between Dębniki and Zwierzyniec or Zabłocie and Kazimierz. Historical records noted that a bridge once stood at this river point before Swedish forces burned it down in the 17th century, after which a ferry operated for centuries. Acting Mayor Kracik stated that the footbridge currently has no official name because the city council intends to deliberate on a title that will be easily understood in Kraków and internationally.