Krynki: City History and Cultural Heritage
Accommodation in Krynki
Krynki combines an exceptional historic town plan with a multifaceted religious heritage. Churches, synagogues and cemetery chapels tell of different periods of construction and denominations; a circular cycling route offers another perspective on the surrounding area. Bus connections, a tourist information office and digital archive material may also be useful when planning your trip.
A town plan as a guide
Krynki’s preserved 18th-century town plan is considered unique in the country. The historic layout is arranged around a hexagonal market square, now designed as a park. Twelve straight streets radiate from its corners. This makes it possible to understand the layout not only through individual buildings, but also through the relationship between the market and the streets.
Sokólska, Kościelna, Cerkiewna and Garbarska are among the historic streets that have been in use for centuries. Their names also appear in connection with several religious buildings: the Catholic parish church of St. Anne is on Kościelna Street, an Orthodox parish church is on Cerkiewna Street, and the synagogue ruins are on Garbarska Street. This provides a practical point of reference for considering the town’s layout and cultural heritage together.
Churches and denominational history
The wooden Church of St. Anne was founded by King Sigismund I in 1521 and built in 1522. Another Church of St. Anne, the brick parish church on Kościelna Street, was built between 1907 and 1913 to a design by Stefan Szyller. Its complex includes a gate bell tower dating from the second half of the 18th century. The churchyard also dates from the 18th century. It contains tombstones of the de Virion family, the former owners of Krynki and several estates in the surrounding area.
At 5 Cerkiewna Street stands the brick Orthodox parish Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, built in 1864. The Orthodox cemetery chapel of St. Anthony has a different history: originally a Greek Catholic wooden church from the first half of the 18th century, it is now Orthodox. It was reconstructed between 1989 and 1991. The different dedications, construction methods and dates show the varied development of religious architecture in Krynki.
Jewish heritage across different periods
The brick synagogue ruins on Garbarska Street date back to the 17th century. The synagogue was remodeled in the 19th century, destroyed by fire in 1944 and built on the site of an earlier wooden synagogue. This is distinct from the brick synagogue at 5 Piłsudskiego Street: dating from 1850, it was partially damaged by fire during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1955. The brick Hasidic synagogue at 10a Czysta Street dates from the second half of the 19th century. The Jewish cemetery, dating from the 18th century, is in the northern part of the town.
The dates make the differences between the sites tangible: synagogue ruins with an earlier predecessor, a building from 1850 with a documented history of reconstruction, and a Hasidic synagogue from the later half of the 19th century. Together with the cemetery, they present a multifaceted picture of Jewish heritage without merging the individual sites into a single building history.
Park and cycling route
The manor park in Krynki contains the ruins of an 18th-century barn. For active exploration, there is the “Kresowe Wędrówki” cycling loop: it starts and ends in Krynki and runs as a circular route between the eastern and western edges of the Knyszyńska Forest. Check the route conditions before setting off. Combining the town’s history with a cycling route can help you balance different interests when planning a stay in Krynki.
Information and getting there
Krynki has a tourist information office at the Gminny Ośrodek Kultury. Check its operating details before your trip. The Public Library also provides the “In the Footsteps of Many Cultures” educational trail game as downloadable archive material for educational and promotional purposes. It was created as a joint project by a school, a foundation and local partners. If you would like to include the material in your plans, check the file before your arrival.
Transport information published for 2026 lists a bus route connecting Szudziałowo, Krynki, Supraśl, Nowodworce and Białystok, as well as a connection between Sokółka and Kruszyniany via Szudziałowo and Krynki. Check the timetables before your trip. This will let you plan your journey using connections relevant to your travel dates, rather than relying on a route description alone.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Suchowola, Kuźnica, Małowista, Krynki, Kruszyniany, Nowinka, Sokółka.
Return to the main travel overview: Sokółka.
