About us

The history of the building where the Kossak Hotel is now located, dates back to the 1930s. The architectural design is from 1931, but the building itself was constructed in 1935.

In the 1960s, right next to it, the first department store in Krakow, "Jubilat," was built, directly adjoining the building.

In 1995, the building ceased to be the property of the Wasserberg Jewish family, who sold it to the current owners - the Ostachowski family.

The whole history of Hotel Kossak began with Zbigniew Ostachowski - an entrepreneur who bought 3 properties in Krakow and adopted them for the Osti-Hotele company. The Kossak Hotel was built in one of them.

Mr. Zbigniew blazed trails and created a place famous for its Krakowness and hospitality. In turn, since the pandemic, his daughter Joanna Ostrowska took over the reins at Kossak, while his other daughter Izabela Ostachowska became responsible for catering issues.

The exhibition of Cracovian nativity scenes is the result of an annual competition for artists, which is already a tradition. The post-competition exhibition has received the honorary patronage of the Polish Committee for UNESCO, so we are all the more pleased that every year one of the works decorates the interior of our hotel.

Where did this custom come from? In fact, the Cracow custom of “walking” with a nativity scene around houses dates back to the 19th century. However, after World War I it began to slowly disappear. To preserve crib traditions for future generations, Jerzy Dobrzycki, who headed the magistrate's propaganda department, organized the first Cracovian Crib Competition in 1937. After World War II, the contests were resumed, and their organization was undertaken by the Museum of Cracow, which continues the tradition to this day.