Kraków man completes challenge to walk all of city’s 3,000 streets
A Krakow man has become the first person in history to walk all of Kraków’s 3,000 streets.
Taking him precisely three years, 10 months and 16 days, Kamil Bąbel covered 2,800 kilometers, ending on a road aptly named ‘Last Street’ (Ul. Ostatnia).
Bąbel began in 2019 as a part time hobby, but it soon evolved into a long-term project that became his primary focus.
Inspired by the story of Matt Green who walked every street in New York City, Bąbel began in 2019 as a part time hobby, but it soon evolved into a long-term project that became his primary focus.
In 2022, he told TFN: “Instead of just seeing snippets of the world somewhere else, I want to get to know every square metre of the space that is closest to me.
To document his journey, Bąbel recorded his every step using GPS and shared his progress through an interactive map of the city on his website.
“I realised that to go on a thousand-mile journey, you don't have to leave home, quit your job or spend money organising the whole thing.”
To document his journey, Bąbel recorded his every step using GPS and shared his progress through an interactive map of the city on his website, sredniozaawansowany.pl.
Krakow boasts nearly 3,000 distinct streets, alleys, housing estates, squares, parks, forests, bridges, boulevards, and cemeteries, each offering its unique charm.
He said: “Initially, I tried to go out 2-3 times a week for an hour or two. Over time, there was a need to reach more distant corners of the city, which required booking larger time slots.
“Therefore, in the next stages, I slightly reduced the frequency in favor of longer walks. In recent months, I have covered 15-25 kilometers in one day.”
By the time he finished his challenge, Bąbel had covered 2,800 kilometers.
He added: “On a daily basis, we follow well-trodden trails and visit places that we already know or those that someone recommended to us. We are not aware that just around the corner we can discover something interesting that only a handful of people know about.
“I hope that through this project I will be able to encourage other people to develop curiosity, perceptiveness and knowledge about the place where they live.”
Bąbel said: “I hope that through this project I will be able to encourage other people to develop curiosity, perceptiveness and knowledge about the place where they live.”
Krakow boasts nearly 3,000 distinct streets, alleys, housing estates, squares, parks, forests, bridges, boulevards, and cemeteries, each offering its unique charm.
Asked about his favourites, Bąbel mentioned a few, such as Barwna Street, Podbiałowa Street, Panieńskie Skał Street, Bagienna Street, and Wolskiego Street.
Additionally, he praises the Rakowicki Cemetery and the Jerzmanowski Park for their distinct character and historical significance.
