The Royal Castle
The Renaissance castle on Wawel took its present form in the 16th century under Sigismund I the Old, on the site of earlier Romanesque and Gothic buildings. Its heart is the arcaded courtyard — three storeys of cloisters reckoned one of the most important works of the Renaissance north of the Alps.
The interiors are open as separately ticketed exhibitions (the State Rooms, the Royal Private Apartments, the Crown Treasury and Armoury and Lost Wawel among them). In season the number of entries is limited — tickets are best bought online in advance.
Wawel Cathedral
The cathedral of St Stanislaus and St Wenceslaus is the place where almost all Poland's monarchs were crowned and a necropolis of kings, poets and national heroes (including the crypt with the royal tombs and the Crypt of the Bards). Distinctive chapels — led by the Renaissance Sigismund Chapel with its gilded dome — surround the Gothic body of the church.
In the tower hangs the Sigismund Bell of 1520, one of the largest bells in Poland, rung only on the most important occasions. Entry to the tower and the crypts is ticketed separately from the nave.
The Dragon's Den and the area
- The Dragon's Den — a cave in the flank of the hill bound up with the legend of the Wawel dragon, entered from the courtyard and coming out by the Vistula at the fire-breathing dragon sculpture
- The Vistula embankments — a promenade at the foot of the hill, for walks and pleasure boats on the river
- The view of the city — a wide panorama of Kraków from the outer courtyard and the embankments
How to get there and practical info
- Address
- Wawel 5, Kraków (entrance from the Planty or the embankments)
- Access to the courtyard
- Free; the exhibitions are ticketed separately
- Tickets
- Limited entries — buy online in advance
- From the Main Market Square
- About 10–15 min on foot along ul. Grodzka
- Time needed
- From 1.5 hours (the hill) to half a day (with the exhibitions)
- The Dragon's Den
- Open seasonally, with a separate ticket
When to go
Fewer visitors, with the Planty in flower at the foot of the hill. A good time for the exhibitions without queues.
The most visitors, with limits on entry — online tickets are essential. The Dragon's Den is open.
Golden light over the Vistula, and quieter. A very good time for photography.
Some exhibitions are limited in the winter season; the hill and cathedral are open and less crowded.
Other sights in Kraków
Straight-line distances from „Wawel Hill" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
Where to stay nearby
Places from our list that have Wawel Hill within walking distance or a short drive.
