Built in the 13th and 14th century, Wawel Castle towers stands above Kraków, magnificent and visible from almost every part. One of the oldest UNESCO Heritage Sites in the world, part of the ‘historic centre of Kraków’, it is full of history and definitely worth a visit. It’s easy to reach on the tram or by foot, too, so there’s no excuse not to take the time to check it out.
Getting into Wawel is free. Just walk one of the main paths and you can wander around the outer walls, the inner garden section and the main courtyard for free. The parts you have to pay to visit include the cathedral, state rooms and gardens (which I intend to go back and see on a day when it isn’t pouring down so I can sit and enjoy the flowers properly). You can check how many tickets are available for each additional room on the board at the entrance and then buy tickets at the adjacent booth – the clerks speak English.
Even without buying a ticket to any of the additional exhibits, there is still a lot to see and appreciate around Wawel – and, if it’s this pretty in rainy, overcast weather, I imagine that it’s quite stunning on a clear day. You can tell the religious buildings from the rest by the abundance of gold – apparently this is where kings were coronated, too – but each separate building is beautiful in its own way.
There are, naturally, shops dotted around which sell souvenirs and a little cafe in the central part too. Perhaps the strangest thing is for there to be armed security guards dotted around the grounds but I’m beginning to become accustomed to gun wielding police here, although it still makes me nervous (which is probably the point).
As you move through the castle, be sure to look up in the main courtyard to see the dragon shaped drain pipes hanging off the roof. I probably wouldn’t have noticed them if they weren’t overflowing from the heavy rain but they’re definitely worth a glance.
From the first moment I arrived in Kraków, I was fascinated by the abundance of dragons. I thought it was a simply cute symbol of the city aimed at selling toys to tourists. Upon deeper research, I learned that, while it certainly isn’t that, there is also more to the story.
According to legend, there was a dragon that plagued the land. It decimated crops and ate both livestock and local virgins. The people lived in fear of the beast until the brave ruler Krakus, who supposedly founded Kraków, killed him by feeding it a cow full of flammable substances that exploded in the dragon’s stomach.
There’s also another version of the story where a humble cobbler named Skuba was the one to kill the dragon. It still happened during Krakus’ rule but the cobbler was the one to feed the dragon poisoned meat and, so thirsty, it drank from the river until it burst. Skuba was then rewarded with a marriage to the king’s daughter, a little problematic but then are any fairy tales other than Shrek not?
Regardless of the truth behind the story, which dates back in written accounts to the 12th century, dragons remain an intriguing core part of Kraków’s history. At Wawel you can visit the “Dragon’s Lair” where he supposedly lived before the castle was built upon it, for 7 zloty. You enter down a winding staircase that seems to go on forever and then enter a dark cave. It’s lit by dim orange lamps and honestly isn’t that impressive compared to the rest of the castle, and certainly has nothing on the salt mine caves. Still, for a few pounds it provided a few minutes of shelter from the rain and a glimpse into the fascination surrounding the local mythology.
More impressive is the bronze dragon standing outside the cave’s exit. It breathes fire, which is pretty awesome to be honest, and is actually a remarkably beautiful piece of art. The bronze stature looks like almost like a fossilised skeleton and there’s something strikingly life like about it.
Even if history isn’t your thing, it’s definitely worth the short trip from the main square to visit Wawel if only for the views across the river and to see a fire breathing dragon.
Tales from Around the World 