Enter the privacy of former Polish kings by visiting the Wawel Castle and enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Krakow!
The beautiful set that is the Wawel, perched at the top of the hill of the same name, just south of the old town, is by far the most important architectural ensemble that has the heritage of Poland. The Wawel Castle is one of the must-see sites in Krakow. Complex, like most Polish castles, the Wawel is large and significant. This closed fortification, which includes palaces and a cathedral, overlooks the Vistula River (Wisla) on a rocky outcrop.
Flickr – FotoCavallo
What to see inside Wawel Castle?
In addition to admiring its architecture and courtyard, the castle contains a wealth of treasures inside its fortified walls that will not fail to inspire you. His Cathedral, first of all, contains the Sigismond Chapel (visible from the outside), the Silver Bell Tower, as well as many crypts where the former Kings of Poland were buried.
After the Smolensk accident In 2010, President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria were buried in tombs you can see.
The Cathedral Gate – Flickr – ~dgies
The castle contains the jewels of the crown, the armory and the private royal rooms that have the interior design, furniture and original paintings. If you like archaeology, go down into the basement of the Wawel to see the elements revealed by the excavations of the Wawel hill.
Outside the castle, we find one statue of the dragon of the Wawel , just in front of a cave (Smocza Jama) that you can visit at certain times of the year (see below for more information).
Dragon spits fire from time to time – Flickr – Erke
Finally note that the Wawel Castle houses one of the 7 energy points on Earth named Chakra . This is the one connected to Jupiter. It is located in the north west corner of the royal court of the castle. Many pilgrims go there to capture energy.
Where is the Wawel and how to go?
It is very simple, Wawel Castle is located at the end of Grodzka Street, about 1 km from the Rynek, the central square of Krakow. Going there, don’t hesitate to go through the Kanonicza to stop you in front of the Pontifical University of John Paul II. Here is a map to guide you:
Wikimedia - Jarosław Żeliński
Wawel information (tariffs, schedules...)
You can freely access the Wawel hill from 6am until sunset.
However, the ticketing has different times for the visit of the different parts of the castle. She closes 1:15 before the visits end.
1 to 30 April and 1 September to 31 October : Monday to Friday: from 9am to 4pm Saturday, Sunday, public holidays: 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
1 May to 30 June : Monday to Friday: from 9am to 5:45pm Saturday, Sunday, public holidays: 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
1 July to 31 August : Monday to Friday: from 9am to 6:45pm Saturday, Sunday, public holidays: from 9:30 am to 6:45 pm
1 November to 31 March : Closed on Monday Tuesday to Saturday: from 9:15 to 14:45 Sunday, public holidays : from 9h15 14h45
The castle exhibitions are closed the following days :
1 January, Saturday and Sunday of Easter, 1 and 11 November, 24 and 25 December, Mondays from 1 November to 31 March.
Free entrance : Some exhibition rooms at Wawel are free on Mondays from April 1st to October 31st from 9:30 am to 1 pm. And from November 1st to March 31st free on Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
You will find the prices on this page of the official website.
A distant view of Wawel Castle – Flickr – PolandMFA
Other activities to be undertaken in Krakow
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