Worth a DetourZakopane and the Tatras
About 52 miles away
Poland's mountain town, with wooden houses.
Guide Coming Soon
Wawel Castle
The royal castle on its hill above the Vistula, with an arcaded Renaissance courtyard, state rooms of Flemish tapestries and a dragon's den.
- Open
- Every day; some exhibitions close on Mondays
- Price
- Paid; separate tickets for each exhibition, the grounds are free
- Time Needed
- 3 hours
- Address
- Wawel 5, 31-001 KrakówDirections
- Getting There
- A 15-minute walk from the Main Square along Grodzka Street.
Why Go
Polish kings ruled from Wawel until 1596. King Sigismund the Old rebuilt the castle in Italian Renaissance style, around a courtyard with three tiers of arcades, and the state rooms are hung with the 16th-century tapestries his son ordered from Flanders. The Crown Treasury and Armory are in the cellars.
Below the hill, the Dragon's Den cave comes out by the river, where a bronze dragon breathes fire every few minutes.
Tips
- Tickets for each exhibition are timed and limited; buy online or early in the day.
Nearby in Kraków
Go Next
1–3 of 6
Worth a Detour
Must-SeeCzęstochowa
About 64 miles away
The Black Madonna of Jasna Góra, Poland's holiest icon, drawing millions of pilgrims, many on foot.
Guide Coming Soon
Worth a DetourWrocław
About 147 miles away
A bright market square, and hundreds of tiny dwarf statues.
Guide Coming Soon
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Wawel Castle as visited to write a review.