 Wawel Royal Castle in
Krakow
People lived on the Wawel Hill at least as early as fifty
thousand years ago, in the Paleolithic Age. In the Neolithic
and the Bronze Age, i.e. some three thousand years ago, the
settlement was apparently bustling with trade, with assorted
crafts and with farming.
It was at the turn of the past
millennium when the rulers of Poland took up their residence
here. During the early 16th century King Sigismund I the Old
(1506-1548) brought in the best native and foreign artists
(Italian architects and sculptors, German decorators, etc.)
to create the splendid Renaissance palace-cum-castle which
survived, little changed, till now.
The Wawel Royal Castle proved to be a
paragon of stately residence in Central and Eastern Europe
and served widely as a model throughout the region. Its
magnificent arcaded courtyard of great dimensions and
immaculate proportions formed the ideal setting for
tournaments and various court events. They were watched by
royalty, courtiers and guests from the galleries which
otherwise served as the main communications between rooms.
The Wawel Royal Castle has its “piano nobile” – i.e. the
state apartments – on the top, third floor rather than the
second like Italian palaces. The castle’s second floor
contained private apartments of the royal family, whereas
the court officials worked and lived downstairs. Visitors
can see many exquisite interiors of the Royal Castle
complete with beautiful period furniture and world-class
objects of art. Some exhibits prove absolutely unique by any
standards.
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Wawel Hill
Wawel Hill in Krakow, the mecca of every Pole and a
must for foreign tourists, is a microcosm of Polish history and
culture.Wawel Cathedral
Poland's impressive national shrine shelters plenty of
superb church art.
Arrases
The matchless collection of 16th-century monumental
Flemish tapestries.
Audience Hall
The Royal Castle's throne chamber has the most
singular decor.
Crown
Treasury and Armory
The Crown Treasury shows Polish royal memorabilia, jewels and
other precious items. The adjacent Armory displays 15th to
18th-century arms.
Dragon's Den
Huge natural cavity inside the Wawel Hill is the
legendary home of a legendary monster.
Wawel chakra |
In
November visitors are granted free admission
to all permanent exhibitions at the Krakow Royal
Castle.
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State
Rooms / Royal
Chambers
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April
1st through October 31st |
November
2nd through March 31st |
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tickets normal 18 zloty,
reduced 11 zloties.
No day of free admittance.
|
tickets normal 16 zloty,
reduced 9 zloty.
Free admittance on Sundays. |
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day
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from
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till
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day |
from
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till
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Sunday
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10
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Sunday
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10
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Monday
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closed
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Monday
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closed
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Wednesday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Wednesday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Friday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Friday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
|
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Saturday
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10
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Saturday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Royal Private Apartments
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Only guided tours are admitted in groups of
ten
persons or less.
English-speaking guides available at noon,
the Polish tours at 1:10 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.
Otherwise by appointment.
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April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
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tickets normal 25 zloty, reduced
19 zloty.
No day of free admittance.
|
tickets normal 21 zloty, reduced
16 zloty.
No day of free admittance. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
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10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Sunday
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closed
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Monday
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closed
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Monday
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closed
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|
Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Wednesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
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Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
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Friday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
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Friday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
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10
a.m.
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5
p.m.
|
Saturday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Crown Treasury and Armory
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April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets normal 18 zloty,
reduced 11 zlotys.
Free admittance on Mondays.
|
tickets normal 16 zlotys,
reduced 9 zlotys.
No day of free admittance. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Sunday
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closed
|
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Monday
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9:30
a.m.
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1
p.m. |
Monday
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closed
|
|
Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Wednesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Saturday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Oriental Art
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April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets
normal 8 zloty,
reduced 5 zloty.
No day of free admittance.
|
tickets
normal 7 zloty,
reduced 4 zloty.
No day of free admittance. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Sunday
|
closed
|
|
Monday
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closed
|
Monday
|
closed
|
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Saturday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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The
Lost Wawel
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April
1 through October 31
|
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets
normal 8 zloty,
reduced 5 zloty.
Free admittance on Mondays.
|
tickets
normal 7 zloty,
reduced 4 zloty.
Free admittance on Sundays. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Monday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
1
p.m. |
Monday
|
closed
|
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Saturday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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DRAGON'S
DEN
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tickets
3 zlotys.
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every
day
|
10
a.m.
|
6
p.m.
|
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closed from
the end of October till the March 31.
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The following are permanent
exhibitions on the Wawel Hill:
Royal Chambers - historical interiors, tapestry
collection of Sigismund II Augustus, royal portraits, Italian
Renaissance furniture, Italian and Dutch painting of the 14th to
17th century.
Royal Private Apartments - rooms where
the Polish royalty lived, period furniture and art.
Crown Treasury and Armory
- regalia, jewelry, precious weapons, armors and
caparisons; Polish and West European.
Oriental Art - Turkish tents
and banners, Turkish and Persian weapons and carpets, Chinese
and Japanese ceramics.
The Lost Wawel - archaeological
and architectural reserve of the early 11th-century church of
St. St. Felix and Adauctus' with surroundings; objects excavated
by archeologists on the Wawel Hill; ornate stove tiles of the
16th and 17th century. Plus multimedia presentation of the Wawel
Hill's history.
Dragon's Den - big
cave said to be the fiery monster's
hideout.
Visitors can also
see various temporary exhibitions.
The
Wawel Hill is accessible to visitors
daily since April through September from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
and since October through March from 6.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The
Royal Castle's arcaded courtyard is off limits half an hour
before the closing time. Exhibitions in the Royal Castle are closed on Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter
Sunday, November 1 and November 11.
Note: There is a daily limit on the
number of visitors to each Wawel exhibition.
Admission terms and fees might be subject to changes. For
inquiries and booking please contact the Tourist Service Office
(BOT), Wawel 5, 31-001 Kraków, Poland, tel.: (+48 12) 4225155
ext. 291, tel./fax: (+48 12) 4221697
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