Visiting our city, you cannot forget about its landmark, the place that you can spot while observing the city's panorama from our windows.
Of course, we are talking about the Wawel Hill, where two attractions are waiting for you: the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral.
ROYAL CASTLE IN WAWEL
The Royal Castle, together with the Wawel Hill, is one of the places of greatest historical and cultural significance in Poland. It was the former residence of kings and a symbol of Polish statehood. In 1930, the Castle also became one of the most important museums in the country, housing a valuable collection of paintings, graphics and sculptures. The exhibitions are divided into permanent and seasonal ones, and temporary exhibitions are also organised.
The permanent exhibitions include:
- Royal Representative Chambers
- Royal Private Apartments
- Crown Treasury
- The Crown Treasury and Armoury
- Armoury
- Art of the East. Turkish Tents.
- Lost Wawel
- Wawel Regained
Seasonal routes, available for sightseeing only during organised tours with a guide:
- The Lost Wawel and the Church of St. Gereon
- Wawel - The Most Precious
- Crown Wawel
- Wawel - Private Royal Residence
- Wawel after hours
- Wawel's little dragons
- Open your eyes to Wawel
WAWEL CATHEDRAL
The Wawel Cathedral has, for centuries, served not only sacred functions, but also representative and trophy roles, as the place of solemn coronations and burials. We will find many elements of special historical and artistic significance in it.
Among others:
- Sigismund Tower
- Tower of silver bells,
- Clock tower,
- Sigismund's Bell (the heaviest bell in Poland, manually rung on the anniversaries of church holidays, state holidays and special patriotic occasions).
- The Sigismund Chapel, known as the "pearl of the Renaissance on the other side of the Alps",
- The Chapel of St. Cross, as an example of 15th century Gothic art with the sarcophagus of King Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk carved by Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss).
- Crypts of Polish kings and national heroes, as well as crypts of Polish poets, such as Adam Mickiewicz or Juliusz Słowacki.
ROYAL GARDENS
While visiting Wawel Hill, one cannot miss the Royal Gardens. The gardens have been recreated as a result of many years of research and analysis, referring to Renaissance garden designs. The chosen plants, planting composition, and garden architecture elements evoke the atmosphere of that era. The gardens consist of two terraces - upper and lower - and small vineyards. A walk in the gardens in the spring, when the plants are blooming, is one of the more pleasant experiences accompanying a visit to Wawel.
