Wawel Castle
Wawel Castle
Wawel Castle
Wawel Castle
Wawel Castle

Wawel Castle

The royal castle at Wawel has served as the seat of Poland's rulers since 1039, when Casimir I the Restorer returned from exile. This was not a choice, but a forced situation. Gniezno was destroyed, Mazovia rebelled, Silesia was occupied by the Czechs. At the time of the division split, the castle was the central point of the kingdom, and after the coronation of Wladyslaw Lokietek in 1320, it became the permanent seat of the kings. The Wawel Royal Castle is an outstanding monument of Renaissance architecture, listed by UNESCO. Researchers have discovered the remains of Romanesque buildings there (including a hall of 24 columns dating back to the first half of the 11th century). Elements of Gothic buildings (mainly fire towers) have also been found. Wawel owes its current appearance to Alexander Jagiellon (the two largest towers Senatorska and Sandomierska) and Sigismund the Old, who built a Renaissance residence of kings after the fire in 1499. The building's glory days lasted until 1606, when King Sigismund III Vasa moved with his court to the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Later the castle was destroyed by the Swedes during the Deluge, with during the Partitions it became a barracks for the Austrian army. It wasn't until 1905, after the soldiers left the castle, that renovation work began, which - with a break for World War II (when the castle became the seat of Governor Hans Frank) - continues to this day. The castle now houses a museum with several permanent exhibitions ("Art of the East. Turkish Tents," ("Crown Treasury and Armory," "Wawel Recovered"), seasonal tours (Dragon's Den, Gardens, Sandomierz Tower, Courtyards, St. Gereon's Church), as well as temporary exhibitions. Among the most valuable relics that can be seen in the Wawel museum is undoubtedly the "Szczerbiec" - a medieval sword from the coronation of Wladyslaw Lokietek, the royal tapestries of Zymunt II Augustus from the mid-16th century, and, more recently, his youthful armor.

Feedback

  • 5
    Unique Stay: April 2019

    Interesting place, a must-visit for everyone

    Matthew - 28.10.2019
  • 3
    Stay: May 2012

    very cool

    13.05.2013
  • 5
    Unique Stay: July 2010

    A must see ... no way out :)

    09.07.2012
  • http://www.nabutach.pl/aktualnosci/180-konkurs-wiosna-w-serwisie-nabutach-pl here you can win a tour of wawel castle with a guide but you have to hurry when you dothat the competition lasts until mid-June

    15.06.2012
  • 4
    Very good Stay: August 2006

    cool

    27.05.2012
  • 5
    Unique Stay: April 2012

    The castle is worth a visit not only in terms of its chambers, treasury or numerous exhibitions, but especially as a place to walk around and relax (although there are always crowds there).I very much like to return to the Wawel Castle - you just feel good here.

    23.05.2012
  • 4
    Very good Stay: October 2010

    I drove with incredible curiosity and, unfortunately, as much impression Wawel did not make on me. I was much more impressed by Malbork, but I still recommend it.

    26.08.2011
  • 4
    Very good Stay: June 2010

    It is worth a visit but with an older child, for toddlers the Dragon's Den is a bigger attraction.

    09.03.2011
  • 5
    Unique Stay: July 2009

    Cracow and Wawel Castle are inextricably linked. It is impossible to be in Krakow and not visit Wawel.

    05.07.2010
  • 5
    Unique Stay: August 2009

    This is the place I return to every year.

    30.03.2010
  • Wawel Hill had been inhabited since the 7th century, when the first buildings appeared on it, probably created by the Vistula tribe. In the 20th century, the Wawel Hill inwalked by the ruler of Poland, making it a royal residence. In the 12th century the first masonry defensive building was erected - a tower in the northeastern part of the castle. Gothic elements architecturally began to prevail over Romanesque ones after the erection of a new palace with the Lokietek Tower and the stone walls of the castle and towers. In the 16th century the building was modernized and enlarged under the direction of Italian architects, including Giovani Trevano. Wawel Castle has a huge museum collection, which is divided into thematic sections: the Royal Private Apartments, the Royal Chambers, the Crown Treasury and Armory, Oriental Art, the Lost Wawel, the Royal Cathedral and the Dragon's Den.

    22.12.2007

Location

4
Very good based on11opinions