Wawel Royal Castle
The Wawel Royal Castle had been the seat of Polish kings for many years. This impressive building is now a symbol of Poland and one of the most visited Polish monuments.
The first traces of brickwork buildings on the Wawel Hill date back to the 11th century. A larger fortified castle was only built at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, after the Polish capital was moved to Krakow. The place was damaged by fire in 1499, and then rebuilt in the Renaissance style.
The Wawel museum (established in 1930) features royal rooms with furnishings, antique furniture, paintings, ceramics and sculptures. The walls of the representative rooms exhibit, among others, the famous sixteenth-century tapestries of Sigismund Augustus and Renaissance Italian paintings from the Lanckoronski collection. An armory and a treasury are also open to the public.
In addition to the Castle, the Wawel Cathedral is located on the hill, where Polish kings were once crowned and where their remains are now buried. The crypt of the Wawel Cathedral is also devoted to such meritorious Poles as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Józef Piłsudski, Adam Mickiewicz, and Juliusz Słowacki.
Over a million tourists visit the Castle every year, with another million visiting the Wawel Hill only. Various events are organised at the Castle: concerts, opera performances, court dances. Lemir apartments in Krakow will happily host anyone who wants to take part in them!
