🇵🇱 Kraków
Wawel Royal Castle & Cathedral
Wawel was the seat and coronation place of Polish kings for some 500 years. At the foot of the hill, the Dragon's Den cave ends at a bronze dragon (sculpted 1972) that breathes real fire every few minutes.
The historic heart of Polish royalty, on a hill above the Vistula about 15 minutes' walk down the Royal Route from our hotel. The grounds and the Renaissance arcaded courtyard are free to wander, and that alone is worth the walk for the views over the river.
The interiors are separate timed tickets: the State Rooms and Royal Private Apartments, the Crown Treasury & Armoury (crown jewels, the Szczerbiec coronation sword), and, ticketed separately by the church, Wawel Cathedral, where Polish kings were crowned and buried and where the giant Sigismund Bell hangs.
The crowd-pleaser is the Dragon's Den (Smocza Jama): a cave spiralling down through the hill to the riverbank, ending at the bronze dragon that breathes actual fire every few minutes. It is quick (about 20 minutes) and cheap, and the teens will love it.
Planning notes:
- The paid exhibitions are closed Mondays, so do the interiors on Tuesday 28 (our full day). Monday evening is good for the free grounds at dusk.
- Timed tickets sell out in summer, so book the exhibitions online ahead.
- For Jim and Joyce: the free grounds and courtyard are an easy, flat wander even if you skip the ticketed climbs.