CRYPT OF HONOUR
-
Apr–Oct: 9am–5pm daily;
Nov–Mar: by appt. -
THE WAWEL
On the Wawel, the Vistulanians built a citadel. It was replaced by a series
of buildings, including the Renaissance castle and Gothic cathedral that
stand there today. Once the site of coronations and royal burials, the Royal
Cathedral is regarded by Poles as a spiritual shrine. The Wawel Royal Castle
beside it, once the hub of cultural and political life in Poland, is a
symbol of national identity.
Wawel Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski)
The Wawel Royal Castle, once home to the Jagiellonian kings, has survived
without major damage. It incorporates the walls of older Gothic
buildings
FORTIFICATIONS ON THE WAWEL
- Wawel.
-
3, 6, 8, 10, 18,
40.
The Wawel was fortified from early times. Of the oldest Gothic fortifications
only fragments remain, but three towers raised in the second half of the
15th century survive; they are known today as the Senatorial Tower, the
Sandomierz Tower and the Thieves’ Tower. Of the fortifications dating from
the 16th to 17th centuries the most interesting is the Vasa Gate. Since 1921
it has been crowned with a monument to the 18th-century national hero
Tadeusz Kościuszko. The Wawel continued to play a defensive role into the
19th century, and a relatively well-preserved system of fortifications
dating from the late 18th to mid-19th centuries can still be seen today.
CATHEDRAL MUSEUM
- Wawel 3.
- Tel: 012 422 51 55.
-
3, 6, 8, 10, 18,
40. -
9am–5pm Mon–Fri (Nov–Mar: to
4pm). -
1 Jan, Easter, Corpus Christi,
15 Aug, Christmas. -
This museum is located in buildings near the cathedral and contains a
valuable collection of pieces from the cathedral treasury. Here visitors can
admire liturgical vessels and vestments; one of the finest is the chasuble
of Bishop Piotr Kmita, which dates from 1504 and is ornamented with quilted
embroidery depicting scenes from the life of St Stanisław. The museum also
contains replicas of funeral regalia, royal swords and trophies from battles
won.
“LOST WAWEL” EXHIBITION
- Wawel 5.
- Tel: 012 422 51 55.
-
3, 6, 8, 10, 18,
40. -
Apr–Oct: 9:30am–1pm Mon,
9:30am–5pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat & Sun; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm
Tue–Sun. -
(free on Mon Apr–Oct; on
Sun Nov–Mar). - www.wawel.krakow.pl
For anyone who is interested in archaeology, this exhibition is a real
delight. The display charts the development of the Wawel over a considerable
period of time, and includes a virtual image of the Wawel buildings as they
existed in the early Middle Ages, archaeological finds from Wawel hill, and
a partially reconstructed early Romanesque chapel dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin (Saints Felix and Adauctus).
Built at the turn of the 11th century, the chapel was discovered during
research work carried out in 1917.
THE WAWEL ROYAL CASTLE
One of the most magnificent Renaissance residences in Central Europe, the
Wawel Royal Castle was built for Zygmunt I, the penultimate ruler of the
Jagiellonian dynasty. The four-winged palace, built in 1502–36 but
incorporating the walls of a 14th-century building that stood on the
site, was designed and constructed by the Italian architects Francisco
Fiorentino and Bartolomeo Berrecci. After the royal court was
transferred from Cracow to Warsaw, the palace fell into neglect, and
during the era of the Partitions it served as a barracks. At the
beginning of the 20th century the castle was given to the city of
Cracow, which started a restoration programme and turned into a
museum.
- Wawel Hill.
- Tel: 012 422 16 97.
-
103,
502. -
3, 6, 8, 10, 18,
40. -
Nov–Mar: 9:30am–4pm
Tue–Sat; Apr–Oct: 9:30am–noon Mon, 9:30am–5pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat
& Sun. -
1 Jan, Easter Sat &
Sun, 1 & 11 Nov, 24, 25 & 31 Dec. -
(free on Mon Apr–Oct;
on Sun Nov–Mar). -
THE CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral of Saints Stanisław and Wacław, which stands on the Wawel
in Cracow, is one of the most important churches in Poland. Before the
present cathedral was erected (1320–64), two earlier churches stood on
the site. The cathedral has many fine features, including a series of
chapels founded by rulers and bishops, the most beautiful being the
Renaissance Zygmunt Chapel. There are royal tombs in both the cathedral
and the Crypt of St Leonard, a remnant of the Romanesque Cathedral of St
Wacław begun in 1038.
- Wawel 3.
- Tel: 012 422 51 55 (ext. 291).
-
3, 6, 8, 10, 18,
40. -
9am–5:45pm (3pm winter)
Mon–Sat, 12:15–3pm Sun. -
-
-
The golden domed roof of Zygmunt's Chapel
Royal tombs
These Baroque sarcophagi were made for members of the royal Vasa
dynasty. The cathedral is the final resting place of most of the
Polish kings, as well as national heroes and revered poets.
PAULINE CHURCH ON THE ROCK
- ul. Skałeczna 15.
- Tel: 012 421 72 44.
-
103, 124, 128, 144,
164, 169, 173, 179, 184, 194, 502. -
8, 10, 18, 19,
22. -
8am–4pm Mon–Sat.
The impressive Baroque Pauline Church on the Rock (Kościół Paulinów na
Skałce), with its adjoining monastery complex, was built in 1733–42 by
Gerhard Müntzer in collaboration with Antoni Solari. The present church was
preceded by two earlier buildings. It was at the foot of the altar of the
Romanesque church, the first to be built on the site, that St Stanisław,
Bishop of Cracow, was murdered.
The interior includes Baroque stuccowork by Jan Lehnert. The crypt was
converted by Teofil Żebrawski into a pantheon to Polish writers and artists.
Among the eminent people who lie here are the painters Jacek Malczewski
(1854–1929) and Henryk Siemiradzki, the writers and poets Józef Ignacy
Kraszewski, Adam Asnyk (1839–97) and Wincenty Pol (1807–72), and the artist
and writer Stanisław Wyspiański.
Return along Ulica Skałeczna towards Ulica Augustiańska and take a look at
the beautiful Gothic Convent and Church of St Catherine (Kościół św
Katarzyny), begun in the mid-14 century. It once belonged to the Augustinian
order, but was deconsecrated and used as a warehouse. Of the original
features only the high altar remains. The 15th-century Hungarian Chapel
(Kaplica Węgierska) next door is connected by a covered bridge over Ulica
Skałeczna to the Baroque Augustinian convent.
