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The Wawel Castle and Cathedral in Krakow, Poland. Photo by FotoCavallo-

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Wawel Royal Castle

Wawel Royal Castle is a castle located in central Krakow, Poland and was built at the behest of King Casimir II the Great.

The castle consists of several structures from different periods situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard.

Wawel Royal Castle is a large castle in Poland, representing many architectural styles of Medieval, renaissance, gothic and baroque periods.

The Wawel Royal Castle is now the country’s premier art museum, established in 1930. It consists of ten curatorial departments responsible for the collection of paintings.

Learn more about Wawel Royal Castle in these top 10 interesting facts.

1. Wawel Royal Castle was The Place of Polish Kings

Wawel started becoming a centre of political power and by the 9th century, it was the principal fortified settlement of the Vistulan tribe. The first ancient ruler of Poland, Mieszko I (r. ca. 965-992) of the piast dynasty, chose Wawel hill as one of his residences, as did his successor.

During the reign of Duke Casimir, the Restorer, Wawel became an important political and administrative centre for the Polish state. All the other rulers who came to power stayed here as they continued the construction of different buildings, which later led to the magnificent Wawel Royal Castle.

2. The Castle Has Been Destroyed by Fire Several Times

The 16th century Renaissance inner courtyard of Wawel Castle. Photo by Jorge Láscar-

At the beginning of the 14th century,  fire destroyed the Wawel Cathedral and the present cathedral was constructed. At the same time the Gothic castle and most of the towers were built.

The royal residence was also destroyed by a fire in 1499. This fire led to the transformation of the Wawel Castle into the marvellous royal palace we see today.

King Sigismund I the Old, hired the best Italian and German artists of the time to reconstruct the royal residence in the Italian Renaissance style.

During this time, excellent large rooms of the Wawel Royal Castle were built, which open onto tiered arcades lining a courtyard. The halls were decorated with a collection of over 350 tapestries from Flander.

3. The Castle has a Crown Treasury

The Crown Treasury is situated in the historic Gothic rooms. They were used during the 15th century for keeping the Polish coronation insignia and Crown Jewels.

Its display features of priceless objects from the former treasury that survived plunder, among them the memorabilia of the Polish monarchy, including members of their families and eminent personages such as the coronation sword Szczerbiec.

A unique 16th-century child armour belonging to Polish king Sigismund Augustus was officially returned to Poland by Hungary in February 2021 and is now kept in the collection of the Wawel Castle. Since WWII, it has been held in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, where it was transported by mistake.

4. Wawel Royal Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Photo by ania5555-

Wawel Royal Castle is a castle situated in central Krakow, Poland. The current castle was established in the 14th century and expanded over the next hundreds of years.

Wawel announced the first World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Center of Krakow in 1978. It became UNESCO World Heritage Site in the World.

The Wawel Royal Castle has attracted visitors and tourists from all over the world, as they come to learn about its history while exploring its beauty.

5. Wawel Royal Castle is Home to Wawel Cathedral

Wawel cathedral comprises of towers, chapels and crypts where kings, national heroes and poets are buried. The cathedral was first constructed in the 11th century but underwent several destructions and was rebuilt twice.

The cathedral Silver Bell Tower is the oldest surviving building of Wawel Royal Castle, dating back to the 12th century. The tower has numerous later additions and only the 12-meter-high rectangular base can be dated as belonging to the 11th century Hermanowska Cathedral.

The bell tower spire was constructed in 1769. The tower embodies three bells; the largest was made in 1423, the next largest around 1217 and the smallest in 1669.

6. The Castle is Home to John Paul II Wawel Cathedral Museum

The 14th-century former cathedral house, which used to be in the shadow of the Silver Bell Tower in between the Vasa Gate and the former Clerical Seminary, now houses the Joh Paul II Wawel cathedral Museum.

 The museum was inaugurated by Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, in 1978. The museum preserves a valuable collection of Polish culture, such as; paintings, sculptures, clothes, handicrafts, the oldest Polish regalia and many others.

7. The Royal Palace of Wawel Castle

Royal Throne Room & Tapestry, Wawel Castle, Krakow. Photo by Ken Eckert-

The Royal Palace was the initial and most prime residence of the Polish Kings and the heart of Wawel Castle. It has beautiful Renaissance-style rooms, several chambers, exhibitions and a wonderful tiered arcade courtyard.

You can visit the royal palace’s private apartments, which house the royal family and their most important guest. Today you can see the spectacularly decorated rooms, the private chapels and the fine collection of Flemish tapestries.

The palace has a permanent exhibition, The Lost Wawel, located in the castle’s basement. Here there are the oldest remains of the castle, dating from the 10th century.

8. Wawel Royal Castle Restoration Began in 1905

The withdrawal of the Austrian permitted the start of restoration work managed by Zygmunt Hendel and Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz. The renovation was funded by public subscription from Poland citizens.

During the renovation in 1992, a statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko sculptured by Leandro Marconi and Antonia was placed on the ramparts of King Wladyslaw IV Vasa on the north side.

The restoration allowed the Krakow castle to be what it is today. The castle was converted into a residential museum when Poland regained its independence.

9. The castle has the Royal Sigismund Bell

The Royal Sigismund Bell was created by Hans Behem in bronze in 1520. I5t is the largest of the five bells in the Sigismund Tower and was named to honour King Sigismund I the Old.

The bell only rang during special occasions, primarily religious and national holidays. It is regarded as one of the country’s national symbols and the hanging of the bell is the subject of a painting by Jan Matejko.

10. Wawel Royal Castle is Home to Wawel Dragon

According to a famous local legend, Wawel Hill was once occupied by a ferocious dragon that scared the town’s residents, founded by King Krakus, the legendary founder of Krakow.

Today, this is commemorated on the lower slopes of Wawel Hill, where a modern fire-breathing metal statue of the dragon is by the river. The statue is in front of Smocza Jama (Dragon’s Den).