One of the most popular attractions in Krakow, Poland, is Wawal Royal Castle. Visitors can easily spend a day at the castle to visit the art collection and other exhibits. The complex also contains the cathedral and several smaller museums. Dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the castle is located on a hill above the Vistula river. It is a UNESCO World Heritage attraction. I visited the castle and cathedral on my visit to Krakow at the beginning of the month.
The castle is part of the old town of Krakow and a short walk from the main square.
At the top of the hill, the castle opens into an internal courtyard. There is also a post office up on top of the hill, which is convenient for stamps and postcards. There is a restaurant and a smaller outdoor cafe too.
There are views over the river valley.
The most iconic building in the courtyard is Wawal Cathedral.
The castle itself opens into a courtyard.
I purchased the ticket to see all of the exhibitions. The first was the underground castle. This exposed the earliest foundations of the castle and how the land was formed millions of years ago. The underground exhibtion showed some of the former walls and brickwork, which is now underneath the existing complex.
Some items were found amongst the structure. This included glass and pottery bottles and metalwork for clothing.
After the look around at the old walls, I went into the main castle complex.
The next exhibition was the treasury and crown jewels. There were so many beautiful items to see. They belonged to former kings of Poland. The tour I paid for came with an audio guide, which pointed out some of the more interesting items and allowed free time to see as much or as little as you wanted.
The next part of the tour was the armoury, which was also exhibited.
After this, there were two floors of the state rooms to visit. These had many different items on display - paintings and furniture.
Another part of the museum focused on ceramics. This became a popular product to manufacture in Poland.
The ceramic religious Jesus on cross figure looked complex and fragile.
After visiting those rooms, it was time for a late lunch and a glass of wine on the castle grounds in front of the cathedral.
Additional state rooms and displays were visited in the second part of the tour.
At the end was an exhibition on the Ottoman (now known as Turkey) tents.
Next, I visited the catedral. The cathedral has tombs of some of the kings who lived in the castle and ruled Poland, a bell tower to climb to see the bells, and the main part of the cathedral itself. Also, a museum dedicated to the former pope John Paul, is across from the castle and is included in the cost.
Photographs inside the cathedral were not permitted.
I climbed the bell tower for some nice views and to see the bells.
After the cathedral, the final exhibition was about the reconstruction and conservative work of the castle.
A couple of the exhibtion rooms were closed due to the time of year. I enjoyed the visit, and I would take the time and enjoy the castle and have a nice lunch and take longer to explore the different rooms.
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