Page 719 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

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+ Royal Castle
Wawel 5. Tel 12-422 51 55.
v 6, 8, 10, 13, 18. Royal Apartments:
Open daily. Closed Mon; public hols.
& (Nov–Mar: free Sun).
Orient in the Wawel: Open Tue–Sun.
Closed Mon; public hols. & 8
∑ wawel.krakow.pl
The present Renaissance castle
was built in the first half of the
16th century. After the royal
court moved from Krakow to
Warsaw in 1596, the castle fell Royal Castle with the so-called Hen’s Claw Wing on the right
into decay. At the start of the
20th century, it was given to the E Lost Wawel Exhibition The original Gothic cathedral
city of Krakow and work began Wawel Hill. Tel 12-422 51 55. has seen many later additions,
to restore it to its former glory. Open daily. Closed Nov–Mar: Mon, notably the Baroque spire built
The richly decorated Royal public hols. & (free Sun in winter). in the early 1700s and the side
Apartments are the main reason An exhibition in the basement chapels, which have been
for visiting the castle. Most of includes the remains of an early remodeled many times. There
the rooms reflect the tastes of church, thought to date from are many fine tombs of Polish
the last Jagiellonian kings. They the 11th century. Computer rulers. The Renaissance Zygmunt
contain Italian paintings and models illustrate the develop- Chapel was built in 1519–33 by
furniture, painted friezes around ment of Wawel Hill in the the Italian Bartolomeo Berrecci.
the walls, and a fine collection of Middle Ages. It contains an impressive double
Flemish tapestries. The Hall of monument in red marble to
Deputies was where the lower Zygmunt the Old (reigned 1506–
house of the Polish parliament, 48) and his son Zygmunt August
the Sejm, met for debates. It is (reigned 1548–72). Look out too
also known as the Hall of Heads for the late Gothic canopied
because the ceiling is sarcophagus of Kazimierz
decorated with carved Jagiellończyk carved by
heads. On the top floor, Veit Stoss (1492) in the
there is a suite of rooms Chapel of the Holy Cross. The
from the 17th century, with marble tomb of Stefan Batory
portraits of the Waza kings, (reigned 1576–86), created
including one of Prince by Santi Gucci in 1595,
Władysław (later Władysław stands behind the altar.
IV) by Rubens. The Crown The crypt is divided into
Treasury and Armory sections containing the
are situated on the ground tombs and sarcophagi of
floor. The treasury’s Baroque silver reliquary of St. Stanisław by Peter von der other Polish rulers, leading
collection of royal jewels Rennen (1669–71), Krakow Cathedral poets, and national
and regalia includes heroes, including Tadeusz
the coronation sword of the R Krakow Cathedral Kościuszko, leader of the failed
Polish kings. Wawel 3. Tel 12-429 95 16. v 8, 18. insurrection of 1794.
The “Orient in the Wawel” Open daily (Sun: pm only). Cathedral The Cathedral Museum
collection on the first and Museum: Tel 012-429 33 21. houses a collection of sacred
second floors features Turkish Open Mon–Sat. & art and a selection of Polish
tents and banners seized by Originally founded in 1020, royal regalia, including the
the victorious Christian troops the present cathedral is the coronation robe of the last
at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. third to stand on this site. Polish king, Stanisław August
It was completed in 1364 Poniatowski (reigned 1764–95).
during the reign of Kazimierz
the Great. The resting place of E Dragon’s Lair
many Polish kings, the cathedral Wawel Hill. Open Apr–Oct: daily.
has always held great symbolic Beneath Wawel Hill is a series
significance for the nation. It is of caves associated with the
dedicated to St. Stanisław, legend of a dragon. In summer,
whose relics are housed in an part of the cave system can be
ornate reliquary in the shape reached by a set of spiral steps.
of a coffin beneath an eye- Children take delight in the
Turkish tent in the “Orient in the Wawel” catching Baroque altar canopy bronze, fire-breathing statue
exhibition in the castle in the center of the nave. of a dragon at the entrance.

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