Wawel Royal Castle

Wawel Royal Castle crowns Wawel Hill above the Vistula in the Old Town of Krakow, in Poland's Lesser Poland region, and served for centuries as the seat of Polish kings. The complex is entered through the hill's gates from Wawel 5, a ten-minute walk south of Main Market Square along Grodzka Street. Visitors can walk the grounds and the arcaded Renaissance courtyard without a ticket, while each exhibition inside is ticketed separately with timed entry. The State Rooms hold the best-known collection, including the Arras tapestries woven for King Sigismund Augustus, along with painted ceilings, period furniture and the grand Deputies' Hall. The Crown Treasury and Armoury displays royal regalia, weapons and treasures, while the Lost Wawel exhibition presents archaeological remains of the hill's earliest buildings. The Dragon's Den is a cave route linked to the legend of the Wawel Dragon, and it exits near the dragon statue at the foot of the hill. The courtyard is the best place to photograph the castle's three-storey arcades, and the terraces on the hill give views over the river and the rooftops of the Old Town. A visit typically takes two to four hours, depending on how many exhibitions are chosen, and the State Rooms alone need about 90 minutes. Mornings from the 09:30 opening are the calmest, since tour groups arrive from late morning and the courtyard and State Rooms fill steadily through midday in summer. Autumn and winter weekdays are the quietest periods. Entry to the hill is open daily, but the exhibitions generally close on Mondays or run reduced hours, and the last entry is one hour before closing. Because slots are limited, booking online through the castle's ticketing site is advised for summer, school-holiday periods and weekends. Wawel Cathedral, with its own separate ticket office, stands on the same hill and is commonly combined with the castle in one half-day.