Wawel Hill
In the Footsteps of the Wawel Dragon
The western part of the hill, with a view of the Vistula.
History
Wawel is a limestone hill on the left bank of the Vistula, rising to about 228 m above sea level. The first traces of settlement date from the Middle Palaeolithic, roughly 100,000 years ago. Today the hill is home to two historic complexes: the Royal Castle and the Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus. In 1978 Wawel, together with Kraków's Old Town and Kazimierz, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to a legend recorded by Wincenty Kadłubek, a fearsome monster called the "całożerca" (the "whole-eater") lived in a cave beneath the hill; this tale is the origin of the legend of the Wawel Dragon.
Did you know?
A plan for building on the hill entitled "Akropolis" was drawn up in 1904-1907 by Stanisław Wyspiański and Władysław Ekielski. Among other things, it included seats for the Sejm and Senate, the National Museum and the bishop's curia, but it was never carried out.