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 Wawel Royal
Castle
People lived
on the Wawel Hill at least as early as fifty
thousand years ago, in the Paleolithic Age. In
the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, i.e. some three
thousand years ago, the settlement was apparently
bustling with trade, with assorted crafts and
with farming. It was at the turn of the past
millennium when the rulers of Poland took up
their residence here. During the early 16th
century King Sigismund I the Old (1506-1548)
brought in the best native and foreign artists
(Italian architects and sculptors, German
decorators, etc.) to create the splendid
Renaissance palace-cum-castle which survived,
little changed, till now. It proved to be a
paragon of stately residence in Central and
Eastern Europe and served widely as a model
throughout the region. Its magnificent arcaded
courtyard of great dimensions and immaculate
proportions formed the ideal setting for
tournaments and various court events. They were
watched by royalty, courtiers and guests from the
galleries which otherwise served as the main
communications between rooms. The Wawel Royal
Castle has its “piano nobile” – i.e. the
state apartments – on the top, third floor
rather than the second like Italian palaces. The
castle’s second floor contained private
apartments of the royal family, whereas the court
officials worked and lived downstairs. Visitors
can see many exquisite interiors of the Royal
Castle complete with beautiful period furniture
and world-class objects of art. Some exhibits
prove absolutely unique by any standards.
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Wawel
Hill
Wawel Hill in Krakow, the mecca of every
Pole and a must for foreign tourists, is a
microcosm of Polish history and culture.Wawel Cathedral
Poland's impressive national shrine
shelters plenty of superb church art.
Arrases
The matchless collection of 16th-century
monumental Flemish tapestries.
Audience Hall
The Royal Castle's throne chamber
has the most singular decor.
Crown
Treasury and Armory
The Crown Treasury shows Polish royal
memorabilia, jewels and other precious items. The
adjacent Armory displays 15th to 18th-century
arms.
Dragon's Den
Huge natural cavity inside the Wawel
Hill is the legendary home of a legendary
monster.
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The following are
permanent exhibitions on the
Wawel Hill:
Royal
Chambers - historical
interiors, tapestry collection of
Sigismund II Augustus, royal
portraits, Italian Renaissance
furniture, Italian and Dutch
painting of the 14th to 17th
century.
Royal Private Apartments - rooms where
the Polish royalty lived, period furniture and
art.
Crown Treasury and Armory
- regalia, jewelry, precious
weapons, armors and caparisons;
Polish and West European.
Oriental Art -
Turkish tents and banners,
Turkish and Persian weapons and
carpets, Chinese and Japanese
ceramics.
The Lost Wawel -
archaeological and architectural
reserve of the early 11th-century
church of St. St. Felix and
Adauctus' with surroundings;
objects excavated by
archeologists on the Wawel Hill;
ornate stove tiles of the 16th
and 17th century. Plus multimedia
presentation of the Wawel Hill's
history.
Dragon's Den - big
cave said to be the
fiery monster's hideout.
Visitors can also
see various temporary exhibitions.
The
Wawel Hill is
accessible to visitors daily since April through
September from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. and since
October through March from 6.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
The Royal Castle's arcaded courtyard is off
limits half an hour before the closing time.
Exhibitions in the Royal
Castle are closed on Christmas, New Year's
Day, Easter Sunday, November 1 and November 11.
Note: There is a daily limit on the
number of visitors to each Wawel exhibition.
Admission
terms and fees might be subject to changes. For
inquiries and booking please contact the Tourist
Service Office (BOT), Wawel 5, 31-001 Kraków,
Poland, tel.: (+48 12) 4225155 ext. 291,
tel./fax: (+48 12) 4221697
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Royal
Chambers
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April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
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tickets
normal 15 zlotys,
reduced 8 zlotys.
Free admittance on Mondays.
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tickets
normal 14 zlotys,
reduced 7 zlotys.
Free admittance on Sundays. |
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day
|
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from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
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Sunday
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11
a.m.
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6
p.m.
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Sunday
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10
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Monday
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9:30
a.m.
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1
p.m. |
Monday
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closed
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
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5
p.m.
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Wednesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Thursday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
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Royal Private Apartments
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Only guided tours are admitted in groups of
ten
persons or less.
English-speaking guides available at noon,
the Polish tours at 1:10 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.
Otherwise by appointment.
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|
April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets normal
20 zlotys, reduced
15 zlotys.
No day of free admittance.
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tickets normal
19 zlotys, reduced
14 zlotys.
No day of free admittance. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
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9:30
a.m.
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4
p.m.
|
Sunday
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closed
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Monday
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closed
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Monday
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closed
|
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Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Saturday
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9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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CROWN TREASURY AND ARMOURY
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|
April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets
normal 15 zlotys,
reduced 8 zlotys.
Free admittance on Mondays.
|
tickets
normal 14 zlotys,
reduced 7 zlotys.
Free admittance on Sundays. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Monday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
1
p.m. |
Monday
|
closed
|
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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ORIENTAL
ART
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|
April
1 through October 31 |
November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets
normal 15 zlotys,
reduced 8 zlotys.
|
tickets
normal 14 zlotys,
reduced 7 zlotys. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
11
a.m.
|
6
p.m.
|
Sunday
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closed
|
|
Monday
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closed
|
Monday
|
closed
|
|
Tuesday
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9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
6
p.m.
|
Saturday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
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The
Lost Wawel
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|
April
1 through October 31
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November
2 through March 31 |
|
tickets
normal 7 zlotys,
reduced 4 zlotys.
Free admittance on Mondays.
|
tickets
normal 7 zlotys,
reduced 4 zlotys.
Free admittance on Sundays. |
|
day
|
|
from
|
till
|
day |
from
|
till
|
|
Sunday
|
11
a.m.
|
6
p.m.
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Monday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
1
p.m. |
Monday
|
closed
|
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Tuesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Wednesday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Thursday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
|
Friday
|
9:30
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
Saturday
|
11
a.m.
|
6
p.m.
|
Sunday
|
10
a.m.
|
4
p.m.
|
|
DRAGON'S
DEN
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|
tickets
3 zlotys.
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every
day
|
10
a.m.
|
5
p.m.
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closed from
the end of October till the March 31.
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