Zinar Castle

A limestone hill overlooking the Vistula River in the center of Krakow, the former center of power, the legendary (associated with the mythical founder of the city, Krak and his descendants) and historical: princely, episcopal and royal. Visiting the complex of castle and sacred buildings located here is a must-see on the excursion program - but what a pleasant duty!

The first traces of human presence in Wawel date back several dozen thousand years ago. The elevation above the river among swamps and swamps was already a perfect shelter at that time. Later, according to legend, a dragon settled here, which the strongest warriors could not cope with, and only a cunning shoemaker defeated him. The Dragon Pit at the foot of the Wawel Castle and the monument to the beast standing in front of it reminds this story to this day.

The first permanent buildings were probably erected here in the 9th century, before the Polish state was established, and served the ruler of the Vistula tribe who occupied these lands. With the incorporation of Kraków and Małopolska into the Piast state, Wawel remained the center of secular and ecclesiastical power. In the 10th century, a stone ducal palace and numerous churches stood on the hill, and after the establishment of the bishopric of Kraków in 1000, a cathedral was erected here. Relics of the oldest buildings (including the Rotunda of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 10th century) and the reconstruction of buildings from the early Middle Ages can be seen today at the Lost Wawel exhibition. The exhibition also presents a model of the Wawel town, which stood on the hill around the castle until the end of the 18th century.

In the 11th century, Wawel became one of the main ducal seats. Parallel secular and religious buildings developed here, going successively through the main styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance. The latter, in its northern European version, reached its peak here during the reign of the last Jagiellons - Sigismund I the Old (died 1548) and Sigismund II Augustus (died 1572). In the 16th century, Wawel was one of the centers of humanistic culture, and the royal court maintained numerous artistic contacts in Europe. Thanks to Italian architects such as Bartolomeo Berecci, the former medieval castle was then transformed - without losing its defensive functions - into a palace-like residence with an imposing arcaded courtyard. From the old Wawel fortifications, three towers have survived to this day: Sandomierska, Senatorska and Złodziejska.

In the 17th century, Warsaw became the main seat of the king. The court also moved there, and the Wawel Castle began to decline. Its splendor was brought to an end in the mid-17th century by the Swedish invasions. At that time, the bishop's court and the cathedral began to play a leading role, which retained the function of the place of coronation and royal burials. Only the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was not crowned at Wawel, but in Warsaw (1764).

As a result of the Third Partition of Poland (1795), Kraków was incorporated into Austria and for most of the 19th century Wawel was at the disposal of army - first as a hospital, then as barracks. At that time, the Austrian army made numerous damages, erecting defensive buildings and destroying the medieval Wawel town. In the mid-nineteenth century, the fortified Wawel became the center of the Krakow Fortress. For Poles, the hill then became an important place of national remembrance and a treasury of historical memorabilia, which, despite unfavorable circumstances, they tried to take special care of. For this purpose, it turned out to be necessary to recognize the castle as one of the official imperial residences. It was not possible until 1897; the great restoration of the cathedral was already underway then, and the castle was started to be restored in 1905.

After Poland regained independence, work continued with a view to turning Wawel into a stately residence for the head of state. He officially performed this function (being at the same time a museum of historical interiors) in the 1920s and 1930s, although it was not the center of the central government - it was concentrated in Warsaw. During World War II and the German occupation, the castle became the seat of the general governor of Hans Frank. Fortunately, despite the looting, it was possible to avoid major damage. After the war, a successful renovation was carried out and valuable collections of works of art (including a collection of Renaissance tapestries) and historical mementoes were brought back, and Wawel became a representative museum presenting the most valuable monuments of Polish material culture.