Wawel Cathedral

Wawel Cathedral stands next to the royal castle and was the coronation church of Polish monarchs from 1320 to 1764. The present Gothic building is the third cathedral on the hill: it was begun under Bishop Nanker and consecrated in 1364 in the reign of Casimir III the Great. Over the following centuries chapels were added around the nave in Renaissance, Baroque and later styles, so a walk around the interior is a lesson in Polish art history as well as a visit to a working church.

The most celebrated addition is the Sigismund Chapel on the south side, built between 1517 and 1533 by the Florentine architect Bartolomeo Berrecci for Sigismund I the Old. Its gilded dome is easy to pick out from the courtyard, and inside are the tombs of Sigismund I, Sigismund II Augustus and Anna Jagiellon. Next to it is the Vasa Chapel, similar in shape but finished in black marble. In the centre of the nave a silver coffin holds the relics of St Stanislaus, and the main altar sits under a black marble canopy.

Below the floor are the Royal Crypts, the main royal burial place since the 14th century. Kings and queens including John III Sobieski lie here, alongside national heroes such as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Józef Piłsudski and General Władysław Sikorski, and the Romantic poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki. St Leonard's Crypt, the oldest part, is where Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II, celebrated his first Mass as a priest.

A climb up the Sigismund Tower brings you face to face with the Sigismund Bell, cast in 1520 and weighing almost 13 tonnes. It is rung only on major religious feasts and occasions of national importance. The steps are steep and narrow, so the climb is not suitable for everyone.

One cathedral ticket covers the crypts, the bell tower and the Cathedral Museum, and audio guides are available. Tickets are not timed, so you can buy them on the day. This is an active place of worship: dress modestly, keep voices low, and expect access to be restricted during services. Allow about an hour. The cathedral is on Wawel Hill, a fifteen-minute walk from the Main Market Square along Grodzka Street, and pairs naturally with a visit to the castle exhibitions.