Wawel Royal Castle

Wawel Royal Castle is the historic heart of Poland as much as of Kraków. Stone buildings stood on this limestone hill above the left bank of the Vistula by around 970, and the hill was the seat of Polish rulers for centuries before the court moved to Warsaw in 1609. Casimir III the Great raised a Gothic castle here in the 14th century, and Sigismund I the Old rebuilt it as a Renaissance residence between 1507 and 1536, giving it the arcaded courtyard that still frames most visitors' first photographs. The castle became a museum after 1945, and in 1978 it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Historic Centre of Kraków, the first World Heritage Site in Poland.

The museum is split into separate exhibitions, each with its own ticket. The State Rooms are where the court received guests, and the Ambassadors' Hall is known for its coffered ceiling with thirty carved heads looking down on visitors. The Royal Private Apartments show how the monarchs lived, while the Crown Treasury occupies Gothic rooms that once held the coronation insignia. Look out across the rooms for the Jagiellonian tapestries: Sigismund I and his son bought more than 350 of these Flemish and Netherlandish weavings, and around 150 came back to Wawel from Canada after the Second World War. Other routes include The Lost Wawel, which uncovers the hill's early buildings, an exhibition of Oriental art, the Royal Gardens and the Dragon's Den cave below the walls.

Because each exhibition has its own entry, decide in advance which ones you want and buy tickets through the castle's official ticket site, bilety.wawel.krakow.pl. Audio guides and licensed guides can be booked through the same official channels. The castle runs free-admission promotions at certain times, so check the official site when planning, and expect queues on summer weekends. Allow at least half a day if you want to combine two or three exhibitions with the cathedral next door.

The castle suits most travellers: history lovers can spend hours in the State Rooms, while families often head for the dragon legend and the gardens. The courtyard and hilltop grounds are pleasant for a walk even if you do not buy a ticket. Wear comfortable shoes, because the approach from the river or from Kanonicza Street is uphill on cobbles.

Wawel sits at the southern end of the Royal Route, about fifteen minutes on foot from the Main Market Square along Grodzka Street. Trams stop on the streets around the hill, and the riverside boulevards below are good for a stroll afterwards. Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, is a short walk to the south-east.