It was a perfect autumn day to explore Krakow. My husband was working from the hotel room, and I had the entire afternoon for myself. We were staying only a few meters away from The Wawel Royal castle, and when I saw it from the window I couldn't stay inside and decided to explore it. I must admit that it wasn't my first visit there, so I planned to stay outside as I visited the museums before. We spent the entire day at the castle several years ago with my family.
I walked along the river to get to the castle grounds. Last time, we approached the castle directly from the city, so I had no idea that there was such a great promenade along the river. There were plenty of people walking around, many of them were sitting on the grass or benches. I guess that everyone wanted to enjoy the last sunny days of the year. There were also many stalls with things that I would never buy, but I saw some interesting stalls with local food as well as chestnuts. I'm saying 'as well as' chestnuts as I'm not sure if they are local here too.
I didn't remember that the Wawel castle had such medieval appearance. It might be because we approached it from another side, so I didn't notice it before. I liked the terracotta coloured bricks that give the castle more robust look (in my opinion).
The castle is partially surrounded by rocks and I have noticed some people walking on them. I can't imagine that this is allowed or as my brother says I notice such things because I've been living in Switzerland for way too long and I became too Swiss (whatever it means)😊
After a short walk up the hill I have arrived at the castle...
When you're at the ticket office and look left you will get to see these beautiful apartment buildings. It has always been my dream to live in a place with high ceilings! And the pink building is so cute...
Every time I see houses with such huge common ivy plants I can't stop thinking of a video that I saw some time ago where they were trying to remove the plants and the entire façade of the house fell off. It looks pretty, but imagine those bugs that you get inside...
From the castle you can enjoy the views of the river. You can also see the promenade and the stall selling chestnuts!
And here we are! The gardens of the castle complex are huge. The flowers were blooming and I was feeling so lucky. Last time I visited the castle in April, and it was so cold that we had to buy winter jackets because we were freezing. It snowed as well and we didn't expect it to be so cold.
There are buildings serving various purposes in the complex and you will get a map when you purchase your ticket. The access to the complex is free, but you need to get a ticket if you want to see the expositions.
The sun was setting down, and the shadows were becoming long...
I was so looking forward to visit the cathedral, but I came too late and it was about to close. This cathedral has a special place in my heart because Cardinal Karol Wojtyła also known as Pope John Paul II served here. I have always admired his life long work, and I can't really describe the feeling that I had when I visited the cathedral for the first time. Well, since I couldn't go inside this time I might have to visit Krakow again 😊
The kings who lived at the castle participated in the services here. They had a special passage from the castle for them and their families.
It doesn't look like any other cathedral though. To me it looks like many small churches were glued together 😊
When you walk along the cathedral you will get to the castle museum entrance. The large courtyard is surrounded by three stories buildings. Look at how tiny those people are!
Make sure to book a full day if you come here. It's huge...
And don't forget to look up to see intricate details...
As I mentioned I didn't go inside this time, so let's go back to the gardens. There were many people, but it was still somehow calm.
I could sit here all day...
Yes, there were various flowers, and I couldn't choose one photo to show you, so you have to bear with me...
If you don't have a lot of time, but still want to see the castle you can look at this small model. It has so much detail!
And it's positioned in the perfect place...
I've spent a couple of hours outside and as my husband was done with his work for the day I walked back to the hotel to get changed and ready for dinner.
This time I took the path that we took with my family before. It's on the northern side of the complex and it will lead you to the old town.
There is a bronze monument dedicated to Tadeusz Kościuszko on the way down. He was a Polish national hero. The monument was destroyed by the Germans during the war, but later reconstructed in Dresden and gifted to Krakow. Monument
Wawel has so much to offer. It doesn't matter if you like history, architecture, art or you simply want to enjoy the gardens - everyone can find something interesting there.
See you next time!