Wawel Hill is built from limestone, originating from the earlier part of the Jurassic period. The Dragon's Den was formed by karst processes at a later date. It is these processes that have formed the rich variety of sculptures inside the cave, making it one of the major tourist attractions of Krakow.
FEATURES, ORIGINS, VALUES AND LEGAL PROTECTION
A visit to the cave begins in the bastion next to the Thieves Bastion on Wawel Hill. A staircase spiral staircase descends into the cave to a depth of about 21m. Along the route there are three chambers, the largest of which has a length of approximately 25m and a height of about 10m. In certain places the cave walls and ceiling have been reinforced with brick walls and pillars, one of which covers the chimney, which leads to another opening to the cave. The exit is outside the walls of the castle and close to the banks of the Vistula River. In 1829, Ambrozy Grabowski, a famous expert on the monuments and the history of Krakow, descended into the Dragon's Den using ladders and was the first to describe the cave in his memoires. Also, thanks to his energetic actions the Dragon's Lair was opened to the public between the years 1843 and 1846. The entire cave, in its present form, was adapted for the public by Professor Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, after Poland regained independence. Other sections of the cave are off-limits for tourists. They are made up of two sets of corridors, the first, beginning close to the exit, leads in a southerly direction towards the sculpture of Wawel’s Dragon. The second, much longer, is a network of small chambers and corridors with a siphon in the first section, which were only accesses by a tunnel, built in 1974. A peculiarity of the small pools is the rare crustacean troglobites that live here.
Their discovery has led to the Dragon's Den now not only being a valuable historical and cultural monument but also a nature reserve. The cave is associated with the legend of the Wawel Dragon, commemorated by a statue in front of the lower opening created by the artist Bronislaw Chromy in 1972
TOUR ORGANISER
Wawel Royal Castle
State Art Collection
31-001 Krakow, Wawel 5
Switchboard: +48 12 422 51 55 or +48 12 422 61 21
e-mail: zamek@wawel.edu.p
Tourist Information
Tel +48 12 422 51 55 ext. 219
e-mail: informacja@wawel.edu.pl
http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/
ACCESSIBILITY OF FACILITIES BY VISITORS
The cave is open every day (including holidays and Mondays) at the following times:
From 1st April till 30th June, between 10.00 and 17.00
From 1st July till 31st August, between 10.00 and 20.00
From 1st September till 31st October, between 10.00 and 17.00
The cave closed from 1st November till 31st March.
Length of the route is around 80m.
Tour takes about 20 minutes.
The temperature inside is 8° C and humidity is between 90% and 98%.
The route is electrically illuminated.
The route is not suitable for people with physical disabilities due to stairs.
We recommend comfortable, athletic shoes and warm clothing in the summer.
Sightseeing is unaccompanied and with a guide, the exit is on the Vistula Boulevards.
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