Dragon Statue — Attraction in Krakow

The Wawel Dragon statue (Smok Wawelski) is one of Krakow’s most famous landmarks, standing at the foot of Wawel Hill, near the entrance to the dragon’s legendary cave. Created by sculptor Bronisław Chromy in 1972, the bronze statue is unique because it actually breathes fire every few minutes, delighting children and visitors. It recalls the medieval legend of the dragon defeated by the clever shoemaker’s trick with a sulphur-stuffed sheep. The statue has become a playful symbol of Krakow’s mix of history, myth, and imagination.

Kraków Travel Logo Home The legend of the Wawel Dragon The legend of the Wawel Dragon

In ancient times, the Wawel Dragon terrorised King Krak’s city. The beast required ransoms of cattle, while other sources insist that it only devoured virgins.

The Wawel Dragon was a beast which lived in a den under Wawel Hill and terrorised all the inhabitants of King Krak’s town. They had to feed to the monster by giving him offerings of cattle, while other tales speak of that hellspawn eating nothing but virgins. No knight could vanquish the monster, until a young shoemaker Skuba outsmarted the Dragon. He stuffed a ram’s hide with sulphur and pitch, and put the doctored ram in front of the Dragon’s Den. The monster caught the bait and devoured the ram. Immediately, he felt a bad pain and burning in the throat. To quench his thirst, the Dragon started to drink from the Vistula River. However, as water cannot extinguish burning sulphur, the gases produced by the fires inside him made the beast explode. All the townsfolk revelled in the news and the heroic shoemaker was properly rewarded. To commemorate the vanquishing of the Dragon, Bronisław Chromy designed a sculpture of the beast which now stands by the river at the foot of Wawel, near the...

It's a popular attraction when walking along the Vistula River. I mean, how can you go to Kraków and not see Wawel Castle and its famous fire breathing dragon? Impossible!

The dragon is a Polish legend. The story appears to be told differently each time. Was it slain by Prince Krakus, or by the town shoemaker? The plaque on the castle wall says it was Krakus, Prince of Poland. All I truly know is that this 7 headed dragon statue was created by Bronislaw Chromy in 1972. We were told it breathes fire every 10 minutes, but the timing of it varies. It was more in the range of 5 to 7 minutes apart. The dragon no longer takes text messages. That's right. It could no longer handle the mass texts commanding it to breathe fire. So, everyone just hangs around the dragon waiting for it to happen. It's actually kind of funny if you think about it. When it finally happens, everyone sighs or groans at the end. The event goes by so quickly. Be prepared to take a video of it. It doesn't look so impressive in a picture.

It's just the novel thing to do when visiting Kraków. There's a tourist trappy attraction at the top of the castle hill called "Dragon's Den." Some will pay admission to walk down steps into the cave below the castle. It eventually leads you down to the dragon statue on the riverwalk. It may be cool for families with small children. We were happy just seeing it while walking to our hotel. It's enjoyable no matter what route you take...

Wawel Dragon Statue (Polish: Pomnik Smoka Wawelskiego) is a monument at the foot of the Wawel Hill in Kraków, Poland, in front of the Wawel Dragon's den, dedicated to the mythical Wawel Dragon. Installed in 1972, the statue is capable of letting out fire from its mouth on demand. Usually it does so every 5 minutes.

The Wawel Dragon (Polish: Smok Wawelski) is a famous dragon in Polish mythology who lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill on the banks of the Vistula River. One of the many popular stories about the dragon takes place in Kraków during the reign of King Krakus, the city's mythical founder. In the legend, the dragon terrifies local villagers by destroying their houses and eating up their young daughters. Desperate to solve the problem, King Krakus promises his daughter Wanda's hand to any brave man who can defeat the dragon. A cobbler named Skuba takes up the challenge and stuffs a lamb with sulphur for the dragon to eat. Skuba leaves the lamb near the dragon cave and the unwary beast devours the bait. Soon after, the dragon's thirst grows unbearable and he drinks so much water from the River Vistula that he explodes from the uncontainable volume. King Krakus then weds his daughter Wanda to the victorious Skuba. In the oldest, 12th-century version of this tale, written by Wincenty Kadłubek. The dragon was defeated by two sons of a King Krak, Krakus II...