Wawel — Attraction in Krakow

The “Lost Wawel” exhibition is one of those places that shows that Wawel is not only the cathedral and the royal state rooms, but also hidden layers of history. Going down into the underground, you get the feeling of stepping back in time – from prehistoric artifacts, through Romanesque foundations, up to traces of the Gothic castle. The most impressive sight is the foundations of the Rotunda of Sts. Felix and Adauctus – one of the oldest churches in Poland. Seeing these walls makes you realize you are standing in a place that remembers the very beginnings of the Polish state. It’s also worth pausing in the room full of Renaissance tiles – colorful fragments of the former royal stoves spark the imagination, making it easier to picture the everyday life of the castle’s residents. Another highlight is the lapidarium, where architectural details and sculptures are collected. It’s a kind of “museum of fragments,” which together build an image of the many-layered, lost Wawel. Multimedia presentations and computer reconstructions complement the journey well – instead of just looking at ruins, you can also see what the buildings once looked like. A surprising part is the “Prehistory of Wawel” – exhibits dating back thousands of years show that the hill was inhabited much earlier than one might think. The exhibition as a whole is not very long, but it leaves a strong impression: Wawel is not just a monument of royalty, but a living palimpsest of history, with layers built one on top of the other. The “Lost” Wawel gives a glimpse into what can no longer be seen on the surface – and in doing so, deepens the awareness that beneath our feet lie the true...

When you first enter this exhibition, it looks a little bit like a dusty relic of a museum which has seen better days, but first impressions are deceptive. It preserves some of the archaeological finds from the old castle complex, but the real highlight is the walkway which takes you over the foundations of the old palace (and a very early chapel) and allows you to peer down into the excavations. There are models of how they think early versions of the cathedral and other buildings looked, and a full model of the whole complex in its heyday. It won’t take too much time, but is definitely worth a visit, especially specially if you have the ‘Wawel for...

Interesting place. Contrary to other regular museums, this place is constructed on the top of historical monuments without destroying the originality. One thing we didn't like is the fact that we have to buy separate tickets for each place in the same compound. They can give a combo offer if you want to visit all 6-7 places inside...