Built on a dragon’s lair

Ranjita Biswas

Krakow’s castle, according to Polish folklore, was built over a dragon’s lair. Also called Cracow, it was the capital of Poland from 1038 AD to more than five centuries before it was shifted to Warsaw. But its fame as the oldest city in the country and a cultural hub persists in the Polish psyche. The Unesco placed Krakow on the World Heritage Sites list in 1978.

As for the story, Smok Wawelski, or the Wawel Dragon, a ferocious dragon lived in a cave where the Wawel Castle stands today. His favourite food? Sheep and virgins. A time came when the village became bereft of maidens, save for the king’s daughter. The king offered his daughter’s hand to anyone who could slay the vile beast. Brave knights fought and perished. Then came a poor cobbler named Krak, who tricked Smok into eating a sheep stuffed with sulphur, which ignited inside his stomach. Choking, the dragon drank up half the river Vistula (Wisla) with the result that his bloated belly burst open, and he died. Krak married the princess, as in all fairy tales, and became king, built his castle over the dragon’s lair and the grateful people called their town ‘Kraków’. On the riverbank is a rather incongruous sculpture in likeness of the Wawel Dragon designed by local artist Bronislaw Chrom, in 1972.

The huge Wawel castle on the Wisla bank is something to savour. The castle complex is a mix of different architectural styles — Medieval, Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque. The expansive inner courtyard is surrounded by colonnades and leads to different rooms the Polish kings occupied for centuries.

It’s rather overwhelming to cover all rooms but some are must-sees. Like the exhibitions at the state rooms on the ground floor with their rich Renaissance-era wooden ceilings. There are great treasures of oil paintings, elaborate 16th-century Flemish tapestries, and extraordinary ‘gold leather’ wall hangings that were a speciality of Spanish city Coroba. The large Senator’s Hall hosted the first royal wedding back in 1518.

There is also the crown treasury and armoury room which contains Poland’s crown jewels, glass cases with bejewelled goblets, platters, coins and other treasures. The Szczerbiec, country’s original coronation sword, is displayed in all its glory too. The armoury has a fascinating collection of weaponry but also reminds one how brutal wars in medieval times were.

Next to the castle is the cathedral with historical references in every nook of the 18 chapels. It also contains the Royal Crypts. If you have the energy to climb up the steep wooden stairs to the top, you can see encounter the huge 12.6 tonnes Sigismund Bell. It’s said its sound can be heard as far as 30 km away.

At the heart of Krakow’s old town is the main market square of Rynek, one of the largest medieval market squares in Europe. Originally designed in 1257, its layout has changed little in these eight centuries. The beautiful town houses surrounding it have their own unique names and histories. The majestic St. Mary’s Basilica is next to it.

At Rynek’s centre is the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) built in the 14th century. It is, perhaps, the first shopping mall in the world, with its many stalls — selling precious stones, lace handicrafts, woodwork as well as touristy kitsch. In 2010, Rynek Underground — a hi-tech museum tracing the history of the Cloth Hall, and of Krakow — opened underneath it.