Wawel Hill in Kraków has been home to human activity for almost 50,000 years. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of settlement from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze ages. There was evidence of this area being a farming community as well as a trading hub. Between 1506 and 1548 C.E., King Sigismund I the Old had the Polish royal palace built on this very hill. Wawel Hill is the very heart of Poland—where their kings were crowned, ruled, and laid to their eternal rest within the vaults under the cathedral. The ghosts of these royal spirits are said to still visit the castle today. Though ghosts aren’t the only anomalies of note for locals and tourists, dragons allegedly also once walked here.
In a 200-foot-long cave on the western slope of Wawel Hill is Smocza Jama—the Dragon’s Den. Some believe the dragon was a serpent goddess who lived in the hill. The dragon posed quite a problem for those who lived in the region as it made quick meals of the livestock and local virgins. Prince Krak is the man credited with defeating the dragon. Today the cave holds a statue of a dragon and millennia of human record, as prehistoric man through modern humans in the 16th century of the common era all used the cave as a home.
According to one local legend, all of Poland’s deceased kings gather for a conference on December 24th every year in an underground chamber in Wawel Hill. One of these kings, King Kazimir, once told the tale of exploring some of the many caves of Wawel Hill when he was a child. Inside one of the tunnels he found a glowing stone that produces a magical energy that feeds and protects Kraków.
One of the castle ghosts is King Sigismund I the Old’s jester, Stanczyk. It’s said that whenever Poland is in danger, Stanczyk is seen in his jester’s costume along the battlements of Wawel Castle.
Written by — Jeff Belanger Founder, Ghostvillage.com
WAWEL ROYAL CASTLE
TOURIST SERVICE OFFICE WAWEL 5, 31-001
KRAKÓW POLAND
TEL: 48 (0) 12-422-51-55 EXT. 291
WEBSITE: www.krakow-info.com/ wawel.htm
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SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Haunted Places -Ghostly Locales from around the World – Compiled & Edited by Jeff Belanger – Copyright 2005 by Jeff Belanger