📍Wawel Castle | The hill where the foundations of the Polish nation were built

"A nation is a collection of memories carved in stone." Wawel Hill in Krakow is a place where you can really feel this saying. In the 11th century, the early Polish dynasty, the Piast dynasty, built Wawel Castle and the Cathedral on this hill. Since then, it has walked alongside the nation as the place where kings ascended to the throne, governed, and rested. 🏰 Wawel Castle was extensively renovated by Casimir the Great in the 14th century and reborn as a Renaissance-style palace. During the monarchy, it flourished as the center of politics and art, and has since escaped destruction and quietly stored the memories of the times. ⛪️ At the center of the hill stands Wawel Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Stanisław and St. Wenceslaus). This is where successive kings were crowned, and it is the "receptacle of Poland's souls" where deceased kings and heroes are buried. Particularly eye-catching are the golden-domed Zygmunt Chapel and the gigantic Zygmunt Bell. They are rung only at important national events, ringing out the hopes and prayers of the people. Even in times of invasion, division, and loss of independence, Wawel Hill was never demolished. In fact, its very existence was a "proof of nationhood" for the Polish people. If you want a journey that allows you to "feel" history rather than just "know" it, then Wawel Hill is the perfect gateway. ⸻ 📌 Visit notes 🏰 Wawel Castle | 9:30-17:00 (until 13:00 on Mondays) ⛪️ Cathedral | Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00 / Sun & holidays 12:30-17:00 📍 Address: Wawel 5, 31-001 Kraków, Poland 📸 #WawelCathedral #WawelCathedral #WawelCastle #PolishMemories #TravelingThroughHistory #KrakowHeritage