wawel hill
At the foot of Wawel: the candle-glow hall and its neighbours
The castle hill above the Bernardine monastery, and why the setting matters.
Reserve your Chopin seats ↗Wawel at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded on the orders of | Casimir III the Great |
| Current castle | Built in the 14th century |
| Cathedral | Where Polish monarchs were crowned and buried |
| World Heritage | Declared in 1978 as part of the Historic Centre of Kraków |
The hill
Wawel Castle stands on a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula, about 228 metres above sea level.
A royal residence
For centuries it was the residence of the kings of Poland and a symbol of Polish statehood.
The cathedral
Wawel Cathedral is where Polish monarchs were crowned and buried.
The hall below
The candle-glow concert takes place in a 17th-century hall at the Monastery of the Bernardine Fathers, 2 Bernardyńska Street, at the foot of the castle.
Getting in
One guest notes that the entrance is at the side, so find it before you queue at the front.
After the music
The monastery sits beneath one of the best-known landmarks in Poland, which makes the walk away from the hall part of the evening.