Krakow, Cracow, Cracovie...
Krakow, Cracow, Cracovie...
Dragon's DenIs there a single person who does not believe in the Dragon from Wawel Hill? If there is he or she should visit the Dragon’s Den (Smocza Jama) which constitutes a proof positive that Krakow was once bothered by this frightening creature. Otherwise, what would a cave be inside a hill for? We should, moreover remember that every legend has an element of truth in it. But, no matter if we decide to believe in the story or not, the den is worth a visit as it is one of the biggest curiosities and attractions of Wawel.
Although thoroughly explored in 1990’s, when all corridors were finally discovered, the Dragon’s Den has been famous for a very long time. A historian of Poland, Wincenty Kadłubek, who is responsible for the legend about the Dragon from Wawel Hill, mentions the cave in his chronicle from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. He describes the story of King Krak (Grakch) and his sons, who fought a dangerous beast living in the den at the foot of the Hill and tried to protect the city. A similar legend in a slightly changed form was also written by another chronicler, Jan Długosz, but the most famous version of the story was provided by Marcin Bielski and his son Joachim, who in the 16th century added the character of a brave cobbler, Skuby. What was the den used for when the dragon had finally been killed – it is not clear. We know, however, that in the second half of the 16th century King Sigismund II Augustus had a wall built in front of the entrances to the cave to get rid of beggars and tramps who at the time lived in it. The den, however, was not blocked for a long time. Soon it was turned into a famous inn, described by Jan Andrzej Morsztyn. Throughout the years the cave was blocked and reopened several times. In the 19th century, when people considered turning it into a tourist attraction, the den became a subject of scientific interest. Stairs and enforcements inside the cave are the work of Austrian forces which were stationed on Wawel Hill during the period of Partitions of Poland. In 1918 the den received electrical light. After the war the cave was farther explored and more corridors were found. The tourist track was finally established and became a great attraction, which in 1972 was supplemented by the statue of Wawel Dragon, a work of a famous Cracovian sculptor, professor Bolesław Chromy. The figure is powered by natural gas, that is why the Dragon can breathe fire, which arouses admiration among many tourists, especially the youngest ones. Even today the Dragon’s Den is a huge tourist attraction, which is famous among all Polish people, including those who have never been to Krakow. A story for children which was later turned into a cartoon TV series, “A kidnapping of Balthazar Sponge” by Stanisław Pagaczewski (1965), undoubtedly helped to make the cave even more famous as the whole plot starts right there in the Dragon’s Den. |
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The legendary Cracovian den is a karst cave at the foot of Wawel Hill which is 276 meters long – although visitors can only walk along 81 meters of the established tourist track. The cave can be reached from the level of the observation deck placed next to the Thieves’ Tower (Baszta Złodziejska) through a 21-meter-long spiral staircase. The stairs are narrow and they might make some people feel dizzy. Fortunately, this is a one-way track, so there is no risk of congestion. After descending the stairs we enter three chambers, the biggest of which is 25 meters long and 10 meters high. Brick walls and pillars inside the den make it look less wild. Tourists cannot visit the entire cave – the remaining two rows of corridors, which are inhabited by a rare crustacean called Studniczek tatrzański, are available only for scientists and cavers (the latter must have a special permit). The tourist track finishes outside the walls of the castle, at the Vistula Embankment, next to the statue of the fire breathing Wawel Dragon.