Wawel Cathedral

Formally known as The Wawel Royal Cathedral of St Stanislaus B. M. and St Wenceslaus M, the Wawel Cathedral is part of but separate from the Royal Palace and other buildings on Wawel Hill in Kraków, Poland.

Completed in the 11th Century, the cathedral was used for coronating and burying kings when Poland had royalty; currently it is the official seat for the Archbishop of Krakow and the Archdiocese of Kraków. The cathedral was where Pope John Paul II both gave his first Mass in November 1946 and was ordained in September 1958 as auxiliary bishop.

Getting There

Wawel Hill, one of the highest points in Kraków, is on the north bank of the Vistula River where it veers south, only a ten minute walk from Kraków Old Town. Getting to the top of the hill requires a not-very-steep walk; driving and parking at the top does not appear to be available (though perhaps there are accommodations for the handicapped).

The cathedral is on the north side of the hill just off a large, central grassy area. The ticket office is opposite the cathedral’s entrance in a separate building with plenty of signage to show you the way.

Impression

I came away disappointed, despite its grandeur and beauty.

First issue are the crowds: the cathedral was already packed when I entered with both tourists and a large number of school groups. The cathedral attempts to facilitate crowd control by defining a prescribed path through the cathedral but still is difficult to navigate: over here, a monk lecturing to students, over there a large family admiring and blocking your view, and everyone else confused about where to go next. Essentially gridlock.

Second issue is the picture taking rules: for reasons left unknown, the cathedral forbids taking personal pictures and one employee’s job is identify potential violators and quickly accost and stop them as they raise their phone. I probably saw ten individual instances in five minutes. Therefore, you either have a photographic memory, you’ll visit the official website, or perhaps buy an officially sanctioned book.

After only a few minutes I became frustrated and, after figuring out there was a recommended path, walked through the rest of the cathedral, glancing at this or that and moving on. Total time spent: fifteen minutes.

No question that the cathedral’s interiors are gorgeous and historically important to Poles; other very beautiful churches in Kraków allow pictures and do not have the crowds, making it much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Wawel Hill itself is an important part of Kraków history and everyone eventually finds themselves there. Unfortunately, the cathedral does not do any real crowd control and allows everyone in whether there was room or not, resulting in a very disappointing experience.

Visiting

Image Credits

All images © 2025 Scott C. Sosna.