The Wawel Dragon
A long time ago, during the reign of King Krak, the founder of Krakow, at the foot of Wawel Hill, lived a cruel dragon. The dragon devoured cattle, pigs and all kinds of wildlife. If it was not delivered to him, young girls disappeared. The inhabitants were increasingly intimidated, so King Krak sent squires to announce that the daredevil who managed to kill the dragon would be awarded half a kingdom and the hand of the princess. Many knights and daredevils made the attempt, but none came back whole. This all these struggles were watched by a young shoemaker, who came up with an idea. He stuffed the skin sheep’s skin with sulphur, and when the beast was asleep, he placed the stuffed sheep in front of the cavern. When the dragon woke up and saw the lamb in front of his den, devoured it immediately. The sulphur started to spread over the dragon’s body and burned more and more. To ease the pain, the dragon began to drink water from the Vistula river. It drank, and drank, until it drank half of the river and burst. And so the cruel dragon was defeated by a young shoemaker, who was given half kingdom and the hand of the princess.
Today, the dragon is the symbol of Krakow and you can find a fire-breathing statue of Smok Wawelski outside the Wawel Castle. Or explore his former home, the Dragon’s Den caves under Wawel Castle (only open in around summer).
Princess Wanda and Her Burial Mound
Princess Wanda (often said to have been the daughter of Krak himself, the founder of Krakow) was famous for her wise and just rule. News of her beauty spread around the world. It also reached the German Duke Rydygier, who announced that if Wanda did not accept his hand, he would invade Krakow. The princess rejected his ‘advances’, but she also did not want to put the city in danger. So instead of marrying the prince, she chose to die in the waves of the Vistula. To honour the princess’s heroism, the people built a mound on the spot where the river had thrown her body ashore. This grave - Wanda’s mound - has survived for hundreds of years and can still be seen today.
The Hejnał: Krakow’s Legendary Trumpeter
The trumpet call has become a musical symbol of Krakow and still resounds to this day. It is played every hour to the four corners of the world. But why does its melody stop so suddenly?
Since medieval times, a watchman has kept watch day and night in the upper tower of St. Mary’s Basilica, keeping a lookout for fires, enemies approaching Krakow and other dangers. His duties also included playing the trumpet call, initially only at dawn and at sunset, as a signal to open and close the city gates, and later every hour. In 1241 the Tartars invaded the city. As the legend has it, the watchman keeping vigil in the tower began to play the alarm. He managed to warn the city of the attack, but in half a beat his throat was pierced by a Tartar arrow. This is why the melody of the trumpet call ends so abruptly - at the very spot where the heroic guard stopped playing it.
Lajkonik
Once a year, a Tartar invader appears on the streets of Krakow. His colourful march attracts crowds of spectators who not only attempt not to fight him, but do not even dodge the blows of his mace.
The Lajkonik is one of the main symbols of Krakow. Its march through the streets of the city is a tradition cultivated for centuries on the first Thursday after Corpus Christi.
The legend associated with it dates back to historical events in 1287. At that time, a Tartar army sneaked up on the city unnoticed - the Tartars decided to spend the night by the Vistula River near the village of Zwierzyniec in order to attack the city in the morning. There, they were spotted by rafters. They attacked the sleeping Tartars, thus saving the city from looting. They then dressed up in Asian costumes and rode into the city on their conquered horses, arousing first terror, then joy among the inhabitants. The mayor of Krakow then announced that to commemorate this event, once a year a raftsman dressed as a Tartar khan would ride into the city at the head of a procession. Nowadays, during the traditional procession from Zwierzyniec to the Main Square, the Lajkonik hands out his mace - for luck!
St. Mary’s Towers
The towers of St. Mary’s Basilica, as can easily be seen, are uneven in height. A bloody legend is connected with this architectural incongruity.
From the higher tower, the trumpet call is played every hour, while in the lower tower hangs the church bell. Unfortunately, no architectural plans have survived to explain the different heights of the towers, but a bloody legend is widely known. During the reign of Duke Bolesław (1243-1279), it was decided to add two towers to the body of the church standing on Krakow’s Main Square. This task was undertaken by two brothers. When the younger brother realised that his work was progressing more slowly, out of jealousy, he murdered his brother with a knife and the construction was stopped. Remorse, however, did not give the murderer peace of mind - on the day of the temple’s consecration, he plunged the knife into his heart and then threw himself from the top of the church tower. The knife he allegedly used hangs to this day in the Cloth Hall, as a reminder of this grim story.
The Krakow Pigeons
The pigeons that fill Krakow’s Main Square in droves are not ordinary birds - they are enchanted birds.
When Henry IV Probus ascended the throne in the 13th century, he wanted to unite all the Polish lands under his rule and crown himself king. However, he had no money, so he went to a witch for help. She transformed his knights into pigeons. The birds flocked to St. Mary’s Basilica and began to peck small pebbles out of its walls, which, falling to the ground, turned into gold coins! Overjoyed and enriched, the prince set off to Rome to seek the Pope’s support in winning the crown. On the way, however, he feasted, enjoyed himself and lost his money, never reaching Rome. Nor did he return to Krakow, and his faithful team is still waiting for him, enchanted in the form of Krakow’s pigeons.