The Cathedral Wawelska

We went to see the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus in Krakow Poland. The church is commonly referred to as the Wawel Cathedral. The basilica was built-in the 14th century and is the Polish national sanctuary. The Cathedral has been used for numerous prestigious events including the coronation of Polish monarchs.

The day after Pope John Paul II was ordained as a priest he said Mass in the Crypt area of the Cathedral. The Cathedral erected a statue of Pope John Paul II to commemorate his attendance there.

Statue of Pope John Paul II outside of the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow

We entered the church and walked through the main section of the Cathedral looking at the statues and ornate decor.

Inside the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow Poland

Black marble canopy with four marble pillars Inside the main section of Wawel Cathedral

We then headed to the bell tower of the Cathedral. There is a set of wooden stairs which lead to the bell tower of the church. The stairs were narrow and steep and a bit of a challenge to climb.

The steep stairs in the bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral

We worked our way towards to top of the bell tower. Along the way up the stairs we came to several bells which were impressive. Shelley stopped to touch one of the church bells.

Shelley touching one of the church bells in Wawel Cathedral

As we reached the top we could see the main bell which was much larger than the rest.

After looking at the church bell we took some time to admire the view of Krakow from the bell tower.

View of Krakow from the Bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral

After returning from the bell tower we headed towards the Saint Leonard’s crypt located beneath the Cathedral. The crypt contain the tombs of Polish kings, national heroes, generals and other important historic people of Poland.

Hallway leading to the crypts beneath Wawel Cathedral

Inside the crypt we saw some of the tombs on display. It was an eerie feeling walking though the crypt. We saw numerous tombs which were each decorated differently.

One of the tombs in the Saint Leonard’s Crypt under the Wawel Cathedral

The Wawel Cathedral was a very interesting place to visit. We saw some historic artifacts and explored a historic place of the Polish people. It was a quite interesting and enjoyable time.

“Do widzenia i dobry dzień”