Webcam Krakow. Wawel Royal Castle
Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow is a whole architectural complex, which is the most important symbol of the country.
The history of Wawel began in the 10th century. The castle at that time became a symbol of both political and spiritual power. For quite a long time, from the XI century to the XVII century, the Wawel castle had the status of the main residence of local rulers, as the capital of Poland at the time was located in Krakow.
The best time for the royal palace was in the fourteenth century, during the reign of Casimir the Great, and then the Jagiellonian dynasty. Later, after the historical treaty between Poland and Lithuania, the Wawel complex was territorially located on the very border of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which caused its position to deteriorate, while the importance of another Polish city, Warsaw, located in the geographical center of the country, on the contrary, increased. At the same time there was a great fire in Wawel, after which it was decided to move the capital. In 1609 during the reign of Sigismund III, Warsaw, in fact, finally became the capital of the state, and officially this status was granted to the city in 1795. In the same year the Wawel castle became the property of Austria.
During the centuries of its existence this complex had many peripetias. For example, after the invasion of Napoleon in 1815, Krakow was defeated and became a free city, which did not belong to any country. In 1846 the Austrians settled there again and built barracks for their military. In 1905, the Polish government purchased the land and territory of Wawel and returned it to its historical property. After that, the castle began to be restored, and in 1930 it regained the status of the state residence for special occasions, and part of the Wawel became a museum.
Wawel Royal Castle includes many architectural and historical attractions. The most famous and visited are the castle itself, the cathedral, and the castle fortifications.
