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Wawel Royal Castle

The castle Zamek Królewski na Wawelu on the limestone outcrop Wawel Hill is a fortified place established by the orders of King Casimir III the Great who reigned in the 1300s, although some of the oldest buildings can be traced back to 970. Over the centuries the building grew and today it has some representation of almost all European styles stretching from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque period.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Haunted Castles

The castle used to be the residence of the Polish kings for centuries and at its peak, the seat of one of Europe’s most important states and is today the 20th most visited art museum in the world. Now, there are no more kings in Poland except those from history and said to be haunting the Dragon’s Den, said to be where a legendary dragon lived centuries ago.

The Legend of the Wawel Dragon

*Statue made as remembrance of the Wawel Dragon*

The legend of the Wawel Dragon, Smok Wawelski, dates back to the early Middle Ages when King Krak established Krakow, when the beast was said to terrorize the local populace, demanding tribute in the form of livestock and maidens. The king’s son managed to stop the dragon when he fed it sheep filled with sulfur.

However, the younger prince wanted the credit for it, and killed his brother. He was banished though and Princess Wanda got the kingdom. The oldest written telling of the story came in a 12th century work in Wincenty Kadłubek’s Chronica Polonorum, but the legend got many adaptations.

Read also: The Myths and Legends of Frankenstein Castle, another haunted castle said to have had a dragon living there.

Throughout the years, the legends changed, sometimes it was the king himself who freed them. But the most retold legend tells about how the dragon met its demise at the hands of a clever shoemaker or cobbler named Krak, who fed it a sheep filled with sulfur. It had to drink gallons of water from the River Vistula until it exploded. Krak then married the princess and became king. He built his castle on top of the hill and former dragon’s lair. The creature’s fiery end marked the beginning of the Dragon’s Den’s sinister reputation, a reputation that would only grow with time.

**The Wawel Dragon:** in Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographie Universalis (1544)

The Royal Ghosts of Wawel

The Wawel Castle has long been the seat of Polish royalty, hosting kings and queens, their courts, and their secrets. It is said that the spirits of these monarchs, unable to rest peacefully in their royal tombs, are drawn to the Dragon’s Den on the holiest night of the year. The Dragon’s Den’s entrance can be found next to the Thieves Tower at the southwestern end of the castle grounds.

There are many strange talks about what really is inside of these caves. King Kazimir in the 11th claims that when he was a child, he went into one of the tunnels and found a glowing stone that contained magical energy that protects Krakow from invasion and harm.

It is also worth noting that there were both taverns and brothels inside of the cave systems that kings frequented through hidden corridors. So what the kings really return to inside of the cave, who really knows.

But the strangest haunted rumor is definitely the annual Christmas tradition that the ghost of the former kings have started, as they all gather here on Christmas Eve

Ghostly Gathering for Christmas in the Dragon’s Den

Christmas Eve, a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is believed to be thinnest, sees the cavern come alive with ghostly activity. As the clock strikes midnight, the spectral forms of Poland’s past rulers emerge from the shadows, gathering in the cave for a macabre reunion. Cloaked in regal attire, these phantoms carry with them the weight of centuries of history, their translucent forms shimmering in the dim light of the cave.

As the bell tolls, the ringing wakes a pair of enchanted knights who leave the cave and rides to the castle. They knock on the door of the chamber under the castle itself to wake King Bolesław Chrobry the Brave who was the first crowned king of Poland. He then takes the throne for one night only and leads the council of the dead kings that have gathered.

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Among the spectral assembly, the imposing figure of King Casimir III the Great is often recognized. Known for his extensive contributions to Polish law and infrastructure, his ghostly presence commands respect even in death. Another frequent apparition is that of King Sigismund III Vasa, whose reign saw the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth reach its zenith. Their spirits, along with those of other monarchs, gather to recount their deeds, their triumphs, and their regrets.

The Christmas Eve Spectacle

The ghosts of Poland’s kings, gathering in the Dragon’s Den on Christmas Eve, provide a haunting reminder of the country’s rich and turbulent history. Their spectral assembly, shrouded in mystery and bathed in the glow of the supernatural, continues to captivate the imaginations of those who hear the tale. Over the Wawel Cathedral where the burial site of at least 16 different kings is, there has been hanging Dragon bones next to the entrance since the 16th century. The legend is, if they ever break or fall, Krakow will go under.