Dragon's Den

Lonely Planet review

If you've had enough of high art and Baroque furnishings, complete your Wawel trip with a visit to the hokey Dragon's Den, former home of the legendary Wawel Dragon (Smok Wawelski), and an easy way to get down from the hill. The entrance to the cave is next to the Thieves' Tower (Baszta Złodziejska) at the southwestern end of the complex.

From here you'll get a good panorama over the Vistula River and the suburbs further west, including the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art & Technology on the opposite bank of the river, and the Kościuszko Mound far off on the horizon.After you buy your ticket from a coin-operated machine at the entrance, you descend 130 steps into the cave, then stumble some 70m through its damp interior and emerge onto the bank of the Vistula next to a distinctive fire-spitting bronze dragon, the work of renowned contemporary sculptor Bronisław Chromy.