SMOCZA JAMA - dragons den
The story of Krakow is based on the legend of a shoemaker known as Skuba who defeated a fire-breathing dragon that had been terrorizing the population for years. The king at the time offered his daughters hand in marriage and half of his kingdom to the man who could slay the dragon. Many knights tried and failed until Skuba, the humble cobbler, tricked the dragon into eating a lamb filled with sulfur and salt and the dragon exploded.
Smocza Jama is the dragon's lair - 75 metre long cavern on the slope of Wawel Hill above the Vistula River bank. The cave attracts thousands of visitors every year and is by far the most famous cave in Poland. Archaeological research has revealed that it was inhabited by humans during the stone age, and up to as recently as the 16th century. A side passage was discovered in 1974. There is a very impressive bronze statue of the dragon standing outside the entrance of the cave that spits fire every 15 minutes. Entrance to the cave can also be gained by way of a turret at the west side of Wawel Hill. You'll see signs to the ticket office directly opposite the castle.
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