WAWAL ROYAL CASTLE

Krakow, Poland

The Wawal Castle, sitting atop a limestone outcropping, is the dominate feature in the Krakow cityscape. There is archaeological evidence here of habitation in the prehistoric periods. What we see there today was first conceived in the 11th century as a royal residence and a defensive position. It fronts the Vistula River, and is backed by the old town of Krakow. Over the centuries, the city and castle have been burned, pillaged and plundered regularly. The latest incursions were by the Germans and the Russians, who exercised all of the standard atrocities. Not least of these atrocities was the systematic extermination of the resident Jewish population. There is a plaza nearby with dozens of large steel chairs, each representing 10,000 Jews killed by the nazis. Each destructive event in history was followed by a rebuilding, but usually of the architectural style of the current period. As you walk around and through the castle, you see all styles of design, from Tuscan Renaissance to Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque.

As usual, finding the best view here to sketch was tricky. Many of the possible views are blocked by trees and neighboring buildings. From the other side of the Vistula, I walked more than a mile before finding this view on the bridge north of the castle. And as happens occasionally, a young lady approached me while at work, this time sharing her sketch of the same view I had just chosen. Her work was nicely done, but was colored (felt pens) in pinks and reds.