Who is buried at Wawel? Royal and national tombs in Wawel Cathedral
According to the cathedral, 17 Polish monarchs rest in Wawel Cathedral and its crypts, including Jadwiga and Anna Jagiellon — from Władysław the Elbow-high to Augustus II the Strong and Stanisław Leszczyński. National heroes (Kościuszko, Prince Józef Poniatowski, Piłsudski, General Sikorski), the great poets Mickiewicz and Słowacki, and President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria are buried here too. Here’s who lies at Wawel — and which kings rest elsewhere.
The first kings at Wawel
Poland’s first rulers aren’t buried in Kraków: Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave lie in Poznań, and Bolesław the Wrymouth in Płock. The first king buried at Wawel was Władysław the Elbow-high, who in 1320 was the first to be crowned in Kraków Cathedral. His tomb, made in 1341–1346 and funded by his son, is the oldest royal tomb at Wawel.
Casimir the Great rests in a Gothic tomb with a canopy — his remains were found inside it in 1869. Later rulers added burial chapels to the cathedral: the Holy Cross Chapel holds the tomb of Casimir IV Jagiellon by Veit Stoss (1492), and the Renaissance tomb of John I Albert, shaped like a triumphal arch, was commissioned by his mother, Elisabeth of Austria.
The royal crypts
From the time of Sigismund the Old, kings were buried in crypts beneath the cathedral. The oldest, the Romanesque St Leonard’s Crypt, holds John III Sobieski with his wife Marie Casimire and Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, among others. Other crypts include the Sigismund Crypt (with Sigismund Augustus and Anna Jagiellon), the Vasa Crypt, the crypt of Stephen Báthory and the crypt of Władysław IV’s family. Augustus II the Strong is also buried in the crypts, and since 1938 the ashes of Stanisław Leszczyński.
Who else is buried at Wawel?
- St Leonard’s Crypt: Prince Józef Poniatowski (since 1817), Tadeusz Kościuszko (since 1818) and General Władysław Sikorski (since 1993).
- Crypt under the Silver Bells Tower: Marshal Józef Piłsudski (moved here in 1937) and, in the crypt’s vestibule since 2010, Lech and Maria Kaczyński.
- Crypt of the National Poets: Adam Mickiewicz (since 1890), Juliusz Słowacki (since 1927) and an urn with soil from Cyprian Norwid’s grave (since 2001).
Which kings are not buried at Wawel?
- Wenceslaus II — Zbraslav (Czech Republic),
- Louis of Hungary — Székesfehérvár (Hungary),
- Alexander Jagiellon — Vilnius,
- Henry of Valois — Saint-Denis (France),
- Augustus III — Dresden,
- Stanisław August Poniatowski — Warsaw (since 1995).
Władysław III of Varna, killed at the Battle of Varna in 1444, has only a symbolic tomb at Wawel — his body was never found.
Visiting the cathedral and royal tombs (2026)
The cathedral, Royal Tombs, Sigismund Bell and Cathedral Museum require a ticket, sold by the Cathedral Chapter — separate from castle tickets — at the ticket office and online. There are daily visitor limits. Opening hours are 9:00–16:30 Monday to Saturday and 12:30–16:30 on Sundays. The cathedral is closed to sightseers on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and on 24 and 25 December, among other days.
Where to stay in Kraków
Wawel is within walking distance of Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town at Świętej Gertrudy 6, right by the Planty park. From Hotel Regent in Kazimierz it’s under 15 minutes’ walk to Wawel.
Frequently asked questions
Who is buried at Wawel?
17 Polish monarchs (including Jadwiga and Anna Jagiellon), as well as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Prince Józef Poniatowski, Józef Piłsudski, General Władysław Sikorski, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki and Lech and Maria Kaczyński, among others.
Which Polish kings are not buried at Wawel?
Among others, Wenceslaus II, Louis of Hungary, Alexander Jagiellon, Henry of Valois, Augustus III and Stanisław August Poniatowski. Władysław III of Varna has only a symbolic tomb at Wawel.
Who was the first king buried at Wawel?
Władysław the Elbow-high — the first king crowned in Wawel Cathedral (1320).
Updated in October 2026.