Wawel Dragon

The statue of Wawel Dragon is a bronze sculpture that stands at a towering height of 6 meters (20 ft) on a large limestone boulder. It was designed by the renowned Polish sculptor Bronisław Chromy and completed in 1969. The statue was installed in its current location in 1972, a date that is commonly cited in various sources. However, some sources suggest that the statue was made in 1969 but was not officially unveiled in its current location until 1972.

The statue is a representation of the Wawel Dragon, a mythical creature that is said to have terrorized the people of Krakow. The statue was designed with the intention of breathing fire, which adds to the dramatic effect of the sculpture. Recently, the statue has been modernized to allow the fire breath to be triggered by a SMS text message. This service is very popular, and the statue receives at least 2,500 requests a day. The fire uses natural gas as fuel and without any text messages, the fire breaths occur at about five-minute intervals.

During the design process, there were some early proposals for the statue that included a more traditional water fountain. Another variant proposed that it should be partially submerged in the nearby Vistula river, but this was ultimately rejected. Despite this, the statue has been described as a "traditional" element of the modern Krakow landscape, and as a major tourist attraction of the city, particularly for children. It is a popular spot for tourists, locals and visitors alike, who come to witness the statue breathing fire and to learn about the legend of the Wawel dragon.

The Wawel Dragon is a well-known mythical creature in Polish folklore. According to the legend, the dragon lived in a cave located at the base of Wawel Hill, on the banks of the Vistula River. One of the most popular stories about the dragon takes place during the reign of King Krakus, the city's legendary founder. The tale goes that the dragon caused great terror among the local villagers by destroying their houses and devouring their young daughters. The villagers were so terrified that they begged King Krakus to take action and put an end to the dragon's reign of terror.

In an effort to solve the problem, King Krakus made a bold promise to the people. He vowed that he would give his daughter Wanda's hand in marriage to any brave man who could defeat the dragon. This announcement brought many brave men to Kraków, but none of them were able to defeat the dragon.

One day, a cobbler named Skuba decided to take up the challenge. He came up with a clever plan to defeat the dragon. Skuba stuffed a lamb with sulphur and left it near the dragon's cave. The unsuspecting dragon ate the lamb, and soon after, he developed an insatiable thirst. The dragon drank so much water from the River Vistula that he eventually exploded from the uncontainable volume.

King Krakus kept his promise, and he gave his daughter Wanda's hand in marriage to Skuba, the brave man who had defeated the dragon. In the oldest version of the story, written by Wincenty Kadłubek in the 12th century, the dragon was defeated by two sons of King Krakus, Krakus II and Lech II.