Such a busy year as 2022 has not been experienced by the Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow as a museum in its entire history. Nearly 1,785,000 visitors visited the castle in the past season. This is an all-time record attendance.

“With pride, joy and gratitude we end the passing year by recording yet another prestigious award for the extremely valuable and priceless work of our specialists. Their work has been and continues to be appreciated not only by the community, but above all by the Visitors. Literally, there was a siege of the Castle in 2022. I assure you that we will not rest on our laurels, and in 2023 we will surprise (as we have a few valuable surprises in store) and dazzle the public with new exhibitions, proving continuously for the third year in a row that the Royal Castle at Wawel is worth visiting not only once in a lifetime, but at least several times in one year”, says Prof. Andrzej Betlej, Director of the Royal Castle at Wawel.

The past year has seen the metamorphosis of the New Crown Treasury completed in June with the opening of 16 exhibitions and nearly 140,000 people who have seen the facility since 30 June.

The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage allocated more than PLN 12.5 million for the construction of the New Crown Treasury, and almost PLN 800 thousand was granted by the Social Committee for the Renovation of Krakow Monuments.

Work to open the exhibition took 12 months. Wawel Royal Castle educators conducted more than a thousand museum lessons, disseminating knowledge about one of the most valuable collections in the world to almost 20,000 participants.

In the new year, as early as 12 January, the Castle is inviting visitors to an exhibition of works by the Dutch master of detail, Jacob Mertens and the Kraków Painting around the year 1600, which will last until 16 April. The exposition includes around 40 exhibits, comprising paintings as well as other works (drawings, ivory sculptures) made around 1600 and maintained in a manner typical of Dutch art.

Adrian Andrzejewski