Krakus Mound

Between 1934 and 1937 archaeologists dug right down to the base of Krakus Mound, looking for the grave of the legendary founder of Kraków. They found no grave. What they did find was just as intriguing: the mound has a carefully planned structure, with a central post and wicker partitions radiating from it, and objects at different depths that still fuel debate about its age. Kraków's oldest mound, 16 metres high, stands on Lasota Hill in the Podgórze district and is one of the best viewpoints in the city.

Who built it, and when?

Nobody knows for sure. The medieval chronicler Jan Długosz wrote that the sons of Prince Krak raised the mound over their father's grave. The 1930s excavation, funded by the newspaper Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny, uncovered about 60 per cent of the base. Near the bottom lay a bronze belt fitting of Avar type from the 7th or 8th century, while near the top, about 50 cm below the turf, was a silver Bohemian denarius of Boleslaus II (972–999). The summit also held the roots of a massive oak, which the botanist Władysław Szafer estimated to have been about 300 years old.

On this basis some researchers date the mound to between the late 6th and the 7th–8th centuries, while others — such as Professor Andrzej Buko — place it between the late 8th and mid-10th centuries. There are also Celtic theories, and even Scythian or Viking ones. A burial function, though never confirmed by excavation, is considered very likely.

The mound and the sun

From Krakus Mound you can see Wanda's Mound in the distance. Standing on the top on 2 May or 10 August, you will see the sun rise directly over Wanda's Mound, while from Wanda's Mound on 6 February and 4 November the sun sets over Krakus. These dates roughly match ancient seasonal festivals, so some researchers see the mounds as a system of astronomical markers — but it remains a hypothesis.

What to see

• The flat summit, about 8 m across, with views of Wawel, the Old Town, Podgórze and the Kościuszko and Piłsudski mounds.
• The spiral path to the top — the mound is about 57 m wide at its base, with a volume of more than 19,000 m³.
• Traces of the Austrian fort no. 33 "Krakus" — in the 19th century the mound was surrounded by a rampart, wall and moat as part of the Kraków Fortress.
• Liban Quarry at the foot of the hill, a former limestone quarry best seen from the edge of the hill.

Rękawka

The mound is linked to Rękawka, a folk festival held on the Tuesday after Easter. According to tradition, the townspeople built Krak's burial mound by carrying earth in their sleeves (rękawy), hence the name. The celebrations, abandoned in the 1830s, were revived in the early 21st century and now take the form of a fair at the foot of the mound — expect big crowds that day.

Tripto tip

The mound is free and open at all times. It is about a 15-minute walk from Rynek Podgórski, the main square of Podgórze, and the climb to the top takes a few minutes on a gentle path. The best light is at sunset, when the Kraków skyline glows warm — though that is also when it gets busy. Wear shoes with good grip, as the grassy slopes are slippery after rain, and allow 30–45 minutes. The visit combines easily with St Joseph's Church on Rynek Podgórski and a walk along the rim of Liban Quarry.