Legend of the Wawel Dragon

The Legend of the Wawel Dragon is a famous Polish folk tale set in Kraków. It tells of a fearsome dragon that terrorized the city near Wawel Hill. The townspeople, unable to defeat it, sought help from a clever shoemaker named Krakus, who devised a plan to feed the dragon a sheep filled with sulfur. The dragon ate it and drank water from the Vistula River, causing it to swell and burst. This legend symbolizes the victory of cleverness over brute strength and highlights Kraków’s rich cultural history. The story is celebrated with a dragon statue at Wawel Hill today.