TEMPORARY CHANGES IN THE ORGANISATION OF VISITING

Statement of Accessibility

Wawel Royal Castle – State Art Collection is committed to making its website accessible to individuals with disabilities, in compliance with the Act of April 4, 2019 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications in the public sector (Journal of Laws 2019, no. 848). This statement of accessibility applies to the website www.wawel.krakow.pl

Website publication date: 2019-03-08. Most recent update: 2019-09-24.

The website is partially compliant with the Act of April 4, 2019 on the digital accessibility of public sector websites and mobile applications, due to the exceptions listed below. The following requirements have not been met: accessible alternative in text form. Completion is planned for June 30, 2020. Previously not possible for technical reasons.

This statement was prepared on 2019-09-23
This statement was developed on the basis of a self-assessment review conducted by the public sector entity.


Feedback and Contact Information


Wawel Royal Castle is committed to ensuring that digital content on the website www.wawel.krakow.pl is fully accessible to all users, in a clear and comprehensible manner, with convenient navigation enabling logical and intuitive use of the website. We are constantly working to remove barriers to accessibility on our website www.wawel.krakow.pl.

If you encounter accessibility problems on our website, please let us know. The contact person is Renata Paszkowska-Kwiatek, renata.kwiatek@wawelzamek.pl. tel 12 422-51-55 ext. 340.


Appeal Procedure


Anyone can request that the website, mobile application, or any element thereof be made digitally accessible. You can also request that information be made available by an alternative means of access, for example, having a digitally inaccessible document read aloud, describing the content of a film without audio description, etc. The request should include the contact information of the person submitting the request, indication of which website or mobile application the request pertains to, and contact method. If the person making the request would like to receive the information via an alternative means of access, they should specify the method of presenting the information that is convenient for them. The public sector entity should respond to the request as quickly as possible, no later than 7 days from the submission of the request. If this deadline cannot be met, the public sector entity shall immediately inform the person making the request when it will be possible to meet the request, which shall be a period not longer than 2 months from the date of the request. Where digital accessibility cannot be provided, the public sector entity may propose an alternative means of accessing the information. Should the public sector entity refuse to respond to an accessibility request or to provide alternative means of accessing information, the person making the request is entitled to file a complaint regarding the lack of digital accessibility of a website, mobile application, or an element of a website or mobile application. Once the procedure outlined above has been exhausted, a request may be submitted to the Ombundsman: www.rpo.gov.p



Accessibility

Wawel Hill, individual buildings and exhibitions

Wawel Royal Castle is located in the center of Cracow, on Wawel Hill (228 meters above sea level), in the Old Town district [about a 10-minute walk away from the Main Market Square and a 20-minute walk from the central Train Station].

There are two approaches to the Castle’s entrance gates:
  • from ul. Kanonicza – pedestrian traffic only, no architectural barriers except a set of low steps in the Vasa Gate passage
  • from the intersection of Bernardyńska, Stradom, and Grodzka streets: approach for both pedestrian and vehicle (by permission) traffic; cobbled roadway, sidewalks on either side of the road
Both approaches are steep, wheelchair users will probably require assistance

On Wawel Hill – roadways and paths – no architectural barriers

Wawel Hill is equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). In case of emergency, please alert a member of the Wawel Security staff (guards).

Approach from ul. Bernardyńska

Approach from ul. Kanonicza

Discounts for visitors with disabilities

Visitors with disabilities and their caregivers are eligible for discounted tickets (with proper documents). Citizens of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation, and EFTA member countries are eligible.

Ticket windows

  • the main ticket window is located in the Visitors Center
    the building is equipped with a wheelchair ramp (on the exterior courtyard side); no mobility barriers inside
  • the seasonal ticket window (open April–October), located at the Herbowa Gate (ul. Kanonicza approach) – please note that there are several low steps to climb in the Vasa Gate

Visitor Services

The Visitors’ Center houses visitors’ services such as the Information Desk, Ticket Windows, Reservation and Guide Service Office, [Audio Guide rental], as well as toilet facilities, dining, and shopping. The Visitors’ Center also offers free Wi-Fi.
There is a Post Office located in the Thieves’ Tower, but accessibility is limited due to steps before the entrance.

Baggage Checkrooms

  • Arcaded Courtyard checkroom (for visitors with valid tickets to the exhibitions) – enter through the Berrecci Gate; fully accessible
  • Luggage Room at the Bernardyńska Gate (luggage, carry-on bags, oversize backpacks) – reached by the approach from ul. Bernardyńska (pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic, cobblestones, sidewalk on both sides of roadway)

Toilet Facilities

Visitors’ Center – fully accessible, wheelchair ramp to building
Exterior Courtyard (next to the Lost Wawel exhibition entrance) – wheelchair ramp
Arcaded Courtyard (enter through passageway in south wing) – wheelchair ramp; please note: approach is steep, cobblestones, can be slippery

Exhibitions in the Castle

The Castle is equipped with an elevator, however there are stairs [at either entrance] that need to be climbed in order to reach it.
  • We regret that the exhibitions on the first and second floors of the castle proper (State Rooms, Royal Private Apartments, Oriental Art, and temporary exhibitions held on the second floor) are currently not wheelchair accessible. We are in the process of installing a wheelchair lift, which will enable us to expand the range of accessible exhibitions.
  • The Crown Treasury and Armoury exhibition is partially accessible (only the ground floor portion of the Armoury is accessible).
  • The Lost Wawel exhibition is partially wheelchair accessible (Lapidarium and Tile Room).
  • The Dragon’s Den is not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or with mobility impairments. The cave is reached by descending a narrow spiral staircase (135 steep steps descending 70 feet); as the cave is a natural geological formation, the floor is uneven and can be slippery.
  • The Sandomierska Tower not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or with mobility impairments. Visiting the tower requires climbing 137 steps.
  • The Wawel Architecture and Gardens tour not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or with mobility impairments. There are steep staircases to climb leading to the Upper Terrace, alongside the Hen’s Foot Tower, and in the Sandomierska Tower (see above).