You are standing in the majestic courtyard of Wawel Castle. The Renaissance square was commissioned by Sigismund I the Old during his reign from 1506 until 1548. Imagine the royal processions, tournaments and pageantry held here for centuries. Behind these colonnades were the residential wings. Members of the court lived on the first floor and the royal families occupied the second. The piano nobile (principal floor) was the third level with the state apartments. Wawel Royal Castle offers five separate tours. They are: State Rooms, Royal Private Apartments, Crown Treasury plus Armory, Oriental Art and Lost Wawel. If you are short on time, purchase a ticket for the first two.
