The Legend of the Dragon

You’re not imagining things, that really is a fire-breathing dragon in front of you. There’s probably a crowd gathered around it, waiting to see the real flames it spits out every 5 minutes. By now, you’ve probably noticed that dragons are everywhere in Kraków—on plush toys, keychains… you get the idea: the dragon is a true symbol of the city. Let me tell you why. Like many medieval legends across Europe, Kraków’s dragon once represented evil and chaos. In Kraków, the story goes that a fearsome dragon once lived in a cave beneath the castle. This was a serious problem for King Krak, who lived there. Not only was the beast terrorising the kingdom and devouring the townspeople, the king also needed to find a husband for his daughter. As the list of eligible suitors shrank, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and proclaimed: whoever slays the dragon shall marry the princess. Brave men from across the land rushed to Kraków, but the dragon had a serious advantage—it turned anyone who came too close into a pile of ashes. No one could defeat it. Then one day, a humble peasant stepped forward and asked for a chance. With nothing left to lose, the king agreed, ready to marry his daughter off to anyone who could end this nightmare. While the dragon was sleeping, the peasant placed a sheep at the cave entrance. But the sheep had been stuffed with sulphur and tar. When the dragon awoke, it gobbled it down without a second thought. Moments later, its throat was burning—and it wasn’t the usual fire. Overcome with thirst, the dragon threw itself into the Vistula and started to drink. And drink. And drink. The river began to dry up, but the dragon didn’t stop. It kept gulping until its belly stretched so tight… it burst! The dragon was dead, the city rejoiced, and the princess—who likely had no say in the matter—was married off to the clever peasant. That’s how a smart young man became king after slaying the fearsome dragon of Kraków.