Krakow, Poland - August 11, 2017: Krakow architecture Wawel Cast. Wawel Castle is located on a hill at an altitude of 228 meters on the bank of the Vistula River in Krakow. From the 11th to the beginning of the 17th century, the Wawel Castle was the residence of Polish kings and was the center of the country’s spiritual and political power.