Kraków angler catches monster fish resembling city’s famed dragon
A fisherman's encounter with a colossal catfish just meters away from Kraków’s iconic Wawel Hill, has ignited striking parallels to the city’s legendary dragon.
Renowned local fishing guide Paweł Kabat found himself in a scene straight out of folklore when he became locked in a mighty struggle with the two-metre-long monster weighing over 80 kilos.
In an allusion to the fabled dragon that purportedly dwells beneath Wawel Hill, Kabat underwent a mammoth two-hour struggle before he finally landed the monster fish.
In an allusion to the fabled dragon that purportedly dwells beneath Wawel Hill, like the poor shoemaker from legend, Kabat underwent a mammoth two-hour struggle before he finally landed the monster fish.
Stunned Kabat later said: "I have never worked so long to catch a single fish.
Kabat had been fishing near the city’s Grunwald Bridge when he came across the colossal catfish.
“I didn't quite believe that I would be able to outsmart this majestic fish, but I eventually found a way to do it.
"The fish was very strong, the tow was exhausting and spectacular at the same time.
Legend has it that the dragon made its lair in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill, near the Vistula River, from where it terrorised locals by eaten livestock and even humans.
“These two hours were physically mega hard, but magical.”
The Kraków Dragon is a mythical creature that has become an enduring symbol of Kraków.
The dragon was defeated after a clever cobbler named Skuba fed it a sheep filled with sulphur, which caused the creature to drink vast amounts of water from the river until it exploded.
Legend has it that the dragon made its lair in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill, near the Vistula River.
Described as a gigantic serpent with bat-like wings and a voracious appetite, the creature terrorised the inhabitants of Kraków, devouring livestock and even humans.
Today, the Kraków Dragon is an integral part of the city’s identity, celebrated in festivals, statues, and stories.
The legend has had many variations over the centuries, but the one that has stuck tells that brave knights and heroes attempted to slay the beast, but none succeeded until a clever cobbler named Skuba came up with a plan.
He fed the dragon a sheep filled with sulphur, which caused the creature to drink vast amounts of water from the river until it exploded, freeing the city from its terrifying reign.
Instead of filling its belly with a sulphur-doused sheep, however, Kabat released the fish safely back into the river.
Today, the Kraków Dragon is an integral part of the city’s identity, celebrated in festivals, statues, and stories.
