Kraków ‘flames to please’ with its new trail of miniature dragons
Set to mimic Wrocław’s famous trail of gnomes, a route featuring miniature dragons is to debut in Kraków later this year.
Designed by Andrzej Mleczko and Edward Lutczyn, pictures of the prototypes reveal one dragon wielding a camera, another standing behind a video camera, and a ferocious one emerging from the water with a fish in its claws.
Kraków’s newest generation of dragons will be introduced to the public in the coming months with preview images.
Writing on Facebook, officials formally announced the project on Friday morning saying: “Soon you will be able to see Kraków’s dragon not just in Wawel, but also by the Bernatek Footbridge, Primary School No. 29, the stairwell at Bednarski Park, Pl. Axentowicza, Park Krakowski and Park Jordana. These locations will be overrun by dragons!”
But whilst most feedback has been positive, some commentators have aired their disappointment, comparing one of the dragons to a rhino and another to a warthog.
Set to mimic Wrocław’s famous trail of gnomes, the route featuring the miniature dragons is to debut in Kraków later this year.
The initiative was originally proposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bronisław Chromy’s iconic dragon sculpture that stands at the foot of Wawel Hill.
Positioned just steps away from a cave once inhabited by a dragon that tormented the locals, the beast was supposedly only slain after being tricked into eating a sheep filled with sulphur – with this bait consumed, the dragon exploded into a ball of fire.
Writing on Facebook, officials formally announced the project on Friday morning saying “locations will be overrun by dragons!”
Commemorating this event, Chromy’s bronze work was initially completed in 1969 after the sculptor won a competitive process undertaken by the city.
Originally meant to serve as a fountain located on Pl. Wolnica, its function was only changed after the artist received a visit to his workshop from the Mayor, Zbigniew Skolicki.
The initiative was originally proposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bronisław Chromy’s iconic dragon sculpture that stands at the foot of Wawel Hill, just steps away from a cave once inhabited by a dragon that tormented the locals.
Enlisting the support of Wawel’s director, it was decided that the dragon would be better suited to guarding his former home – standing six metres tall, it was eventually unveiled in 1972.
Designed to breathe fire, the statue has since become one of the city’s best-loved monuments and, in recent years, found itself renovated so as to unleash flames on SMS request. Fuelled by natural gas, around 2,500 such requests are met each day.
Designed to breathe fire, the statue has since become one of the city’s best-loved monuments and, in recent years, found itself renovated so as to unleash flames on SMS request. Fuelled by natural gas, around 2,500 such requests are met each day.
A tender tribute to Chromy’s work, Kraków’s newest generation of dragons will be introduced to the public in the coming months with preview images.
The project will be financed as part of the city’s participatory budget.
