Royal Castle

Pl. Zamkowy 4 , Old Town (+48) 22 355 51 70 06 Dec 2024

Warsaw Royal Castle

The Great Apartment, courtesy of Royal Castel archive, by Andrzej Ring, Lech Sandzewicz

Warsaw Royal Castle

The Lanckoroński Gallery, courtesy of Royal Castel archive, by Andrzej Ring

The Royal Castle. Photo: Mariusz Cieszewski, MSZ.

More a palace than a castle, this building is the pride of Warsaw, reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incredible cost between 1971 and 1984. Much of the furniture was donated by now deceased commie buddies such as the GDR and USSR, and much of the money for rebuilding came from generous donations from exiled Poles. Dating back to the 14th century, the castle has been the residence of Polish kings, then of the president and then the seat of parliament. The prescribed tour, although the route is regularly updated, there are core elements that are always available, will take you through the Kings' apartments and chambers, heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments. Maps on the wall reflect Poland's greatest days, when it stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

The apartments of Prince Józef Poniatowski (aka 'the Tin-Roofed Palace') are also open to the public, though a separate ticket is needed (40/30zł, FREE on Wednesdays), and includes his surprisingly cerulean bedroom and grand collection of paintings. This section of the Royal Castle is open from 10:00-18:00 on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. (Note: the palace is currently closed - check back in January for updates on its reopening)

Inside Warsaw's Royal Castle; photo courtesy of Royal Castle archive, by Andrzej Ring, Lech Sandzewicz

Some of the halls are reputed to be intermittently haunted by a ‘white lady.’ According to legend her appearance signals imminent disaster. The nearby chapel boasts an urn containing the heart of Polish hero and freedom fighter Tadeusz Kościuszko. Next on the tour, the Houses of Parliament. Last but not least, the opulent Great Assembly Hall has so much gold stuck to the walls it's hard to resist the temptation to scratch some off - just a bit, they wouldn't notice. Behave or get accosted by vigilant wardens and enjoy the views across the river to the Praga district instead. For those interested in the Castle's reconstruction the basement exhibition 'From Destruction to Reconstruction' details the building's resurrection after World War II rendered the place a pile of rubble. Note that this exhibition is free, so those not willing to spring for a ticket for the entire tour can still visit this section of the Castle. The east-wing also contains the Gallery of Masterpieces, which has works by Rembrandt (separate ticket required, 60/45zł). The newly renovated and re-opened 2.5h French Baroque Royal Gardens (open daily until 20:00) are very much worth seeing too. Found round the back, near the river, they have been returned to their former glory, with a modern yet elegant touch. For all exhibitions, children aged 7-16 can get in for tickets for 1zł.

Permanent exhibition on the castle's 14th-century fortifications

Relics of a wooden and earth rampart from the 14th century - A fragment of the fortifications of the castle of the Mazovian dukes is an archaeological exhibition presenting the research and excavations in 2004-2007, which unexpectedly revealed a oak chests, believed to be part of the fortifications surrounding the brick tower (today's Wieża Grodzka) and other buildings during the time of the Mazovian dukes. The exhibition is available with a ticket to the Gallery of Masterpieces