Royal Palace in Warsaw

Royal Castle in Warsaw

The Royal Palace is an imposing castle in Warsaw, which is located on the eastern side of the castle square.

General information

The first castle on this site was built in the 14th century, but today’s building, as well as all its surroundings, is a reconstruction made in the 20th century. In 1944, all that remained of the castle was a smoking pile of rubble – the entire magnificent interior was destroyed by bullets, dynamite and fire. Almost the entire royal collection of paintings and tapestries was looted and destroyed, but it should be noted that many items, including furniture, were removed to safety after the outbreak of war. Reconstruction of the castle did not begin until 1971, and it was opened to the public in 1984

As you walk through the succession of grand halls with superb stucco and sumptuous works of art (some of which are copies rather than originals), it should be remembered that all of this has been fully restored over the last 30 years. Fragments of original building materials, including decorative carvings and stucco elements, have been used wherever possible in the reconstruction, and if you look closely you can distinguish the old from the new.

Since the 17th century, the Royal Castle was the official residence of the Polish kings, and it was here that the Sejm (Parliament) adopted the famous Polish Constitution on May 3, 1791 – the second after the Constitution of the United States. There are two tour routes inside the castle, usually with separate entrance tickets.

Route I includes the living quarters for courtiers on the first floor, the parliamentary halls, Prince Stanislaw’s apartments and Jan Matejko’s rooms. Route II takes you through the Grand and Royal Apartments. Each tour takes about an hour. If time allows for only one route, choose Route II, which covers the true gems of the castle.

The apartments of King Stanislaus Augustus are some of the most luxurious rooms in the palace. But the strongest impression is made by the dance hall on the upper floor, where meetings, concerts and audiences were held; this hall was the first to be destroyed in 1939.

In the Canaletto Hall, detailed drawings of the architecture of Warsaw’s Old Town by the Italian Bernardo Bellotto are displayed in display cases; these drawings survived the war and were very helpful in the reconstruction of the Polish capital. In the Marble Hall, another attraction of the castle, you will see portraits of 22 Polish kings. The throne room sparkles with a purple and gold canopy with hand-embroidered silver eagles. The originals were taken out by the Nazis, but in 1991 one eagle was found in the United States and returned to the castle, and the entire canopy was then reconstructed from it.

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You can also go down to the castle cellars where there is an interesting exhibition of finds unearthed during the excavations in the Old Town (admission with any ticket).

The Sunday excursion to the Royal Castle (11.00- 16.00) combines the most interesting of both routes. In addition, admission to the castle is free on Sundays. Organized tours (for an additional fee) are available on any day except Sundays.

Zamek Krolewski, pl. Zamkowy 4,open: Mon-Sat 10.00-16.00, Sun 11.00-16.00,entrance fee).