Krakowskie Przedmiescie (Warsaw)

Krakowskie Przedmiescie is the finest street in Warsaw and the first stretch of the Royal Route, the old road that ran south from the castle to the royal residences. It links the Old Town to the university quarter, and along the way it gathers churches, palaces, monuments and the Presidential Palace. Much of it is pedestrian-friendly, with wide pavements and cafe tables.

This is the natural walk out of the Old Town, and it takes in many of central Warsaw's landmarks in one line. It is free to stroll, open at all hours, and rewarding on foot in either direction. The street connects the medieval core with the nineteenth-century city and the university, so the architecture shifts as you go.

Working south from the Old Town, look for:

• The Presidential Palace, the largest palace in Warsaw and the seat of the head of state, with an equestrian monument out front.
• Holy Cross Church, a baroque church that holds an urn with the heart of the composer Fryderyk Chopin, immured in a pillar of the nave.
• The University of Warsaw's main gate and historic campus.
• The Academy of Fine Arts, the Carmelite Church and a run of townhouses and hotels.

The street grew up outside the medieval walls as a suburb on the road towards Krakow, which is where its name comes from. It became the address for aristocratic palaces and churches. Like most of central Warsaw, it was heavily damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards, with the historic frontages restored.

The walk itself takes fifteen to twenty minutes end to end. Add stops for Holy Cross Church and a coffee and you have an easy hour or more.

The street runs from Plac Zamkowy, the square in front of the Royal Castle, and continues into Nowy Swiat. It is a short walk from the Old Town and served by many bus routes; the M2 metro stops nearby at Nowy Swiat-Uniwersytet. For getting around the wider city, see the Warsaw guide.

The Royal Route strings together much of central Warsaw:

• The Royal Castle and Plac Zamkowy at the northern end.
• The Old Town, just beyond the castle.
• Lazienki Krolewskie, the royal park, further south along the same route.

Inside Holy Cross Church on Krakowskie Przedmiescie. After the composer died in Paris, his heart was brought back to Warsaw and sealed in a pillar of the church, marked by an inscribed plaque.

It is the historic run of streets from the Royal Castle south to the royal parks and Wilanow. Krakowskie Przedmiescie is its first and grandest section, continuing into Nowy Swiat.