Royal Castle

The Royal Castle stands at the entrance to the Old Town on Castle Square, beside the tall column of King Sigismund III. For centuries it was the residence of Polish monarchs and the seat of the parliament, and in 1791 the halls here saw the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May, the first codified national constitution in Europe and the second in the world after that of the United States.

The castle is both a royal palace and a symbol of the city's survival. Its state rooms have been returned to their eighteenth-century appearance, and the collection includes paintings, furniture and decorative art gathered or recovered over decades. It anchors the Old Town and pairs naturally with a walk through the reconstructed streets around it.

The visitor route runs through the grand interiors and a picture gallery. Points to look for:

• The state apartments and the throne room, restored to the era of King Stanislaw August.
• The Great Assembly Hall and the Senators' Hall, where the 3 May Constitution was passed.
• The Canaletto Room, hung with views of eighteenth-century Warsaw painted by Bernardo Bellotto, known in Poland as Canaletto. These pictures were used as a reference when the city was rebuilt.
• Paintings by Rembrandt from the Lanckoronski collection.

German forces blew up the castle after the collapse of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, leaving only fragments standing. The building you see was reconstructed between 1971 and 1984, funded largely by public donations from Poles at home and abroad. Many original furnishings and artworks, hidden or removed during the war, were returned to the restored rooms. The castle forms part of the Historic Centre of Warsaw, listed by UNESCO.

Allow between one and a half and two hours for the main route. Add more if you take in temporary exhibitions or the gardens below the castle on the river side.

The main exhibition route is free one day each week, which makes it the busiest day, so arrive early if you go then. On other days entry is ticketed and timed. Weekday mornings are generally calmer than weekends.

The castle sits on Castle Square at the southern entrance to the Old Town, a short walk from the Royal Route. The area is pedestrianised, and trams and buses stop nearby. For orientation and transport, see the Warsaw guide.

The castle has lifts and step-free routes through much of the exhibition, though some historic sections have thresholds and stairs. Check the castle's access information before visiting for current arrangements.

The castle stands at the centre of historic Warsaw:

• The Old Town Market Square, a few minutes north through the lanes.
• Warsaw's Old Town and the city walls that surround it.
• Krakowskie Przedmiescie, the start of the Royal Route running south.

German forces destroyed it during the war, and post-war Poland chose to reconstruct it rather than lose it. The work ran from 1971 to 1984, paid for largely by public donations.

It was a reforming constitution adopted at the castle in 1791, the first codified national constitution in Europe. It is marked today by a Polish national holiday.

The main exhibition route is free one day a week. On other days it is ticketed and timed, so booking ahead helps in high season.