Old Town

Lonely Planet review

The Old Town was rebuilt from the foundations up because after the war it was nothing but a heap of rubble. The monumental reconstruction, which took place between 1949 and 1963, aimed at restoring the appearance of the town in its best times, the 17th and 18th centuries. Every authentic architectural fragment found among the ruins was incorporated in the restoration.

In 1945, the Old Town Square was just the walls of two houses sticking out of the rubble, today it is a harmonious blend of Renaissance, baroque and Gothic elements. It's alive and atmospheric, doesn't feel contrived, and is replete with open-air cafés and art stalls. The Historical Museum of Warsaw occupies the entire northern side of the Old Town Square and screens a startling documentary about the destruction and reconstruction of the city, as well as displaying its charmingly presented collections from Warsaw's earlier history. Also in the Old Town you'll find the Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski) at Plac Zamkowy 4 (Castle Square). The Ballroom there is the largest and most impressive of all the castle's chambers. Built in the 1740s, it had many uses, serving as an audience room, concert hall and a place for important court meetings. Another of the castle's highlights is the Canaletto Room , with 23 paintings by Bernardo Bellotto (1721-80) who documented with amazing detail the best of Warsaw's architecture of the time. These paintings, which survived WWII, were of great help in reconstructing the city's historic monuments