Palace on the Water

Palace on the Water is the former residence of king Stanisław August Poniatowski. It straddles an ornamental lake (gondola rides 6/4zł per adult/child) and like most other Łazienki buildings was designed by the court architect Domenico Merlini. During WWII the Nazis attempted to blow it up, but succeeded only in starting a fire that destroyed much of the 1st floor. Renovated and refurbished, the palace is open to guided tours – highlights include the 17th-century marble reliefs depicting scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses gracing the original bathhouse ( łazienki in Polish, hence the name), and the ornate ballroom.