Wilanów Palace

The best place to start exploring the complex is Wilanów Palace. Its highlights include the two-storey Grand Entrance Hall, the Grand Dining Room, and the Gallery of Polish Portraits, featuring a collection of paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries. Note the so-called ­coffin portraits – a very Polish feature – that are images painted on a piece of tin or copperplate personifying the deceased, then attached to the coffin during the funeral. The exterior of the palace is adorned with impressive murals, including a 17th-century sundial with a bas-relief of Chronos, god of time. As guides are expensive, you might be better off picking up an audio-guide (6zł).