Old Town
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Why go
- The Royal Castle, once the residence of the Dukes of Mazovia, was transformed into a pentagonal royal castle.
- The city walls and Barbican mark fortifications that began with an earthwork rampart.
- St. John’s Cathedral and triangular Canon Square behind it, named for houses once owned by cathedral canons.
- Castle Square between the Old Town and Royal Castle, dominated by Sigismund’s Column.
Don't miss
- The Little InsurgentThe statue commemorates child soldiers who fought and died in the uprising.At the foot of the old city walls on Ulica Podwale.
Interesting facts3
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1646
Daniel Tym cast the bronze Bell of Warsaw in 1646 for the Jesuit Church in Jarosław.
Old Town, Warsaw - Wikipedia -
A covered passage built for Queen Anna Jagiellon in the late 16th century crosses between Canon Square and Royal Square.
Old Town, Warsaw - Wikipedia -
1928
Painters decorated the Market Square townhouses in 1928.
Warschauer Altstadt - Wikipedia
History
Warsaw’s Old Town grew around the castle of the Dukes of Mazovia and developed with a market square and fortified streets. After the district was destroyed in 1944, architect Jan Zachwatowicz led its reconstruction using original bricks and recovered decorative pieces. Prewar drawings and Bernardo Bellotto’s 18th-century city views guided the work.
- c. 1300The settlement received town privileges around 1300 and grew around the castle of the Dukes of Mazovia.
- 1339Warsaw’s town had brick walls by 1339, following an earlier earthwork rampart.
- 1413Warsaw became the seat of the dukes.
- 1607After a fire, houses around the Market Square were rebuilt in late Renaissance style.
- 1644King Władysław IV erected Sigismund’s Column in honor of his father, Sigismund III Vasa.
Show all
- 1701Tylman van Gameren drew up plans for the Market Square’s reconstruction.
- 19th centuryThe four sides of the Market Square began bearing the names of notable former residents.
- 1944German SS units destroyed the surviving buildings after the population was expelled.
- 1947–1953Jan Zachwatowicz led the reconstruction. Crews reused original bricks and returned recovered decorative pieces to their former positions. The rebuilt area was inaugurated in 1953.
- 1980The Historic Centre of Warsaw was recognized for its reconstruction after deliberate and complete destruction.
Sources: Old Town, Warsaw - Wikipedia · Warschauer Altstadt - Wikipedia · Vieille Ville (Varsovie) - Wikipedia · Stare Miasto w Warszawie - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
Why did Warsaw Old Town receive UNESCO recognition?
It became a World Heritage Site in 1980 for the exceptional reconstruction of a deliberately destroyed historic centre.
Why do the Market Square’s four sides have different names?
Since the 19th century, they have borne the names of four notable former residents.
What are the boundaries of Warsaw Old Town?
Wybrzeże Gdańskie, Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale streets mark its boundaries.
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