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Warsaw’s Old Town. Photo by Jorge Láscar-

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Warsaw Old Town

Warsaw Old Town is the oldest part of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The town is bounded by the Wybrzeze Gdanskie together with the bank of the Vistula River, Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale streets.

The heart of the town is Old Town Market Place, rich in restaurants, shops and cafés. It is one of the well-known tourist attractions in Warsaw.

The Warsaw Old Town has played a significant role in Poland’s history and culture since it was established and continues to do so.

Learn more about Warsaw Old Town in these top 10 remarkable facts.

1. The Warsaw Old Town Was Established in the 13th Century

The town was established in the 13th century. Initially surrounded by an earthquake rampant before 1339, it was fortified with a brick city wall.

The Old Town originally grew up around the castle of the Duke of Mazovia, that later became the Royal castle. The market square was laid in between the late 13th and early 14th century, along the main road linking the new town to the north.

The square was rebuilt by Tylman Gamerski in 1701 and the most notable feature of the town, the Town Hall, was demolished. 1n 1910, the Old Town was home to prominent Yiddish writer Alter Kacyzne who depicted life there in his 1929 novels.

2. Warsaw Old Town is a Historic Monument

Warsaw Old Town, Warsaw, Poland. Photo by Ben Bender-

In 1980, Warsaw Old Town was listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites as an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.

The town is also one of Poland’s official national Historic Monument designated on September 16, 1994. Its listing is preserved by the National Heritage Board of Poland.  

3. The Warsaw Old Town Was Rebuilt After World War II

When Worl War II ended, the Old Town was rebuilt. In an effort to build it using original architectural elements, many of its original bricks were reused.

The reconstruction was not accurate to the original Warsaw. An attempt was being made to improve on the original or an authentic-looking façade to create a present-day building.

The rubble was filtered for reusable decorative elements, which were reinserted into their original places. Bernardo Bellotto’s 18th-century vedute and pre–World War architecture students’ drawings were essential sources in the reconstruction effort.              

4. It is Home to The Old Town Market Square

Old Town Market Square in Warsaw, 2019. Photo by Kgbo-Wikimedia

The Old Town Market Square was established in the 13th century, where it used to be the center of Warsaw public life, hosting political speeches and execution.

The houses around it represented the Gothic style until the great fire of 1607. After the fire, the buildings were rebuilt in the late Renaissance style.

Today the Old Town Market Square offers a wide range of good restaurants and cocktail bars as well as street art and souvenirs.

Once you’re at the market square, you can also visit and explore the Literature Museum and the Historical Museum of Warsaw.

5. The Historical Museum of Warsaw

The Historical Museum of Warsaw basis mainly on the culture, art and history of Warsaw collected for centuries by several cultural organizations and the University of Warsaw before a different institution was dedicated to it in 1936.

Since 1936 the museum has progressed from a modest branch of the National Museum into a separate institution that spreads into 11 tenement houses in Warsaw’s old town and beyond.

The museum demonstrates Warsaw dynamics changes and houses unfamiliar items from World War II and the 1944 uprising.

The leading exhibition is situated in the Old Town building, while temporary exhibitions can be found in various other places.

6. The Warsaw Old Town Has Fantastic Places to Dine

If you want to enjoy a luxurious and very Polish meal in the heart of the old town, the U Fukiera is a good place to dine.

The restaurant is owned by Magdalena Gessler, a famous chef and journalist who guided the Polish edition of the reality show Kitchen Nightmares and was a judge on MasterChef.

The restaurant is situated in a charming tenement house and attracts even world-famous personalities such as Claudia Schiffer.

The menu includes warm and cold starters, salads, main courses of Polish fish (salmon, crab, trout), and a variety of meats.

7. It’s Home to Castle Square

Castle Square. Photo by Dennis Jarvis-

Castle Square is a visitor’s first view of the reconstructed Old Town when approaching from the more modern center of Warsaw. It is a spectacular view dominated by Zygmunt’s Column, which towers above the beautiful Old Town houses.

In the 17th century, the square was in its glory when Warsaw became the country’s capital. It was here in 1644 that King Wladyslaw IV erected the column to glorify his father Sigismund III Vasa.

8. The Old Town Has Sigismund Column Build to Commemorate Sigismund III Vasa

The Sigismund column was built in the middle of the 17th century to commemorate Polish King Sigismund III Vasa, who is popularly known for moving the capital from Krakow to Warsaw.

The Corinthian column holds a bronze sculpture of the king with his armor that dominates the old town’s skyline. The column was damaged during the World War and reconstructed after it ended.

9. Explore the Royal Castle

The Royal Castle was the royal residence that served as the official home of Polish monarchs throughout the centuries. The castle is located in Castle Square at the entrance to Warsaw Old Town.

Currently, the castle houses a museum and is open to the public. It was restored and furnished with repossessed furniture and works of art. The museum takes visitors to the time of Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland.

10. The Presidential Palace

If you walk down to Krakowskie Przedmiescie street toward the Royal Castle, on the right side is the Presidential Palace. It was used by various noblemen and then the Polish president.

Its current appearance and look were determined in the 19th century; that’s why the neoclassical building glows with whiteness. The bronze monument in front of the palace depicts prince Jozef Poniatowski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish army during the 19th century.

The monument has been modeled after the Roman statue of Marcus Aurelius on Capitoline Hill.