Castle Square in Warsaw

Warsaw's most famous monument is almost 180 years older than the square it stands on. Sigismund's Column, honouring King Sigismund III Vasa, was raised in 1644 in front of the Kraków Gate, outside the city walls, while Castle Square itself was laid out only in 1818–1821 to a design by Jakub Kubicki. Today it is the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the start of the Royal Route and the stage for several key scenes in Polish history.

History: a square made by demolition

Before the 19th century this was the castle's forecourt, with the town walls, the Kraków Gate and tightly packed buildings. The square appeared after the castle's service buildings, the gate and several townhouses were pulled down. In 1844 the Bernardine nuns' church and convent at the edge of the escarpment were also demolished to make way for the Nowy Zjazd road down to the Vistula, carried by the Pancer Viaduct, which from 1864 led to the Kierbedź Bridge.

The square has seen many dramatic moments. On 8 April 1861 Russian troops massacred civilians here, killing more than a hundred people. On 15 November 1920 Józef Piłsudski received his marshal's baton on the square, and in May 1926 fighting broke out here during his coup. During the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, insurgents captured a German armoured personnel carrier on the square and named it "Starówka" (Old Town).

Destroyed and rebuilt

The buildings around the square were damaged during the defence of Warsaw in 1939 and finally destroyed by the Germans in 1944. The townhouses were rebuilt in 1949–1958. As early as 1948 the W-Z (East–West) Route tunnel was built under the square, and a year later it was linked to the square by escalators made by the Moscow firm Metrostroy. The Royal Castle, whose façade closes the east side of the square, was rebuilt in 1971–1984.

In 1977 the square was lowered by 0.5–1.5 m to match the level of the rebuilt castle — the base of Sigismund's Column gained extra granite steps as a result. Archaeologists used the opportunity to trace the old town walls and moat, and in 1983 the remains of the Gothic bridge in front of the Kraków Gate were opened to view.

What to see

• Sigismund's Column by Clemente Molli — the first secular monument in the form of a column in Poland.
• The façade of the Royal Castle with its clock tower.
• Strips of clinker brick in the paving, marking the line of the former double town walls.
• The Gothic bridge of the gate's outer defences — a brick structure on two pointed arches.
• The Tin-Roofed Palace (Pałac pod Blachą) and the rebuilt, colourful townhouses.

Did you know?

On 10 July 1997 US President Bill Clinton gave a speech on the square to mark the invitation of Poland into NATO, announced two days earlier. Earlier, on 3 May 1982, under martial law, the ZOMO riot police brutally broke up a demonstration here. For years after the war the square also served as a car park and bus terminus.

Tripto tip

The square is open around the clock and free — the natural starting point for exploring Warsaw. From here, Świętojańska Street leads to the Old Town Market Square, while Krakowskie Przedmieście sets you off along the Royal Route. The townhouse façades look best in the evening light, and you will have the most space early in the morning before the tour groups arrive. The square itself takes only 15–20 minutes, but use it as a base for the whole day: the Royal Castle, St Anne's Church and the Vistula boulevards are all close by.