Inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1980, Warsaw Old Town provides a captivating journey through the Poland of old. Built in the 13th century, Warsaw Old Town is packed with vibrant market squares, regal castles, traditional gates, and a host of religious buildings. With its pastel-shaded townhouses and atmospheric streets, it’s comfortably the most visited area in Warsaw for foreign tourists. However, despite containing many of the city’s most famous sights, Warsaw Old Town rarely feels overcrowded.
Everything starts from the Old Town Market Square, where barrel organ players and portrait painters work below the shadow of the Warsaw Mermaid, a bronze statue and icon of the city. Each side of the square has multi-story townhouses in varying shades, plus a narrow road heading out through the area. The Historical Museum can be found on the square and provides an excellent narrative on what’s happened over the last eight centuries. Once inside, visitors can take the staircases down to the medieval basements, which provide further information on Warsaw Old Town.
Although it’s possible to walk across the area in just 30 minutes, there’s a whole host of famous sights to tick off. The 16th century Barbican marks the transition from Old Town to New Town and is the best example of the original town wall. Castle Square stretches out in front of the Royal Castle, and the small al fresco terraces are great for taking in the scenery while sipping on local vodka. St. John’s Cathedral rises high, and its crypt is home to a number of Poland’s most famous people, including the last king of the country. St. Martin’s Church is arguably the most beautiful of the religious buildings, mixing gothic and baroque styles in an easy harmony.
Warsaw Old Town barely measures a kilometre across and is mostly pedestrianised. A number of metro stops line the edge of the area with the most convenient being Stare Miasto, which is just steps away from The Royal Castle. The city has two airports that are both within 20 minutes of Warsaw Old Town.
The area is on the World Heritage list for its astonishing reconstruction. Large areas of Warsaw Old Town were damaged during World War II, but everything has been faithfully rebuilt to the original specifications. It’s now impossible to know which areas are original and which were reconstructed.