free entrymuseums and towers have separate tickets
The walk starts on Castle Square, by the Stare Miasto stop, and ends right next to it, at the bell tower of St Anne's Church, so you will come back to almost the same place. If you are already in the Old Town, Turi will guide you from the nearest point. The tourist information point is on the Old Town Market Square. The lanes are cobbled and a pushchair can go almost everywhere, except the Stone Steps, which you only need to look down, and the walls by the Barbican. Walking around the Old Town is free. Tickets are needed for the Royal Castle, the Museum of Warsaw and the viewing terrace at St Anne's Church. The bugle call from the castle tower is played every day at 11.15. Toilets can be found by Castle Square, on Świętojańska Street and by the Barbican, among other places.
At home, open the place in Turi and tap “Save for offline”: the map, descriptions and photos will work without signal.
Visit the furthest points first, while the kids still have energy.
Tick things off as you go, and by the exit you’ll know what’s left.
Warsaw Old Town in the Turi app
Live position, a route from point to point, descriptions to read and listen to. Free, no account, and in English, German and Ukrainian too.
The same map as in the app. Tap a point to see its photo and description; in Turi you’ll see yourselves on it too.
1recommended, in route orderother pointsWCtoilets, food, tickets
Map: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Descriptions and photos: Turi and Wikimedia Commons. Something not right? Report it in the app at that point.
Worth seeing
Warsaw's Old Town looks several hundred years old, yet it is little more than seventy. In 1944 it was destroyed almost to the last wall, and then Varsovians rebuilt it brick by brick so faithfully that it was placed on the UNESCO list. The walk starts on Castle Square by King Sigismund's Column, leads past the Royal Castle and the cathedral to the Market Square with the Mermaid, through the Barbican and along the city walls, and ends at a viewing tower from which you can see the whole route. On the way you will touch a bell that grants wishes, stroke a stone bear and ride the first escalators in Poland.
Photo Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons1
Attraction
Sigismund's Column
The oldest secular monument in Warsaw. It was put up in 1644 by King Władysław IV for his father, Sigismund III Vasa, who moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw. The bronze king stands 22 metres up, holding a cross in one hand and a sabre in the other. In 1944 the column fell, hit by a shell, but the figure of the king survived and returned on a new shaft. The old, cracked shafts lie on the grass by the castle wall. Varsovians say that as long as the king holds his sabre high, the city is safe.
Photo Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons2
Building / monument
Royal Castle
The home of Poland's kings and the place where parliament met. It was here that the Constitution of 3 May was adopted in 1791, the first in Europe. During the war the castle was blown up, and for almost 30 years there was an empty space where it had stood. It was rebuilt between 1971 and 1984 with money collected by Poles from all over the world. Surviving fragments of sculptures and walls were set into the new walls. Every day at 11.15 a trumpeter plays a bugle call from the Clock Tower: that is the hour at which the clock of the burning castle stopped in 1939. Look for the clock on the tower.
Photo Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons3
Building / monument
St John's Cathedral
One of the oldest churches in Warsaw, built in the 14th century by the dukes of Mazovia. Poland's last king, Stanisław August, was crowned here, and this is where the Constitution of 3 May was sworn in. Dukes, presidents and the writer Henryk Sienkiewicz rest in the crypt. In 1944 there was fighting inside the cathedral, and after the uprising it was blown up. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style it had centuries ago. Set into the side wall on Dziekania Street is the track of a small tank that drove inside carrying explosives. Walk around the cathedral and look for it.
Photo Аимаина хикари, CC0, Wikimedia Commons4
Attraction
Kanonia Bell
In the middle of a quiet little square behind the cathedral stands a bell cast in 1646. It never hung in any tower, because it cracked and could not be rung. Varsovians believe it brings luck: you have to touch the top and walk all the way round it, ideally hopping on one leg. In the corner of the square stands the narrowest house in the city. On the Kanonia side it is just one window wide, because tax used to be paid on the width of the front. Touch the bell and find that house.
Photo This photo was taken by Arkadiusz Zarzecki Autorem…, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons5
Attraction
Gnojna Góra
This terrace with the best view of the Vistula stands on the old city rubbish dump. For several hundred years the people of Old Warsaw threw rubbish and waste from the whole town here, until a real hill grew out of it. The name means Dung Hill. The dump was not closed until 1844, although the authorities had tried much earlier. Today you can see the river, the bridges, the National Stadium and the right bank of the city from here. Count the bridges and look for boats on the Vistula.
Photo Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons6
Attraction
Old Town Market Square
The heart of old Warsaw, laid out at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. It measures 90 by 73 metres, and two streets lead out of each corner. Fairs were held here, and in the middle stood the town hall, pulled down in 1817. After the 1944 uprising only ruins were left of the townhouses. Varsovians rebuilt them brick by brick from old paintings and photographs, so faithfully that the whole Old Town was placed on the UNESCO list as a model of reconstruction. Somewhere on the square hangs a sign with the Basilisk, a monster whose gaze turned people to stone. Look for it.
Photo Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons7
Attraction
The Mermaid
Half woman, half fish, with a sword and a shield: this is the coat of arms of Warsaw. Legend says the mermaid swam up the Vistula from the sea and settled below the Old Town. A greedy merchant caught her and locked her in a shed, but a young fisherman heard her crying and set her free. Out of gratitude she promised to defend the city. The statue was designed by Konstanty Hegel in 1855 to decorate a city fountain. Check which hand the Mermaid holds her sword in.
Photo Krzysztof Rogoś, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons8
Attraction
Stone Steps
The most picturesque little street in the Old Town is so narrow that neighbours on opposite sides could shake hands through their windows. It was first mentioned in 1527. The stone steps led through a small gate in the walls down to the Vistula, and every day water from the river was carried up here in buckets. It is said that Emperor Napoleon looked out over the Vistula from here in 1806. Go down a few steps and count how many there are to the first bend.
Photo Bartosz MORĄG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons9
Building / monument
Barbican
This round brick fortress with four turrets guarded the northern gate of the city. It was built around 1548 so that cannons and muskets could fire from its openings at anyone approaching the walls. It soon proved outdated, and in all its history it saw fighting only once, during the Swedish invasion. Later townhouses were built around it and it was forgotten. After the war the Barbican was uncovered and rebuilt. Walk through the gate, climb onto the walls and count the gun loops.
Photo Tony Castle, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons10
Attraction
Little Insurgent Monument
A boy in a helmet and boots that are far too big for him stands beneath the city wall. The monument recalls the children who helped the adults in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944: they delivered letters for the scouts' postal service and carried messages and bandages. The figure was designed by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz as early as 1946; the monument was paid for by scouts and unveiled in 1983. Varsovians bring candles and red and white flowers here. See how the helmet slips down over the boy's eyes.
Photo Scotch Mist, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons11
Attraction
St Anne's viewing terrace
The white bell tower beside St Anne's Church is the best viewpoint over the Old Town. About 150 steps lead to the top. From the terrace you can see Castle Square with the column, the Royal Castle, the roofs of the Old Town, the Vistula and the National Stadium laid out before you. You will see the whole route you have just walked. The church next door was begun in 1454 by Bernardine friars brought here by Duchess Anna. This is where the walk ends. Climb up and point out all the places you have been.
All points (23)
Grouped as in the map legend. A star marks recommended points.
Attraction 11
Sigismund's Column ★The oldest secular monument in Warsaw. It was put up in 1644 by King Władysław IV for his father, Sigismund III Vasa, who moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw. The bronze king stands 22 metres up, holding a cross in one hand and a sabre in the other. In 1944 the column fell, hit by a shell, but the figure of the king survived and returned on a new shaft. The old, cracked shafts lie on the grass by the castle wall. Varsovians say that as long as the king holds his sabre high, the city is safe.
Kanonia Bell ★In the middle of a quiet little square behind the cathedral stands a bell cast in 1646. It never hung in any tower, because it cracked and could not be rung. Varsovians believe it brings luck: you have to touch the top and walk all the way round it, ideally hopping on one leg. In the corner of the square stands the narrowest house in the city. On the Kanonia side it is just one window wide, because tax used to be paid on the width of the front. Touch the bell and find that house.
Gnojna Góra ★This terrace with the best view of the Vistula stands on the old city rubbish dump. For several hundred years the people of Old Warsaw threw rubbish and waste from the whole town here, until a real hill grew out of it. The name means Dung Hill. The dump was not closed until 1844, although the authorities had tried much earlier. Today you can see the river, the bridges, the National Stadium and the right bank of the city from here. Count the bridges and look for boats on the Vistula.
Old Town Market Square ★The heart of old Warsaw, laid out at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. It measures 90 by 73 metres, and two streets lead out of each corner. Fairs were held here, and in the middle stood the town hall, pulled down in 1817. After the 1944 uprising only ruins were left of the townhouses. Varsovians rebuilt them brick by brick from old paintings and photographs, so faithfully that the whole Old Town was placed on the UNESCO list as a model of reconstruction. Somewhere on the square hangs a sign with the Basilisk, a monster whose gaze turned people to stone. Look for it.
The Mermaid ★Half woman, half fish, with a sword and a shield: this is the coat of arms of Warsaw. Legend says the mermaid swam up the Vistula from the sea and settled below the Old Town. A greedy merchant caught her and locked her in a shed, but a young fisherman heard her crying and set her free. Out of gratitude she promised to defend the city. The statue was designed by Konstanty Hegel in 1855 to decorate a city fountain. Check which hand the Mermaid holds her sword in.
Stone Steps ★The most picturesque little street in the Old Town is so narrow that neighbours on opposite sides could shake hands through their windows. It was first mentioned in 1527. The stone steps led through a small gate in the walls down to the Vistula, and every day water from the river was carried up here in buckets. It is said that Emperor Napoleon looked out over the Vistula from here in 1806. Go down a few steps and count how many there are to the first bend.
Little Insurgent Monument ★A boy in a helmet and boots that are far too big for him stands beneath the city wall. The monument recalls the children who helped the adults in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944: they delivered letters for the scouts' postal service and carried messages and bandages. The figure was designed by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz as early as 1946; the monument was paid for by scouts and unveiled in 1983. Varsovians bring candles and red and white flowers here. See how the helmet slips down over the boy's eyes.
St Anne's viewing terrace ★The white bell tower beside St Anne's Church is the best viewpoint over the Old Town. About 150 steps lead to the top. From the terrace you can see Castle Square with the column, the Royal Castle, the roofs of the Old Town, the Vistula and the National Stadium laid out before you. You will see the whole route you have just walked. The church next door was begun in 1454 by Bernardine friars brought here by Duchess Anna. This is where the walk ends. Climb up and point out all the places you have been.
Jan Kiliński MonumentThe man with a sabre raised high above his head is the shoemaker Jan Kiliński. He made shoes for the wealthiest people of Warsaw, and in 1794 he led the townspeople into battle alongside Tadeusz Kościuszko. He lived and had his workshop just round the corner, on Szeroki Dunaj. The bronze figure is four metres tall and was cast in 1935. Take a close look at what Kiliński has tucked into his belt.
Szeroki DunajThis little square by the walls took its name from the Dunaj stream, which had its source here. From 1631 herring and salted fish were sold here, with shoemakers' stalls alongside and butchers' stalls by the wall. At number 5 lived the shoemaker Jan Kiliński, whose monument you have just passed. In the middle stands a well that recalls the source of the old stream. Find the well and Kiliński's house.
W-Z Route escalatorsThe first escalators in Poland. They started running on 22 July 1949 together with the W-Z Route, a great thoroughfare carried through a tunnel beneath the Old Town. In ruined Warsaw they were a sensation: people queued just to ride up and down. The escalators link Castle Square with the tram stop at the foot of the slope. They have been replaced with new ones, but the hall has kept its old look. Ride down and come back up.
Building / monument 6
Royal Castle ★The home of Poland's kings and the place where parliament met. It was here that the Constitution of 3 May was adopted in 1791, the first in Europe. During the war the castle was blown up, and for almost 30 years there was an empty space where it had stood. It was rebuilt between 1971 and 1984 with money collected by Poles from all over the world. Surviving fragments of sculptures and walls were set into the new walls. Every day at 11.15 a trumpeter plays a bugle call from the Clock Tower: that is the hour at which the clock of the burning castle stopped in 1939. Look for the clock on the tower.
St John's Cathedral ★One of the oldest churches in Warsaw, built in the 14th century by the dukes of Mazovia. Poland's last king, Stanisław August, was crowned here, and this is where the Constitution of 3 May was sworn in. Dukes, presidents and the writer Henryk Sienkiewicz rest in the crypt. In 1944 there was fighting inside the cathedral, and after the uprising it was blown up. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style it had centuries ago. Set into the side wall on Dziekania Street is the track of a small tank that drove inside carrying explosives. Walk around the cathedral and look for it.
Barbican ★This round brick fortress with four turrets guarded the northern gate of the city. It was built around 1548 so that cannons and muskets could fire from its openings at anyone approaching the walls. It soon proved outdated, and in all its history it saw fighting only once, during the Swedish invasion. Later townhouses were built around it and it was forgotten. After the war the Barbican was uncovered and rebuilt. Walk through the gate, climb onto the walls and count the gun loops.
Jesuit ChurchThis tall, narrow church squeezed between the cathedral and the townhouses was built by the Jesuits between 1609 and 1626. Above the altar hangs a painting of Our Lady of Grace, patron of Warsaw. A stone bear lies by the entrance. Legend says he is an enchanted prince who fell in love, was not loved back and turned to stone from grief. Only someone who truly loves him can break the spell. Stroke the bear's nose, then look at the church doors: they are bronze and full of little angels.
Museum of WarsawThe whole north side of the Market Square is one museum: eleven connected townhouses in which you can walk from the cellars to the attics. Thousands of Warsaw objects have been gathered here, from silver spoons and clocks to chocolate wrappers and mermaids in every possible shape. From the top floor there is a view over the roofs of the Old Town. Count how many townhouses stand on this side of the square and look for the sculptures on the fronts.
St Martin's ChurchThe church on Piwna Street was founded together with an Augustinian monastery in the 14th century. Its curving Baroque front is among the prettiest in the Old Town. During the 1944 uprising the church burned down. A scorched figure of Christ from the old crucifix survived and can still be seen inside today. In the 1980s a committee worked here helping people imprisoned under martial law and their families. Step in quietly and look for the figure.
Toilets / tickets / parking 6
Public toilet
Public toilet
Public toilet
Public toilet
Public toilet
Old Town entranceCastle Square is the easiest way into the Old Town: buses and trams stop right beside it, and escalators come up from the W-Z Route below. The tourist information point is on the Old Town Market Square at number 19/21/21a.
Photo Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons1
Photo Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Аимаина хикари, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo This photo was taken by Arkadiusz Zarzecki Autorem…, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Krzysztof Rogoś, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Bartosz MORĄG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Tony Castle, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Scotch Mist, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Przemek P, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo M.Bucka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo 1bumer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons