Warsaw - the Old Town, Poland
In previous episodes we visited the Pilsudski Square and the Krakowskie Przedmiescie street. Now we are entering the Old Town.
Important note: the Old Town in Warsaw was badly damaged by Germans during the Second World War and was then rebuilt. This is the only place in the world of planned and completed reconstruction of such a large historical buildings terrain after catastrophic war damages up to 90%.
The Castle Square and the Royal Castle
We visit the Old Town starting from the Castle Square (A; GPS; 52.247735, 21.013738). You can get there via Krakowskie Przedmieście street. You can immediately notice the magnificent building of the Royal Castle. Royal Castle is the former seat of the dukes of Mazovia. In the sixteenth century it became the seat of Polish kings. Almost completely destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt in the years 1971-1984. In the center of the square there is also a column of Sigismund III Vasa which was built in the years 1643-1644. It is the oldest secular monument in Warsaw.
The Market Square
From the Castle Square we go down the Świętojańska street to the Market Place. On the right side we pass the architecturally interesting buildings of St. John's Archcathedral and the Church of the Gracious Mother of God (B; GPS: 52.248813, 21.012950).
Market Square is surrounded by colorful old houses; at its center there is a monument of "Warsaw Mermaid" - the symbol of Warsaw, which also appears on its coat of arms.
The Barbican and the New Town
Going further down the Nowomiejska street to the northern direction we finally come to the Barbican fortification - the ramparts from the sixteenth century (C; GPS; 52.250600, 21.010200). On the other side of the Barbican begins the New Town - the district built in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, north of the Old Town. We walk down the Fret street; on the right side we pass a house where Maria Sklodowska-Curie was born (D; GPS: 52.251556, 21.008294). Finally we come to the spacious New Town's Market Square. In the seventeenth century there was built a baroque St. Casimir church. At the center of the square you can find very nice, eclectic cast iron fountain from the nineteenth century. We go down the street Fret and finish our walk at St. Francis church of 17th century (E; GPS: 52.253571, 21.006618).
See also: