Attractions in Warsaw: The Royal Castle

If you travel in Europe you’ve probably visited many landmarks and sights that go back a long way in history, have stunning architecture, and impress with their interior. If you look at the Royal Castle in Warsaw from this perspective, you will see yet another tourist attraction – not quite overwhelming with its size or the number of paintings in the collection or golden interiors. To fully appreciate, realize and seize the meaningfulness of the Warsaw Royal Castle, you need to see the archived images of the Castle – how it looked like before World War II, how it looked like in 1945, the renovation works in the 1970s and compare them to how the Castle looks like nowadays.

The Royal Castle in Warsaw before World War II:

Photo sources: Polish State Archives, IS PAN H. Poddebski

The Royal Castle in Warsaw in 1945:

Photo sources: The books: “Warszawa 1945-1970” (author: M. Wolagiewicz); “Zamek Królewski w Warszawie” (author unknown); “Vademecum Zamku Warszawskiego” (author unknown); “Warszawa – o zniszczeniu i odbudowie miasta” (author unknown)

The renovation of the Royal Castle in Warsaw in the 1970s:

Photo sources: J. Szandomirski, J. Muszynski, S. Sadowski

The Royal Castle in Warsaw nowadays:

Photo sources: Zbigniew Panów, pzstudio; City of Warsaw

The Royal Castle in Warsaw – once a residence of the kings, which history goes back to the 14th century – was totally destroyed during the Second World War. In September 1939 – when the war started – the Castle was bombed by the Nazis, however, the main construction survived and employees of the Castle managed to save some elements of the interiors that after the war would be used during the reconstruction. During the war, the Castle was emptied by the Nazis and many of its priceless parts (from central heating to marbles and paintings) were taken from Warsaw. Eventually, in September 1944, the remains of the Castle were blown up and reduced to ruins.

The decision to rebuild the Castle was taken in 1971. Volunteers played a huge role in the reconstruction as well as money collected among Poles, with an enormous contribution of Poles living abroad. It was in 1984 that the Castle’s interiors were open to the public. In the meantime, in 1980, the Historic Center of Warsaw (including the Royal Castle) was recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. And while other European capitals are included in the world heritage list (Prague, Paris, Rome, Budapest), Warsaw has been awarded for other reasons – namely because of its reconstruction: “It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.“

For these reasons, the Royal Castle in Warsaw should be on your list of must-see sights in Europe. To appreciate the comprehensive conservation and reconstruction activities on an unprecedented scale in the world. To believe that you can rise from the debris and rebirth – just like the Old Town and the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

We recommend starting your tour with a free multimedia exhibition “From Destruction to Reconstruction” (in Polish: Zniszczenie i odbudowa Zamku), that was opened in 2018 in the Castle’s historic cellar (you will find it next to the cloakroom). The exhibition features the Castle’s history and presents the reconstruction process. Watching the Warsaw Castle on the photos and movies (with English subtitles) “before” and “after” will certainly move many visitors and will help to understand the significance of what you will see next touring the Castle.

Part of the Castle Tour – the Gallery of Paintings including two masterpieces by Rembrandt

The Gallery includes two Rembrandt’s paintings: Girl in a Picture Frame and A Scholar at his Writing Table
The paintings are part of a private collection made available to the castle and the public. The Gallery was rearranged in 2011 and is now available at the underground level
On the back of the showcases, you can also see very interesting, large-sized, X-ray images of the two paintings

Photo source: City of Warsaw

Opening hours of the Royal Castle in Warsaw

Monday: open only from May 1 until August 31 (10 am – 6 pm); closed from September 1 until April 30
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm
Friday: 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm
The Castle is CLOSED during the following holidays: New Year (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, International Workers’ Day (May 1), Corpus Christi, All Saints’ Day (November 1), Christmas Eve (December 24), Christmas (December 25), New Year’s Eve (December 31)
The Castle is OPEN during the following holidays: Easter Monday, Constitution Day (May 3), Pentecost, Polish Army Day/Assumption of Mary (August 15), Independence Day (November 11), the second day of Christmas (December 26)

Tickets to the Royal Castle in Warsaw

You may be asked at the ticket office what tour you select (there are also available tickets for other buildings/exhibitions, eg. the Tin-Roofed Palace or the Numismatic Cabinet). The main tour is called “The Castle Tour”, in Polish: Trasa Zamkowa
Regular ticket: 30 PLN
Reduced ticket: 20 PLN (students, visitors 65+)
Children up to 16: 1 PLN
Children up to 7: free entrance
Free entrance: every Wednesday
Free entrance to the Royal Gardens
Free entrance to the “From Destruction to Reconstruction” / “Zniszczenie i odbudowa” exhibition – to enter, you need to have a free ticket from the ticket office
The ticket office is located on the Castle’s ground floor, entrance from the courtyard
You can buy tickets online

Audio-guides at the Royal Castle in Warsaw

Languages: Polish, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
Regular fee: 18 PLN
Reduced fee: 13 PLN
Family fee / 4 visitors and more: 12 PLN per person

The Gardens of the Royal Castle in Warsaw

The Gardens are located at the back of the Castle. You can enter the lower garden from Wisłostrada Street / the Vistula Boulevard side. The upper garden is accessible directly through the Castle or you can enter it from Steinkeller Street or Grodzka Street
Opening hours May 2 – September 30: 10 am – 8 pm (in July and August the Castle is open additionally until 9.30 pm)
Opening hours October 1 – April 30: 10 am – 6 pm
The Gardens are open on public holidays, during which the castle exhibition is closed
During the winter season, only The Lower Garden is available
Free entrance
Click here to read why it’s worth visiting the Gardens of the Royal Castle in Warsaw

Photo source: City of Warsaw

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What to do in Warsaw: The Royal Castle in Warsaw

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