Warsaw, the largest city in Poland and the capital of both the country and the Mazovian Voivodeship.
Warsaw is an important scientific, political, economic, and cultural centre. There are the seat of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Parliament (Sejm), the Senate, the Council of Ministers, and the National Bank of Poland. In addition, there also is the Frontex agency, which is responsible for the security of the EU’s external borders, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), an OSCE agency.
Warsaw’s buildings were destroyed many times during the wars, especially during World War II. After many years of persistent help from people all over the country, the city was rebuilt and in 1980 the historic centre of Warsaw, the Old Town, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In today’s and subsequent articles about Warsaw, we will discuss the most important and most interesting monuments and facts about the capital of Poland.
The Royal Castle and the Castle Square
The Royal Castle was one of the main residences of the Mazovian princes. Despite the destruction, the rich decoration of the rooms, and numerous works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt (A Scholar at the Lectern and The Girl in the Hat) have been preserved. In front of the castle, at Castle Square, there is a Sigismund’s Column erected in 1644, which initially turned out to be a scandal as it was the first secular monument in the city. On the southern side, there is a Baroque palace called the Copper Roof Palace. Every day at 11:15 AM the bugle call is played from the clock tower. The hour is a reminder that the hands of the clock have stopped. This situation took place during the bombing of 7 Sep 1939.
Additional information about the Royal Castle you can find HERE
Warsaw also boasts the longest street in Poland. This street is 14.6 km long and is called Wał Miedzeszyński.