The Old Town was lovingly rebuilt by the people of Warsaw, from the rubble left by the Nazis in 1944, after their return in 1947. The work took 10 years and authentically recreated the look and feel of the old town.
The Old Town dates back to around 1300 and the first documented account of the city walls is dated 1339, although the oldest surviving part of the wall is the imposing Barbican on ul Podwale which only dates back to the 15th century. Also mentioned in the 1339 document is the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, now St John’s Cathedral this 14th century Gothic building has an uninspiring crypt, home to the Moravian Dukes can, that be viewed for 1 zloty.
The main approach to the Old Town is up the Krakowskie Przedmieocie where, after passing through the gap in the city wall, you will find yourself in Plac Zamkowy. The Plac is dominated by the 1644 King Sigismund III’s Column honoring the 16th century monarch who moved the country’s capital to Warsaw in 1596, and on the eastern side is his Royal Castle, reconstructed 1971-81, that is home to a museum.
The highlight of the Old Town is the Rynek Starego Miasta (Old Town Market Square), centered on the 1855 Old Town Mermaid Monument the square consists of a collection of market stalls, open air cafes and buskers surrounded by some of the city’s most impressively restored buildings. The effect is somewhat marred by the giant advertising billboard that hangs on the front of the Historical Museum on the northeast side of the square.
The delicate reconstruction work of the Polish artisans was honored in 1980 when the old town was included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites and is an essential stop off on any visit to Poland.