Sightseeing | The Royal Route
The Royal Route Holiday lights line the Royal Route on ul. Nowy Świat. | Photo by Ewelina Lach.
Warsaw’s famed ‘Royal Route’ links the city’s three Royal residences, starting from the Royal Castle (p.25) on Plac Zamkowy, via Łazienki Park’s Palace on the Island (p.36), en route to Wilanów Palace (p.38) in the district of the same name. Officially covering 11km in length, this main artery through the city takes in a great many of Warsaw’s historical buildings, parks and monuments along the way, making a trip down at least part of the ‘path of the kings’ - be it on foot, by bike, or motorised scooter - a fine opportunity to see the heart and soul of the capital.
WALKING TOUR In lieu of the full 11km traverse, this walking tour picks up at the end of the Old Town Walking Tour (p.24) on Plac Zamkowy and guides you gently down Warsaw’s two main high streets - ul. Krakowskie Przedmiejście and ul. Nowy Świat - to the ironic/iconic Palm Tree fittingly at the intersection of Al. Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Street). An easy 2km, along the way or very nearby you’ll find many wonderful restaurants, cafes, bars and shops, so use the rest of our guide to plan your pit stops. In the ‘Further On’ section at the end of the tour (p.34) you’ll find info on how to continue on the Royal Route to Łazienki and Wilanów (while resting your feet), should you choose to. 30
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St. Anne’s Church
St Anne’s survived WWII with only a collapsed roof, but what the Nazis failed to destroy was nearly demolished in 1949 when the careless construction of the Trasa W-Z tunnel nearby led to several landslides and huge cracks in the floor of the church, which very nearly crashed to the ground. It took a team of 400 people two weeks of tireless work to stabilise the building and shore up the foundations. Not the first time St Anne’s had survived vicious conflict to find disaster around the corner, it escaped destruction during the war with Sweden (1650-1655) only to be gutted by fire two years later, apparently the victim of an arson attack. The classicist façade dates from 1788 and is the design of the royal architect Piotr Aigner. The interior holds even more classicist and rococo details. The viewing tower is one of the best in Warsaw and worth the 147step climb. One other point of interest concerns a simple wooden cross you will see inside. These two planks of wood became the focus of a battle that threatened to divide the country in the summer of 2010. To learn more about the Presidential Cross, head online: iyp.me/71061.QG‑4, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 68, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 826 89 91, www.swanna. waw.pl. Open 09:00-15:00; Sun 10:00-19:00.
