Sightseeing | The Royal Route
The Royal Route Turn your back on the Old Town and head into the heart of the city…
Warsaw’s famed ‘Royal Route’ links the city’s three Royal residences, starting from the Royal Castle (p.26) on Plac Zamkowy, via Łazienki Park’s Palace on the Island (p.43), en route to Wilanów Palace (p.44) 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 Przedmieście and ul. Nowy Świat - to the ironic/iconic Palm Tree fittingly at the intersection of Al. Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Street). An easy 2km/20mins on foot, 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 ‘Choose Your Adventure’ box at the end of the tour (p.35), you’ll find info on how to continue on the Royal Route to Łazienki and Wilanów (while resting your feet) should you choose to, or advice on how to veer off towards other interests. 30
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St. Anne’s Church & Tower
St. Anne’s survived the war with a few token scratches and a collapsed roof, but what the Nazis failed to destroy was very nearly demolished in 1949 when the thoughtless construction of the nearby Trasa W-Z tunnel led to landslides and huge cracks in the floor of the church, which very nearly crashed to the ground. It took 400 people two weeks to stabilise the foundations. Intriguingly, this wasn’t 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 arson. The classicist façade dates from 1788 and the interior holds even more classicist and rococo details.
The viewing tower is one of the best in Warsaw and worth the 147-step climb. One other point of interest concerns a simple wooden cross out front. These two planks of wood became the focus of a battle that threatened to divide the country in the summer of 2010. To learn the story, see our
