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10 Ul. Kanonia

Once the site of the oldest cemetery in Warsaw, Kanonia Street takes the shape of a small square, at the centre of which is a cracked Cathedral bell dating back to 1646. Cast by artisan Daniel Tym (who also made the statue of King Sigismund III atop the famed column), the bell never actually rang at St. John’s Cathedral next to it, but it has developed its own legend: touch the top of the bell while walking its circumference and your wish will come true.

Across from the bell is one of the world’s most narrow houses at number 20/22. Only 2m across, it was designed to evade property taxes, which in the 18th century (when it was built) were calculated based on the width of the facade facing the main street. Also note the covered walkway nearby, which links the Cathedral to the Royal Castle and was built after a failed assassination attempt on Sigismund III. The attacker, who succeeded in striking the King twice with a pickaxe before being overpowered, was subsequently dealt with using the most medieval means imaginable: stretched by four horses, he was quartered with an axe; his body was then burned, and the ashes fired from a musket so as to disperse them in the air. This was all done in public, of course, at the city’s execution place, a few blocks away at the end of ul. Piekaska.QG-4.

11 St. John the Baptist Cathedral

Originally built in the 14th century, St John’s is steeped in history. The last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned and buried here, and in 1791 he also declared the May 3rd Constitution inside the building. The crypt holds the bodies of Henryk Sienkiewicz (writer), Gabriel Narutowicz (Poland’s 1st president) and various Mazovian knights. As with most major landmarks, it was left in a heap of ruins during the Warsaw Uprising, before being rebuilt in pseudogothic style. On the external wall by the main entrance are fragments of a Borgward IV - a remote-controlled demolition vehicle used by the German army. It’s possible to visit the crypts Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00 and Sun 15:00-17:00 at a cost of 5/3zł (closed during mass). QF/G-4, ul. Świętojańska 8, www.katedra.mkw.pl. Open 06:00-20:00; Sun 07:00-22:00.

Choose Your Adventure!

Circling back to Plac Zamkowy you can either carry on down the Royal Route (turn the page), or circle round the back of the Royal Castle for a walk through the free gardens and down along the riverbank towards Powiśle (p.44).