The meticulously reconstructed medieval heart — the colourful Market Square, the Royal Castle, the city walls and cobbled lanes, all rebuilt from rubble after the war and now a UNESCO site. Atmospheric and central, if touristy and pricier; the classic base for a first visit, walkable to the Royal Route and the river, and beautiful when lit at night.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€130–230
typical per night in Poland
You pay for the postcode
One of the pricier addresses in Warsaw.
Where it sits
The circle is Old Town & New Town and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- POLIN Museum16 min walk1.3 km
- Copernicus Science Centre17 min walk1.4 km
- The Vistula riverbank19 min walk1.6 km
- Praga district20 min walk1.7 km
- Warsaw nightlife24 min walk2.0 km
- Palace of Culture & Science24 min walk2.0 km
- Warsaw Uprising Museum9 min taxi2.9 km
- Łazienki Park13 min taxi4.2 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.The Old Town — One of the most remarkable reconstructions in history — the entire medieval old town, flattened to rubble in the war, was painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick from old paintings and photographs, and is now a UNESCO site. Wander the colourful Market Square with its mermaid statue, the city walls and the barbican, and marvel at what was resurrected. Poignant, beautiful and the emotional heart of Warsaw.
- 4.The Royal Castle — The former royal residence on Castle Square, another triumph of reconstruction — its opulent state rooms, restored to their 18th-century glory with paintings by Canaletto's nephew (whose views helped rebuild the city itself), gleam with gilt and marble. A beautiful window into royal Poland and the story of the city's rebirth; the square outside, with its Sigismund's Column, is the gateway to the old town.
- 5.The Royal Route — The grand historic avenue running south from the old town, lined with churches, palaces, the presidential palace and the university — including the church holding Chopin's heart. A lovely walk through the elegant heart of old Warsaw, dotted with benches that play Chopin at the touch of a button; it leads eventually to the Łazienki park and the royal Wilanów palace beyond.
- 7.Pierogi & Polish food — Polish food is hearty, comforting and gloriously cheap — above all the pierogi, plump dumplings stuffed with everything from potato and cheese to meat or berries, plus żurek sour-rye soup, bigos hunter's stew, and kotlet schabowy cutlets. Eat at a nostalgic 'milk bar' (bar mleczny) for a bargain feast, and wash it down with a shot of flavoured vodka. Warming, filling and quintessentially Polish.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Old Town & New Town; flights via Google Flights.