The Royal Castle in Warsaw

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is an absolute must-visit for anyone interested in Polish history and architecture. Standing proudly at the entrance of the Old Town, this beautifully reconstructed palace tells a powerful story of resilience. Completely destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt with incredible precision, funded by donations from Polish citizens. The restoration is so detailed that you feel like you are stepping into an authentic 17th-century royal residence. Inside, the rooms are lavishly decorated with rich tapestries, grand chandeliers, and stunning paintings, including works by Rembrandt and Canaletto. The Throne Room, Marble Room, and Great Assembly Hall are particularly breathtaking. Walking through these halls, you can easily imagine the grandeur of royal ceremonies that once took place here. One of the highlights is the “From Destruction to Reconstruction” exhibition, which shows how the Castle was meticulously rebuilt from ruins — a deeply emotional experience. The surrounding Royal Gardens offer peaceful views over the Vistula River and are perfect for a quiet stroll after the visit. A great tip is that entry is free every Wednesday, so if you’re planning your visit, try to take advantage of that. However, be prepared for possible crowds on free days. The only downside is that the ticketing and entry process can be a bit chaotic, and some staff members seemed less helpful to tourists who don’t speak Polish. Despite that, the experience is unforgettable. The Royal Castle is not just a museum — it’s a symbol of Poland’s spirit.

The royal castle is absolutely gorgeous, and includes a fantastic audio tour giving detailed information on everything you'll see, from the decorations and artworks to history and heritage. The elaborately decorated palace is well preserved, especially the wooden floors are spectacular to behold. There is so much history within these walls, it's definitely a highlight of any trip to Warsaw.

The tour is impressive, to say the least. We really enjoyed our visit here, it’s a good introduction in the polish history and it is very understandable and quite well compelled, even for a foreigner. The only (minor) downside is there are probably too many details about the architectural features 😁

The Royal Castle Museum in Warsaw is an absolute must-see, not just for visitors to the city but for anyone interested in Poland’s history and identity. It was here that the last King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, sought to modernise the country. His reign brought lasting reforms such as the Commission of National Education and his central role in drafting the Constitution of 3 May 1791 – the first modern constitution in Europe and the second in the world after the U.S. Constitution of 1787. The Senators’ Chamber (Sala Senatorska), where this landmark act was adopted, remains one of the most moving rooms to visit, steeped in the spirit of reform and courage. The castle also bears witness to Poland’s darkest hours. The dramatic protest of Tadeusz Rejtan against the Partition Sejm, later immortalised by Jan Matejko, symbolises resistance to betrayal by magnates such as Adam Poniński (shown with Russian bribe money at his feet), Szczęsny Potocki, Franciszek Ksawery Branicki, and Seweryn Rzewuski. Matejko’s great canvases displayed here vividly portray both the passion of the reformers and the despair at Poland’s fall, partitioned by Russia, Prussia, and Austria and erased from the map for 123 years until 1918. Beyond politics, the Royal Castle is also a treasury of art. Among its highlights are the magnificent cityscapes of Canaletto (Bernardo Bellotto), painted with almost photographic accuracy thanks to the use of a camera obscura. These 18th-century views of Warsaw turned out to be invaluable after the devastation of the Second World War, when they became the blueprints for the city’s meticulous reconstruction. The collection also includes masterpieces by European painters such as Rembrandt – though unfortunately, the signage and guidance towards these works were not very clear, and we missed them on our visit. While the museum itself is magnificent, the customer service and staff guidance could be improved. Clearer directions, more attentive advice, and better signposting would ensure that visitors don’t overlook key treasures like Rembrandt’s paintings. Overall, the Royal Castle is a living chronicle of Poland’s resilience, combining political history, national tragedy, and artistic splendour. It is a place where history, art, and identity converge, and despite some shortcomings in visitor support, it remains one of Warsaw’s most important and unforgettable landmarks.

A good castle, well worth the money to go and visit. Has a detailed audio guide which gives you more history in the art pieces in the room than the standard info stand does. I believe it has a lift for anyone with access needs to get to some of the floors

There are 3 permanent exhibits. I visited the King's Apartments. Very very beautiful space. Paid about 10 euros with the student discount and it was very worth it. Impressive parquet art. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was decorated beautifully. There were many original furniture pieces and many paintings (portraits and landscapes). Most rooms were quiet but some rooms were a little crowded with people. Went on a Friday at noon. I do not believe you need to purchase a ticket in advance.

The ticket price was on the higher side, but the overall experience was absolutely worth it. The organization was excellent. Each visitor received an audio guide with multiple language options, we chose English. At first, navigating the rooms using the guide was a bit confusing, but after some trial and error, it all started to make sense. The rooms were stunning, with elegant decoration and incredible attention to detail. The information provided was thorough and engaging. Overall, this was one of the most impressive and well-curated palaces I’ve visited.

It was a complete accident that I visited this palace on a Wednesday—when entry happened to be free of charge! I was in Warsaw for just one day, and I got really lucky. The palace is absolutely stunning — beautiful and so well maintained. If you're ever in Warsaw, even for just a day, you should definitely visit this place!

Pure coincidence, but I came on a Wednesday which is a free day, nice! The original castle, and most of Warsaw was completely destroyed in World War 2, but it was built back as closely as possible to the original design. The castle still looks old, but it definitely seems newer than other castles you may have visited in the past. You'll walk on a guided path through several opulent and beautifully decorated rooms filled with incredible art. The castle exterior is rather bland, but don't a judge a book by its cover? Maybe its more of 4 Star if you had to pay the 50PLN/$12.50 regular ticket fee, but that low cost shouldn't deter you from visiting this lovely castle. Plus you've already spent $1000s to get to Poland right?

This palace is on a different level!! OMGoodness. Must. Go. See. It's a self guided audio tour. As you enter each room you enter a number on the audio device they give you and it describes what you're looking at. It took about 90 minutes to go through the museum. The rooms are just incredible. So much detail everywhere; paintings, sculptures, decor.

The royal castle of Warsaw is pretty neat. In general I love castles, palaces, museums and all things that embody histories of a place. So, yes I paid a visit to the castle while being in Warsaw. The admission fee is 20 zl. It's located in the castle square of old town Warsaw. A bit of a history behind it: It served as house to monarchs throughout history. Also, administrative offices for the royal court. It was completely destroyed in WW2. Its pretty neat that they were able to build it back. It was reconstructed with the royal library remnants, the copper roof is the original one as well as the Kubicki Arcades. My favorites from my visit: - The marble room was totally neat in my opinion with the certain colors, columns, materials used and awesome paintings/sculptures. Art throughout the castle- The two paintings by Rembrandt are brilliant. The Girl in the Picture Frame reminded me of my best friend Kainath. I literally looked at this painting for about 5 minutes. Then looked at the scholar in his writing table painting. Then went back to look at the girl painting one more time. Overall, a great castle to visit and enjoy. ~

Royal palace in old town - must see! The audio recordings are very descriptive and interesting however the rooms are not in order (look for the # in each room). Exterior is very plain and doesn't resemble a palace. Interiors however are fabulous! The rooms are intact with original furnishings and lots of art. Highly recommend!

The Royal Castle does not look as gilded as the other castles throughout Europe. In fact, as I was searching for this castle, I passed by it TWICE because I mistook it for an ordinary building! They have guard ladies throughout the castle watching your every move. Don't do something wrong or else you will be scolded! There is SO much to see at the Royal Castle. I will admit, since there is so much to see, I ran through most of it because it seemed redundant. The castle was destroyed during WWII, just as the rest of Warsaw was. They have remnants of the old castle intertwined with the newly constructed building, which I found fascinating.

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is definitely a must visit as a tourist in Warsaw. It was the official residence of the Polish monarchs and now contains a national museum. Regarding said museum, try to get there in the morning since they seem to close randomly in the afternoon despite information on opening times signs at the castle or information online saying it will be open... The castle was beautifully lit up at Christmas time with snow flakes and there was a lovely tree outside of it.

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is located in the Castle Square at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. The Royal Castle was the residence of the Polish Monarch. It has long violent history which was attack by the armies of Swedish, German, and Russian. After WWII it was rebuilt to become a national monument and listed as national museum. Unfortunately due to time factor we didn't visit the museum inside but nothing stopping you.