Krakowskie Przedmiescie

Krakowskie Przedmiescie is the first stretch of the Royal Route, the road that ran from the royal castle south towards Krakow, and it carries most of the buildings that Warsaw uses to represent itself: the Presidential Palace with its stone lions, the Church of the Holy Cross where Chopin's heart is kept in a pillar, the Carmelite and Visitationist churches, the university's main gate, the Bristol and Europejski hotels, the Copernicus monument. Almost all of it is reconstruction - the street was systematically wrecked and the city rebuilt it in the 1940s and 1950s using Bellotto's eighteenth-century paintings and pre-war photographs and surveys, which is why the facades are consistent in a way real centuries of building rarely are. It was repaved and largely pedestrianised in 2008. Walking it south, it becomes Nowy Swiat and then leads to Lazienki.

History

The street began in the 15th century as a trade route and is the first part of the Royal Route, which links the Royal Castle with Wilanów; from the 17th century palaces and manor houses rose along it as Warsaw became the capital. In the 18th century Bernardo Bellotto painted its buildings in close detail for King Stanisław August Poniatowski, and his paintings later helped the city rebuild it accurately; hotels such as the Bristol were added in the 20th century (Wikipedia, Krakowskie Przedmieście).

What to look for

• The Presidential Palace - stone lions, at the centre of the street.
• The Church of the Holy Cross - Chopin's heart in a pillar of the nave.
• The university gate - and the Copernicus monument opposite it.
• A rebuilt facade line - reconstructed from Bellotto's paintings and pre-war surveys.

When to go

April to October. Half a day walking.

Good to know

Almost everything is post-war reconstruction, faithful but not original fabric. The street is busy and the cafes on it are priced accordingly. State ceremonies close sections at short notice.

Nearby

Castle Square and the Old Town are at the north end; Nowy Swiat continues south.

Key facts