Zamek Królewski w Warszawie
Rebuilt residence of the kings and parliaments of the Commonwealth on Castle Square, with the Royal Apartments and a picture gallery.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The castle’s origins go back to a wooden-and-earth stronghold built on the Vistula escarpment when Warsaw was founded. From the end of the 14th century the seat of the Masovian dukes was turned into a masonry residence. From the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, under Sigismund III Vasa, it became the permanent residence of the court and the seat of the kings and parliaments of the Commonwealth. It was then given its main Baroque form, and under Stanisław August Poniatowski it was enriched artistically once again.
In the 19th century the building served the Russian administration, and in 1926–1939 it was the residence of the presidents of the Republic. In September 1939 the castle was badly damaged by German bombing, and in autumn 1944 the occupiers blew up what remained. For more than two decades after the war a ruin stood on the site.
The decision to rebuild was taken in 1971. The work was carried out mainly thanks to a public fundraising campaign, and the interiors were recreated from surviving fragments and from works of art that had been hidden or taken away during the war. The rebuilt castle opened to visitors in 1984, and in 1980, together with the Old Town, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Today visitors can tour the Royal Apartments with the Throne Room, the Parliamentary Halls, the Lanckoroński Gallery with paintings including works by Rembrandt, the Porcelain Gallery, and an exhibition on the destruction and reconstruction of the castle. The museum also includes the Pałac pod Blachą (Palace under the Tin Roof), the Kubicki Arcades and the Castle Gardens.
Highlights
- Royal Apartments with the Throne Room
- Parliamentary Halls, including the Senate Chamber
- Lanckoroński Gallery with paintings by Rembrandt
- Exhibition “Destruction and Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw”
- Pałac pod Blachą and the Castle Gardens
Permanent exhibitions
- Apartamenty Królewskie – The representative interiors of the castle, including the Throne Room, furnished after the model of former royal chambers.
- Galeria im. Lanckorońskich – Picture gallery from the collection given to the castle by Karolina Lanckorońska, with works by Rembrandt.
- Zniszczenie i odbudowa Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie – An exhibition on the castle’s fate after 1939, its destruction and its reconstruction after the war.
- Founded
- 1979
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 60 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 45 zł |
| Children & teens | 1 złfree up to age 6 · Children under 7 enter free with a pass from the ticket office. People aged 8–26 buy the special ticket for PLN 1 (citizens of the EU, Switzerland and EFTA states, with a document confirming their age). |
| Visitors with disabilities | freePeople with a disability certificate receive a free ticket only at the castle’s ticket office (not online or from a ticket machine). |
| Students & apprentices | 1 złSpecial ticket for PLN 1 for people aged 8–26 (on the Bilet Złoty from age 7), with citizenship of the EU, Switzerland or an EFTA state and a document confirming the date of birth. |
| Groups | –A group may have at most 30 people; guided groups of 10–30 people use the headset system. Booking through the form on the castle’s website (rezerwacja@zamek-krolewski.pl). |
| Royal Route (approx. 60 min), standard with audio guide | 60 złReduced with audio guide PLN 45. |
| Museum Route (approx. 90 min), standard with audio guide | 60 złReduced with audio guide PLN 45. |
| Castle Route (approx. 150 min), standard with audio guide | 95 złReduced with audio guide PLN 75. |
| Palace Route – Pałac pod Blachą (approx. 60 min), standard | 30 złReduced PLN 20; open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. |
| Bilet Złoty (all open exhibitions of the castle and of the Pałac pod Blachą), standard | 110 złReduced PLN 90. |
| Audio guide | 10 złThe family version for children aged 6–11 is also PLN 10. |
Free admission: Every Wednesday – free Wednesday Route (Royal Apartments from the Oval Gallery to the Hall of the Crown Horse Guards, the Lanckoroński Gallery and the Pałac pod Blachą). Free passes are collected at the ticket office on the day of the visit; the number is limited.
Prices are given for the main guided routes with audio guide. The special reduced ticket (without audio guide) costs PLN 1 for people aged 8–26. On Wednesdays visits are individual, without a guide and without booking.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
At the Gate of the Town (Brama Grodzka), next to three steps, there is a ramp – press the button and security staff will help. The castle’s lift serves levels -1 to 2, and in the Pałac pod Blachą levels -2 to 1. Accessible toilets are on levels 0 and -1. Disabled parking spaces are on ul. Podwale. Induction loops work at the ticket offices at the Brama Grodzka and at the Information Point. An online Polish Sign Language (PJM) interpreter is available at the ticket offices, the Information Point, the cloakroom and on the website; tactile graphics are prepared for blind visitors. Assistance dogs are allowed in all rooms of the castle.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
A family version of the audio guide is available for children aged 6–11. Children under 7 enter free, and the museum runs lessons for kindergartens and schools. In the Castle Gardens, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Plac Zamkowy
The nearest stops are “Plac Zamkowy” (Krakowskie Przedmieście) and “Stare Miasto” (al. Solidarności); timetables are on wtp.waw.pl.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The castle has no parking for visitors; spaces for people with disabilities are on ul. Podwale.
- Accessible parking
The castle lies in the historic centre. Parking rules on the streets are described on the website of the Municipal Roads Authority (Zarząd Dróg Miejskich, zdm.waw.pl).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Coat check
Shop and café on the castle grounds; the cloakroom is mandatory for large backpacks, bags and suitcases.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (PL, EN, DE, FR, IT, ES, RU, UK) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for non-commercial purposes are allowed, but without flash, additional lighting, tripods or selfie sticks. |
| Good to know | Approximate visiting times: Royal Route about 60 minutes, Museum Route about 90 minutes, Castle Route about 150 minutes, Palace Route about 60 minutes. Audio guides are issued until 16:30 (Castle Route until 16:00). Guided services are charged. Animals are not allowed in, except assistance dogs. |
Museums nearby
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Muzeum Zimnej Wojny w Warszawie
Muzeum Farmacji im. mgr farm. Antoniny Leśniewskiej
Muzeum Rzemiosł Artystycznych i Precyzyjnych im. Jerzego Januszkiewicza
Centrum Interpretacji Zabytku
