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The Plac Zamkowy in Warsaw. By Nieszka

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Plac Zamkowy

Plac Zamkowy a square in the center of Warsaw located between the outlets of Krakowskie, Przedmiescie, Senatorska, Podwala, and Swietojanska Streets.

The eastern frontage of the square is the facade of the Royal Castle. The Royal route begins in Plac Zamkowy.

Plac Zamkowy is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish Monarchs – located in  Warsaw, Poland. It is a popular meeting place for tourists and locals.

The Square, of a somewhat triangular shape, features the landmark  Sigismund’s column to the southwest and is surrounded by historic townhouses. It marks the beginning of the bustling Roya route extending to the south.

Here are interesting facts about Plac Zamkowy;

1. Symbolic monument of King  Sigismund is situated here

The column commemorating King  Sigismund III   (a work by Clemente Molli, erected in 1644) is the oldest and one of the symbolic landmarks of the city and the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history.

On the east side of the square stands the  Royal castle reconstructed after the devastation of  World war II It was formerly the residence of the dukes of  Mazovia, and then of the Polish kings and grand dukes of Lithuania from the 16th to 18th centuries.

The Germans bombed and blew it up at the f World war II (September 1939), and then it was completely destroyed in 1944–1945.

2. Plac Zamkowy has witnessed many important events in Polish history

This square has witnessed many dramatic scenes in  Polish History. Patriotic demonstrations took place there during the period before the outbreak of the January uprising of 1863.

On 27 February 1861,  Russian bullets killed five people. On 8 April 1861 five rota of infantry and two troops of Russian cavalry (about 1,300 people) led by General Stepan Khrulyov carried out a bloody massacre of civilians, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people.

During martial Law, the square became the scene of a particularly brutal riot, with ZOMO police rushing through demonstrations on 3 May 1982.

3. Plac is a hub for tourists

Tourists and locals enjoy moment in Plac Zamkowy. By Maksym Kozlenko

The square is a hub for tourists and locals, who gather to watch street entertainers, participate in rallies, watch concerts and even engage in breakdancing.

In 1997, at Castle Square, US President Bill Clinton gave a speech welcoming Poland to membership in NATO.

Castle Square featured the United Buddy Bears exhibition in the summer of 2008 – an array of 140 two-meter-high sculptures, each designed by a different artist, touring the world as a symbol of cultural understanding, tolerance, and mutual trust. According to official information, more than 1.5 million visitors were counted.

4. The Plac entails  a column of King Zygmunt III Vasa

Monument to king Sigismund III of Poland. Warsaw, By Gerard Stańczak

In the square, there is a column of King Zygmunt III Vasa from 1644 (chisel by Clemente Molli ), next to it there is the Royal Castle rebuilt from war damage and numerous tenement houses. 

One of them houses the Wedding Palace. The square took its modern shape in 1821. In the years 1947-1949, a WZ route tunnel was built under the square, which was connected with Castle Square by an escalator.

5. One of the biggest highways runs underneath Plac Zamkowy

One of Warsaw’s biggest highways runs underneath Plac Zamkowy. Besides the castle, the rest of the square is surrounded by historic townhouses.

It’s a meeting point for locals and tourists alike, and it’s full of life. There are street musicians, horse carriages, churches, and restaurants all around. The main attraction here, though, is the Royal Castle.

Plac Zamkowy also marks the northern point of the Royal Route, which led from the castle southward to King Jan III Sobieski’s residence at Wilanów. Along that route, you’ll pass many must-see Warsaw sights.

6. Bell Tower of St. Anne’s Church in Plac Zamkowy

The view of Plac Zamkowy from St. Annes Tower. By A.Savin

These ancient colourful buildings that surround Plac Zamkowy are incredible and one of the top photography spots in the city.

However, if you wanted to take that iconic photo of Warsaw Old Town from above. You need to find a suitable terrace!

One of the best viewing platforms to visit is the Bell Tower of St Anne’s Church in Warsaw. This ancient steeple provides a spectacular panorama.

St Anne’s Church or Kosciol Swietej Annyis often overlooked by tourists visiting Warsaw. Mainly because the colorful Castle Square distracts people first.

7. A Horse-Drawn Carriage in the Old Town

You can hire a carriage to take you around Old Town in classic style. You can find the carriages in Old Town Square or Plac Zamkowy.

A romantic way to see the town with the right company. This offers free and cheap transportation around the Plac Zamkowy for tourists and as well the locals. It has been also taken as a recreational activity by tourists whenever they tour the area.

Despite the advancement of infrastructure, the horse-drawn carriage has remained in Plac Zamkowy.

8. Markets were held on this site from 1296

Plac Zamkowy was originally known as the Market Place (or the Shambles). Markets were held on this site from 1296 (the name Market Place still applies to the short street, now pedestrianized, between High Street and Angel Street).

A market cross was erected here in 1568 but was taken down in 1786. This is when the market moved into the new Fitzalan Market Hall that was built over part of the market square.

A monument to the poet Ebenezer Elliott was erected on the same site in 1854. It was moved to Weston Park in 1875, where it can still be seen. The Fitzalan Market Hall was demolished in 1930, ending nearly 700 years of market trading at this spot.

9. The Plac Zamkowy was built in a uniform style 

The buildings on the square were destroyed in 1939 and 1944. It was rebuilt from 1949–1958 in a uniform architectural style.

The square was built in the years 1818–1821 according to the design of  Jakub Kubicki as a result of the demolition of the farm buildings of the Royal Castle, the  Krakow Gate, and several tenement houses.

 It is located in the place of the former front courtyard of the Castle and the area at the Kraków Gate. This area was separated from the Czerski suburbs (currently ul. Krakowskie PrzedmieÅ›cie) and BernardyÅ„ski Square by a city wall.

Zamkowy buildings adjoined the wall from the side of the Royal Castle, and residential buildings from the side of the square.

10. The Royal Castle at the Plac Zamkowy 

The Royal Casytle, in Plac Zamkowy,Warsaw, Poland. By Simon Burchell

In the eastern part of the square, there is an important UNESCO site. the Royal Castle was reconstructed after the war – the residence of Masovian dukes and Polish kings.

It was blown up by the Germans in 1944, during World War II. In the years 1971-84, it was reconstructed, and then the Residence of the Kings of the First Republic was made available to tourists as a museum.

From the side of the Vistula River, there are vast and beautiful gardens of the Royal Castle. Shaped over many centuries, they have retained the elements characteristic of each epoch. Their reconstruction has been carried out since 1991.

The gardens are laid out on three levels: the highest is geometric from the Vasa dynasty, the middle one is located above the Kubicki Arcades – a hanging garden from the 19th century, and the third – is a geometric layout from the interwar period.