The Castle Square in the historical center of Warsaw is the most convenient place from where you can start excursions around the Old Town of Warsaw. The square has a triangular shape. On one side the Royal Palace rises above it, on the other side there are beautiful Baroque houses. In the center of the square there is a Column of King Sigismund III.
The southern side of the Castle Square used to be protected by a fortress wall with the Krakow Gate. One of the busiest streets of the city passed along the Castle Square, as there was a bridge over the Wisla nearby.
During the reconstruction of the city after the WWII, the architects decided to build the tunnel with intensive traffic underground. After that, the Castle Square acquired a beautiful Baroque look. To the south of the square there is a beautiful pedestrian zone called the Krakow Suburb. On this side, an Observation Tower rises above the square, and next to it the Academic Cathedral of St. Anna is located.
The Royal Palace in the classical style is located on the eastern side of the Castle Square. Previously, a small Gothic palace of the princes of the Mazovian Principality was located on this site. Construction of the new palace began in 1598, after King Sigismund III moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw in 1596.
In 1644, Sigismund III`s son, King Vladislav IV, installed Sigismund III`s Column on the Castle Square in honor of his father. The height of the column reaches 22 meters. It is put in honor of the king, under whom Poland reached its highest heyday. In the 17th century, the column stood near the fortress gate, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the fortress wall was demolished. Now the column of Sigismund III stands in the center of the Castle Square.
