Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

174 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp218–21 and pp222–5

Street-by-Street: The Old Town

The oldest district in Warsaw, the Old Town is, today,

one of the most attractive places in the city. Partially
sur rounded by medieval walls, it was almost completely
destroyed during World War II but reconstruc ted on a
scale unprece dented in Europe. The pride of the historic
Old Town is the Old Town Square (Rynek Starego
Miasta), surrounded by townhouses, also rebuilt after
World War II. Of great interest here are the Cathedral of
St John and the Royal Castle. On the square and in
nearby streets, especially Piwna, there are many restau-
rants and bars that are reputed to be the best in Warsaw.

. Cathedral of St John
After suffering damage
during World War II, the
cathedral was rebuilt in
the Gothic style 3

Jesuit Church, a Baroque-

Mannerist sanctuary of

Our Lady of Mercy,

the patron saint of

Warsaw, was rebuilt

after World War II.

. Royal Castle
This former royal residence, rebuilt
in the 1970s, is today the symbol of
Polish independence 2

The Palace Under the Tin Roof
Built in 1720, this palace was the
first in Warsaw to have a tin,
rather than tiled, roof.

Church of St Martin

This modern crucifix

incorporates a fragment of a

figure of Christ that was

burnt during the

1944 Warsaw

Uprising.

PIWNA

PIEKARSKA

ZAPIECEK

PLAC

ZAMKOWY

ŚWIĘ

TOJAŃSKA

Zygmunt’s Column is the

oldest secular monument

in Warsaw 1