Wilanów Palace
Poles are rightfully proud of this baroque-era palace built to honor King Jan Sobieski. Although it's not as grand as some other sites in the country, it also isn't a reconstructed building, and that counts for a lot in a city so ravaged in World War II. The 45-hectare (111-acre) property sports a palace with no fewer than 60 rooms, most stuffed with royal memorabilia and portraits of Polish monarchs and heavyweights. Some rooms, like the Etruscan Room, display oddities such as vases dating from the 4th century B.C. The palace can be seen only with a guided tour. Take the hourly Polish tour if you're not particularly interested in all the details of all the portraits; otherwise, gets the audio guide (10 z) or book an English tour (80 z) in advance. It's best to visit in good weather so that you can also explore the park, which comprises a neo-Renaissance rose garden, a split-level baroque garden, an English landscaped park, a Chinese-English park, and a lake. Note: In summer, the Sunday free tickets to the palace are all snapped up as early as 1pm.
Poles are rightfully proud of this baroque-era palace built to honor King Jan Sobieski. Although it's not as grand as some other sites in the country, it also isn't a reconstructed building, and that counts for a lot in a city so ravaged in World War II. The 45-hectare (111-acre) property sports a palace with no fewer than 60 rooms, most stuffed with royal memorabilia and portraits of Polish monarchs and heavyweights. Some rooms, like the Etruscan Room, display oddities such as vases dating from the 4th century B.C. The palace can be seen only with a guided tour. Take the hourly Polish tour if you're not particularly interested in all the details of all the portraits; otherwise, gets the audio guide (10 z) or book an English tour (80 z) in advance. It's best to visit in good weather so that you can also explore the park, which comprises a neo-Renaissance rose garden, a split-level baroque garden, an English landscaped park, a Chinese-English park, and a lake. Note: In summer, the Sunday free tickets to the palace are all snapped up as early as 1pm.
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