Poland Travelogue Warsaw Old Town

Warsaw's Old Town is the oldest area of Warsaw and the heart of the entire city. The Old Town has suffered damage several times due to wars, and during World War II, the entire Old Town was destroyed by the German army. After the war, the Warsaw government rebuilt the Old Town exactly as it was before. In 1980, Warsaw's Old Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding reconstruction work. Saxon Garden is the oldest park in Warsaw and one of the first public parks in the world. Around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the marble tablets are engraved with the years and names of all the wars that have occurred. Guards rotate every 24 hours to keep watch, and the flame never goes out, in memory of the soldiers who died in numerous wars throughout history. The Presidential Palace in Poland is where all the Polish presidents and their families have lived, and it is also the office of the Polish government. In front of the Presidential Palace stands a statue of Prince Józef Poniatowski, a Polish leader from the late 18th to the 19th century. St. Anne's Church has a neoclassical façade in milky white, and is also one of the oldest buildings in Warsaw. The Royal Castle was once the main place for the administration and life of the Polish royal family. In the 16th century, the Polish royal family moved from Krakow to Warsaw and lived here until the 18th century. The Sigismund Column standing in front of Castle Square was erected to commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. St. John's Cathedral is the most important Catholic church in the Old Town and one of the three main cathedrals in Warsaw. It is a brick Gothic building that was first built in 1370.