More a palace than a castle, this building is the pride of Warsaw, reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incredible cost between 1971 and 1984. Much of the furniture was donated by now deceased commie buddies such as the GDR and USSR, and much of the money for rebuilding came from generous donations from exiled Poles. Dating back from the 14th century, the castle has been the residence of Polish kings, then of the president and then the seat of parliament. The prescribed tour will take you through the Kings' apartments and chambers, heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments. Maps on the wall reflect Poland's greatest days, when it stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The apartments of Jozef Poniatowski have recently been opened to the public, though unfortunately none of the accompany descriptions are in English. The rooms are still a worthwhile part of the tour, if for no other reason than to see the Prince’s surprisingly cerulean bedroom and grand collection of paintings. Some of the halls are reputed to be intermittently haunted by a ‘white lady.’ According to legend her appearance signals imminent disaster. The nearby chapel boasts an urn containing the heart of Polish hero and freedom fighter, Tadeusz Koścuiszko. Next on the tour, the Houses of Parliament. Last but not least, the opulent Great Assembly Hall has so much gold stuck to the walls, it's hard to resist the temptation to scratch some off - just a bit, they wouldn't notice. Behave or get accosted by vigilant wardens and enjoy the views across the river to the Praga district instead.

Admission 22/15zł, family ticket 14zł per person. Sun free. Poniatowski apartments 14/7zl, family ticket 6zl per person. Sun free.