The main branch of the Wrocław City Museum, housed inside the renovated Baroque Royal Palace, is Wrocław's most essential museum. Purchased by Frederick the Great of Prussia in 1750, the palace was converted to become the royal residence of the Prussian Hohenzolern kings - a function which it served from the 17th to 20th century. Badly damaged during WWII, only half of the structure survived and now houses three free permanent exhibitions: '1000 Years of Wrocław', tracing the complex history of the Lower Silesian capital from the Middle Ages to the modern day through its art and artefacts; the meticulously recreated royal apartments; and the unique Beyersdorf Room, decorated entirely in Dutch tiles from the 17th century. It takes the better part of a day to see it all, but there's a nice cafe when you need a break, and make sure you don't miss the regal Baroque gardens behind the palace.