Krakowskie Przedmieście

Warsaw's most elegant avenue, Krakowskie Przedmieście forms the first and grandest stretch of the historic Royal Route that once linked the Royal Castle with the summer palace at Wilanów. Broad, tree-lined and rich in monuments, it is among the most beautiful streets in the city.

The street began as a medieval road leading out toward Kraków, from which it takes its name, meaning the Kraków suburb. As Warsaw flourished, aristocrats, religious orders and the crown built palaces, churches and mansions along it, giving it an air of stately grandeur. Landmarks crowd its length: the Presidential Palace, the Church of the Holy Cross with its famous urn holding the heart of Chopin, the baroque St. Anne's Church with a tower offering city views, and the main campus of the University of Warsaw behind its ornamental gate.

Statues punctuate the promenade, including monuments to the astronomer Copernicus, the poet Adam Mickiewicz and a cardinal, along with the column marking the route. Like much of central Warsaw, the street was heavily damaged in the war and lovingly rebuilt, and in recent years it was repaved and pedestrian-friendly zones widened, so that cafe terraces and benches now encourage lingering.

Running from Castle Square down toward Nowy Świat, the avenue is a natural continuation of a walk through the Old Town, easily explored on foot and free to enjoy. It carries the constant life of a university and government district, with students, officials and visitors mingling among the historic facades. For its concentration of palaces, churches and monuments, and its role as the ceremonial spine of the capital, Krakowskie Przedmieście offers one of the finest urban walks in Poland.