Royal Castle, Warsaw

This is the official residence of the former Kings of Poland.

The castle gained is current five-sided shape in the early 17th Century. It was plundered during the Swedish wars in mid century and was then rebuilt. During the Great Northern War the castle again suffered occupation and plundering by Swedish, German and Russian troops.

In the 18th century it was reconstructed and during the reign of the last Polish King Stanislaw August Poniatowski it was magnificently rebuilt and decorated in baroque-classical style.

Some work was done in the 19th Century and after Polish Independence in 1919 this gather pace. From 1926 the Royal Castle became the Polish President's residence. It was bunt down after German bombing in September 1939 and plundered by the Germans. After the Warsaw Uprising the castle was deliberately blown up by the Germans leaving only rubble.

After the War the Castle was painstakingly and beautifully restored along with the Old Town of Warsaw, and completed in 1974 structurally, with the work on the interior continuing to 1988.

In 1980 this beautiful recreation along with the Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.