The eastern side of the Castle Square is occupied by the Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski), originally built in 14th century as a wooden structure and then rebuilt in brick. After the capital was mover do Warsaw, the castle became a seat of the king and the Sejm (Parliament) until the fall of the Republic in 1795. It later served for the tsars and in 1918 became the residence for the President of Poland. After the Warsaw Uprising the castle was blown up by the Nazis and completely destroyed. The present building, with its opulent 17th-century interiors, was reconstructed in 1971-84 from donations from Poles living all over the world. The Castle is not stunningly beautiful and can't rival Kraków's Wawel, nevertheless it makes a big tourist attraction. |
