St. Anne’s Church, Warsaw

St. Anne's Church, Warsaw tickets: which one to buy

Saint Anne's Church stands at the start of Krakowskie Przedmiescie, the royal route in Warsaw, on Castle Square beside the Royal Castle and the Old Town, and entry to the church is free. Its bell tower, however, is ticketed and has a viewing terrace that gives one of the best views in Warsaw over Castle Square, the Old Town rooftops, the Vistula river and the Praga district across the water; it is especially popular at sunset.

Walking tours of Warsaw's Old Town and the royal route start or pass here, combining the church with the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column and the rebuilt Old Town Market Square. The church is often used by students, as it serves the university chaplaincy, and it is a popular place for weddings and concerts. Visiting pauses during services, which are frequent. Tram and bus stops on the royal route are a short walk from the church.

Visiting St. Anne's Church, Warsaw: what to see

The church was founded in the fifteenth century by Duchess Anna of Mazovia for the Bernardine friars, and it was rebuilt several times after wars and fires; the present building combines a Gothic presbytery with a neoclassical facade added in 1788, designed by Piotr Aigner, inspired by Palladio. The separate bell tower dates from the sixteenth century and was remodelled in the nineteenth. Unlike most of Warsaw, Saint Anne's survived the destruction of the city in the Second World War relatively intact, so its interior preserves original baroque decoration, including a rich rococo interior with illusionistic frescoes on the vault painted by Walenty Zebrowski, gilded altars and a carved pulpit.

In 2011 a landslide caused by the construction of a metro tunnel damaged the escarpment below the church, which was then stabilised. The church is also associated with the Polish student movement and the chaplaincy of the University. The church's organ is used for concerts, and the side chapels hold paintings and tombs of Warsaw families. A plaque commemorates the role of the church in Polish independence movements. The Bernardine monastery buildings next to the church now house university offices. The terrace in the bell tower is reached by about 150 steps.

St. Anne's Church, Warsaw opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, and the viewing terrace in the bell tower is open most days, with longer hours in summer and closing in bad weather. Sunset from the terrace is the most beautiful time, especially in summer when the sun sets late. Warsaw is busiest in summer and during the Christmas season, when Castle Square hosts a Christmas tree and market.

Winter is cold but atmospheric, with snow on the Old Town. The Royal Castle and the Old Town are right next door. Allow about twenty minutes for the church and another twenty for the terrace climb, and walk along the royal route or into the Old Town afterwards. The Royal Castle museum, a few steps away, displays the reconstructed state rooms and paintings by Canaletto of old Warsaw.