Huge interest in visiting the Saxon Palace cellars. Longer visiting hours and higher capacity limit

The construction site has been fenced off in August 2022, when the area for the future Saxon Palace was established. In mid-September of last year, ground works were started in order to remove the sand that had been used to fill the cellars 14 years ago, during the previous attempt to rebuild the palace. At the time, the works were discontinued because the budget funds had been earmarked for other investments.

Educational tours through the uncovered cellars of the Saxon Palace have been organized since July this year. "Since we have launched the tours on July 15, we have had a total of 2,600 individual visitors, and 750 - in group tours," the spokesperson of the Pałac Saski company, Sławomir Kuliński, told tvnwarszawa.pl.

The interest in individual tours has been so huge, the weekend opening hours have been extended to 6 p.m. and Wednesday has been added as another visiting day. "We have also increased the limit of person that can be in the cellars at one time. Now, one group can consist of 40 persons, instead of 25 like it was originally. This is the maximum. We can't increase this limit any more due to logistical capacity of the guides," Kuliński explained.

According to the timetable, the last visiting day has been scheduled for September 28. "This year we still have to install roofs above some of the cellars. They will be hidden from sight during that time. But that will help us to build pathways that will allow people to stand above them (the cellars - edit.)" - the spokesperson added.

Kuliński also stressed that next spring, the educational path will not only be longer, but also more interesting. "Next year, we want to also open to visitors the Brühl Palace annexes, which we are currently examining."

There are also plans to construct a viewing platform. The inspiration has been drawn from Berlin, where a 4-meters-tall viewing platform of this type was established during renovation of one of the palaces. "Next year, we want to create a platform on Piłsudski Square, from which it will be possible to watch work in progess," Kuliński announced.

The Saxon Palace in Warsaw had survived nearly 300 years until 1944 when it was blown up by the German forces occupying the city. Only a fragment of the front collonade was left standing, a place at which the remains of the Unknown Soldier had been buried on November 1, 1925. After the war, the monument was rebuilt in the form of a permanent ruin.

This year, in October, the results of the architectural competition for the best concept for the Saxon Palace reconstruction. The Pałac Saski company is the organizer of the competition, while the Association of Polish Architects (SARP) is the direct operator. The investment is to cost more than 2 billion zlotys, which sparks controversy within the society.

The Saxon and Brühl palaces, and the nearby tenement houses are to be open to the public in 2030.