The Old Town (Stare Miasto) and adjoining New Town (Nowe Miasto) form Warsaw's historic centre, rebuilt brick by brick after wartime destruction. The coloured facades lining the market square and the narrow lanes around it are all 20th-century constructions, but the atmosphere is medieval and the achievement extraordinary. The Royal Castle, Warsaw Barbican, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Museum are all within the area.
The Old Town market square (Rynek Starego Miasta) is lined with restaurants and bars; touristy in summer, quieter in winter. The Mermaid Monument at the square's centre is the symbol of Warsaw. Beyond the Barbican to the north, the New Town is quieter and more residential — worth exploring for its churches and the view over the Vistula.