Warsaw Uprising Square, Square in Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw Uprising Square is a broad public square in the centre of Warsaw, Poland. It is paved with grey asphalt and marked with white lane lines, and a raised traffic island with cobblestone edges and short black posts stands in the middle, with a tall metal pole carrying lamps and a blue sign with a white arrow.

The square was laid out between 1823 and 1826 on the site of former gardens and was first named after the Infant Jesus Hospital. Over the years it changed names several times, and in 1944 it was the scene of fighting during the Warsaw Uprising, after which it was renamed in honour of the insurgents in 1957.

The square is still often called by its old name, Napoleon Square, by locals, a habit that recalls its past. The large building of the National Bank of Poland, which Varsovians nicknamed "the coffin" for its shape, is a local landmark that shapes the square's identity.

The square is easy to reach on foot from nearby streets, and the open layout makes it simple to cross in any direction. Watch for traffic on the roadway, and use the marked crossings and the central island to move around safely.

During construction work for the metro ventilation shaft in 2012, workers found a 600 mm shell from a Karl-Gerät mortar, the same type that hit the Prudential building in 1944. The shell was safely removed, but it serves as a reminder of the heavy fighting that once took place here.