Since 1994, this neoclassical palace has been the Polish president’s official residence and is not open to the public. It's guarded by four stone lions and an equestrian statue of Prince Józef Poniatowski.
A version of the palace has stood on this site since 1643. Chopin is said to have given his first public performance here, aged eight, on 24 February 1818. The Warsaw Pact Treaty was signed here in 1955, creating the Cold War military alliance to rival NATO.