National Museum in Warsaw

What makes it special

The Faras Gallery holds more than 60 wall paintings from the cathedral at Faras, on the Nile in today's Sudan, dated from the eighth to the fourteenth century. They are tempera on plaster, lifted from the cathedral walls by a Polish team before the Aswan High Dam reservoir flooded the site.

Look for Saint Anne, a fragment from the northern aisle, and the slight tilt of her head that is easy to walk past.

Matejko's Battle of Grunwald is the museum's largest painting, and its composition is so dense that, standing in front of it, you may feel the whole canvas is about to fall on you. Some critics found it crowded and chaotic, so stand back and judge it for yourself.

Step close to Simmler's Death of Barbara Radziwiłł. The only sign of royal splendour is the ermine-lined bedspread, while the censer on the floor and the closed prayer book on the chair mark the end of her life.

Elsewhere, a newer gallery sets around 1,800 objects in date order, and separate cabinets hold miniatures, photographs and pastels by Stanisław Wyspiański.

Visiting

Your coat, large bag, umbrella and any food go to the cloakroom or a coin-operated locker before you enter the galleries. Staff may also check you and your bag at the door.

On a Tuesday the permanent galleries are free, and you walk straight to the entrance with nothing to collect. On other days buy at the ticket office or online; a temporary exhibition ticket covers the permanent galleries too.

For the audio guide, bring your own phone and headphones, as no headsets are handed out. Start in the Faras Gallery while you are fresh, then move on to the Matejko and Simmler canvases.

Guided or on your own

Guided tours in English take 80 minutes through the permanent galleries and include the chance of a group photo in front of the Battle of Grunwald. Book with the museum at least two weeks ahead. Each person also needs an entry ticket on top of the guide fee.

Tips

Flash, extra lights and tripods are not allowed in the galleries, so plan to shoot by the light that is there.

If one visit is not enough, buy the combined ticket with the Museum of Sculpture and the Museum of Interiors. It stays valid for thirty days from purchase, so you can split the galleries across your stay.