At the corner of Marszałkowska Street and Aleje Jerozolimskie, on the edge of the busy Rondo Dmowskiego, stands a granite block that most people rush past: Warsaw's distance stone (Kamień odległości), sometimes listed as the Obelisk Drogowskaz, the signpost obelisk. Its plaques give the distances from the centre of Warsaw to Polish cities and to European capitals. It was unveiled in 1955, the year the Palace of Culture and Science opened right behind it.
The distance stone at a glance
- Where: at the corner of Marszałkowska Street and Aleje Jerozolimskie, by Rondo Romana Dmowskiego, with the Palace of Culture and Science behind it.
- Created: unveiled in 1955, while the vast parade square in front of the Palace of Culture was being laid out.
- What it is today: a stone marker with plaques listing distances from central Warsaw, and one of the city's best-known meeting points.
- Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes, longer if you set out to find your own home city on the plaques.
A signpost for a rebuilt city centre
By the end of the Second World War, the area around this crossroads lay in ruins, like most of central Warsaw. In the 1950s the city centre was rebuilt on a new, monumental scale. The Palace of Culture and Science, a gift from the Soviet Union, rose on the west side of Marszałkowska Street, and a huge open space, Plac Defilad (Parade Square), was cleared in front of it for state ceremonies and parades. The distance stone was unveiled here in 1955, as part of that project, to mark the new centre of the capital.
Around 1970 the photographer Edward Hartwig made it the foreground of one of his best-known Warsaw pictures, with the round PKO bank pavilion, the Rotunda, standing behind it at the crossroads. The photograph is now in the collection of the Museum of Warsaw. The city around the stone has changed completely since then: glass towers, a metro line and new roads now surround it, while the stone itself is still in its old place.
What to look for
- The plaques: look for the list of Polish cities on one side and the separate plaque of European capitals. Try to find London, Paris or your own capital and see how far you are from home.
- The material: the marker is a solid block of polished granite, built to last in one of the busiest spots in the city.
- The view behind it: from the stone you get a classic view of the Palace of Culture and Science, the tallest building in Poland for decades after it was finished.
- The Rotunda: the round PKO bank pavilion on the corner of the crossroads, rebuilt in recent years, which also appears behind the stone in Hartwig's photograph.
Is this Warsaw's kilometre zero?
The stone is often described as Warsaw's kilometre zero, the point from which distances to other cities are measured. Treat that as a popular description rather than a rule: road signs in Poland follow their own system, and the stone was set up as a symbolic marker of the new city centre. Either way, the numbers on its plaques show how the 1950s capital saw its place on the map of Europe.
Tips for your visit
- The corner is very busy: stand back from the kerb, and use the pedestrian crossings or underpasses around the roundabout rather than cutting across the traffic.
- Come early in the morning or on a Sunday if you want a photo of the stone without crowds around it.
- For the best photograph, frame the stone in the foreground with the Palace of Culture rising behind it.
- Combine the stone with a visit to the viewing terrace of the Palace of Culture, a few minutes' walk away.
Nearby
- Palace of Culture and Science: the 1950s skyscraper that dominates the skyline, with a viewing terrace, theatres and museums inside.
- The Rotunda: the round bank pavilion on the corner of the crossroads, a landmark of post-war Warsaw.
- Marszałkowska Residential District (MDM): the 1950s socialist-realist housing south along Marszałkowska, with its grand arcades and Plac Konstytucji.
- Nowy Świat: follow Aleje Jerozolimskie east to reach the elegant street that leads north along the Royal Route towards the Old Town.
See Warsaw with World City Trail
Our Warsaw scavenger hunt turns the city into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 47 minutes of walking. The distance stone, listed in the game as the Obelisk Drogowskaz, is the final stop: the route ends here, after the Saxon Garden. Other stops include the Royal Castle, the Old Town Market Square, the Barbican and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Warsaw.
Play the Warsaw scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Warsaw →
Play the outdoor escape game in Warsaw →
Facts checked in October 2026.