The article deals with a controversial problem of placing regulations on the protection of cultural property in the g e neral legal system. After presenting major endangerings fa ced by architectural heritage in Poland and present protective regulations, the author discusses appropriate recommendations of international organizations such as UNESCO and the European Council as well as the gu ide - lines of systems of the protection of cultural property in some countries. Later in the text the author ponders on variants of possible legislative solutions in the Polish law. The most important legal instrument should still be the law on the protection of cultural property, although modified when compared to its present form. It should set out fundamental aims of the protection, basic definitions, main competent bodies and their tasks, participation of the society in monuments’ protection. It should also specify rights and responsibilities of disposers and owners. A more d e ta iled regulation of the protection of individual monuments of similar nature may find its reflection in separate laws (a r chives, libraries, museums). The protection of architectural heritage may be solved in different ways. The concepts to leave these problems within a general law system, to settle them either within the law on land development or within constructional law or to include into regulations on broadly conceived environment protection are regarded by the author as less beneficial. It has been accepted that the most proper solution is to draw a new legal instrument which would include a uniform regulation of protection, preservation, rehabilitation and use of complexes of historic structures. Such a document would settle down all basic problems and would expand and complement the law on land development and building. It should also touch upon financial matters and the participation of a social factor in the process of rehabilitation. Another variant of this concept is to regulate - on ą broad basis - the renewal and development of towns. Such a law would allow for a better coordination of protective activities and expansion.