"A Thrilling & Busy Warsaw..." Warsaw by coceng

Warsaw Travel Guide: 3,291 reviews and 6,768 photos

OLSZTYN<<<<<WARSAW>>>>>PULAWY

POLANDMonday 20th May 2002Warsaw is a great capital. The humongous Culture Palace stood erect in the middle of the city. Arrived at 10.30 pm & my Warsaw dude, Andrej waited for me right on the platform. He wanted to make sure he got me, he said.
Took me home & Andrej said Warsaw was a city to be careful with. His flat is so cozy but the first of its kind with 2 doors to enter. One has several lock systems it looks like a bank to enter ! Is this typical Warsaw or maybe Andrej wanted to make a 'safe' of himself ?
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Warsaw

...(Polish: Warszawa, pronounce as: Varshava) has been the capital of Poland since 1596, when King Sigismund III moved the capital from Krakow. The population of Warsaw as of 1999 was 1,618,468. The city is also the capital of Masovian Voivodship and is located in the east-central part of the country.

Although founded late in Polish history (at the beginning of the 14th century), centrally located Warsaw has been Poland's capital on and off since 1611. Long a cultural and industrial centre, Warsaw was one of central Europe's most beautiful and sophisticated cities until it scooped the prize for worst-ravaged in WW II.

Warsaw is essentially a postwar product in both appearance and spirit. Its handful of historic oases have been meticulously reconstructed, but most of the urban landscape is modern. This new face of Warsaw is impressive for the resolve with which it emerged, if not for its Stalinist edifices and uninspired prefab concrete suburbs.

The city is divided by the Vistula River into two very different parts. The western, left-bank sector includes the city centre proper and the Old Town to the north.

Almost all attractions, as well as the lion's share of tourist facilities, are on this side of the river. The right-bank part of Warsaw, the suburb of Praga, has no major sights and hardly ever sees tourists.

The Old Town was rebuilt from the foundations up because after the war it was nothing but a heap of rubble. The monumental reconstruction, which took place between 1949 and 1963, aimed at restoring the appearance of the town in its best times, the 17th and 18th centuries.

Every authentic architectural fragment found among the ruins was incorporated in the restoration. In 1945, the Old Town Square was just the walls of two houses sticking out of the rubble, today it is a harmonious blend of Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic elements. It's alive and atmospheric, doesn't feel contrived, and is replete with open-air cafés and art stalls.

The Historical Museum of Warsaw occupies the entire northern side of the square and screens a startling documentary about the destruction and reconstruction of the city, as well as displaying its charmingly presented collections from Warsaw's earlier history.

Warsaw's main north-south boulevard is the Royal Way, running from the Royal Castle to Lazienki Palace, the royal summer residence. This is one of Europe's grandest stretches of road, with churches, palaces, galleries and museums lining the route. Halfway down, point your nose east, quash your aesthetic sensibilities and bustle towards the drab and repellent exterior of the National Museum to enter a treasure house of art from ancient to contemporary, the highlight being an impressive collection of frescoes from an early Christian cathedral in Pharos, Sudan, dating from between the 8th and 12th centuries. There's also an amazing display of Coptic crosses.

A MUST SEE...

On February 27, 1861 a crowd in Warsaw protesting Russian rule over Poland was fired upon by Russian troops killing five protesters.
Warsaw is notable among Europe's capital cities not for its size, its age, or its beauty but for its indestructibility. It is a phoenix that has risen repeatedly from the ashes of war. Having suffered fearful damage during the Swedish and Prussian occupation of 1655-56, it was again assaulted in 1794, when the Russian army massacred the population of the right-bank suburb of Praga. In 1943 Jews amassed by Germans in Warsaw ghetto fought back in the Warsaw ghetto uprising. On August 1, 1944, the general population started the Warsaw uprising; after it had failed, the city was razed by Adolf Hitler's order; the left-bank suburbs, controlled by the Germans, were emptied of their remaining population and the buildings were systematically reduced to rubble by fire and dynamite. In 1945, however, the people of Warsaw, the Varsovians, returned, and the city resumed its role as the capital of Poland and the country's centre of social, political,economic, scientific, and cultural life. Many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches have been restored exactly according to their original forms. The Historic Centre of Warsaw was entered in 1980 onto the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The History....

Warsaw offers a wide variety of ethnic cuisines and you can eat and drink late into the night. There's an extensive and swiftly growing array of restaurants all over the Old Town serving traditional Polish and international food. Student clubs along the southern portion of Royal Way offer a variety of cultural activities, including recitals, poetry, cinema, theatre, and rock, folk and jazz concerts, but weekend nights are usually reserved for discos.

Cheap places to stay are scattered throughout the city, sometimes a long way from the centre, and usually lacking in style and atmosphere. There are a couple of good hostels near the university though, and private rooms are available through agencies (ask at the information centre opposite the Royal Castle). There is a small camping ground near the central bus terminal.

As Poland's capital, Warsaw is a busy terminus for flights, trains and buses, both domestic and international. The main train station is centrally located, the bus station is just west of the city centre, and the airport is on the southern outskirts of the city, about 10km from the centre.

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Last visit to Warsaw: May 2002
Intro Updated Apr 6, 2004
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Go Up The Palace Of Culture & Science... - Warsaw

Go Up The Palace Of Culture & Science... Favorites (4)

....there was an exhibition of The History of Polish Football, during the time when I was up there.... more travel advice

Impressive... Favorites (4)

...me, standing (posing..) infront of the Palace of Culture & Science... more travel advice

Bizzare... Favorites (4)

....hhhmmm, looking at the car coming down from the tall building....or is the car just hanging there...? more travel advice

Waiting for my head to be.... Favorites (4)

...chopped off !!!!... .....then, they asked for money ( I was not dead of course..). They said the value of my life... more travel advice

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Comments (3)

mignonne Apr 11, 2004 at 9:31 AM Report Abuse

You really have great pictures! And excellent content as well! :) I can see that you enjoyed your stay in Polska!
Pawtuxet Jan 14, 2004 at 1:36 PM Report Abuse

Glad you enjoyed Warsaw and Poland overall. Hope to see you in my pages, or in Old Town Square!! :-)
whitecliff62 May 27, 2003 at 12:44 PM Report Abuse

Fantastic pages, i can see a lot of hard work has gone into making them, all the best to you Cliff"".