"Warszawa, Mazowsze" Warsaw by DrewV

Warsaw Travel Guide: 2,968 reviews and 7,170 photos

Warszawa, Mazowsze - Warsaw

<font face=verdana>Most of the descriptions on this page are excerpts from my upcoming book, provisionally titled <i>Don't Cross the Ocean</i>. So many of y'all have told me I needed to write a book that I actaully took your advice. I'm not sure if I can get it published, but we'll see. Here's a sneak preview:

<p align=center><b><font face=verdana size=+1 color=darkolivegreen>Warsaw -- the New Europe personified</b></font></p>

I found the Warsovians by and large to be very welcoming and hospitable hosts. Poland has a great tradition of welcoming people to their extremely flat and indefensible plain. Let's see, you had the Teutonic Knights, the Tatars, the Kievans, the Magyars, the Prussians, the Russians, the Swedes, the Turks, the Austrians, the Prussians again, the Russians again, the Germans, the Germans again, and the Soviets (and maybe one or two others I've forgotten). And now the tourists. But freedom and the painful transition to capitalism and integration with the West have not dulled the spirit of the Poles at all, at least not in Warsaw.

It's quite remarkable to walk around the Old Town district of Warsaw. The district and the adjoining New Town are beautiful examples of 16th and 17th century architecture, with colorful townhouses and churches overlooking narrow streets and graceful squares. More remarkable is the fact that 55 years ago, this area was a heap of rubble. In August 1944, the Poles of Warsaw decided to rebel against their Nazi conquerors. After 250,000 Poles had been killed, the Uprising ended with the complete and utter destruction of the city street by street by the vindictive Nazi army. What wasn't destroyed in the fighting was dynamited under Hitler's direct orders. 95% of the Old and New Towns and 85% of the entire city was obliterated. Three months later, the Red Army marched into ruined Warsaw to proclaim the "liberation" of Warsaw. It took 45 years for Poland to leave the Soviet sphere.

Immediately after the war, the Warsovians began to rebuild their city. The Old and New Towns were meticulously rebuilt stone by stone with as many of the original materials as possible, while the rest of the city was rebuilt in (ever so attractive) 1950's Communist architecture. Those of you who have not experienced the joy of 1950's communist architecture should imagine large featureless apartment buildings made of prefabricated blocks. The blocks often did not fit exactly into place, causing severe drafts and heat loss. Most of the cities we visited in Eastern Europe had these towering monoliths, especially outside the historic city centers.

Nowadays, with the entrance of free-market capitalism, modern steel-and-glass skyscrapers have taken their place on the Warsaw skyline. Some of these new buildings would not be out of place in American cities. The strange fit of the historic, the modern, and the strangely anachronistic Communist buildings lends an air of eclecticism to the city. But walking around the historic Old Town, relatively untouched by modernity, gives the traveler just cause to admire the spirit of the Poles. Invasion after invasion after invasion and still the Poles survive and even thrive. To quote Chumbawumba,<b> "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."</b></font>

  • Last visit to Warsaw: Jul 2000
  • Intro Written Sep 11, 2002
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (7)

The area around the train... - Warsaw The area around the train... Warnings and Dangers (1)

The area around the train station and the horrifically ugly Palace of Culture and Science (a gift from Stalin to the... more travel advice

Warsaw Things to Do (3)

The Palace is quite nice, with beautiful Senate chambers complete with maps of 18th century Poland, surrounded by its... more travel advice

Visit the Royal Palace - Warsaw Visit the Royal Palace Things to Do (3)

Visit the Royal Palace The Royal Palace was the seat of Polish government for centuries, even under Russian occupation... more travel advice

Warsaw Favorites (2)

While wandering, we visited the impressive Warsaw Uprising Memorial, a moving tribute to the everyday Poles who fought... more travel advice

Comments (15)

DrewV's Related Pages

Warsaw Travel Guide

 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
DrewV's Profile Photo

DrewV

Online Now

Top 5,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 1 8 3 8

Badges & Stats in Warsaw

  • 7 Reviews
  • 19 Photos
  • 0 Forum posts
  • 17 Comments
  • 2,649PageViews
  • See All Stats
  • See All Badges (6)

Have you been to Warsaw?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Warsaw

Photos in Warsaw

See All Photos (19)

Top 10 Pages

See All Travel Pages (75)

Friends

See All Friends (24)

Latest Warsaw hotel reviews

Le Royal Meridien Bristol
470 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 14, 2013
Marriott Warsaw
533 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 14, 2013
Sofitel Victoria
364 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Gromada Warszawa
78 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Hotel Jan III Sobieski
76 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013
Intercontinental Warszawa
650 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Polonia Palace
542 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013
Novotel Waszawa Centrum
393 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013
The Westin Warsaw
468 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Radisson Blu Centrum Warsaw
294 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 15, 2013
Sheraton Warsaw Hotel
344 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 17, 2013
Le Regina
391 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 16, 2013
Holiday Inn
223 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 13, 2013
Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw International Airport
193 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 18, 2013
Start Felix Hotel
36 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 23, 2013