Warsaw

Places of Interest - Poland

introduction

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and also the largest city in the country. The city is located in the historical part of Poland on the Wisła, with the center on the left bank of the river and the Prague district on the right. The capital of Poland has a long history and has actually risen from its ashes although you wouldn’t guess walking through the old city and looking at the Royal Palace.

This town you see nowadays is not nearly 40 years standing. The UNESCO World Heritage List Center of Warchau has been totally rebuilt after it had virtually disappeared from the face of the earth in WWII. First the German bombs in 1939 fell, then the Jewish uprising four years later and finally the Polish uprising in 1944 caused severe damage.

Parts of this very dark but interesting history can still be felt partly in for example the resurrection museum but also part of the old ghetto wall and the many monuments.

highlights

Old town:

The heart of the old town of Stare Miasto is the Rynek Starego Miasta, the old market square, surrounded by many colorful merchant houses, which were meticulously rebuilt between 1949 and 1963 under the guidance of a Russian architect. Other streets and part of the old walls (with the Barbakan bastion) were also restored.

On the edge of the old town is the “fort-square” (Plac Zamkowy) with the Royal Palace, dating from the 17th century and the memorial dedicated to King Sigismund III Wasa. The castle was blown up when the Nazis left during WW2, but like many buildings in Warchau it has been rebuilt down to the smallest detail. The Royal Route starts at this square, consisting of the important boulevards Krakowskie Przedmiescie and Nowy Świat, which eventually lead to the former Wilanów royal estates.

Along the route is also the oldest and most beautiful city park in Warsaw, Łazienki Park. If you want to see what has been rebuilt and renovated after WWII you can take a look at the "Historical Museum of Warchau".

Former Jewish ghetto:

Before the Nazis invaded Poland, the Jewish community flourished in the city districts Mirow and Muranow in the capital. The ghetto was totally destroyed in 1943 after the Jewish rose up and today the districts are characterized by cheap communist Soviet workers' flats and houses.

You can still find some very interesting "memories" though. One is the infamous Pawiak Prison Museum where tens of thousands of prisoners were murdered during WWII and as many were sent to the gas chambers. You can also show your respect at the Umschlagplatz monument where thousands of Jews were taken by train to the Treblinka extermination camp.

Finally you can admire a piece of real "ghetto" wall in Ul Prozna. In addition, the Resurrection Museum (see below at museums) is located here next to countless other monuments.

North of the old town is the Nowe Miasto (new city) with buildings from the 17th century while west of the old town after the Second World War a new center arose. This area is characterized by high, modernist buildings and wide Streets.

Other attractions:

Lazienki park (house of the king) and historical museum of Warsaw.

History

Warsaw is not one of the oldest cities in Poland, but it is still a fairly old city that emerged from a fort on the river "Weichsel" (now Wisla).

According to a legend, the name Warszawa comes from two lovers, the fisherman Wars and the girl Sawa, who would have founded the city. The first date when Warchau was mentioned is from 1241; in 1350 a first wall was built. Initially it was the capital of the principality of Mazovia, but in 1596 the Polish king moved his residence from Kraków to the more central situated town of Warsaw.

For the city a terrible big change as the Polish nobility suddenly settled in the city. In the years 1655 to 1660, Warchau was conquered by the Swedes and plundered. During the Polish divisions (1795-1918), Warsaw was first part of Prussia and later of the Russian Empire, some buildings still remind of that period. In the 18th century when Poland declined rapidly, the capital came back to life and flourished. After Napoleon used Poland to invade Russia and lost, the country was annexed to Russia and ceased to exist - it became a satellite state of Russia and was ruled by the Tsar who crowned himself King of Poland.

There was a lot of pressure but this situation remained till WWI. During the Polish-Russian War (1919-1921) the Red Army was brought to a halt at the gates of Warsaw and forced to retreat duet o the Polish army (with the help of French advisers). This went down in history as the "Wonder of the Vistula" because the rest of Europe would be protected from Bolshevism. The state of Poland was restored and Warchau grew to 1.3 million people in 1939, including 380,000 Jews. In the First World War the city was occupied by German troops, but again became the capital of an independent Poland in 1918.

World War 2

In 1939 another German invasion followed and Warchau was bombed and after that the city surrendered. The large Jewish population of some 300,000 people was driven to death. That did not happen without any difficulty, in 1943 a rebellion arose in the ghetto, which was bloody precipitated. In 1944, the Polish population revolted against the German while the Russian liberators, who were on the east bank of the Weichsel, waited and didn’t help. The Russian troops were ordered to stay out of it. Stalin didn’t want to do deal with the Polish nationalists and democrats. In the battle that followed, the city, especially the old part, was largely destroyed and some 200,000 people were killed.

After the last uprising, all remaining inhabitants were driven out of the city. The population declined from 1.3 million in 1939 to 420,000 in September 1945. However, in the post-war period the old center (Stare Miasto) was rebuilt in the old style and the city is now on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. The painstaking restoration went down in history as the "Wonder of Warsaw". After the fall of communism in 1989, Warsaw underwent an enormous transformation. From a gray, dreary Eastern-block city, with barely any nightlife or shops, the city changed into the vibrant and dynamic city it is today.

Rapidly modern skyscrapers, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and shopping centers were opened at a rapid pace. The somewhat dilapidated old center was refurbished, Warsaw changed (together with Berlin) into the largest construction site in Central Europe.

Warsaw-Warchau-Square-Renovated-Buildings-Houses-Poland-Horse-and-wagen

tips & advice (2009)

There are two (main) bus stations in Warchau where you (probably) end up to go to (tourist) places. Bus terminal Warszawa Zachodnia is located west of the city and provides the most international bus traffic as well as national bus connections to the south, north and west of the capital. Warszawa stadium to the east of the city provides most of the east part of the country (national and international).

In addition to the bus stations, Warchau also has several train stations. The one most used for travelers is the "Warszawa Centralna train station".

Warchau - Bialowieza: first you have to take a train to the city Siedlce - from there you can take a train to the city Hanowka and from there you can travel to Bialowieza. Take the time (one day) because you have to wait hours for your connection.

Name: Warsaw Rising museum (museum Powstania Warszwaskiego)

Address: Ul Przyokopowe 28

Price: 5 Zlt (audio guide = 5 Zlt extra)

Website: www.1944.pl

Content:

If there is a museum in Warchau that you should visit, if you are interested in the history of the city then it is this. Situated in a red brick building that served as an energy house, the struggle against the Nazis is shown in different ways on 3 floors. Interactive displays, photos, film archives, personal stories and a real "Liberator" flight machine are all exhibited in this perfect but also very busy and popular museum.

If you go to the uprising museum, do not do it in the weekend or in the middle of the day. Whole school classes do this too and it would be a shame if you miss half because it is too busy. A park is located around the museum where a memorial wall has been built.

Name: Hotel Kanonia

Address: Ul Jezuicka 2

Price: 50 Zlt (dormitory)

Phone nr. : 022 635 0676

Website: www.kanonia.pl

Content:

This hostel is perfectly situated in the old town but still on a quiet part of the city. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The rooms are not too big and you have to watch out that you do not fall through the bed because there are not enough "slats" under your mattress. Toilet and shower are in the hallway.

Downstairs is a bar and a small kitchen and common room. There is internet, WIFI and you can rent bikes. Do not know if you can find a nicer, cozy, cheaper hostel in Warchau in such a prime location.