Warsaw, Poland.
UNESCO world heritage Old Town.
UNESCO world heritage Old Town.
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
Warsaw, or Warszawa as it is referred to locally is an interesting and pretty city. There is a mix of architecture, some European, Gothic, Neo Gothic and some more Eastern inspired as well as the more functional Communist style apartment blocks. This is because Warsaw is a mix of European and Russian styles and culture. The Eastern European culture is very visible in the culture seen with many Theatres, Operas, museums and a huge Palace of Culture in the city centre, There are statues and memorials to Chopin everywhere. There is also a western European feel to the place in the cafe's and restaurants. It was occupied by the Russians and Germans in the past.
The Old Town pictured above is the prettiest part of the city, but this was badly damaged in World War Two and has largely been rebuilt. If you want to see the area of Warsaw that was hardly damaged in the war and still has the original buildings, then take a walk or bus across the bridge from the Old Town to Praga. Praga is a poorer district of Warsaw and we were warned to be careful there, but we are glad we visited that area with a tour guide.
Warsaw, or Warszawa as it is referred to locally is an interesting and pretty city. There is a mix of architecture, some European, Gothic, Neo Gothic and some more Eastern inspired as well as the more functional Communist style apartment blocks. This is because Warsaw is a mix of European and Russian styles and culture. The Eastern European culture is very visible in the culture seen with many Theatres, Operas, museums and a huge Palace of Culture in the city centre, There are statues and memorials to Chopin everywhere. There is also a western European feel to the place in the cafe's and restaurants. It was occupied by the Russians and Germans in the past.
The Old Town pictured above is the prettiest part of the city, but this was badly damaged in World War Two and has largely been rebuilt. If you want to see the area of Warsaw that was hardly damaged in the war and still has the original buildings, then take a walk or bus across the bridge from the Old Town to Praga. Praga is a poorer district of Warsaw and we were warned to be careful there, but we are glad we visited that area with a tour guide.
The Weather
Warsaw can be very cold in the winter, but is warm in the summer, an average of 24c in the summer months of July and August. We have just returned from Warsaw in October where it was a chilly 7C. It can snow heavily in the winter, so be prepared if you travel there in the winter. |
Where to stay
Most of the larger hotels are in the Financial centre (CENTRUM). We stayed at the Intercontinental, which was nice and in a great location overlooking the Palace of Culture and surrounded by shops and restaurants. I would recommend one in the vicinity of the Intercontinental. However this hotel is in the Old Town and looked very nice if you want something in the older part of town: Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw
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Warsaw has undergone a dramatic transformation in my life time. As a teenager with a Polish penfriend, I remember hearing stories of shops with nothing but bread and water for sale. There was very little choice for the consumer in those days. But now pictured above is one of the latest shopping centres in Warsaw, just a few yards away from our hotel with all the favourite US and UK high street brands and designer brands available at prices similar to the U.K.
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We loved this park, we walked there from our hotel in about 30 minutes. We enjoyed a stroll through here, which was spectacular in late October with the myriad of colours of the autumn leaves falling all around us. To the left and below are photos I took there.
2) Old Town Warsaw This is a must see part of the city!! Pictured to the left. Just take a stroll or a free walking tour of this part of the city. Relax with a coffee in the summer at one of the numerous cafe's. 3) Palace of Culture In the city centre (Financial District or Centrum), just opposite the Intercontinental Hotel is the Palace of Culture, pictured to the left. It is a magnificent building that houses theatres, a tourist information centre and much more. Even if you don't go inside you can just admire it's majestic presence in the city. It is easy to see from most parts of the city and certainly guided us back to our hotel a few times! 4) Royal Castle This sits majestically on the banks of the river Vistula, which separates Warsaw from Praga. To the left is a photo I took from the bridge. We didn't go inside, but if you click on the link it will tell you more about this Castle/Palace. 5) Warsaw Uprising Museum A great place for the history buffs amongst you to explore on a wet day. 6) Copernicus Science Centre 7) Warsaw University Library |
Famous residents
Chopin and Marie Curie are the most famous residents of Warsaw and there are many monuments to them both around the city, such as these below that I spotted!
Another claim to fame for Warsaw is the more recent filming of The Pianist here in this street below, dubbed 'The most dangerous street in Warsaw'. It is across the bridge in Praga. i wouldn't recommend going there at night.
Places to see from Warsaw
3) Pultusk, A pretty little town about 70km North of Warsaw
4) Krakow, The former capital of Poland. This is a beautiful city about a 2 hr 20 min drive from Warsaw.
5) Tatra Mountains, a 5 hour beautiful train ride take you to the Tatra Mountains, the hghest mountain range in Poland and well worth a few days here.
4) Krakow, The former capital of Poland. This is a beautiful city about a 2 hr 20 min drive from Warsaw.
5) Tatra Mountains, a 5 hour beautiful train ride take you to the Tatra Mountains, the hghest mountain range in Poland and well worth a few days here.
FOOD
Warsaw has a huge choice of cafes and restaurants to choose from, but the local specialities tend to be different cuts of Meat, cabbage, sausages, pureed tomatoes. Vegetarians are well catered for as well here.
A lovely little everyday restaurant we really enjoyed, which was mainly Italian, but great value and good quality was
Aioli Restaurant, just a short walk from our hotel. I would recommend this place, especially for youngsters! There were some nice restaurants and cafes in the Intercontinental as well. Other popular restaurants are listed below.
-Oto!Sushi, Japanese
- Komu Komu, Asian Fusion
- Czarne Czerwone Zlote, Steakhouse
- Stara Kamienica, Polish
- Reforma Urban, European
- Diverso Ristorante, Italian
- Selavi, Seafood
- Batumi na Ursynowie, Georgian Restaurant.
A lovely little everyday restaurant we really enjoyed, which was mainly Italian, but great value and good quality was
Aioli Restaurant, just a short walk from our hotel. I would recommend this place, especially for youngsters! There were some nice restaurants and cafes in the Intercontinental as well. Other popular restaurants are listed below.
-Oto!Sushi, Japanese
- Komu Komu, Asian Fusion
- Czarne Czerwone Zlote, Steakhouse
- Stara Kamienica, Polish
- Reforma Urban, European
- Diverso Ristorante, Italian
- Selavi, Seafood
- Batumi na Ursynowie, Georgian Restaurant.
CRIME
Warsaw is a safe city, with violent crime rare. As with any city crimes such as theft and pick pockets are present though. Praga Polnic has the worst reputation for crime in Warsaw, but we did go there in the day time and it didn't feel dangerous, compared to other cities we have visited. It is the part of the city that was spared from world war two bombing, so retains many old buildings and has some street art etc.