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The Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) is as good a place as anywhere to start off on a tour of the delights of historic Warsaw.
As you might have guessed from the name there's a castle here; Warsaw's Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski) has stood on this site for over 600 years. Actually that's not entirely accurate. By 1944 at the end of the Warsaw uprising, in common with the rest of Warsaw's Old Town you'd have seen nothing here but a pile of rubble; blowing the castle wasn't enough for the Nazis, they even went as far as mining and dynamiting the foundations to make sure that the castle was totally obliterated. Bastards. And that was how things remained until the 1970s when rebuilding (funded mostly by private contributions) began. By the early 1980s Warsaw Castle was standing again, looking pretty much as it had for the past few hundred years. The restoration was done as accurately and authentically as possible, incorporating any original fragments that had survived, and so it's pretty much impossible to tell that the building you're looking it is actually a reconstruction that's less than 20 years old. The castle doesn't really look that much like a castle at all, or at least how we expect castles to look like in England. There's no moat, or battlements for a start. In fact it'd be more accurate to describe it as a palace. The building itself is an attractive Gothic pile, painted a vivid pink, with a graceful clock tower and smaller turrets at each corner. Inside there are over 300 rooms, many with authentic period furniture and decoration (some of the contents of the original castle were evacuated to Canada before the Nazi invasion in 1939, museums donated other bits and pieces, as did the Governments of then fellow communist states).
Also in the Castle Square the Zygmunt's Column (Kolumna Zygmunta), a memorial to King Sigismund III Vasa. The 20 metre high column was erected in 1644 but was unsurprisingly knocked down during the war. It was rebuilt afterwards, but the statue of the King on top of it is the 17th century original that came through the war unscathed. To sum up, not as tall as Nelson's Column, but quite a bit older.
Running initially northwest from the Castle Square is a long section of the Old Town's defensive walls; they're a modern reconstruction but they look pretty impressive; the brick walls are thick and studded with defensive towers, and there's a path running along the top of it so you can take a stroll along them. The moat has also been rebuilt, but has been left as a dry ditch rather than been flooded, and you can walk around that as well (which might have been difficult if they had filled it with water...)
From the Castle Square Warsaw's Old Town extends for roughly 250 metres to the northwest. By 1945 there was barely anything left standing here, the whole Old Town was basically nothing more than a field of rubble (the Nazis didn't only want to get at the resistance fighters who were hiding out in the Old Town, they wanted to annihilate anything in Warsaw that had any sort of historical significance). Seeing photos of how this area looked at the end of the war puts the job done by the restorers into perspective. Not only did they rebuild the Old Town as closely as possible to it's pre-war appearance, they managed to do it in a way that the buildings don't just look like modern replicas, they genuinely look and feel like they've been standing here for hundreds of years. It's an amazing achievement, and part of the reason why Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The two main roads of the Old Town are Piwna and Swietojanska, both of which run northwest from the Castle Square. Just about every building in the Old Town is worth looking it; houses and shops are often brightly painted and patterned, and there's plenty of decoration like statues, or elaborate shop signs. The most important building on Piwna is St Martin's Church (Kosciol sw Marcina). In common with many of Warsaw's churches it has a small display of what the building looked like by the end of the war.
Swietojanska has a couple more churches. If you're going from Castle Square the first one you'll come across is St John's Cathedral (Katedra sw Jana), reputedly the oldest church in Warsaw, dating from the 14th century, although it only became a Cathedral at the end of the 18th century. Considering the amount of damage it took in WWII there's almost nothing of the original building left. Outside it's all towering red brick (strangely they decided not to rebuild the Cathedral to it's pre-war appearance but instead adopted an idealised Gothic appearance for the facade). Inside the Cathedral is uncluttered, almost austere (most of Warsaw's rebuilt churches are like this; although many were originally lavishly decorated nearly all of this decoration was destroyed in the war and was impossible to recreate); the walls and ceiling are plain white, with brick vaulting. Some original tombs and effigies that came through the war in various states of disrepair are on display, and there's the odd icon, painting or memorial dotted around inside too. The crypt includes tombs of medieval dukes, 19th century statesmen, and 20th century Cardinals.
Next door to the Cathedral is the tallest church in the Old Town, the baroque Jesuit Church (Kosciol Jezuitow), originally built in the 17th century. Keep heading up Swietojanska and you'll come out in the heart and highlight of the Old Town, the Rynek Starego Miasta (Old Town Square).
Warsaw's Old Town Square is considerably smaller and more intimate than similar squares in other major Polish cities but it's none the less impressive for that. It's also the place that best demonstrates the skill of the post-war restorers. The buildings surrounding the square look exactly as they would have done in the 16th or 17th century; no two are exactly alike, and all are painted different, bright colours, and contain a wealth of differing architectural and decorative detail. But, when you put them all together, it somehow works and the buildings blend together nicely.
A Town Hall used to stand in the middle of the square but this was pulled down in the early 19th century (so nothing to do with the Germans for once). The outside of the square is now filled by tables that spill out from the numerous restaurants and cafes that are on the square, and stalls selling paintings and other artistic tat. In the centre of the square are a couple of hand-pump operated wells (the water that comes out is from a natural source deep beneath the city and is, apparently, perfectly drinkable. It didn't appear to do the Scotsman any harm at any case)
and a strange little statue of Syrena, the Warsaw Mermaid, the historic symbol of the city. The statue sits on top of a fountain that water occasionally sloshes out from to make a little pool; at night this fountain is also lit up with changing colours.
Three buildings along the north-western edge of the square have been knocked together to create the Historical Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Historyczne Warszawy, closed on Mondays, entry 5zl). The exhibits are over 4 floors, the bottom floor starts out with Warsaw's pre-16th century history and as you work your way upwards you go forward in time until the top floor details Warsaw during World War 2. Most exhibits are labelled only in Polish, but it doesn't take too much imagination to work out what things are. Exhibits include paintings, furniture, weapons, historical books and documents and photographs. Most interesting are a huge and very detailed scale model of 17th century Warsaw, and a series of photographs on the ground floor showing the reconstruction of the Old Town Square. Be warned that there is the occasional low ceiling and doorway, and that the floorboards are very creaky! All in all a very interesting museum, and one that will keep you occupied for an entire afternoon.
From the Old Town Square you could take Celna at the eastern corner of the square and then turn right down Brzozowa; behind the John Bull Pub there's a terrace offering superb views of the Vistula and Warsaw's Eastern suburbs. Or you could head northwest up Kollataja which will take you to the Barbican (Barbakan) a huge, horseshoe shaped tower that was part of the city's defensive walls. It's built out of brick, and comes with an array of towers, battlements and crenellations. It was built in the 16th century, mostly dismantled in the 19th, and then rebuilt again after the war. It took them long enough to make their minds up about it. Today as well as being an impressive looking structure in its own right the Barbican attracts a mixture of buskers, artists, and craft stalls. The reconstructed city walls run off from the Barbican in both directions. You can follow them by taking the road called Podwale, which runs alongside the walls and will take you back to the Castle Square.
Stretching to the north of the Old Town you'll find the New Town. The name's a bit misleading now as it was mostly laid out and built in the 15th century, but I suppose it was new when they built it so fair enough. From the Barbican head northwest up Nowomiejska, which subsequently becomes Freta, and which is the main street of the New Town. You'll immediately pass a couple of churches. On your left is the Church of the Holy Spirit (Kosciol sw Ducha); the church was first finished at the beginning of the 18th century but had to be rebuilt more or less from scratch at the end of the war (there are some photographs of what the church looked like in 1945 on display inside). The baroque exterior is pleasant and decorative, but there's not much to see inside.
A little further along on your right (your left, if you're walking in the opposite direction. Lets just say it's on the eastern side of the street) is the Church of St Hyacinthus (or, to give him his Polish name, Kosciol sw Jacka), which apparently has the distinction of being the longest in Warsaw. The original building dates from the 17th century. Inside fragments of war-damaged masonry have been incorporated into the rebuilt church. There are also some surviving tombs from the original church.
A little further along Freta, at number 16, is the former home of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie (or, to give her her Polish name, Marie Sklodowskiej-Curie. You can see why she stuck to just Marie Curie). The house now holds a small museum dedicated to her life and work.
Keep going up Freta and you'll come to the New Town Square (Rynek Nowego Miasta), it's a lot bigger and more open than the Old Town Square, but nowhere near as impressive. The highlight of the square is the Church of the Nuns of the Holy Sacrament, a lovely Baroque building complete with green copper dome. Construction started at the end of the 17th century. During the Warsaw uprising of 1944 the Church was being used as a hospital when it took a direct hit from a German shell (bastards!); over 1000 people were killed. Inside there is a small memorial to the dead, as well as few photos of what the church looked like in 1945 before reconstruction began. The church comes with a convent attached.
There are a few more churches in this area. From the New Town Square head a little futher northwest up Freta and then turn right into Koscielna which will take you to the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary (Kosciol Nawiedzenia NMP) . This was originally built in the 15th century, and the separate belltower was added in the 16th. It's worth going inside the gothic church to have a look at the stained glass. Behind the church is small park with a set of steps that lead down to the Vistula. The more relaxed among you can just admire the view instead of climbing down.
Right, that's pretty much it for the Old and New Towns, so what else does Warsaw have to offer? Well, to start head back to Castle Square. The road that's running south from here is Krakowskie Przedmiescie, which forms part of Warsaw's Royal Way. Basically the Royal Way is the road that leads from the Royal Castle to the Lazienki Palace, in the park of the same name, where Poland's Kings had their summer residence. The whole route stretches about 2 and a half miles and is dotted with Palaces and Churches. Seeing as though it was 2 and a half miles I couldn't be bothered walking it, but there are plenty of things to see close to the Castle Square.
As you leave Castle Square and pass over the bridge going over the exit to the motorway tunnel you'll come to the Church of St Anne (Kosciol sw Anny), originally built in the 15th century, but remodelled a few times since. Unlike many of the Old and New Towns' churches, this has quite an ornate, decorative interior. Further on down the road you'll find the Adam Mickiewicz Monument, sitting in what amounts to a big traffic island. The statue was put up in 1889 to celebrate the birth of the famous poet (well, as Polish poets go, he's probably the most famous). Adjacent to the statue is the Church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph the Betrothed (Kosciol Wniebowziecia NMP i Sw Jozefa Oblubienca). This 17th century church (which is also known as the Carmelite Church, far easier to remember) made it through the war more or less intact and so its original decoration has been preserved. It's neo-classical facade, complete with rows of columns, is apparently the earliest of its kind in Poland, for any architecture buffs who may be reading. It was outside this church that I witnessed the strange sight of a group of Polish priests attempting to rescue an injured pigeon. At least I assume that that was what was going on. They could have been having a game of pigeon football for all I know...
A little further on down Krakowskie Przedmiescie you'll find a couple of old palaces on opposite sides of the road. On the western side is the Potocki Palace (Palac Potockich) which now houses the Ministry of Culture. On the eastern side of the road is the Radziwill Palace (Palac Radziwillow), home of the Polish President, built in the mid-17th century but considerably expanded over the years. The statue outside it is of Prince Jozef Poniatowski, a General in Napoleon's armies. Needless to say both are out of bounds to tourists.
You probably can't afford to stay in the Hotel Bristol at number 42/44, but you can admire it's Art Nouveau exterior for free.
Further down the road another church beckons, this one the Church of St Joseph the Guardian (Kosciol Opieki sw Jozefa), which for some reason is also known as the Church of the Nuns of the Visitation). This is another Church that survived the Nazi destruction almost unscathed and is worth visiting to have a look at the original 17th and 18th century interiors. Outside this church is the monument to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, the Catholic Primate (ie Big Cheese) of Poland under 30 years of communist rule and Poland's number 2 religious hero of recent times after John Paul II.
Keep going down the road and you'll come to the buildings of Warsaw University; needless to say this is a proper university, not one of those converted catering colleges or teacher training schools that masquerade as Universities in the UK. The University was founded in 1816, although there was a brief hiatus under the Nazis, and several of the buildings it now occupies are even older, notably the 17th century Kazimierzowski Palace (Palac Kazimierzowski), formerly a Royal summer palace.
OK if you can manage just one more church (the last one, I promise you), opposite the University is the Church of the Holy Cross (Kosciol sw Krzyza). This late 18th century gothic building, with impressive twin towers was badly damaged during the war, although some parts of the interior survived and were reused when the church was restored. If that doesn't grab your attention, Chopin's heart is buried inside the church.
One last attraction on Krakowskie Przedmiescie is theMonument to Nicolaus Copernicus (Pomnik Mikolaja Kopernika); in 1942 the Nazis threw a hissy-fit after someone removed a plaque they'd put on the statue declaring the great astronomer to be German and tore the statue down, taking it off to Germany where it was found on a scrap-heap after the war and returned none the worse for wear. Appropriately the statue now stands outside the Polish Academy of Sciences.
At this point Krakowskie Przedmiescie changes its name to Nowy Swiat ("New World"); the Royal Way continues for another couple of miles, but that's far too far for me to walk. Instead back-track up Krakowskie Przedmiescie a little way and then turn left (or west, if you prefer) down Krolewska. This will take you to the bottom edge of Plac Pilsudskiego (Pilsudski Square), a fairly barren and uninteresting expanse of paving, popular for military parades and with skateboarders. It's not a completely wasted trip however as at the western end of the square you'll find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Grob Nieznanego Zolnierza), the monument to Poland's war dead, of whom there are rather a lot. The tomb itself is all that remains of the once vast 18th century Saxon Palace, the rest of which was destroyed by you-know-who (well, it'd hardly be the Belgians would it?). The tomb contains urns of soil from major battles fought by the Polish army, and there is a constantly burning flame. The tomb is also guarded round the clock, every day of the year, which probably isn't the most interesting job on earth. Take care to be respectful or you may be bayoneted by a bored guard.
Stretching out behind the tomb are the Saxon Gardens (Ogrod Saski), what used to be the palace gardens but now a public park, complete with benches, statues, and a big ornamental fountain. It's a very pleasant place but the Warsaw in Your Pocket guide warns you that at night it's fraught with danger and drunks, although we didn't have any problems. Hang on, maybe they were referring to the Scotsman and I.....
OK, time for one last site in Warsaw, and it's a bloody big one. In fact you can see it from just about anywhere in Warsaw. To reach it cut through the Saxon Gardens and then head left (south) down Marszalkowska. You're heading for the Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki).
This vast building is without much doubt the least popular in Warsaw; it's certainly not the ugliest building in Warsaw, the reason it's so unpopular is that it was built as a "gift" by the Soviet Union. Of all the possibly gifts that Stalin could have given to Poland, this was probably close to the bottom of their wish list. The Palace took just 3 years to build, is 231 metres high, by some distance the largest building in Poland (under the communists Warsaw's planning laws stated that no building could be as tall as the Palace). Huge swathes of the city centre (ironically and sadly including some of the few parts of the city that survived the war) had to be cleared to make room for the Palace, and to provide for unobstructed views of it. The Palace was originally designed as the Communist Party HQ, containing a huge meeting hall, 3 theatres, and a swimming pool among its 3288 rooms. Of course, now Warsaw is stuck with the damned thing and no one is entirely sure what to do with it. Dynamiting it would cost far too much, but the maintenance costs are staggering. A competition held in 1992 to suggest what to do with it was won by the monumentally stupid suggestion of surrounding the Palace with a ring of even taller buildings; as yet this plan has yet to be put into action. Having said all of that, I actually quite like the Palace. If you're going to have high-rise buildings I'd rather have something as dramatic as this rather than all those soulless concrete and glass skyscrapers that are sprouting up all over Warsaw. And when lit up at night it looks absolutely spectacular. You can take an express lift up to the viewing platform on the 30th floor for the best views of Warsaw (Warsovians joke that it's the best view of Warsaw because you can't see the Palace itself).
Basics - Getting
There - Getting
Around - Places to
Stay -
Where to Get Drunk - What to See and
Do
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