Warsaw

Warsaw is in central Poland, 250 km south of the Baltic Sea. In 2014, it had 1.7 million inhabitants, with an agglomeration around 3 million. It has two parts, the Old Town and a modern district with hotels, a zoo, and a Russian marketplace that separates the Vistula River. There is the center of industry, education, services and art - the National Theater, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, about 30 theaters etc.

The capital of Poland Warsaw has been the capital city since 1596 (before it was Krakow). Warsaw belongs to the largest cities in the country and, at the same time, to those which were demaged the most during the World War II. More than 90% of buildings were destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising (August-September 1944), about 200,000 people were killed and 700,000 were exiled from the city. Warsaw was threatened to lose its status of the capital, but finaly the city was restored.

Warsaw´s moto is ´Semper Invicta´ (means ´Forever undefeated´).





Touristic attractions:

Warsaw Old Town
Stare Miasto, as the Poles call it, was rebuilt almost from the zero after the Second World War. In an extensive reconstruction (from 1949 to 1963), the city was restored so that the buildings looked 200 years old. The town is also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Column Zikmund III. Vasy
Plac Zamkowy (Chateau Square) is a triangular square where most of the sightseeing tours start. In the center of the square there is a column of 22 meters in honor of Zikmund III. Vasy. He deserved to move the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. The Column was built in 1644 and it is the second oldest monument in Poland (the primacy belongs to Neptune in Gdańsk).





Royal Castle
On the eastern side of the Castle Square stands the Royal Castle (Zamek królewski). It was founded in the 14th century. They are associated with eminent Polish rulers and momentous historical events. Pay a visit to them and you will find both splendid monuments of architecture full of art pieces and also romantic gardens or parks. Appreciated by those who seek for a rest in the bosom of nature they also provide a space for major artistic events in Warsaw cultural calendar.

The oldest of Warsaw churches
You can visit the oldest of Warsaw churches, Neo-Gothic cathedral of St Jan from the beginning of the 15th century. It was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style after the war. Inside, there is a renaissance tombstone of the red marble dukes of Azov and the crypt of the tombstone of Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Barbakan
Barbakan represents the remnants of the fortifications that once surrounded the city. Nowadays, it is the transition between Old and New Towns.





Rynek Starego Miasta
Warsaw also has Old Town Square (Rynek Starego Miasta) and is the most beautiful Warsaw Square. In the middle of the square is a statue of a mermaid, Syrena. The sculpture from 1855 is a symbol of the city. You can see here also a documentary film about the city's reconstruction, which is projected several times a day.

Palace of Culture and Science
Completed in 1955 as a ‘gift from the Soviet people’, the building is the embodiment of Socialist Realist architecture. It is still the tallest building in Poland and fulfils the role of a cultural centre accommodating theatres, museums, a cinema and a concert hall. The highest viewing platform in Warsaw, on the 30th foor, offers an excellent panoramic view of the city.

Memorial to the Warsaw Uprising
This impressive monument stands at the crossroad of the streets of Długa and Bonifraterska and reminds one of the great chapters of Warsaw history. In the city you will find the Warsaw Uprising Museum.

The most beautiful Baroque palace
A short walk from the monument, on the opposite side of Bonifrater Street, you will find one of the most beautiful palaces in Warsaw, the Krasinsky Palace.

Another attraction of Warsaw is the beautiful Łazienki Park or the Wilanów Park and Palace Complex.

Chess:
In 1935, the 6th Chess Olympiad took place in Warsaw. The winner was the USA team and the Polish one, which belonged to the world chess elite in the thirties, won bronze medals.
The black-and-white photograph shows the Czechoslovakian game with the winning Americans, the colorful memorial badge for the Warsaw Olympics.