Overview
Introduction
Warsaw, Poland, was once called the "Paris of the North." It survived almost complete destruction in World War II, the stranglehold of the Soviet occupation of Poland and the upheaval of capitalism.
The city has monuments documenting wartime atrocities and memorializing acts of resistance. Now, its palaces and churches, neighborhoods and streets have been or are being rebuilt. Warsaw has moved into a new phase of economic structuring with the European Union. It continues to rebuild and reinvent itself, demonstrating a beautiful balance of preservation and resilient renewal.
Must See or Do
Sights—Stare Miasto and Nowe Miasto; Zamek Krolewski and Wilanow Palace; The Royal Way; the view from atop the Palac Kultury i Nauki; a free summertime Chopin concert in the Royal Garden at Lazienki Park.
Museums—The Center for Contemporary Art; the Warsaw Rising Museum; Pawiak Prison Museum; the film Warsaw Will Not Forget at Warsaw Historical Museum.
Memorable Meals—Fine dining overlooking the river at Boathouse; innovative fare at Qchnia Artystyczna in Ujazdowskie Castle; a fine Polish meal at Ale Gloria.
Late Night—Dancing and drinks at Sketch; listening to jazz at Tygmont.
Walks—Lazienki Park; Ogrod Saski; Kabacki Forest.
Especially for Kids—The sightseeing train or a horse-drawn carriage at Rynek Starego Miasto; the Warsaw Zoo.
Geography
The city is bisected by the Vistula River—Wisla in Polish (pronounced vis-wah). The majority of attractions are concentrated on the city's western side. The eastern side is mostly residential and commercial. The key to orientation is knowing the names of various neighborhoods and districts, as well as their main streets.
Stare Miasto (Old Town) and Nowe Miasto (New Town), the reconstructed historical heart of Warsaw, are on a hill on the western bank of the river. Just south of Stare Miasto is Centrum (also called the Srodmiescie district), the city center. Its main north-south artery, Marszalkowska, begins at Saski Gardens. The main east-west artery is Jerozolimskie. Marszalkowska and Jerozolimskie intersect at a traffic circle called Rondo Dmowskiego, near the Palace of Culture, a very noticeable landmark.
A few blocks to the east is the Royal Way, made up of three streets: Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Nowy Swiat and Ujazdowskie. It runs from the Royal Palace in Stare Miasto to Wilanow Palace in the south. Between Centrum and the river is the small neighborhood of Powisle. South of Powisle, along Aleje Ujazdowskie, is Lazienki Park.
History
Poland's location between strong powers has not always been a good thing for the country. Warsaw's location, on the other hand, was the reason for its rise to national prominence. In 1596, King Sigismund III Vasa formed a union between Poland and Lithuania and moved the seat of government to Warsaw, the geographic center of the new state. By 1611, Warsaw was the official capital of Poland.
Official recognition suited Warsaw, and the city flourished artistically and architecturally. But in 1791, Russia, Prussia and Austria invaded Poland and partitioned it among themselves. Warsaw remained under Prussian control until Napoleon invaded and made it the capital of the Duchy of Warsaw (1807-30).
After Napoleon's defeat, Poland was once again partitioned, and Warsaw remained under Russian control until World War I. That period was marked by several uprisings, and Varsovians—as the residents of Warsaw are known—suffered harsh reprisals from their Russian masters. At the end of World War I, Poland regained national sovereignty.
Between the two World Wars, Poland enjoyed a brief period of independence, and Warsaw flourished until the Germans invaded and occupied the country during World War II. Several uprisings against the Germans were crushed, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and destroying 85% of Warsaw's buildings. In January 1945, the Soviets finally "liberated" the city.
For almost 50 years, the capital and country were dominated by the Soviet Union. Following the success of the Solidarity labor movement, led by Lech Walesa, the first noncommunist government in eastern Europe since World War II took office in Warsaw in August 1989. Ten years later, Poland joined the NATO alliance. In May 2004, Poland joined the European Union. Today, the country is flourishing both economically and socially.
Potpourri
Warsaw opened the world's first public library in 1747.
Before World War II, more than 3 million Jews lived in Poland, mostly in Warsaw, and approximately half of the world's Jewish population can trace its roots back to Poland.
UNESCO has placed the historic center of Warsaw on the World Heritage list.
Polish Pieprzowka vodka includes ground white pepper as an ingredient.
The old Polish custom of a kissing a woman on the hand is still prevalent in some places.
Marie Curie (1867-1934), a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and twice-honored Nobel laureate, was born in Warsaw and was named Maria Sklodowska.
The panoramic city views of baroque Warsaw depicted by Venetian painter Bernardo Belotto (1720-80), who sometimes used the name Canaletto, were instrumental in the rebuilding of the razed city after World War II. Apart from photographs and architectural studies of later times, they were the best documents to show what Warsaw was like in the 18th century.
