Warsaw (Poland) - everything about the city, the main attractions of Warsaw with a photo, description and location on the map.
Warsaw city (Poland)
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. The city is an amazing combination of modern metropolis and classic european city with town halls, churches and squares.
Climate
Warsaw has a temperate continental climate. Winters are usually mild, summers are humid and warm. In winter, there are sometimes severe frosts. Warsaw's climate is one of the most comfortable among European cities.
History
Warsaw became the capital of Poland in 1596. Then King Sigismund III moved his residence after the fire at the Wawel Castle in Krakow. The first mention of the city dates back to the 14th century. Although it is well established that already from the 10th century on the territory of modern Warsaw there were several settlements. Scientists believe that the name of the city comes from the adjective Warszewa (or Warszowa) from the name Warsz (a popular abbreviation of the name Warcisław, Wrocisław in the Middle Ages).
With the transfer of the capital from Krakow to Warsaw, the city began to flourish. For two centuries, from 1596, Warsaw was the seat of the Polish kings, and from 1815 to 1915 - the Kingdom of Poland (in the possession of the Russian Empire.
In the 20th century, Warsaw, like the rest of Poland, experienced its most difficult times. The Second World War left a terrible scar on the "face" of the city. The historical center of the capital of Poland was almost completely destroyed. Scientists estimate that about 85% of the city was destroyed. After the Second World War, the capital was rebuilt for decades. They tried to restore the architectural monuments in their original form according to old chronicles and drawings, but under the restored facades modern materials and foundations are hidden.
Architecture and infrastructure of Warsaw
Warsaw's architecture is a mixture of different styles that reflect the rich history of Poland and its capital. During the Second World War, the Old Town was almost completely destroyed and rebuilt only in the post-war years. The historic center of Warsaw is included in the list World heritage UNESCO as an example of restoration of destroyed historical heritage. IN recent times in the city began to build modern skyscrapers and business centers.
Public transport in the city is represented by trams and buses. There is also a subway in Warsaw. The city has the largest in Poland international Airport and two stations.
Accommodation
Finding accommodation in Warsaw for any wallet will not be difficult if you take care of it in advance.
How to get to Warsaw
You can get to Warsaw by plane or train from other cities in Poland and Europe.
Warsaw landmarks
Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) is the main square of the historical center of Warsaw between the Royal Palace and the Old Town. The square resembles a triangle, the southern side of which was bounded by a fortress wall and the Krakow Gate. The Krakow Gate and part of the wall were demolished in the first half of the 19th century. Castle Square was one of the busiest places in the Polish capital. In 1944, the Castle Square as well as the entire historical center of the city were destroyed. The inhabitants of Warsaw saw the new square only in 1988.
A column dedicated to King Sigismund III (Kolumna Zygmunta III Wazy) is installed on the square. The bronze statue depicts a king in knightly armor holding a curved saber in his right hand, and resting his left hand on a cross.
Here on the square is the Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie) - the residence of the Polish kings, the national cultural monument of Poland. The Royal Castle was built by King Sigismund in 1618 on the site of a medieval castle. It was destroyed during the Second World War. Restored only in 1988.
Not far from the square is located main cathedral Warsaw - the Church of St. John the Baptist (Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela), built in 1390 from brick in the Gothic style. In 1944, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was destroyed by German troops, the interior of the cathedral was destroyed. After the war, the cathedral was rebuilt with the restoration of its intended original appearance.
Hotels map
The Warsaw (Alexander) Citadel (Cytadela Warszawska) is a reminder of the times when Poland was part of the Russian Empire. Russian fortress, built in 1830 by order of Emperor Nicholas I. The reason for the construction of the fortress was the Polish uprising. Its chief architect, Major General Ivan Den, used the Antwerp fortress project as the basis for his project.
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Hotels map
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The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki) is the tallest building in Warsaw and Poland, one of the tallest buildings in the European Union. The palace was built in 1955 according to the design of the Soviet architect Lev Rudnev as a gift from the USSR to the Polish people. The height of the 42-storey skyscraper is 187.68 m. There is an observation deck on the 30th floor at a height of 114 meters.
Hotels map
Palaces of Warsaw
The most beautiful palaces in Warsaw:
Lazienki Palace is the residence of the last Polish king Stanislav Poniatowski in Warsaw. Built on artificial island in azienki Park designed by Italian architects in the classicist style at the end of the 18th century.
Address: Agrykoli 1 00-460 Warszawa.
Wilanow Palace (Pałac w Wilanowie) is a palace in the south-east of Warsaw, a baroque masterpiece and the national pride of Poland. The palace was built at the end of the 17th century. It was built as a country residence of the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was not destroyed during the Second World War. The Nazis only stole the works of art exhibited in it, which were returned after the war. Now the palace is used as a museum.
Address: Stanisława Kostki Potockiego 10 / 16.02-958 Warszawa
The Presidential Palace (Pałac Prezydencki) is the residence of the President of Poland in Warsaw, the largest of all Warsaw palaces. Built in the middle of the 17th century. During its history, it was rebuilt several times. The palace suffered little during the Second World War.
Address: Krakowskie Przedmieście 48/50 00-071 Warszawa.
The Ostrogski Palace is a baroque mansion built in the 17th century. Destroyed in 1944. Recovered from the ruins after the war
Address: Okólnik 1, Warszawa
The Market Square is the heart of Warsaw. It attracts both numerous tourists and citizens.
Everything here reminds of medieval Europe: ancient architecture, restaurants, small shops, street musicians and artists. Now the square is surrounded by stone buildings that appeared after a fire in 1777, until then it was framed by wooden buildings.
Tourists love the Market Square for the unique spirit of the Middle Ages, as well as for the numerous souvenir shops where you can buy a piece of Warsaw as a keepsake for yourself and your loved ones.
Marshal Jozef Piłsudski Square
Marshal Jozef Piłsudski Square is one of the main sights of Warsaw, attracting tourists with a large number of architectural and historical monuments... In addition, the square is often used for parades, rallies and other public events.
Marshal Jozef Piłsudski is one of the most respected political figures in Poland, so it is not surprising that the main square of the Polish capital bears his name. There is a beautiful monument in the center of the square - the famous marshal stands on a high pedestal and surveys the surroundings.
In addition to the statue, the square also houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - one of the most famous war memorials in Poland. Besides, in architectural ensemble the square includes the ruins of the famous Saxon Palace, partially destroyed at the end of the Second World War. All these attractions attract a lot of tourists to Pilsudski Square - this is a very popular place, there are always a lot of people here.
Palace Square in Warsaw
Palace Square is also the central historical square of Warsaw. It is notable for the fact that in its center stands Sigismund's Column, erected in 1644 by King Vladislav IV to his father Sigismund III Vase.
The entire eastern part of the square is occupied by the Royal Castle, which gave it its name. In the 13th century, there was a wooden fortress, on the site of which a palace was later built, around which the Old Town grew over time. In 1596, after the capital was moved from Krakow to Warsaw, the castle became the official royal residence. A commemorative constitution of 1791 was adopted here.
During the Second World War, on the orders of Adolf Hitler, the castle was blown up. Only a small part of the building survived. The decision to restore it was made in 1949, but work began only in 1971. The work was financed by social contributions.
In 1980, the Royal Castle as well as the Old Town were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
New Market Square
The New Market Square was built around 1408 for the city of New Warsaw, which was founded at that time. Initially, the square had a rectangular shape, and the City Hall stood on it. Today the square is decorated with a cast-iron well, installed here in 1958.
The New Market Square in Warsaw was formed at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Until the 18th century, it was the main square of the city, where, in addition to trade, city meetings took place, public punishments at the pillory and even the execution of criminals. In the center of the square stood the City Hall - the main legislative body of medieval Warsaw. In 1817, the town hall was demolished and now there is a fountain in its place.
Initially, the construction of the New Market Square was predominantly wooden. In 1607, a great fire broke out in Warsaw, which destroyed most of the city's houses. After this event, the mayor issued a decree authorizing the construction of houses in the city center only of stone. The buildings built on the square at that time stood until World War II. The buildings that can be seen on the New Market Square in Warsaw today are an accurate reconstruction of old buildings made in the second half of the 20th century. Old photographs and drawings were used to restore them.
Castle Square in Warsaw
The Castle Square lies between the Royal Palace and the Old Town. The square has a triangular shape, on the south side it is bounded by the Krakow Gate and the fortress wall. In 1644, a column of King Sigismund III was erected on the square.
In 1818, the Krakow Gate and part of the fortress wall were demolished, but the wide street, which originates from the square and runs to the south, retained the name of Krakowskie Przedmiecie.
The main attraction of the square is the Royal Castle.Its construction dates back to the XIV century.
Warsaw landmarks
The princes of Mazovia were the first rulers of Warsaw, a fortress built by them in the 14th century. The strategic importance of the location of the city led to the fact that in 1596, after the conclusion of an alliance between Poland and Lithuania , the capital of Krakow moved to Warsaw. And although Krakow remained the cultural and spiritual capital of Poland, political and cultural Center in Warsaw begins to grow rapidly; wide boulevards and palace-like houses began to appear around the small Old and New towns.
Historical photos of Warsaw
XVIII century. characterized by a catastrophic decline for the Polish state as a whole, Warsaw flourished at this time. During this period, a large number of beautiful churches, palaces and parks were built, culture and art were constantly developing. The first, even if it had short life, the European constitution was written in Warsaw in 1791.
In the XIX century. Warsaw has lost its former positions and has become common provincial town Russian Empire. After the First World War, it again became the thriving capital of the independent Poland ... As a result of the uprising in 1944, the city was destroyed, and the few surviving Warsaw residents were forcibly evacuated. At the end of the war, the inhabitants of Warsaw returned to their capital and began to restore its historical center.
After the fall of communism, and especially after the accession Poland in the EU, in Warsaw, an economic boom began that completely changed its economy.
Old Town and Market Square
Old city (Stare Miasto) Warsaw is remarkable on its own, even if it hadn't been completely rebuilt after being destroyed in World War II. How extensive was the destruction? Some historians estimate that 85% of the Old City was destroyed. It is impossible not to admire the fact that only 30 years after the end of the war, the Old Town was completely revived - with a very attentive attitude to the architecture, aesthetics and soul of Warsaw. The competition for restoration projects was very high, and all resources were directed to Warsaw, often at the expense of other cities.
Incredibly, the Old Town with its medieval street layout and Renaissance facades looks authentic. The reconstructed districts are a real monument to people who refused to admit they were defeated, despite the fact that the city's population decreased by 2/3. Most of the buildings in the historic center date back to the 1950s, but in 1980 the Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A tour of Warsaw, apparently, is best to start at the entrance to the Old Town on Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy)... Here, against the backdrop of pastel-colored residential buildings with red-tiled roofs, stands a column with a bronze statue of King Sigismund - he was the one who moved the capital to Warsaw. The fortress wall that once surrounded the Old Town was demolished in the 19th century, but fragments of it have survived on one side of the square.
The main object of the square is the Royal Castle dating back to the XIII century. (Zamek Krolewski, pl. Zamkowy 4, open: Mon-Sat 10.00-16.00, Sun 11.00-16.00, entrance fee)... Among the many richly decorated halls, the main one is the Senatorial Hall, which exhibits Warsaw landscapes of the 18th century. works by Bernardo Bellotto (nephew of Canaletto).
Interiors of the Royal Palace
To the west of the Royal Route, deep in the Saxon Gardens, is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The monument, opened in 1925, is located in the only fragment of the 17th century Saxon Palace that survived the German bombing. The adjoining office building was designed by the famous British architect Norman Foster.
South of the Potocki Palace, the entrance to the University of Warsaw is marked by a beautiful gate with a traditional Polish eagle at the top. This is the most prestigious of the higher educational institutions of the capital, the eternal rival of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow ... Several buildings are former palaces, and the oldest dates back to 1634.
Saxon Gardens in WarsawIn the Church of the Holy Cross (Kosciol Sw. Krzyza, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 3) on the opposite side of the street from the university are buried many famous Poles, including Frederic Chopin. In fact, according to the composer's will, an urn with his heart is walled up in one of the columns, and the body rests in France.
At the fork in the road there is a monument to another great son Poland - the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. As the Poles say, with his heliocentric theory, Copernicus "stopped the sun and set the earth in motion." Right behind the monument, the boulevard turns into Nowy wiat Street - one of the most fashionable streets in Warsaw with chic boutiques and cafes.
Slightly away from it is the Ostrozhsky Palace, which houses the Frederic Chopin Museum (Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina, ul. Okolnik 1, open: Tue-Sun 10.00-18.00, entrance fee, www.tifc.chopin.pl)... In that beautiful palace collected numerous artifacts and memorabilia related to the life of the outstanding composer. There are other palaces nearby: the Zamoyski Palace on Foksal Street, the Przeszdecki Palace and the Branicki Palace (Smolna street).
IN National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe, al. Jerozolimskie 3, open: Tue-Fri 10.00-18.00, Fri 10.00-20.00, Sat, Sun 10.00-17.00, entrance fee, www.mnw.art.pl) a huge collection of works of art is kept - from Roman and Egyptian archaeological finds and medieval art to antique furniture and large exhibitions of Polish and European painting. Embassies and elegant mansions are lined up along Ujazdowski Alley Street, and next to it is the Seimas building and two beautiful park - Uyazdovsky and Lazenkovsky; the latter is especially loved by the people of Warsaw.
Uyazdowski palace and park complex in different time of the yearJewish Warsaw
In the second half of the XIV century. thousands of Jews came to Warsaw, but were soon expelled from the city by royal decree. They were again allowed to settle in the city in 1768, and by the beginning of World War II there were about 350 thousand Jews in Warsaw, or 30% of the population. At the time, it was the largest Jewish community in Europe. Jewish quarter around Mirów and Muranów streets (between Palace of Culture and Science and the Jewish cemetery in the northwest of the city) the Nazis turned it into a ghetto. After the 1943 uprising, German troops entered the quarter and liquidated the ghetto.
Currently, only about 2,000 Jews live in Warsaw. The most striking evidence of the former presence of Jews in Warsaw is the dilapidated buildings on Prozna Street. Their restoration has been entrusted to Jewish foundations, but so far the houses are a bitter reminder of the destruction. Of all the Jewish houses of worship in the city, only the active Nojik synagogue has survived. (Synagoga Nozykow, ul. Twarda 6)... Another impressive symbol of the suffering that befell the Jews is a fragment of the ghetto wall (ul. Sienna 55)built in 1940
Further north is the Jewish cemetery (Cmentarz Zydowsky), adjacent to the Powzki cemetery and founded in 1780, it makes a depressing impression with its abandonment: many of the 150 thousand gravestones are overturned and are almost invisible behind the overgrown branches.
The indignation quickly passes when you remember that the Jewish population of Warsaw (and the whole Poland) was destroyed during the war, and most of the people buried in the cemetery simply had no relatives left to look after the graves. The monument on Stavki Street perpetuates the place where 300,000 Jews from the Warsaw ghetto were sent by rail to the Treblinka concentration camp.
On Zamenhof Street, the monument to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto reminds of the brave but poorly armed Jews who in 1943 revolted against their oppressors. The monument, erected at the place where the fiercest battles took place for a month, is a bas-relief in which a stone is mounted, ordered by the Third Reich in honor of its victory.
West of the Old Town
Powazki cemetery (Cmentarz Powqzkowski, ul. Powazkowska 14) - the oldest, largest and most beautiful necropolis of the city, where many famous citizens of Warsaw and all Poland , from presidents to poets. The cemetery is replete with tombstones and mausoleums of all shapes and sizes, many of which speak of the wealth and nobility of those they gave shelter to.
Among them there are lush and rather restrained, and some are decorated with beautiful and expressive sculptures, but all are covered with fluffy light green moss.
Warsaw's new city center next to the central railway station (Warszawa Centralna), roughly halfway between the Old Town and azienki Park, is a lively shopping area with numerous banks, hotels and shops, as well as heavy traffic. This area is probably best known for the building that has become the symbol of the city, although it is hated by most of Warsaw's people. it Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki, pl. Defilad 1) - the building of the Stalinist style, built in 1955, a gift from the Soviet government to the Polish people; tallest building in Warsaw (231 m)... Inside there are numerous shops and galleries, and with observation deck the 30th floor offers a view of the city and the Mazovian plain, if smog does not interfere. After the collapse of communism, there was a debate in society about what to do with this unpopular building.
Lazienki Palace
Despite the fact that many of the most valuable works of art were stolen or destroyed, the palace, which was not badly damaged during World War II, still has one of the largest Poland collections of portraits of the XVI-XIX centuries. The first floor of the palace is the most luxurious; The large raspberry hall is a dining room converted into an art gallery.
After visiting the castle, be sure to stroll through the Italian park, paying attention to the luxurious exterior of the palace in the Baroque style, English and Chinese gardens, and a Roman bridge. Near the entrance to the palace grounds is - somewhat unexpectedly - the Poster Museum (Muzeum Plakatu, ul. Potockiego 10-16, Wilanow, open: Tue-Sun 10.00-16.00, Mon 12.00-16.00, entrance fee)dedicated to the masterpieces of international poster art - a media that today has won worldwide recognition.
Travel by tram
Warsaw tram (there are about 30 routes in total) is an excellent way to get around the city. Most city maps show tram stops and routes in red.
Chopin in summer
If you come to Warsaw in summer, come to the Chopin Monument on Sunday afternoon when concerts are held here. The statue, the lakes and the surrounding park all create the perfect atmosphere for Chopin's romantic music.
Firefighting Museum
Interesting and free fun for children - Firefighting Museum (Muzeum Historii i Techniki Pozarniczej, ul.Chlodna 3, open: Mon-Fri 9.00-14.00)... The door is always locked and visitors need to ring the bell. A free booklet in English is offered inside the museum.
Accommodation
It will come as no surprise to anyone to know that Warsaw is the most expensive city Poland , and housing prices are appropriate here. However, those who cannot afford this luxury can stay in one of the inexpensive hostels.
Food
Those who prefer to do without restaurants can purchase food in supermarkets and shopping malls.
Entertainment
Night clubs
There is no shortage of great clubs in Warsaw. Look for them in areas of such streets as Mazovetskaya, Senkevich, and Novy Svyat. In July and August, on Saturday evenings (from 19.00) on a small market square The Old Town hosts free jazz concerts.
Representation
Most theater tickets can be purchased at ZASP Kasy Teatralne (Tel .: 22 621 9454; Jerusalem Alleys, 25; 09.00-19.00 Mon-Fri) or in mall EMPiK Wars & Sawa (st.Marshalovskaya, 116/122); on the Royal Route (Novy Svyat st., 15/17).
Cinemas
Instead of watching Polish TV in your room, go to the central cinema Kino Atlantic (ul Chmielna, 33) or saturated with the pathos of a bygone era Kinoteka (Plac Defilad, 1)which is in Palace of Culture and Science.
Special offers for hotels
Warsaw Tourist Card
www.warsawcard.com; for 1/3 days - 35 / 65zt
Provides a discount or the right to free entrance to museums, travel to public transport... Also, some theaters, sports centers and restaurants are covered by the card. You can purchase such a card at the tourist office and in some hotels.
All travel agencies will offer you free city maps and brochures such as Warsaw in Short and the Visitor. You can buy cards from others cities in Poland ; they will also help you book a hotel room.
Look for free travel monthly publications such as Faces and Welcome to Warsaw. There are also many useful information can be gleaned from "Warsaw Insider" (9.90zt) and "Warsaw in Your Pocket" (5zt)... Travel agency (Tel .: 22 19431; www.warsawtour.pl) Old city (Old Town Market, 19; 09.00-21.00 May - September, 09.00-19.00 October - April); Okecie airport ; main hall of Warszawa Centralna train station (08.00-20.00 May - September, 08.00-19.00 October - April).
Warsaw Tourist Information Center (Warsaw Tourist Information Center) (Tel: 22 6351881; www.wcit.waw.pl; Zamkova Square; 09.00-18.00 Mon-Fri, 10.00-18.00 Sat and Sun) Very helpful and friendly private travel agency in the Old Town.
Travel agency
- Orbis Travel (Tel .: 22 827 7140; 16 Bratska St.)
- Our Roots (Tel .: 22 620 0556; Tvarda st., 6) Excursions to places that represent the heritage of Jewish culture.
- Trakt (Tel: 22 827 8068; www.trakt.com.pl; ul.Kredytowa)
Urban transport
Airport connections
The cheapest way to get from the airport to the city center is by bus # 175, which runs every 10-15 minutes. It follows through "Warsaw Central" and st. Novy Svyat to the final stop at pl. Pilsudski, which is 500 m from Castle Square in the Old Town. If you arrive after midnight, you will be rescued by bus number 32, which runs to Warsaw Centralna every half an hour.
A taxi from the airport will cost about 40-45 zt. "Official" taxi (with company name, telephone number and established tariffs) can be ordered from the official taxi desks in the International Arrivals Hall.
Car
Getting around in Warsaw is far from a gift. However, it makes sense to rent a car if you are going to travel outside the city. The main car rental companies can be found in the local press. These include, among others, Avis (Tel .: 22 650 4872; www.avis.pl), Hertz (Tel: 22 5001620; www.hertz.com.pl) and Sixt (Tel .: 22 511 1550; www.sixt.pl).
Public transport
Public transport in Warsaw operates from 05.00 to 23.00. The 2.80zt tax is valid for one trip by bus, tram, trolleybus or metro. Warsaw is the only city Poland where the ISIC card (international student ID) entitles you to a discount on public transport.
Tickets available valid 60/90 minutes (4 / 6zt), one day (9zt), three days (16zt), week (32zt) or month (68zt)... They can be purchased at kiosks (including those marked "RUCH")and then activate (validate) in transport.
The metro line starts in the suburb of Urshinów (Ursynow) - Kabaty station (Kabaty) in the southern part of the city and ends in the north of Warsaw, in Młociny (Mtociny) passes through the center (Centrum)... However, this type of transport is not very popular among visitors. Local commuter trains depart from the Varshavskoe Sredmestye station (Warszawa SrodmieScie).
Taxi
Taxi - fast and convenient way movement around the city, at least if you use the services of official taxi companies, and they, in turn, have a meter. Avoid the services of private taxi "mafia" who wait near major hotels, at the airport, in the Central Railway Station area and many attractions nearby.
How to get there
Airplane
(www.lotnisko-chopina.pl) often called Okecie (Okecie)... The tourist office is very conveniently located in the arrival hall of the second terminal. In the arrival hall you can use an ATM and one of the exchange offices. There are also car rental companies, a left-luggage office and a newsstand where you can buy public transport tickets.Bus
Warsaw has two main bus stations from which PKS buses leave. Dworzec Zachodnia (Western Bus Station; www.pksbilety.pl; Jerusalem Alleys, 144) is the point of departure for both metropolitan buses leaving in the south, north and west, and intercity buses, making eleven flights a day to Czestochowa (Czestochowa; 41zt, three and a half hours), 13 to Gdansk (53zt, six hours), seven to Krakow (48zt, six hours), 11 to Olsztyn (Olsztyn; 48zt, four and a half hours), 15 to Torun (42zt, four hours), five to Wroclaw (54zt, seven o'clock) and five to Zakopane (60zt, eight hours)... This station is located in the southwest of the central part of the city, next to railway station Zachodnia (Western)... You can get there by suburban train, which departs from Srodmiescie station (Sredmestye).
Dworzec Stadion (bus station "Stadium", www.pksbilety.pl; Sokola street) is located next to the railway station of the same name. It can be easily reached from the Sredmestye station. Every day from the "Stadium" domestic flights east and southeast, including 16 to Lublin (23zt, three hours), four to Bialystok (Biatystok; 33zt, three and a half hours) and three to Zamosc (Zamosc; 35zt, 4 hours 45 minutes).
International bus routes depart and arrive at the Western Bus Station, sometimes Central. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices of the Western Bus Station, from agencies at the railway station, or at any major transport bureau in the city. Eurolines Polska (www.eurolinespolska.pl) serves a huge number of flights throughout the Eastern and Western Europe... There are flights, for example, to destinations such as Amsterdam (225zt, 22 hours, four flights per week), Koln (200zt, 20.5 hours, daily), London (300zt, 27 hours, four flights a day), Paris (260zt, 26.5 hours, four flights per week), Rome (370zt, 28 hours, three flights per week) and Vienna (175zt, 13 hours, four flights a week).
Railway
There are several railway stationsbut the main one is Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central; Jerusalem Alleys, 54).
Warsaw Central is not always the final or starting station of departure, so be careful when getting on or off the train. Also, watch your luggage and pockets carefully - anything can happen.
The main hall of the station contains cash desks, ATM machines, eateries, as well as a post office, newsagents and a tourist office. On the underground level, where there are exits to the platforms, there are several round-the-clock exchange offices, lockers (including automatic), snack bars, ticket offices for public transport, Internet cafes and bookstores.
Tickets for domestic and international trains are available at the station ticket office (however be prepared that you may have to wait in line for about an hour)... They can also be bought at numerous ticket offices in the underground passages leading to Warsaw Central.
Some domestic trains stop at the Varshavskoe Sredmestye station, 300 meters east of Tsentralna, as well as at Zapadnaya, which is located next to the Western Bus Station.
The city of Warsaw is built on the Vistula River, which determined its rapid economic development... The first mentions of Warsaw can be found in the 14th century, namely, in manuscripts dated 1321 and 1342. Warsaw became the capital of Poland in 1596, and today the city is the largest in the country in terms of population and area. Administratively, the city is divided into 18 districts located on both banks of the river. The historical center, called the Old Town, and modern central areas located on the western bank of the river, all the main attractions are concentrated here.
There is very beautiful legendassociated with the founding of the city. According to her, the name Warsaw includes two names: Warsaw and Sava. Wars is a young fisherman who once met the beautiful mermaid Sava on the Vistula River. As is customary in all legends, they fell in love with each other, but could not be together, as they belonged to different worldsso they were together after death. The city was named in honor of this couple, the mermaid is even depicted on the coat of arms of Warsaw and is one of the symbols of the city.
There is another version of the story about the origin of the capital of Poland. A certain prince Kazimir once got lost in a dense forest while hunting. After wandering a little, he came to the banks of the Vistula River, where there was a fishing hut. Going there, he saw a happy fisherman's family, in which two beautiful babies had just been born. The parents decided to name them Vars and Sava. Prince Kazimir became their godfather and, as a token of gratitude for the hospitality and honor of the godfather, awarded the fisherman's family. With this money, the fisherman built a new strong house, and over time other fishermen began to build around it. Thus, a small town called Warsaw was founded.
But all these are legends and history, which over many centuries have intertwined so closely that it is already quite difficult to say where is truth and where is fiction. In fact, the city is no less beautiful than the legends about its foundation. To visit all the sights and enjoy them, you are unlikely to take a few days. After all, each such place needs to be felt, each attraction keeps the history of the past days and can tell you a lot.
Main attractions
Starting from the XIV century, Poland, and in particular Warsaw, began to occupy a very important place in the religious life of all of Europe. This contributed to the fact that there are a lot of churches, churches, town halls and other monuments of religious architecture in Warsaw.
The most significant are considered to be the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1900 and once considered the most tall building in the city; Cathedral of Mary Magdalene, built in 1869; the Catholic Church of the Most Holy Martinian; Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, built in 1867. This is not a complete list, and each of the above churches and cathedrals has its own beautiful architecture and interesting history.
But the capital of Poland is famous not only for religious sights, so the next section of your excursion may well be the "palaces of Warsaw". Here you can note the Chapsky Palace, the Ostrozhsky Palace, the Ujazdowski Castle and many other interesting sights. The architecture of the city brings together completely different styles and eras, which is perfectly visible when visiting various Warsaw residences, palaces and castles. Each of them has its own flavor, its own character, but among all of them I would especially like to draw your attention to the famous Royal Palace.
The palace is rightfully called the heart of old Warsaw, it is located on the beautiful Castle Square in historic center cities. This castle was created at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries (more precisely, somewhere between 1596 and 1620) by order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund Vasa. Before building the palace itself, he ordered the construction of a special elevation so that at first glance it would be clear that this is the most magnificent building in Warsaw. The shape of the elevation was similar to a pentagon, on which he was later built. royal Palace... During the Second World War, the palace was completely destroyed, but since 1971 large-scale restoration work has been carried out, and today the palace has been restored almost completely. Also in the building of the palace there is an art museum, where you can see paintings by Rembrandt and Bellotto.
Warsaw is a city with a truly difficult tragic story, accompanied by numerous wars, robberies, fires and destruction. It is hard to imagine that just a few decades ago, ruins left by German troops lay on the site of the neat houses, palaces and castles of the Old Town. The townspeople with endless love rebuilt the city, and now everyone can enjoy the beauty of the Polish capital. For a long time Warsaw was under strong Soviet influence, therefore for Russian travelers this city is often presented as a "native abroad", evoking the warmest feelings in the soul.
