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City Guide > Europe > Poland > Warsaw | |
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Mini Guide of Warsaw City Overview
The images of Warsaw as a dull concrete jungle, a wasteland of Soviet-era housing with little appeal remain only with those who haven’t visited this vibrant city in the past 15 years. The city does undoubtedly have its fair share of problems and whole swathes of its suburbs are indeed dominated by the less-than-imaginative creations of communist-era architects. But there is far more to this metropolis, with a string of things to see, an impressive cultural scene and an increasingly lively nightlife. Warsaw is a real survivor – the city’s current day existence, especially as a new addition to the European Union’s list of capital cities, is impressive in itself. By the end of World War II, roughly 85% of the city lay in ruins and most of the population had fled, been killed, deported or sent to concentration camps. More than a third of Warsaw’s pre-war population was Jewish, although there are hardly any traces of this heritage remaining, as the city’s prosperous Jewish community was decimated by the end of the war. Much of Warsaw’s historic centre was painstakingly recreated in the years after World War II, in a move by the communist authorities, which surprised the citizens of the city as it much as it did the West. Some churlish critics have dismissed the ‘new’ Old Town as being nothing but an unconvincing fake, although the loss of the original was hardly Warsaw’s fault and many of Europe’s old towns have undergone similar refurbishment and rebuilding. Somewhat ironically, many of today’s Old Town buildings are closer to the original architecture than they were before destruction, as the alterations of the intervening centuries were not incorporated in the reconstruction. The strikingly successful rebuilding of Warsaw’s Old Town was finally rewarded in 1980, when the entire complex earned its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Situated in the Mazowieckie province, in east-central Poland, the city spans the Wisla (Vistula River) and most of the main tourist sites are on the left bank, while the right bank contains the increasingly fashionable Praga district. The tourist epicentre of Warsaw is the ‘Royal Route’, which runs north–south from the New and Old Towns, past the fashionable shops of Nowy Swiat, the palaces that survived the war and the royal gardens of Lazienki Park, before reaching Wilanow Palace to the south of the city centre. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract crowds in a scene far removed from the dull Communist-era images of Warsaw. The nightlife scene today is equally surprising, with clued-up and increasingly well dressed local youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now buzzes after dark. Although some could argue that Poland’s cultural and educational seat of power is found, equally, in Krakow, Warsaw is still very much Poland’s largest city and the focal point of the nation’s economic growth. The peak tourist season is from May to October, when the weather is most pleasant, although there will be some odd days when the temperature rises above 30°C (86°F). January and February are the coldest months and temperatures can drop as low as -30°C (-22°F). Getting There By Air Warsaw-Okecie im. Fryderyka Chopina International Airport (WAW) Tel: (022) 650 4220. Website: www.polish-airports.com Poland’s main airport, located 10km (6 miles) south of the city centre, annually serves 6 million passengers on 80 regular routes worldwide. It is one of the most modern and well-equipped airports in Central and Eastern Europe, operating more than 60,000 flights a year. The airport services flights to both national and international destinations. The smaller and lesser equipped Etiuda Terminal tends to service the low-cost airlines and some domestic traffic. Approximate flight times to Warsaw: From London is 2 hours 25 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 14 hours 10 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours 25 minutes and from Sydney is 21 hours 45 minutes. Airport facilities: The airport includes a transit hotel, tourist information centre, post office, bank/bureaux de change (kantors), duty-free shops, ATMs, bars, restaurants and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz. Transport to the city: The Polski Express coach service (tel: (022) 844 5555; website: www.polskiexpress.pl) connects passengers from the airport to other cities throughout Poland, and stops here enroute to the main city centre bus stop (around the corner from Warszawa Centralna on Aleja Jana Pawla II) from other cities. In order to use this service, you’d need to check when a bus is passing through to the centre, as it doesn’t run as regularly as the local ZTM services. The local public transport authority, ZTM (tel: (022) 827 7966; local info line: 9484; website: www.ztm.waw.pl) bus no. 175 departs from in front of the arrivals hall and passes through the city centre and near the Old Town, daily (journey time – 30 minutes). Bus no. 188 goes to the right-bank (the eastern part) of Warsaw (Praga, Grochow, Goclaw). The night bus no. 611 follows the same route, as far as the central railway station, every half hour at night. Ticket prices are the same as other ZTM buses – ZL2.40 during the day and ZL4.80 for night buses. You can purchase tickets from the driver, but a surcharge may be added. Pickpockets have been known to operate on these routes. Certain hotels offer a shuttle service for both guests and non-guests, but the price will be much higher than the regular bus, and usually more than a taxi. Taxis to the city centre cost approximately ZL30-45 (journey time – 20 minutes). It is advisable for visitors to book an official taxi and to confirm the price before setting off. Taxis can be hired in the arrivals hall at the airport or by calling MPT Radio Taxi (tel: (022) 9191). Getting There By Water Getting There By Road Poland uses standard international traffic signs. Major routes have the prefix ‘E’ and motorways ‘A’. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 100-110kph (62-68mph) on main roads and 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. Seatbelts must be worn. Vehicles should be equipped with a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle. Headlights must be on at all times from 1 October to 1 March. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%. The minimum driving age in Poland is 17. International Driving Permits and European and US national driving licences are accepted for the first six months in Poland. Drivers should carry their vehicle registration and third party insurance documents. Short-term Green Card insurance is only required for cars originating from outside of the EU and Switzerland. Information about road travel can be obtained from the Polish Motoring Association (PZM) (tel: (022) 849 8449; website: www.pzmtravel.com.pl). Emergency breakdown service: PZM 9637 Routes to the city: The main route to the city is the east-west E30, which connects Warsaw with Lodz, Poznan and Berlin to the west and the Belarus border to the east. The north-south E77 links Gdansk with Cracow, via Warsaw. The E67 is the route from the southwestern city of Wroclaw. Coach services: Dozens of licensed carriers, including Polski Express (tel: (022) 844 5555; website: www.polskiexpress.pl) and the state-owned PKS (tel: 0300 300 130; website: www.pks.warszawa.pl) offer services to and from over 200 European and Polish destinations. Warszawa Zachodnia (tel: (022) 822 4811) is the central bus station, located at aleje Jerozolimskie 144. Eurolines (tel: (022) 524 4208; website: www.eurolinespolska.pl) also provides international services to and from Poland. Getting There By Rail Polish Railways, Polskie Koleje Panstwowe – PKP (tel: (022) 9436, for all enquiries; (48 22) 511 6003 for calls outside of Poland; website: www.pkp.com.pl), operates trains on the Polish rail network. Poland’s rail network continues to improve and services are increasingly comfortable and punctual, especially on the main routes to other Polish cities and destinations outside Poland. However, they are often very crowded and it is worth spending the 50% surcharge for a guaranteed first class seat or try and opt for the Inter-City trains (IC) that require a reservation. The main lines passing through Warsaw are the Moscow-Berlin and Gdansk-Ostrava routes. Tickets can be purchased at the station or through Orbis tourist offices. Most international services arrive at Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central), aleje Jerozolimskie 54 (tel: (022) 524 4320), across from the tall Marriott Hotel. This station attracts the dirty underbelly of Warsaw society and tourists should take care of their belongings at all times. Station facilities include tourist information, 24-hour left-luggage, a chemist, post office, bureaux de change, ATMs, shops and snack bars. The other main stations are Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East), Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West) and Warszawa Gdanska, which receives trains from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Rail services: EuroCity and InterCity trains from Cracow (journey time – 2 hours 40 minutes), Berlin (journey time – 6 hours 20 minutes) and Prague (journey time – 8 hours 50 minutes) arrive at Warsaw Central station. Care should be taken on some night train routes, where thieves have been known to operate. Getting Around Public Transport The Municipal Transport Board, ZTM (tel: (022) 827 7966; or local info line: 9484; website: www.ztm.waw.pl) operates the bus and tram network, connecting all parts of the city, as well as the modest metro line. Night bus routes converge near Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central), aleje Jerozolimskie 54, and run after 2300 until the small hours. The one-line metro system runs from the southern suburbs in Kabaty to the northern reaches of Zoliborz. There currently are plans for a second line and more stops further north, with the necessary funding coming from German investors. Tickets, valid for all modes of transport, should be purchased before boarding. They are available at the green Ruch kiosks, post offices, and hotels. It is also possible to purchase tickets on board buses, but a surcharge may apply. A single fare costs ZL2.40. With every change of vehicle, a new ticket must be punched in the metal boxes inside the bus or tram, or before entering the platform on the underground. The fare for night buses is ZL4.80. A one-day pass costs ZL7.20 and is valid for 24 hours after you first punch the ticket, while a one-week ticket costs ZL24. Tickets can also be purchased at the City Transportation Office at ulica Senatorska 37 (entrance from Saski Garden). Students up to the age of 26 are entitled (on production of an ISIC card) to reduced fares and children under four years travel free. Pickpockets operate on some routes (especially bus no. 175 from the airport) and valuables should be kept close at hand and out of sight at all times. Taxis Taxis are metered and can be hailed on the street, although fares are usually cheaper if the taxi is ordered by telephone. There are also a number of private firms. Payment can be made by credit card with MPT Radio Taxi (tel: (022) 9191), Halo Taxi (tel: (022) 9623) and OK! Taxi (tel: (022) 9628). Other taxi firms include Wawa (tel: (022) 9644) and Super Taxi (tel: (022) 9622). Rates go up between 2200 and 0600 and at weekends. Rates going out of the city centre Zone 1 are also higher. There is no baggage charge and tipping is usually around 10% of the fare. Overcharging is most likely to happen at the airport, central station, the Old Town or near one of the larger hotels. Non-affiliated taxis should be avoided – it is advisable for travellers to take a taxi with the telephone number displayed on the top and advertising on the side of the car. Driving in the City In the past decade, traffic congestion in Warsaw has increased dramatically – the current index of over 400 cars per 1,000 residents is higher than in Berlin. Many of the city’s drivers travel at high speeds and perform dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, which may trouble nervous visitors. The lack of a ring road means that traffic goes straight through the heart of the city, worsening congestion problems in the city centre. A variety of plans are underway but these are largely dependent on adequate investment. However, improvements have materialised, including the building of additional bridges. All standard European rules, such as yellow-diamond priority routes, are in effect. Be mindful of tramway lines when driving as the tracks are not always on a separate road area. At red lights, a small green arrow indicates that it is permissible to turn right, however, priority must be given to cross traffic. At intersections without lights, traffic must stop for pedestrians once they have begun to cross at zebra crossings. Paid street parking is in effect and there are some underground car parks in the city centre. There is a car park under the Silver Screen multiplex (also known as the Europlex building) on ulica Pulawska 17, with room for 270 cars. This parking entrance is directly around the corner on ulica Chocimska. There is also 24 hour parking around the Palace of Culture and Science. This is a very central car park and entrance is on ulica Marszalkowska, Aleje Jerozolimskie and ulica Emilii Plater (webite: www.pkin.pl/parking/). Parking Lotnisko offers 24 hour attended parking as well as free transfers to the airport should one be travelling by air. It’s a bit out of the way from the center, but your car will be guarded. Aleje Krakowska 42 (tel: (022) 886 6671; website: www.parking-lotnisko.pl/). Warsaw is the first European city where one can pay to park by using a mobile phone; each network provider has a specific number to call. Car Hire Drivers must be at least 23 years old and have a valid driver’s licence or an International Driving Permit. There is no mandatory insurance, although collision damage waiver is advised. The major car hire providers in Warsaw are Avis (tel: (022) 650 4872; website: www.avis.pl), Budget (tel: (022) 650 4062; website: www.budget.pl) and Hertz (tel: (022) 650 2896 or (0800) 143 789; website: www.hertz.pl). Prices for the international companies are quoted in Euros and range from ¬33-125 per day. Bicycle Hire Cycling in the city streets is not an ideal option, but Warsaw has some wonderful cycling paths connecting the city centre to both the northern and southern areas of the city along the Vistula. Bikes can be hired from Local-Rent-A-Car, ulica Marsza³kowska 140 (tel: (022) 826 7100; website: www.lrc.com.pl). Business Business Etiquette Letters of introduction are extremely useful for establishing contact with businesses in Poland. Presentations should be thoroughly prepared and, at a minimum, the executive summary should be translated. Decisions are often by committee, so negotiations may be protracted and a deal cannot be confirmed until all parties have signed. Until familiarity has been established, a person’s title and surname should be used when addressing them. Handshaking is customary and business cards (preferably translated) should be exchanged with all participants at a meeting. The dress code is, on the whole, sober and conservative. Breakfast meetings are rare, despite the fact that the business day begins early, although business lunches and dinners are popular. Government offices are open 0830-1630. Traditionally, offices in major industries were open 0700-1500, however, many have adopted Western business hours (0830-1700). Some businesses may open on Saturday morning. The end of Communism brought the careers of many Polish people to a premature end, as the older generation was thought to represent an outdated system and inflexible attitudes. Consequently, many of those holding high positions in Warsaw’s business world today are quite young. They are also more likely to speak English. Poles love to stay up late, talking and drinking and dinner invitations are likely. The person who issues the invitation is generally the one who pays the bill. It is important for visitors to make sure that if giving a gift of flowers, there should always be an odd number. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview For many people, the very symbol of the city is the voluminous Palace of Culture and Science, which was gifted to Warsaw by Stalin. The viewing deck on the 30th floor is accessible via express lifts and this is the best venue for visitors to get acquainted with the layout of the city. Sightseeing in Warsaw is generally concentrated on the left bank of the Vistula river. The UNESCO World Heritage Old Town is unmissable – quite literally, seeing as many of the city’s attractions and a whole host of cafés, bars and restaurants are located within its environs. The Old Town is both a physical and symbolic expression of the city’s spirit and determination to come back from the brink of annihilation at the end of World War II. Most visitors to Warsaw spend their first day strolling around the Old Town, where one can find the opulent and impressive Royal Castle, once home of the Polish kings. Outside the historic centre is Wilanow, a charming palace on a grand scale, which was modelled on Versailles. Warsaw boasts a number of green lungs and Lazienki Park is one of the most relaxing, with its Palace on the Water and boating lake. The city is also home to an impressive array of cultural attractions, with a string of museums, including the National Museum, Warsaw Rising Museum, Chopin Museum and the haunting Pawiak Museum, which was used as a prison under the Nazis. Tourist Information Punkt Informacji Turystycznej (Tourist Information Point) Central Railway Station, Aleje Jerozolimskie 54 Tel: (022) 9431. Fax: (022) 650 2231. E-mail: info@warsawtour.pl Website: www.warsawtour.pl Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000 (May-Sep); Daily 0900-1800 (Oct-Apr). Service is friendly, efficient, and the staff speak English. They can also make hotel reservations, and produce a weekly leaflet listing the latest on cultural events and activities for the week. There are two other tourist information points at the Okecie Airport arrivals hall and at Warsaw West coach station at aleje Jerozolimskie 144, and another one, soon to open at 36 Krakowskie Przedmiescie. A privately run Tourist Information Center, Plac Zamkowy 1/13 (tel: (022) 635 1881; website: www.wcit.waw.pl) offers guidebooks and guided tours in many languages for a fee. Passes The Warsaw Tourist Card can be purchased from tourist points and enables the cardholder to enjoy free city public transport and free or discounted entrance fees to many museums and select hotels. The cost is ZL35 for a day pass and ZL65 for a three-day pass. Key Attractions Zamek Krolewski (Royal Castle) Walking through the Royal Castle, one has to constantly remind oneself that most of it was reconstructed between 1971 and 1984, although the darker elements of the decor were actually salvaged from the ruins. The castle, located on a plateau overlooking the Vistula River, was built for the Dukes of Mazovia and expanded when King Zygmunt III Vasa moved the capital to Warsaw. From the early 17th until the late 18th century, this was the seat of the Polish kings. It subsequently housed the parliament and is now a museum displaying tapestries, period furniture, coffin portraits and collections of porcelain and other decorative arts. Work is underway to recreate the castle gardens, set on the slopes of the Vistula River, which were also badly scarred when the Nazis levelled the rest of the castle complex. Plac Zamkovy 4 (ticket office situated at ulica Swietojanska 2) Tel: (022) 657 2170. Website: www.zamek-krolewski.art.pl Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1800, Sun and Mon 1100-1800. Last visitors admitted an hour before closing. Admission charge. Lazienki Park In addition to a number of palaces, Lazienki Park contains the Chopin Monument – where the annual Chopin Festival is held each summer (free concert recitals in the park twice on Sunday from June – August) – and the Orangerie, set within extensive 18th-century gardens. Palac Na Wyspie (Palace on the Island) is best viewed from near the monument to Jan Sobiewski, on the bridge where ulica Agrykola crosses the water. Originally built in 1624, for King Zygmunt III Vasa, Zamek Ujazdowski (Ujazdowski Castle) now houses the Centre of Contemporary Art. The 1764 Palac Belweder (Belvedere Palace) was the residence of King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski and later of Poland’s 20th-century presidents. On warm summer days, rowing boats offer short cruises around the park’s lake. Cycling is banned in the park. Ulica Agrykola 1 Tel: (022) 621 8212/6241. Website: www.lazienki-krolewskie.com. Opening hours: Most museums closed on Mondays; 0900-1600; park open daily from 0800 until sunset. Free admission to the park; charge for Palace on the Water and for the Orangerie. Wilanow Palace In the mid-1600s, King Jan III Sobieski commissioned Augustyn Locci to build the Baroque palace and garden of Wilanow for his summer residence. Construction continued from 1677 until the king’s death in 1696. It remained popular with subsequent monarchs. Visitors can tour the interior and the gallery, which features portraits of famous Poles. Artistic handicrafts are on display in the Orangerie. Also here is the Muzeum Plakatu w Wilanowie (Poster Museum at Wilanow), the first of its kind in the world. Entrance to the palace requires a guide, for a group of one to 35 people, although the park is open to unaccompanied visitors. Restoration work, is ongoing but affects few visits. Ulica St Kostki-Potockiego 10/16 Tel: (022) 842 8101. Website: www.wilanow-palac.art.pl Opening hours: Palace open daily except Tuesdays, 0900-1600; Park open on Sunday until 1900 and Wed until 1800 from May-Sept; park open daily until sunset. Admission charge for both the park and the palace; free admission to the park on Thursdays. Pawiak Prison This eerie old prison symbolises the oppression that has haunted Varsovians over the last two centuries. Originally built in the 1830s, at the order of the ruling Czars, the prison incarcerated many victims of the Nazi reign of terror from 1939-1944, when it served as the largest political prison in Poland. A third of the estimated 100,000 detainees never made it out alive. The Nazis tried to dynamite the evidence of their crimes as they left but Pawiak is back as a museum and a testament to the city’s seemingly endless ability to suffer and survive. Ulica Dzielna 24/26 Tel: (022) 831 1317. Opening hours: Wed 0900-1700, Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 1000-1700, Sat 0900-1600, Sun 1000-1600. Free admission. Narodowe (National Museum) The National Museum’s impressive art collection dates from ancient times to the present day. Highlights include Jan Matejko’s monumental Battle of Grunwald, which celebrates the Polish victory over the Teutonic Knights in 1410, and a collection of Egyptian art, which is unique in Europe. Unusually, there are also galleries of Polish and European decorative arts. Frequent temporary exhibitions bring prized international works (from Andy Warhol to Caravaggio) to Warsaw. Aleje Jerozolimskie 3 Tel: (022) 621 1031. Website: www.mnw.art.pl Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun 1000-1600, Thurs 1000-1800. Closed Mon. Admission charge; free Sat. Katedra sw Jana (St John’s Cathedral) St John’s claims to be the oldest church in Warsaw. Although a major church in the Mazovian Gothic style, completed in the 15th century, St John’s was only upgraded from a parish church to a cathedral in 1798. Destroyed during World War II, is has been reconstructed in its original style and features major Gothic art works by Wit Stwosz. The cathedral was used in 1764, for the coronation of the last Polish king (Stanislaw II) and for the swearing in of the Sejm (Polish Parliament) after the constitution of 1791. The covered footbridge connecting it to the Royal Palace was the result of a failed assassination attempt on King Zygmunt III. Ulica Swietojanska 8 Tel. (022) 831 0289. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1400-1800 (cathedral); daily 1000-1300 and 1500-1730 (crypt). Admission charge for the crypt. Getto Zydowskie (Jewish Ghetto) What is markedly absent from Warsaw contributes as much to its history as anything that has been preserved or reconstructed. Pre-war Warsaw had a Jewish population second only to New York. After the Nazi invasion, some 400,000 Jews were rounded up and forced to stay in the Jewish ghetto. A 3m-high (10ft) wall encircled the area, from the Palace of Culture and Science to the Umschlagplatz monument, corner of ulica Stawki and ulica Dzika. This stark monument, erected in the late 1980s, marks the place from where Jews were despatched by train to the Treblinka concentration camp, following the Ghetto Uprising of 19 April 1943. The centre of the ghetto is marked by the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, ulica L Zamenhofa, which was erected on a sea of ruins in 1948. Other memorials are the Monument of the Killed and Murdered in the East, ulica Muranowska, and the 1944 Warsaw Uprising Monument, plac Krasinskich. Only three sections of the actual ghetto wall remain. You can pick up the ‘Jewish Warsaw’ leaflet from tourist centres; it highlights places of interest that connect to Jewish history. Notable points include: the Nozyk Synagogue, which is the only existing Warsaw synagogue to have survived the war, possibly because it was used as a Nazi warehouse; the Jewish Historical Institute, which includes artwork exhibits and library and photographic archives; and the Jewish Cemetery, founded in 1806 and still used. There are also plans for a brand new Jewish museum highlighting Jewish culture, which will be funded by Jewish groups around the world. Nozyk Synagogue Ulica Twarda 6 Tel: (022) 620 4324. Admission charge. Jewish Cemetery Ulica Okopowa 49/51 Jewish Historical Institute and Ronald S Lauder Foundation Genealogy Project Ulica Tlomackie 3/5 Tel: (022) 827 9221. Website: www.jewishinstitute.org.pl Opening hours: Mon-Wed; Fri 0900-1600; Thurs 1100-1800. Admission charge. Warsaw Rising Museum This is a must-see museum for those with any interest in history and tales of bravery. In order to get a taste of what life in Warsaw must have been like for all Poles during the Second World War, this new and thoroughly comprehensive museum shows examples of how residents resisted the German forces through film footage, photographs, recorded interviews, life-size dioramas, soundscapes and informative plaques, written in both Polish and English. Ulica Grzybowska 79 Tel: (022) 626 9506. Website: www.1944.pl Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun 1000-1800; Thurs 1000-2000. Closed Tues. Admission charge. Further Distractions Palac Kultury I Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science) Varsovians are somewhat divided when it comes to this marvel of Socialist Realism, for decades (at 231m, or 757ft) the tallest and largest building in Poland and a reminder of Stalin’s ambitions – it was a gift from him to the city, built between 1952-1955. The viewing platform on the 30th floor gives a terrific view over Warsaw. Besides offices, the building houses a concert hall, a cinema, an ice skating rink and a theatre. Ulica Emilii Plater Tel: (022) 656 7136. Website: www.pkin.pl Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800. Admission charge for the observation deck. Frederic Chopin Chopin only lived in Warsaw until he was 20 years old but he is an honoured Polish national. Chopin’s Parlour, in his family’s former home, is open to the public, while Chopin’s heart is interred in a pillar at the Church of the Holy Cross (Kosciol Znalezienia Swietego Krzyna) next door. His body, however, lies in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. There is also the Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina, located in Ostrogski Castle, with exhibits on the different phases of his life and career. Chopin’s Parlour Ulica Krakowskie Przedmiescie 5 Tel: (022) 320 0275. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1400. Free admission. Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina Ulica Okolnik 1 Tel: (022) 826 5935. Website: www.chopin.pl/zabytki/muzeum/muzeum-en.html Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 1000-1700, Thurs 1200-1800; Sat/Sun 1000-1400 (May-Sep); Mon-Wed, Fri/Sat 1000-1400; Thurs 1200-1800 (Oct-Apr). Admission charge. (Please note that this museum will be closed for refurbishment from July to Oct 2005) Tours of the City Walking Tours The Tourist Information Points (tel: (022) 9431; website: www.warsawtour.pl) have brochures and maps detailing the major tourist areas, useful for a self-guided tour. There are also helpful tourist-locator maps mounted at major intersections and in tourist areas. Trakt Guide Office (tel: (022) 827 8068; website: www.trakt.com.pl) offer personalised English-speaking tour guides. Bus Tours Mazurkas Travel (tel: (022) 635 6633; website: www.mazurkas.com.pl) and Polish Travel Quo Vadis (tel: (022) 322 8500; website: www.polishtravel.com.pl) offer half-day tours of the Old Town and Royal Route, with stops at Wilanow Palace or the Royal Castle. Pick up for both tours is from a variety of city hotels. The bus route no. 180 offers a cheap and pleasant unofficial sightseeing tour. Operating between Powazki Cemetary and Wilanow, the bus passes all the main monuments in Warsaw. The cost is the same as for a city transport ticket (see Public Transport in Getting Around). Boat Tours Have a pleasant, relaxing jaunt on the Vistula River between May and September with Vistula Boat Trips (tel: (022) 697 7810; website: www.zegluga-stoleczna.pl). Other Tours Visitors can take a trip around the Old Town in a horse-drawn hackney cab or dorozki. These are run by individuals, licensed by the city, and wait for passengers at the Old Town Square. The cost should be negotiated with the driver but will generally run to about Z50-80 for a one-hour ride. Excursions For a Half Day Kampinoski Park: There is plenty to see and do in the countryside surrounding Warsaw – a little further afield are areas of forests, lakes and mountains. The Kampinoski Park (website: www.mos.gov.pl/kzpn/en/kamp_gb.htm), with walking trails, education centre, and abundant wildlife, lies just to the northwest of the city and is easily accessible by PKS bus from Warsaw's main bus station, also known as Dworzec Zachodni on al Jerozolimskie 144 (tel:0300 300 130). It is the largest park adjacent to a city of more than a million inhabitants. One of its major features is its inland sand dunes that contrast with the peat bogs. The park is open from dawn to dusk and admission is free. Zelazowa Wola: Frederic Chopin was born here, 54km (34 miles) from the capital. A museum dedicated to his life and work is located in the manor house where he spent his first months. Polish Landscape (tel: (022) 824 3911; website: www.polish-landscape.pl) offers a day trip from the major hotels in Warsaw. This trip includes Nepokalanow, with its Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Nieborow Palace, and the typical Mazovian medieval village of Brochow, where Chopin’s parents were married. Mazurkas Travel (tel: (022) 635 6633; website: www.mazurkas.com.pl) offers an equivalent service. Zelazowa Wola is located inside Kampinoski Park and can be reached by bus from Dworzec Zachodni, Warsaw's main bus station, al Jerozolimskie 144 (tel: 0300 300 130). For a Whole Day Torun: This walled, medieval town on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites is often called the Copernician Town, because it was the birthplace of Mikolaj Kopernik (Copernicus). Its location on the banks of the Vistula River offers a popular place for people to promenade, and leads to the ruins of the 13th-century Castle of the Teutonic Knights. Regular boat tours operate on the river in summer. The city’s former wealth is expressed in the impressive Town Hall and parts of the Church of St John (where Copernicus was baptised and later taught) which date from the 13th century. The Gothic townhouse where Copernicus was born is located at ulica Kopernika 17. Torun is also famous for its gingerbread, still baked in medieval moulds according to a traditional recipe. The city is 200km (124 miles) from Warsaw and is reachable by train from Warsaw Centralna (journey time 3 hours) or by Polski Express bus, which departs every hour from the bus stop near Warsaw Centralna (journey time – 3 hours 40 minutes). Further information is provided by Torun Tourist Information Centre, Rynek Staromiejski 25, Torun (tel: (056) 621 0931; website: www.it.torun.pl). Sport Shopping The political transformations of 1989 were quickly reflected in the hundreds of new shops that sprang up all over Warsaw. Since then, shops have come and gone with surprising regularity, but there are some that have withstood the test of time. There are also licensed and illegal street vendors that offer wares ranging from cloth napkins, wooden sculptures, cookings pots and freshly picked mushrooms. The main shopping streets are the restored ulica Chmielna, elegant Nowy Swiat, ulica Marszalkowska and aleje Jerozolimskie. Shopping arcades, both in and outside of the city centre, have become very popular, including Galeria Centrum, ulica Marszalkowska 104/122 (website: www.galeriacentrum.com), and the newest and biggest shopping oasis in Warsaw, Arkadia, aleja Jana Pawla II 82 (website: www.arkadia.com.pl). These malls have both national and internationally known brands including H&M, Levi’s and Zara, and often house cinemas and restaurants. Probably the best spot in Warsaw for souvenir hunting is in the Old Town, among the colourful façades and artists’ stalls. The Cepelia stores are also worth a visit for Polish handicrafts such as lace, dolls, amber and silver jewellery and leather goods. To pick up some wonderful Boleslawiec pottery, visit the outlet on ulica Prosta 2/14 (tel: (022) 624 8408). Europe’s largest flea market (in the Praga district next to the Poniatowskiego Bridge) runs the entire circumference of Dziesieciolecia Stadium (the former national stadium). The variety of goods on offer is enormous, ranging from air guns and fur coats to (illegal) CDs, leather goods and trinkets from the former Soviet Union. It is worth visiting for the experience as much as for the goods on sale. There are also delicious refreshments on sale in little covered booths. Petty crime is rampant at the market, so care should be taken with all possessions and ostentatious displays of wealth avoided. The market opens at approximately 0600 daily (for the best buys, it is advisable for bargain hunters to arrive early) and begins to wind down at noon. Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 1000/1100-1800/2000 and Saturday 1000-1300/1600. In the past five years, 30 shopping centres and hypermarkets of all the major European chains have opened in Warsaw. Often open seven days a week, these are the best places to stock up on Polish staples – such as pickled herring, preserved meats and, last but not least, vodka. VAT is applied at rates of 3%, 7% and 22%, depending on the goods or services bought. Tax-free shopping is available to nonresidents of the EU if a minimum of ZL200 is spent in one transaction at participating outlets that will issue Global Refund Cheques. Cash refunds are given out at airports on presentation of the tax free documents (website: www.globalrefund.com). Culture The cultural scene in Warsaw was already strong before the fall of Communism but has diversified and opened up considerably ever since, although some state financed performers have suffered. Polish theatre is world-renowned and numerous companies are based in Warsaw. You’ll also find music, dance and modern art installations in many venues. There is a great sense of pride in Frederic Chopin in the Polish capital. Born in 1810, in nearby Zelazowa Wola, the musician moved shortly thereafter to Warsaw, where he remained until he left for Paris in 1830. The Grammy Award winner Krzysztof Penderecki had his debut during the Warsaw Autumn festival in 1959. Poland’s golden age, in terms of art and culture, undoubtedly was the Sarmatism (Polish Baroque) period from 1572 to 1764. The dress, sculpture and painting of the period reflect the lifestyle of the Polish nobility – familiar to most in the costume of the ‘Winged Hussars’. Warsaw has a number of world-class cultural institutions, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Theatre. The main cultural season runs from September to July, although there are often summer festivals featuring outdoor concerts held on the Old Town Square and in Warsaw’s parks. Jazz fans should look out for the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days (mid-June – July) and the Autumn Jazz Jamboree in October. The Warsaw Tourist Information Points have a useful weekly and annual online calendar of cultural events (website: www.warsawtour.pl). The Warsaw Voice (in English) includes a weekly listing of events, as does the monthly Warsaw Insider and the free What’s Up Warsaw. In addition to the venues themselves, tickets can often be purchased at the ZASP box office, aleje Jerozolimskie 25 (tel: (022) 621 9454), or at Empik Megastore, ulica Nowy Swiat 15/17 (tel: (022) 625 1219; website: www.empik.com). Music: The main orchestra in Warsaw is the Filharmonia Narodowa (National Philharmonic), also called the Warsaw Philharmonic (tel: (022) 551 7111; website: www.filharmonia.pl), ulica Sienkieicza 10. The company includes both symphonic and chamber players, with separate entrances for each hall – ulica Sienkiewicza 10 (symphony concerts) and ulica Moniuszki 5 (chamber concerts). Teatr Narodowy (National Theatre), plac Teatralny 1 (tel: (022) 692 0208; website: www.teatrwielki.pl), comprises the Teatr Wielki (Grand Theatre) and Opera Narodowa (National Opera) and was built between 1825-1833. Opera and ballet performances run most evenings during the season (Sep-May). Warszawska Opera Kameralna (Warsaw Chamber Opera), aleja Solidarnosci 76B (tel: (022) 831 2240; website: www.wok.pol.pl), performs at a variety of venues throughout Warsaw. Lighter music is offered at the popular Buffo Theatre, ulica Konopnickiej 6 (tel: (022) 625 4709; website: www.studiobuffo.com.pl), where anything from Elvis Presley to pre-war Polish movie songs and musicals are performed. Large-scale productions, such as Aïda, are held in the big Sala Moniuszki, in the National Theatre (see above), which has one of the largest stages in Europe. Theatre: The Roma Musical Theatre, ulica Nowogrodzka 49 (tel: (022) 628 0360; website: www.teatrroma.pl), stages productions of Broadway-type hits, folk music theatre and some matinees for children. The Teatr Zydowski (Jewish Theatre), plac Grzybowski 12/16 (tel: (022) 620 6281; website: www.teatr-zydowski.art.pl), is a full-time Yiddish-language theatre company. The Globe Theatre Group (tel: (022) 620 4429; website: www.globetheatre.art.pl) is Poland’s professional English-language theatre group. Dance: Ballet and modern dance performances are part of the National Theatre’s regular programme (see Music above). Film: Kanal (1956), directed by Andrzej Wajda, is based on the resistance movement and the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, when people used the sewers under the city to bypass the restrictions placed on them by the Nazi occupiers. A more modern vision of Warsaw, yet still set in communist times, is in Krzystof Kieslowski’s Dekalog (1987) and Three Colours: White (1994). There are more than a dozen cinemas in Warsaw, including Silver Screen, ulica Pulawska 19/21 (tel: (022) 852 8111; website: www.silverscreen.com.pl) and Cinema City Arkadia, aleja Jana Pawla 11 82 (tel: (022) 321 2121; website: www.cinema-city.pl). Almost all films are shown in the original language with Polish subtitles. Tickets cost from ZL15 to ZL25, with concessions for students and children. Listings can be found under ‘Kino’ in Friday’s Gazeta Wyborcza and online (website: www.gazeta.pl). Arthouse and Polish-language films with English subtitles can be seen at the Rejs cinema, behind the Kultura cinema at Krakowskie Przedmiescie 21/23 (tel: (022) 826 3335), and the Muranow, ulica Gen. Andersa 1 (tel: (022) 831 0358). Literary Notes: Romanticism is evident in the works of Adam Mickiewicz, whose epic poem Pan Tadeusz (1834) is a masterpiece of Polish literature. Teodor Josef Konrad Korzeniowski (Joseph Conrad) is another famous Warsaw-born writer, although he emigrated and wrote in English. Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1905, while Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont, who lived in Warsaw for a time, received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1924. His epic novel, The Peasants (1924), documents the life and rituals of a small peasant village in Poland. His grave may be visited in the Avenue of Merit (the resting place of Warsaw’s renowned literary and artistic figures) in the beautiful Old Powazki Cemetary, established in 1790. The poet Czeslaw Milosz lived in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation and Isaac Bashevis Singer spent his childhood and the start of his writing career in Warsaw. His recording of Polish-Jewish culture in his epic family chronicles earned him a Nobel Prize in 1978. More recently, Wislawa Szymborska won the Nobel Prize in 1996; she has published 16 collections of poetry. Nightlife Warsaw has hosted dingy to modest bars to outrageous clubs and pubs. Some have closed as quickly as fads change and others have built enough of a reputation to weather the fickle tastes of those on the scene. It’s comforting to know that no matter what your style, Warsaw does have a night spot to suit your needs. The ‘hipper’ places are either truly worth visiting or too full of bravado, velvet ropes and bouncers with no necks. Posing comes in high doses in many places, so be prepared to see lots of well (or barely) dressed women, and men in shirts and shoes. Trainers and jeans are often frowned at, but, once again, it all depends where you go. Big name DJs do make their way to Warsaw, and in the summer, many night spots offer outdoor drinking areas. Non-smokers should be aware that clubs can get particularly fumy. There are no licensing hours and many bars and clubs stay open until the last guest leaves. The minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18 years. A beer costs around ZL7-12, while spirits can be anything from ZL12 upwards. Admission to clubs tends to cost between ZL10-40. Door staff often insist that all coats and bags be left in club cloakrooms – for a fee of course. A good source of information on cafés, pubs and clubs is Warsaw Insider, which has a monthly printed version as well as a website (www.warsawinsider.pl). Bars: Warsaw offers everything from spit and sawdust drinking dens, right through to ultra hip lounge-style bars with a myriad of cocktails and live DJs. Foksal 19, ulica Foksal 19, is a bit full of itself, but it attracts an appreciative late-20 and 30-something crowd, keen to see and be seen on either of the two floors that it occupies. Dance music on the second floor, cocktails and posing on the first. You can enjoy cocktails in a cool but forgiving atmosphere at Paparazzi, ulica Mazowiecka 12, or focus on wine instead at Vinoteka ‘La Bodega’, ulica Mokotowska 64. For a little less perceived refinement and more of a focus on comraderie and beer, try Lolek, ulica Rokitnicka 20 @Pole Mokotowskie, which features an outdoor grill and live music, or the Cork Irish Pub, aleje Niepodleglosci 19, where the screen TV is almost as important as a pint of Guinness on a sports day. Casinos: Warsaw’s casinos have a fairly strict dress code of jacket and tie and passports are required – over 18 years only. Many of the major hotels have some type of casino, including the Marriott, aleje Jerozolimskie 65/69, the Hyatt Regency, aleja Belwederska 23, and the Sofitel Victoria, ulica Krolewska 11. Clubs: As varied as the bar scene, the late night Warsaw clubs cater to the commercial music lovers, kitsch 70s and 80s evenings as well as hard core electronica and trance. For a decent, no-frills retro boogie try Club 70, ulica Walicow 9 (website: www.club70.pl). Wear a pair of flares and don an afro and you’ll be the belle of the dance floor; young, boisterous crowd. ‘Mainstream’ aptly describes Ground Zero, ulica Wspolna 62 (website: www.groundzero.pl), a cavernous space that has hosted a variety of Warsaw club goers for years. The place to find DJs and an edge are at Piekarnia, ulica Mlocinska 11 (website: www.piekarnia.art.pl) and Luztro, aleje Jerozolimskie 6 (website: www.luztro.pl), which is best on weekends and is also gay-friendly. Finally for a mixture of absurd, hip and avant-garde music, performances and clientele, try Le Madame, ulica Kozla 12 (website: www.lemadame.info). Live Music: When the big names in rock and pop hit town, they often perform at either Gwardia Stadium, ulica Raclawicka 13 or Tor Stegny, ulica Inspektowa 1. The big jazz names tend to be billed in the Sala Kongresowa (bottom of Palace of Culture and Science). For a taste of live music around town on any given night, you might get lucky at Dekada, ulica Grojecka 19/25 (website: www.dekada.pl). It hosts live rock/pop bands in a setting of 1960s and 50s Americana. Jazz, in a more upscale environment can be found at the new Bojangles Club inside the refurbished Polonia Palace Hotel, aleje Jerozolimskie 45. You might get lucky at Harenda, ulica Krakowskie Przedmiescie 4/6 (website: www.harenda.pl) with jazz in the basement. Tygmont, ulica Mazowiecka 6/8 (website: www.tygmont.com.pl) showcases new talent and experimental material and its slightly seedy, cellar bar ambience is the perfect venue for jazz. Fashionable venues for domestic rock and lesser-known foreign bands include nightclubs Stodola, ulica Batorego 10, and the vast Proxima, ulica Zwirki I Wigury 99A. City Statistics Location: Mazowieckie province, east-central Poland. Country dialling code: 48. Population: 1,692,800 (city); 2,200,000 (metropolitan area). Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard. Average January temp: -5°C (23°F). Average July temp: 19°C (66°F). Annual Rainfall: 617mm (24 inches). Annual Snowfall: 155mm (6 inches). Special Events International Computer Expo, trade fair, Jan, Palace of Culture and Science Warsaw Theatre Meetings, Jan, various venues ‘Fat Thursday’, everyone purchases paczki (jelly-filled doughnut-like pastries) to achieve a better social standing or to absolve past sins, Feb, throughout the city Warsaw Theatre Meetings, Mar, various venues Shrovetide, a festive, pre-Lent carnival season week filled with music and dancing, Mar, various venues Topienie Marzanny (Drowning of Marzanna), celebrating the end of winter by drowning the witch Marzanna, 21 Mar, Wisla River Pryma Aprylis (April Fools’ Day), 1 Apr, throughout the city Niedziela Palmowa (Palm Sunday), blessing of floral bouquets and processions, late Mar/early Apr, throughout the city Easter Sunday, dawn Mass and processions followed by an Easter breakfast, Easter Sunday, late Mar/early Apr, throughout the city Labour Day, 1 May, throughout the city Constitution Day, 3 May, throughout the city Slaska Noc Swietojanska (Midsummer’s Eve), wreathes with candles on the Wisla River, ending with fireworks, 21 Jun, Wisla River Chopin Music Summer Concerts, Jun-Aug, Sun 1200 and 1600, Royal Garden, Lazienki Park Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, Jun-Jul, various venues Open Air Jazz Festival in the Old Town, Jul-Aug, free concerts in the Old Town Square Anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, 1 Aug, throughout the city Assumption of the Virgin Mary, pilgrimage to the Black Madonna, 15 Aug, Czestochowa Warsaw Autumn, international contemporary music festival, Sep, various venues Warsaw Autumn of Poetry, Oct, various venues Warsaw Film Festival, throughout Oct, various cinemas Jazz Jamboree Music Festival, throughout Oct, various venues Warsaw Theatrical Encounters, Nov, various venues All Saints’ Day, ‘Feast of the Dead’, 1 Nov, throughout the city, especially the cemeteries Independence Day, 11 Nov, throughout the city Independence Day Race, 11 Nov, throughout the city Christmas Fairs, throughout Dec, especially plac Defilad, in front of the Palace of Culture and Science, and plac Zamkovy Sylwester, New Year’s Eve celebrations, 31 Dec, throughout the city Cost of Living 1 Polish Zloty (ZL) = £0.17; US$0.30; C$0.36; A$0.40; ¬0.26 Currency conversion rates as of October 2005 |
