Warsaw has had a Cinderella transformation in the last 20 years. It is now contemporary, trendy and stands tall as a beacon of progress in Europe.
April, 2003. I’ve just experienced the excitement of what was then the border-controlled German and Polish railway crossing, where a stern German policeman stamped my passport out and an equally stern Polish soldier stamped my passport in.
Poland had just joined the European Union and was still finding its ground within this complex political and economic membership. Cities like Krakow mostly relied on the Holocaust tourism of Auschwitz-Birkenau, but Warsaw was still a little too dusty, a little too grey.
In the past 20 years, Warsaw has had a Cinderella transformation. Gone is the burnt-oats “coffee” in paper cups and in came cappuccinos and flat whites. Tired underground clothing stores are now towered over by shopping malls with multinational brands. Skyscrapers sporting blue-tinted glass pose a modern contrast next to the Palace of Culture and Science, which has well and truly lost its status as the tallest building in town. Nowy Świat, Warsaw’s ancient thoroughfare, is no longer choked with traffic and diesel fumes. It’s a melting pot of new cultures, where you can now find Polish pierogi (dumpling) houses next to sushi restaurants, and old-school underground beer salons rubbing shoulders with the up-market cocktail bars next door.
The city from my first visit is now contemporary and trendy. Even with a war waging in neighbouring Ukraine, Warsaw stands tall as a beacon of progress, and there’s a multitude of reasons to put Warsaw on your next European itinerary.
Any visitor to Warsaw will be captivated by the colours of the Old Town, a World Heritage site.
A phoenix reborn
Any visitor to Warsaw will be captivated by the colours of the Old Town, a World Heritage site, and be surprised by how well organised and new it looks. The houses look freshly painted, and the cobbled streets are paved into modern patterns. But 90 per cent of this historic centre was intentionally reduced to ruins during the Warsaw Uprising as a show of might from Nazi Germany. The current Old Town is the result of an ambitious attempt to rebuild, based on a town plan laid out between the 14th and 18th centuries. Brick by brick, cobble by cobble, the “new” web of medieval streets link the castle to the square, now lined with museums, cafes, restaurants and hotels.
“Warsaw after WWII was like a phoenix reborn from the ashes,” says Renata Kopczewska, city tour guide with Tours by Locals. Warsaw born and bred, she is passionate about showing visitors why her city is so special.
Outside the Old Town, you are never far from Warsaw’s modern history. The imposing Palace of Culture and Science, the Soviet “wedding cake”, once dominated the city’s skyline. It’s where, on my first visit, I celebrated my 23rd birthday, feeling like we were the only tourists in town. Today, the palace has a new life as a multipurpose venue with a museum, cinema, exhibition and education spaces, as well as an apiary of resident bees that produces limited city honey. A tour of its administration floors gives you an insight into government and life during the Soviet era.
“We don’t hide the relics of the Communist post-war era, just the opposite, though there’s no reason to boast or to be proud of,” Renata says. What happened in history, happened. Showing and repurposing structural reminders of the past is one way Warsaw is educating for the future. Renata recommends spending a day visiting some of the great museums in Warsaw, in particular POLIN, Museum of the History of Polish Jews which documents the lives of the Jewish communities in Warsaw before World War II.
Classical music fans should stop by the Museum of Fryderyk Chopin.
Culture, past and present
Warsaw has been through many rebirths and the city continues to surprise me. Areas around the Palace of Culture are currently being developed into a cultural centre, with the construction of a new Museum of Modern Art. Across the river from the city centre, the district of Praga is another surprising find.
Once considered dangerous, Praga is now the alternative side of Warsaw. There are quirky bars and warehouse-converted venues. Visit the Polish Vodka Museum for a little tasting before heading to the Neon Museum, which exhibits Polish and Eastern Bloc neon-light advertisements created after World War II.
Back across the river, classical music fans should stop by the Museum of Fryderyk Chopin, and look out for Chopin’s Benches where you can sit and listen to his works while taking a break. The more devoted can go to the Holy Cross Church where his heart is interred in a pillar.
“We love our past, but we also create the present,” Renata says. “Old collapsed factories are turning into modern centres of various eateries, clubs accompanied by apartment buildings, and interesting museums.”
My favourite place on the river for contemplation is under the statue of the mermaid armed with a sword and shield, at the base of Świętokrzyski Bridge.
The wild side
For those looking for quiet walks and fresh air, the Vistula River, once a forgotten waste land and construction rubbish dump, has become a romantic place for a stroll or ride, thanks to a cycling and walking path all the way from the south to the north of the city. It’s surprisingly rich in birdlife. I saw herons and groups of cormorants dry their feathers on the sandbanks. Local birdwatchers have told me kingfishers make an occasional appearance, too.
My favourite place on the river for contemplation is under the statue of the mermaid armed with a sword and shield, the symbol of Warsaw, at the base of Świętokrzyski Bridge. The story goes that a fisherman once saved a mermaid from imprisonment, and the grateful mermaid pledged to forever guard what was once this village.
As you wander, also look out for the stone bear in front of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace, the golden duck of Ostrogski Castle and the tale of a boy named Wars, and a girl named Sawa whose story is behind Warsaw’s Polish name Warszawa.
It was personal connections that took me to Warsaw in the first place and the energy of the city that keeps me going back, where I rediscovered a place well deserving of its new European Best Destinations 2023.
Source : Escape
Add Comment