10 things you’ll love in Warsaw

Leggi in italiano

Warsaw was a surprise, but since my attitude to the surprise is not exactly an objective reference point, let’s try to outline what aspects of the this city would surprise anyone for their beauty and uniqueness, surprise indicators applicable to all, even to the coldest minds and less subject to easy enthusiasm like me.

I must say that anytime I think about Warsaw, Adinsell’s Warsaw Concert comes to my mind; this magic has been happening since the moment I booked my fligh!
Music is one of the city traits.

But let’s start from the more ‘trivial’ reason why you’ll love Warsaw:

The old town (Stare Miasto)

Unesco Heritage site since 1980, it is good to know that it was almost completely rebuilt after the German occupation and particularly after the Warsaw Uprising, one of the longest civil resistences in the world civil resistances history, the longest of the Second World War. Polish people awaited the arrival of the Russians to set them free from the nazi occupation, but they had decided to abandon them to their fate devoted to more profitable war fronts. (WWII shows us the unclear and shaded differences between warriors and caporals).

The reconstruction was made with the original materials, as long as not totally devastated. The reconstrucion project followed the eighteenth century paintings by Bernardo Bellotto and by drawings of architecture students.

Now it is a colorful village that tightens around the ancient city walls, dating back to 1400.

Rynek Starego Miasta Magic

Meeting place, weekly markets and daily exhibitions of street art.
This is a crossroad where indispensable workers for the good and the civic health meet, specifically: jugglers, soap bubblers, accordion players, puppeteers.

Here, in the presence of public and private houses and colored buildings, one of the warriors sirens reigns.

The warrior sirens 

I have already described in a previous article who is the Warrior Siren of Warsaw and the reason why she has definitely kidnapped my imaginary and turned it upside down.
Beyond the narrative concept of martial and austere Siren defending the city that is one of the most fascinating local mythological story I’ve ever experienced, the activities to go in search of sirens throughout the city, (shop signs, sidewalks, trams and light poles) is very funny, also because you may also run into real works of art.

Złote Tarasy Shopping Mall 

If an anti-shopping and anti-mall woman like me heartily suggests you to visit a shopping mall and adds it to a list of things to see and to love, there must be more than one reason.

Złote Tarasy rises as the water waves, embracing the central station.
Inside you can walk for hours and shopping can also take a second place while you observe the light and  coming from the glass roofs, water games of fountains and the structures built in wood and wrought iron which are the niche of several shops.

This place is a social demonstration that a Mall and a supermarket can be beautiful, and not just a aesthetically & socially detrimental squared box.

The Culture Palace

Next to the station and then to the Złote Tarasy, you can see the  immense palace of culture and science. Well, I must say that when it comes to culture, museums and science, the city of Copernicus and Marie Curie has nothing to envy and much to teach to many other European capitals.

Said that, this 42 floors building has a sad history, related to the madness of the Soviet Communist regime that built it in 1955 letting hundreds of workers die on the site during the construcion. So that after the fall of the Soviet Union, they wanted to demolish it, but the City of Warsaw then decided, in the face of an undeniable beauty, to use it as a place of civic and cultural use and aggregation. Inside there is everything: cinema, a theater, civic rooms for exhibitions, concerts and more.

City Panoramic view

They say that from the top floor of the Culture and Science Palace in Warsaw you can see the whole city and that the view is breathtaking.
But, I thought … what if I wanted to see in this breathtaking panorama ALSO the Culture and Science palace? Then I decided to have a glass of white wine in the Marriott’s lounge, fortieth floor, facing the palace.
The view is definitely worth it, the wine is not. Little choice, poor quality, high price.

Łazienki Park + the theatre.  

The beautiful Łazienki Park occupies 76 hectares and is the largest in the city. Its oldest sections are in Baroque style but they were amended subsequently with more styles.
Waterways, botanical sections with plants from all over the world (including the beautiful Chinese garden) and, the most fascinating thing in my opinion, an open air theater in greek style.
The stage and the audience gathered in a typical shell structure are divided by a part of the lake, creating strange light games in outdoor summer performances. But here comes another point of the local amazing beauty.

Open air free concerts

In the summer, Warsaw starts the outdoor concert season.
From May to September, in Łazienki Park, in the square in front of the statue of Chopin (another illustrious citizen) classical concerts are held, starting at 16:00.

Multimedia Fountain Park 

The Multimedia Fountain Park is close to the old town, at the bottom that runs alongside.
367 fountains that spew jets of water to the rhythm of music and choreography in the green, with 300 led lights and laser projectors that create light designs suspended in the air and in the water (including that of the mermaid! <3).

This show is held only on Friday and Saturday evening in August, September and October. Mut you know, magic can’t happen every day.