Welcome to my blog and Poland!

If you reading this - probably you'll be my guest from the Couchsurfing. I've prepared this website especially for you, so I hope you will at least look through this.

I hosted many people in Warsaw, even before when I became member of the Couchsurfing.
I know from my experience how to quickly and efficiently show the city of Warsaw. For me sightseeing it's not only taking pictures and drinking beer - I also like to know the story of the city and crucial moments in it's history. I would like to present you Warsaw in few steps in order to understand this city.

How to understand Warsaw - 5 steps.
Bonus 1 - What's more in Poland
Bonus 2 - How to get to Cracow from Warsaw
Bonus 3 - Animated History of Poland

Welcome to Warsaw and Poland!

Warsaw's coat of arms

Official Polish flag is without the White Eagle on it.

1 step - Warsaw up to 1939

Some facts:

9th century - first fortified settlements on area of today Warsaw were founded

1596 - Warsaw became the capital of Poland, when King Sigismund III Vasa moved the court from Kraków

Wilanow Palace - constructed between 1677-1696

1795-1918 - Warsaw under occupation of Prussia and Imperial Russia

1918-1939 - Warsaw capital of the Second Polish Republic

Watch Warsaw in 1935 soon: http://www.warsaw1935.com/

Trailer: (polish version)

2 step - 1939-1944

1st September 1939 - Germans attacked Poland from the West - this date is known as 1st day of the II World War

17th September 1939 - Soviet Union attacked Poland from the East

6th October 1939 - Poland defeated and Warsaw was under German occupation up to the end of the war

between October and November 16, 1940 - Germans established The Warsaw Ghetto (the largest of all Jewish ghettos in Germans-occupied Europe during World War II)

19 April 1943 – 16 May 1943 - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Find out about: Irena Sendler, who saved 2500! Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler



and watch this:

Since 2007 personally I do not recognize Nobel Peace Prize, even though I visited Nobel Peace Center in 2010 in Oslo. The Board is not trustworthy anymore:(

I recommend you watch the movie: "The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler" before visitng Warsaw.

Trailer:

3 step Warsaw Uprising

1st August 1944 - Warsaw Uprising began in order to liberate Warsaw from Germans and don't allow Soviet Union establish communism in Poland

Warsaw Uprising and Warsaw Ghetto Uprising they were 2 different events, Warsaw Uprising was general in 1944, Warsaw Ghetto Uprising only in the Jewish Ghetto in 1943! 

2 October 1944 - Warsaw Uprising collapsed, Germans completely destroyed the city

Warsaw Uprising was crucial for the history of Poland and Warsaw:

1. Warsaw was completely demolished by Germans.
2. Soviet Union infected communism in Poland for 44 years (1945-1989)

In order to understand Warsaw Uprising I recommend you watch the movie of Roman Polanski - "The Pianist" - 3x Oscar winner at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003 for the:
Best Actor
Best Director
Best Adapted Screenplay

Watch this touching speech of Adrien Brody while Ceremony! (from 3:30)

"The Pianist" trailer

In Warsaw one of the points you must see is: Warsaw Uprising Museum:

http://www.1944.pl/en/

Once a year on august 1st, the people of Warsaw pay hommage to the fallen heroes that fought for freedom in 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising. 

Swedish Band Sabaton recorded song about Warsaw Uprising:

4 step - after WW II

After when Warsaw Uprising collapsed in 1944 city of Warsaw was completely demolished:

In Warsaw Uprising Museum you can watch 3d movie: "City of Ruins" just for 2zł.

Here is HD version from youtube

On Sundays Warsaw Uprising Museum admission is free, normally 14-20zł.

Conclusion:

WARSAW CITY = WAR SAW CITY

From 1945 up to 1989 Poland was under Soviet occupation:

In post-war times many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form.

 In 1980, Warsaw's historic Old Town was inscribed onto UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Warsaw after World War II was rebuilt according to the socialist realism (Socrealism). Socrealism determined style of Warsaw for long years. The best examples of this style is: Palace of Culture and Science in the very center of Warsaw - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science

and Constitution Square - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsza%C5%82kowska_Dzielnica_Mieszkaniowa

In 1989 Communism collapsed and in Warsaw new architecture started to be constructed.

Examples of the modern buidlings:

New buildings in the centre of Warsaw after 1989

Night skyline

5 step - Summary

As you know from this blog history of Warsaw is turbulent and full of dramatic moments.

You will not see the city from 1935:(

You will see the city which consists of:

-restored pre-war architecture

-socrealism architecture

-modern architecture

Probably Warsaw seems to be chaotic and disorganized a bit, but rapidly growing.

Old and New

Briefly, what I recommend to see in Warsaw:

Name of the place	Website	Prices	Discounts/Info
Warsaw Uprising Museum	http://www.1944.pl/en/	tickets: individual – 14.00 PLN; discounted – 10.00 PLN; group with guide – 7.00 PLN per person	Free admission - Sunday
Warsaw Old Town	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Old_Town
Royal Route	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Route,_Warsaw
Łazienki Królewskie Park	http://www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl/en,home.html	Depends on the exhibition – check the website before
Palace of Culture and Science	http://www.pkin.pl/en/oferta-pkin/taras-widokowy-xxx-tka/	Tickets: adult PLN 20 zł; students PLN 15 zł; groups PLN 12 zł;	Night tickets offered on Fridays and Saturdays from 20:00 – 23:30 sold at 15 zł
Wilanów Palace and Park	http://www.wilanow-palac.pl/entrance_fees.html	regular ticket 20 PLN discount ticket 15 PLN	Free admission - Sunday
Chopin Museum	http://chopin.museum/en/information/visitors/id/222	Normal ticket – 22zł Reduced ticket - 13zł	Tuesday – admission free – check the website before!
Maria Sklodowska-Curie Museum	http://muzeum-msc.pl/en	normal tickets 11 zł reduced tickets 6 zł
University of Warsaw Library	http://www.buw.uw.edu.pl/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=286&Itemid=91
Copernicus Science Centre	http://www.kopernik.org.pl/en/	Normal ticket – 22zł Reduced ticket - 16zł
Multimedia Fountain Park	http://warsawtour.pl/en/tourist-attractions/multimedia-fountain-park-multimedialny-park-fontann-161002.html	http://www.ztp.waw.pl/informacje/multimedialny-park-fontann/filmy-z-pokazow/

Movies  I recommend to watch before visitng Warsaw:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Courageous_Heart_of_Irena_Sendler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pianist_(2002_film)

2-3 days in Warsaw is enough to see all the the most important places.

Bonus 1 - What's more in Poland ?

If you will be in Poland you will probably ask me what to see apart from Warsaw.

Feel Invited!

In my opinion place worth to see in Poland:

1. Cracow area (check Bonus 2)
2. Gdansk area
3. Wroclaw area
4. Poznan area
5. Torun and surroundings
6. Malbork Castle
7. Masuria Lake District
8. Tatra Mountains and Zakopane
9. Bialowieza National Park

I hope hosts in this places will help you and welcome you warm. Watch this short positive movies:)

Nature:

Cities:

Active:

Bonus 2 Cracow

Cracow is the most touristic city in Poland, every year is visited by more than 10milions toursits. Cracow is the most important place to see in Poland.

From Warsaw to Cracow you can go by:

Plane:
Lot Polish Airlines - 1hour, first minute price - ca. 100zł (few months before)

website: www.lot.pl





Coach:
Polskibus, 5hours, first minute from 2zł, one day before - 35zł

website: Polskibus.com






Train:

PKP, 2h 45min - up to 6 hours (depends on the train), prices 25-100zł, depends on the discount and promo

website: http://rozklad-pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en?





Hitchhike:

average - 5-7hours, usually free

website: http://hitchwiki.org/en/Warsaw

Bonus 3 - Animated Polish History

Last bonus is Animated Polish history:

Enjoy!

and see you in Warsaw