Located on the banks of the Vistula River, Warsaw is a city of contrasts where older buildings or communist blocks stand in the shadow of glass skyscrapers and where the colorful houses in the old center seem to be taken from fairy tales.
Although it cannot be compared to London or Paris, Warsaw has a special charm and I strongly believe that it deserves to be counted among the most beautiful European capitals.
The month of November began with a vacation in the far too cold Warsaw. Our first shock, in addition to the harsh wind and low temperatures, was the time at which the sun set, so at 4:00 PM it was dark outside. We knew that it would get dark earlier, but not that early. However, we tried to enjoy as much as possible what the city has to offer.
Accommodation is much cheaper in Warsaw than in destinations like Rome or Barcelona. We stayed at the Ibis Centre hotel, which is a pretty reasonable option. Despite the name centrum, the hotel is located quite far from the historic center of Warsaw, about a 40-minute walk away.
Public transport seems to be quite well-developed. There are also two metro lines in Warsaw that cross the most important areas of the city. The price of a ticket valid for 20 minutes costs 3.40 zł, and the one valid for 24 hours costs 15 zł. Taxi fares vary between 1 and 2.40 zł per km, with the mention that the starting fee costs 8 zł.
For us, Warsaw was more of a short weekend getaway, with only a day and a half to visit everything that was most important.
We started our Saturday with a walk in the historic center where each building seems to tell its own story through colors. Arriving there, it's like entering a labyrinth from which you never want to leave. This area is living proof that Warsaw was reborn like a phoenix, as all the buildings were rebuilt a few decades ago.
The meeting place for everyone is the central square in the middle of which stands the famous statue of the mermaid. She is considered the protector of the city and is represented as carrying a shield and a sword.
The Royal Palace is another emblematic monument for Warsaw. It dates back to the 14th century and was the residence of the Polish kings, later the palace became the residence of the president and the place where the Parliament worked. The building was rebuilt with great financial efforts in the period 1971-1984.
The so-called "royal road" starts from the palace, which measures 11 km and will take you to Lazienki Park.
Lazienki Park is the largest park in Warsaw, spread over an area of 74 hectares. The park dates back to the 17th century, its name meaning "bath". The name comes from the main attraction of the park, namely the Lazienki Palace, which, initially, had the purpose of a private bath for one of the richest Poles of that period.
The most representative monument of the city is the Palace of Culture. The approximately 230-meter-high building was a gift from Stalin from the USSR. It is said that to realize this construction, Stalin sent a secret delegation to New York with the aim of learning about how the Americans build their impressive buildings.
As I said, at the opposite end of the older buildings are a bunch of modern constructions, like that wavy glass roof that houses a shopping mall.
The Warsaw Uprising during World War II remains the most important operation carried out in the territory. The goal of this operation was to liberate the capital from the occupation of the Nazi Army before the Red Army entered the city. What was originally supposed to last only 48 hours extended to 63 days until the Nazi troops retreated. Statistics say that the approximate number of people who died in those days was 200,000.
Uprising Museum or Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego was inaugurated 60 years after the uprising with the aim of commemorating all those who fought for the liberation of the capital.
The price of an entrance ticket is 20 zł.