Warsaw for explorers

Warsaw for explorers

WARSAW MERMAIDS Top left Old Town Square Top middle Markiewicz overpass Top right Near Świętokrzyski Bridge Every child in Poland knows that the figure on Warsaw s coat of arms is a mermaid. There was a time when the whole country was very familiar with Ludwika Nitschowa s mermaid statue which stands next to Świętokrzyski Bridge as a picture of his sculpture was the backdrop for the official Polish Television station. Ludwika Nitschowa s mermaid model was Girl Scout and poet Krystyna Krahelska; she wrote the words of many famous songs during the period of the Warsaw Uprising, including her best-known lyrics: Hey boys, a bayonet on a gun. Before the Świętokrzyski Bridge was built, the temporary Mermaid Bridge stood in its spot. A copy of yet another famous mermaid statue, carved in the 19th century by Konstantin Hegel, stands in the Old Town Square (Rynek Starego Miasta). The original is in the Historical Museum of Warsaw, which is located in one of the Old Town Squares surrounding buildings. A huge sandstone statue of the mermaid, carved in an Art Nouveau style, is located on the Markiewicz viaduct, which acts as an extension of Karowa Street. In 1905, it was cast in zinc by Jan Woydyga. How many mermaids in total there are in Warsaw is anybody s guess, as nobody has ever counted them all. The Old Town is full of them. They are on embankments, and in greenery or placed on wind roses. Municipal buildings are decorated with mermaids, as are the areas around the old tram depot on Przyokopowa Street, The Warsaw Rising Museum, Poniatowski Bridge, Gwardii Hall and The Królikarnia, just to mention a few. A truly unique and one-of-a-kind of mermaid faces the entrance to the Museum of Technology (at the Palace of Culture and Science).

K ANONIA (canon s house) Small square behind St. John s Cathedral In the Middle Ages this was a churchyard cemetery, which was liquidated in the late 18th century. In 1944, like the whole of the Old City, the canon s buildings lay in ruins. Among the restored buildings, Canon s House is distinguished by its narrow front facing the square, which is the width of a single window. From the side of the Vistula River, the house is actually much wider, because the land on which it stands is shaped like a triangle, not a rectangle. Like in Amsterdam, this was a clever trick to avoid paying tax, as in olden times, the amount of land tax to be paid depended on the width of the external façade. The bell in the square was cast over forty years ago in Daniel Thym s studio; the statue of King Zygmunt III Waza, which stands aloft on a column in Zamkowy Square, is also Thym s work. The nearby Dawna Street is a charming old cobbled street with an arched passageway connecting the buildings on its opposite sides. At Canon s House one may also find Warsaw s oldest stone tablet marking the name of the street itself: ulica Kanonia. The bell at Kanonia

Gnojna Mountain G NOJNA MOUNTAIN Escarpment Today, this mountain is a vantage point from which you can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Praga and the Vistula River valley. But nearly 400 years ago, it was a garbage dump which, by the end of the 17th century, had reached the size of a mountain and the stench became unbearable. An additional problem caused by the garbage landfill was the milling rats. Finally, to deal with these problems, the King issued a decree which resulted in the destruction of the landfill. Sadly, at the time some waste flowed into the Vistula River, which ran much closer to the base of the mountain than it does today. Before the Vistula s position and flow were changed, ships could come almost right up to the houses which today stand on Brzozowa Street, which marks the beginning of the Gnojna Mountain. Many years ago, many buildings on Brzozowa Street served as storehouses for grain.

Gand Bielany AS LAMPS Along Agrykola ulica Agrykola In Warsaw, there are over 150 active gas lanterns, all of which are ignited by hand by the lighthouse keepers just before dusk, and then extinguished by hand at dawn. The best-known lamps stand on Agrykola Street, which runs along Łazienki Park. There is also a large concentration of gas lamps numbering well into the dozens in Bielany, especially along the following streets: Płatnicza, Granowska, Szaflarska and Cegłowska, as well as in the area of Konfederacji Square. In the Powiśle region, many may be found along Jezierskiego Street, and in Sadyba, they stand along Orężna, Kąkolewska, Godebskiego and Jodłowa Streets. A very notable single lamp stands in the New Town directly in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, on Srebrna Street near the Wola Museum and at the crossroads of Szucha Street and Emila Zoli Street.

ARSAW S MERIDIAN Plac Teatralny W(Theatre Square) Top Plac Teatralny A curiosity is to be found at Teatralny Square: here is a symbol of the meridian of 21 00 in an Eastern longitude running through Warsaw. This designated line connects the clock tower on Jabłonowski Palace to the huge pillar standing in the parking lot in front of the National Opera. Although it is surrounded by an intricate metal fence, you need to truly keep an eye out for it, as it is often obscured by parked cars. Since Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is fixed relative to the zero meridian passing through Greenwich, local time is then determined in each country s capital. The time difference, for example, between Warsaw and Paris is therefore one hour and fourteen minutes. Teatralny Square takes its name from the monumental Grand Theatre (Teatr Wielki), which houses both the National Opera and the National Theatre.

FOTOPLASTIKON Aleje Jerozolimskie 51 Built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a Fotoplastikon was a popular device that allowed viewers to watch changing three-dimensional images. The Warsaw Fotoplasikon is unique because it is one of the very few in the world and it stands in its oryginal spot. With only a few breaks due to historical circumstances, it has always been here. The Fotoplastikon s archives have over 3,000 original photographs from around the globe, starting with photos documenting the opening of the Suez Canal, through to expeditions to Spitzbergen, and images of the Warsaw Uprising. Warsaw residents consider the Fotoplastikon to be a very magical place. During the Nazi occupation of World War II, it served an additional role as a clandestine meeting and contact point. After the war, when over 80% of the capital lay in smoldering ruins, it fueled hopes for the city s reconstruction, by highlighting and showing colour photographs of pre-war Warsaw. During the 1950s and 60s, sweethearts often went here on dates, and the room resounded with Polish jazz, which was banned at the time. Today, when visitors enjoy original black-and-white slides of pre-war Warsaw, they do so whilst listening to contemporary show-tunes, played on a phonograph. In 2008, the Fotoplastikon was placed under the auspices of the Warsaw Rising Museum. Stereoscopic image

ROCHOWSKIE GATES AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Gulica Zamoyskiego 36 and 55 The Grochowskie Gates are two neoclassical buildings standing opposite each other; it was these gates which determined the borders of Warsaw until 1889. At that time, a police officer was the caretaker of one, in the other was a fee collector who also admitted foodstuffs into the city. Currently they are part of the building which houses the Wedel Chocolate Shop and Chocolate Parlour. Wedel s confectionery factory was founded in the mid-19th century by Karol Wedel, and then headed successively by his son Jan and grandson Emil; from the beginning, it was one of the distinguishing features of the capital. During the time of the Polish People s Republic, it was nationalized and forced to change its name to commemorate the anniversary of the July 22nd Communist Manifesto; from then on, it was known as July 22nd formerly E. Wedel. Today, Wedel delicacies are known and appreciated in the all the world. The need to widen Grochowska Street resulted in both gates being moved by about 10 meters. Their original positions are marked by clinker bricks on the street and sidewalk. Grochowskie Gates

JAZDÓW A unique and intimate enclave of greenery in a busy city centre. Jazdów housing estate is a colony of 27 detached timber houses (so called Finnish houses) at the back of Ujazdów Park. The houses were built just after the war, of material that Warsaw had been given as a gift from the Soviet authorities. The Soviet Union, in turn, received it as a part of the compensation paid by Finland for the damage of war. Actors and artists used to live there, and today it is one of the most picturesque and incredible places in Warsaw and a space for numerous creative activities, including exhibitions, cultural events and workshops. In the past, in Jazdów area there was a castle of the dukes of Mazovia that survived until the end of the 13th century. Later on, a manor house was erected there, which was a home for, among others, Bona Sforza and the Queen Anna Jagiellonka. In 1624, the King Sigismund III Vasa, in place of the former manor house, built the masonry Ujazdowski Castle which now houses the Centre for Contemporary Art. In the vast square in front of the gallery, picnics and concerts are held and visitors can comfortably lie in hammocks. Top left Finnish houses Top right Ujazdowski Castle

YARD SHRINES Top left ulica Ząbkowska 54 Top middle Courtyard at ulica Ząbkowska 12 Top right ulica Mińska 15 Yard shrines are a peculiarity in Warsaw, and they are found among numerous surviving pre-war buildings. They stand in courtyards, under gates and on stairways, mainly in Praga and in the city centre, but many have also survived in Wola, Żoliborz, Ochota and Mokotów. Most were created during the time of the occupation and the Warsaw Uprising, when many churches were bombed, prompting the city residents to construct these shrines to take the place of the churches. In all, there are nearly 800 of such shrines in Warsaw, and they are cared for by the residents of the surrounding buildings. The most valuable yard shrine recently rebuilt and entered in the official Monuments Register is more than 100 years old. It is located in the building at the corner of 54 Ząbkowska Street, at the corner of Korsaka Street. It is a stone depiction of the Madonna and Child, designed by sculptor Feliks Giecewicz, and it was often subjected to the creative impulses and initiatives of workers, who worked at the factory producing dishes, enamel and metal products. Renewed over a course of many years by amateurs using oil paints, the statue took on a decidedly trashy and weathered look. Conservation work carried out in 2009 returned it to its original state and appearance.

ulica Środkowa W After OODEN HOUSES Praga the collapse of the November Uprising in 1831, the Russians fortified Warsaw and issued a prohibition on brick buildings. As a result, wooden houses began to emerge, though sadly, very few have survived. At 18 Biruty Street in Targówek, there is one house a porch and it may be seen from the yard, though it has long been threatened with demolition, as a roadway is planned to go this way. Another storied house with ornate roofs and gates stands at 26 Kawęczyńska Street, and a Russian-style house with fanciful carved peaks is at 9 Środkowa Street in the New Praga area. Also, note that on some brick buildings in Praga, there are some lovely wooden elements. For example, the Róża Kwiatkowska House (dom Róży Kwiatkowskiej) at 13 Ząbkowska Street has some freestyle wooden shutters on the first floor. There is also a small wooden gallery in the courtyard of the Rothbilth House (dom Rothbiltha) at 50/52 Targowa Street. Built between 1818-1819, it is the oldest surviving house in Praga.

E From Top left Electio Viritim obelisk Top right Election of Stanisław August by B. Bellotto painting from the collection of the Royal Castle LECTION FIELD Wola District the 16th to 18th centuries, Poland had free elections in which nobles voted for a King. The first such election took place in 1573 after Zygmunt August the last Jagiellonian died childless. It was held in the town of Kamień, which today is the Kamionek region of Praga. The next election was carried out in the then-village of Wola (which is still a district in Warsaw, and goes by the same name). The election fields had covered areas which protected the voting senators against sun and rain, and there was a large area in which the electors, their staff and election observers all gathered. Currently, at this point four streets coincide: Obozowa, Gostyńska, Ostroroga and Sołtyka. These free elections contributed significantly to the development of the city. On the 400th anniversary of the establishment of these elections, on the spot where they took place, a marker was erected. Designed by Stanisław Michalik, its main component is an obelisk upon which is engraved Electio Viritim (loosely translated from Latin, it means Each one separetely or Each one in person ). Surviving memorials and monuments to Poland s free elections also stand on the following streets: Elekcyjna (Elective), Obozowa (Camp), Banderii (Banderia) and Wolność (Freedom).

OLD POWĄZKI The Historic Powązki Cemetery, called Old Powązki, is the oldest Catholic cemetery in Warsaw. In 1790, the cemetery was full of statues and medallions of great artistic value and today, they represent elements of classicist, Art Nouveau and contemporary sculpture. At the back of the catacombs there is The Avenue of Honour (Aleja Zasłużonych), in which lie luminaries of Polish culture: writers, actors, composers, singers and painters. For example, the country s first Nobel Prize winner Władysław Reymont, who died in 1925, is buried here. In addition to these catacombs, the cemetery is also the final resting place of Chopin s parents, Polish national opera composer Stanisław Moniuszko, poet Zbigniew Herbert, director Krzysztof Kieślowski, composer Witold Lutosławski, and many other famous Poles. In 1974, at the initiative of writer and social activist Jerzy Waldorff, the Care and Social Committee of Old Powązki was formed; today, this group bears his name. Every year on November 1st, the renovation of tombstones is carried out; money for this endeavor is collected in cans by actors, journalists, athletes and politicians. Tombstones at Powązki Cemetery

GHETTO WALL Top left Symbolic marking showing the route of the wall Top right Part of the wall along ulica Sienna 55 On November 16th, 1940, the Ghetto walls went up; 3.5 meters high and covering an area of 307 hectares, approximately 360,000 Jews from Warsaw and an additional 90,000 Jews from the surrounding areas were imprisoned inside them. In total, about 300,000 were sent to Treblinka death camp, and close to 100,000 died of starvation within the walls. On April 19th, 1943 the Ghetto Uprising began; it was violently suppressed by the Nazis after one month. Nearly all survivors were killed at the spot, and the Jewish quarter of the entire area was bulldozed to the ground. One of theme part of the Ghetto walls to have survived stands in a courtyard, between Sienna and Złota Streets. To view it, enter from 62 Złota Street because the gate at 55 Sienna Street is permanently closed. To remind Warsaw and the world about the history of the Ghetto, 21 points marking the Ghetto boundaries have been set up, in the form of plaques. In addition to these maps, photos and descriptions in English and Polish, iron plates have been driven right into the city s pavements, showing the width of the wall and where it ran.

THE ALM HOUSE AND THE ARTIFICIAL PPALM TREE The Warsaw Palm House at 4 Biały Kamień Street in Mokotów opened on November 29th, 1929. Aside from the palm trees which were already about 20 years old at the time of the house s opening there are numerous exotic plants (among them, banana, fig and araucaria). Derived from seedlings after the war, these plants created the Botanical Garden and a new Orangery in the Royal Gardens. After an upgrade and renovations in September of 2009, the Palm House was enlarged and has acquired a modern look. Created by artist Joanna Rajkowska a woman who crates installation art in public spaces the 15-foot-high plastic palm tree was unveiled in December of 2002. It was a key element of the city project, Greetings from Jerozolimskie Avenue. Arousing the enthusiastic support of some residents, and the strong objections of others, it has undoubtedly become a new but very important symbol of the city. Top left 100-year-old Palm House in Mokotów Top right Charles de Gaulle roundabout

F The ORMER HOUSE OF THE PARTY seat of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers Party, or KC PZPR, was built after the Second World War and funded with contributions made by the Polish society obliged to buy so-called donation certificates of values ranging from PLN 50 to 1,000. Commonly referred to as the House of the Party or the White House, the building was the closest guarded facility for over 30 years. The building contained the Personal Office of subsequent KC PZPR First Secretaries, from Bolesław Bierut to Wojciech Jaruzelski. For decades not available to ordinary citizens, the edifice became the subject of numerous legends. Among other things, it was said to have a number of underground corridors directing to the Palace of Culture and Science or to a secret train platform to be used by dignitaries to flee to Moscow in case of a hazardous event. After the demise of communism, from 1991 to 2000 the building hosted the Warsaw Stock Exchange, a symbol of the political system transformation, to be today replaced with the Banking and Financing Centre. In November 2009, the House of the Party was entered into the register of historic monuments. A great treat for the visitors is the Secretaries Restaurant, being a canteen kept in the socialist style from the times of the People s Republic of Poland, or PRL, serving tasty meals for everyone interested. ulica Nowy Świat 6/12 www.cbf.com.pl tel.+48 22 661 72 73 (tours after prior appointment)

MURALS Formerly referred to as the works of vandals, ruining the appearance of buildings, today murals are frequently made to order, as part of festivals and on the initiative of various groups of artists, creating the street art and becoming a part of the Warsaw landscape. They are colourful, interesting and often provocative. Their subjects are varied from historical ones, commemorating events like the Warsaw Uprising or renowned Warsaw citizens, to those dedicated to general public, being a voice of support for crucial ideas. The murals which were designed on the occasion of the 2010 Year of Chopin and the 2011 Year of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, serve as tribute to these most exceptional Warsaw residents: a music composer and a double Noble laureate respectively. In order to see the longest graffiti, go to the Warsaw Horse Race Track (at ulica Puławska 266) and have a look at a wall surrounding the facility. Left ul. Górnośląska 8 Right Top Vistula embankment / Presbytery of the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary Right Down ul. Lipowa 3 Addresses of selected murals: Murals connected with the Warsaw Uprising: Rose Garden near the Warsaw Rising Museum - ulica Grzybowska 79; On the wall of the Polonia stadium - ulica Konwiktorska; on the Śląsko-Dąbrowski bridge; Presbytery of the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. Dedicated to Chopin: ulica Tamka 37; ulica Konopczyńskiego (on the opposite side of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum) Dedicated to Maria Skłodowska-Curie: on the façade of the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum - ul. Freta 16; ul. Lipowa 3; ul. Nowolipki 11; ul. Wawelska 15.

F At ORTS the turn of the 20th century, the Russians constructed the Warsaw Fortress composed of 29 forts around the capital city being at the time in the Russian sector of partitioned Poland. The forts were defensive land constructions. The central point of the Warsaw Fortress was the Alexander s Citadel, being as a remand centre and a place where many Polish patriots were killed. Today it is one of the best preserved fortifications in the whole complex of forts. 1939 saw undergoing hostilities in the forts, while after 1945 the majority of the constructions went gradually into rack and ruin. Yet, it is worthwhile making a trip around these facilities scattered across Warsaw. Some of them have been renovated, as is the case of Fort M Mokotów located at 99 Racławicka Street, being at present home to fashionable music clubs. Another example of a well-preserved fortification is the Bem s Fort (an area between the Streets of Generała Maczka and Powstańców Śląskich). The construction is surrounded by a moat and double land embankments. It can be reached over a steel bridge, incorporating the climate of the 19th century fortress. Warsaw Citadel

B The Route of the Old Town Cultural Basements: Rynek Starego Miasta 28/42 (Museum of Warsaw), Rynek Starego Miasta 2, ulica Jezuicka 4, ulica Boleść 2, ulica Brzozowa 11/13. www.szlakpiwnic.pl ASEMENTS OF THE WARSAW OLD TOWN AND ARCHCATHEDRAL basements are one of the oldest preserved parts of the Old Town. They survived the Second World War and served as foundations for the reconstructed Old Town razed to the ground during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. Now five places The Museum of Warsaw, The Monument Interpretation Centre, The Old Town House of Culture, The Capital Cultural Education Centre and the Old Gunpowder House. In the basements you can see interesting art exhibitions or take part in cyclical cultural events. Another interesting tourist destination is the St. John s Archcathedral (ulica Świętojańska 8) with a multi-layer cemetery established in the times of the Piast Dynasty. Preserved crypts contain the ashes of Mazovia princes, Warsaw archbishops and other outstanding figures, like Stanisław August Poniatowski the last kind of Poland, Gabriel Narutowicz the first president of Poland, Ignacy Jan Paderewski a composer and a Prime Minister of Poland, and Henryk Sienkiewicz a writer and a Noble Prize laureate. In addition, the cathedral basements contain a 14th century Gothic table top of an altar found in the temple rubbles after the war.

Warsaw Tourist Information info@warsawtour.pl official tourist website of Warsaw www.warsawtour.pl Facebook.com/Warsaw Twitter@ewarsaw Instagram.com/fall_in_love_with_warsaw Publisher: Warsaw Tourist Office (Stołeczne Biuro Turystyki) Photos: Stołeczne Biuro Turystyki, Centrum Bankowo Finansowe, Fotoplastikon Warszawski, MPRO Sp. z o.o., Zamek Królewski (nr inw. ZKW/453, fot. A. Ring i B. Tropiło), W. Hansen, W. i Z. Panów (PZ Studio), P. Wierzbowski. Edition IV, Warsaw 2014 Free copy