Experience Warsaw’s charm

Warsaw is a popular city for its shopping malls

The heart of Warsaw, the modern capital of Poland which was completely destroyed by Germans during the Second World War, has risen from the rubble and turned into an attractive city.

Only the suburb of Praga on the other side of the Vistula River, which divides this city, survived the Warsaw Uprising but it remained seriously neglected for many decades.

In its long history, the city has seen major political upheavals, including a period of Communist rule, but nowadays things are comparatively different from the days of the Iron Curtain.

Warsaw has made a comeback and become a major European tourist attraction. It is now called “the new old city”.

On arrival in Warsaw, I noticed there were few signs of the recession that had hit Europe in recent decades.

To the contrary, this is a vibrant city of rejuvenated neighbourhoods with tables of cafes spilling into pavements.

Each part of Warsaw has an interesting history behind it.

Stare Miasto or the Old Town is the oldest part of the city. It is truly a living cultural salon.

Founded in the 13th Century as the Prince’s Castle, it is a lively place with galleries, cafes and restaurants frequented by locals and tourists.

Its cultural importance is so big that it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Old Town offers you an opportunity to walk along the streets away from the bustle of central Warsaw.

Walking through the alleys, squares and cafés, you get a feel of the area’s unique history.

There are open-air galleries and in the summer musical and theatrical shows are held in the squares.

The Royal Castle features very prominently in attractions. Built in the 15th century, this castle was the residence of Mazovian princes.

When the capital was moved to Warsaw from Krakow in 1596, it became the seat of the king and the government.

The castle also took a hit in the Second World War and it got destroyed completely.

It was rebuilt completely 45 years ago using rubble from the collapsed building.

Today, it is an impressive museum with splendid interiors highlighting events that have played an important role in Polish history.

Among its exhibits are works of art including two masterpieces by Rembrandt, paintings, sculptures and the decorative arts.

There is a fascinating and unusual collection of carpets featuring a rich collection of about 600 carpets from the Middle East, Persia, Anatolia and Caucasus.

This is reputed to be one of the largest collections of Oriental carpets in the world.

The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Museum is dedicated to the life and work of Polish-French scientist Marie Curie who discovered polonium and radium and won the Nobel Prize twice — in physics and chemistry.

Sadly, the bulk of the museum’s exhibits, personal collections and memorabilia of renowned scientist Marie Curie were destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising.

There is continuous work going on to add more collections about Marie Curie from around the world.

Nowe Miasto, or the New Town, is not really a new town in the real sense of the word. This part of Warsaw was founded in the 14th century.

Most of the baroque and neo-classical buildings around the popular Market Square are of post-war reconstructions as the originals were razed to the ground in the Warsaw Uprising.

This area has charming streets dotted with restaurants, cafés and churches. The Church of the Holy Spirit, the first wooden church which was built in the 14th Century, is still an attraction.

The Church of St Jack bears witness to the atrocities of the war during the Warsaw Uprising when it housed the rebel hospital. The Church of St Casimir, once the residence of a business magnate, was bombed in 1944 and thousands were killed when it collapsed.

The University of Warsaw is housed in the 17th Century summer palace of King Jan Kazimeirz called Villa Regia.

The University has 18 departments and 25 interdisciplinary centres.

The 73-hectare Lazienki Park and Palace on Water is an interesting place to visit for its many attractions. This 17th century park was actually built as a hermitage and a bathing pavilion on a man-made island. The word Lazienki means bathrooms.

It was turned into a formal park and garden in the 18th century and the former bath pavilion was turned into a royal residence. This Palace on Water is a fascinating example of Polish classical architecture.

It houses a museum with exhibits of the king’s original household and furnishing items.

The gardens which many locals also visit are serene. The Monument of Chopin depicts the statue of Poland’s most celebrated composer sitting under a willow tree seeking inspiration from nature. It is Warsaw’s most-recognised symbol.

For centuries, Warsaw has been considered as a capital of Jewish culture in Europe.

There are many places to visit such as the old Jewish District, Nozyk Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. After all that sight-seeing, join the Warsaw pub crawl after sunset to experience Polish culture of enjoying spirits and lagers.

There are about 20 kinds of vodka and equally the same number of beer brands. You need a really strong head to bear the strong Polish alcohol!