WARSAW

Warsaw has been a capital of Poland since 1596. Warsaw, lies in the centre of the country.                It was founded in the early 14th century. During the World War II the city was destroyed - after the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 all inhabitants were expelled from it and the Nazis burned and blew up the remaining buildings. After the liberation of Warsaw the survivors returned to the city and immediately started to rebuild it. Nowadays in Warsaw there are about 1,7 million inhabitants. Being the scientific and cultural centre of the country, Warsaw hosts the Polish Academy of Science, a lot of public and private higher education institutions such as the University of Warsaw, College of Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw School of Economics. It is also home to the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the neo-classical Grand Theatre of Opera and Ballet, drama theatres, libraries, art galleries and museums. Warsaw hosts many important cultural events such as the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music and the Jazz Jamboree. Hundreds of historical monuments are to be seen in Warsaw. The Royal Castle, the Palace on the Island in the Lazienki Park, the Belvedere Palace, the Wilanow Palace and many other museums, galleries and exhibitions draw most visitors to the city. Surrounded by 14th-15th century walls, the Old Town provides an excellent example of 17th and 18th century architecture. The 15th century Cathedral of St. John was rebuilt after the World War II in Gothic style. The Old Market Square, the most beautiful Square of Old Warsaw, is surrounded by old houses with Gothic and Baroque remains.

::: Palace of Culture and Science (originally Joseph Stalin Palace) :::

This magnificent building (230m high) towers over the centre of Warsaw since 1955. It was built as a gift from Soviet Union for polish society. It can be seen from many miles away and it is a symbol of the city. Palace of Culture and Science is an example of a typical for polish cities architecture called socialistic realism. Currently there are many facilities such as cinema, theatre, Congress Hall, night club, swimming pool, Museum of Technology and Museum of Evolution in it. The Palace is also called Palace of Youth because of many activities organised there for children. The biggest attraction is a ride to sight seeing terrace from where you can see the panorama of the whole city.

::: The Warsaw Royal Castle :::

The germ of this castle was the 13th century fortress of the Piast princes and through the years it was a residence of many Polish kings. Since 1596 it was a seat of the general assembly of the Polish Parliament. It was redeveloped a couple of times and destroyed during the World War II for being a symbol of Polish statehood, although the Castle was a civic building. Warsaw inhabitants saved the most valuable works of art - paintings, sculptures, carpets and furniture. After the war only Gothic and Renaissance vaults and some parts of the structure survived. The Castle was reconstructed by the Polish society in years 1971-1984 without any contribution from the state budget. In 1980 UNESCO entered the Old Town and the Royal Castle on the World Heritage List. Click here to find more information about The Royal Warsaw Castle

::: Wazienky :::

It is a castle-park complex. It was a Summer Residence of the last Polish king. We can go there for a walk and admire beautiful old tries, romantic lakes and (magnificent, charming) architecture. These are: the Palace on the Water, the Old Orangery , the amphitheatre. In the park stands the monument of the great Polish composer F. Chopin where open-air piano concerts are held on spring, summer and autumn.

::: Old town

It is a castle-park complex. It was a Summer Residence of the last Polish king. We can go there for a walk and admire beautiful old tries, romantic lakes and (magnificent, charming) architecture. These are: the Palace on the Water, the Old Orangery , the amphitheatre. In the park stands the monument of the great Polish composer F. Chopin where open-air piano concerts are held on spring, summer and autumn.

::: Wilanow

Wilanów was a suburban residence of Polish king Jan III Sobieski. Designed by A.Locci in 1681-96. In 1677 king Jan III Sobieski bought this estate and ordered the construction of a residence worthy of a great kingdom .It was called Villa Nova in Latin and later changed into the more Polish sounding Wilanow. The design was made by the Polonised Italian royal architect, Augustyn Locci. Locci also supervised the way work was carried out. It was subsequently remodelled several times according to the whims of successive palaces owners and the artistic trends prevailing in each given period.