Dwa Dni w Warszawie (Two Days in Warsaw)

I picked Warsaw as a destination in late July because it was more affordable in peak season than the more westerly European cities and because I hoped that it would offer cooler, drier weather than the humid summer days in Paris. While it certainly was more affordable, the weather was less cooperative on the first day (33°C and high humidity) but cooled down on the second (21°C).

Day 1

I started the first day at the Pałac Kultury i Nauki (Museum of Culture and Science) but only for the view and not the exhibits. The museum's building is the tallest in Warsaw and the eighth tallest in Europe, so it allowed a comprehensive view of the city before I took a more detailed look. North of there is the Ogrod Saski (Saxon Gardens), which contained a mix of fountains, statues and well-trimmed grass with flowers. Since the park is in the middle of Warsaw, it was more crowded than I would have liked for a quiet walk, but at least it provided shade from a suprisingly hot sun that day.

Ogrod Saski (Saxon Gardens) viewed from Plac Piłsudskiego (Pilsudskiego Square). The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier would be seen in the opposite direction.

Further north is the old town in Warsaw. Most buildings in the old town were painted in a tone that would contrast with the adjacent buildings, giving the streets a colourful but tasteful look.

The interior of Kościół św. Anny (St. Anne's Church). This was one of the more impressive church interiors that I've seen, with the dark wood contrasting with the light walls and brass fixtures. My camera could not do this justice.

Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square). On the left is Sigimund's Column (a monument to Sigimund III Vasa) and on the right is the Royal Castle.

Rynek Starego Miasta (Old Town Market Place). At the center of the square is the Warsaw Mermaid, a bronze sculpture by Konstanty Hegel, which also acts as a fountain with water running from underneath.

West of the old town was the Plac Krasińskich (Krasinski Square), which contained the Warsaw Uprising Monument as well as the Krasinski Palace. Unfortunately, the exterior of the palace was under heavy renovation and covered with scaffolding, and the interior was not accessible that day, but there was a beautiful garden behind the palace which again offered some shade and a break from the sun. There were also several museums in the area and I had enough time to visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (located on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto), which covered the difficult history that Polish Jews suffered from the 12th century to the 1940's.

In the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, this is a reconstructed bimah.

The Warsaw Uprising Monument in Krasinski Square.

My plan was to head south and visit Lazienkowksi Park, but on the way, the sky quickly went from lightly clouded to heavily dark-clouded and then a thunderstorm arrived within 20 minutes. It was already about 6:30pm by then, so my day wasn't lost but cut short by two hours.

Nowy Swiat (New World Street) right before a thunderstorm. This street is lined with overpriced shops and restaurants catering to moderate-heavy tourist traffic.

Day 2

I used the morning of the second day to visit Lazienkowski Park. The park contains some gardens, very small palaces and other chalets, but they're spread far enough apart that the area feels more like a park than a palace.

This is a shot of the large pond in Ujazdowski Park, just north of Lazienkowski Park. This park was more tranquil than its northern neighbour, as it wasn't overrun with tourists. Don't ask what the crow at the bottom is eating.  

The Orangerie in Lazienkowski Park. This was shot facing away from a small art museum containing the Roman sculptures collected by the royal family.

Lazienki Palace (also called the Palace on the Water). This palace is so small that it appeared to be only one room in depth.

On the west side of the park is the Chopin Monument. I lucked out in that there was a public performance of Chopin's works right around the time that I was visiting. I uploaded an excerpt from Fantaisie Impromptu, although the wind caused some background noise in the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMjYKB2wpvI. I've been meaning to upload more videos to YouTube, but haven't found the time to do so yet.

The Chopin Monument during a public performance. The pianist was of course playing works composed by Chopin.

I had just enough time left before my flight to quickly visit the Zamek Królewski (Royal Castle) in Warsaw. After visiting various palaces in Paris, Vienna and Stockholm, I'm finding that the monarchs of 18th and 19th century Europe must have visited one another often and shared design notes, because the layout and style of the most commonly occurring rooms (throne room, assembly hall, antechamber, council chamber, soldiers' room) were eerily similar.

Adjacent to (or part of) the Royal Castle is the Tin-Roofed Palace, which contains a collection of oriental rugs (like those pictured) as well as the apartments of Prince Józef Poniatowski.

The Knight's Hall in the Royal Castle in Warsaw.  

So that was a weekend in Warsaw. The city offered a great mix of parks, palaces and landmarks, although I didn't get to see a football match due to rescheduling (Leggia Warsaw played a cup match earlier in the week so their weekend league match was bumped to late Sunday evening). I'll also point out that the city had some of the newest streets and public transit that I've seen in Europe, giving Warsaw a very modern and pristine feel. It's also worth mentioning that this city has by far and away the most talented buskers in Europe; I came across several violinists, accordionists and pianists, most of whom played as if they were aspiring professionals (or professionals out of work), capturing the mood and nuances of each composition that they played.