Tourist information - Warsaw
Poland's capital city, Warsaw, lies at the center of the country that is situated within the main international transit routes. Occupying both banks of the Vistula River, the city incorporates a population of nearly 1.7 million.
The most impressive thing about Warsaw is its regeneration following the devastation of World War II. The first bombs of the German Luftwaffe fell to the city at dawn on Sept. 1, 1939. In the Nazi occupation, around 85 percent of the cities were reduced to rubble, as well as 700,000 people lost their lives.
Razed as a result of Hitler's orders in 1945, most of Warsaw was rebuilt within a dozen years. A visit to the Historical Museum of the City of Warsaw around the Old Town Market Square shows a film that depicts the city's calculated devastation.
Through the efforts of the entire nation, along with the support of Polish communities abroad, the precious castles, monuments, cathedrals as well as government structures that were -and are- the heart and also soul of Warsaw were meticulously restored.
As the country's scientific and cultural center, Warsaw is home to 18 colleges, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the 1,900-seat, neo-classical Grand Theatre of Opera along with Ballet, drama theatres, libraries, art galleries and museums. Warsaw hosts cultural events of international renown including the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music and the Jazz Jamboree.
Literally hundreds of historical monuments must be seen in Warsaw - if one has time. Leading most notable is the Royal Castle, the Palace over the Island in Lazienki Park, the Belvedere Palace and Wilanow Palace. Tours of these as well as 19 other museums, galleries and exhibitions lure nearly all visitors to the city - including the restored churches along with the memorial to the heroes of the Jewish Ghetto Uprising of 1943.
Warsaw's regained Old Town reflects the country's will to survive along with determination to thrive through dark times, including its leaps toward a market economy.
Ljao/jan/1v21