One day in Warsaw

People who heard I was going to Poland told me not to bother with Warsaw. No one I talked to liked it, but I can't figure out why. From the moment I arrived until the moment I boarded the airport bus the next morning, I saw great sights, had great food, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Stepping out of the train station, I caught sight of the Palace of Art and Culture, an impressive building that dominates Warsaw skyline. I read that it was a gift from Stalin, and perhaps for that reason, and because it somewhat resembles an ornate wedding cake, many Poles don't like it. From the train station, it's an easy walk to Nowy Swiat, a busy street with shops, cafes and bars, up Ul. krakowski Przedmiecie (part of the Royal Route) to the Old Town, where you can sit on the beautifully reconstructed square and wander the narrow streets.

I didn't have enough time to visit the palace and some of the beautiful parks, but if I'd had more time, I would have. Instead, I wanted to see the remnants of the Jewish Getto and the memorials to the victims of the Nazi occupation.

Quick Tips:

Upon arrival at the train station, go directly to the tourist office desk, where the helpful staff will provide you with a map of the city, make hotel reservations, and provide any other information you may need. The staff was able to get me a reservation at the hotel I wanted, and gave me detailed walking/bus directions on how to get there, as well as instructions on how to get to the airport bus the next morning.

Best Way To Get Around:

While it's nice to walk around Warsaw, you may want to learn a bit about the public transportation system. When I walked from the old town through the old Jewish Ghetto, I found myself some miles from my hotel, and with a couple of (delicious) Polish beers in me and the heat of the afternoon, I didn't feel much like walking back. I saw lots of trams and buses pass me, but I didn't know which ones would take me back, so I ended up walking. In retrospect, I should have asked at the hotel or the tourist office desk before I left, but on the bright side, I did pass through a lovely park on the way home that I would have missed otherwise.

The bus to/from the airport is frequent and convenient, passing the train station and heading up Nowi Swiat and Krakowskie Prezdmiescie all the way to the old town. Schedules are posted at most stops so you can time your journey to the airport from town perfectly. Granted, I took the bus to the airport on a Sunday morning, so the trip was quick and easy; I'd expect more traffic and crowds during the week.

When I arrived at the Warsaw train station, I booked the Hotel Mazowiecki at the tourist information desk (I already knew I wanted to stay there, but the tourist office staff actually made the booking for me.) From the train station, it''s about a 10 minute walk, or you can take bus #175 to within two blocks of the hotel. The hotel is on a quiet street two blocks from Ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie at the point where it turns into Nowy Swiat. The location, I believe, is ideal because it''s a few minutes walk to both the old town and, in the other direction, the shopping and night life of Nowy Swiat. Also, beautiful Saski Park is just a block away, where I went early Sunday morning and joined the locals who sat there sipping take-away coffee and reading newspapers.

I got a fairly large room with a single bed, a sink, a TV and a window/door that opened onto a tiny space where I could stand and look down on Mazowiecki Street. The women''s bathroom (down the hall) was absolutely spotless and well-equipped with a good shower. Actually, I noticed that all hotel/pension bathrooms, whether in the room or down the hall, were remarkably clean and nice. The breakfast (included) wasn''t the best I had, but was adequate and served in the restaurant downstairs. And to my relief, there was an elevator (everywhere else I stayed had me on the 3rd or 4th floor and I had to drag my bags up the steps.)

Highly recommended in Let's Go Eastern Europe I decided to try Pod Samsonem on a narrow street between the Old and New Town Squares. The restaurant touts Jewish Style (but not kosher) Polish food at reasonable prices, and this is just what I got. Though the inside is adorned with photos depicting Jewish life in pre-WWII Warsaw, I decided to sit at one of the tables outside, where gazed at the church across the street. In another stroke of luck, there was a wedding about to start at the church, and we all cheered as the bride and groom arrived in a very festively decorated VW Beetle.

Feeling adventurous, I decided to try the Carp - Jewish Style and the Jewish Caviar (which I already knew to be chopped liver) with a nice cold beer. I immediately recognized the Carp dish when it was served to me as what's commonly known in New York as gefilte fish. It was much better than any I had ever tasted however, probably because they didn't need to follow the Passover guidelines of leaving out bread, or who knows what else. After just two appetizers and a beer, one might think I would walk away hungry, but I couldn't even finish what I had (enough for Sampson himself!) The bill, however, was more than digestible, at under $10, including tip.

From my hotel, it took about ten minutes to walk up Krakowski Prezdmiecie to the old town; when you reach the statue of King Zagmut you're there. In a stoke of luck, as I approached the Pl. Kamkow, I noticed that there was a festival going on, so I grabbed a zapiekanka (a pizza-like snack) and sat down to listen to the music. Unfortunately, the zapiekanka wasn't very good (not nearly as good as I had had in Torun or Krakow), and the aggressive pigeons were bothering me, so I ended up throwing it away.

After a short rest, I headed on toward the Rynek Starego Miasta (old town square), which is a pretty and colorful sight. The square was reconstructed after WWII, when most of Warsaw was destroyed by bombs, and they really did a nice job of it. In the center, there's a mermaid statue, an icon of sorts of Warsaw. Not wanting to leave this beautiful square so soon, I found a nice sunny spot at the Metal Bar, one of the many bars/cafes around the square, and enjoyed a nice cold beer. Once refreshed, I set out to explore the narrow streets of the old town, passing numerous restaurants, shops and souvenir stands.

During my whole stay in Poland, I never saw so many American tourists as I did in Warsaw, particularly in the old town. Though this is a beautiful place to see, it seems a shame that not many got beyond Warsaw to see many of the beautiful, smaller cities and towns of Poland.

After filling up in the Old Town, I decided to walk over to the Umschlagplatz, where hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Ghetto were loaded onto trains headed for Auschwitz and other camps. It was a bit farther than it looked on the map, and I ended up walking through a residential apartment complex as well as some uninteresting thoroughfares. I reached the unassuming monument, which from the outside looked more like a bus shelter, and was able to look around on my own. Inside, there were inscriptions in multiple languages commemorating the awful events that occurred here.

From here, you can continue down Stawki toward the Jewish Cemetery, which looks to be quite large (at least on the map.) Unfortunately, I didn't have the time or energy to go, but will certainly make the effort when/if I return to Warsaw.

From the Umschlagplatz, Ul. Kamelicka takes you through the Ghetto toward the Monument to the Ghetto Uprising. Walking through this residential district, you would have no idea that you are in what was once the Ghetto, except for small monuments indicating so along the way. It's a quiet residential area with large apartment buildings and an occasional small park. In one of these parks stands the Monument, an impressive sculpture depicting the Jews fighting back against the Nazis. The Monument is on the site of the former underground command bunker from which the valiant - but somewhat futile - uprising of 1943 was planned.

Walking around the Ghetto, I got a feel for just how large it was. The map provided at the tourist office outlines the Ghetto, but I just couldn't comprehend it until I walked at least a mile through and only saw a small piece of it. The walls around the Ghetto were torn down after the war, but small pieces of it still exist near the train station.

Because I was in Warsaw on my own, I was glad that the Irish pub was just a few blocks away from my hotel (okay, that's partly why I selected it.) When I travel alone, I can usually meet other English speaking tourists or ex-pats to talk to at an Irish pub. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case at Morgan's (though I was there early and it was offseason.) However, there was a pretty good Irish band playing, so I did get to sing along to the tunes I knew. Moreover, if I wasn't so tired and a little concerned about walking back to the hotel on my own late at night, I wouldn't have left so early (around 10PM) and might have met some nice folks. My safety concern was unfounded, though, since as I rounded the corner from the bar, Nowy Swiat was swarming with tourists and locals alike who were out looking for a good time. So, I strolled a bit before returning to the hotel for the night.