Warsaw

Off to Warsaw next week. Anyone know any must see things? Have a little while to kill, so any great art/architecture/food/experience etc would be great!

Thanks in advance to the great knowledge pool that is STW!

See if you can get them to re-name the city ‘Joy Division’.

Apparently you can’t get a propa geordie brew.

😆 @ RudeBoy

I shall have words with the local dignitaries and see what I can do!

Surely you could get over to Cannock Chase from there ?

the “old town” is tiny, and pretty much all that’s left that wasnt shelled to sh*t, although you can still see small arms bullet holes in the render 🙂 I seem to remember it was wall-to-wall amber jewellry shops…

Drac, you’re as wrong as possible.
Anything there is to be bought can be bought there. From Newcastle Ale to real sake. I, however, would recommend a few things better than NA.
Firstly, architecture. There is a weird building called The Pallace of Culture and Science, a copy of such in Moscow, given to the nation by Stalin IIRC. A massive lump of concrete, real communist style. If you like so called proper architecture go and see Palac Krolewski (equivalent of Buck’s Palace), Lazienki (the Bathing Palace and gardens) and The Old City. Remember, it was 98% flattened byu WW2 and now the old parts are stunning.
Secondly, for your taste buds and other senses check this website.[/url]
Beware the common misconception that everybody speaks English. The young and mobile do, but not many cabbies or shop keepers bother. Besides, thanks to the idiots visiting Poland and getting drunk and really moronic, loads of locals are predjudiced against the English speaking people. There are also football following idiots (so-called ultras) who hate England for being better at football. They try to look like skinheads from “Football Factory” if you know what I mean.

To be honest with you the only think to be avioded there is a cab unless booked over the phone. The oldest and most reputable corporation should be rung on 919 from any number. That way you are getting approx. 20% discount by default (it’s the law the driver must discount the fare). Get the receipt and ask a friendly Pole to check it out.

Have fun, enjoy yourself and take pics. Not the best time of the year but still… Krakow is prettier, Poznan more business-like, Wroclaw (Breslau) grander. Warsaw is great, but don’t expect it to be overly Westernised.

from this:

to that:

Drac, you’re as wrong as possible.

It was the old advert I wasn’t serious.

Hairychester clearly knows what he’s talking about.

The ‘old town’, which will be labled ‘stary miasto’, was rebuilt from the original plans. It is in essence, a painstaking reconstruction.

Learn a few words to get you by – the cabbies especially will appreciate it.

Food wise you should try bigos – a fabulous ‘hunters stew’ made from plenty of meat and sauerkraut, pirogi ruskie – little dumplings filled with cheese and bacon and sernik – traditional baked cheese cake, which is utterly fabulous.

Warsaw isn’t the greatest advert for Poland – that honour does indeed go to Krakow, the centre of which (the stary miasto and sukieniece square) is a united nations world heritage site.

Hairychested, thanks for that! I knew STW wouldn’t disappoint!

Krakow is another trip that’s in the offing, so I’ll keep that in mind too.

I can confirm that in my experience, many Poles are indeed racist. You’re not black are you Flashheart ?

I, for once, don’t rate Krakow that highly, much prefer the old German cities to this copy of Vienna (although it might appeal to everybody else).

As for Warsaw being the representation of Poland, it’s like London and England. Capitals generally suck.

Captain, Krakow has a lot of sites to visit, but make sure to check two places outside of it (but very near) out – Wieliczka, where a salt mine got transformed into a museum, and Auschwitz, the most disturbing proof wars are bad for you.

Generally, in Polish cities you’ll find Stare Miasto (The Old City) looks great, new parts are boring. People are racist very often but it’s down to ignorance and not being used to.

I went in November.
Didn’t think that much of it TBH, didn’t get to see that much of the older parts but much of it was bland & uninspiring.
The Novotel that we stayed in was ok though, as was the ice-bar we frequented one evening!

There’s a little salsa bar opposite some cheesy bar/club place not too far from that hotel, can’t remember its name but it was a good place to hang out for a few bevvies.

Novotel is awful. For the old communist-times feel try Victoria. I don’t know the new hotels there that well, mind.

I stayed there for a few days last year and wasn’t overly impressed
there’s a general malaise about the place – especially anyone over 30
I stayed at the Marriot which was, well, a Marriot
old town is good for an hour or so
food is a bit weird – I went to what was considered one of the best restaurants and they fed me some weird kind of corn puree with sea bass wrapped in cured meat – bleargh

HC, I disagree – it was near identical to the one I stayed in at The Hague, which I was pleased about in that instance so that at least I knew what i’d be getting rather than some random hovel.

It was all a bit too bleak & grey for my liking though.