Historic Centre of Warsaw

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Historic Centre of Warsaw

• world heritage in Poland

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From UNESCO site

• During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944,
  more than 85 of Warsaw's historic centre was
  destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a
  five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens
  resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the
  Old Town, with its churches, palaces and
  market-place. It is an outstanding example of a
  near-total reconstruction of a span of history
  covering the 13th to the 20th century.

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Warsaw before the war
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Location

• Warsaw straddles the Vistula river,
  approximately 370 kilometres from both the
  Carpathian mountanis and Baltic Sea It is located
  in the heartland of the Masovian Plain, and its
  average altitude is 100 m above sea level,
  although there are some hills (mostly artificial)
  located within the confines of the city.

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In 1596 King Zygmunt III Vasa moved his permanent
residence, the royal court and the crown offices
to the Warsaw castle. Consequently, period of
prosperity for Warsaw began.
New capital
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Map of Warsaw (1888)
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Warsaw during the war
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During World War 2 almost 85 of Warsaw was
destroyed...
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Main point of WW2 was Warsaw Uprising started on
1st August 1944

• The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 a heroic and
  tragic 63-day struggle to liberate World War 2
  Warsaw from Nazi/German occupation. Undertaken by
  the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK), the Polish
  resistance group, at the time Allied troops were
  breaking through the Normandy defenses and the
  Red Army was standing at the line of the Vistula
  River.

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Warsaw after the war
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In 1945 and now
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Warsaw reconstruction

• The city was once considered a shining
  metropolis, but due to total destruction, it has
  lost its baroque tinge. Although many of the
  destroyed historical buildings were restored,
  little remains of the resplendence of Warsaw
  baroque.

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Warsaw today
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Warsaw today
Reconstructed Warsaw Castle
Palace of Culture and Science built after WW2
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Warsaw today
Warsaw Financial Centre
Hotel InterContinental
Reconstructed Jablonowski Palace
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Tourist attractions in Warsaw

• Although Warsaw is a reasonably new city, it
  has a lot of tourist attractions. Apart from the
  Old Town quarter, carefully reconstructed after
  World War II, each borough has something to
  offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the
  Old Town are the Royal Castle, King Zygmunt's
  Column, and the barbican.

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Tourist attractions in Warsaw

• Warsaw's oldest public park, the Ogród Saski,
  is located within 10 minutes distance of the old
  town. Another such oasis of silence and serenity
  is the Powazki Cemetery, one of the oldest
  cemeteries in Europe, filled with hundreds of
  precious sculptures, some of them by the most
  renowned artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
  Since it serves the religious communities of
  Warsaw, be it Catholics, Jews, Muslims or
  Protestants. Nearby is the Okopowa Street Jewish
  Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in
  Europe.

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Tourist attractions in Warsaw

• To the north of the city center the museum of
  the former Warsaw Ghetto is located, which is
  also a popular locality often visited by foreign
  tourists. Also the borough of Zoliborz is famous
  for its architecture from the 1920s and 1930s.
  Between Zoliborz and the Vistula the Warsaw
  Citadel is located, a priceless monument of 19th
  century military architecture. Also the former
  royal residencec of king Jan III Sobieski in
  Wilanów and Belweder are notable for their
  baroque architecture and beautiful parks.

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Tourist attractions in Warsaw

• However, Warsaw is perhaps the most famous for
  several buildings from modern history. Apart from
  the Palace of Culture and Science, a Soc-realist
  skyscrapper located exactly in the city center,
  the Stadion Dziesieciolecia which is the biggest
  market in Europe also attracts many tourists. For
  those who seek dramatic contrasts the borough of
  Central Praga is often the best choice. Called by
  the Varsovians the Bermuda Triangle for high
  crime rate, it is a place where almost completely
  demolished houses stand right next to modern
  apartment buildings and shopping malls.