On Monday we left Krakow by train and headed to Warsaw. The trains had been busier than we were expecting and we ended up having to book first class to get on. We took a slower train that was meant to take around three and a half hours, but actually took a bit over four. We were in a carriage of six people. The Polish man across from me was really helpful in assisting me with putting my case up on the rack.
The seats were comfortable enough and the scenery was pleasant with lots of yellow flowers covering the farmland. The main problem was that the train was freezing cold. The aircon was set at an Arctic temperature. Since I had been coming down with some virus or other anyway, this really just finished me off. When the man across from me noticed how much I was shivering, he tried to put the aircon off for me, but it was centrally controlled and wouldn't go off. By the time we got to Warsaw, I had turned into a huge block of ice. I don't think I have ever been so cold.
Yellow flowers.
Yellow flowers.
Yellow flowers.
Town we passed through on route.
We tried to book a Bolt to the hotel and it took us a while to find our driver, but he was absolutely determined to find us. He phoned me and talked me through where he was. Eventually I saw a driver leaping up and down waving at me and we were good to go. I was so relieved to reach the hotel as the freezing cold journey had rendered me really, really unwell.
We had booked two nights in The Sofitel Victoria. It was the most expensive hotel of the whole holiday and it was supposed to be a treat to ourselves. It was a very nice hotel, but I was so ill by the time we got there that I just got into bed fully dressed and lay shivering under a huge quilt for five hours before I felt warm enough to move and even then I didn't move far. I didn't have the strength to go out looking for food or drink. We had some water and biscuits and the hotel gave us a small box of chocolates. That had to do us, because of the state I was in. After five hours of warming up, I spent about twenty minutes making us coffee and finding the biscuits we had brought with us, then I went back to bed and passed out for about ten hours.
Hotel lobby.
Our room.
Our room looked out over Piłsudski Square which is named after Marshal Józef Piłsudski who helped restore Polish statehood after World War I. This is the largest public square in Warsaw. There were some excavations being carried out there. We could look over them from the room, but they were hidden at street level.
View from our room.
View from our room.
View from our room.
Excavations from our window.
In the morning I felt a bit better but not exactly well. I went out and found a Carrefour and brought back rolls, cheese and drinks. After some food we both felt a little bit better.
Zachęta – National Gallery of Art viewed from the hotel lift lobby.
I wasn't sure if I was well enough to go out, but Peter said: "Go out for a short while, or you will just regret it. Just don't overdo it." So I headed out for a short wander around. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if I had seen nothing, because we were in Warsaw just a few years ago and had a very thorough look around. But I'm glad I made the effort to have another look.
Like Krakow, Warsaw is located on the banks of the River Vistula. The city takes its name from an old legend. Long ago there was a fisherman called Wars who lived in a small house on the banks of the Vistula River. Wars was a good man and always worked very hard. One warm summer's evening Wars was relaxing on the banks of the river when he heard someone singing. The sound was magical and it seemed to be coming from the water. Wars got into his boat and sailed off to have a look. Eventually he found a beautiful mermaid called Sawa. She was sitting on a rock singing, but when she became aware of Wars she dived into the water and swam away. Wars couldn't get the beautiful mermaid out of his mind and he listened for her singing again and again. Each time he heard it, he sought her out. Gradually Sawa lost her fear of Wars and the two fell in love. Sawa was able to exchange her fish tail for legs and the two married and set up home by the river.
There's a mermaid statue in the centre of Warsaw's Old Town, there's another on the banks of the Vistula and the mermaid image features on the city's coat of arms. Warsaw really is the City of Mermaids.
I had intended just to look at the square in front of the hotel and the park next to it, but as usual I got distracted and then carried away. First of all, I noticed a church in the opposite direction from the park, so I went there. It turned out to be The Roman Catholic Church of the Visitants. To my surprise, there was a service going on in English there. Apparently this is one of the most notable rococo churches in Warsaw and dates from 1765.
Roman Catholic Church of the Visitants.
Inside the Roman Catholic Church of the Visitants.
There was a little park outside the church and it had several statues. I remembered some of these from our previous visit. One of the statues was of Stefan Wyszynski. At one time he was the Archbishop of Warsaw. Many Polish people consider him to be a national hero, as he spoke out against the Communist authorities. This led to him being imprisoned for three years. Wyszynski is credited with keeping the Catholic Church alive in Poland when it was threatened by the Communist State. He was beatified in 2021.
Monument to Stefan Wyszynski.
There's also a bench dedicated to Father Jan Twardowski. I have a picture of Peter sitting on this when we visited in 2018. Father Jan Twardowski was a Polish poet and a Catholic priest.
Bench for Father Jan Twardowski.
There was also a monument to Boleslaw Prus. Boleslaw Prus was the pen name of Aleksander Głowacki a famous Polish novelist.
Boleslaw Prus Monument.
At the end of the park I saw a sign saying Warsaw Old Town 600m. I thought to myself: "Well that's not very far. I might as well go." To be honest it was a much more pleasant temperature than it had been in Krakow, so I wasn't suffering much walking around even if I didn't feel one hundred percent fit.
I soon came to The Presidential Palace. This is the official residence of the Polish head of state. It was originally built as a mansion for a wealthy aristocrat in 1643. Outside it there's an equestrian statue of Józef Poniatowski, a Polish general.
The Presidential Palace.
The Presidential Palace.
Next I came to The Carmelite Church with its impressive neoclassical facade. I found this church very beautiful inside. Apparently this church was the site of Frédéric Chopin's first employment when he was invited to give a recital on the church's organ.
The Carmelite Church.
The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
In The Carmelite Church.
Outside the church there's a statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish poet.
Church and statue.
Church and statue.
Close up of statue.
I also passed The Tyszkiewicz Palace and St Anne's Church. Tyszkiewicz Palace used to be owned by a noble Polish family called the Potockis. It was destroyed in the war, but rebuilt and is now part of Warsaw University. St Anne's is a beautiful baroque church dating back to the fifteenth century. It's possible to climb up the adjacent bell tower for views over Castle Square. Polonia House is another impressive building here and so is The Bristol Hotel.
Tyszkiewicz Palace.
St Anne's Church.
St Anne's Church.
Polonia House.
Hotel Bristol.
I had now reached Castle Square and Warsaw's impressive castle. Nowadays The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a state museum and national historic monument, but at one time it was the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs. Castle Square in front of the former royal residence is a large open roughly triangular square surrounded by townhouses. In the centre of it is Sigismund's Column and statue which commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596.
The Royal Castle in Warsaw.
The Royal Castle in Warsaw.
The Royal Castle in Warsaw.
Castle Square.
Sigismund's Column.
Sigismund's Column.
Stall on Castle Square.
Near the castle is the Tin Roofed Palace. Its English name is inaccurate as its roof is actually made of copper. It dates back to the seventeenth century and offers two exhibitions. On the ground floor there's the carpets and woven-arts collection of the Teresa Sahakian Foundation and on the first floor there's the apartments of Prince Józef Poniatowski.
The Tin Roofed Palace.
There were several people dressed as bears collecting money for charity and posing for photos in Castle Square.
Who let the bears out?
Who let the bears out?
I could remember many of the things there were to see. I decided to walk up the centre of the Old Town in one direction and come back along the Old Town Walls in the other.
I soon came to more churches. I decided to visit The Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. This Catholic Church dates from the fourteenth century. It is one of three cathedrals in Warsaw. At one time The Archcathedral was connected to the Royal Castle by an eighty metre long elevated corridor. This was the idea of Queen Anna Jagiellonka following an attempt on the life of her nephew King Sigismund III in front of the cathedral.
Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
Warsaw Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Warsaw's Cathedral, The Chapel of St. John the Baptist.
Stained glass.
Next door to The Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is The Church of Our Lady of Grace. I didn't go inside, but I stopped to take a photo of the stone bear outside it. His name is Mieszko and there's a legend about him.
One day Prince Janusz I was out hunting. He entered a bear's den and, to his astonishment, found a human boy there being raised by the she bear as one of her cubs. When the human child saw that Prince Janusz was going to kill the bear and her cubs, he stepped between them and tried to protect them. The prince was so impressed by the boy's bravery that he adopted him and took him back to his palace. The boy was given the title Prince Mieszko.
Prince Mieszko was raised with love and care, but he felt more comfortable in the forest surrounded with animals than he did with people. He was especially tongue tied with women. That is until he met Jadwizka, a beautiful and kind woman that he fell madly in love with. Prince Mieszko planned to marry Jadwizka, but before he could propose, he was summoned away on an errand. He was gone for several months. On his return to Warsaw, Prince Mieszko walked into a church in the Old Town, wondering if it would be a suitable place to hold his wedding, but to his horror, inside the church he found Jadwizka being forced to marry another man. Prince Mieszko's heart was broken and he wanted to die. Fortunately a kindly old witch understood his pain and took pity on him. She turned him into a stone bear on the church steps, where he remains until the present day. Only a kiss from his true love can reawaken him and turn him back into a prince once more.
Mieszko the Stone Bear outside Our Lady of Grace Church.
I also had a look in St Martin's Church. This is located on the oldest street in the Old Town, Ul Piwna or Beer Street. This church was founded in 1356 by the Duke of Mazovia, Ziemowit and his wife Euphemia. It's quite spectacular on the outside, but simple on the inside, as the original Baroque interior was not restored when it was rebuilt after its destruction in 1944.
St Martin's Church.
St. Martin's Church.
St Martin's Church.
Inside St Martin's Church.
The Old Town has some beautiful buildings, lots of restaurants and shops.
House in the Old Town.
Polish restaurant.
Restaurant.
Restaurant.
Restaurant.
Restaurant by the walls.
Souvenir shop.
Souvenir shop.
Souvenir shop.
World of Amber shop.
Toy musicians.
Horse and carriage.
I soon reached the Market Square with its famous mermaid fountain. This square has always been the centre of the Old Town and used to be the site of the town hall. Like almost all of Warsaw, the Market Square was reduced to a pile of rubble by the Nazi Army as they fled from Warsaw, allowing the Soviet army to move in. All the current buildings here were built between 1948 and 1953 to look like they did in the seventeenth century.
There's a fountain with a mermaid in the middle of the square. She is one of several mermaid statues in the city.
Market Square.
Market Square.
Mermaid Fountain.
Mermaid Fountain.
Mermaid Fountain.
Street musician on Market Square.
Soon I reached The Warsaw Barbican and some remains of the Old Town Walls. The Barbican is a fortification that marks the end of The Old Town.
The Barbican.
The Barbican.
The Barbican.
The Barbican.
Walls of The Old Town.
Walls of The Old Town.
Looking down from the city walls.
I remembered that a bit further on there was a monument to The Warsaw Uprising and decided to go there. On route I had a look in St Hyacinth's Church. This Baroque church was built by the Dominicans between 1603 and 1639. During the Warsaw Uprising this church was used as a hospital. There were floral tributes outside the church for all those who died in that hospital during the war.
St. Hyacinth's Church, Warsaw.
Flower tributes.
Nearby there was a building with lots of mermaid pictures around it. Apparently a dragon like creature was the original symbol of Warsaw and it later evolved into the mermaid. Both images were on display.
Dragon like creature on the left and mermaid on the right.
Mermaid.
Mermaid.
Mermaid.
The Warsaw Uprising was an attempt by the Polish Resistance Home Army to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, as the German army was retreating and the Soviet Red Army was advancing. The Red Army halted their advance and allowed the Germans to kill thousands of Poles then marched in and took over the city when it was at its weakest.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Warsaw Uprising Monument.
Next to the monument there was a free entry museum with photo displays and some memorabilia from the uprising. I had a look inside.
The Warsaw Uprising Museum.
Model of a devastated Warsaw.
In the Warsaw Uprising Museum.
Photos of the devastation during the uprising.
Photo of The Polish Resistance Home Army.
Photo of The Polish Resistance Home Army.
Across the road from the Warsaw Uprising Monument is the beautiful Field Cathedral of the Polish Army. I didn't look inside. Also nearby is The Raczyński Palace
Field Cathedral of the Polish Army.
Raczyński Palace.
I wandered back along the Old Town walls to the Monument to The Little Insurrectionist.This commemorates the children who fought and died during the Warsaw Uprising.
The Little Insurrectionist.
The Little Insurrectionist.
The Little Insurrectionist.
Further on is the Jan Kiliński Monument. Kiliński was a cobbler who led a troop of peasants in the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising. Although he was wounded twice, he managed to capture the Russian Ambassador's Warsaw residence. Later he was imprisoned in St. Petersburg for his role in the uprising. Poles regard Kiliński as the embodiment of bravery and patriotism. During the Nazi Occupation, Nazi troops hid the Kiliński statue in the vaults of The National Museum. Within days some Polish boy scouts had daubed the walls of the museum with graffiti saying: 'People of Warsaw! I am here, Jan Kiliński.’
Jan Kiliński Monument.
Jan Kiliński Monument.
Further on is The Jan Zachwatowicz Monument. Zachwatowicz was the architect responsible for the perfect reconstruction of the Warsaw Old Town
Jan Zachwatowicz Monument.
I was getting tired so I wandered back home having a very quick look at Pilsudskiego Square where our hotel was located. I saw the eternal flame, but was too tired to wander around the park. I visited it before on our last trip.
Sofitel.
Pilsudskiego Square.
Piłsudskiego Square.
Eternal flame.
That evening we went for a meal and our free drinks downstairs in the hotel bar. I had club sandwich, which was lovely but I had to take half of it away as I couldn't eat it all. Peter had cheese croquettes.
Peter in the restaurant.
Next day we had a late checkout till two. We still weren't a hundred percent, but we went for a swim in the hotel pool, because it was part of the reason we had decided to stay there.
Peter in the pool.
Peter in the pool.
We took a Bolt to the airport and received excellent help from the mobility assistance people. Our first flight was about five and a half hours. We sat next to a Chinese man and talked to him a little bit. I watched 'After the Flood ' which I had watched on the journey over. I realised I hadn't seen the last episode. I also watched a remade, very politically correct version of Agatha Christie's 'Murder is Easy.' We had eight hours in the Silver Lounge in Doha. Neither of us were drinking alcohol. We still didn't feel well. I had some excellent Moroccan vegetable soup and Peter had chicken soup. On our next eight and a half hour flight, we were on different seats, but we were next to the same Chinese man as the previous flight. We all found that very funny. We arrived home exhausted and have been taking it very easy ever since to recover.
This featured blog entry was written by irenevt from the blog Trip To Europe 2024.
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