Walking Warsaw

21/08/2024

The Warsaw Old Town Walking Tour by Walking Warsaw is a 2-hour guided tour available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10.30am and 2 pm. The tour covers key sites in Warsaw's Old Town, including the Market Square, Royal Castle, and St. John’s Cathedral. It also explores the New Town, Jewish Heritage sites, and the Warsaw Uprising Monument. The group size is limited to 15 people, ensuring a more intimate experience. Reservations are required, and tours are available in English or German.

The walking tour is organised as a tip-based walking tour. You decide how much to give the guide at the end.

For more details, visit our Free Walking Tour website www.freetourwarsaw.com

Free Tour in Warsaw with local guides. Book online, pay as you wish. It's completely free to book and join the free tour group.

13/08/2024

Although Poles are notoriously known as the worst drivers in Europe, driving culture in this country is moving in the right direction. Warsaw is leading the way!

29 people lost their lives on Warsaw's roads last year. ❗ That’s still 29 too many, but at the same time, it's the lowest number since data collection began in 1983. Back then, 230 people died in Warsaw, and in the early 90s, this number exceeded 300 fatalities per year. Warsaw is now even aiming for zero!

Why do Poles drive so poorly? Because 20 years ago, they had to really push the pedal to the metal in their Polski Fiats and Polonez cars just to get moving. Now, they’ve got up to 200 horsepower under the hood, but they still tend to press the gas pedal all the way down. It’s a matter of habit!

The problem lies in the unpredictability of what the driver in front might do and the fact that drivers in Poland rarely consider the comfort and safety of their passengers.

But what isn’t, can still come to be. It also took some time in Germany. In the 90s, 11,000 people died on German roads every year. In 1970, that number was over 20,000. Today, it’s just under 3,000. The same is true for Poland, though with half the population.

03/08/2024

By the way, I'm still sitting here in the Masurian Lakes. It is often said that the residents of Warsaw (and big city dwellers in general) live in their own bubble. That's true! But it's always been that way, so America wasn't the first to discover this phenomenon. However, until the 2010s, there was no big-city atmosphere in Poland. Warsaw was more like a large collection of gigantic prefab housing estates. Consequently, there was no bubble here because the difference between city and countryside was minimal. In medium-sized cities, there was practically no difference.

This has changed dramatically in the last 15 years. Warsaw has risen to become a European metropolis, and cities like Krakow, Wroclaw, and Gdansk are now considered major European cities. The difference in wages, real income, cultural offerings, and standard of living is greater than ever before. This brings us to the bubble that cannot be denied.

But this bubble has its perks. After my stay in the Masurian Lakes, I am even happier to live in Warsaw than I had previously thought. Despite all the disadvantages of living in a big city, the disadvantages of living in the countryside are enormous.

My view of the province has changed drastically in two ways over the last 15 years: firstly, I am now 40 years old and you could say "more fragile." Secondly, I now have a son who requires a lot of additional equipment for his daily life. The villages here are neither child-, family-, nor disability-friendly. It takes an incredible amount of energy for me to get around here. This area is a paradise for 30-year-old young people of both genders without children and without physical disabilities. For everyone else, I cannot recommend a trip to the Masurian Lakes. One often becomes very frustrated with the lack of infrastructure for a small family. Consequently, the interest of the local population in potential improvements is relatively low. "I shouldn't make such a fuss. You can carry the stuff and the child up those 10 stairs." This comment wasn't directed at me but at my wife.

Here, 40-ton trucks constantly drive through the villages, hardly any store or business offers ramps for wheelchairs or strollers, and generally, a leisurely stroll through the towns is only possible in a few places. Even outside in nature, it's impossible to get around with a stroller. That's probably why cyclists dominate here. Nothing works without a car. Perhaps that's why the traffic is sometimes enormous. For towns with 10-15 thousand inhabitants, it's quite noticeably car-heavy.

I love the Masurian Lakes, but when I fell in love with them, I was 20 years old. Now at 40, the world here looks somewhat alien.

Therefore, I am somewhat relieved to soon be able to return to my Warsaw bubble. My son will now cherish my love for the Masurian Lakes for the next 40 years until the comfort craving catches up with him too. I will have to look elsewhere for a geographical mistress where I don't have to fuss about perhaps just 10 stairs.

Maybe the coast then?

01/08/2024

The (forgotten) Warsaw Uprising of 1944 remains a heroic resistance primarily by young people, who never questioned what they were doing at the time. There's much debate over whether the uprising was meaningful or pointless, and whether it was doomed from the start. However, this question pertains only to the military leadership, not to the insurgents on the ground.

The merit of the 1944 uprising lies in the fact that the insurgents did not fight for freedom. They did not sacrifice their lives to free themselves or to be free. They fought because they were free. Freedom was and always is an unshakable foundation in Warsaw.

Glory and honor to the insurgents! Chwała Bohaterom!

31/07/2024

As part of the commemorations for the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, I have collaborated with the Warsaw Insider to create a walking route highlighting the dramatic yet heroic events from August to October 1944, which I have written about in an article. Those interested can walk from Plac Bankowy to Plac Zamkowy, stopping at various points to learn more about the uprising. This route covers only a small portion of all historically documented events, but in my view, this walking tour captures the essence of the uprising. Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the uprising, and I would like to describe the essence in more detail then.

The article is in English!

By the way, I highly recommend the mentioned portal to everyone. Perhaps, in the future, we will regularly publish more walking tours that highlight significant historical events of each respective month. But whatever you want to know about Warsaw, here is just the right place. They do a really amazing job.

I will attach the published article in the comments section.

22/07/2024

On July 22, so many seemingly unrelated yet complementary events connected to Warsaw took place that this post would exceed a readable length if detailed. But behold, it can be shorter despite the potential overflow.

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On July 22, 1953, Warsaw's Old Town was officially reopened for use. Though not completely finished, people began moving in slowly. It was one of the first residential areas in Warsaw after 1945. This year marks the 71st anniversary of its restoration.

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On July 22 (actually July 21), 1955, the Palace of Culture and Science was opened. That year, it was the second tallest building in Europe and the eighth tallest in the world, holding these ranks until 1990 and 1961, respectively. Today, it serves as an office building owned by the City of Warsaw and consumes as much electricity as a town with 8,000 inhabitants.

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On July 22, 1943, the Final Solution to the Jewish Question began in Warsaw. The next day, the first train transport arrived at the Treblinka extermination camp with 7,400 Jews on board. In the following two months, 300,000 Warsaw Jews were gassed. Overall, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered there.

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On July 22, 1878, Janusz Korczak was born in Warsaw. His work significantly influenced UNICEF's methods. He ran an orphanage in Warsaw and, in 1943, accompanied the orphans to the train cars that took them to Treblinka, where he, the children, and the staff were gassed. In Treblinka, Korczak's name is the only personal name commemorated on a memorial plaque.

13/07/2024

Today, we remember an extraordinary figure: Jan Karski, also known as the Polish James Bond, who passed away in exile on July 13, 2000. His story is remarkable and deserves to be told.

During World War II, Karski was a brave military courier for the Polish Underground State (1939-1945). He served as a liaison between the political parties in occupied Poland, particularly in the General Government, and the government-in-exile in London. Communication was solely through couriers like him, making travel through occupied Europe an extreme challenge.

Karski gained particular fame for his mission in 1942, when he was smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto by Jewish organizations. There, he documented the N**i atrocities to inform the world about the extermination of the Jews. He witnessed the horrors of the "Final Solution" firsthand, during which over 300,000 Warsaw Jews were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp in just two months.

Despite his tireless efforts to inform the world – even speaking personally with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt – he was met with deaf ears. This ignorance left him frustrated for the rest of his life.

Today, a monument in Warsaw commemorates him, situated right next to the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes. It depicts Karski in a contemplative pose, sitting on a bench.

After the war, Karski, whose real name was Kozielewski, had to go into exile because the communists persecuted him. In the USA, he wrote numerous books, including the impressive work "Story of a Secret State: My Report to the World."

09/07/2024

Since I have been living in Praga-Poludnie, I have become a regular visitor to Skaryszewski Park. It is one of the largest parks in Warsaw with a very interesting history. For example, two free royal elections were held here (in 1573, Henry de Valois and in 1733, Augustus III of Saxony).

You can walk through the park for hours without feeling like you're walking in circles. The very wide main avenue also invites conversations and discussions "on the go" without constantly being bumped into by someone.

Somewhat hidden, there is also a wonderfully situated small café called "Misianka" Misianka in the greenery. After a three-year break, they have reopened. They have really delicious snacks and good strong coffee.

The photos don't even begin to capture the atmosphere you find there. What strongly distinguishes this park from Lazienki Park is the "wilderness" and "naturalness."

You can also get back home very quickly in all directions.

11/06/2024

With this audience, I actually have no problems finding new topics for the posts. The comments alone give me enough material to write about. And so today, a brief explanation regarding the high homeownership rate in Poland.

**Homeownership Rates in Europe**
Basically, in Poland, it is at 87.2%. By comparison, Germany has a homeownership rate of about 47%, the lowest in the EU. It's even lower only in Switzerland. Generally, the former Eastern Bloc countries have the highest homeownership rates because the state administrative units sold them cheaply to the population. Only East Germans were overrun and bought out by West German capital. They were hardly given anything.

**Homeownership Without Mortgages**
Here it gets more interesting. Many, especially Germans, believe that most property (whether apartment or house) in Poland is still burdened with mortgages. However, this is absolutely false. 72% of households in Poland live in homes that are already paid off. By comparison: in Switzerland, it’s just 4%, in Germany 26%, and in Austria 30%. In Romania, it's even 95% or in Hungary 78%.

**Homeownership With Mortgages**
The situation is similar here. In Poland, only 12% of households live in homes with a mortgage. In Germany, it's 24%. In the Netherlands, it's even 60%.

**Rental Rates**
There is also often talk about the extremely high rental prices in Poland. But if rents are so high, why don't people take to the streets? Quite simply! Because they are in the minority. 12% of households are renters. The highest proportion is in Germany with 53% and Austria with 50%.

**Conclusion**
I can only advise those affected to be cautious with the arrogance with which they want to prove that the German rental system is "the best". Ownership also has its advantages, primarily the aspect of freedom and independence. I know that security is romanticized in Germany, but not every country goes through the same history and also does not pursue the same goals. The above-mentioned numbers speak clearly, and the symptoms must be assigned to the corresponding illness; otherwise, the wrong pills are prescribed.

07/06/2024

Between January and December of last year, the number of employed people in Poland increased by 134,700, with over a third of this growth occurring in the Warsaw metropolitan area and over 28,000 in Warsaw itself. In April 2024, 1,131,682 people were employed in Warsaw, with an unemployment rate of 1.4%.

I always find statistics in Poland quite suspicious, especially considering the abolition of the registration requirement in 2016 and the general promotion of deregulation in various spheres of the labor market. For example, the official population is just under 1.89 million, but unofficially it's said to be between 2.3 and 2.5 million.

Everything here is pretty relative. Essentially, I would say that there are more people in Poland than the statistics indicate, these people have more than they report, and the people who live here are not where they claim to be.

But the main thing is that it works 🙂

I got the map from Kartografia Ekstremalna. A very interesting profile.

05/06/2024

The thing with breakfast is that it tends to reflect the character of the respective nation. For example, a French breakfast typically includes a croissant on the plate. An Italian breakfast definitely features olive oil, and it's best to skip the English breakfast altogether.

So, what might a Polish breakfast look like? After decades of pondering, 5 years of study, and countless scientific tests, I've finally come up with a possible version: 2 fried eggs, each on its own slice of bread, a pickled cucumber, a glass of pickle juice, and two slices of bread for two kielbasa sausages. Ideally, there should also be a small glass of vodka, but I didn't want to overdo it. The sausages are missing from the photo (I unfortunately ate them before the idea of taking a photo occurred to me).

Now that's what I call a Polish breakfast!

Postscript: The German word "Gurke" (cucumber) comes from the Polish "Ogórek."

Postscript 2: The Poles eat pickled cucumbers, pickled herrings, and salted nuts with vodka because vodka tastes sweet. Sweet and salty go well together 🙂

07/05/2024

It's always remarkable how long so-called insider tips in Warsaw can linger, even when they're long outdated. Because Warsaw only started its rise into Europe's top league about 12 years ago, the city's offerings in the realms of culture, gastronomy, or nightlife are quite short-lived.

In my opinion, the clearest example of this is the renovated market hall, Hala Koszyki. After it opened in 2016/2017, it was indeed a hotspot. The hype was huge, and all the travel agencies, media, and travel guides were issuing recommendations. But just two years later, that was over. Hala Koszyki didn't exactly fall out of favor, but it was downgraded to just "an easy option for a cozy evening."

The hotspots are now somewhere else. Currently, people are heading to Fabryka Norblina, Browary Warszawskie, and Elektrownia Powiśle. No one knows how long this trio will remain popular, but they capture the Warsaw vibe much better than Hala Koszyki, which, if I could, I would give away to Krakow.

02/05/2024

She is white and red, appears in many different forms, has a 5:8 aspect ratio, and mostly symbolizes good, though sometimes evil, yet she can inspire people, motivate them, or stand by others. Today is Polish Flag Day, which is squeezed between Labor Day and the anniversary of the Constitution of May 3, 1791. We've been celebrating this day since 2004 with quite a lot of energy and dedication, through runs, sports, classical music, or barbecues. It's a good time to reflect on being Polish or a foreigner in Poland and around the world. After all, there's quite a bit of magic and inexplicable things behind the flag. In Poland's history, many people sacrificed their lives to show the white and red flag because it's not just a piece of cloth. And for that, we should be grateful to them.

29/04/2024

After Warsaw was named the European Best Destination in 2023, it has now achieved another good ranking in a new list. This time, it's the 4th place among the best European capitals to visit in 2024. The list is based on a report conducted last year by VisaGuide.World, where travelers were asked what is important to them when visiting Europe. Based on the results, the list of the best capitals on the continent was compiled.

I would have liked to see Warsaw in the top three, but you shouldn't always steal the show from others. 🙂

28/04/2024

"Apparently, Warsaw is a beautiful city! I hear this quite often from tourists between stops on my tours. You don't sing praises like that just to be polite or to flatter the tour guide (after all, the tour guide has nothing else to offer but the tour itself). So there must be some truth to it.
However, I must strongly disagree with this claim. Warsaw is everything, but certainly not beautiful! Because that would mean the city could be compared to places like Florence, Paris, or Seville. And that's just not possible!
But what would be a good adjective for Warsaw? In my opinion, "interesting" suits Warsaw perfectly. In the word "interesting," there's a bit of "beautiful," but only to a small extent. Other adjectives are also part of "interesting," such as "orderly," "with a special touch," or "appealing." But the specific architectural chaos, the very differently structured society with its now visible minorities, the lack of a social system, and the unexpected economic structure with its skyscrapers all lead to the fact that Warsaw can't be considered beautiful.
Perhaps that's the reason why Warsaw has become a point of interest in the last 10 years, rivaling Kraków, Gdańsk, or Wrocław. Maybe visitors have finally discovered a city that challenges them and can't be easily "read"? Maybe it really is interesting."
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22/04/2024

Finally, the time has come to assess the new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Discussions in Warsaw just don't seem to end, and the public opinion is as divided as it was with the Warsaw Palm tree. The builders made many promises, the mayor, Trzaskowski, made many promises, so it's no wonder that there are many disappointed people.

The primary criticism is that there is no separate bike path. Cyclists have to navigate their way through the pedestrians, which is allegedly a slow and arduous process. However, many foreigners find it fascinating that this chaos can be so civilized without strict traffic rules. It's best to try it out yourself—it all depends on the weather and the time of day.

Additionally, there's criticism about the lack of a view of the royal east facade of the Royal Castle. However, I couldn't find any promises regarding this. There is, though, a lovely view of the Old Town.

Overall, the view is splendid, and the atmosphere is very pleasant. All in all, it's a successful project. However, the bridge wasn't integrated into a larger concept, which I think is the biggest flaw. There's no connection to the Warsaw Royal Route. The Praga side, on the other hand, is much better.

Now, I'm curious about the next project: some people are considering building a gondola over the Vistula River. Wouldn't that be something?

Foto1: Podniebny Kot
Foto: Małgorzata Szostak

19/04/2024

Every year at 12 o'clock, Warsaw's sirens ring in honor of the heroes of the Jewish uprising of 1943. It was a struggle for human dignity, which the Jews were deprived of. They took their fate into their own hands, knowing full well that there was no escape. One of the survivors, Marek Edelmann, laid a daffodil at the monument every year. After his death, his friends and family took on this task. Today, employees of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, POLIN, distribute stickers with the flower so that as many people as possible in Warsaw can proclaim the message on this day that the Warsaw Jews resisted.

Of the nearly 400 thousand Warsaw Jews, only a small percentage survived World War II. From the Warsaw Ghetto, only a large field of ruins remains. Jewish Warsaw ceases to exist on May 16, 1943. On that day, the Great Synagogue was blown up, and the N**is proclaimed that Warsaw was "free of Jews." An intriguing 800-year history comes to an end. It is the duty of the city and its inhabitants to remember every year the atrocities that have occurred here.

This year, due to climate change, it's a bit cumbersome to explain why it's specifically the daffodil, as most specimens have already faded. Normally, they bloom brightly around mid-April, around the date of April 19. Due to accelerated vegetation this year, they began to appear in mid-March and are now hardly visible.

17/04/2024

In a few days, the commemorations of the 1943 Jewish Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto will begin. This resistance and struggle for lost human dignity hold a dignified place in Warsaw's history. And because it's still a few days away before all eyes and ears are fixed on this event, I would like to highlight Warsaw's special status in the world of Judaism at this moment.

In 1939, Warsaw housed the largest Jewish community in Europe, second only to New York worldwide. Chasidism was integral to Warsaw, much like Catholicism to Poland. The pioneering role of this Jewish group can be seen in the significant Chasidic figures buried in the Jewish cemetery.

Outside the Orthodox world, Warsaw and Masovia were places where significant personalities found a home. Ben Gurion was born just 70 km from Warsaw, Menahem Begin (Mieczyslaw Biegun) studied at the University of Warsaw. And yet another (certainly not the last) interesting personality is closely connected to Warsaw, and I would like to dedicate today's post to him: Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof.

He is the inventor of the Esperanto language, which is why the Esperanto star is found on his tombstone. The multicultural Poland, especially his birthplace Bialystok, inspired him to create a common language so that Poles and all minorities living in Poland could learn to communicate with each other. Because that didn't always happen, and this problem persists into the 21st century. It's no coincidence that Zamenhof called the language "Esperanto," meaning "hope."

Zamenhof passed away on April 14, 1917, in Warsaw, at the age of just 58 years.

14/04/2024

Of course, while the exact date is unknown, it's generally believed that the "Baptism of Poland" took place on April 14th, 966. The precise location is also uncertain, but it's thought to have occurred either in Poznań or Gniezno (the dispute between the two cities has persisted for centuries). However, what is certain is that Polish history spans over a thousand years. Even during the periods when Poland didn't exist as an independent state, such as between 1795-1918 and 1939-1945, the traditions of its predecessors continued in the minds of the Polish people. Additionally, from 1939-1989, there was also an exile government with a president, prime minister, and council in London.

The baptism of 966 is significant because it marked the decision of the Polish elite to align with the Christian Latin world, essentially aligning with the "West," as we might say today. The princes of that time not only chose the West but also rejected the East. Ultimately, the middle ground between East and West ran through Poland in the form of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Looking at the capitals also presents an interesting picture. The first capital of Poland (in the medieval sense) was Poznań/Gniezno. From the 12th century onwards, the political center shifted to Kraków, which officially remained the capital of Poland until 1795. Between 1619 and 1795, the kings of Poland resided in Warsaw, but the city was not formally the capital. Then came the partitions and the non-existence of Poland, and thus the absence of a capital.

This means that Warsaw only became a fully-fledged capital for the first time in 1918, and even then, with interruptions. I can't think of another country in Europe where the capital was permanently relocated to another city after centuries. Even in Russia, traditions were stronger, and St. Petersburg was only a temporary phase.

Warsaw, it must be said, was extremely fortunate in its location. It was lucky that this city could become the economically dominant city of Poland. But that's a slightly different story altogether.

07/04/2024

Today is election day in Poland, and if you want to have a say, you must first go out and vote. There are 4 ballot papers. First, you decide who will be the city president. Then you choose the candidate to sit in the Warsaw City Council. Next, you cast your vote for a candidate who will occupy the district council, and finally, for the one who will represent me in the Masovian Voivodeship Sejmik. And then it's done. My district is Praga-South (Praga Poludnie).

Voter turnout will likely not be as high as in the parliamentary elections in October 2023. At 5 PM, it was barely 40 percent. However, we are all curious about how much the formerly ruling P*S will lose compared to 2019. The pendulum in Poland is swinging more strongly to the left again. I once wrote an article titled "Poland signals right but turns left." This leftward swing could be predicted with fairly high probability. The only question left is how far it swings to the left. You can't draw an analogy with Western European party systems. You have to travel around Poland a bit to realize that "left" in Germany is not synonymous with "left" in Poland. The same goes for the other side.

If you delve deeper, two elements are crucial for this development. First: medium-sized and large cities are slowly but surely taking the lead in terms of culture, economy, and lifestyle. Second: Poland has, for the first time in history, a so-called middle class, which is related to the first point. Previously, the nobility and the "intelligentsia" mostly dominated. And now that's over. Of course, this transformation is not happening without internal conflicts.

20/03/2024

The peculiar, sometimes serious, mostly humorous relationship between Krakow and Warsaw stems from the fact that the elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since 1569), Sigismund III Vasa, relocated his royal residence from the capital to Warsaw on March 18, 1596, exactly 428 years ago. And here begin legends, conspiracy theories, and discrepancies in the historical perspective of the world between Varsovians and Krakovians. For the Varsovians, Sigismund III Vasa is one of the brightest stars in Poland's history. In Krakow, the Vasa Chapel in Wawel Cathedral is almost never presented. Instead, they prefer to focus on all the previous kings, especially from the Jagiellonian Dynasty era. Therefore, I will briefly present the facts here:

1. The move was not announced or confirmed by an official document.
2. The official reason for the departure was a fire at Wawel in Krakow. The move lasted about 10 years in total. The last time Sigismund was in Krakow was in 1609. The next time was only in 1632 at his own funeral.
3. It is believed that Sigismund deliberately orchestrated the move to be able to travel to Gdansk (Danzig) more quickly. Gdansk was extremely important to him, especially after he inherited the Swedish crown from his father through inheritance law, five years after being elected King of Poland. In 1610, after the conquest of Moscow, he entertained thoughts of seizing the Tsar's crown as well. Ultimately, he wanted to retain all royal titles. The Kings of Poland styled themselves as Kings of Sweden until 1660.
4. Warsaw was designated as the seat of parliament in 1569 with the Lublin Union, which transformed the personal union between Poland and Lithuania into a real union.
5. Furthermore, it was determined in Lublin in 1569 that all Kings of Poland would be elected in Warsaw.
6. The division between Warsaw as the residence of the kings, the site of free royal elections, and the parliamentary seat on the one hand, and Krakow as the official capital, coronation city, final resting place of the Kings of Poland, and among other things, the housing place of the Royal Treasury, lasted until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.
7. Warsaw was actually declared the capital of a free Poland for the first time in 1918.
8. Sigismund promised the people of Krakow to return after moving to Warsaw. Krakowians are still waiting for his return.

That's why Sigismund is not without reason atop the 23-meter-high Sigismund's Column, reigning over the Old Town, the Royal Castle, and the Royal Route.