Poland - Eastern Europe - page 400

buildings themselves are modern apartment blocks. Spend a couple of hours walking
here, taking in the central square, and the adjoining streets and alleyways. The Royal
Castle, at the entrance to the Old Town, is also a replica, having been completed only
in the 1980s. It's worth a stop to admire some rich period interiors and an excellent
permanent art collection.
Continue your tour south along what's been known for centuries as Warsaw's Royal
Route, following the now-swanky, cafe-lined streets of Krakowskie Przedmie 1 cie and
Nowy 2 wiat. As you walk, bear in the mind that these streets too saw intense fight-
ing during World War II and were completely rebuilt from rubble after the war. Much
of this area is dominated by Warsaw University, and the streets are often filled with
students. By day, it's a great place to stroll and have a coffee; by night, you'll find
plenty of clubs, bars, and restaurants.
Nowy 2 wiat eventually empties into Aleje Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Ave.), one of
the main arteries of Warsaw's central city, 2 ródmie 1 cie. This is the heart of the city,
and you'll find yourself spending a lot of time on this avenue, and the giant avenue
that bisects it at the geographic center of 2 ródmie 1 cie, Marsza l kowska. Heading west
on Jerozolimskie, just beyond Marsza l kowska, you can't miss the giant Stalinist wed-
ding-cake Palace of Culture and Science, for years a symbol of the city's subjugation,
firmly under the thumb of the Soviet Union. The 60-story “palace” was built in the
1950s as a gift to the Polish people from Josef Stalin. What to do with the tower has
bedeviled city planners since the fall of Communism in 1989. Suggestions have
ranged from demolishing it to rehabbing it to its original purpose as a house of cul-
ture. The latter alternative appears to be winning out, and it looks as if the palace is
here to stay. You can take an elevator to the 30th floor for some nice views of the city.
North of Jerozolimskie, following Marsza l kowska, leads to a highly interesting
complex of buildings built in the 1950s in an austere but still striking Socialist-Real-
ist style. The most impressive, or hideous (depending on your taste in architecture),
cluster of buildings lies on and just to the north of Constitution Place (Plac Konsty-
tucji). Before the war, Marsza l kowska was arguably the most fashionable avenue in
Warsaw. It was totally destroyed by the Germans in reprisals for the Warsaw Uprising,
and in the 1950s was widened and rebuilt in Stalinist style. Take a while to explore the
area and the streets that branch off on both sides, noting the oversize reliefs of the pro-
letariat heroes on the buildings. These days, this neighborhood is one of the trendiest
in Warsaw and you'll see, sprouting here and there, hipster cafes and pubs that use the
architecture in a newly ironic and humorous way.
South of Jerozolimskie, near the intersection with Nowy 2 wiat, lies the city's most
exclusive quarter and home to many government buildings, including the parliament
(Sejm) and foreign embassies. It's also the preferred neighborhood for exclusive bou-
tiques and fashion houses. Head south to the Three Crosses Square (Plac Trzech
Krzy 9 y) and then down the main boutique shopping street of Mokotowska. Make a
note to come back here during the evening, when the street-side cafes start filling with
life. A little farther on you'll find the city's favorite park for a stroll: L azienki Park.
The park is filled with little treasures, including a lake, lots of nice footpaths, and an
overblown Art Deco statue honoring Poland's most famous composer, Frederyk
Chopin (cultural aside: Chopin was born in Poland to a French father and a Polish
mother). On Sundays in nice weather you'll find a regular Chopin-in-the-park con-
cert; the music starts around noon. You'll also find here the very fine neoclassical sum-
mer palace of Poland's last king, Stanis l aw August Poniatowski.