Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gestapo Headquarters (Mauzoleum Walki i M7cze^stwa) Currently hous-
ing the Ministry of Education, from 1939 to 1945 this was the one place in town you
absolutely didn't want to be summoned to for questioning. A small museum in the
building's lower reaches shows the cells and interrogation rooms nearly untouched
from how they were at the end of the war. The displays paint a vivid picture of the
torture and killing that went on here—and the lengths to which the Nazis went to
break the back of the Polish opposition.
Szucha 25. & 022/629-49-19. Free admission. Wed-Sun 10am-4pm.
Pawiak Prison Another frightening reminder of the horrific times of World
War II. Something like 100,000 prisoners passed through the gates here during the
nearly years of the Nazi occupation, when the prison was run by the Gestapo. Among
the prisoners were political activists, members of the clergy, university professors, or
simply anyone who could be suspected of opposing the Germans. Very few of the peo-
ple imprisoned here got out alive. Most were sent to extermination camps, while
around 40,000 people were actually executed on the grounds.
Dzielna 24/26. & 022/831-92-89. Free admission. Wed-Sun 10am-4pm.
Historical Museum of Warsaw A fascinating tour through the capital's ups
and downs through the centuries. The exhibits paint an amazing contrast between the
richness of the city up until World War II and the often-starker reality you see today.
There are good displays on the Warsaw Uprising (though not as thorough as at the
Warsaw Uprising museum). A moving film (English showings at noon) documents
the destruction of the city during the war.
Rynek Starego Miasta 42. & 022/635-16-25. Free admission. Tues 10am-4pm; Wed-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat-Sun
10am-4pm.
Outside of Warsaw
Wilanów Palace Poles are rightfully proud of this baroque-era palace built to
honor King Jan Sobieski. If you've seen Versailles near Paris or Schoenbruenn in
Vienna you'll get the idea immediately: Size matters. This enormous building has no
less than 60 rooms, most stuffed with royal memorabilia and portraits of Polish mon-
archs and heavyweights—though some rooms, like the Etruscan Room, display odd-
ities such as vases dating from the 4th century B . C . The garden surrounding the palace
is a delight and well worth a walk around. The palace can only be seen with a guided
tour. Take the hourly Polish tour if you're not particularly interested in all the details
of all of the portraits; otherwise try to book an English tour in advance by calling the
number below, or once there try to latch onto any English-speaking group you hap-
pen to see.
Ul. Stanislawa Kostki Potockiego 10/16. & 022/842-25-09 (to arrange tours). www.wilanow-palac.art.pl. Admis-
sion to the palace 16 zl ($5.33/£2.70); to the park 5 zl ($1.66/90p); free Sat. Mid-May to mid-Sept: Wed 9am-6pm,
Thurs-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 9:30am-7pm, Mon 9am-6pm. Mid-Sept to mid-May: Wed-Fri 9am-4pm,
Sat 10am-4pm, Mon 9am-4pm.
SHOPPING
Not so long ago the idea of a shopping trip to Warsaw would have drawn laughs, with
images of standing in line for bananas and knockoff jeans. But these days Warsaw can
hold its own with any European capital, East or West, for food, fashion, or whatever
you've got in mind. For clothing, most of the big international retail chains are clustered
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