We spent the majority of today exploring Warsaw's downtown district. We started off by taking the bus to the "New Town" (Nowe Miasto) district. For someone who lives in North America, this name is quite ironic as most of the buildings in this district are actually quite old (200-300 years old). We explored the district for a couple of hours, taking in the sights and sounds. After lunch in the New Town we continued on to the... "Old Town" (Stare Miasto). This district lies right next to New Town, and once again, we spent a good couple of hours exploring. Some buildings (and old city walls) are several hundred years older. In this district lies a palace which used to be the summer palace of Polish Kings. These days, the palace is open for viewing, although occasionally there are still State events that occur there.
While not exactly a tourist destination, the next point of interest in today's trek was sentimental in nature. My grandmother grew up in Warsaw, and we were able to see the house that she grew up in. It was interesting to spend some time there, see the house and street, and ponder what life may have looked like at that time.
Next up, was a rather contentious place. The "Palace of Culture" was built in Warsaw as a gift from the Soviet Union in the 1950's. Given Poland's tenuous history with the Soviet Union there are definitely mixed feelings about this structure. It's large, imposing, and obviously has Communist connotations, yet it has become part of Warsaw's skyline. One thing is for sure: the viewing terrace at the top of the Palace certainly provides interesting 360 degree views of the city.
Finally, we finished off the day visiting with my oldest cousin who lives on the outskirts of Warsaw. It's been nearly 20 years since we have last seen each other, but it certainly seems like we can relate to one another just as well now as 20 years ago.
New Town:
Old Town:
Jasna St:
