Warsaw - The Overlooked City

It’s Got Texture

While the reconstructed old town is teetering on the edge of being saccharine in its atmosphere it’s not quite there yet.

The Royal mile is stunning, with each building grander than the next.Contrast it with Prage (see below)

Visit the palace of culture and understand the tortured relationship the locals have with the building is it a practical and vibrant cultural hot spot or just an omnipresent reminder of Russian betrayal?

Our Tip

We don’t think you should be tempted to go boutique here and think The Bristol on the Royal Mile is the place to stay, a mix of Art Nouveau and grand classic style.

The Food (yes really)

The Gessler family seem to be the equivalent of Richard Caring in London. Lunch at U Kucharzy on a Monday was both delicious and wonderfully atmospheric. A true sign of Polish creativity - the restaurant has been created out of the old kitchens of the Europe Hotel (now defunct) - no money whatever has been spent on the decor and it would be a total waste to do so. White butchers tiles with tea towels as napkins - a baby grand in the corner and copious amounts of simple one flower floral arrangements plus huge open kitchen made us give it 5 stars as AA Gill gave Daquise(Kensington) their sister restaurant so it’s not just us!

Monday night we did not make reservations for supper, and tried to get into two of Magda Gesslers restaurants Fukieraand Polka- both large, both full! We made it back to Polka on Tuesday for lunch - delicious.

Our tip

If you want vibe - go midweek - avoid the weekend.

WWII

However much you already know about Poland and the war, you will feel very moved the more see and feel the complete and utter devastation of Warsaw. The souls of so many are buried here.

Our Tip

A visit to the incredibly interactive museum of the Warsaw uprising is really not to be missed. 2012 will also see the opening of the museum of Jewish history of Poland, sited on the borders of the Ghetto and it promises to be amazing.

Cafe Culture

If you like people watching and hate identikit high streets there are many wonderful cafes (with delicious cakes…) to enjoy.

Our Tip

Leave enough time to savour several pit stops through the day.

Praga

To understand Warsaw a visit to Praga is a must. A walk across the bridge from the castle takes you there, or a number 23 tram, or countless buses. Praga was separated from Warsaw proper by the Vistula river for many years until the first bridge was built in the mid 1800’s.

The area was(and still is) gritty, pretty derelict and beyond shabby chic. Now, with the huge cash injection that is euro 2012 it’s become the boho quarter of Warsaw. It’s still a way off from being Brixton market, but it’s charm lies in the fact that much of it stayed intact in WWII.

Incredibly, people still live with the scars of the war in bullet riddled 19th century buildings, with steel nets strategically placed to catch any falling debris. In many ways the impact of this was greater than any memorial or museum I saw.

Fashionable restaurants and creative galleries are popping up in these scarred buildings.

Seeing the saintly shrines in many apartment building courtyards is a testament to the faith of the nation, maybe more than a reconstructed cathedral or church.

If you want to see real Warsaw life and scratch below the surface just a little, make sure you don’t miss Praga.

Value & Welcome

While still much more expensive than other parts of Poland, Warsaw is still excellent value and without doubt we had service with a smile everywhere we went.