Warsaw In Your Pocket Guide_ Autumn 2021

Page 24

Sightseeing | Old Town Walking Tour

The Old Town

Autumn suits the colours of Warsaw’s Old Town, seen in this view down ul. Krzywe Koło.

A labyrinth of winding cobblestone streets, ornate tenement facades and picturesque plazas, it’s easy to understand why the Old Town is Warsaw’s top tourist area. A window into the ‘once-upon-a-time’ of Warsaw’s golden days when it was one of Europe’s architectural pearls, Warsaw’s Old Town was actually entirely rebuilt after WWII. In the devastating aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (p.54), 85% of Warsaw’s left bank lay in ruin and half of its population had perished. The Old Town was hit with particular Nazi efficiency, and by the time the Red Army rolled across the river it was little more than a smouldering wasteland. To their credit the Capital Reconstruction Bureau immediately started carefully reconstructing the historic centre using pre-war sketches, paintings and photographs - a painstaking process that would last until 1962. Although what you see in Warsaw’s Old Town today is not strictly ‘original’ per say, the district is a stunning testament of the city’s rise from the ruins of WWII and of Varsovians’ great pride in their city. 24

WALKING TOUR IYP’s Old Town Walking Tour leads you in and around the oldest part of the city, showing you its most important and interesting points, beginning and ending near Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square) - the traditional entrance to the district. The prescribed route covers only about 1.5km. If you’re only interested in the exercise, it could take less than 30mins, but we reckon for most, an exploration of Warsaw’s Old Town will take several hours ‘if done correctly’ - that is, with a couple of short culture, food and coffee/beer breaks. If you have only one day in Warsaw, this is how you should spend it. Make sure you’ve got a full charge on your smartphone or camera, some comfy shoes and off you go.

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Shopping

7min
pages 94-100

Clubs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

7min
pages 90-92

Bars � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

8min
pages 86-89

Adult Entertainment � � � � � � � � � �

2min
page 93

New & Featured � � � � � � � � � � �

1min
page 85

Vegan & Vegetarian � � � � � � � � � �

4min
pages 80-81

Food Markets � � � � � � � � � � � �

4min
pages 82-84

Casual Dining � � � � � � � � � � � �

10min
pages 76-79

Fine Dining � � � � � � � � � � � � �

9min
pages 72-75

New & Featured � � � � � � � � � � �

1min
pages 70-71

Traditional Polish Dishes � � � � � � � �

3min
pages 68-69

Breakfast & Brunch

3min
pages 66-67

Day Trips from Warsaw

3min
pages 64-65

Powiśle Walking Tour � � � � � � � � �

2min
page 42

Kids & Families

3min
pages 62-63

Activities & Experiences

3min
pages 60-61

Warsaw Uprising � � � � � � � � � � �

5min
pages 54-55

Jewish Warsaw � � � � � � � � � � � �

9min
pages 50-53

Wilanów � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

1min
page 40

The Royal Route � � � � � � � � � � �

2min
page 30

Transport

6min
pages 20-21

The Golden Polish Autumn in Warsaw � � �

7min
pages 10-13

What’s On in Warsaw: Autumn 2021 � � � �

9min
pages 16-18

Old Town Walking Tour � � � � � � � � �

1min
page 24

Essential Warsaw � � � � � � � � � � �

2min
pages 22-23

Warsaw Breweries: A cosmopolitan feast � �

5min
pages 14-15

Such a Landscape: Wilhelm Sasnal at POLIN �

2min
page 19

Foreword

2min
page 6
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