NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: NORTH MOKOTÓW

With Mokotów too big to walk in a day, join us as we explore the hidden corners of a slice of its north...

As peculiar as it might sound now, for a brief period in the 70s some architects went through a phase of decorating the facades of their buildings with industrial waste: usually this meant cast-off porcelain, but in some instances even discarded toilet seats. A prime example of the former is Belgijska 9 – get up close to the exterior wall and you’ll notice its been rendered from hundreds of smashed plates, jugs and mugs produced in a factory in Wałbrzych.

Given the name of the street, when Poland and Belgium celebrated a century of diplomatic relations in 2019 ul. Belgijska was the natural choice on which to paint a mural. Titled ‘In tribute to Rene Magritte’, the work was executed by the Belgian street artist Oli-B.

If you’ve read our Halloween rundown then you’ll already know about the ghost that creeps on the balcony of Morksie Oko 5 Just about viewable from Belgijska street, it is on this balcony that the ghostly Hanka can be seen. Once owned by Arpad Chowańczak, an inter-war furrier that was celebrated as the best in biz, the building fell into ruin at the start of the century. Fully renovated, it’s now been divided into luxury apartments.

The Jan Matejko statue by Regeneracja is one of this area’s defining features – looking more like John Lennon, find the artist posed over Stańczyk, the court jester he helped immortalise in his paintings. Erected in 1994, the monument was designe by Marian Konieczny, a sculptor whose more famous works include Warsaw’s Nike, and Nowa Huta’s now-dismantled Lenin (which was once famously the subject of a bomb plot!).

Speaking of Regeneracja (Puławska 61), that in itself demands a visit – opened in the noughties, this hip-retro-dive bar is one of the few artistic bars from the era that has survived with its original spirit in tact!

Regeneracja sits in the shadow of the pint-sized Dom Maure- tański (Puławska 55), an 18th century neo-Gothic / Moorish tower that stands incongruously next to the main road. One of the few surviving elements of the Szuster Palace, it’s an absolute gem.

The gently sloping Morskie Oko Park is also worthy of exploration, and even more so in the golden rays of autumn. Scattered with neo-Gothic elements such as a palace in which Louis XVIII is reputed to have once stayed, points to look out for include the creepy-looking Szuster family tomb and a lake that’s said to hold a Red Army tank at the bottom.

A survivor of the PRL era, Mozaika (Puławska 55) has smartened its act considerably since the days its golden oldie nights would attract pensioners twirling under disco lights. Now updated for a younger and more affluent audience, its signature neon outside remains a stunning retro feature.

When you pop in for ice cream at Pallone (Puławska 51) you get more than you bargained for. Recently renovated, the wackjob interior contains an abstract 1960s mosaic created using pebbles, glazed ceramic tiles, polychromes and liquid terrazzo. Attributed to the artist and illustrator Krzysztof Henisz, the work formed the anchoring decorative element of a showroom that once promoted the restorative mineral waters of Konstancin.

If ever you’ve thought about starting a revolution, then maybe do so inside ADA (Puławska 37), a squat / cultural project whose active programme of events includes such things as ‘freak yoga’, book fairs and music festivals with names such as ‘dance against the police’. By visiting, you definitely get to see an alternative side to Warsaw.

Completed in 1936, what now holds the Embassy of Luxembourg (Słoneczna 15) was built for Zofia Żochowska – the sister of the chocolate magnate Jan Wedel. Despite her life of privilege, she stepped up to the plate in wartime. Following a stint in Pawiak Prison, she helped hide several Jews and later operated a field kitchen during the Uprising before being killed. Designed by Lucjan Korngold, the house is a striking example of inter-war modernism.