Sightseeing
Sightseeing Overview
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For many people, the very symbol of the city is the voluminous Palace of Culture and Science, which was gifted to Warsaw by Stalin. The viewing deck is now accessible via express lifts and this is the best venue for visitors to get acquainted with the layout of the city.
Sightseeing in Warsaw is generally concentrated on the left bank of the Vistula river. The UNESCO World Heritage Old Town is unmissable – quite literally, seeing as many of the city’s attractions and a whole host of cafés, bars and restaurants are located within its environs. The Old Town is both a physical and symbolic expression of the city’s spirit and determination to come back from the brink of annihilation at the end of World War II. Most visitors to Warsaw spend their first day strolling around the Old Town, where one can find the opulent and impressive Royal Castle, once home of the Polish kings. Outside the historic centre is Wilanow, a charming palace on a grand scale, which was modelled on Versailles.
Warsaw boasts a number of green lungs and Lazienki Park is one of the most relaxing, with its Palace on the Water and boating lake. The city is also home to an impressive array of cultural attractions, with a string of museums, including the National Museum, Chopin Museum and the haunting Pawiak Museum, which served as a cruel prison under the Nazis. Perhaps the most depressing and emotive testament to Warsaw’s past is the Jewish Ghetto, or lack of it – an area that gives away little of the history of what actually happened but still retains a sense of unspoken tragedy.
Tourist Information
Warszawskie Centrum Informacji Turystycznej (Warsaw Tourism Information Centre)
89 Krakowskie Przedmiescie
Tel: (022) 9431. Fax: (022) 629 0750.
E-mail: info@warsawtour.pl
Website: www.warsawtour.bptnet.pl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0900-1700 and Sun 0900-1500 (May-Sep); Mon-Fri 0800-1800; Sat-Sun 0900-1500 (Oct-Apr).
There are also tourist information centres at the Okecie Airport arrivals hall, the Warsaw Central railway station, the Historical Museum in the Old Town and Warsaw West coach station. There is also a tourist information telephone service with English-speaking operators (tel: 9431).
Passes
There are currently no tourist passes available in Warsaw.
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