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Post by pawian on Jan 1, 2016 19:59:03 GMT
Most cities and towns in Poland were built in accordance with old medieval settlement laws, with the main square located in the very centre. Even when the centres got ruined during wars, especially WW2, they were usually rebuilt more or less the same as before. Warsaw goes first as the capital. The Old Town was almost completely destroyed during WW2, and the rebuilding continued till 1970s when they finished the Royal Castle. The view of 1945   Views over a few years. The Main Square in the Old Town  Warsaw Mermaid, city`s coat-of-arms     Street musicians   Cars are forbidden in the square           Defence walls and barbican   Unfortunately, walking on top of walls is prohibited     The monument to Little Insurgent   Posh restaurant menu with posh prices     Souvenirs from Warsaw - Warsaw Mermaid statue, Little Insurgent statue, Palace of Culture and Science, King Sigismund III column, Chopin monument        Amber jewellery  This shop with metal ornaments near the Royal Castle is especially dear to me. I visited it in 1983 when I went to Warsaw on a school trip. We bought there a few metal crowned eagle badges. Eagle is a symbol of Poland but in communist times it was deprived of the crown. Selling such badges at the time was a bit illegal.  Royal Castle   Swedish troops occupied Warsaw in 17 century  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2016 20:30:17 GMT
Hello and welcome, Pawian!
This is a fascinating look at a city about which I know nothing. Looks as though Warsaw is aware of itself as a tourist draw, though. Is this your home town? What is the very beautiful building with the swag of greenery on it?
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Post by pawian on Jan 1, 2016 22:06:21 GMT
Hello and welcome, Pawian! This is a fascinating look at a city about which I know nothing. Looks as though Warsaw is aware of itself as a tourist draw, though. Is this your home town? What is the very beautiful building with the swag of greenery on it? Hello. I am not Warsawian, I am from Krakow, but I love to visit Warsaw from time to time. The building you mentioned is one of tenement houses in the Main Square. The paintings on the shutters and the rack with the menu at the door suggest it is a restaurant. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2016 22:14:22 GMT
Thanks! Just looked through the pictures again & noticed the Little Insurgent is quite well armed. The city is beautiful. I am assuming that the rebuilding tried to duplicate the original buildings as much as possible.
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Post by pawian on Jan 1, 2016 22:37:00 GMT
Thanks! Just looked through the pictures again & noticed the Little Insurgent is quite well armed. The city is beautiful. I am assuming that the rebuilding tried to duplicate the original buildings as much as possible. Yes, the Insurgent is well armed indeed. Yes, they tried to rebuild the original architecture as much as possible, they even used old paintings of Warsaw by Canaletto to duplicate certain details. Wiki His paintings of Warsaw, 26 vedute painted between 1770-80 to embellish the so-called Panorama Room (later Canaletto Room) at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and later relocated to Russia, were restored to the Polish Government in 1921[6] and were used in rebuilding the city after its near-complete destruction...[3]
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_Bellotto#/media/File:Bellotto_Bridgettine_Church_and_Arsenal.jpg
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Post by lagatta on Jan 2, 2016 1:40:27 GMT
The reconstruction of Warsaw after its utter destruction was an enormous feat, while the citizens were living under very harsh conditions. They should get some kind of medal for their meticulous and backbreaking work.
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2016 4:43:59 GMT
Welcome, pawian, and thank you for starting this interesting thread. Looking forward to seeing more.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 2, 2016 6:52:51 GMT
Very cool detail about using Canaletto's paintings for detail duplication.
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Post by bjd on Jan 2, 2016 7:06:50 GMT
Hi Pawian and welcome. Thanks for these pictures. Warsaw has certainly changed and become much more colourful since I went there twice in the 1970s -- complete Brezhnev period. My memories are of a place that was gray in everything. I went to Krakow in 2008 and found it full of tourists but very nice too. Some of the same tourist stuff for sale as in Warsaw. I made a thread about it here: Krakow |
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Post by mossie on Jan 2, 2016 8:06:28 GMT
Welcome to the forum Pawian. I have an interest in the nation although I have never been there.
To see the old city regrow from the ruins is a triumph for the country. Can you tell us the story of the Little Insurgent? And the bicycle nicely dressed in its warm coat is a touch of genius.
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Post by bjd on Jan 2, 2016 9:54:52 GMT
At a guess, the little insurgent would be a monument to the children (and men and women) who took part in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, but Pawian would have to confirm this. Indeed, I just found this: Little insurgent |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 16:32:35 GMT
This is really interesting, pawian. It got me to thinking how some destroyed cities were "lucky" after the war and were rebuilt at least partly in the historic styles while others ended up with the cement housing blocks of 1948-1955 done as cheaply and as plainly as possible. I am continually amazed when I look up some famous churches or other monumental buildings on the internet and discover that they were mostly a pile of ruins in 1918 or in 1945 but were put back together perfectly. I just don't think that people will do that anymore. Beirut might be an exception since most of the buildings were damaged by rockets and bullets but not demolished by bombs, so the "new" Beirut has saved a lot of the old architecture.
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Post by whatagain on Jan 3, 2016 16:58:04 GMT
Dzien Dobry, Pawian.
Never been to Warsaw but I'm fortunate to go once- twice a year to Krakow.
Actually I go to Dabrowa Gornicza but I manage to sleept at least once in Krakow before taking off, I prefer it so much towards flying out of Katowicze.
What are the other cities / towns that we should see in Poland ?
Pivo !
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Post by lagatta on Jan 3, 2016 21:50:08 GMT
Are you (partly) of Polish origin, Pariswat? Lots of Polish emigrants to Belgium and to northern and eastern France...
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Post by whatagain on Jan 3, 2016 21:59:34 GMT
Hi Lagatta. Not that I know. Wouldn't mind though.  |
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Post by lagatta on Jan 7, 2016 14:14:11 GMT
I would like to point out that our new friend Pawian has his own blog devoted to all things Polish: polandsite.proboards.com/ |
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Post by nycgirl on Jan 25, 2016 4:21:08 GMT
Welcome, and thanks for sharing these photos. Warsaw looks like a lovely city.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 12:30:00 GMT
Welcome Paiwan!!
What a fabulous and beautifully presented report.
Aside from BJD's wonderful report on Krakow we have seen little of Poland.
As noted, the restoration is mind blowing and the painstakingly love and devotion for their fair city duly represented.
I love city squares. We need more of them.
Thank you for sharing these with us and again, welcome
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Post by pawian on Jan 29, 2016 21:51:58 GMT
Hi Pawian and welcome. Thanks for these pictures. Warsaw has certainly changed and become much more colourful since I went there twice in the 1970s -- complete Brezhnev period. My memories are of a place that was gray in everything. I went to Krakow in 2008 and found it full of tourists but very nice too. Some of the same tourist stuff for sale as in Warsaw. I made a thread about it here: KrakowGrey colour was an inherent element of the communist system. Everything everywhere was grey. I was constantly depressed at the time. Nice pics from Krakow. That is why I will skip Krakow for a while and focus on other cities here. Dzien Dobry, Pawian. What are the other cities / towns that we should see in Poland ? Pivo ! Poznań, Wrocław, Gdańsk are major destinations. I will show them all. Welcome Paiwan!! I love city squares. We need more of them. OK, here you are. At a guess, the little insurgent would be a monument to the children (and men and women) who took part in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, but Pawian would have to confirm this. Well, the monument is a bit exaggerated. Small children with a few exceptions didn`t take part in combat. The youngest soldier in Warsaw Rising was 12. And the bicycle nicely dressed in its warm coat is a touch of genius. It was made by a famous Polish artist, Agata Oleksiak. She covers everything with colour designs, even trains. originalpaints.com/agata-olek-crotchet-artist/ |
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Post by pawian on Jan 29, 2016 21:53:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 21:59:12 GMT
Oh, these photos are fantastic. The town hall is extremely impressive. I am wondering if it is a coincidence that a lot of the architecture seems to have Flemish influences or if there is really some cultural link.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 29, 2016 22:33:00 GMT
So pretty! You are certainly putting Poland on our mental travel map.
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Post by pawian on Jan 30, 2016 1:41:34 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Jan 30, 2016 1:50:25 GMT
I love the colourful narrow high houses.
Is there good rail service from farther west in Europe? Couldn't be too far east of Berlin... Though Poznan is farther south...
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Post by breeze on Jan 30, 2016 14:14:12 GMT
The pastel-colored houses must brighten the town in winter. The colors are lovely. I wonder if the color of paint is somehow coordinated along a block?
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Post by lagatta on Jan 15, 2019 0:53:43 GMT
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