We just had to cross the street to get to one of my Warsaw highlights: The Palace of Culture and Science. This high-rise building was built in the 1950's in the style of Stalinist architecture. It is huge and massive and grey. You definitely can't ignore it.
Palace of Culture and Science
There are mixed feelings about the Palace of Culture and Science. It was a 'gift' from Stalin and a lot of people considered it as a symbol of Soviet domination. When it was finished it was described as 'a nightmare of a drunk confectioner'. I guess you either hate it or love it and its architecture.
I loved it! I admired the facade as we got closer and closer. In a way we were sucked into this dominant building and ended up in an elegant art deco-style lobby, just to be told that 'this is JUST the cinema'.
Palace of Culture and Science
We found the proper entrance on the right side of the building. It was even bigger and even more impressive with a long flight of stairs leading up to the entrance doors. A glass elevator brought us up to another elegant art deco-style lobby. Inside it was busy. People streamed in and out. It smelled like fresh popcorn. Dance music remixes of chart songs came out of speakers from above. Combined with the Stalinist architecture this was a weird but funny mix.
Like in other high-rise buildings there is a viewing terrace to have a look over the city. To get there you have to take a lift. The golden lift doors opened and we stepped into a small lift cabin with an old grumpy looking elevator operator.
Palace of Culture and Science
The viewing terrace is locatd on the 30th floor and you can still feel some Soviet spirit up there, at least I did. It seemed like time stood still in the sleepy coffee shop. In a wheelchair you won't have a good view from the terrace because of the high safety fences. But the architecture and the 'Wind of change'-spirit up there were the true experience for me!
View from the viewing terrace
A little hungry for coffee and cake we strolled to the Hala Gwardii, one of Warsaw's market halls, which is just a short walk away. I like going to market halls. They are so lively and colouful...and full of delicious food!
Hala Gwardii
The market halls we had been to before had a lot of stalls filling up the whole hall. Hala Gwardii has a lot of common tables in the middle. Perfect, so you can get what you want to eat and drink at different stalls and eat and relax in the middle of all the action afterwards. We had sernik, Polish cheesecake, which had a slight taste of oranges. Yummy!
Polish cheesecake
Next on our list was the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Go there sundays and you will get in for free! We arrived one hour before the museum was closing so we had to rush through the exhibition a bit. It includes a lot of multimedia elements and interactive parts. You can walk through a tunnel of Warsaw's underground or take an animated flight over the destroyed city, which was interesting and shocking. Another must see in Warsaw!
Warsaw Uprising Museum
We went to the hotel to refresh ourselves just before heading to the area around Plac Konstytucji for one last time. Tel Aviv Food and Wine was where we had dinner. I had Shakshouka which is tofu and vegetables in aromatic spicy sauces with pita bread. The pumpkin pie for dessert was a little too 'flowery' and unsweet for me but apart from that I would come back here.
Shakshouka and pumpkin pie
Our last day in Warsaw ended on another highlight of the city – the Panorama Sky Bar of the Marriott Hotel. Sadly there were no free tables at the window so we just had 'normal' and pricy cocktails in a busy bar... . At least we could catch another glimpse of the Palace of Culture and Science. Continue here.
Palace of Culture and Science
Marriott Hotel
Palace of Culture and Science
Write a comment