Going off track - Building Warsaw, piece by peace
The Polish capital's grim
past is proudly displayed in its principle attractions but the experience will
not leave you feeling unduly somber
The airport bus slows down
as it inches towards the final leg of its journey to the city centre and stops
in front of a 231 meter-high skyscraper -the tallest building in Poland. The
Palace of Culture and Science, which turned 60 this year, towers over the
Warsaw Central train station, a `present' from Russian dictator Josef Stalin to
the people of Poland.Curiously similar to the New York's Empire State building,
the elaborate and impressive exterior consists of dozens of monumental
sculptures of Poland's eminent citizens including Copernicus and Marie Curie.
After the end of the Second
World War, Warsaw was still a sea of ruins when hundreds of Soviet and Polish
workers rebuilt it in less than three years, complete with marble interiors, a
post office, museums, libraries, theatres, impressive crystal chandeliers and a
panoramic viewing gallery on the 30th floor.
Inside the monument, the
door of a lift opens and a motionless liftman sits in a chair, moving only to
press the upward button. In less than a minute, the high-speed lift whisks me
to the viewing gallery, which presents a stunning aerial view of Warsaw. As I
adjust the telescope for a more myopic view of the city, I find it hard to
believe that this modern and vibrant city was reduced to rubble just 70 years
ago.
Unlike other cities ravaged
by the Second World War, Warsaw hasn't brushed its past under the carpet; in
fact it has projected its splendid past as its principal attractions. The
Second World War, which both destroyed and transformed Poland, was undoubtedly
the city's darkest phase. As the Nazis destroyed the city, the Red Army sat
across the river, watching and waiting.When the smoke cleared and the Nazis
retreated, the Soviets marched in to claim the city. It would take another 45
years before the Poles could freely gov ern their country.
It is remarkable how often
and swiftly the Polish capital has rebuilt and reinvented itself over
time.Today, memoirs of the city's rich and turbulent history co-exist in
harmony with glimmering offices, green spaces and hotel towers.
At the ground floor of the
Palace of Culture is the Tourist Information Office where friendly Poles offer
tips to explore the city in the best possible way. The tourist information
office would encourage you to opt for the hop on-hop off tourist bus which
leaves from the central train station every hour. But for the less patient, the
city boasts of excellent public transport in the form of buses and trams, which
connects one to many of the city's attractions.
OF PARKS AND PALACES
The best place to start
looking for traces of Warsaw's historical grandeur is the vast, idyllic
Lazienki Park, studded with neo-classical buildings, exotic plants, water
bodies and dancing peacocks. As I stroll in, the quiet walkways surrounded by
trees as old as 250 years greet me as I pass mothers with prams and senior
citizens populating the benches under the warm Polish sun. Originally built in
the 17th century by Stanislaw August Poniatowski, Poland's last king, as his
summer residence and a place for his citizens to unwind, it was fortunate
enough to escape the casualties of war. While the Germans burnt the Palace on
Isle inside the estate, the park was spared. After the war, like rest of
Warsaw, the palace was reconstructed meticulously.Today it is a museum
showcasing the opulence of an era gone by. In the different parts of the park
stand relics of Poland's royalty, including an 18th-century court theatre that
still holds chamber orchestra concerts. Lush greenery surrounds its many lakes
and one can spend hours admiring the beautifully manicured landscape.
THE `HEART' OF THE MATTER
After a quick lunch of a
plate of pierogi (dumplings stuffed with anything from cheese to minced lamb)
kielbasa (polish sausage) and zurek starowiejski (old style countryside rye
soup), I decide to head towards Stare Miasto. A peek at the map handed by the
tourist information office shows that the park is at the centre of the Royal
Route, one of the most important arteries of the city, which runs from Wilanow
Palace to Stare Miasto or popularly known as Warsaw's Old Town. I walk past the
huge gates of the park and follow the royal route towards the historical part
of the city.
As I stroll through the
narrow cobbled streets, admiring the colourful facades of houses, the baroque
churches and the walled Royal Castle, the fact that the buildings are less than
a few decades old seem unimaginable. Bombed to pieces, only two buildings
survived the Nazi
|
Sayoni Sinha
|
MM27DEC15
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