Exploring the Polish Capital

During our weekend stay in Warsaw in May 2022 we continued our exploration of the Polish capital. Tram 28 in Solidarity Avenue helped us a lot. We could quickly arrive to the Old Town, to the opposite bank of the Wisła and back.

We walked along the Royal Way along Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street towards the Old Town. We wanted to visit Holy Cross Street and Holy Cross Church. Walking along Holy Cross Church and close to Warsaw University we saw the monument to Nicolaus Copernicus in front of the Polish Academy of Sciences in New World Street (“ulitsa Nowy Świat in Polish). We took many pictures of this imposing statue to the great astronomer who proved conclusively that the earth revolved around the sun, rather than the other way round.

Nickolaus Copernicus monument, Warsaw

The statue of Copernicus occupies a high profile spot in front of the Polish Academy of Sciences right in the popular Nowy Świat street. This is a mid size monument to Copernicus, located at the end of Krakowskie Przedmiescie near to the Holy Cross Church and the Warsaw university.

Holy Cross Street in Warsaw

Holy Cross Street (Ulica Świętokrzyska in Polish) in Krakowskie Przedmieście is well-known for its monumental baroque church with its two high towers, and the sculpture of Christ carrying the cross. The inscription reads, “Sursum Corda” ("lift up your hearts"). It was a good inspiration for people in hard times when Poland was partitioned or under occupation.

Holy Cross Church, Warsaw

The sculpture of Jesus Christ carrying the cross at the entrance to Holy Cross Church, Warsaw

In addition, we decided not to miss visiting St. John the Baptist’s Cathedral at 8 St.John the Baptist Street. It is well-known for its numerous epitaphs to famous Polish people.

The crypt of this church contains the tombs of Mazovian dukes, Warsaw archbishops, the last king of Poland Stanisław August Poniatowski, the first Polish president Gabriel Narutowicz, writer and Nobel Prize winner Henryk Sienkiewicz, and musician and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski and other outstanding citizens.

St.John the Baptist Cathedral, Warsaw

Our Lady of Graces Church, Warsaw

We visited Adam Mickiewicz Monument in Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. The poet’s bronze statue is 4.5 m high. The monument was unveiled on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Adam Mickiewicz. The original monument did not survive the war. After the war was over, its replica was created.

We were impressed by the Sleeping Jesus monument is a gift of the Polish Maltese Order Society to the Monastery of Friars Minor Capuchins. A cloaked figure of Jesus sleeping rough on a bench was unveiled outside the Capuchin Monastery at 13 Miodowa Street on June 24, 2021. The Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz created the monument.

The monastery of Friars Minor Capuchins is known for its assistance to the homeless community as well as its daily soup kitchen that serves out approximately 600 meals per day.

The All-Seeing Eye in Warsaw

The monument to Josef Poniatowski, Warsaw.

The monument to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Warsaw

World War II memorial

Zbignew Maleszewski Sculpture Garden, Warsaw

This monument can be seen next to the East-West thoroughfare, near the Old Town. Its nickname is the Warsaw Nike. This 21-meter-high monument has long become one of the most recognizable symbols of Warsaw.
The bronze sculpture represents the goddess of victory with a sword raised above her head in her right hand and her left arm raised. It is on a pedestal made out of reinforced concrete that imitates natural stone. The Warsaw Nike commemorates everyone who died in Warsaw between during World War II. The monument was unveiled on July 20, 1964 in Theater Square in Warsaw, directly in front of the Grand Theater.
This majestic monument must be the only one in Warsaw that had to change its location. Due to the reconstruction of the square, the monument had to be dismounted. It was installed in a more favorable location – close to the entrance to the tunnel of W-Z route (East-West thoroughfare), where we admired it. The monument was unveiled in its new position on December 15, 1997.

We were fortunate enough to attend a city festival at Multimedia Fountain Park. The festival was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the modern Polish Constitution. We were walking in the Old Town and suddenly heard music from down the hill. Our pleasure was great. We managed to watch the festival procession with Nadarzyn Orchestra. There were many families, many kiosks with booklets and other gifts, as well a lesson of Polonaise, which my wife attended (I was the video operator).

Attending a city festival in Multimedia Park Fontain, Warsaw

Attending the Constitution Day Festival at Multimedia Park, Warsaw

The procession was followed by the amazing performance of Nadarzyn Orchestra.

Multimedia Fountain Park was created in 2013 for the 125th anniversary of the city’s waterworks.There is a reminder of this event: a bench with a statue of William Heerlein Lindley standing by it. William Lindley was the designer of the sewerage network in Warsaw that was put into operation in 1886.

The monument to William Heerlein Lindley

The monument to William Heerlein Lindley

We crossed Gdansk Bridge and enjoyed the majestic views of the Wisła on the way to Prague Park.

A view of the Wisla from Gdansk Bridge, Warsaw

Central Stadium as seen from Gdansk Bridge

We took tram 28 along Solidarity Avenue across Gdansk Bridge to the east bank of the Wisła River to Praga District, where we wanted to see Praga Park, which we had found on the map. The full name of the park, as we found out later, is Soldiers of the First Polish Army Park. Praga Park used to include a zoo, where dozens of bears lived in 1949-2020 before they were all taken to zoos, safari parks and circuses around the globe.

Visiting Praga Park (Praski Park)

Prague Park, Warsaw

The Golden Terraces (“Zlote Tarasy” in Polish) is a popular mall next to the Warsaw Central Railway Station. It has functioned since 2007. You will recognize the mall by its transparent curvy roof covering its central indoor courtyard. The mall includes aound 200 stores and 40 restaurants, a hotel, a multiplex cinema (eight screens) and an underground parking garage for 1,400 cars. The mall has Poland's first Hard Rock Cafe.
We walked about the mall while we had some before the departure of our train.

It's time we left for home, Warsaw