Warsaw is the biggest city in Poland with population equal to 1,7 million. It is administrative, political, scientific, trade and cultural major center of Poland. It's roots reach back to the 13th century, when it served as a bustling trade-route city on the Vistula River. By 1596, the city succeeded Cracow as Poland's capital, vaunting an imposing Castle/Royal Residence, gothic cathedrals, princely palaces, affluent neighborhoods and impressive government buildings. After suffering the most damage and loss of life in Eastern Europe during WWII, the city has managed to revive itself through the persistence of its people. With over 85% of the buildings destroyed during the war, the city had to be literally rebuilt piece by piece. The Old Town was carefully recreated according to city plans and paintings and was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1980. It is nowadays a cosmopolitan, vibrant city, with specific atmosphere that combines old and new, with landscape marked by modern skyscrapers and remnants of 50 years of communism from one side and climate of old Warsaw, preserved in historical part of the city from the other..

Warsaw tour (3-4 hours)

City tour starts at the Old Town, the oldest part of Warsaw, founded at the turn of the XIII

century. From the stunning Market Square surrounded with burgher houses we stroll through narrow streets which made a regular "chessboard like" pattern, up to Medieval Barbican, Gothic St John's Cathedral and Castle Square. Drive along the Royal Way, with its churches, palaces, villas, resid

encies of magnates, finally leads us to the beautiful Lazienki Park with its Palace on the Water and Chopin's monument. From there we continue to Pilsudski S

quare, where we see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and later on huge building of the Grand Theatre and Umschlag Platz, a monument commemorating deportation and extermination of Warsaw Jaws during the last war.

Depending on our customer choice the city tour may be deepened and extended to other places of great interest.

Royal Castle (1,5 hours)

Since the end of 16th c

entury until the partitions of Poland it was official seat of Polish monarchs as well as the admin

istrative offices of the Royal Court. Between 1926 and World War II the palace was the seat of the Polish president. It was heavily damaged by German bombardment and artillery fire during the Warsaw Uprising. The remnants were blown up by German engineers in September 1944 and were not removed until 1971. Reconstructions were started in the early 1970s and in July 1974 the clock on the tower began working again, on the exact same time at which it was stopped by the Luftwaffe bombardment. The Castle is a prime monument of national history and culture. Interiors were recreated on the basis of original source materials, according to their functions during the reign of King Stanisław August, rescued from the old furnishings of the Royal Castle.

Lazienki Palace (1 hour)

Built by Stanisław August Poniatowski, last king of Poland, in 18th century, this is one of the most enchanting complexes of this kind in Europe. It took almost 30 years to build this summer residence of the King, with parks and buildings, on the area of around 80 hectares. At that time an old bath, dating back to the XVII century, originally designed by Tylman of Gameren, was transformed by Domenico Merlini into a magnificent Palace on the Water, classicistic in style.

 

Wilanow Park and Palace (2 hours)

Residence of King Jan III Sobieski and of August II. The Palace, together with the garden, constitutes one of the most precious monuments of Polish baroque. Built for King Jan III Sobieski at the end of the XVII century, by August Locci, later extended and rebuilt by consequent owners. It is an example of characteristic "entre cour et jardin" (between court and garden) architectural assumption. Its unique value lies in the original architecture and in preserved decorations (paintings and sculptures) of the elevation, as well as of the interior. The decorations are symbolic in character and refer to ancient Greece and Rome.

Palace of Science and Culture (1 hour)

Construction of the building, originally known as Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science, started in 1952 and lasted until 1955. It was a "gift" from the Soviet Union to the people of Poland. The tower was constructed, using Soviet plans, almost entirely by 3500 workers from the Soviet Union, of whom 16 died in accidents during the construction. There are 3288 rooms on 42 floors in the building. With its height of 231 meters, it has remained the tallest building in Warsaw and whole Poland. Splendid, panoramic view of Warsaw can be admired from 30th floor of the Palace.

Excursions in the vicinity of Warsaw

Zelazowa Wola (4 hours)

This little village is worldwide known because Frederick Chopin was born here in a manor that today stands in the middle of a beautiful park with about 500 different species of trees an shrubs. The manor houses Chopin's biographic museum with the composer's and his family portraits. Chopin music recitals performed by outstanding artists are held here throughout summer. Three Chopin's memorials can be admired in the park grounds.

Nieborow Palace & Arkadia Park (6 hours)

The baroque palace of Nieborow is now occupied by the National Museum of Warsaw. Its rococo and neoclassical interiors shelter collections of paintings, ancient sculptures, furniture and a library with 10,000 volumes. The palace is surrounded by a vast English landscape park. A seven kilometer linden tree alley leads from Nieborow to the romantic park of Arkadia laid out in the 18th century. The park is full of various decorative elements and rare specimens of trees and shrubs. Visitors to Nieborow can enjoy a horse ride or go for a cart trip in the environs.

Excursion to Nieborow and Arkadia may be combined with Zelazowa Wola. In that case total time of the excursion is 8 hours.

Kazimierz Dolny (8 hours)

Kazimierz Dolny, the jewel of Polish Renaissance, combines splendid architecture with beautiful landscape. It attracts both tourists and artists. You can listen to music concerts in its parish church from 1620, admire Renaissance burgher houses, ruins of the Gothic royal castle, Renaissance granaries from the turn of the 16th century, visit the Jewish cemetery, or take a ferry and see the remains of the Janowiec castle on the other side of the Vistula. The June Festival of Folk Bands and Singers is only one of the many cultural events held at Kazimierz.

 

Kozlowka Palace

The baroque palace of the Zamoyski family at Kozłowka belongs to the best-preserved magnate residences in Poland. The palace museum features a wealth of diverse objects d'art, and the palace outbuildings house a permanent socialist-realist art gallery. A stroll through the geometric park with the Napoleonic soldiers' grave and a beautiful fountain may be an extra experience.

Visiting Kozlowka Palace may be combined with excursion to Kazimierz Dolny. In that case 2 hours need to be added to duration of the excursion.