Palace of Culture and Science

Warsaw is not all "old" buildings; there are many high rise and modern buildings in the city centre.

We start at the Palace of Culture and Science; this was built 1952-1955 and was a gift to the people of Warsaw from the nations of the USSR. An emblem of the city, it now comprises a concert hall, cinema, two museums, Congress Hall, offices,academic institutions and private companies! It is 237m tall, and built with inspiration from the Empire State Building in Nwe York. Behind it is Swietokyzyska Park and we cross this and look for the hidden away Nozyk Synagogue; this is the only active Synagogue in Warsaw and exceptionally beautiful.

We walk on to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Pilsudski Square; close to it on ul. Krolewska are the Zacheta Building, housing the National Gallery of Contemporary Art, and the Evangelical Church of the Augsberg Confession, a neo-classical domed building. The lovely Saxon Gardens nearby are the oldest Public Park in Warsaw and are adjacent to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

We see examples of how new building has encroached upon old building as we walk back to see old buildings, near our hotel, used during the Warsaw Uprising and also the last remaining fragment of the Old Ghetto Wall.

Then it's off to Warsaw Centrale Station to catch our train to Gdansk.Read more