Warsaw

Warsaw

*Warszawa*
Warsaw Warszawa
	File:Warsaw3ge.jpg
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto(s): Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms); Semper invicta (Always invincible)
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovia
Powiat	city county
Gmina	Warszawa
Districts	18 boroughs
City Rights	turn of the 13th century
Government
• Mayor	Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO)
Elevation	100 m (328 ft)
Population (Jul 2006)
• City	1,700,536
• Metro	3,050,000
• Metro density	3,258/km2 (8,440/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	00-001 to 04-999
Area code	+48 22
Car Plates	WA, WB, WD, WE, WF, WH, WI, WJ, WK, WN, WT, WU, WW, WX, WY
Website	www.um.warszawa.pl

Template:Otheruses6

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, Audio file "Warszawa.ogg" not found; known also by other names) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. It is located on the Vistula River roughly Template:Km to mi from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2006 was estimated at 1,700,536, with a metropolitan area of approximately 2,900,000 to 3,000,000 people. The city area is Template:Km2 to mi2, with an agglomeration of Template:Km2 to mi2 (Warsaw Metro Area - Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy). Warsaw is the 7th biggest city in the European Union.

Warsaw gave its name to the Warsaw Pact, Warsaw Convention and the Treaty of Warsaw.

Etymology

An older spelling of Warsaw in Polish is Warszewa or Warszowa, meaning "owned by Warsz". Folk etymology attributes the city name to a fisherman Wars and his wife Sawa.[1]. Actually, Warsz was a nobleman (12th/13th century) who owned a village located at the site of today's Mariensztat neighbourhood [2].

The official city name in full is The Capital City of Warsaw (Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa). Warsaw has been known in Latin as Varsovia, in French as Varsovie, and in German as Warschau.

Geography

Location

Warsaw straddles the Vistula River, approximately Template:Km to mi from both the Carpathian mountains and Baltic Sea. It is located in the heartland of the Masovian Plain, and its average altitude is Template:M to ft above sea level, although there are some hills (mostly artificial) located within the confines of the city.

Climate

Warsaw's climate is continental humid. The average temperature is Template:C to F in January and Template:C to F in July. Temperatures may often reach Template:C to F in the summer. Yearly rainfall averages Template:Mm to in, the most rainy month being July.

Districts

Warsaw is a powiat (county), and is further divided into 18 boroughs, each one known as a dzielnica (map), each one with its own administrative body. Each of the boroughs is divided into neighbourhoods which have no legal or administrative status but are well known by most Varsovians.^{[citation needed]} The best known neighbourhoods are the Old Town (Stare Miasto) and New Town (Nowe Miasto) in the borough of Śródmieście.^{[citation needed]}

District	Population	Area
Mokotów	226 911	Template:Km2 to mi2
Praga Południe	185 077	Template:Km2 to mi2
Ursynów	143 935	Template:Km2 to mi2
Wola	142 025	Template:Km2 to mi2
Bielany	135 307	Template:Km2 to mi2
Śródmieście	134 306	Template:Km2 to mi2
Targówek	122 872	Template:Km2 to mi2
Bemowo	107 197	Template:Km2 to mi2
Ochota	91 643	Template:Km2 to mi2
Białołęka	76 999	Template:Km2 to mi2
Praga Północ	73 207	Template:Km2 to mi2
Wawer	66 094	Template:Km2 to mi2
Żoliborz	49 275	Template:Km2 to mi2
Ursus	47 285	Template:Km2 to mi2
Włochy	39 778	Template:Km2 to mi2
Rembertów	22 688	Template:Km2 to mi2
Wesoła	20 749	Template:Km2 to mi2
Wilanów	15 188	Template:Km2 to mi2
Total	1 700 536	Template:Km2 to mi2

Suburbs of Warsaw

History

File:Warszawa5.jpg

Warsaw in 1770 by Canaletto

File:Polska2005 026.jpg

Royal Castle Square

File:Uprising bank polski2.jpg

During World War II by January 1945 85% of buildings in Warsaw were destroyed

The first fortified settlements on the site of today's Warsaw were Bródno (9th/10th century) and Jazdów (12th/13th century). After Jazdów was raided in 1281 by Boleslaus II, the Duke of Płock, a new similar settlement was lodged on the grounds of a small fishing village called Warszowa. In the beginning of the 14th century it became one of the seats of the Dukes of Masovia, in 1413 becoming the capital of Masovia. Upon the extinction of the local ducal line, the duchy was reincorporated into the Polish Crown in 1526. In 1529 Warsaw for the first time became the seat of the General Sejm, permanent since 1569. In 1573 Warsaw gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation, an agreement by the Polish gentry to tolerate different religious faiths in the Kingdom of Poland.

Due to its central location between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's capitals of Vilnius and Kraków, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and at the same time of the Polish Crown in 1596, when King Sigismund III Vasa moved the capital from Kraków. Warsaw remained the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia to become the capital of the province of New East Prussia. Liberated by Napoleon's army in 1807, Warsaw was made the capital of the newly created Duchy of Warsaw. Following the decisions of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, Warsaw became the centre of the Polish Kingdom, a constitutional monarchy under a personal union with Imperial Russia. The Royal University of Warsaw was established in 1816. Following the repeated violations of the Polish constitution by the Russians, the 1830 November Uprising broke out. However, the Polish-Russian war of 1831 ended in the uprising's defeat and in the curtailment of the Kingdom's autonomy. On 27 February 1861 a Warsaw crowd protesting the Russian rule over Poland was fired upon by the Russian troops. Five people were killed. The Underground Polish National Government resided in Warsaw during January Uprising in 1863-1864.

Warsaw flourished in the late nineteenth century under Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–1892), a Russian-born general appointed by Tsar Alexander III. Under Starynkiewicz Warsaw saw its first water and sewer systems designed and built by the English engineer William Lindley and his son, William Heerlein Lindley, as well as the expansion and modernization of trams, street lighting and gas works.

Warsaw became the capital of the newly independent Poland again in 1918. In the course of the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920, the huge Battle of Warsaw was fought on the Eastern outskirts of the city in which the capital was successfully defended and the Red Army defeated.

Warsaw has been devastated many times in its history. Having suffered dreadful damage during the Swedish and Prussian wars of 1655–1656, it was again assaulted in 1794, when the Russian army massacred the population of the right-bank suburb of Praga. A large part of it was destroyed during the Second World War. The city would be rebuilt in the following decades.

During the Second World War central Poland, including Warsaw, came under the rule of the General Government, a Nazi colonial administration. In the course of the Invasion of Poland, Warsaw was severely bombed, and in the course of the Siege of Warsaw approximately 10 to 15% of its buildings were destroyed.

Warsaw became an occupied city under the control of the Nazi Wehrmacht and SS. All higher education institutions were immediately closed and Warsaw's entire Jewish population — several hundred thousand, some 30% of the city — herded into the Warsaw Ghetto. When the order came to liquidate the Ghetto as part of Hitler's "final solution", Jewish fighters launched the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Despite being heavily outgunned and outnumbered, the Ghetto held out for almost a month. When the fighting ended, the survivors were massacred.

By July 1944 the Red Army wes deep into the Polish territory, pursuing the Germans toward Warsaw. Knowing that Stalin was hostile to the idea of an independent Poland, the Polish government-in-exile based in London gave orders to the underground Home Army (AK) to try to seize the control of Warsaw from the Germans just before the Soviets arrive. Thus, on 1 August 1944, as the Soviet army was nearing the city very fast, the Home Army and the general population started the Warsaw Uprising. Despite Stalin's hostility towards Poland, the Poles had expected that the Soviet troops would assist them against their common German enemy. However, after the Red Army captured the right-bank Warsaw, the Soviet offensive was abruptly stopped, while the Germans went on to ruthlessly suppress the uprising. Although the insurgency, planned to last 48 hours, held out for 63 days, eventually the Home Army fighters were forced to capitulate. They were transported to the POW camps in Germany, while the entire civilian population was expelled. Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground, and the library and museum collections robbed or burned.

Warsaw was liberated from the Germans on 17 January 1945 by the Red Army and the 1st army of Ludowe Wojsko Polskie during the Vistula-Oder Offensive. When the troops crossed the Vistula and entered through the left-bank, they found a Warsaw that had almost ceased to exist; 85% of the city had been destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle. The surviving Home Army fighters were rounded up by the NKVD, some were murdered or deported to Siberia.

The city was once considered a shining metropolis, but due to total destruction, it has lost its baroque tinge. Although many of the destroyed significant historical buildings were restored, little remains of the resplendence of Warsaw baroque.

After the war, Boleslaw Bierut's puppet regime set up by Stalin made Warsaw the capital of the communist People's Republic of Poland, and the city was resettled and rebuilt. Large prefabricated housing projects were erected in Warsaw to address the housing shortage. Few of the inhabitants of the pre-war Poland returned: Hundreds of thousands were dead, thousands more in exile from the new regime. Nonetheless, the city resumed its role as the capital of Poland and the country's centre of political and economic life. Many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form. In 1980, Warsaw's historic Old Town was inscribed onto UNESCO's World Heritage list.

In 1995 the Warsaw Metro finally opened, and with the entry of Poland into the European Union in 2004, Warsaw is currently experiencing the biggest economic boom of its history.^{[citation needed]}

Population

1700: 30,000 (estimated)
1792: 120,000
1800: 63,400
1830: 139,700
1850: 163,600
1882: 383,000
1900: 686,000
1925: 1,003,000
1939: 1,300,000
1945: 422,000 (in September)
1956: 1,000,000
1960: 1,139,200
1970: 1,315,600
1975: 1,436,100
1980: 1,596,100
1990: 1,611,800
2002: 1,707,100 (after incorporating Wesoła)
2004: 1,676,600 (urban agglomeration 2,760,000)
2005: 1,694,825 (urban agglomeration 2,880,000)
2006: 1,700,536 (urban agglomeration 3,050,000)

There are approximately 30,000-35,000 Vietnamese living in the Warsaw Municipal area.

Municipal government

The mayor (the President of Warsaw)

Following the Warsaw Act (Ustawa warszawska) of October 27, 2002, the President of Warsaw carries out the executive duties in the city. They president prerogative is, among others, governing the city-owned property that constitutes a major part of the city. The current President of Warsaw is Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.

Municipal government

The Warsaw Act abolished all the former counties around Warsaw and formed one city powiat with a unified municipal government.

Legislative power in Warsaw is vested in a unicameral City Council (Rada Miasta), which comprises 60 members. Council members are elected directly every four years. Like most legislative bodies, the City Council divides itself into committees which have the oversight of various functions of the city government. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor (the President of Warsaw), who may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote.

Each of the 18 separate city districts has its own council (Rada dzielnicy). Their duties are focused on aiding the President and the City Council, as well as supervising various municipal companies, city-owned property and schools. The head of each of the District Councils is named the Mayor (Burmistrz) and is elected by the local council from the candidates proposed by the President of Warsaw.

Politics

As the capital of Poland, Warsaw is the political centre of the country. All state agencies are located there, including the Polish Parliament, the Presidential Office and the Supreme Court. In the Polish parliament both the city and the area are represented by 31 MPs (out of 460). Additionally, two politicians were recently elected MEPs.

Transport

Although Warsaw was heavily damaged during World War II and reconstruction in the fifties widened many streets, the city is currently plagued with traffic problems.^{[citation needed]} Public transport in Warsaw is as efficient as it is ubiquitous, serving the city with buses, tramways, and metro.^{[citation needed]}

Roads and highways

Warsaw lacks a good circular road system and most of the transit (mainly East-West) traffic goes directly through the city centre. Currently two circular roads are under consideration. The first (called OEW, or Obwodnica Etapowa Warszawy) is to lead the traffic approximately Template:Km to mi from the city centre through the city streets and two new bridges. The other is to become a part of both the A-2 motorway (itself a part of the European route E30 from Berlin to Moscow) and the S-7 (Gdańsk–Kraków) express road, and will run through a tunnel under the southern area of Ursynów. It is to become completed between 2010 and 2012. Many streets are named after famous Polish people or places.

Airports

Warsaw has one international airport, Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport, located just Template:Km to mi from the city centre. With over 70 international and domestic flights a day and with over 8,270,000 passengers served in 2006, it is by far the biggest airport in Poland. Immediately adjacent to the main Frederic Chopin Airport terminal complex Terminal 1, is the Etiuda terminal, serving routes flown by low-cost carriers. Domestic flights operate from a domestic terminal, adjoining Terminal 1. A new Terminal 2 is under construction (partly opened in 2006} in order to alleviate current overcrowding, and to extend the airport's capacity by another 6 million passengers.

An ex-military airfield in the town of Modlin, Template:Km to mi north of Warsaw, is currently being redeveloped into an airport for low-cost carriers, cargo and charter traffic. It will not be ready for use before 2008.

There are also plans to build an entirely new international airport, mostly for service to other European Union countries. Its location has not yet been decided.

Mass transit

Mass transit in Warsaw consists of four branches:

united in the ZTM (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego or the Warsaw Transport Authority). Additional lines are operated by private companies and the state-owned railways.

There are three tourist routes: "T" which is operated by a historic tram in July and August, "100" which runs on weekends and is operated by the only double-decker bus owned by the city, and "180" which follows the Royal Route from the War Cemetery in the North, via The Royal Way to Wilanów, near the palace.

Buses

Bus service covers the entire city, with approx. 170 routes totalling about Template:Km to mi in length, and with some 1,600 vehicles. Between midnight and 5 am the city is served by night lines. The first digit of the line's number indicates its type:

1** - normal line (operates all day, seven days a week, stops at each bus stop on the route)
2** - special line (only on special occasions, e.g. the cemetery lines on November 1, or as a replacement for tram service)
3** - period line - normal (operates only at selected hours and on certain days, usually during peak hours, stops at each stop on the route)
4** - period line - fast (operates only at selected hours and on certain days, usually during peak hours, stops only at selected stops)
5** - fast line (operates all day, seven days a week, stops only at selected stops)
6**, N** - night line (operates at night only, all stops are on-demand)
7** - suburb line (operates all day, seven days a week, goes outside the borders of Warsaw)
8** - suburb period line (operates only at selected hours and on certain days, usually during peak hours, goes outside the borders of Warsaw)
E-* - express line (stops only at major stops)
Z* - substitute line during breakdowns and temporary suspensions of tram or metro service (buses running instead of metro are also marked with logo of Metro Warszawskie)

Streetcars

The first tramway (streetcar line) in Warsaw was opened on 11 December 1866. On 26 March 1908, all the lines, previously horse-powered, were electrified. In the period between the world wars, the tramway was nationalized and the net was extended significantly. After the Defence War of 1939 the service was halted for approximately three months due to war losses. Heavy aerial bombardment during the siege of Warsaw and requisition of all modern streetcars by the new German authorities postponed the reintroduction of service. However, by 1940 the trams were back on track. In 1941 the present colours of the cars were introduced (yellow and red, in the Flag of Warsaw colours. This was done to demoralize the Poles in the city by attempting to wipe out all traces of the white and red colours of Poland. Up until this point, the trams were painted either in a white and red, or entirely red).

Following the Warsaw Uprising the tramway system was destroyed by the Germans. The streets were filled with rubble, the tram stations destroyed, and the cars either burnt or transported to Germany. However, the first tram line was opened again for the public on 20 June 1945.

Following the Second World War the tramway in Warsaw underwent fast development. The tracks reached all the principal parts of the city. However, in the sixties the official policy of both Polish and Soviet authorities promoted the use of Soviet oil. The tramway net was shortened, while more buses were bought. Until 1989 only 28 lines were preserved.

Currently the Tramwaje Warszawskie company runs 863 cars on almost Template:Km to mi of track. Twenty-odd lines run across the city with additional lines opened on special occasions (such as public holidays or All-Saints Day).

Trolleybuses

Metro

Railway

The first railway reached Warsaw in 1845 (the Warsaw-Vienna Railway). Nowadays Warsaw is one of the main railway nodes and exchange points in Poland. Cheap and fairly efficient, the PKP (Polskie Koleje Państwowe, or Polish State-owned Railways) are one of the principal means of transport in Poland.

The main railway station is Warszawa Centralna. Both domestic and the international connections run from there to almost every major city in Poland and Europe. There are also 5 additional major railway stations and a number of smaller stations for suburban lines.

The railway crosses under the city through a tunnel (tunel średnicowy) approximately Template:Km to mi long and runing directly under the city centre. It is part of an east-west line connecting the Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Centralna and Warszawa Wschodnia railway stations through the tunnel and a railway bridge over the Vistula River.

The principal railway stations are:

Sports

Football

Legia Warszawa

Legia Warszawa - men's football team (est. 1916), (Polish Champion: 1955, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2006; Polish Cup winner: 1955, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1995, 1997; Polish SuperCup winner: 1989, 1994, 1997; 1st league in 2006/2007 season)

Polonia Warszawa

Polonia Warszawa - men's football team (est. 1911), (Polish Champion: 1948, 2000; Polish Cup winner: 1952, 2001; Polish SuperCup winner: 2000; 2nd league in 2006/2007 season)

The fans of both clubs are in permanent hostility. During the Warsaw Derby they often fight, but the odds are rather uneven; the greater part of Warsaw is loyal to Legia, while there is only a small group of Polonia fans^{[citation needed]}.

Culture

From 1833 to the outbreak of World War II, Plac Teatralny (Theatre Square) was the country's theatrical and cultural hub and home to the various theatres from 1833.

The main building housed the Teatr Wielki from 1833-1834, the Rozmaitości Theatre from 1836 to 1924 and then the National Theatre, the Reduta Theatre from 1919 to 1924, and from 1928 to 1939 - the Nowy Theatre, which staged productions of contemporary poetical drama, including those directed by Leon Schiller.

Nearby, in Ogród Saski (Saxon Garden), the Summer Theatre was in operation from 1870 to September 1939, and in the inter-war period, the theatre complex also included Momus, Warsaw's first literary cabaret at 29 Senatorska St., and Leon Schiller's musical theatre Melodram at 29 Senatorska St. The Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre (1922-1926) at 5 Hipoteczna St., in the former Nowości Theatre building, was the best example of "Polish monumental theatre". From the mid-1930s, a Teatr Wielki building at 10 Trębacka St. housed the State Institute of Dramatic Arts - the first state-run academy of dramatic art, with an Acting Department and a Stage Directing Department.

Plac Teatralny and its environs was the venue for numerous parades, celebrations of state holidays, carnival balls, and concerts.

Theatre

Warsaw is home to over 30 major theatres spread throughout the city, including the National Theatre (founded in 1765) and the Grand Theatre in Warsaw ([3]) (established 1778).

Warsaw also attracts many young and off-stream directors and performers who add to the city's theatre culture. Their productions may be viewed mostly in smaller theatres and Houses of Culture (Domy Kultury), mostly outside Śródmieście (downtown Warsaw). One of the most notable stages in Poland is TR Warszawa (formerly Teatr Rozmaitości).

Warsaw hosts the International Theatrical Meetings.

Music

Thanks to numerous musical venues, including the Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, the Chamber Opera, the National Philharmonic Hall and the National Theatre, as well as the Roma and Buffo music theatres and the Congress Hall in the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw hosts many events and festivals. Among the seasonal events worth particular attention are: the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, the International Contemporary Music Festival Warsaw Autumn, the Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the Mozart Festival, and the Festival of Old Music.

Museums and art galleries

There are many museums and art galleries in Warsaw, most notable are the Muzeum Narodowe, The Polish Aviation Museum, Zachęta Art Gallery, Centre for Contemporary Art, Museum of the Polish Army. The biggest of them, the Warsaw National Museum has numerous subsidiaries located in various parts of Warsaw, most notably in the Royal Castle and the Wilanów Palace. The Warsaw Uprising Museum [4] opened in 2004.

Film

Since World War II Warsaw has been the second most important centre of film production in Poland. It has also been featured in numerous movies, both Polish and foreign, for example Kanał and Korczak by Andrzej Wajda, Eroica by Andrzej Munk, The Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski, Miś by Stanisław Bareja and The Pianist by Roman Polański.

Education

For a full list of Warsaw-based institutions of higher education see: Education in Warsaw

Warsaw is one of the most important education centers of Poland. It is home to four major universities and over 62 smaller schools of higher education. The most important are:

University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski)
Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska)
Warsaw School of Economics (Szkoła Główna Handlowa)
Warsaw Agricultural University (Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego)
Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego)
Medical University of Warsaw (Akademia Medyczna w Warszawie)
Military University of Technology (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna)
Academy of National Defence (Akademia Obrony Narodowej)
Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Warszawie)
Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music (Akademia Muzyczna im. Fryderyka Chopina)
Theatre Academy (Akademia Teatralna im. Aleksandra Zelwerowicza)

The overall number of students of all grades of education in Warsaw is almost 500,000 (29.2% of the city population; 2002). The number of university students is over 255,000.

Economy

Business and commerce

File:Warsaw6vb.jpg

Warsaw skyline. The Palace of Culture and Science, the city's tallest building and the 4th tallest in the European Union is visible on the right.

Warsaw, especially its city center (Śródmieście), is home not only to many national institutions and government agencies, but also to many domestic and international companies. In 2003, 268,307 companies were registered in the city. Foreign investors' financial participation in the city's development was estimated in 2002 at over 650 million euro. Warsaw produces more than 15% of Poland's national income. The GDP (PPP) per capita in Warsaw was about $28,000 in 2005. Warsaw has the same GDP as Slovakia.

At the same time the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Poland, not exceeding 6%, according to the official figures.

The city itself collects around 8,740,882,000 złotys in taxes and direct government grants.

It has been said that Warsaw, together with Frankfurt, London and Paris, is one of the tallest cities in Europe. 11 of the tallest skyscrapers in Poland, 9 of which are office buildings, are located in Warsaw. The centrally located tallest structure, the Palace of Culture and Science, is the 4th tallest building in the European Union.

Stock exchange

Although Warsaw was home to a stock exchange since 1817, in 1945, because of political changes after World War II, it could not be recreated. It only started operating again in April 1991, after the reintroduction of the free-market economy and democracy. It is now the biggest stock exchange in the country, with more than 250 companies listed. The main indexes of its performance are WIG and WIG20.

History likes funny twists — it's worth mentioning that from 1991 until 2000 the Warsaw Stock Exchange was situated in the building previously used as the headquarters of the Polish Communist Party (PZPR).

Industry

Following the destruction of the city in World War II and its reconstruction, the communist authorities decided that Warsaw be rebuilt as a major industrial center. Several hundred major factories were built in the city or just outside of it. Most notable were the Huta Warszawa Steel Works and two car factories.

However, as the communist economical system deteriorated, most of them lost any significance. In the years following 1989 most of these went bankrupt. Nowadays, the Arcelor Warszawa Steel Mill (formerly Huta Warszawa) is the only major factory remaining. The FSO car factory produces cars mostly for export.

Tourist attractions

Although today's Warsaw is a fairly young city, it has a lot of tourist attractions. Apart from the Old Town quarter, carefully reconstructed after World War II, each borough has something to offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are the Royal Castle, King Zygmunt's Column, Square Market, and the Barbican.

Further south is the so-called Royal Route, with lots of notable classicist palaces, the Presidential Palace and the Warsaw University campus. Also the popular Nowy Świat Street is worth mentioning.

Warsaw's oldest public park, the Ogród Saski, is located within 10 minutes' walk from the old town. Another such oasis of silence and serenity is the Powązki Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe, filled with hundreds of precious sculptures, some of them by the most renowned artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Since it serves the religious communities of Warsaw, be it Catholics, Jews, Muslims or Protestants, it is often called a necropolis. Nearby is the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.

To the north of the city centre is the museum of the former Warsaw Ghetto. Also the borough of Żoliborz is famous for its architecture from the 1920s and 1930s. Between Żoliborz and the Vistula is the Warsaw Citadel, a monument of 19th century military architecture. Also the former royal residences of king Jan III Sobieski in Wilanów and Belweder are notable for their baroque architecture and beautiful parks.
However, Warsaw is perhaps the most famous for several buildings from modern history. Apart from the Palace of Culture and Science, a Soc-realist skyscrapper located exactly in the city center, the Stadion Dziesięciolecia which is the biggest market in Europe also attracts many tourists. For those who seek dramatic contrasts the borough of Central Praga is often the best choice. Called by the Varsovians the Bermuda Triangle for a high crime rate, it is a place where very run-down houses stand right next to modern apartment buildings and shopping malls. Also a Constitution Square with its monumental socrealistic architecture should be mentioned.

Warsaw Uprising Museum

Ulica Kubusia Puchatka, probably the only street in the world named after Winnie-the-Pooh and located in the very centre of a metropolis.
The modern architecture in Warsaw is represented by:
- Metropolitan Office Building at Pilsudski square by sir Norman Foster
- Warsaw University Library (BUW) by Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski with a garden on the roof and beautiful view on the Vistula river
- Rondo 1 office building by SOM
- Zlote Tarasy retail and business center

Planned:
- Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Museum of Modern Art
- "Kopernik" Science Center (Copernicus)
- Złota 44 - Apartment Tower of unique shape by Daniel Libeskind

Twin cities

Miscellanea

Every member of the Queen's Royal Hussars of the United Kingdom light cavalry wears the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress.
Members of 651 Squadron Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom also wear the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of their No. 2 (Service) Dress.
One of David Bowie’s songs released in the album Low is called Warszawa.
One of Joy Division’s songs released in the album Substance is called Warsaw. The band itself was previously called "Warsaw" as well.
There is a Danish heavy metal band called Red Warszawa.
There are ten towns in the USA called Warsaw
Leo Gerstenzang invented cotton swabs (Q-Tips®) in Warsaw
The Miss World 2006 competition took place in Warsaw, in the Palace of Culture and Science, Congress Hall.
The novel Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli takes place in Warsaw during World War II.