Poland City: Warsaw
The Polish capital of Warsaw (Warszawa) is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful and most interesting cities in Eastern Europe.
Most historians believe that the city as such appeared somewhere at the turn of the XIII and XIV centuries as a small fishing village on the shore of the Vistula. Legend says that Prince Casimir during the hunting in Mazovian forests found shelter in the poor fishing hut, whose mistress recently gave birth to twins named Warcha and Sava. The nobleman became the gloomy father of the kids and awarded the Fisherman’s family for hospitality – a new house was built on these funds, around which the fishing village was gradually appeared. The inhabitants of the city themselves prefer a more romantic version, in which Varcha was a fisherman, and Sava – the mermaid, in which he fell in love. The image of the Mermaid Sava even became the symbol of Warsaw. Linguists do not agree with this version and connect the name of the city with the old name Warcisław, or Wrocisław, who, apparently, was the founder of the farm, called later by his name. However, the settlements on the place of the future Warsaw were much more – the fairly well known ("ford", "crossing"), Yardzav and carbonion, so it is better to leave this question to historians.
Be that as it may, Warsaw was and remains one of the most romantic settlements of Poland, which became the capital and the largest city in the country for a long time. Already in 1596, after a fire of the Wawel Castle in Krakow, the King Sigismund III transfers his residence into the then capital of the Mazovian principality, but officially, the status was formed only after the collapse of the speech by compolocated in the XVIII century. World War II cruelly cost this beautiful city. During the battles of 1939 and 1945, approximately 85% of Warsaw builds were destroyed (in the old town – up to 90%). Hardworking Warshowenes quickly returned their capital to the capital former beauty, although some of the destruction were so extensive that it was simply not possible to restore the initial architecture of the whole architecture. In any case, the saying "as Phoenix from ash" Corresponds to Warsaw more than any other modern European city.
Tourist Information and Information Center
Warsaw Tourist Office (Stołeczne Biuro Turystyki, WWW.WarsawTour.PL) has a developed network of information points and is able to provide all the necessary information about the city. Here, besides usual for such a structure of reference books, maps and guidebooks, you can get information about the city and its attractions, cultural and sporting events, make a booking of accommodation in hotels, guides, purchase tickets and travel.
The largest information points are located in the complex of the Palace of Culture and Science (Square Defilad, 1; Emilli Plater Street Party between the Congress Champion and Museum), on the Square of the Old Town (Rynek Starego Miasta, 19/21 / 21a) and in Terminal A (EXIT 2) Chopin Airport (Street żWirki I Wigury, 1). They usually work from May to September from Monday to Sunday from 8.00-9.00 to 20.00, in September – from Monday to Sunday from 8.00-9.00 to 19.00, from October to April – from Monday to Sunday from 8.00 to 18.00. On weekends and holidays, the schedule is usually short enough.
INFOPRAGA tourist and cultural information can also be very useful (Punkt Informacji Turystycznej I Kulturalnej InfoPraga, Ratuszowa Street, 1/3; Phone: +48 (22) 670-01-56), Prague Bureau Tours to TU (Punkt Informacji Turystycznej – ‘to tu’ poskie biuro przewodnickie, www.Totu.Travel.PL, Ząbkowska Street, 36; Phone: +48 (22) 670-01-56) and Warsaw Center for Tourist Information MUFA (Warszawskie Centrum Informacji Turystycznej – Agencja Mufa, WWW.WCIT.Waw.PL, Zamkowy area, 1/13; Phone: +48 (22) 831-78-53). They are open from Monday to Friday from 9: 00-10.00 to 16.00-18.00, the center of MUFA works and on weekends – on Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, on Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00.
In addition to the CASS organizers of events, tickets for many of the most important urban events can be purchased at Eventim Centers (WWW.Eventim.PL, Aleje Jerozolimskie, 25; Phone: +48 (22) 590-69-15) and Empik (WWW.Empik.com, NOWY SWIAT STREET, 15/17; Phone: +48 (22) 551-33-99).
The community tourist information service works all week from 8.00 to 18.00, all data is provided in English, German and French. Phones: +48 (801) 88-88-44 and +48 (22) 278-77-77.
