An imposing city with a historic past, Warsaw truly
comes alive as the bountiful snowflakes transform it into a winter wonderland,
perfect for a pre-Christmas holiday. Raul Dias checks in
and checks out Poland’s stunning capital while paying obeisance to its
favourite son—Frédéric François Chopin.
Pics courtesy: Polish Tourist Organisation and Raul
Dias
“Congratulations!” the burly, mustachioed immigration
officer shouts at me the minute I hand over my passport for his perusal. I had
just landed at Warsaw’s gargantuan Frédéric François Chopin International
Airport, that, along with a host of other monuments scattered around the Polish
capital, pays rich homage to the aforementioned composer and Warsaw ‘homeboy’. But
more on that later. Mumbling a confused “Err… thanks”, I rush to the baggage
carousel only to hear my phone alerting me to the fact that a few hours ago,
Indian beauty queen Srinidhi Shetty had won the Miss Supranational 2016 title
in Poland’s beautiful resort town of Krynica-Zdroj.
On a winter business trip to Poland, with the Warsaw leg being an important part, I braced myself for the almost arctic, sub-zero temperature as I left the comfortable womb-like confines of the warm airport terminal building to face the wrath of the bone-chilling cold outside. With a souped up, WiFi-enabled van whisking me off to the center of town towards my home for the next two days—the well-appointed H15 Boutique Hotel, I was ready to take on whatever Warsaw had I store for me. And boy, was I in for a treat!
On a winter business trip to Poland, with the Warsaw leg being an important part, I braced myself for the almost arctic, sub-zero temperature as I left the comfortable womb-like confines of the warm airport terminal building to face the wrath of the bone-chilling cold outside. With a souped up, WiFi-enabled van whisking me off to the center of town towards my home for the next two days—the well-appointed H15 Boutique Hotel, I was ready to take on whatever Warsaw had I store for me. And boy, was I in for a treat!
Chopin
Away
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection.
One of the first stops my guide-for-the-day Kuba insisted we make was to the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its premier attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It was only on closer inspection of the monument that I noticed that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that Kuba said was symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
I was told that Chopin concerts are held at the foot of the monument, every Sunday from mid-May until late September. I, however, had to be content with the music emanating from the musical benches that have buttons embedded into them, that, when pressed, play the virtuoso’s most popular compositions.
Undoubtedly the most famous resident of Warsaw, Chopin spent the first 20 years of his life in the city. Here he studied music, learned the manners of society and gave his first concerts. Walking the streets of Warsaw you will pass buildings where he stayed or which he visited. There are many places which are a homage paid to his talent and Warsaw even boasts the world’s largest Chopin memorabilia collection.
One of the first stops my guide-for-the-day Kuba insisted we make was to the Royal Lazienki Museum’s gardens that has as its premier attraction a rather odd-looking statue of Chopin who seems to be being ‘devoured’ by a vulture or something there like! It was only on closer inspection of the monument that I noticed that the ‘vulture’ is actually a gnarly branch of a tree, that Kuba said was symbolic of lending protection to Chopin.
I was told that Chopin concerts are held at the foot of the monument, every Sunday from mid-May until late September. I, however, had to be content with the music emanating from the musical benches that have buttons embedded into them, that, when pressed, play the virtuoso’s most popular compositions.
Old
Town Blues
Interestingly, despite being hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean, Warsaw’s city emblem features a mermaid and it is her statue that forms the central focal point of its tiny and compact little cobblestoned town center. According to legend, Serena the mermaid was the sister of Amanda, the little mermaid of Copenhagen. Caught by a couple of fisherman to sell as food in the market, Serena managed to entrance a young lad—with her siren call—into cutting her imprisoning net and letting her go, promising to return to Warsaw to protect it whenever it needed her. And so, in one hand, the mermaid’s statue holds a shield and a sword in the other.
I’m sure Serena’s offer would have come in handy when almost the entire town was destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town (Stare Miasto), with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.
Interestingly, despite being hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean, Warsaw’s city emblem features a mermaid and it is her statue that forms the central focal point of its tiny and compact little cobblestoned town center. According to legend, Serena the mermaid was the sister of Amanda, the little mermaid of Copenhagen. Caught by a couple of fisherman to sell as food in the market, Serena managed to entrance a young lad—with her siren call—into cutting her imprisoning net and letting her go, promising to return to Warsaw to protect it whenever it needed her. And so, in one hand, the mermaid’s statue holds a shield and a sword in the other.
I’m sure Serena’s offer would have come in handy when almost the entire town was destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town (Stare Miasto), with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.
FACT
FILE
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Warsaw, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Warsaw on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient metro and buses make travelling within Warsaw a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Consulate in Mumbai.
Getting There
While there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Warsaw, the best way to get there is via Munich and Frankfurt. From there, there are a number of daily flights to Warsaw on airlines like LOT and Lufthansa. The super-efficient metro and buses make travelling within Warsaw a piece of cake. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit Poland and the same can be obtained at the Polish Consulate in Mumbai.
When
To Visit
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Warsaw, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Theater Square.
Though spring and summer are the best times to visit Warsaw, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places, the month of December is especially magical with all things Christmas-y including the beautiful Christmas Market and the giant lit up tree in the historic Theater Square.
Accommodation
Warsaw has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best value-for-money options are:
* H15 Boutique Hotel (www.h15boutiqueapartments.com)
* Mercure Warszawa Grand (www.mercure.com)
(A shorter, edited version of this article appeared in the 31st December 2016 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India http://www.afternoondc.in/mumbai-mix/all-polished-up/article_184820)
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