Today I continue to talk about my walk around Warsaw and sightseeing of the city. Today - city views from a height and the last walk. I invite you to join my photo walk :)
I wanted to look at the roofs from the observation deck of the Palace of Culture and Science, built in Warsaw in 1955. The view from the Palace is said to be simply stunning. The observation deck is located on the 30th floor, at a height of 114 meters. To get there, you need to buy a ticket in the lobby, the usual one costs 20 zł per person. Details on how to visit - on the website of the Palace.
In recent decades, the panorama of the city has been enriched with modern skyscrapers and business centers.
Levitating Nicolaus Copernicus at the foot of the Palace. Get inside!
So I reached the 30th floor. Locals joke that this observation deck really offers an excellent view, since the Palace of Culture and Science itself is not visible.
Well, hurry outside, I'm starting to explore the city panoramas!
The Holy Cross Bridge (Świętokrzyski Bridge) is the first cable-stayed structure on the Vistula River. The bridge is 479 meters long and connects two parts of Warsaw. From a bird's eye view, it looks like a cross with diverging rays.
Warsaw National Stadium (Stadion Narodowy).
If I get tired of looking around, I can rest a bit too with a good view. But I'm still awake :)
And here is the Old Town.
The area of its red-tiled roofs near the riverbank visually stands out from the array of more modern buildings.
Warsaw Financial Center.
Green building is the InterContinental Warsaw Hotel. Residents of the surrounding houses protested against the construction, because the building would block the sunlight. However, in the end, an agreement was reached with the residents, and the project was changed: according to the new project, the upper part of the building stands on a column, thereby freeing up space for sunlight.
St. Barbara's Church.
Just a huge ad. Cities should get rid of such large advertising surfaces on buildings, they are very annoying, in my opinion.
Church of the Holiest Saviour. It is not far away, and I decided to take a walk to it a little later.
Warsaw Central Station (Warszawa Centralna). Railroad tracks run underground. It is from here that I will go later to Krakow by high-speed train.
There are many modern skyscrapers in the central area of the city, and probably a few more have been built since my visit. If they harmoniously fit into the urban landscape - why not? But often this is difficult to achieve.
Well, the views are good, but the time is not the best for shooting. It would be at sunset ... And it's time for me to go down to the ground again :)
I love ice cream! This one turned out to be somehow slightly "watery". But it's good in the heat.
And again, nice street art.
Last look at the Palace of Culture and Science. Surrounded by more modern high-rise buildings, it does not get lost and, it seems to me, looks quite nice. And how do you like this architecture?
In 2000, a clock was built into the skyscraper, and at that time it became the tallest building in the world with a clock.
On the street I saw strawberries for sale. It turned out to be very tasty.
The red-orange building is a multi-storey car park. I can't figure out what's on it, but it's much more fun than just gray walls. And it's easier to find.
Both cars and city transport are a match for this parking :) Cheerful colors are always nice to see.
Cute sign with a toad.
Speaking of advertising structures in cities, these are usually the best. Not too intrusive, not conspicuous, but at the same time clearly visible, and especially to pedestrians, who just have more time to see the actual advertising. I reason this way because for many years I worked as a designer, including advertising and advertising structures for cities.
Some walls are simply covered with "tags".
And here is the church, which I saw from the observation deck. The construction of the Church of the Holiest Saviour began in 1900.
During the Warsaw Uprising, the church was not damaged too much, but just before the liberation of Warsaw, the Germans blew it up. Poland restored the building for several years, while the communist Polish authorities for a long time did not give permission to restore the beautiful towers. As a result, in 1955, the reconstruction was finally completed.
Looked inside for a while. It’s beautiful there, but at that time the priest was preaching, and I did not distract the worshipers, but went on a walk further.
Hmm, what is this queue?
Quite a lot of people ride bikes in Warsaw. I know that this is no longer surprising for Europe, and this is excellent.
Another piece of street art.
Walking around Warsaw, I got hungry and, without thinking twice, went into a cafe with shawarma near the station. They brought me a huge plate and I was glad that I did not order anything else. By the way, the food was really spicy, as I requested.
Shopping center Golden Terraces (Zlote Tarasy) next to the railway station.
Very beautiful modern architecture.
And this is what the roof looks like from the inside.
Now it will sound funny, but then, in the shopping center, for the first time I came across such a washstand. The touch sensor in the central part delivers water, and lateral "wings" are hand dryers.. Now they are found in many places, including those with a built-in soap dispenser in the same place, but then it surprised me :)
Well, it's time to say goodbye to Warsaw. My path lies further to Krakow.
Underground platform of the railway station.
I arrived at the station a little early so as not to miss the train - I always try to do this, especially in new cities.
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I really liked Warsaw, it is a very nice city. Of course, I managed to see a very small part of it.
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A little more than two hours on the train, and here I am at the Krakow Main station. The adventure continues!
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To be continued.
Posts about the trip:
- Poland Stories. Warsaw. Old Town and a Religious Celebration
- Poland Stories. Warsaw. Walking Around the City, Old and New
- Poland Stories. Warsaw. Views from Above and the End of the Walk
Camera: OLYMPUS E-M5
You can also see my photos in my blog LJ and in my profile on NatGeo. You can read a short interview with me here.
