POLAND - MY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY (Warsaw, Old town)

Warsaw has two historic districts, called Old Town and New Town. They are adjacent to each other and the newer section is almost as old as the Old Town.

Warsaw's OLD TOWN (Polish: Stare Miasto, "Starowka") is the oldest part of the city of Warsaw and one of its most prominent tourist attractions. The heart of the area is the Old Town Market Place, with its unique traditional Polish restaurants, cafés and shops. Surrounding streets feature medieval architecture such as the city walls, barbican and St. John's Cathedral.
During the World War II and the Invasion of Poland (1939), much of the district was badly damaged by the German Luftwaffe, which targeted the city's residential areas and historic landmarks in a campaign of terror bombing. Following the Siege of Warsaw, parts of the Old Town were rebuilt, but immediately after the Warsaw Uprising (August-October 1944) what had been left standing was systematically blown up by the German Army. A statue commemorating the Uprising, "the Little Insurgent," now stands on the Old Town's medieval city wall.
After World War II, the Old Town was again meticulously rebuilt. As many of the original bricks were reused as possible. The rubble was sifted for reusable decorative elements, which were reinserted into their original places.
Bernardo Bellotto's 18th-century vedute, as well as Interbellum architecture students' drawings, were used as essential guides in the reconstruction effort.

Warsaw's NEW TOWN (Polish: Nowe Miasto) was initially established to curb the unchecked growth that had snowballed beyond the city walls. Hence the New Town, founded in 1402, was given its own charter and corporation along the lines of its elder brother. A market square and town hall were built and a number of churches and monasteries sprung up. It was not fortified in contrast to the Old Town. The New Town was merged with the rest of the city in 1791.
Like the Old Town, the New Town was systematically destroyed by the Germans during World War II and was rebuilt after the war.

Zygmunt's Column
The column was erected in 1644 and is the oldest secular monument in Warsaw. It is to memorize King Zygmunt III Waza, who transfered the capital from Krakow to Warsaw in 1596.

The Royal Castle
The Polish kings' residence from 1526 to 1795. Between 1918 and World War II the palace was the seat of the Polish president. It was destroyed by the Nazi in 1944, rebuilt in 1971-84.

The Barbican
Warsaw Barbican was built in 1548.

The Walls
The Walls of Barbican and church towers.

Monument to Jan Kilinski
Monument to Jan Kiliñski, a Warsaw shoemaker and leader of Warsaw burghers in the 1794' Kościuszko Insurrection.
Erected in 1936, "arrested" and hidden by Nazi during the WW II, came back to its present site after the war.

Monument To The "Little Upriser"
Erected in 1983 in honour of the very, very young scouts who took part in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

The Royal Castle & The Walls

The Barbican Tower

Warsaw Mermaid
The Warsaw mermaid, "Syrenka Warszawska" in The Old Town Market Square . This figure in the shape of half-woman and half-fish was made in 1855.
It is the symbol of city and is featured in Warsaw's coat of arms since the mid of 14th century.

Legend by Artur Oppman:
Once upon a time there were two mermaid sisters, who swam to the shore of the Baltic Sea from their home deep in the sea. They were very beautiful. One of them decided to swim towards the Danish straits, to the port of Copenhagen. The second swam up the Vistula River and came out of the water onto the sandy bank to rest. It was at the foot of today's Old Town and she decided to stay.
The fishermen living in this area noticed, that during their fishing someone was churning the waves of the Vistula River, tangling the nets and releasing the fish. But the mermaid enchanted them with her beautiful singing, and they did not harm her.
One day a wealthy merchant saw the mermaid and heard her lovely song. He quickly calculated how much money he could make displaying her at market fairs, so he captured her and imprisoned in a wooden shed without any water. A young farmhand heard the mermaid's cries, and with the help of friends he freed her at night. Grateful that the townspeople had defended her, the mermaid promised to help them in time of danger. This is why the Warsaw Mermaid is armed: she bears a sword and a shield to defend the city.

Old Town Clock

Old Town - Cathedral

Church of Our Mary Lady

Bell On Kanonia Square
The bell was brought to this place from the National Museum in 1972. Originally casted in 1646 by Daniel Thiem.
The bell was intended for the temple in the town of Jaroslaw but because of production fault it's toll probably never sound.

In the corner you can see the narrowest house in Warsaw and Europe and one of the 10 narrowest in the world.
In the 17/18th ages the tax from the house depended on how wide it was, so this was the reason they built rather high, but narrow buildings :)

Old Town Bazyliszek
Bazyliszek is a Polish name for the basilisk, in Greek and European bestiaries and legends, a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power of causing death by a single glance.
In common language we also use the phrase "wzrok bazyliszka", the basilisk's glance which means a glance which kills.
There is a medieval legend about a Warsaw Bazyliszek - if interested see here:
http://www.warsawtour.pl/en/warsaw-for-everyone/for-kids/warsaw-legends-3160.html?page=0,1

The Barbican Gate

The Barbican

Trapped
The Angel's Door - installed in 2009 on the doorway of Shrine of Our Lady of Grace Patron of Warsaw, in the Old Town.
Designed by famous sculptor Igor Mitoraj, with images of Virgin Mary and angels.

April 2010 Challenge - Scavenger Hunt
The word TRAPPED

POLAND - MY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY (Warsaw, Old town)

Come to Warsaw :)