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European Vacations -
Poland Vacation Packages &
Travel Information |
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Overview |
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Warsaw is the capital of Poland and
its largest city. It is located on
the Vistula river roughly 370 km
from both the Baltic Sea coast and
the Carpathian Mountains. Its
population as of 2005 was estimated
at 1,697,596, with an urban
agglomeration of approximately
2,760,000. The city area amounts to
516.9 km˛, with an agglomeration of
6100.43 km˛ (Warsaw Metro Area -
Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy).
The city, also the capital of the
Masovian Voivodeship, is home to
many industries, including
manufacturing, steel, electrical
engineering, and automotive; it
features 66 institutions of higher
learning, including Warsaw
University, Stefan Wyszyński
University, Warsaw University of
Technology, Warsaw School of
Economics, and a Medical Academy.
Warsaw is home to over 30 theatres,
including the National Theatre and
Opera and the National Philharmonic
Orchestra.
Warsaw is internationally notable
for giving its name to the Warsaw
Pact, Warsaw Convention and the
Treaty of Warsaw.Warsaw straddles
the Vistula river, approximately 370
kilometres from both the Carpathian
mountains and Baltic Sea. It is
located in the heartland of the
Masovian Plain, and its average
altitude is 100 m above sea level,
although there are some hills
(mostly artificial) located within
the confines of the city.
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Culture |
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From 1833 to the outbreak of World
War II, Teatralny Square (Theatre
Square) was the country's theatrical
and cultural hub and home to the
following theatres from 1833.
The main building housed the Teatr
Wielki from 1833, 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 the 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 artistic 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 materialization of
"Polish monumental theatre". From
the mid-1930's, 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.
Teatralny Square and its environs
was the venue for numerous parades,
celebrations of state holidays,
carnival balls, and concerts. In
1881, the Warsaw Guide wrote:
"Teatralny Square unquestionably can
be called the soul of Warsaw. It
equals the Saski Garden in its
liveliness and activity. Here are
concentrated the most important
organs in a city's life: the Theatre
and the Town Hall, a church, the
wine-traders Stępkowski and Boquet,
a prime restaurant decorated to
ensure the greatest comfort, the
offices of Warsaw's most popular
newspaper Kurier Warszawski,
stationery emporiums, tobacco
emporiums, pharmacies, perfumeries,
jewellers' shops, clothing and shoe
shops, the finest pastry-cooks'
shops, emporiums offering lamps,
samovars, linen, gowns and furs,
fruit shops, cab stops, etc. etc.
Such hustle and bustle is not to be
found elsewhere in the city.
Teatralny Square fully deserves the
traveller's interest".
Theatre
Warsaw is home to over 30 major
theatres that are spread throughout
the city, including the National
Theatre (founded in 1765) and the
Grand Theatre in Warsaw (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 (Dom 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 music theatres Roma and
Buffo and the Congress Hall in the
Palace of Culture and Science,
Warsaw hosts many renown 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, Center for Contemporary
Art, Museum of the Polish Army. The
biggest of them, the National Museum
has numerous divisions located in
many parts of Warsaw, most notably
in the Royal Castle and the Wilanów
Palace.
Since 2004, a Warsaw Uprising Museum
has been open to the public.
Film
Main article: movies featuring
Warsaw
Since World War II Warsaw has been
the second most important centre of
film production in Poland. As the
capital of Poland it has also been
featured in countless movies, both
Polish and foreign. Movies such as
Kanał and Korczak by Andrzej Wajda,
Eroica by Andrzej Munk, The
Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski,
Miś by Stanisław Bareja or The
Pianist by Roman Polański used
Warsaw either as the background, or
as the protagonist. |
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