Warsaw The folk post-soviet saying “A chicken is not a bird and Poland is not a foreign country” was popular untill January 1, 2008, when Poland joined the Schengen Area. Since that time all tourists coming to the capital of Poland say goodbye to misconceptions like this one. The wars of the 20 th century did not wipe this city from the map of the world, did not make it unrecognizable or mediocre. You can find the proof in List of World Heritage Sites, where the old downtown was included for thorough architect restoration. But Belarusian tourists, used to “sparkling” Minsk have got different opinion about the capital of Poland. Having visited the castles of Warsaw, they come to the conclusion: “The city is dirty”. They find it strange that there aren’t “route taxis”; and they wonder why the “dachas” of Poles are houses, built among the trees in the forest and don’t have a vegetable garden. There is a logical explanation for this: the citizens of Warsaw cherish national traditions and unique atmosphere. A mermaid is still the symbol of the city. The mythological creature is represented at Coat of arms of Warsaw, and there is a monument to it in the old downtown. But some tourists make jokes, that it would be more natural to have the image of a merchant as a city symbol. Such jokes make sense: the Warsaw grew up on the important trade route. Since that time the Poles did not change their attitude to trade. Hardly have you descended from the train – the city begs you to buy. At the railway station there are hundreds of merchants and stores. Here you can find everything from meat to expensive cigarettes. In Warsaw’s hypermarket (which in 1990s attracted Belarusians, coming for the shopping weekend) you can find both: delicious cheese and ceramic tile. And you can have an impression, that this city was founded for transportation of purchased goods. There transport runs according to timetable and if your bag is quiet big – you buy a special pass from the driver. And you will need cash – there’s no time to give change. For 15 years the whole country was restoring the city, 84% ruined in the World War II. Warsaw is called “Eastern Paris” for its ethic diversity. Warsaw is a mix of architectonic tendencies. Antique buildings are neighbors to buildings of soviet empire style. During the last decade the panorama of the city was glorified with modern skyscrapers and business centers.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:56:33 +0000
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