My Traveling Joys: Warsaw Royal Castle

Showing posts with label Warsaw Royal Castle. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2015

Warsaw Royal Castle’s Upper Gardens Now Open

5/25/2015 01:00:00 AM by Joy4 comments

Lucky me, Warsaw still continues to surprise me!

This weekend, I was in for treat when a friend shared photos about the newly opened upper gardens of the Warsaw Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie). The rear of the castle has been under construction for what seems like the whole two years we’ve lived here. And finally, the gardens opened this weekend to all visitors for free!

Not surprisingly, the castle has always had gardens which extended from the rear of the castle to the Vistula River. From 1818-1827, Polish architect Jakub Kubicki redesigned the gardens in a neoclassical style (hence the name Kubick Arkades). Now, nearly 200 years later, the gardens have been restored to their former glory; and it looks like more renovations may be in the works down the road according to the castle’s website and its garden plans.

Yesterday’s weather was slightly overcast, but plenty of Poles were out taking advantage of the brief sunshine and strolling through the new gardens. I joined them with my camera in hand and spent about an hour trying to get some good photos of the new gardens. I probably should return on a weekday morning so fewer people would be in the photos.

Stop by the new gardens for yourself someday soon! You can even enjoy a beer or other refreshment at the café located here as well while you soak up the sunshine!

This section is part of the castle's lower gardens.

Location:

Warsaw Royal Castle

Plac Zamkowy

Gardens are open: 10 a.m. to dusk Monday to Saturday

11 a.m. to dusk Sundays

More photos on the Facebook page of Fall in Love with Warsaw

Starry Nights, Christmas Lights in Warsaw’s Old Town

12/29/2014 01:00:00 AM by Joy6 comments

Strolling through the decked out streets of Warsaw’s Old Town feels magical during the Christmas season.

The city transforms its historically-restored Old Town into a Christmas wonderland complete with an ice skating rink guarded by a mermaid, a decent Christmas market (finally!) and plenty of stalls selling hot chocolate and mulled wine to keep you warm.

Before we traveled for the recent holidays, I grabbed my camera and visited the Old Town a couple of times in Warsaw. Pretty much, any time, after 3 p.m. is a good time as the sun sets and the twinkling lights start to light up the dark skies. It’s a pretty sight to behold, but I’ll let my photos mainly do the talking.

This year’s Christmas Market, located near the Royal Castle, will be open daily through January 6^th, which is celebrated as a national, religious holiday here known as Święto Trzech Króli to honor the Three Wise Men. There’s another market being held at the National Stadium, but I haven’t been there because this location seems like an odd choice and lacks the charm that the Old Town has.

I picked up several handmade Christmas decorations, a wooden cheese plate made by a Lithuanian craftsman and some of the infamous Zakopane cheese at the Old Town’s market.

It’s worth stopping by in you’re visiting Warsaw or if you live here and haven’t made it by yet. The Christmas lights seem to stay up well through January which help brighten the long, dark days of the Polish winter.

If you don’t speak Polish, good luck trying to pronounce Wesołych Świąt (Season’s Greetings or Merry Christmas). I still have a difficult time trying to say this!

Visiting Warsaw’s Royal Castle

9/14/2013 02:00:00 AM by Joy2 comments

Our next round of visitors arrive on Monday, but I think I’ll have to pass on visiting Warsaw’s Royal Castle for the sixth time!

Don’t get me wrong – the castle IS impressive and IS a must-see for any tourist visiting Warsaw.

But the situation is comparable to when I lived in Istanbul; and after taking friends through the Ayasofya for the 10^th time, I started waiting for them at a nearby café. Next week, I’ll enjoy drinking my latté and reading a book while my friends tour through the opulent castle without me.

Last weekend, we took our visiting friends from Istanbul through the Royal Castle. A castle has stood here since the Mazovian dukes built a wooden version in the 14^th century. Over the years, the castle was home to several Polish kings and the president of pre-WWII Poland as well as the parliament of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries of 16^th and 17^th-century Europe.

Of course, like everything else in Warsaw, the castle was destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. If you pay the extra admission to visit the Rembrandt paintings and royal art collection in the castle, you can see a portion of the original brick wall with drilled holes where the Nazis placed the dynamite.

This photo of the Royal Castle in 1947 greets you in the foyer as you start your tour.
Pretty shocking, isn't it?

Rebuilding of the castle finally began in 1971 – thanks to a long delay by the Communist authorities. In 1984, the castle reopened to the public – just about 30 years ago! Luckily, many of the gorgeous furnishings and paintings are original, which the Poles hid away in the mountains when they realized the city would be destroyed by the war.

The Great Assembly Hall

The Knights' Hall features the Polish Hall of Fame with massive paintings of great events and busts and portraits of important Poles.

The rebuilt castle harks back to its historical Baroque and Classical styles as you can see as wander through the king’s old rooms and the Senator’s Chamber, which is where the first constitution in Europe was adopted and signed in 1791.

The Senator's Chamber - a rare moment without any other tourists in it!

You easily can tour through the castle in a little over an hour by yourself or with your companions. There are signs in English in each room pointing out its importance. If you want a more in-depth history lesson, you can rent an audioguide for a nominal fee.

As you admire the castle’s luxurious furnishings, marble and chandeliers, you can’t help but wonder about all the people that once roamed the halls.