The two faces of Warsaw

In Berlin we jump on the train to Warsaw, about 570 kilometres away. The landscape reminds us often of the Netherlands, tidy pastures and everything neatly bounded by ditches or netting. Here, order reigns in the landscape and that feels familiar.

In the Polish capital the summer is in full swing, sweating and panting, we find the bus to our hostel in a 30 degrees temperature. Which appears to be situated next to the beautiful Old Town, also known by the district of Stare Miasto.

The entire city of Warsaw is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Moreover, the suburbs consist mainly of desolate concrete eastern flats, but the centre is more than nice. Squares full of cafes and restaurants, trendy boutiques, organic shops and a handful of museums everywhere you look. It is amazing that old-fashioned and hip come together here; original experimental food stalls full of hip dishes are flanking the authentic Polish eateries with mostly heavy meat dishes on the menu. And where the streets are filled with buses of middle ages tourists during the day, the local students will party after sundown in a handful of pubs and clubs. Also notable is the price of a vodka, which costs about half the price of a cappuccino. Diversity is key.

Polish heroes

During our days in the capital, we learn that the Polish composer Chopin has gotten a complete museum and also his compatriot and astronomer Copernicus, who came up with the heliocentric theory (What? “The sun is at the centre of the solar system and the planets evolve around it.” Oh yeah that.) will be honoured with its own Science Centre. And we also learn about the heroic uprising of the local population during wartime.

Warsaw was destroyed for approximately 85% during the Second World War by the Germans. This happened after the locals revolted against the Germans in 1944, while the Red Army (then seen as the Russian liberators, but they were not quite as helpful as hoped when push came to shove) was waiting on the other side of the Vistula river, which flows along the city. The Poles lost the battle, but the Germans withdrew not long afterwards for the Soviet army, but bombed the city as much as possible, which only left a small peace of the original Warsaw intact. In the post-war years, especially the Old Town, Stare Miasto, was rebuilt to the smallest details. The result is a colourful attraction which allows for an excellent city trip.

After two days we say goodbye to the Poles and we are preparing for the first long train ride of our trip; the twenty-hour journey to Moscow.