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“on this trip warsaw“I’m going to pretend I’m in a different century,” I tell my butler Maciej as he walks me up to my room. raffles european warsawWhich is in existence since 1857. Given that I am making this announcement under the bohemia glass chandelier in the nearby Royal Castle. my own butler – They come standard in every room of this grand dame – I feel like I’m already making good on this promise.
Messiaen plays along with great amusement and calls me “Madame” while he shows me the neoclassical view from my windows. I focus on the beautiful square in front of the Saxon Gardens, ignoring the skyscrapers rising from the tree line. I already knew that Warsaw is booming economically, and anyone who has visited enjoys its growing cool (especially in the gritty Brooklyn-esque Praga neighborhoods). But I was wondering if it could still be picturesque, romantic and classically beautiful. Is it still worthy of its interwar nickname: The Paris Of the North?
I was warned ahead of time. If I was looking for somewhere charming and well-preserved, Kraków was it. Warsaw has fallen on hard times in recent history. It was systematically and nefariously destroyed by the Nazis in revenge for the Warsaw Uprising. Then almost immediately afterward the city plunged into the brutal repression of the Soviet era. However, I was also told that Warsaw is famously resilient, and I was determined to see its beauty and this spirit.
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Raffles was keen to help: the brand acquired this historic hotel – the first real luxury hotel In poland – In 2018, introduced its famous butler service. Under “The Butler Did It” program of signature experiences, the team will essentially act as not only your right-hand person but a complete itinerary planner. I gave my details to Macys and the team in Warsaw to see what they could do, and they did not disappoint.
My first stop: the 17th century. with the golden boy of warsaw Frederic Chopin Plugging in my earbuds to set the mood, I set out to explore. Although Warsaw has an excellent and affordable transport system (tickets from 70p), I choose to walk to get to my location. About 45 minutes later, I reach Lazienki Park. The city is particularly green, but this park is one of the biggest and best, with romantic Baroque follies, a lake of giant carp that seem to swim in slow motion, and the dream-like Palace on the Isle, which was built in 1689 as a royal bathhouse and, later, as Hitler’s possible Warsaw residence. Mercifully, the palace not only escaped that fate but also escaped destruction after it was prepared for the explosives. On summer Sundays (May to September), Lazienki Park also hosts free chopin concert By the statue of Chopin. (I quickly learned that Warsaw could not only still be old-world glamorous, but it could also be exceptionally affordable).
After an hour-long walk in the park, which surprisingly had very few tourists, I turn towards the Warsaw University of Technology, built in 1915. With its exquisitely photogenic interior courtyard, surrounded by white plaster stairs and arches and topped by a stained glass roof, it’s Wes Anderson meets MC Ishtar. It also tells of the city’s indomitable spirit, as the school continued to operate in secret during the German occupation.
After marveling at the architecture, I walk back to the hotel via the so-called royal route. “This is the most beautiful street in Warsaw,” Maciej had told me earlier, explaining how it originally connected the Royal Castle (now a museum) in the Old Town with the palace in Wilanów. polandVersailles version. Reminiscent of the glory days of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the route is a delightful parade of pastel palaces, mansions and churches, such as the Holy Cross, which contains Chopin’s dismembered heart (his remains reside in Paris, where he was exiled by the Russians). Another church not to be missed on the Royal Route is the Visitation Church, where the young Chopin played the organ.
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To keep up my energy on the way to the hotel, I eat chocolate sea-salt cookies that Macy’s packed for me. lurse warsawThe hotel’s beautiful pink historic pastries, staffed by girls in neat white pinafores and Peter Pan collars. Check out the chandelier made to look like a test tube in memory of Warsaw-born Marie Curie, who stayed at the hotel in 1913.
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Even without my treats, I won’t go hungry, because the city is full of old-fashioned sweets like A. blickle to novi sviet Donuts (donuts) or beautiful Polish chocolate shop E. Weddell On Szpitalna Street, there are art nouveau flourishes and hand-decorated wafer cakes.
By the time I get back to the hotel, it’s time for the vodka tasting long strip“Vodka is part of our history; it’s our heritage,” says head mixologist Mariusz Sieradzki as he pours me a flight of Polish vodkas to try, each made from a different ingredient, including potato, rye and wheat. When I ask him about the most traditional style, he pulls out a beautiful fluted bottle. “It’s old fashioned vodka,” Marius told me. “It’s original, distilled exclusively from Polish Augusta potatoes.” A special blend of limited-edition vodka created just for the hotel by Poland’s last family-owned vodka brand, chopinI can’t help but think it’s a taste of the earth and the past. (Or maybe it’s just the wine talking.)
The next morning, I tour the Old Town, founded in the 13th century and located just five minutes from the hotel. Composed of a market square, colorful townhouses, city walls, the Royal Castle and circular churches, it is quite exquisite – made even more so by the fact that it was almost completely rebuilt brick-by-brick by the always-resilient Varsovians (the people of Warsaw) after more than 85 percent of it was destroyed by the Nazis. He did such a careful, respectful job that it received UNESCO status in 1980. If the question ever arose as to whether Warsaw’s pre-war glory still existed, the Old Town would put the question to rest. Make sure you see the fountain containing the city’s symbol: a mermaid with a sword.
I return to the hotel for a tour of its strong modern art collection of approximately 500 pieces with Lukasz Godlewski, the hotel’s art collection manager. The hotel offers free tours of the all-Polish collection. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I like the neon installation by Włodzimierz Jan Zakrzewski at the entrance, which highlights Poland’s almost constantly changing borders throughout history; Soviet posters in the cigar lounge; and vintage photographs of the hotel’s 19th-century balls and banquets in the private dining room. After seeing the hotel collection, Lukasz takes me to the newly opened location Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (Tickets from around £4). After focusing on the past for a few days, it feels exciting and refreshing.
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Returning to the hotel, I go straight to the past. Macy’s left a note for me saying she’d booked me a candlelight Chopin concert in Old Town Friederike Concert Hall (Tickets from £18). She’s also taken the liberty of showering me with lavender oil, creating mountains of bubbles laced with rose petals and an assortment of champagne. This night is as dreamy as it sounds.
On my last day, Maciej’s final surprise for me was to drive around town in a classic car, a 1977 Polski Fiat 125P, built in Poland under Fiat license by the state-owned manufacturer. With about 20 vintage cars in his circle, Piotr retro station (Private tours from £120), takes us through the streets as we listen to 1930s songs and admire the city. Even the parts that aren’t pretty are still impressive, still admirable, because it’s hard won. Old-world glamor isn’t everywhere, and it’s not always as obvious or in-your-face as it is in other European capitals, but that’s the charm. The city is not taking any action. When you are happy in Warsaw (and you will be), it will be unexpected and surreal.
Nicole was hosted as a guest of Raffles Europejski Warsaw.
how to do it
Airlines including British Airways, LOT and Wizz Air fly direct to Warsaw from the UK. Flight time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
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