Warsaw

More Finnair Summer Flights

Antalya, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Finland, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Poland, Slovenia, Travel News, Travel News Asia, Travel News Europe, Turkey, Warsaw No Responses »

Jan 092013

Finnair already announced increased new summer destinations to Hanoi and Xi’an beginning in June.

Now further new flights are going to be offered to Palma de Mallorca twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays, offering good connections to St. Petersburg.

New destinations available from March to October include Antalya (in Turkey), Tel Aviv (in Israel) and the new Mallorca route, as well as increased flights on routes to Malaga, Barcelona and Madrid.

Most flights are due to increase from June 7th, 2013.

Further summer schedule flight increases will connect with Dubrovnik, Ljubljana, Krakow, all of whom are doubling frequencies from 2012.

More Qatar to Warsaw flights!

Poland, Qatar, Warsaw No Responses »

Jan 092013

Qatar Airways will start flying daily flights to Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

Currently the route is offered 4 times per week, but due to good demand since the route first opened, the offering will expand to a daily service.

The service offers Poland’s growing market better access to Asia, Australia and the Middle East and vice versa.

The route was first opened on December 5th with a big welcome at Frederic Chopin Airport, and already Qatar Airway’s 32nd European destination is expanding.

Qatar Airways latest expansion plans

Poland, Qatar, Travel News Europe, Travel News Middle East, Warsaw, Wroclaw No Responses »

Dec 202012

On December 5th, Qatar commenced their 12th new route of 2012 with a connection from Qatar to Warsaw.

The move is part of a concentrated expansion in Poland, with a Customer Contact Centre planned from Wroclaw early in 2013.

2012 has been a busy year for Qatar Airways as they have opened up routes to 12 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), Belgrade (Serbia) and finally, Warsaw (Poland).

2013 looks to start off in a similar vein with new routes planned for Gassim (Saudi Arabia); Najaf (Iraq); Phnom Penh (Cambodia); Chengdu (China); Chicago (USA); and Salalah (Oman).

Qatar’s expansion plans are focused on Europe and the Middle East markets with a target of serving 170 destinations with 170 aircraft within 3 years.

The Warsaw <-> Qatar route is being offered 4 times a week.

Largest Hampton in Warsaw

Poland, Travel News, Travel News Europe, Warsaw No Responses »

Nov 172012

Europe’s largest Hampton hotel is currently under construction and due to open in Warsaw, Poland by 2014.

The hotel will feature 300 rooms over 17 floors.

The Hampton Hotel, Warsaw will be located 9km from Warsaw airport, and less than a kilometer from the nearest subway connection.

Nozyk Synagogue, Warsaw

Poland, Warsaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

The Nozyk Synagogue gains it’s reputation from being the only Jewish place of worship that survived the 2nd World War in Warsaw. Pre-war Warsaw was one of the world’s largest Jewish communities, with over 400 houses of prayer, but the city was systematically destroyed by the Nazi war machine.

The Nozyk Synagogue was constructed in 1902 – a temple for orthodox Jews. It was donated to the Jewish community by it’s benefactors, Zalman and Ryfka Nozyk.

When the Jewish Ghetto was created in Warsaw, the Nozyk Synagogue fell into the little ghetto – the area for more affluent Jews. While other Jewish buildings were destroyed, the Nozyk Synagogue was used as a stable by the Nazis and somehow was spared. Nonetheless, reconstruction after the war was necessary and eventually completed in 1983, whereupon the synagogue resumed normal service.

Hotels Near Nozyk Synagogue

Apartamenty WaWa Warsaw	Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel Warsaw	Roomwithaview Hotel Warsaw	TopOne Apartments Warsaw
InterContinental Hotel Warsaw	Westin Warsaw Hotel	Elektoralna Apartment Warsaw	Krolewska Apartment Warsaw
Apartments Wawa Maria Warsaw	Studio Centrum Warsaw	Apartamenty Sun & Snow Warszawa	Apartment4You Elektoralna Warsaw
Holiday Inn Warsaw	Apartamenty Garda Warsaw	P&O Apartments Krochmalna Warsaw	P&O Apartments Marszalkowska Warsaw

Map of Nozyk Synagogue

Palace of Culture, Warsaw

Poland, Warsaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

Photo courtesy of Nnb, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike

The Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science dominates modern Warsaw’s skyline towering above the rest of the city – one of the top ten tallest buildings in Europe and top 200 tallest buildings in the world. It was constructed in the 1950′s as a gift from Russia and was formerly known as the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science.

The building is home to theatres, offices, an exhibition complex and even a university. However, most visitors travel abruptly to the 30th floor which offers panoramic views over the city.

Hotels Near Palace Of Culture

InterContinental Hotel Warsaw	Marriott Hotel Warsaw	Apartamenty Sun & Snow Warszawa	Polonia Palace Hotel Warsaw
Holiday Inn Warsaw	P&O Apartments Marszalkowska Warsaw	Apartmen4You Zlota Warsaw	Metropol Hotel Warsaw
Apartment4You Chmielna Warsaw	Krolewska Apartment Warsaw	Oki Doki Hostel Warsaw	Residence Saint Andrews Palace Warsaw
Warsaw Best Apartments Chmielna	Roomwithaview Hotel Warsaw	Apartamenty SCSK Zurawia Warsaw	Warsaw Best Apartments Kredytowa

Map of Wawel Castle

Warsaw Ghetto Wall

Poland, Warsaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

It is hard to visit Warsaw today without feeling the reminders of the 2nd World War and the impact that Nazi occupation had on the population there. While the old town may have been rebuilt to resemble the pre-war city, the Ghetto and it’s history provide a more somber feel to visitors. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi occupied Europe, an area of 1.3 square miles that was home to over 400,000 Jews.

The Ghetto was created in 1940 when Jews from the surrounding area were rounded up and escorted into the Ghetto – around 30% of the population of Warsaw into 2.4% of the land area. Two sections were established – the ‘small ghetto’ for more affluent Jews, and the ‘large ghetto’ where the majority lived. The Ghetto was closed off from the outside world by a wall, topped with barbed wire, where escapees would be shot.

The Ghetto ended with an uprising – while the Nazi’s periodically shot and deported parts of the population to concentration camps like Treblinka, eventually the community stood up and fought back. The battle culminated in the destruction of the great Synagogue of Warsaw, the flattening of the Ghetto and the death or deportation of the population of the Ghetto.

Little remains of the Ghetto, but a few remnants of the wall surrounding it – while the Ghetto was largely destroyed, small parts of the ‘small ghetto’ remained as it had been blocked off from the Uprising fighting. The Nozyk Synagogue also remains having been used as a stables by the Nazis during the war.

Hotels Near Ghetto Wall

Holiday Inn Warsaw	InterContinental Hotel Warsaw	Westin Warsaw Hotel	Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel Warsaw
Marriott Hotel Warsaw	Apartamenty WaWa Warsaw	P&O Apartments Krochmalna Warsaw	Apartamenty Garda Warsaw
Roomwithaview Hotel Warsaw	TopOne Apartments Warsaw	Apartamenty Sun & Snow Warszawa	Elektoralna Apartment Warsaw
Krolewska Apartment Warsaw	Apartment4You Elektoralna Warsaw	Apartments Wawa Maria Warsaw	Premiere Classe Varsovie Hotel Warsaw

Map of Ghetto Wall

Royal Castle, Warsaw

Poland, Warsaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

Photo courtesy of Sfu, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is of course the palace from where Polish monarchs ruled the country. Today it sits in front of castle square, and is a historical and national monument as well as a national museum. Through history the castle has been repeatedly plundered by Swedish, Brandenburgian, German and Russian armies, with the latest razing by the Nazis during the Warsaw Uprising. Today the castle and area are protected as UNESCO heritage sites, since the castle has been rebuilt.

The castle is now a museum attracting half a million visitors each year, the entrance to the castle being towered over by Sigismund’s tower.

Inside the castle, the key sites are the Jagiellonian rooms, the former residence of Sigismund Augustus and the home of portraits of the Jagiellonian dynasty that formerly reigned Lithuania and central europe. The Houses of Parliament are also here, where the 2nd oldest national constitution was written. The Royal apartments now feature some splendid works of art from Bellotto and Merlini. Also the Lanckoronski Collection is on display featuring the work of Rembrandt including “The father of the Jewish Bride” and “The Jewish Bride”.

Hotels Near Royal Castle

Smart Flat Hotel Warsaw	Castle Inn Warsaw	Apartment4you Stare Miasto Warsaw	Dom Literatury Hotel Warsaw
Kanonia Hostel Warsaw	Warsaw Best Apartments Senatorska	P&O Apartments Piwna Warsaw	P&O Apartments Podwale Warsaw
Podwale Apartment Warsaw	Rycerska Apartment Warsaw	Rycerska Apartament Warsaw	Design City Apartment Brzozowa Warsaw
Duval Serviced Apartments Warsaw	Miodowa Apartment Warsaw	Design City Apartment Mostowa Warsaw	TopOne Apartments Old Town Warsaw

Map of Royal Castle

Old Town Square, Warsaw

Poland, Warsaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

The Old Town Square in Warsaw is arguably the oldest part of the city, located not far from the river in the heart of Warsaw city. Today the old town square is a major tourist attraction for the city, with the square flanked by houses built in the traditional 17th century style.

Today most of the buildings are museums rather than the houses of rich merchants and guilds that originally formed the centre of Warsaw in the 13th century. Through history the buildings have changed, from Gothic style to Renaissance. The square was once dominated by the Town Hall, although that was torn down in the early 19th century and replaced with the 4 sides, each with their own names – Dekert’s, Barss, Kollataj and Zakrzewski. Towards the middle of the square is the “Warsaw Mermaid”, sculpted from bronze by Konstanty Hegel, which has represented the symbol of Warsaw since 1855.

Sadly, despite the square’s rich history, the reality is that it was largely destroyed by the German Luftwaffe during their invasion of Poland. After the war, the square was rapidly reconstructed in its previous style, the intention being to make it look as much like it used to as possible. Nonetheless, the square is a focal feature of Warsaw, and a popular attraction for visitors.

Hotels Near Old Town Square

P&O Apartments Piwna Warsaw	Duval Serviced Apartments Warsaw	Design City Apartment Brzozowa Warsaw	Kanonia Hostel Warsaw
Rycerska Apartment Warsaw	Rycerska Apartament Warsaw	Apartment4you Stare Miasto Warsaw	Design City Apartment Mostowa Warsaw
Castle Inn Warsaw	P&O Apartments Podwale Warsaw	Podwale Apartment Warsaw	Smart Flat Hotel Warsaw
TopOne Apartments Old Town Warsaw	Dom Literatury Hotel Warsaw	Warsaw Best Apartments Senatorska	Miodowa Apartment Warsaw

Map of Old Town Square

Euro 2012

Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Donetsk, Euro2012, Events, France, Gdansk, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kharkov, Kiev, Lviv, Netherlands, Poland, Poznan, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Warsaw, Wroclaw No Responses »

Apr 132012

The European Football Championships, held in June 2012 take place in Poland and Ukraine. With 4 cities in each of the 2 countries hosting the games, there are 16 teams left from the original 51 battling it out for the title.

Poland offers up four of it’s cities that are already established as tourism destinations, including the capital Warsaw, the port city of Gdansk as well as Poznan and Wroclaw. Meanwhile the Ukraine is a developing destination with the capital Kiev and Lviv both being popular while the other cities are Donetsk and Kharkiv.

All the cities have undergone renovations to prepare them for the championships, with 6 completely new stadiums being built and 2 being heavily revamped. Fortunately the renovations have been completed ahead of schedule and all is set for the championship to open.

The 16 teams are split into 4 groups for the first stage, with 2 cities assigned for each group game – a round robin format with 6 games deciding the top 2 teams.

Group A:
8th June – Poland vs Greece – National Stadium, Warsaw
8th June – Russia vs Czech Republic – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
12th June – Greece vs Czech Republic – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
12th June – Poland vs Russia – National Stadium, Warsaw
16th June – Czech Republic vs Poland – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
16th June – Greece vs Russia – National Stadium, Warsaw

Group B:
9th June – The Netherlands vs Denmark - Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv
9th June – Germany vs Portugal - Lviv Arena, Lviv
13th June – Denmark vs Portugal – Lviv Arena, Lviv
13th June – The Netherlands vs Germany – Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv
17th June – Portugal vs The Netherlands – Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv
17th June – Denmark vs Germany – Lviv Arena, Lviv

Group C:
10th June – Spain vs Italy - PGE Arena, Gdansk
10th June – Ireland vs Croatia - Municipal Stadium, Poznan
14th June – Italy vs Croatia – Municipal Stadium, Poznan
14th June – Spain vs Ireland – PGE Arena, Gdansk
18th June – Croatia vs Spain – PGE Arena, Gdansk
18th June – Italy vs Ireland – Municipal Stadium, Poznan

Group D:
11th June – France vs England - Donbas Arena, Donetsk
11th June – Ukraine vs Sweden - Olympic Stadium, Kiev
15th June – Ukraine vs France – Donbass Arena, Donetsk
15th June – Sweden vs England – Olympic Stadium, Kiev
19th June – England vs Ukraine – Donbass Arena, Donetsk
19th June – Sweden vs France – Olympic Stadium, Kiev

After the group stages, the tournament moves to knock-out, with the top two teams from each group progressing.

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Warsaw

More Finnair Summer Flights

More Qatar to Warsaw flights!

Qatar Airways latest expansion plans

Largest Hampton in Warsaw