Walking – Gripped By Travel

In 1945 85% of Warsaw had been destroyed but walking around the old town today you would have no idea. It has been reconstructed with alleys, houses and churches so faithfully that the area has earned UNESCO World Heritage Status. The plan was to recreate the city’s late 18th century appearance, you can judge for yourself how successful they have been. Old drawings, plans and even paintings by the famous Italian landscape artist Bernardo Bellotto were used to aid the reconstruction. You can find more details on the UNESCO site. The majority of the work was completed by the mid 1960s but the final piece was finished in 1984 with the opening of the Royal Palace.

It is clear the extent of the devastation from this view of the city.

The most historic part of the Old Town is the old market square. Here you can dine out and watch the world go by surrounded by magificent Renaissance and Baroque buildings where in years gone by the town’s merchants would have lived. Whilst visiting the Old Town do not miss out on a visit to the Royal Palace which is now a museum and the Castle Square where Bill Clinton welcomed Poland to NATO in 1997.

Warsaw Old Town Copyright Jacqueline Maco — Warsaw Old Town

If you have a fascination for architecture from the Communist era then you must not miss the 237 meter tall Palace of Culture and Science. The building was a gift from the Soviet Union to the people of Poland in 1955 and today houses four theatres, two museums and a multi-plex cinema amongst its offerings. Take a trip up to the 30th floor observation tower for a great view of the city.

Other notable stopping points on your visit to Warsaw might include the Warsaw Uprising Museum where you can discover the story of the August to October 1944 uprising that led to much of the destruction of the city by the Germans, with many before and after images. A relatively recent addition to the museums in the city is the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN) that was fully opened in 2014 and documents the lives of Jews over the thousand years during which Poland became home to the largest Jewish community in Europe.

Regular readers of this site will know that we do like to travel by a variety of transport methods. Whilst in Warsaw do not forget to head underground and have a ride on the Metro.

Enjoy your trip to Warsaw.

So today we are off to one of Turkey’s main tourist destinations the Antalya region. The area is famous historically as the centre of the Lycian Empire and was the last region on the Mediterranean Sea to become part of the Roman Empire. You cannot go far without coming across reminders of its past. If visiting the area you must take some time out to see Hadrian’s Gate located in Antalya city centre and the rock tombs in Myra.

The main resort of Antalya offers a wide range of hotel accommodation from luxury hotels to small boutique hotels and there are a range of beaches to suit everyone’s’ needs whether its small and quite or big and noisy. The best months to visit weather wise are May to October. Daytime highs during these months are 26°C and above, with only a slight chance of rain.

Çıralı, one of Antalya’s most beautiful quieter beaches. Here you will find the ancient Lycian city of Olympos. You can walk among the ruins after a day of lying on the beach. For more serious walkers there is the “Lycian Trail”. This is a marked walking trail that takes approximately 29 days to trek, taking in 25 historical sights over a distance of more than 500 kilometers.