Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art doesn’t sound like the most promising way to spend an afternoon, yet it’s positively brilliant in its total peculiarities. And it’s free! See for yourself at Panska 3. Pan Guma by Pawel Althamer The swaying rubber form of Mr Guma – a deceased Praga... Read more
Built less than 100 years ago as Poland’s first garden city, the very concept of Podkowa Leśna was seen as futuristic at the time. Today, hidden in a wooded valley, it represents a secret sanctuary from the big city bedlam… Set about 30 kilometers south west of Warsaw, the... Read more
Warsaw’s historic center is wrapped in legend and lore; from the wistful and sad to silly and absurd, we examine the best. The Mermaid Warsaw’s iconic mermaid (syrenka) has been displayed on the city’s coat of arms since 1390, and her story varies according to the source. The most... Read more
The words wine and Poland are not natural bedfellows. But, after years on the sidelines, the grape is back with a bang. Wine is once more making a splash in Poland. “Once more?” you ask… Yes indeed. “It’s wrong to say the culture is new to Poland,” corrects Katarzyna... Read more
Intended to be a beauty, it transpired to be beast. The Insider takes a walk around Oskar Hansen’s ambitious Grochowski housing project. Having used ‘open form’ approaches to build housing estates twice before (first in Rakowiec, then Lublin), Oskar Hansen landed another opportunity in 1963, this time at the... Read more
Scenic, snooty and sophisticated, Saska Kępa is all these and more. With the sun in full swing, take time to investigate its secrets and stories. 1. Resembling a red / white wicker basket, the 58,000 capacity National Stadium occupies the former site of the communist era Stadion Dziesięciolecia: a relic... Read more
Formerly left to rot, the disused factory spaces of Warsaw’s right side have been largely responsible for Warsaw’s cultural rejuvenation. Ten years back something very strange happened: Warsaw’s Praga district, hitherto regarded as a decrepit badland of bums and booze hounds, found its mojo. Through a combination of circumstance,... Read more
Before winter kicks in for another six or seven months take a walk with the Insider deep in the South Central badlands. The Insider points its compass in a south central direction – an area of sharp architectural contrast and history in abundance. More known for its busy bars... Read more
Poignant landmarks are plentiful in Poland; even so, the remains of Saski Palace are particularly symbolic of this nation’s discordant past. Architecturally speaking Warsaw’s evolution has been dramatic and unpredictable, with influences ranging from the Luftwaffe to barmy Russian town planners. Had time-lapse photography been invented earlier, few cities... Read more
Regional beers have become big news and leading the pack is the stuff from Ciechanów. As an excuse for a travel piece that tops the lot. Polish beer hasn’t always had the best press, least not from me. I liken much of it (well, the big brands) to poison;... Read more
Interview: Mural Artist Kamila Lipka
Features Mar 24, 2023
