Copernicus Science Centre Planetarium

If, like me, you spent your holidays on the tropical island of Great Britain you too might be asking some serious questions about the earth’s climate and what in jeepers name happened to it this summer…Back in Warsaw we were greeted with hot winds, a stifling temperature of 39°c and a storm of biblical proportions brewing! I’m a city girl, yet even I was longing for a rugged coastline and the seas spray. But my love for city life and all its amenities was rekindled during an afternoon at the Copernicus Science Centre Planetarium. Tip: Buy tickets in advance! After collecting our headphones for English translation (essential and FREE, just don’t forget ID or it’s a hefty zł. 300 deposit) we took to the roof for an inspection of the dome and view; sadly, rather an anticlimax seeing Warsaw through orange polka dots but worth the exercise!

‘Our Living Climate’ was my film of choice. Appropriate for my daughter whose spent summer nights stargazing from remote unlit English countryside and asking millions of questions about extreme weather, dinosaur extinction, wellingtons or flip-flops and why we can’t live on another planet. All shows (age three upwards) begin with a live interactive explanation about the sky above Warsaw; however, the constellations and planet’s would have been even more flabbergasting had our translation been as lengthy as the Polish version bellowed through the microphone. Long intervals on our headphones convinced my daughter she had the faulty set, hence awkward swapping!

We chose a 2D movie, yet with multimedia technology, a hemispheric screen and reclining chairs we were still immersed in a virtual reality. For an hour we were orbited into outer space and back to earth watching the repercussions climate change has forced upon our earth over billions of years. Overall, a cosmic experience we won’t forget! What’s more, the affordable entrance fee (family zł. 49) and helpful PL/ENG website make this one of Warsaw’s highlights for all ages. (GBB)