Architecture of Poland. Must see and must visit landmarks

» The Amber Museum was opened not so long ago, in 2006. It is located in an old fortress. It served as medieval jail once.
»  The first exhibition stands the visitors see displays pieces of rough amber found at different times. It is a natural material of different colors. Some exhibits include pieces of insects and plants.
»  Then, the visitors enter the hall that houses old amber items made by masters of that time (crockery, caskets, and accessories).
»  As for contemporary exhibits, you can see fashionable jewels, stylish accessories, and other unique items.
»  The last exclusive exhibit is the inclusion of a lizard in the amber gum. It was found by a local resident in 1997 at the beach. It is named “Gierłowska Lizard” after Gabriela Gierlowska, an amber master. It is a rare specimen, the first in Poland and the second in the world.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » Krakow Aquapark is one of the main attractions of the city. That’s the largest water park in Poland.
» Aquapark features a wide variety of open and closed slides, the longest of which is 202 meters.
» Sliding in a purple tube is accompanied by sound and light effects; tube length is 163 meters.
» Yellow (147 m long) and green (107 m long) waterslides are aimed at fans of high speeds.

» Barbican is the historical landmark in Krakow; the former is the most northern part of the city walls.
» Barbican is a branch of the Krakow Historical Museum.
» Barbican was built in 1498 to protect Krakow against attacks of troops of Stephen the Great, the Ruler of the Moldavian principality.
» Walls of this structure are 3 meters thick.
» Currently indoor facilities include various museum exhibitions dedicated to Polish Championships in fencing, historical reconstructions and ballroom.

» The Baths Palace, also known as the Palace on the Water is the small residence of the last Polish king Stanislaw Poniatowski on the artificial island in Lazenkovsky Park.
» The palace was built for King by Domenico Merlini in early Classical style in 1784 - 1795 years.
» Interiors of the palace along with an art gallery famous for its paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens were completely destroyed during World War II. After the war intensive restoration and reconstruction work begun; it ended only in 1964.
» Severe facade of the palace is compensated with luxurious interior decoration featuring shades, crystal chandeliers, mirrors, sculptures, Chinese and European porcelain.
» The Lazenkovsky Park (76 hectares of gardens) boasts numerous lakes, fountains, greenhouse, gazebo, mansions, statues and even a Greek amphitheater.

» The Carmelite Church is located in the historic center of Warsaw, in the Krakow suburb. This is one of the most famous churches in the city constructed in Baroque style with elements of Rococo and Classicism.
» The church was built in shape of a Latin cross with main and two side naves.
» The main portal of the church is decorated with carvings of black and greenish marble, and the coat of arms of the Princes Radziwill is placed over the portal.
» There were two bell towers on each side of the façade; new bells were installed in 2000.
» The facade is topped with a copper sphere with the gilded hostia on it.
» Interior of the church is adorned in style of Late Baroque with Rococo elements. The walls and the main altar of the church are decorated with paintings by the famous painter of the 18th century, Shimon Chekhovich and Polish artist Franciszek Smuglevich. Gilded ceiling is decorated with gorgeous stucco.

» The Church at Skalka, or the Church of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Stanislaw is the Catholic Church in Krakow located on a small hill.
» The church is one of the most famous Polish sanctuaries.
» According to legend, the name of the church comes from the fact that here in 1079 the Archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Holy, was killed on the order of Polish King Boleslaw II.
» The crypt under the church is the national Pantheon, the burial place for some of the most prominent Poles. At the moment 13 Polish figures of culture are buried there.
» In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI conferred the small church the title of the Basilica.

» The Cloth Hall building is the covered shopping arcade.
» Earlier this place was a major center of international trade. Trading hall was the source of a variety of exotic goods from the East, including spices, silk, leather and wax, while Krakow itself exported textiles, lead, and salt.
» Many famous people such as Charles, Prince of Wales, and Emperor Akihito of Japan have visited the Cloth Hall.
» At the top level there is the Gallery of the Polish art of the 19th century, which is a branch of the National Museum in Krakow.

» Czapski Palace is the baroque palace in Warsaw located in the historic center of the city in a suburb of Krakow.
» At different times artist Zygmunt Vogel, composer Frederic Chopin, poets Zygmunt Krasinski and Cyprian Kamil Norwid have lived there.
» The palace now is housing the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts.
» The Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts has 30,000 works of art: painting, sculpture, graphics, drawings, posters, works of artistic crafts and industrial design.
» The courtyard of the palace houses a copy of the equestrian statue of the Venetian condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni by Andrea Verrocchio.
» The southern wing of the palace houses the small Chopin family saloon furnished with antique furniture and personal belongings of the composer; it occupies a large room on the 3rd floor.

» The Divine Mercy Sanctuary is the serving Roman Catholic Church in Krakow.
» Two of the Pope visited the shrine, and millions of pilgrims from all over the world continue to come there every year.
» Currently, the sanctuary can accommodate about 5,000 people.
» Some cases of people healed after they have visited this church are known.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Field Cathedral is the garrison church and cathedral of the Field Ordinariate of the Polish Army.
» The church has organs of the 19th century and the images by Michael Willmann, the famous German painter of Baroque style. The Mausoleum of the defenders of the fatherland is to the left and the Katyn Chapel is situated to the right.
» In 1835 - 1837 the church was rebuilt and adapted to the Orthodox liturgy. Baroque decoration was deleted and bells were hung in towers.
» After the restoration of independence in 1919, the Polish authorities have returned the church to the Catholics, and intended it for the department of the Polish Army.
» The church was badly damaged during the war, but it began to recover in 1946 - 1960 under the leadership of Leon Marek Suzin.
» During the war, the statue of the Virgin Mary Queen of Poland has miraculously survived.

» The Grand Theatre is the theater complex located on the historic Theatre Square of the Polish capital.
» The Grand Theatre in Warsaw is officially one of the largest theaters in Europe.
» Operas, ballets, concerts, as well as celebrations and other events are held in the halls of the theater.
» The theatre has two rooms, a large hall of 1,841 seats and small of 200 seats, where performances are held too.
» During World War II, the theater was completely destroyed by the Germans, but by 1965 the building was restored.

» The Green Gate was built between 1564-1568 by two foreign architects from Germany and Holland. The gate faces the sea.
»  Small bricks for construction were taken from Dutch ships where they were used as ballasts in bilges. There are several untold explanations why the gate is called green.
»  Architects had projected a summer residence for Polish kings but it was used only once. In 1646, Marie Louise Gonzaga, the bride of King Wladyslaw IV, stayed at the palace.
»  In the halls of the palace, fairs, banquets, and theatrical performances were held for the citizens. In the 18th century, the building seated the Nature Society.
»  During the war in the 20th century, the palace was almost destroyed. After the war, it was reconstructed and the National Museum of Gdansk was opened here.

» The Basilica of the Holy Cross is the Catholic church built in 1679 - 1696 in Baroque style.
» Columns of the temple house the urn with the hearts of Frederic Chopin and Wladyslaw Reymont.
» In 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising, the church was severely damaged; the facade of the building was destroyed along with arches and the altar, The Lord's Supper and The Crucifixion were damaged too.
» After the uprising the church was blown up by the Germans in January 1945.
» In the period from 1945 to 1953, the church was restored, but interior has undergone some changes, neither baroque nor frescoes have survived. The main altar was restored between 1960 and 1972.
» In 2002, Pope John Paul II has given the status of the minor basilica to the Church of the Holy Cross.

» Juliusz Slowacki Theatre was founded in 1893 and named in honor of Juliusz Slovack in 1909. The building is one of the finest theaters in Europe, built in Baroque style.
» The theater is decorated with frescoes by the Viennese artist, Anton Tuhom, and features the unique curtain by Henrik Semiradsky.
» In summer open-air stage operates at the garden.
» The theatre became a place origin of the theatrical concept of Young Poland, the period of development in the arts associated with modernism in the Polish culture.
» First romantic performances in the theater had great significance for Polish culture.