Poland Getaway Made Easier With New Direct Flights Part 1 Why Warsaw Is The Newest In Spot

Poland’s increasing chicness quotient, my growing curiosity about my ancestry and new direct airline routes made this the perfect time for me to visit. I hopped aboard LOT’s recently added nonstop flight from Newark to Warsaw, on the aptly called dreamliner. This thoroughly modern 747 allows more inflight oxygen which reduces jetlag. It worked for me. I arrived in Warsaw refreshed and ready to explore the sights.

Warsaw is a heady mix of the turbulent past and Poland’s blossoming 21st century capital. After suffering virtual destruction at the end of World War II, Warsaw became a city of contrasts with a reconstructed Old Town, Soviet architecture plus modern glass and steel skyscrapers. Today this city by the Vistula River pulsates with new eateries, music clubs, smartly dressed locals and plenty of yellow and red trams. As for the cuisine the tantalizing soups, stuffed dumplings and warm strudel taste like they came fresh from grandma’s kitchen. Actually, Warsaw is the birthplace of my grandmother. Looking around at the sweet, resilient people, darned if I didn’t see a resemblance to me.

Russia’s Unwanted Gift – Palace of Culture and Science

A trip to Warsaw is not complete without a visit to the Palace of Culture and Science. Poland’s tallest building constructed in1955, a paradigm of socialist realist architecture was a gift from Russia. Instantly disliked by the locals as a sign of Soviet domination, it has come to be regarded as an icon. Over 550 ornamental sculptures decorate the building’s exterior . The interior is equally lavish with marble floors, elaborate chandeliers and gilded flourishes. The skyscraper houses an exhibition hall, popular multiplex cinema, theater, quirky museums, bookshop, hip bars and concert venue where luminaries such as The Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen performed. The star attraction, the 30th-floor observation deck offers panoramic city views.

The Old Town

The Old Town was rebuilt as almost an exact replica of the original before it was destroyed, down to the colorful buildings. Meandering the cobbled streets, I passed: the tangerine Royal Castle, the mermaid statue regarded as the symbol of Warsaw standing in the Old Town Square, the stately Presidential Palace, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, amber shops and a Ferrari showroom, formerly a center for the Communist party. The amalgam is so Warsaw. Foodies will delight in the many superb eateries in the historic district, serving up tasty Polish dishes such as pierogi, herring, beetroot and regional trout, pork and duck. At fashionable Elixir Dom Wodki Restaurant, the various boutique vodkas paired with each course are just as exciting to the palate as the creative cuisine. I would return for the luscious vodka alone.

My Surprise Meeting At The Zoo Keeper’s Wife’s House

Since the recent release of The Zoo Keeper’s Wife, a film starring Jessica Chastain about the Polish family who hid Jews during the Holocaust, tours of their house and the surrounding grounds, the former Warsaw Zoo, have become popular. Eager to see it, I walked through the rooms, stopping at the piano on which the Zoo Keeper’s Wife played melodies to warn those hidden in the basement to be silent when visitors came. Suddenly my attention shifted to an elderly gentleman descending the stairs

I asked him why he was here. He introduced himself as Tirosh Moshe and said that he lives in Israel and was here on a rare visit. We both sat down at the dining table where he told me that he was one of the Jewish children depicted in the movie, who hid in this very basement while his parents hid in the zoo cages. Tears welled up in his soulful eyes as he recounted how he hid “like a mouse” beneath the floorboards of the house where we now sat and talked. He was just 5 years old and responsible for keeping his 2 yr old sister quiet; he was always scared and hungry. Luckily his mother found him 10 months after the war at a Catholic Children’s home and miraculously his whole family survived. Now 80 yrs old with 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 1 on the way, Mr. Tirosh remarked, “ Whoever saves one life saves the world. ”

Warsaw’s Notable Museums

The impressive Warsaw Uprising Museum traces the city's courageous but doomed uprising against the German occupation in 1944 via exhibits, photographs, news reels, videos and harrowing personal accounts of survivors who hid in the sewers. Don’t miss the heart wrenching 3D movie, The City of Ruins that shows the brutal destruction of the city from the aerial view. Built on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto, the innovative Polin Museum of The History Of Polish Jews uses artifacts, replicas and interactive tools to highlight the rich culture and vitality of the Jewish world that once existed in Poland before its unfathomable demise. Multimedia galleries display street life in the shtetls ( small market towns) with the oldest recording of Jewish music, wedding rooms, writers’ gatherings and more. Over 3 million Polish Jews were murdered during World War II, 90 percent of the country’s total Jewish population. The quirky Neon Museum situated within the cool Soho Arts Factory Complex fascinates with over 100 iconic neon signs from the communist era.

Splendid Lazienki Park

Locals love to stroll beautiful Lazienki Park, filled with manicured greens, wild patches, chestnut trees and peacocks. A statue honoring Warsaw’s native son Chopin, sitting under a Willow Tree graces the rose garden of the idyllic park. Enchanted listeners fill the benches and lawns every Sunday during the summer months for the free outdoor piano concerts of his music. The park’s centerpiece, the dreamy palace that was the summer residence of Poland’s last King Stanisław August Poniatowski, stands on a man made island surrounded by a lovely lake. Gazing at it, I felt as if I was in a fairy tale.

To Stay

The Regent Warsaw Hotel, located near Lazienki Park features large, stylish rooms done in modern décor, generous bathrooms with tubs, a handsomer lobby and excellent service. The yummy breakfast buffet offers a large selection of Polish delectables including just baked pastries and luscious honey fresh from the hotel’s rooftop apiary. The neo-Renaissance Hotel Bristol which has hosted such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich and Sophia Loren offers charming accommodations and a très chic bar.

To Go

LOT Polish Airlines offers direct service from JFK and Chicago to Warsaw and as of this past April, nonstop flights were launched from Newark to Warsaw. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which revolutionizes air travel, will service most routes. A nice perk, the Business Class Lounge at Warsaw’s modern boutique Chopin Airport offers a complimentary treatment at their Spa.