Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

I decided to enclose this picture because I find it pretty meaningful and funny at the same time. Meaningful, because it can explain a lot of you who don`t know that much about the history of Poland what I wrote in my last tip- why some people really hate that building. Well the Polish teacher I told you about is about my mom`s age, and at the time Stalin decided to give this wonderful gift to Warsaw as a sign of "the friendship between Russia and Poland" (woooha....such a great friendship we had....), both my mom and my Polish teacher were about the age of those little girls in the picture. They could go to school, but had to learn so many lies and propaganda that I wouldn`t call it a good education, their parents could go to prison anytime or disappear forever without any information, ate crappy food that was terribly hard to get, wore awful clothes, couldn`t travel, were lied to about the history, about the World, about everything.....That was what all the people my mom`s age had to live through. Not a good life, was it. No wonder they might not have the warmest feelings for the building that used to be named after Stalin and was supposed to remind them who ruled their country and their lives. I hope I helped you understand it a bit better....

The viewing point is really cool. it will take about 25 seconds to lift you up to the 30th floor where you may study Warsaw from the skies! It is the highest viewing point in Poland recommended to visit but only in good weather conditions.The view is great and it`s also a fun dating spot! Open 09.00 - 18.00. Admission 15 zl, reduced 10 zl. You will also find a cafe and seasonal exhibition there. They sometimes also hold different fun events, like on the French day they feed you French food and wine for free, but I have no clue how often that happens! No matter how often, the viewing point is definately a place worth paying a visit!

Since its background history is slowly forgotten it is a perfect place for leisure and entertainment. As the Palace is visible from 20 km it is considered to be a helpful orientation point for tourists and visitors. There are many famous theatres as Dramatyczny, Lalka and Studio inside of the Palace. There is also a modern multiplex, a swimming pool and a club- 'Quo Vadis'. It also houses Warsaw's biggest entertainment arena - Sala Kongresowa, once often used for communist party meetings. Here take place the following hosts: famous International Book Fairs, or many cultural events as Jazz Jamboree, TT Warsaw - International Tourist Fairs and many concerts of famous stars that come to Poland.

You can surely get inside the Palace of Culture- either to visit the Museum of Science, go to the movies, go to one of the theaters or go up to the viewing point.

The Museum of Science hosts plentiful collection of 'technical miracles' from past decades. Among many, there is a famous Enigma, German coding machine successfully cracked by Polish scientists, and 'the Glass Lady' that presents the functions of inner body organs.There is also Planetarium where one may see the movements of stars and planets in Polish sky. Show on Tuesdays - Saturdays 10.00, 12.00, 14.00; Sundays at 12.00, 14.00 and 16.00. The entrance is from Jerozolimskie Av. It is open Tuesday - Saturday 09.00 - 16.00, Sunday 10.00 - 17.00. Admission 6 zl, reduced 3 zl. It might sound geeky haha, but sometimes you just need a break from sight-seeing all those monuments and palaces and feel like having some silly fun watching some stuff people came up with. Well if you feel like taking a break, go there! They have some really silly stuff to go along with the smart things!

Palace of Culture and Science - competing with Warsaw Mermaid, it is 'the tallest' symbol of the capital - 234,5 metres high, also the biggest building of Poland. It was constructed in 1952-1955 and 'given' by Stalin as a not returnable gift of friendship. Designed as social-realistic construction, it is enormously huge. For its construction a number of 40 million bricks was used and its room space is over 80.000 m3.

Both loved and hated. It portrays an example of controversial style in architecture. Some regard it as a masterpiece, whereas the others treat it as a 'junk', aspecially older people who lived through the communism here in Poland and don`t like any connections to it and all signs of it. There is a lot of debates now what to do with it, because it`s so controversial. Older people, my Polish teacher from high school for example, really hate it and would love to see it destroyed. My teacher says that every time she looks at it she remembers the Russian rule in Poland and it`s true- wherever the communists went they built a new one, so many counties that used to be ruled by Russia have one know. She says it`s the only building in Warsaw she would like to see bombed. But younger people, who don`t connect it with the communism and years of poverty and the occupant`s rule, would like it to stay there as it has become a sign of Warsaw everyone knows and recognizes. I don`t think destroying it will ever come true, but there are plans to make this controversial building prettier or to "hide" it by building higher buildings around it. Well we will see! But it`s important for you to know that people`s opinions about it do vary and among Polish people you will find a lot of the Palace of Culture and Science "lovers" and "haters".

Yes Yes Yes - as a proper tourist you HAVE to go up there! It is the only building of that kind outside the former Soviet Union, and Stalin gave it as a "gift" to Poland ... Recently it became the tallest clock-tower in Europe with a huge clock sponsored by Polish Telecom.

Some people in Warsaw used to say that this view from there is the best in the city because it EXCLUDES the unwanted gift itself ... ;-)

However more skyscrapers were built in the center over the last decade, so the Palace does not dominate the city skyline as much anymore as it used to do.

The Palace of Culture and Science was commissioned by Joseph Stalin as a gift from the Soviet people to the people of Warsaw. The tallest and largest building in Poland, it dominates the city of Warsaw

It is a huge Soviet style concrete neo-gothic building near Warsaw's Central Station. From what I have read, local people have a love hate relationship with this building.

On the 30th floor there is a viewing terrace, cost is 20zl.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of Warsaw citizens can look up and admire the gift Stalin wanted Poland to have.

The Palace is huge, and you can take an elevator up to the top floor and see a view of the city, which many people say is the best view because it does not include the Palace itself.

They say it's the most ugliest building in Warsaw, but I have to say I totally disagree. I haven't quite seen a building like that before! If you'd read in your guidebooks, you's probably know by now that it was a gift from the Soviet Union built in the social reaslism style, which also explains why it looks like a really big wedding cake. Though I wouldn't be too surprise if weddings do actually take place there. It would be just so right isn't it? Lol! You can see the building from almost anywhere in Warsaw, therefore it makes a very good navigator, and I absolutely adore it at night when the lights come out!