Warsaw [antikvár]

We apologize to our readers for every shortcoming of this guide, since we do realize that it is not perfect and hope the imperfections in it will be forgiven. For in such a concise outline like this it is difficult to embrace the entire knowledge of the history of the city and its monuments and to present it in a way that would give an interesting picture of the past 700 years. We take the liberty of reminding our readers that this is a guide to a capital with over 1.7 million inhabitants and an area of nearly 500 sq km, to a city abundant in historic events that has been severely tried and rose from the ashes and ruins after World War 2.This guide is destined for tourists who should be offered an opportunity to see the most interesting places. The thirteen proposed routes give a full architectural picture of Warsaw, including its monumental and modern parts. As many as eight routes are devoted to one of the seven districts of Warsaw - the Downtown - which is due to its historic position and to a great number of historical monuments there. That is also why we identify our brief historical account of the district with the history of the city in general. The description of every remaining route, in principle covering a single district each, is preceded by a brief historical outline. The data given in the guide are from the end of 1985.Finally, we would like to present some detailed data concerning facilities for visitors. Warsaw has 17 thousand beds in 18 hotels, 6 holiday inns, 4 youth hostels and 8 camping sites, and also 5 thousand beds in private guest rooms; almost 1350 restaurants, cafés, cafeterias and bars; 22 theatres, 56 cinemas and 28 museums; 16 stadiums, 9 sports halls and 22 outdoor and 20 indoor swimming pools; 12.7 thousand physicians, 32 hospitals and 157 pharmacies; and 2130 buses and 935 trams.And last but not least, the most interesting thing for the tourist - historical monuments. Their total number in Warsaw is 770, including the Old Town that was put on the list of world cultural monuments in 1980. The afore-mentioned figure embraces: 33 churches, 19 convents, 2 castles, 64 palaces, 532 dwelling-houses, 88 public buildings, 6 mansions, 8 developments and 9 fortifications. They offer a wide range of architectural styles: Gothic, baroque, classicism, historism. Secession, modernism and functionalism.