@. Old Town
architect. Jan Zachwatowicz, head of the 'Landmarks Bureau'
finished. 1953 (end of the first phase of reconstruction)
Old Town is a pastel colored and romantically cobbled postcard, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980. Its narrow streets are lined with charming, old-world restaurants, amber shops and ice-cream parlors. Today the Old Town is probably Warsaw’s largest tourist attraction. It is a popular destination for Poles from other parts of the country as well as Varsovians out for a Sunday after-church walk. During the summer months the Market Square and nearby Castle Square host a very popular Jazz concert series and many outdoor art exhibits.
The Old Town is a source of pride to Warsaw not just because it is a picturesque, historical corner of the city to show visiting friends. The memory of the reconstruction is alive because it is linked to the martyrology of a war that was its direct precursor.
However, outside the tourist season and the warmer summer months Old Town is virtually abandoned. Commerce is limited to tourist and foreigner friendly (over-priced) restaurants, pubs and souvenir shops. When no friends are visiting and when the weather turns gray, there is no reason to go to the Old Town.
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