The Grand Hotel is centrally located, a pleasant 10 minute walk from the Royal Castle and Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town which reflect the country's will to survive, its determination to thrive through dark times and its leaps toward a market economy.
With a population over 38 million, Poland is one of the largest countries in Central Europe. Warsaw, the capital city, lies in the center of the country and occupies both banks of the Vistula River. Warsaw's population is nearly 1.7 million.
The most striking thing about Warsaw is its regeneration following the devastation of World War II. The first bombs of the German Luftwaffe fell on the city at dawn on September 1, 1939. During the Nazi occupation, about 85 percent of the city was reduced to rubble and 700,000 people lost their lives. Razed as a result of Hitler's orders in 1945, most of Warsaw was rebuilt within a dozen years. The Historical Museum of the City of Warsaw on the Old Town Market Square shows a film that depicts the city's calculated devastation.
Through the efforts of the entire nation, and the support of Polish communities abroad, cathedrals and government buildings that were, and are, the heart and soul of Warsaw were meticulously restored.
As the country's scientific and cultural center, Warsaw is home to 18 colleges, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the 1,900-seat, neo-classical Grand Theater of Opera and Ballet, drama theaters, libraries, art galleries and museums. Warsaw hosts cultural events of international renown such as the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music and the Jazz Jamboree.
Hundreds of historical monuments are to be seen in Warsaw if one has the time. Chief among them are the Royal Castle, The Palace on the Island in Lazienki Park, the Belvedere Palace and Wilanow Palace. These and 19 other museums, restored churches and the Memorial to the Heroes of the Jewish Ghetto Uprising of 1943 draw visitors to the city. For example, in the Jewish section of Warsaw there is a cemetery near the Synagogue that has piled up headstones taken from Jewish graves whose original sites were taken. In the vicinity is an excellent Jewish restaurant.
The Royal Castle with its splendid museum open to the public, was built by royal order of the king then rebuilt by the efforts of the nation. It was the seat of kings from the 17th century on. Totally destroyed during WWII, it has been restored to its former beauty during the 1970s.
The Wilanow Palace is a baroque palace and park complex on the outskirts of Warsaw. Formerly, it was a residence of King Jan III Sobiesky. The palace and garden is one of the finest in Poland. Unfortunately the Nazis plundered the palace during WWII, carrying off most of its treasures. Nevertheless, thanks to a successful campaign to reclaim the looted property, the palace that can be seen at Wilanow today is no less rich and beautiful than it was in the days of John III. The palace has been converted to a museum of interior decorations while the former carriage house shelters the Poster Museum.
The Royal Lazienki Palace and Gardens were constructed in the latter half of the 17th Century. A celebrated master builder was commissioned by the King's Prime Minister to construct two building, baths and a hermitage, in the old river bed of the Vistula. Purchased by King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski in 1794, site was developed over the next thirty years into one of Europe's most beautiful palace and garden complexes covering a total of 73 hectares. To Warsaw inhabitants, Lazienki Park is a favorite place for walks. Most palace buildings are open to the public as a museum. In summer, concerts are given at the foot of the monument to composer and pianist, Frederick Chopin.
Conference participants may wish to extend their time in Poland with visits to nearby cities and historical sites.
Krakow is just three hours by train to the south of Warsaw. Wawel Hill in Krakow is the old seat of Polish kings dating to medieval times. It is topped with a Gothic and Renaissance castle with an arcade courtyard. The castle's period interiors contain collections of old weaponry, paintings and the famous Arras tapestries, manufactured in Dutch workshops in the late 16th Century. A visit to Krakow would not be complete without a trip to the beautiful Town Square and listening to the famous Trumpeter of Krakow. Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest universities in the world founded in 1348, is also in Krakow. The Collegium Mais of Jagiellonian University is the site of a small but charming museum containing original instruments and other artifacts belonging to one of their most famous students and professors, Nicolaus Copernicus.
The province of Bielsko Biala, about an hour's drive from Krakow and three or so hours south of Warsaw by train, is the home of Pope John Paul II and the location of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.