A Day in Warsaw

Once a year my mom, sister and I make an effort to do a “Girls Trip” with a set budget and one-two weeks of travel. This year we decided to do a two-week vacation trip to three countries in Europe. Our second destination was Warsaw, Poland where we spent one day and rented an apartment via VRBO.

On our first day in Warsaw we visited The Frederic Chopin Museum. The museum was established in 1954 and is dedicated to the Polish composer Frederic Chopin. It is divided into two branches: The Birthplace of Frederic Chopin and Chopin Family Parlor. The museum covers the history and works of Chopin and includes original manuscripts and documents written by the composer such as photographs, letters, and sculptors of him. It also hosts piano recitals and competitions of Chopin’s work. When Chopin died in 1849 his body was buried in Paris but his heart was taken to Warsaw, as he requested on his death bed. The heart was sealed in what is believed to have been a jar of Cognac and smuggled into the Polish city. His heart is located in the Holy Cross Church less then a mile away from his museum.

We then went to visit the Old Town Square, which isn’t that far from the Holy Cross Church. The market in the Old Town Square was the heart of Warsaw until the end of the 18th century. Later, the German army damaged the district during the invasion of Poland in 1939. It was then rebuilt in the 1950s and today is a major tourist attraction. Located in the Old Town Square is the Royal Castle, which served as the official residence of Polish monarchs. The Royal Castle is one of Warsaw’s most recognizable landmarks.

We left Warsaw, Poland the next day and made our way to our next destination. We decided to go to Warsaw because it was a cheaper and shorter route between Krakow and our next destination. Perhaps, it was because we did not have much time in Warsaw but it was not my favorite place to visit. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to offer in the books that we used as our source of information. However, the people were extremely welcoming and nice.