Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

By train from Kraków to Warsaw
and an orientation tour of the city
Friday 22nd May 2026
 
We were pleased that the man with his van turned up at the hotel to collect our luggage, unlike last time when we had to take it with us on the train. It made travelling a lot easier and we enjoyed the short walk to Kraków Glówny station.
 
Rather than relying on getting something to eat or drink on the train, we were advised to buy something from the Carrefour supermarket at the station, which we did.
 
Our tour manager had spent time rotating our seating arrangements so that everybody got a turn to have a window seat, however when our train arrived, it was not the one he was expecting and the seating configuration was completely different.
 
There were no separate compartments - the configuration was much more like the trains we were used to back home, but we got window seats, which was lucky. Furthermore, we weren't expecting to be served a free meal which was a nice surprise.
 
 
 
During the journey, Geoff managed to get a few more train pictures to add to his growing collection.
 
 
 
 
 
We arrived in Warsaw on schedule, just after twelve noon, which was two hours and fifty minutes after leaving Kraków.
 
A local guide met us at the station. It was rather hot and Bruce had managed to leave his cap on the train.
 
Fortunately it was only a short walk to our hotel, the Polonia Palace, which looked majestic and was exceptionally well located. We later found out that it opened for business in 1913 and somehow remained intact during the Second World War. See Polonia Palace Hotel's history (from its own website).
 
Our luggage arrived in a van a few minutes after us, but as our rooms weren't yet ready, it had to be put into storage temporarily. Our afternoon tour was only due to begin at 2:00pm, so we had just over an hour to relax in the elegant foyer, or to have a snack in the bar beforehand.
 
Bruce took the opportunity to seek out a replacement cap. He didn't have far to walk. He discovered a branch of Uniqlo near the hotel which was ideal, although it did take a little time to find the cap department in the vast store. In the end, he was happy with his purchase.
 
A coach arrived at 2:00pm and we set off on the tour. The first stop was at the huge Lazienki Park.
 
 
The Myslewice Palace is a rococo-neoclassical palace in the park.
 
The Palace on the Isle, also known as the Baths Palace.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our guide was animated and very knowledgeable, but as ever, we couldn't take in all the information that she was giving us, but we do remember thinking at the time that it was all relevant and interesting.
 
 
Back on the coach, we drove along the Royal Route to Warsaw's Old Town from where resumed our tour on foot.
 
 
 
Sigismund's Column, originally erected in 1644, commemorates King Sigismund III Vasa, who in 1596 had moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw.
 
The Royal Castle is a state museum and a national historical monument, which formerly served as the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs.
 
 
 
We walked towards the Market Square, passing ...
... and this interesting looking building opposite it.
 
The Market Square in the Old Town.
 
 

The Simonetti Tenement House is a historic building located in the Old Town Market Square.

A translation of the text on the corner of the house is as follows:-

"The Old Town Market Square
A monument to national culture and the revolutionary struggles of the Warsaw people, destroyed in the ruins by the fascist occupiers in 1944.
The Government of the People's Republic of Poland rebuilt it from the ruins and restored it to the nation in the years 1951–1953."
 
 
 
 
This bell was cast in the 17th century and was supposed to hang in a bell tower in the southeastern town of Jaroslaw, but it cracked and was never used. Is has been in this square since 1972. According to legend, it grants wishes, but you have to make some effort and perform a ritual beforehand. Several students were hanging around, possibly attempting to work out what the ritual was.
The Copper-Roof Palace, built in the eighteenth century, is now a branch of the Royal Castle Museum.
 
 
After a very interesting tour, it was back to the hotel to check into our very luxurious and spacious room. A bit later, we rejoined the group for dinner in the hotel's restaurant.
 
Because this meal waas included in our tour price, we didn't have a large menu to choose from and had to make our choices a few days in advance. Bruce chose the salad for his starter. Geoff chose the "Zurek" and we both chose the Pork for our main course.
 
Geoff's starter. After the meal, a few of us gathered in the hotel's bar for a drink and a chat before going to bed.
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble