After we visited the Polin Museum and the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw we took a tram to the Old Town Market Square. That is where Warsaw changed in my mind’s eye from a historical city to a bustling city with the requisite tourists milling about.

The Old Town Market Place is the heart of the Old Town. It originated in the late 13th century. It is one of the most picturesque corners of the city. Here the representatives of guilds and merchants met in the town hall, and fairs and the occasional execution were held. The town hall which was demolished in 1817. During WWII the Old Town was completely destroyed. The ancient Market Place was rebuilt in the1950s. It was made to look exactly as it did in the 17th century when it was mostly inhabited by rich merchant families Today it is a major tourist attraction and a great place to purchase souvenirs. Surrounded by beautiful seventeenth- and eighteenth-century merchants’ houses.

The Warsaw Barbican is a semicircular fortified outpost. It was built in 1548 and is located between the Old and New Towns and it is a major tourist attraction. It served as an access gate for the Old Town. Even though the Barbican was built as a tool of defense, it was only used once in that role. In the 18th century, the Barbican was partially demolished. During World War II, nearly the entire Barbican was completely destroyed, and after the war it was rebuilt together with the Old Town Market Square.

Posted: January 7, 2018

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