http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5498 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5498 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5497 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5497 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5495 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5495 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5494 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5494 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5493
Served with a kind of smoked bacon and mustard sort of relish, delicious washed down with a litre of Polish beer, not the import beer as it's too gassy and will fill you up and you won't manage the Piroggi.

After that you need a schnapps, preferably a vodka. Two doors
away there's a very cool bar called Matafora (al Jerozolimskie 30).

We thought we might be too old to get served there, but were given the same friendly and prompt service as the mostly young cool
clientele. Good minimalistic decor, effective drinks.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5493 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5491 old town or in Krakow.

Now there are only rather poor looking housing blocks but nevertheless, it's interesting to walk around these streets as there seeems to be a sense of the past there.

The monument to the ghetto heroes is impressive in Soviet style and the remains of the gruesome Pawiak Prison are very moving. From there, you can easily walk back to the old town.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5491 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5490 would climb. A weird mixture of Stalinist and American architecture, it's worth going up to the viewing platform.

Inside it's pompous socialism, but there's a rather nice cafe on the
ground floor with good cakes and coffee and a passable cup of tea if you are prepared to deal with separate hot water and tea bags. Good toilets in the basement.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5490 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5489 very busy in spring and summer, quite peaceful in freezing February.

The History Museum on the square shows a film every week day at 12 o'clock about the destruction of the city, it's very moving if a bit wobbly in parts. The museum also takes you through the history
of Warsaw from stone age to modern. Closed on Mondays, free on Sundays but they don't show the film.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5489 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5488
The best reason for staying there is that you can't miss it, good for getting back home again after a night out on the vodka. It is lit up too.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5488 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5501
An unmissable experience is the so-called Russian market in the
Stadion Dziesieciolecia.

Get there early as it closes at 11am. The best way is by local train service from Srodmiescie station. You can buy tickets from any of
the many kiosks around the station. Don't walk as we did, as it took ages through the dangerously icy streets and it was closed by the time we got there.

Our second attempt the next morning was rewarded by the sight of countless stalls - mainly Vietnamese run - cheap clothing
predominated.

This is the place to buy fur hats, Russian military badges, caps medals, leather gloves, caviar, fake designer labels, spirits, pirated CDs, DVDs, amber jewellery, fake perfume any sort
you'd care to think of.

The most impressive thing for me was those Vietnamese traders had
actually learned to speak Polish - what a linguistic achievement!

More up-market and elegant shops are on the Nowy Swiat. Lots of
hats and shoes.


Poles seem to read a lot and to spend a lot of time in bookshops
which is not surprising as most are warm, cosy and unhurried, often
combined with a cafe.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5501 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5500 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5500 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5499 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5499 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5496
This also makes a visit to the toilet a risky venture too, but worth the effort.

Good hot tea and cakes.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5496 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5492 happy hour 5-8pm.

Luxurious warmth, nice biscuits with the coffee, a pound of peanuts with the beer. Actually, you could even save money.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5492