Cultural stay. As Poland celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence this year, we are focusing on three cities that have put their heritage at the service of discovery and culture.
A castle in Pozna
In the west of the country, Pozna is a lively university town. It is also a historic city, some old buildings have been revisited to open to the public.
Like the Zamek Cultural Center, located in a castle built in 1910 to
Emperor William II. Between 1919 and 1939, the place hosts the faculty of mathematics; three of his students even participated in the decoding of the famous Enigma machine. Today, its cultural programming is very varied: concerts, theater, exhibitions ...
Another up-to-date building: the former Lech brewery, now the Stary Browar shopping center. A fine example of post-industrial architecture where there are now shops, restaurants and art galleries. Ideal for a lunch break before exploring the charming historic district of Pozna.
A power station in Lodz
On the way to a must-see cultural destination: Lodz (pronounced "woutch"), west of Warsaw. Polish capital of the cinema, this old working-class city opened, since the decline of the textile industry, to all forms of cultures.
EC1, a former thermoelectric power station, has been transformed into the National Film Center and the Science and Technology Center. The machine room now hosts concerts and exhibitions, the charcoal oven and the distribution room have been preserved to better immerse themselves in this industrial past.
In the center of Lodz, you can not miss the many murals and Piotrkowska Street and stars dedicated to the stars. Will you find those of Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda? Not far from there is Manufaktura, a commercial and cultural complex housed in a former factory; its Museum of Modern Art is worth the trip.
A palace in Warsaw
Built by the USSR in the early 1950s, the Palace of Science and Culture today houses many theaters, cinemas, museums and restaurants; you can also go up to the 30th floor to enjoy the panoramic view. Another place in Warsaw that has evolved: Praga, a former working-class district that has become artistic and trendy, known for its mural frescoes. We are now renovating its old brick buildings to dedicate them to culture: welcome to Soho Factory! And to go out: Hala Koszyki, an old market where restaurants sit alongside art and design offices.