Praga neighbourhood
Praga neighbourhood is almost a miracle, an oddity in modern Warsaw. It has a winding network of streets lined with monuments and typical houses that began to grow in the 17th century. Unlike the rest of the city, most of Praga survived when the Nazis destroyed Warsaw in retaliation for the 1944 Uprising.
In fact, Praga neighbourhood gives you a snapshot of what historic Warsaw was once like, with streets and avenues lined with great 19th century houses. Praga is also one of the most densely populated parts of the Polish capital, and it has around 200,000 inhabitants.
Recommended places to visit include the Praga Museum of Warsaw, which is housed in the oldest building in the area. The museum collection contains many fascinating pieces, including a model of the neighbourhood as it is thought to have been like in the 18th century.
One of the most famous, and oldest, markets in Warsaw is next to the museum: Różyckiego Bazaar. Here you can buy all kinds of second-hand goods, from fashion and decorative items to kitchenware, and it’s also a great spot to sample some typical Polish food.
Praga also has the oldest churches in Warsaw, including Our Lady of Loreto, which dates from the beginning of the 17th century. However, the most important church in the neighbourhood is the Cathedral of St Michael the Archangel and St Florian the Martyr. It was built between the 19th and 20th centuries in the Gothic Revival style and is the heart of the Catholic Church in Warsaw.
Another interesting church is the Orthodox Christian church of St Mary Magdalene, which was built at the end of the 19th century. Its most significant architectural features include the five onion-shaped domes that top the building, which were inspired by typical churches in Kiev.
But if there’s one thing Praga knows how to do well, it’s how to adapt to the winds of change and 21st century innovation. For example, Ząbkowska, one of its oldest and most emblematic streets, known as the “old town” and lined with buildings from the 1860s, has become a wonderful open-air stage for all kinds of cultural and social events. What’s more, the façades of buildings in neighbouring streets have been converted into huge canvases for leading Polish and international street artists.
New artists have also found a home for their creations (both to exhibit and sell) in Soho Factory, a former motorbike factory that retains its industrial style. And a visit to the Koneser Centre is also highly recommended; once a distillery, today it’s a Google Campus (IT lab) that also contains design stores, and small restaurants and bars.