ROUTES
Kraków – Vilnius – Riga
Kraków-Warsaw-Vilnius (Public buildings)-Ukmergė-Riga
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Warsaw
Służewiec Racecourse (arch. Count Zygmunt Plater-Zyberk) – the biggest racecourse in Europe. You’ll will find out what connects Służewiec Racecourse to Vilnius. The huge hippodrome complex was known as ‘the city of horse racing’ during the interwar. You will see the ‘secret’ staircases of the Racecourse, the impressive structures of the building and the well-preserved floor tiles. Andrzej Szydlik, the legendary horse racing commentator born near the Racecourse, will tell about his difficult wartime childhood, his family and his fascination with horses. We will go behind the scenes of horse racing with Iwona Chojnowska, Racecourse worker, in the commentator’s booth.
The Ministry of Education (arch. Zdzisław Mączeński, Art Deco interior) was the first building dedicated to the Ministry. The National Museum in Warsaw (arch. Tadeusz Tołwiński, Antoni Dygat). The Glass House (arch. Juliusz Żórawski). You will learn about the diversity of religions in inter-war Poland, the ministers of education, and the tragic purpose of the ministry during the Nazi occupation: in the courtyard of the building, members of the Warsaw Uprising were shot, with bullet marks remained on the wall. You will hear about the similarities between the history of the National Museum in Warsaw and the Vytautas Magnus Museum in Kaunas, as well as about the painting and its replica exhibited in both museums. The Museum’s Hall is dedicated to the urn of Tadeusz Kościuszko remains. You will learn the legend of the Glass House and how Pablo Picasso used to visit the terrace of this house. You’ll see Warsaw’s first underground garage.
We will visit the Glass House, whose architect has been called ‘the Polish Le Corbusier’. Bartosz Antosik, a resident of the house, will show you the ‘oceanic’ architectural elements of the house. What people say
from the eye and from the heart
Bartosz Antosik,
resident of the Glass House
About his house - the bow of this ship points directly to Gdynia, a city that was considered an icon of modernism in interwar Poland.
Dr Tomasz Błaszczak,
historian
Warsaw now and Warsaw before the war are two completely different cities.
Dr Kastytis Antanaitis,
VMU historian
At the end of the 16th century, Warsaw step by step became the capital, although it was never formally the capital. There is no legal act that Warsaw is the capital; Kraków remained as it was. Warsaw is Warsaw, just as Kaunas is Kaunas. And there is nothing you can do about it.
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