Stay in the shadows! The second layer of Śródmieście district

The center of Warsaw pulsates with intensity, stuns with a mix of architectural styles and tempts with urban entertainment. However, there are places-transitions where in one moment you can find yourself in a completely different world. One of such portals is located in Jerozolimskie Avenue at the entrance to the Warszawa-Powiśle station.

To immerse yourself in a space filled with greenery and distant perspectives, just go down the slope. After a while, a building with the address Smolna 6 will emerge from behind the trees. It was built in the 19th century as a “surgical barrack” named after Tsar Alexander II. It was one of the first facilities of the Russian Red Cross hospital and is the only one that has survived to this day. Currently, it houses the Banker’s Club.

Continuing along the escarpment, we will see the garden façade of the 19th-century Zamoyski Palace, designed by Leander Marconi in a French “costume”. Currently, the Association of Architects of the Republic of Poland has its seat here, and the former garden is a public square of Anka Kowalska, a writer, activist of KOR and Solidarity.

The green area smoothly turns into the square of the conductor Bohdan Wodiczko divided by the picturesque gorge of Szczygla Street. There are views over the roofs of Powiśle, and the sounds of exercises come from the nearby University of Music.

Nearby, there is a palace called the Ostrogski Castle, set on massive retaining walls. The building houses the Chopin Museum and was designed by the Baroque master Tylman of Gameren. According to the legend, the Golden Duck swims in the cavernous cellars of this building.