About  .  Contact  .  Donation Archaeologists in Warsaw have recently uncovered a mysterious tunnel system beneath Gucin Gaj a historic park complex located in the Mokotów district that has long been shrouded in speculation and folklore Catherine’s Church and has ignited renewed interest due to its potential connections to the Freemasons and other historical uses dating back to the 17th century once part of the Royal Wilanów Palace grounds has a rich history that intertwines with the legacy of Stanisław Kostka Potocki Potocki purchased the estate in the early 19th century and developed the park complex Potocki was a key figure in Polish history holding titles such as President of the Council of State in the Duchy of Warsaw and Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Education where he championed social reform and education eventually rising to the rank of Grand Master of the Grand National Orient of Poland added an element of intrigue to the estate referred to in Poland’s official register of monuments as the “Masonic graves,” has fueled rumors that it served as a secret meeting place for Freemason ceremonies Despite the absence of contemporary sources definitively linking the tunnel to Masonic rituals the persistent legends and the catacomb-like niches found within the tunnel have only heightened curiosity combined with the estate’s historical significance has made the site a focal point for both historical and archaeological research The recent excavation was led by the Institute of Archaeology of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in collaboration with the Office of the Warsaw Conservator of Monuments Archaeologists excavated a 5×5 meter area covering the entrance to the tunnel and part of the interior revealing 19th-century walls that marked the entrance from Potocki’s time along with earlier brick-built structures dating back to the 17th century Among the findings were coins from the 17th century and relics from the early Middle Ages which help establish a broader historical timeline for the site One theory suggests that the tunnel was originally part of a water cistern or icehouse constructed to supply the nearby Wilanów Palace the court architect of King Jan III Sobieski describe the construction of a water intake and icehouse on the northern slope of Góra Służewska the king himself tested the water and ordered it to be transported to Wilanów Palace to irrigate the gardens The presence of a pond nearby supports the idea that the tunnel could have been used to store ice cut from the pond during winter his wife Aleksandra transformed the estate into a commemorative grove dedicated to the memory of her late husband It was during this period that the tunnel gained its association with Freemasonry a connection that has persisted despite the lack of concrete evidence The corridor has also been the subject of various local legends including tales of it serving as a shelter during World War II and even rumors that it extended as far as Czersk the tunnel serves as a wintering spot for bats and has been designated a nature monument The excavation has unearthed significant findings Ongoing research will aim to uncover more of the tunnel’s secrets including whether it truly was a site for Masonic rituals or if its primary function was more utilitarian Science In Poland and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative 2025 shows a light sculpture from the Wilanow Royal Garden of Light show held at the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw People visit the Wilanow Royal Garden of Light show held at the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw People walk through a corridor adorned with colorful lights during the Wilanow Royal Garden of Light show held at the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw 2025 shows light sculptures from the Wilanow Royal Garden of Light show held at the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw 2025 shows rose-shaped light sculptures from the Wilanow Royal Garden of Light show held at the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw Rafał Adrian KraszewskiInside the rumored Freemason tunnels that run underneath Wilanów Palace and Gucin Gaj park in Warsaw Archaeologists recently excavated part of a mysterious tunnel system located beneath Gucin Gaj an historic park complex located in Warsaw this barrel-vaulted U-shaped tunnel extends for more than 200 feet much of its history has remained shrouded in mystery initial excavations suggest that the corridor may have once been used as a Freemason meeting spot and perhaps used as catacombs as well Wilanów was owned by a Polish noble named Stanisław Kostka Potocki a prominent Freemason who earned the title of Grand Master of the Grand National Orient of Poland While no contemporary sources or written accounts can definitively link this corridor to the Freemasons — so far at least — the country’s official register of monuments refers to the tunnel as the “Masonic graves,” providing some more evidence for this intriguing theory Public DomainA portrait of Stanisław Kostka Potocki the nobleman who may have organized Masonic rituals in these tunnels during the 19th century Stanisław Kostka Potocki was a prominent Polish statesman and art patron during the late 18th and early 19th centuries His political career included pivotal roles such as the President of the Council of State in the Duchy of Warsaw and Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Education positions where he actively promoted social reform and education in Poland Potocki held a deep commitment to Freemasonry eventually ascending to the esteemed rank of Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Poland His Masonic affiliation aligned with his progressive ideals reinforcing his dedication to Enlightenment values like reason and tolerance His involvement in Freemasonry was instrumental in shaping his advocacy for educational advancement and broader social reforms It also positioned him in opposition to conservative forces which harbored suspicions toward Freemasonry due to its perceived secrecy and endorsement of secular values Wikimedia CommonsStanisław Kostka Potocki’s sarcophagus Potocki initiated the development of the Gucin Gaj park complex after purchasing the land in the early 19th century naming the site Gucin in honor of his grandson his wife Aleksandra transformed the site into a sprawling grove each tree holding its own symbolic meaning and serving as a memorial to her late husband’s legacy little remains of the original layout of Gucin Gaj though one thing does remain: the hidden tunnel system built beneath it Rafał Adrian Kraszewski Archaeologists investigating a small area at the entrance to the corridor minimal archaeological investigation into the mysterious corridors at Gucin Gaj has been completed Although the tunnel itself extends more than 200 feet archaeologists have only examined a 16-x-16-foot radius near the tunnel’s entrance According to a statement from the Office of the Capital City of Warsaw this excavation was carried out at the request of the Office of the Capital City Conservator of Monuments (BSKZ) in 2021 the results of this excavation have been made public Rafał Adrian Kraszewski Artifacts found during the excavation that can be traced back to the 17th century The statement specifies that no research was conducted on the interior of the chamber but excavating the entrance did reveal the tunnel’s surrounding walls which were likely the result of reconstruction during the 19th century coins from the 17th century suggest the corridor was much older and some of the site’s earliest features date back to the Middle Ages Initial research has led archaeologists to suspect that the corridor may have been a water cistern during the Middle Ages It will take further investigation to determine if these assumptions are true or not Wikimedia CommonsRumors have long spoken of Freemason rituals that took place within these tunnels during the 19th century much about the tunnel system remains a mystery Without actually investigating the interior researchers can still only make educated guesses about the site’s history According to an earlier statement from the Office of the Capital City of Warsaw in 2021 there are a few things that are known for certain The tunnel was likely built during the 17th century as evidenced by letters written by court architect Augustyn Locci to King Jan III The letters revealed that the area was a rich source of clean drinking water and also made mention of an icehouse and the planned construction of a water intake system It’s also clear that Potocki was the next owner of the property and that he attained high-ranking status with the Freemasons It is less clear if he actually held secret meetings within the tunnel system the country’s official register referred to the tunnel as the “Masonic graves,” and the name has stuck ever since Rafał Adrian Kraszewski The exposed entrance to the “Masonic graves.” In the second half of the 19th century, more work was done on the tunnels. Specifically, they were lined with furs that served as insulation, and certain parts of the tunnels were reinforced. This suggests that it could have been used as an ice house after Potocki’s death. It was also meant to be used as a shelter during World War II — much like another, similar tunnel found in Warsaw in 2023 while this new excavation certainly confirms some previous assumptions about the site there is still much more to be learned about the tunnels’ historical purpose new information will provide definitive answers After learning about new research into this mysterious tunnel complex, see our list of 11 astonishing underground cities from around the world. Then, read about the secret tunnels built beneath Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The line is 6,5 km long and is the longest among those built in the city in recent decades The total investment in the project from EU funds amounted to 518,27 million and double-sided 33-meter Hyundai trams run here the purchase of which was also financed by the European Union at one time the first tram of route #16 left the Mokotów depot and arrived at the final stop in Miasteczko Wilanów at around 5:00 am He left at 3:46 and reached Wilanów at 4:26 at the ceremonial opening of the new tram line noted that this is the first complete new line in the last 70 years and trams have not run to Wilanów for 50 years He reminded that in the middle of next year the route will become even longer thanks to branching in the Stegna area The new line is two-track and equipped with a grass track almost along its entire length "This shows a serious attitude towards city transport the reduction of the city budget by the previous government and the war on the eastern border we are still able to implement such large-scale projects," added Tshaskovsky He emphasized that the residents of Vilanuva will now be able to get to the city center twice as fast as by bus and trams will carry three times more passengers 40% of the funds for this project were allocated by the European Union The new route begins at the intersection of Pulavska and Hovorka streets The tram overcomes a 22-meter height difference in the direction of Nizhny Mokotov through Hovorka and Spatserova Streets the line runs in a straight line through Belvederska and Sobieski Streets in the direction of Myastechka Wilanów The final stop for two-way trams is located at the intersection of Rechipospolita and Branytskyi avenues 16 (Vilianów Town – Piaski) run on this route and after the branching to Stegny is completed The opening of the line led to changes in urban transport in the area of ​​the new route – bus lines #200 works on the arrangement of small architecture are still continuing and part of the track needs final work on the laying of the surface After the completion of all construction works priority will be introduced for the tram at the intersections of the route which will reduce the travel time from the final stop to the city center to 25 minutes (currently the route takes about 30-35 minutes) the construction of the Stegny tram ring is still ongoing which will allow a new route with classic one-way trams to be launched in the future Miasteczko Wilanów & Vlasne Misto. Urban supervision by Guy Perry. (part 1) Miasteczko Wilanów & Vlasne Misto. Urban Supervision by Guy Perry (Part 2) Warsaw will transfer used tram cars to Konotop +380 (44) 465 53 41 +380 (67) 638 76 00 hello@pragmatika.media https://pragmatika.media The Royal Garden of Lights in Wilanów has become an integral part of the winter landscape in the capital more than half of Warsaw’s residents can't imagine the city without this attraction the number of visitors to the garden may exceed 3.5 million making it one of the most popular winter attractions As many as 83 percent of the capital’s residents including almost 90 percent of women from Warsaw Its popularity has long surpassed the city’s borders now attracts visitors from around the world it is one of the main attractions in the Warsaw metropolitan area revealed that 55 percent of Warsaw residents have already visited the Royal Garden of Lights while another 32 percent plan to do so soon One in three respondents can’t imagine Wilanów Palace without the annual illumination Get the best of “Warsaw Business Journal”  delivered to your inbox daily Report: resources of modern office space.. Terms of Service Trademarks Privacy Policy 2018 Warsaw Business Journal CA Immo exits non-core market Serbia with the sale of the 19,600 sqm office building Sava Business Center in Belgrade Both the sales price and the buyer are subject to confidentiality As the PBSA sector finally takes off in Poland it is now increasingly attracting international operators and investors Eurobuild CEE spoke to Xior's investment manager about why it has such confidence in the Polish market Residential developer Develia has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire all the shares in Bouygues Immobilier Polska the Polish subsidiary of Bouygues Immobilier ESA logistika has leased 15,000 sqm in Prologis Park Piotrków GLP has completed the development of its Wrocław V Logistics Centre and has received a BREEAM rating of Outstanding Panattoni has secured EUR 40 mln in financing from BNP Paribas for the development of Panattoni Park Sosnowiec IV Newgate Investment (NGI) and Redkom Development are developing a large retail park in Bydgoszcz Deutsche Hypo – NORD/LB Real Estate Finance has provided a five-year green loan to Olivia Seven for the refinancing of the Olivia Prime A office building in Gdańsk-Oliwa communications and security company Motorola Solutions has signed a five-year lease renewal 18,000 sqm at the Green Office complex in Kraków’s Podgórze district Falling interest rates and easing monetary policy across the eurozone and CEEi are boosting investor confidence in the region’s commercial real estate market reveals Colliers in its ‘Beyond Real Estate | Economy’ report Panattoni is to build the Panattoni Park Mainz Süd in Erbes-Büdesheim bei Alzey Axi Immo has presented its latest report “Warsaw Office Market – Q1 2025 The market opened in 2025 on a steady footing with a notable increase in leasing activity and a modest decline in vacancy landlords continue to focus on upgrading existing assets and prioritizing quality over quantity Convenience store chain Żabka has officially opened a new logistics centre in Kąty Wrocławskie The first stage of the development will serve 1,500 stores in the Wrocław area Romanian Post has leased over 5,000 sqm of logistics space in CTPark Bucharest to serve as its temporary regional courier and logistics hub for Bucharest JLL has announced the sale and leaseback of two properties by a manufacturing company in a deal worth over PLN 1 bln Warehouse developer CTP is adding 2,000 sqm to its Clubco coworking development in Brno pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank has extended an investment facility to PineBridge Benson Elliot for the Diuna Office Park in Warsaw The hotel market in Bucharest continued its recovery in 2024 while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone of EUR 100 Torus has announced its All.inn students’ residence concept that is soon to appear on ul Panattoni has been granted a EUR 14 mln loan from Alior Bank for the development of an 11,190 sqm centre for a leading logistics operator Xior has bought the Basecamp Wrocław student residence Sienkiewicza has 780 rooms and is the largest in Poland in terms of floor space Newgate Investment has completed the purchase of a retail park at ul 16,000 sqm and stands on the site of a former Tesco hypermarket investors bought commercial real estate with a total value of EUR 155.8 mln according to a study by Fortim Trusted Advisors followed by investments from Lebanon and Romania (9 pct) Berlin Hyp has just released the findings of its Trendbarometer survey of just under 140 real estate professionals Santander Bank Polska and Helaba have granted AFI a total of EUR 120 mln in refinancing for four PRS assets under the brand AFI Home in Warsaw This is the largest transaction of its type in this sector in Poland Panattoni has secured financing from mBank for its latest project in the Małopolska region The €26 mln funding will be used to develop the modern logistics complex Generali Adriatic Value Fund has concluded the sale of two properties in Ljubljana: Stekleni Dvor and Tivoli Center The buyer of both properties is Agromarket Logistic The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing a regional loan of up to EUR 120 mln to AFI Europe to support its development pipeline across Serbia BIG Poland has announced the acquisition of Power Park Olsztyn a shopping centre located in the southern part of Olsztyn This strategic investment reinforces the company’s commitment to expanding its presence in Poland’s retail sector through high-quality assets Syrena Real Estate has sold its first PRS project at ul The new owner is the Belgian company Xior Student Housing NV making it the second successful sale of a stabilised PRS project in Poland KGAL has acquired the Streitfeld Lofts office complex with 8,400 sqm of rental space and 54 underground parking spaces for one of its institutional special funds The seller of the property is one of the BlackRock Real Asset Funds Spring has very much sprung and everywhere is bathed in the 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Viterra has moved into its ​​new 1,500 sqm offices in Olivia Prime part of the Olivia Centre business complex in Gdańsk Panattoni has acquired two properties near Gothenburg The brownfield sites will be replaced by a modern 43,000 sqm facility Contemporary cities are grappling with the challenge of fostering dynamic growth while alleviating environmental pressures Colliers has taken over the management of the Studio B office building located in the Warsaw Wola district The property is owned by Stena Real Estate .. The University of Warsaw has signed a contract with the general contractor for a project at ul The new building will house the faculti .. Velis Real Estate Tech is officially changing its name to Singu adopting the title of its property management product the construction of the Panattoni Park Unterfranken has officially started What do the Polish district Miasteczko Wilanów and the Ukrainian cluster town Vlasne Misto have in common Guy Perry is the author of the concept for Miasteczko Wilanów — a diverse and sustainable district in Warsaw that has been considered a benchmark by European urban designers for two decades The developers of the Vlasne Misto project invited Guy Perry to visit Ukraine as an urban supervisor for the first Ukrainian cluster town being built in the Dmytrivka territorial community near Kyiv The editor-in-chief of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky spoke with Guy Perry and Yaroslav Korniyachenko to find similarities between the two projects and investigate the evolution of the progressive urbanism principles over the past two decades Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky: Yaroslav, what connects you to Guy Perry? Of course, I would like to immediately ask you about what the urban expert recommended for Vlasne Misto Yaroslav Korniachenko:We met Guy during the international MIPIM event which gathers thousands of experts every March in Cannes He came up to our stand with Dmitry Dopiro we gave Guy more details about our project He was very surprised to know that someone in Ukraine is thinking of creating not just a new district we were primarily looking for partners and experts in different areas to jointly bring innovation and technology to the project It is the human-centered approach to urban planning that unites us with Guy He began his Miasteczko Wilanów project by planning 169 hectares for a future population of approximately 30,000 residents.The project is grown beyond and the population growth larger than planned We began to design Vlasne Misto on an area of 450 hectares for more than 30,000 residents I invited Guy to join our project as an ambassador he invited us to Wilanów to show us more details personally and also expressed a desire to see what we are doing His expertise is undoubtedly important to us and it is even more pleasant when such a person highly appreciates our project K.K.: Let's start our conversation with Guy about Miasteczko Wilanów it has received numerous awards and has become a prototype for many projects on the outskirts of European cities can you say with confidence that all your plans have been successfully implemented Guy Perry:I was actively involved for the first 14 years When I came to Poland and initiated the project on behalf of Ryszard Krauze with Woyteck Okanski and with a number of other local architects At that time it was little interest in investing in Poland Everyone was focused on the Czech Republic I was familiar with many Poles and knew how many wonderful things they were doing in other parts of the world It is wrong to call Miasteczko Wilanów my project — and with many talented Polish professionals we made it into reality And I just happened to be the guide who helped to shape and direct the development to make it sustainable Guy Perry explains the Miasteczko Wilanów concept civic activism is the ideal expression of democracy I had the opportunity to meet with Polish urban designers and jointly create a very pragmatic concept of how to expand a city in the 21st century without having a chest full of money.How to do this from scratch so that every step is economically viable right now and how to create something sustainable in the long term even more so than building individual buildings you set the framework for people's life for at least decades my partners for the concept had many good intentions The Urban Planning Department of Biuro Planowania Rozwoju Warszawy (BPRW) employed urban designers from communist times there was a lot of common sense in the planning principles of the previous era Most of what they did was very smart and very sustainable compared to some purely market-driven developments and therefore I was very eager to have a dialogue with them and discuss the building density Paweł Detko from the studio of architecture DJiO also had his vision of modern urbanism Together we establish the fundamentals for the community With my firm we studied the historical districts of Warsaw that remained attractive despite the times and losses We asked people what they liked about other cities around the world that they have visited Los Angeles — we tried to understand the secrets of attractiveness and create a new vision for the development of local districts I had two goals that I would call atypical for that time but it is more useful to think about higher goals — what are the intentions behind your actions One of my goals is the well-being of the residents but in 1999 no one talked about well-being The second goal is to create a community that follows democratic values There are many thoughts and views on what democracy is I think democracy truly works if society is engaged in a positive way of living And I think we have been very effective in achieving these two goals Miasteczko Wilanów is one of the most proactive urban areas in Poland and Europe in general K.K.: How did you manage to build a democratic community in a single district of Warsaw Miasteczko Wilanów is often called "lemingrad" — originating from the word “lemming” who would blindly go fascinated by some unrealizable dream was it possible to avoid segregation and create a "city for everyone" not an elite settlement for the chosen ones there is a certain category of people who have progressive thinking And we create the pro-european environment for those who want everyone to peacefully go about their farm work although some journalists compared the residents to lemmings who blindly follow European values our residents were the most educated people in the country I would not say that we were creating a district for the elite I deliberately combined apartments of 40 square meters with apartments of 260 square meters in the same buildings The person living in a 40-square-meter apartment may have worked as a music teacher and had a low income but I was happy that different people have the opportunity to be part of this community And often it was children from families with lower income who became leaders on the playgrounds Miasteczko Wilanów was conceived as a very diverse Democracy is about mixing people in such a way that economics is the main measure of their position in society Openness isn't just about showing trust in each other Security in society is created by openness Miasteczko Wilanów is characterized by green streets wide sidewalks and the absence of billboards we went through to create a democratic environment was that during several elections we set records for voter turnout in the districts of Poland we were consistently 20–30 points higher than the national average civic engagement is the ideal expression of democracy and then our goal was difficult to measure The fact that our residents were called lemmings only indicates that they were like-minded in their hopes for a new future for Poland and its positive role in the European community and the world as a whole K.K.: The well-being of residents is primarily about safety Miasteczko Wilanów has the outstanding health statistics and the district has been the area with the highest birth rate in Poland for many years we had many children born to the most educated women in the country This amazing fact was discovered by Newsweek journalists I thought it was one of our greatest achievements you managed to create an environment that is not just comfortable for women and children which is one of the laws of universal urban design today but you took the bar higher and created an environment where educated women who are passionate about their careers still want and can have many children GP: Such an environment means that the city should be extremely convenient for women it should be easily passable and provide real multifunctionality in use Żabka (a chain of popular convenience stores in Poland) an example of mixed-use is the 6th arrondissement of Paris and the Eixample in Barcelona We tried to create something similar in Warsaw and I believe that we have undoubtedly achieved success in terms of well-being We were also recently rated the happiest community in Warsaw although I'm not sure about the correctness of happiness metrics We achieved success by creating an open community the territory where tens of thousands of people live includes private courtyards while the public space belongs to everyone as usual This is the antithesis of a gated community where you don't care what's going on around you people care a lot about their neighborhood Only 50% of the upper floor was available for construction This has led developers to make what I call rooftop villas Y.K.: In one of my previous interviews with PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA I talked about our community safety concept — while we provide video surveillance and security we did not see any external fences or any means of separation from other neighborhoods The street video surveillance systems are now dismantled or switched to automatic recording as there is no need to spend money on their operational maintenance Guy's son went for a walk on his own at the age of six The quarters are open but designed in such a way that the courtyards and streets are visible from the windows we grouped mixed-use quarters and commercial facilities on the ground floors facing active driveways HoReCa facilities are located throughout the megablock’s territory depending on the level or occupancy Internal park areas are arranged within the quarters for residents only and multifunctional zones for all age groups of children are located between the quarters Such a layout optimizes the use of the area and enables different generations to freely communicate Megablocks are united into a larger group around educational institutions and public squares which are also different in function and architecture so that residents have the opportunity and desire to move throughout the entire city Coworking spaces and office premises are also located on the squares I believe that when the period of city creation is over and the residents get acquainted with the area when we reach the feeling that all residents are "their own among their own" it will be an active safe society that will develop the city's economy and its own communications and businesses openness is not only a demonstration of trust in each other The Temple of Divine Providence is an architectural landmark of Miasteczko Wilanów you mentioned the relatively high level of education among your residents Has this fact somehow affected the planning specifics GP: If someone says that we were oriented towards the elite I will again refer to the Newsweek article — there is a truly exceptional number of well-educated specialists among our residents compared to neighboring areas so I understand the problems of segregation and its long-term negative consequences It was more about people who have a common desire for a better life We basically planned a numbers of different schools with different specializations in Miasteczko Wilanów then you know that everybody is unique — someone is good at one thing This was a very important component and one of the keys to making women feel comfortable because the success of their children is the key to their peace of mind Guy Perry acts as an ambassador and supervisor of the Vlasne Misto project KK: One of the main principles of European urbanism is also the diversity of the environment did you manage to create a heterogeneous environment in Miasteczko Wilanów beauty salons — everything that makes everyday life convenient And we tried to make sure that people had a choice — several schools as some of the very expensive equipment is used for public needs State clinics in Poland could not afford such equipment If you can make the neighborhood walkable and truly mixed that's what maximizes energy efficiency and carbon reduction Guy Perry examines plans for the Ukrainian cluster city of Vlasne Misto real estate in Miasteczko Wilanów is one of the most expensive in Warsaw Perhaps this is why the district is called elite How can you create a mixed community if the price per square meter is astronomical You have already mentioned one option — a mix of small and large apartments what other approaches did you use to make housing affordable for a large number of people Poland was a really poor country in 1999–2000 The only way most people could afford to live in Miasteczko Wilanów was to take out a loan A large loan at 110% of the property value and the opportunity to finish it We understood this and deliberately did not finish the interiors so that the prices for apartments would be lower Some people used expensive materials for the finishing work Other people finished their interiors very simply and with their own hands This allowed families with different incomes to become homeowners It is precisely homeownership that gives people in developing countries a sense of security it allows them to use their property for other purposes or for anything else that may happen in life We also deliberately tried to reduce the importance of cars for our residents we know that buying a car is the second largest expense item for most of these families after a house It is a financial dream to have a car for each member of the family we would like to have as few cars as possible in our district We have planned 1,5 parking spaces per housing unit And this is a high index by modern urban standards But the point was that people could have these cars but we were going to do make it so that they didn't have to use them four six times a day by arranging everything nearby you have limited the building height focusing on the height of the historical palace building GP: Average height and high density are not contradictions but the scale of buildings compared to human size is important for the well-being of people and the creation of a solid district When you look at the street from the fifth floor And it is quite another matter if I look from the height of a skyscraper — in this case we have achieved a high population density which is about three times the average for Warsaw we built the district on a scale based on human size and increased profits due to the higher density people do not feel this density or any crampedness when walking the streets of Miasteczko Wilanów Other recommendations that I gave were about the street width My opinion was that it should be the minimum allowed by law there was a tendency to imitate American urbanism with wide streets and large distances between buildings one of the realities that makes Kyiv wonderful is the high density in the city center Kostyantyn Kovshevatskyi and Yaroslav Korniachenko on the plans of Vlasne Misto Y.K.: During my visit to Miasteczko Wilanów most restaurants work on a schedule widespread in Europe where the kitchen opens only from 6 pm or for breakfast and until that time you can only have coffee or a light snack The area near the office center is very active with multiple playgrounds for kids of all age groups commercial facilities and restaurants would have even higher economic efficiency if population density could be increased in some quarters by replacing two-story houses with 4–5-story ones would you really increase the height and density of a new urban district today GP: I think today the optimal height is four to seven floors a vertical landmark is created in the urban landscape to be seen from afar but you also may need a building that will become a symbol of the area we had a temple that was visible from many kilometers away so we no longer needed any additional symbols Today these are most often commercial buildings creating a high-rise city is associated with many problems and one of the things we learned in Hong Kong is that the rate of diabetes among children living in high-rise towers is much higher than in low-rise buildings Instead of the child getting into the elevator and going down to walk somewhere They think that in this way they give them knowledge Y.K.: I think that if we are talking about megacities like Hong Kong then residential spaces can be alternated with the corresponding areas of public spaces and the reality is that high-rise buildings are simply necessary in most cities due to little land available and transportation specifics the MTR transport company is investing in the creation of new high-rise districts around metro stations with a population density that is simply impossible in Europe That is exactly in such cases that the problem arises with the health of children who do not go for walks We studied this issue with my graduate students: can we create parks between floors can we make elevators that stop on every third floor so that you can get out and walk to your apartment using the stairs Can we create public spaces on these floors — maybe a place for ping-pong there should be a service elevator and an elevator for people with disabilities This would solve both problems of the towers — the first being the lack of physical activity and the second — the lack of social interaction Residents of Hong Kong high-rises do not have relationships with their neighbors although they live in a very dense environment these are two pressing problems that we are trying to solve we have been studying three-dimensional cities with streets at different levels and other countries with high population density Aerial panorama of the mixed district of Miasteczko Wilanów in Warsaw K.K.: Let’s return to Miasteczko Wilanów — the height of most buildings there is 14,5 meters There is one with a height of 20 meters in the center GP: The height of 14,5 meters is a very human dimension but it does not guarantee unconditional success while buildings in neighboring areas went to five floors in height Not all five-story buildings were successful But here is an interesting detail — only 50% of the top floors were available for development whether they liked it or not (and most of them didn't like it at first) It is obvious that if you have 40-square-meter apartments then why would anyone buy an apartment in the same house with an area of more than 200 square meters on the roof with a large terrace I had a lot of heated discussions with market experts who said that this was not possible That the whole building should be the same All families are the same — two children and a dog and you cannot mix people with a higher or lower income these roof villas created tremendous value for the entire building People who lived in modest apartments were also proud that one of the richest or most influential people in the city or country had settled in their house this decision turned out to be important for creating a structure for a diverse community Developers quickly realized that these roof villas were selling well People came even from Konstancin (a suburb of Warsaw — Ed.) or Mokotów (one of the districts of Warsaw where I can live in a green villa on the roof and my child can walk to school on foot." For me this way of life is a manifestation of obvious common sense it has become a revelation and has significantly changed their way of life If I had followed the path of an ordinary developer and thought only about profitability we would not have achieved such great success this might work if you are building a single building but when you are dealing with tens of thousands of people K.K.: And what about the role of design codes the designers banned billboards from Miasteczko Wilanów although no such bans are in place in Warsaw.єactivists banned billboards in Miasteczko Wilanów GP: Creating a beautiful and healthy environment leads to a higher level of sustainability Today you can design buildings with negative carbon emissions or buildings with a positive energy balance the maximum energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions are achieved by making the area walkable and truly mixed Even if we find ways for cars to move without any harmful impact on the environment Because walking is fundamental to our well-being and if we do not create an environment that encourages walking then I do not care how clean are transport trips in terms of emissions Visual appeal is important because it motivates you to walk illegal signs and advertisements appeared everywhere even though the design code prohibited them I contacted the municipality and asked if we could remove them and we put them in the parking lot near the city hall And we asked people to inform the owners so that they can come and take their billboards And when a few more billboards appeared a month later Because they understood that signs could not be placed here but I needed to make it obvious that although advertising is allowed in the rest of Poland and we needed to achieve a higher degree of order in our physical environment Public and semi-public spaces are places that need to be specifically structured and adapted for the well-being of people The architecture of Miasteczko Wilanów is subject to a single design code K.K.: We often write that the time of large malls is over but we saw the planned huge Wilanów Park in the news recently — a multifunctional shopping and entertainment center with shops GP: The way retail is integrated into the area is important it was assumed that we would build a center with shops We never intended to create indoor shopping centers This greatly changes the character of the area and the way people shop It was very controversial to do something like a traditional shopping center hundreds of shops appeared throughout the area which is even better than a lively "inside-out shopping center" in a single square this is closer to the model of the 6th arrondissement of Paris or the Eixample district of Barcelona in case the retail needs to be concentrated in one place I hope it will be done in synergy with the district shopping is an experience that becomes identified with the place It is more than just gathering a lot of buyers in one box and forcing them to spend as much money as possible I think that the evolution in the minds of developers has already taken place and whoever develops this place in the future we hope that it will be a positive development and that the developers will consider the graciousness of the context there are facilities where a logistics center is located on the first floor Research that is currently being conducted around the world shows that you can create shopping centers that are part of a mixed-use environment The idea was that we would create a highly varied city center but then there were no investors on the market to implement such ideas K.K.: If it is not a shopping center or a church then what else can become the main magnet of the city center do you have an alternative option for the center of Vlasne Misto Visualization of the main square of the Vlasne Misto cluster city Our central square has a vertical greenhouse with a clock indicating the center for our residents and guests 24/7 like a lighthouse It is also highly sophisticated and important for the food security of the city was surprised that we placed a vertical greenhouse complex in the center of the urbanization of Vlasne Misto traditionally the center is the most advantageous place for commercial facilities and housing which by law can only include commercial facilities and not residential buildings The second point is that if we moved the greenhouse to the outskirts and the commercial pavilions would be irrational we simultaneously demonstrate the value of plant cultivation and involve all residents in this exciting process the greenhouse building works as a large air purifier filtering 7000 tons of CO₂ from the air per year (replacing 300 thousand trees) and also 8000–9000 tons of CO₂ received from sewage treatment plants Considering that the space under the greenhouse will contain food warehouses and shelters we immediately solve the issue of safety and goods turnover underground We have also designed an energy-efficient exchange between the greenhouse and the surrounding buildings — in addition to shopping pavilions public and recreational areas are situated between the blocks certain buildings have logistics centers located on the first floor Guy said: "Plant a tree and it will hide even the most shameful architecture." Modern cities are becoming greener and the subject of green spaces is one of the most discussed today Did your concept have a separate section dedicated to green spaces GP: The subject of green spaces is a separate one and very important How would you create a holistic landscape if you have a mix of public and semi-public spaces The city either did not have the funds or the budget was directed elsewhere And private developers were not interested in what was outside their territory We organized public events and held about ten of them one kilometer of the street and completely transformed it in two hours trees and installed benches bought with donated money And this street became a place that people were proud of I sincerely believe that one of the reasons why the community is so safe today is that it belongs to the residents This does not mean that they literally own the real estate and land this gap was filled thanks to the actions of the community construction equipment would still be standing in the parks K.K.: I was surprised when looking at Miasteczko Wilanów from a height — we did not see any green exploited roofs although most of the buildings have flat roofs Why did you omit such a popular technique as vertical landscaping Green roofs are still quite expensive today and they were too expensive twenty years ago What we did were roof villas — 50% of the roof was an apartment Most people have planted greenery on their terraces the terraces became a cheap replacement for a green roof made by the richest people in the house at their own expense some developers have started placing solar panels on other parts of the roof that are not terraces but I think it was right during that period of Polish history and with the funds we had at our disposal and the disposal of the city we would have made housing unattainable to many people I also have a 160 square meter terrace with several trees in my apartment Why then didn't you just choose a house on the ground The advantage of a house is that there is space around it and you are removed from the hustle and bustle of the city The reality is that most people don't use their thousand or two thousand square meters of land Simply because they need a barrier separating them from their neighbors Having only 160 square meters of roof terrace We had a private area with a gazebo in the fresh air from where you could admire the whole city you became more visible to people from there the terrace is an extension of the living room Y.K.: An important question — what is the price per square meter of such a terrace roof GP: It is difficult to determine the exact price but depending on where the building is located it usually ranges from 30% to 60% of the cost of a square meter of indoor space then a meter of the roof will cost 60% of the cost of a meter of the apartment even a low price is better than just "leaving this money on the table." I would better sell these meters at a low price We discovered that creating beautiful roof terraces can be very effective It's just a matter of carefully considering the engineering aspects upfront engineers will lay out all the pipes in the shortest possible way But if you regroup these elements and pay close attention to detail you can create usable surfaces connected to the corresponding rooms inside the playground on my terrace was connected to the children's room The kids could immediately access their play area There are also other rooms connected to the dining area we could easily move from the dining room outside Residential buildings in Miasteczko Wilanów are close to the canal I mean your apartment in Miasteczko Wilanów How do you like the quality of life from the inside and we haven't lived there for a long time Sometimes I ask my 16-year-old son: “Where would you like to live?” He lived in Hong Kong And he said: "I would like to live in Miasteczko Wilanów." Wow because it's great!” And he didn't say that to please me a child's view of the world is still a little limited but I cannot develop what I would not want for myself it does not matter what price category I am working on But I have to be careful not to spend too much money Five-story buildings are not just comparable to human size in scale This is the cheapest building height in Central Europe I also understand that if the solution is financially unsustainable It's like winning a battle but losing the war If you are already focused on sustained growth and not just on the basic economics of development If you are still concerned with profit and efficiency and this dictates the ways you implement things A lot of bad decisions have been made in cities based on efficiency A new tramway is under construction to reduce the travel time between the Wilanów and Warsaw central district to 30 minutes a tram operator owned by the city of Warsaw is developing a new tram route between the Wilanów and Śródmieście districts in Poland The Wilanów-Śródmieście tramline is expected to help commuters to reach Wilanów from Śródmieście in less than 30 minutes The project is considered to be one of the largest tramway investments currently underway in the country It will also support the plans to develop a low-emission public transport system in Warsaw Construction of the project is expected to begin in August 2022 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2024 The new Wilanów-Śródmieście tram route will have a total length of approximately 8km It will include four junctions and 31 stops The stops on the tramline will be designed to meet the requirements of persons with disabilities There are plans to establish two branches within the route The first branch will run along Gagarina Street up to Czerniakowska Street The tramline will start at the junction of Puławska and Goworka streets An existing section of the tram route between Rakowiecka Street to Plac Unii Lubelskiej will also be reconstructed as part of the project The route will pass through Goworka and Spacerowa streets which will have a difference in elevation of nearly 22m in the direction of Lower Mokotów It will continue along Belwederska and Sobieskiego streets A terminus for two-way trams will be built at the intersection between Rzeczypospolitej and Branickiego avenues It will end at the terminal for two-way trams The route will be equipped with a green wave system which will eliminate the need for trams to wait for green signal at intersections Preparatory works are expected to begin at Gagarina Street in May 2022 Main works will include the construction of a 1.2km-long 2.8m-diameter underground sewage collector and reconstruction of the heating network followed by the construction of tram tracks Hyundai Rotem was awarded a tender by Tramwaje Warszawskie for the supply of up to 213 trams in February 2019. The new rolling stock were ordered to run on the existing tram routes and new routes including the Wilanów-Śródmieście route The contract includes a basic order for the supply of 123 trams Three different types of trams will be supplied based on different transport needs All the trams will have a low-floor design The trains will be supplied in one-way and two-way configurations The trams will be air-conditioned and will come in two lengths The trams with swivel bogies will be able to operate on tight curves on the streets A noise absorber fitted to each wheel will help reduce rail wear and ensure quite operation on curves Furthermore, the trams will be installed with surveillance systems for passenger safety. They will also feature a passenger information system and an energy storage system The 33m-long tram will be the longest tram to operate in the city 50 new trams are expected to be allocated to the Wilanów-Śródmieście route The first two trams pertaining to the order arrived from South Korea at the Port of Gdynia in Poland in June 2021 The delivery of all the trams is expected to be completed by the end of April 2023 Electronic information boards will be installed at the stops to provide information to the passengers regarding tram timings the project will involve the construction of three new traction substations including the first underground substation in the city A new depot in Annopol will be built to house the new trams of the tramline the Annopol depot will become the fifth depot in the city and lathe machinery to regenerate wheels for the trams Stands will be available at the depot to check the condition of the carriages The Annopol depot will be developed as a smart facility equipped with automation technology An automated system will control the switches and semaphores Employees at the depot will be equipped with smartphones and tablets to transmit data to the central system for improved efficiency The project is estimated to involve an investment of zl1.19bn ($277.5m) including the construction of the route and infrastructure It is co-financed by the European Union under Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014-2020 (OPI & E 2014-2020) a programme to make Poland a more competitive and low-carbon economy the EU agreed to contribute zl555m ($129m) towards the project as the construction partner for the Wilanów-Śródmieście tramline project in March 2022 The design and construction of the tramline along Gagarina is being undertaken by a consortium of two Polish construction companies a Polish public transport infrastructure construction services provider received the contract to build the Annopol depot in October 2021 Tramwaje Warszawskie and Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji selected Egis Poland received a contract to provide It is also responsible for securing approvals for the project an energy equipment and solutions provider based in Poland was contracted to supply the power electronics train control and management system (TCMS) for the trams was appointed to supply driving data recorders for the trams was engaged to provide seats with pneumatic control for drivers and other complicated structures Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. A phoenix arisen from the ashes, Poland's capital impresses with its resilience, respect for history, contemporary style and sheer joie de vivre. Warsaw Back to topAttractionsMust-see attractionsWilanów Palace was commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski in 1677 It has changed hands several times over the… Palace of Culture & Science For over 60 years this socialist realist palace has dominated central Warsaw A ‘gift of friendship’ from the Soviet Union Łazienki Park this beautiful park includes manicured gardens Royal Castle This remarkable copy of the original castle blown up by the Germans in WWII is filled with authentic period furniture and original works of art… Warsaw Rising Museum housed in a former tram power station and its surrounding grounds traces the history of the city's heroic but doomed uprising… POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews Housed in one of Warsaw's best examples of contemporary architecture this award-winning museum documents 1000 years of Jewish history in Poland Fryderyk Chopin Museum This multimedia museum within the baroque Ostrogski Palace showcases the work of Poland’s most famous composer Neon Museum Situated within the Soho Factory complex of old industrial buildings housing designers and artists this museum is devoted to the preservation of the… View more attractionsPlanning ToolsExpert guidance to help you plan your tripBest Things to Do Warsaw is one of Europe’s most dynamic cities. Here's how to experience the best of Poland's capital. ArticlesLatest stories from WarsawRead more articlesActivities Warsaw is one of Europe’s most dynamic cities Here's how to experience the best of Poland's capital Get to the heart of Warsaw with one of our in-depth Visit in ShopPocket Krakow $14.99 Visit in ShopPocket Warsaw $13.99 Go to checkout (0 items)in partnership with getyourguide No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission The joint project staged by the Boboli Gardens and the Wilanów Museum beginsThe Boboli Gardens and the Museum of the Palace of King John III Sobieski in Wilanów are joining forces to make the most of their heritage And the city of Florence is the starting point for the “Citri et Aurea” project which aims to develop the historic botanical collections of citrus trees conserved by the two museum institutions The project “Citri et Aurea” is inspired by a historic episode of great importance for the birth of the botanical collections of the Polish museum in Wilanów profitable links were formed between Tuscany and Poland through the Medicean court of the Grand Duke Cosimo III and the court of King John III in Polish Jan Sobieski (sovereign of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1674 to 1695) The Polish king had commissioned the construction of a luxurious Baroque palace on the outskirts of Warsaw in place of the ancient village of Milanów and he planned to use it as a summer residence and as a venue in which the court could be entertained when working out a fitting landscaping plan for the extensive palace grounds Sobieski contacted Cosimo III through an ambassador enquiring whether the Grand Duke would be willing to send some of the plants from his famous collections to Poland the species listed by the historical sources notably included: The Adam’s Apple citrus plant (Citrus lumia 'Pomum Adami') certain varieties of peach (Prunus persica) the Pescia Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘from Pescia’) the ‘Brogiotto’ fig tree (Ficus carica ‘Brogiotto’) and others too an Italian gardener accompanied the plants from Florence to Wilanów ensuring that they were preserved as carefully as possible the museum launched an important project that aimed to rebuild its botanical collections: 38 orange trees were planted in characteristic oak vases rebuilt based on the paintings of Bernardo Bellotto (conserved in Warsaw in The Royal Castle Museum) the Wilanów collection contains over 100 plants of the following species: common lemon (Citrus limon) grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) and sour orange (Citrus × aurantium) stated: “We are pleased to be key partners in this project which will strengthen the bonds between Florence and Poland Thanks to the diligence of the Grand Duke first of all and then the Boboli gardeners over the centuries we can now boast an exceptional botanical heritage We are witnessing the continuation of the partnerships forged between Tuscany and Poland back in the court of the Grand Duke Cosimo III and these strive to develop the Boboli Gardens and preserve their plants which are the protagonists of their history” “The reign of King John III – commented Paweł Jaskanis Director of the Museum of the Palace in Wilanów - was a period in which the artistic and scientific relationships between Poland and Florence were reborn And another field in which the Sobieski and Medici courts collaborated has emerged from the rich correspondence they exchanged: gardens Thanks to the kindness and friendship of Cosimo III the Polish king obtained many exotic plants which decorated his new residence in Wilanów the Museum of the Palace of King John III in Wilanów has joined forces with the Uffizi Galleries (Boboli Gardens) to rebuild the historic collection of citrus trees This project also reinforces the scientific contacts led by Adam Adamanty Kochański The project is funded by the Ministry for Culture and the National Heritage of the Polish Republic within the scope of the programme “Inspiring Culture” with the support of the Polish institutions present in Italy (Istituto Polacco and Accademia Polacca delle Scienze in Rome); due to its importance the project has also received the patronage of the European Network of Historic Gardens Download the attachment to read the full article opulent interiors and priceless treasures: the world’s 10 most beautiful palaces are the stuff of fairytales these breathtaking buildings have been home to some of the world’s most powerful and influential families for hundreds of years Among them are the current official residences of the King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden Also included on this top 10 list are the spectacular Palace of Versailles and the Umaid Bhawan Read on for a whistle-stop tour of the world’s most beautiful palaces… Two wings of the palace are made up of golden-yellow sandstone with interiors fortified by Makrana marble and Burmese teak wood It’s built with the same palm court marble used in the construction of the Taj Mahal Part of the palace is now operated as a hotel by Taj Hotels Beijing’s Summer Palace is so much more than its name suggests: it is an impressive complex of palaces gardens and lakes in the Chinese capital that was once used as a retreat for the ruling family The first part of construction was commissioned in 1750 by emperor Qianlong of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty as a gift for his mother The designers incorporated different architectural and garden styles from across China The Summer Palace was rebuilt twice by the Empress Dowager Cixi after it was destroyed by European forces in 1860 and 1900 It became a park for the people of Beijing in 1924 and was designated a World Heritage site in 1998 Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Oxfordshire is Blenheim Palace which holds the distinction of being the only non-royal non-episcopal residence in England to hold the title of palace Blenheim is famous as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and the family seat of the Dukes of Marlborough Blenheim Palace is also a popular tourist attraction offering tours of the gilded State Rooms and a permanent exhibition on Churchill the Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the residences on the list that remains in use by a reigning monarch although today it is only used for ceremonial purposes Long before Madrid became the Spanish capital Emir Mohamed I chose Magerit (the city’s Arabic name) as the site for a fortress to protect Toledo from the advancing Christians The building was eventually used by the Kings of Castille until finally becoming what would be known as the Antiguo Alcázar (Old Fortress) in the 14th century It was Charles I and his son Philip II who turned the building into a permanent residence for the Spanish royal family What was then known as the Palace of Los Austrias burnt to the ground in 1734 It was King Philip V who ordered the construction of the magnificent palace that stands today Highlights include the Royal Armoury housing the royal family’s armour and weaponry preserved since the 13th century and the Painting Gallery with its rarest of rare art in the form of Luis Morales’ Virgin with Child Caravaggio’s Salome with the Head of John the Baptist and Juan de Flandes’ Portrait of Isabella the Catholic Also known as the ‘Russian Versailles’ or the ‘capital of fountains’, the golden Peterhof Palace is located near Saint Petersburg on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland Built to compete with France’s Palace of Versailles this grand palace by the sea is in fact a complex encompassing Monplaisir Palace Almost destroyed by the occupying German army during World War II Peterhof was painstakingly restored to resemble its glorious past—a Herculean task that stretched its way into the 21st century waltzed its way into neoclassicism during the reign of Peter’s daughter Elizabeth Other must-see attractions here are the Grand Palace, the Ceremonial Staircase and the legion of gilded statues welcoming tourists to witness Tzarist opulence, the Grand Cascade (consisting of 64 fountains) that flows into the Samson Fountain and the Lower Gardens. The royal residence was recognised as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1990 Few European palaces are as opulent as Schönbrunn Palace which was built as a summer retreat for the country’s ruling Hapsburg family Constructed between 1696 and 1712 by Emperor Leopold I the Rococo palace has a jaw-dropping 1,441 rooms Highlights of this former royal residence include the famous gold and white Mirror Room (with its crystal mirrors) where a six-year-old Mozart came up with his first performance It is also the site of what is believed to be the world’s first and oldest zoo In addition to the 40 rooms open to the public (including the Gobelin Salon) a sculpted Privy Garden and the world’s largest orangery Frederick the Great constructed his beloved summer palace on a small rise covered with vineyard terraces near Potsdam Such is the life of restoration and relaxation sought by the 18th-century ruler at the residence The country retreat became a personal sanctuary for Frederick who enjoyed relaxing in the company of his dogs in the impressive grounds Although Frederick believed the palace ‘should only last my lifetime’ The residence remains one of the world’s most beautiful palaces Sanssouci Palace is the picture of charm: the intimate suites retain their original designs and furnishings Charlottenhof Palace and Neues Palais wait to be discovered in the grounds Other unmissable sights are the Voltaire Room (the French philosopher was a frequent palace guest) and Antoine Watteau’s paintings (one of Friedrich’s favourite artists) Construction on this beautiful Baroque royal residence started in the summer of 1677 Under the auspices of King John Sobieski III court architect Augustyn Locci initially conceived a single-storey structure of relatively modest proportions In 1805, it became the site of one of Poland’s first museums after Stanislaw Kostka Potocki, the son-in-law of Duchess Izabela Lubomirska, inherited the property and vowed to restore it to its former glory. Today it is an architectural feast: a mix of an Italian garden villa The royal apartments are located on the main floor while on the first floor hosts the Gallery of Polish Portraits which showcases the likenesses of Polish monarchs and other eminent figures from Polish history The resilient Wilanów Palace, a survivor of Poland’s partitions and both World Wars, is one of Poland’s most important monuments Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A visitor takes photos at a garden of Wilanow Palace in Warsaw Flowers are pictured at a garden of Wilanow Palace in Warsaw A visitor tours the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw 2024 shows part of the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw Visitors tour the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw 2024 shows sculptures at a garden of Wilanow Palace in Warsaw Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to never miss a story The Temple of Divine Providence is located in the Wilanow District in Warsaw WARSAW — The first stone of the Temple of Divine Providence was placed 227 years ago Each time there was progress in raising the Catholic church halting construction and giving way to propose more designs to memorialize new national events a modern concrete structure with a copper dome kissing the sky was built and consecrated The temple now sits in Warsaw as a symbol of God’s protection over the Polish people continues to operate normally nonetheless by offering daily masses and other church services The first design was created to celebrate the Constitution of May 3 known as the first document to establish a constitutional monarchy Architect Jakub Kubicki’s blueprint of the church was in the classicist style The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1792 after World War I and when Poland regained its sovereignty a new design plan was drafted to celebrate Poland’s independence Plans were stalled again when the Nazis came but the Communist government prevented it from happening The Temple has been criticized for looking like a “giant lemon juicer,” earning that as its nickname. It even won an award in Poland as the worst building of 2016. The church was designed by father and son duo Wojciech and Lech Szymborski as a modernist version of Kubicki’s original temple “God’s eye has no roof,” Father Tadeusz Aleksandrowicz parish priest of the Temple of Divine Providence said and the museum of Pope John Paul II and Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski The glass floor in the church allows light to shine into the Pantheon of Great Poles The dome of the roof leaks in sunlight through a glass circle in the center with LED lights that shine the color of the liturgical season a glass circle in the center of the floor allows light to flood into the underground crypt called the Pantheon of the Great Poles which currently holds a chapel but will be later converted to only hold tombs of important Polish people where purple LED lights shine to commemorate the Lenten season “It’s a sign of God’s watch,” Aleksandrowicz said explaining how the architecture reflects God’s dominion over Poland and how he never stops watching over the Polish people Poland is the most Catholic country in Europe, according to a Pew Research Center survey in Oct with 87 percent of Poles identifying as Catholic Adorning the interior walls are reliquaries of Polish saints such as St Each reliquary is designed to match the story of the saint Kolbe’s reliquary is a hand holding a red and white crown referencing the story of the Virgin Mary appearing to Kolbe asking him if he wanted to choose to be celibate or a martyr Some boxes remain empty as the church is still in the process of collecting more relics from the past and leaving room for future Polish saints Each relic is meant to show how each person was an instrument used by God in Polish history The crucifix in the Pantheon depicts Good Friday with the "Manus Dei" symbol over Jesus Christ The reverse side of the crucifix in the Pantheon depicts Resurrection Sunday The Other Two Parts: The Pantheon and Altar The Pantheon will hold some of the most important people from Poland There are sections dedicated for government officials and members of the Solidarnosc movement that drove the Soviet Union out of Poland Some government officials that died in the Smolensk plane crash in April 2010 killing 96 people including the president of Poland at the time is adorned by bouquets from government officials including President Andrzej Duda symbolic of how Christ’s death and resurrection lifts humanity up Behind it is the chair that the only Polish pope sat on when he visited Poland with a wooden lectern marked by a symbol that looks a lot like the iconic feature on the back of the dollar bill-- the eye of providence The chair where Pope John Paul II once sat on stands in the center of the altar The lectern in front bares the eye of providence While the eye of providence is etched into the center lectern another image related to divine providence is sprinkled around the temple A hand reaching down toward the earth is known as “Manus Dei,” which translates into “the hand of God.” It represents how God interfered in human affairs by sending his son to offer salvation Poland’s president Andrzej Duda lit a candle for the 100th year anniversary of Poland’s independence This candle is on display on the outer corridor of the church waiting to be lit for another momentous occasion He commanded to light the candle when Poland became a sovereign nation again Religion Unplugged is part of The Media Project and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.EIN: 83-0461425Site design by Peter Freeby Privacy Policy Dato’ Chitra Devi Ramiah met with the Imam of Wilanow Mosque to discuss the possibility of cooperating in Islamic affairs and extending assistance to the Muslim community in Warsaw The Wilanow mosque is among the oldest mosques in Poland it was founded to accommodate people from the Tatar community who settled in Poland The Wilanow mosque is currently an important centre for the Muslim community in Poland conceived in 2019 thanks to the cooperation between the Uffizi Gallery and the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów The event featured a presentation of both countries’ achievements in the field of conservation of historic gardens and citrus plant collections The strengthening of diplomatic contacts between the courts of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III Medici and King Jan III after the victorious battle of Vienna (1683) resulted in sending eight crates of plants to Wilanów in 1684 Among the plant varieties mentioned by the historical sources was Citrus Lumia considered at the time as a token of friendship The plants were sent on a long 1600-kilometers road from Florence to Warsaw This interesting story became the starting point for the cooperation concerning the historical citrus collections between the Boboli Gardens and the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów The Boboli Gardens can boast a remarkable citrus collection which is believed to be one of the most important in Europe encompassing more than 500 pots with citrus trees including 20 historical varieties from the Medici era the plants are grown in line with traditional Tuscan cultivation methods and gardening ways The specialists of the Boboli Gardens will support the Wilanów Museum staff with their expert knowledge aiding the Polish museum with the reconstruction of the collection when 38 specimens of orange trees in characteristic oak pots painted in white and green stripes appeared in the Baroque garden The Wilanów collection currently comprises more than 100 citrus trees and is a rare collection of orangery trees in Poland During the first stage of the “Citri et Aurea” project three employees of the Wilanów Museum came to Florence for a study visit to learn about traditional cultivation methods and Tuscan gardening The visit was an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience in the field of conservation of historical gardens and citrus tree collections introduced the on line seminar as follow: “The Citri at Aurea project makes it possible to think about the prospects of fruitful cooperation between Poland and Italy which has lasted for generations and which was initiated in the Baroque period by Cosimo III de' Medici Thanks to the partnership between the Boboli Gardens King Jan III Palace Museum in Wilanów this centuries-long exchange of experiences and well-proven solutions – focused on gardening in general and especially on the collection of citrus trees and their nurturing – could be successfully resumed What makes me even more satisfied is the fact that nowadays despite the difficult moment in the history of us all caused by the pandemic we can use digital technology to share the experience of our Botany Department I send my regards to all our friends in Poland on my own behalf and on behalf of the Uffizi Gallery currently functioning only in virtual space to be able to come back to traditional form of meetings in the near future.” In the Polish-Italian online garden seminar achievements of the institutions from both countries in the field of conservation of historic gardens and citrus plant collections were presented.The video recordings of the lectures are available on the YouTube channel of the Uffizi Galleries A 17th-century palace in Poland's capital city has been restored to its former baroque glory The work will continue for several more years but the palace's museum has already received national awards in recognition of its success to date The project's success in revitalising the Wilanów museum palace was quickly recognised by prestigious awards from the Polish government The Wilanów Palace retains much of its original artistic character the long-term aim of ongoing restoration is to fully revitalise the palace and its gardens the Wilanów Palace is one of the nation's most beautiful and best-known architectural gems It was founded in the 17th century by King John III Sobielski and features on Poland's National Heritage Sites list The building suffered little structural damage over the centuries but paintings and ceilings in its oldest part were visibly deteriorating in recent years This part was therefore closed to visitors depriving them of the opportunity to admire the nation's first art museum A project was started to restore and renovate the museum palace's interior co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund work began on the royal chambers in the palace's oldest section and the 19th-century premises in the right wing the Wilanów Palace’s Chinese and Hunting Rooms and its richly decorated royal chambers look better than ever attracting thousands of visitors to the site The Chinese and Hunting Rooms feature an exhibition of unique works furniture and paintings from Europe and East Asia Recognition of the project's added value came in May 2008 when the museum palace won first prize (Sybilla 2007) for Poland's Museum Event of the Year It also received a Grand Prix for the preservation achievements Stage two of the renovation of the royal palace and gardens lasted from April 2007 to December 2009 Log in and download the free e-publication of the latest A&B The printed version is available for sale online in our store and press salons throughout Poland unique e-mail [will also be used as login in the portal] Only name - check the correctness of the data Only the last name - check the correctness of the data password must be at least 8 characters long * fields required for registration; data can be completed in account settings after logging in ** establishment of a student account follows verification of the validity of the student ID card Please try later or let us know: contact Technology: aitnet.pl Ⓒ AiB Publishing House 2025 The land plot in Wilanów was sold to one of Poland’s leading residential developers for EUR 55 million representing a 20% premium to its latest book value part of the Matrix Office Park complex in Zagreb generated EUR 13 million in free cash flow The building was sold for its book value of EUR 27 million “These strategic asset disposals are aligned with our goal of consolidating cash and enhancing our financial flexibility,” said Gyula Nagy, President of the Management Board of GTC. “Our financial results for the first three quarters of 2024 reflect the solid condition of our business. To further strengthen our position, we have strategically disposed of selected assets, enabling us to enhance our cash reserves.” GTC’s operational stability is evident in its financial performance Rental income increased by 3% to EUR 139 million and the gross rental margin rose by 2% to EUR 97 million Cash on hand and in escrow accounts stood at EUR 70 while the occupancy rate remained strong at 87% The GTC Group is a leading real estate investor and developer focusing on Poland and capital cities in Central and Eastern Europe modern office and retail properties with a total area of 1.4 million sq GTC now actively manages a commercial real estate portfolio of 45 commercial buildings providing ca. 745 ths. sq. m of lettable office and retail space in Poland, Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade, Zagreb and a portfolio of residential properties in Germany located in Kaiserslautern, Helmstedt, and Heidenheim, comprising nearly 5 200 residential units. m retail and office properties in capital cities of Central and Eastern Europe is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and inward listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used Ambassador Dato’ Chitra Devi Ramiah met with Imam Nezar to discuss the Iftar programme to be hosted by the Embassy of Malaysia at the Wilanow mosque on 19 April 2022.   Dato’ also handed cash contribution to Imam Nezar in preparation for the Iftar program The main objective of the Iftar program was to outreach the Ukrainian Muslim refugees local Muslims who are in need of assistance The Embassy also pledged to contribute gift bags that contained dry food to be distributed on the hosting Day The Embassy of Malaysia in Warsaw in collaboration with Wilanow Mosque hosted an Iftar program for the Ukrainian and other Muslim refugees the local Muslim community including Malaysian diaspora residing in Warsaw on 19 April 2022 there were more than 150 people who attended the Iftar program.  Amb.  Dato’ handed over 70 gift bags that contained several palm-based food products to be distributed to the Muslim refugees by the Wilanow Mosque.  The façade of the building with its organic architecture will be covered with 140,000 plants Dutch studio Benthem Crouwel Architects together with Czech architects OVA have won the competition to redesign a quarter of Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square) in Dejvice district (Prague 6) the owner of the Sky Park complex in Bratislava has launched an architectural competition for its further development on an adjacent plot Italian Studio Fuksas has won an international competition to design a trade fair and exhibition centre to be built in Tirana The planned development is to be built on a 10,000-square-metre site on New Boulevard has launched a tender competition to sell the Old Customs House in Katajanokka harbour area for redevelopment The goal of the competition is to find a technically and economically feasible and architecturally outstanding solution for redeveloping the building Penta Real Estate is holding an architectural competition for the development of a 4.5 ha brownfield site that formed part of the former Juraj Dimitrov chemical works (known locally as ‘DImitrovka’ or ‘Dynamitka’) in Bratislava London-based studio Foster+Partners in a consortium with Buro Happold has won the competition to design the Solidarity Airport near Grodzisk Mazowiecki A modular construction research centre has been completed for Koma Modular in Vizovice in the Czech Republic’s eastern Zlín region The design of the facility is the work of Prague-based architectural studio Chybik+Kristof An international architectural and urban planning competition has been launched for the development of the ‘4th quadrant’ of Vítězné náměstí (Victory Square) in Prague’s Dejvice district Penta Investment has launched an architectural and urban design competition for a site along the southern bank of the Danube River in Bratislava The Iulius group and Netherlands-based Atterbury Europe are to invest EUR 0.5 bln in a large-scale mixed-use urban redevelopment project on the 14 ha site of the Carbochim abrasive products plant on the banks of the Someșul Mic river in Cluj-Napoca The Chybik + Kristof architectural studio has revealed its designs for Ostrava Tower in Ostrava city centre which will be the tallest building in the Czech Republic Globalworth Foundation and the Igloo – Habitat and Architecture Association have extended the deadline extension for the ‘2031 NOW_our cities in 10 years’ student competition to February 1st 2022 Penta Real Estate is to work together with developer PSN on the project that is to replace the former Transgas building in Prague’s Vinohrady district Kaprain Group and Sekyra Group have purchased a 2 ha plot from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (VŠCHT) at the western end of Vítězné náměstí square in Prague 6 Polish real estate developer Cavatina Holding has unveiled its concept for the Cavatina Concert Hall on Bainbridge Island in Washington state Dutch studios Benthem Crouwel Architekten and West 8 have won the competition to design a new central railway station for Brno in what was the largest architectural competition in the history of the Czech Republic BIG Poland has acquired the Multishop Suwałki retail park comprising 13,000 sqm of retail space The company now owns nine fully commercialized retail parks in Poland Slate Asset Management has sold three OBI retail stores to the Lindner Group from Germany Cushman & Wakefield has conducted a survey the findings of which are presented in the report From Shopping to Experiences: A Customer’s View on Shopping Centres and Retail Parks Cushman & Wakefield notes that despite evolving shopping trends both retail formats continue to hold strong appeal Multi Poland has taken on the management of the Galeria Przymorze shopping centre in Gdańsk The store offers lifestyle and sporting clothing and is to open this spring According to the "Quo Vadis E-commerce" report released by Cushman & Wakefield the online commerce continues to be a growth driver for the industrial & logistics real estate sector generating significant opportunities for developers and investors the investor behind the Projekt Góraszka shopping and entertainment complex in Wiązowna on Warsaw’s eastern outskirts has obtained a building permit for a mixed-use development Poznan-based company Scallier is opening another facility under the Funshop Park brand in Romania According to the latest report “At a Glance: Modern Retail Market in Poland Q4 2024” from BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland Poland’s retail market experienced record growth in 2024 Cushman &Wakefield has summarised the situation on the Polish retail market Over half a mln sqm of new retail space came on stream last year marking the highest new supply level in Poland since 2015 This robust development activity occurred amid rising demand from new retailers and improving consumer sentiment which boosted retail sales A new retail park with a total area of 24,000 sqm is set to be developed in Otwock under the name Świderek The investment will be led by Redkom Development Empik has opened a flagship store in the revitalised former Cepelia pavilion in the centre of Warsaw the modernist building has regained its former glory and once again impresses with its original appearance and modern interior Trei Real Estate Poland has opened its 40th Vendo Park The investment was created in Wrocław and has 5,000 sqm Vendo Park Wrocław is the first facility under this banner in the capital of Lower Silesia The retail park was built on a plot of approx An 800 sqm Biedronka grocery store is to open on the ground floor of the Moje Bielany residential complex which is being developed by CeMat A/S at ul Wólczyńska 121 in Warsaw’s Bielany district The Polish branch of Italian company Pirelli has been active 1992 when it became the first official branch of a foreign tyre manufacturer in the country Prometeon Tyre Group forms part of Pirelli’s industrial tyre division specialising in the production of the large tyres used in agriculture Both firms were represented in the lease negotiations by Reina Company Royal Wilanów is owned by its developer Capital Park Group It comprises 28,000 sqm of office space and 7,000 sqm of retail and service space The Shire – Beyond Coworking has taken over the operational management of an existing coworking location in the Zebra Tower office building in Warsaw has extended its lease at Warsaw’s Skyliner office building owned by the Karimpol Group for a further 63 months XTB remains in its current space spanning nearly 4,400 sqm BSH Hausgeräte has signed a green lease for 60,000 sqm in the Aviva office complex in Munich’s Neuperlach district This is the largest single letting in Munich in more than five years Independent flex office provider New Work is set to open on the eighth floor of the Metron office building in Warsaw Fio Investment Company has purchased the Stará Celnice office and retail building in the centre of Prague for its real estate fund from German pension fund BVK Europa-Immobilien-Spezialfonds with Invesco Real Estate representing the seller OKAM Capital has finalised the sale of the D E and F stages of its Bohema project in Warsaw’s Praga-Północ district to AFI Poland The transaction began with the signing of a contract in October 2021 but the sale was officially closed in March 2025 a provider of IT resource and cost management solutions has extended its lease agreement in the Business Garden complex in Warsaw International real estate advisory Knight Frank has relocated its Polish headquarters to the Vibe office building next to Rondo Daszyńskiego in Warsaw Paref has received a building permit for the Nau The work on the 34,800 sqm development on Theodor-Heuss-Allee is scheduled for completion in 2028 Green Caffè Nero is to open a 190 sqm café on the first floor of the Nefryt residential building under construction in the Soho complex under development by Yareal in Warsaw’s Praga-Południe district B2B professional services supplier Crowe is to move into the Office House building in the Towarowa 22 mixed-use project in Warsaw According to ‘Office Occupier – Office Market in Tricity’ published by real estate advisory firm Newmark Polska The Tricity ended 2024 with the second-highest office take-up level on record while its vacancy rate – hovering above 12 pct for the past four years – edged down Two Polish companies from the IT and gaming industries have leased space in the Korona Office Complex The centre comprises over 38,200 sqm of space across four buildings on al Skanska has sold the first stage of the Equilibrium office complex in Bucharest to Gordiusz Private Equity Fund for EUR 52 mln The fund is managed by Gránit Asset Management Australian-based team-management software firm Atlassian has moved into the Officyna centre in Gdańsk Consumer chemicals producer Henkel is relocating to the second building of the Equilibrium complex developed by Skanska in Bucharest's Barbu Văcărescu-Floreasca This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Roznegliżowany mężczyzna wszedł na dach bloku na warszawskim Wilanowie i rzucał cegłami w okna mieszkań Okoliczności jego śmierci wyjaśnia prokuratura Oś Królewskiej w Warszawie przybyli funkcjonariusze policji Zostali wezwani przez mieszkańców okolicznych bloków w związku z pojawieniem się zupełnie nagiego agresywnego mężczyzny na dachu jednego z trzypiętrowych budynków Z relacji na 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Census Support 2025Demonstration of traditional martial arts 2025Buddhist Groups Protest Demanding Reclamation of Bodh Gaya's Heritage 2025Protesters Clash With Police Over BPSC Results