3. Wawel
Wawel, the symbol of Polish
national identity, served as a royal
residence and the site where the
country's rulers governed Poland
for five centuries from 1038 until
1596. It is an architectural complex
located on the left bank of the
Vistula river in Krakow. As it was
built over several centuries there
can be found elements of the
following styles: Romanesque,
Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and
Classicism. Today the castle houses
a number of permanent
exhibitions, e.g. State Rooms,
Royal Private Apartments, Crown
Treasury and Armoury.
4.
5. Royal Castle in
Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw, built
in the 16th century in the early
Baroque style, was the official
residence of the Polish monarchs.
Deliberately destroyed by the
Germans in 1944, the Castle was
practically built anew and now it
serves as a museum and the
venue for official visits and state
meetings. In 1980 together with
the Old Town, the Castle was
inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage List. Over 500,000
people visit the Royal Castle every
year.
6.
7. Lazienki Palace
The Lazienki Palace, also called the
Palace on the Water, is situated in
the largest park in Warsaw. Started
in the 17th century, later rebuilt
several times, is now a mixture of
architectural styles. The palace is
located on an artificial island in
Lazienki Lake, and is connected to
the rest of the park by two arcaded
bridges. The palace's furniture and
paintings belong to the Classicist
style. This stunning palace is an
absolute must for every tourist
visiting Warsaw.
8.
9. Wilanow Palace
The Wilanow Palace is a typical
Baroque building in Poland. Its
beautiful, landscaped gardens and
the complex of buildings located
in the park as well as the works of
art, all constitute records of
history. The palace was the
official residence of Jan III, a
warrior-king and a lover of books
and patron of arts. At present the
palace functions as an institution
of culture and a location readily
visited by tourists.
12. Manor Houses
The architectural form of the
manor house evolved around the
late Renaissance and continued
until the World War II. Manor
houses were built in the
countryside by Polish nobility.
The vast majority of them were
built of wood, were based on a
rectangular design, with corner
chambers and covered with the
Polish variant of the hip roof.
Common furniture included
wooden benches, cupboards,
tables, beds and small chairs.
13.
14. Tenements
This type of building is most
prevalent in city centres, especially in
historical rebuilding of previously
destroyed parts of old towns. These
brightly coloured, richly ornamented
residential buildings of wealthy
merchants, were made of brick or
stone, with at least two floors. The
ground floor was often taken up by
shops and businesses, while residential
flats occupied the higher floors. The
land in the town centre was relatively
expensive and thus the facade of a
typical tenement was narrow, whereas
the rest of the building was
considerably extended.
17. Sieve-Maker’s House
This wooden house dates back to
the 19th century and is a typical
example of the buildings
constructed at that time in our
hometown of Bilgoraj, for rich
sieve-makers. These expensively
furnished log houses consisted of
both residential rooms and sieve-
makers’ workshops. A typical
feature of such buildings was big
windows - indispensable for
weaving sieves.
18.
19.
20.
21. Zakopane Style
Architecture
This unique style was started
by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, a
critic, architect, painter,
novelist and journalist , who
combined the elements of
Polish highlanders’ culture
with Art Nouveau style. The
characteristic features of the
houses were: stone
foundations, walls made of
timber, ornamented
chimneys, carved porches
and steep shingled roofs.
24. Typical Family House
A typical Polish family house
is a one- or two-storey
building, most commonly
constructed on about ten
acres of land. Made of bricks
or wood, it usually consists
of six to eight rooms with
specialized functions such as:
cooking, eating and living
areas, a sleeping area, and
washing and lavatory areas.
Outside, the small but
beautifully landscaped garden
definitely adds to its appeal.
25.
26. Inside a typical Polish
house…
The interior is full of light,
thanks to the installed big
windows, brighty-coloured
walls and its lighting system.
The wooden floors, thick
carpets, comfortable
upholstered furniture, the
fireplaces giving a cosy glow
and the latest audiovisual
equipment, all make it a
perfect place for relaxation,
family celebrations and
entertaining friends.
27. 1970s’ Concrete Buildings
Built in the 1970s’ huge
impersonal blocks constructed
of pre-fabricated concrete, were
supposed to satisfy the growing
demand for flats, but they never
did. Criticized for low design
quality, mind-numbing
appearance, second-rate
construction materials,
unfortunately they still prevail in
all Polish city centres as a highly
visible reminder of the
Communist era
28. The Latest Apartment Buildings
All the newly erected
apartment buildings differ
considerably from those
Communist ones.
Conveniently located, built of
bricks, well insulated and
properly constructed, with
underground parking
facilities, these modern
blocks of flats are immensely
popular, especially with
young, busy city dwellers.
