Geocaching in Warsaw - more than the country dot Poland

Geocaching in Warsaw was the prelude to the Baltic trip by Cacher-Reisen. Actually the Baltic States, Scandinavia and Saint Petersburg. Here in Warsaw, the country point Poland should be brought - and it was so much more......

The journey officially started on Monday in Warsaw – however, many of the participants took the opportunity to arrive at the weekend.

Frankfurt and Berlin arrived on Saturday morning and, after moving into our rooms in our ** hotel, we headed towards the old town for geocaching. Well, actually we had already used the way from the airport to the hotel for the country point and the first geocaches. A word about the two-star hotel: this was perfectly adequate and in order. In a good location with clean rooms and bathrooms and a reasonable breakfast (okay, we're still working on the coffee, but we already know that from abroad...) the hotel was just right for our group.

The weather was good and the map showed us some caches near the hotel - so let's go geocaching in Warsaw/Poland.

Vistula recreation area

In just a few steps we reached the Vistula. There was a surprising amount going on here. Ok it was weekend too, lots of families walking, some artists showing their art and lots to see.

The first pictures of the siren (we would say mermaid...) were taken. She was to see us more often later in the city.

A small group of wooden see-saw animals in the form of sheep invited our group to a boisterous (small) group photo. Here at the latest it was clear that this was going to be a very fun week. The local population, especially the youngest, watched us with interest.

We went on from cache to cache, but also enjoyed the hustle and bustle at the river. Next, a metal square drew attention. 3X3 smaller squares immediately animated to walk around on them. Rather jump - a music square invited to make music. Of course, each of us wanted to try it…. Just as we were about to finish, a larger crowd drew our attention.

Two ropes were stretched across the Vistula, with a large crowd of spectators below them on the bank. We joined them and watched the "tightrope walker" on the tightrope. Step by step, barefoot, he approached our bank quite safely. He didn't do that for the first time, we were all sure of that. A safety device was running on the second rope. On both sides of the river there was an extra crane that kept the rope taut. Shortly before the local bank, the rope runner faltered, took something out of his trouser pocket. We stared into space, as did a hundred other people beside us. A short time later, the tightrope walker waved the Polish flag, received a big round of applause, and continued on his way to our bank side and the crane.

Our way went over the Earth Cache (more on that later) in the direction of the city centre. Then we saw a vantage point on a roof. We wanted to go there too – but how?

By walking around the building we found out that it is the university library. We found an entrance - and at first laughed out loud about a sock vending machine. Well, then nothing can go wrong…. Actually, we would have treated ourselves to a pair of socks from the machine, at EUR 11 per pair they had a nice Warsaw motif printed on them, but the quality could not be checked. So we better keep our hands off it. We continued to look for the way to the viewpoint on the roof - and also found signs pointing to the roof garden.

Roof garden of the University Library in Warsaw

We were very surprised by what awaited us after a short climb up the stairs to the roof of the university library. Here many corners were designed on many square meters with lots of greenery. Already on the way up or from above you can see the library and the students' workplaces. Learning there certainly has something! In addition, on the roof there is a view of the Palace of Culture in Warsaw, bridges and green walkways. We looked for access to the vantage point in the direction of the Vistula, which we had already seen from the river. A few photos later, romantic photos were taken in the green on the roof before we headed towards the old town for dinner. Even if there is no cache here (yet), we can only recommend the roof garden on the University Library in Warsaw for some sightseeing.

Old Town of Warsaw

Wow! It is not without reason that the Old Town of Warsaw is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was completely destroyed in the Second World War in 1944 and rebuilt largely true to the original between 1949 and 1955. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1980. The justification for the inscription on the World Heritage List was as follows: “Warsaw's Old Town – the historical center – is an exceptional example of a comprehensive reconstruction of an old town that was intentionally and completely destroyed. The basis of the material restoration was the inner strength and determination of the Polish nation, which managed to restore the historical heritage in a unique way in world history” (source. Wikipedia). For us a worthy place to log the geocaching point for the country of Poland. And we also had time for some geocaching in the old town.

Toilets in Warsaw

In the old town we see it for the first time. The hand wash basin! Well, of course we had already discovered the blue Dixi toilets that we also know from home. For a city with a high number of visitors, it is advisable to offer many public toilets. This happens in Warsaw with the well-known blue Dixi houses. A bit unusual in our eyes, but quite useful. We mostly know these blue toilet cans from festivals and events or from construction sites. But there is more here than the blue toilets! Also made of plastic are occasional urinals in a collection of toilets. That was new to us. And we really want to mention the hand washing facilities, which are kept in the same blue. You can get water here with a foot switch. Soap and paper towels are also provided. Not a bad idea at all!

Geocaching in Warschau

After breakfast on the second day, we set off with our ever-growing teams to a cache with a special rating on the Vistula. Geocaching in Warschau started right near the hotel with the cache Bulwary Wislane (GC67QY5). It is a D4.5 T4 Tradi, which of course caught our attention. It quickly becomes clear where the cache is to be found, and in our opinion the T rating is appropriate. You walk around a bridge pillar on a narrow "wall" and then stow the can in the metal struts above it. Underneath are – of course – the blue outhouses.

Another special cache is also located on the Vistula and is an earth cache. Here you should have a tape measure with you to be able to measure a large menhir. Add to that a creative task, what the rock formations remind you of, and the answer can be sent to the owner. It was an earth cache in a beautiful location with solvable tasks.

Of course we would have to list many more special caches for Warsaw. The cache density in the city is not to be sneezed at, and many active, local geocachers also came to our event. But we cannot list all caches that would be worth it. If you are preparing for a tour to Warsaw, you know how to proceed. FAP help with planning, as well as your own preferences for certain cache types.

For us, the new virtual around the monument to Copernicus was still exciting. If you're there, the pancake house just a few steps away is well worth a stop.

One of our participants also organized an event to get to know local cachers – centrally located in the old town of Warsaw. It was already clear from the Will Attends that we will get to know local cachers here. And so it was. A German who emigrated to Warsaw 20 years ago came, as did the little Polish boy who brought his coin box and proudly showed it. It was easy to get talking - the upcoming Mega was a topic of conversation, as were caches we had found during the day or must-visit tomorrow. In the short event time, many acquaintances were made here and promises were made to see each other again at the Mega next year. The owner then organized seating in a typical local restaurant directly opposite the event location, so that the day could end with typical regional dishes.

Palace of Cultures in Warsaw

We visit the tallest building in Poland and once the second tallest building in Europe: the Palace of Cultures in Warsaw. It is correctly called the Palace of Culture and Science and was built between 1952 and 1955. It is 237 meters high and has 42 floors. It was once named after Joseph Stalin and as a monument of the architecture of the so-called Socialist Realism Warsaw is not loved by everyone. You hear nicknames like "Stalin cake", "Stalin goad" or "Stalin's revenge". Although the building has been a listed building since 2007, there are always voices calling for its demolition. Several cinemas, theaters and museums are housed in the building. There is a viewing platform on the 114th floor, which can be reached via an elevator (with a driver!). The ticket for the elevator ride is the equivalent of 5 EUR. For the two ladies, who we were able to experience as drivers in the elevator on their little chair, time seems to have stopped for a long time. It was an experience for us!

From the viewing platform you not only have a panoramic view of Warsaw, but also fulfill the task of a virtual with a photo. The visit was therefore a must for us. But the building also impresses from the inside. In the high, generously designed entrance hall, we find exhibits made of screws and steel plates as the current exhibition - dinosaurs and modern animation figures put a smile on our faces.

AR_Caches

In Warsaw I also find the second AR_Cache for me abroad. The cache AR_Syrenki (GC7W886) got on our nerves. Although I had already played an AR_Cache, but with the APP Metaverse. This seemed to me to be much easier and more convenient than the HP Reveal app used here. The location on a church door was well chosen, you had to count something, get close to a certain picture - and with a lot of coincidence and luck one or the other of the team had the final cords on their cell phones. After all, an owner took the opportunity to lay out an AR_Cache within the period specified by Groundspeak. We'll see how these go in the future. For us, our walk through the great city continued.

Mega 2019

In August next year, a mega-event will take place in Poland. We were cordially invited and would like to advertise it here: https://coord.info/GC7R4J5

Shortly after our visit, this event also gained mega status. Let's hope that the many great caches that we were able to find in Warsaw will also be available to visitors during the mega. We were able to get to know some of the organizers and are sure that they still have some great ideas up their sleeve.

Our comment: Whether with or without Mega - Warsaw is always worth a trip for a country point Poland!