Hello! Since this is my first entry I feel the need to introduce myself. My name is Lara Reichel and I am 19 years old. A few months back I decided that I wanted to be a volunteer for the European Solidarity Corps. Being interested in going to Poland, I found out about the Schuman Foundation and my hosting organization “Szansa”. At the beginning of October, I left my hometown in Germany to start my adventure here in Warsaw.
Today, I want to talk about my favorite place in Warsaw: The Łazienki Park.
Łazienki Park is the biggest park in Warsaw with a size of 76 hectares. It is located close to the city center and just around the corner from the Schuman Foundation’s office 😉 Therefore it is very easy to reach for a quick walk after work or to relax under the trees on a Weekend. It is the perfect place to forget about the busy city life for a while. I am from a very small town and I enjoy being surrounded by nature. Even though a lot of people visit Łazienki on a daily basis one can always find a quiet corner to be alone and enjoy the atmosphere. Another big reason why walking around in the park is one of my favorite things to do right now is that I don’t have to wear a mask there. The Corona rules state that we have to wear our masks in public at all times. This doesn’t apply for parks and forests though 🙂
Łazienki Park has got a lot to offer. The scenery by the river or the lake is breathtakingly beautiful in every season. There are some palaces, villas and monuments scattered through the park. The oldest of which were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. There is an amphitheater on an island on the lake which still hosts performances. Some of the buildings were turned into museums of art and architecture and every year there are a lot of cultural and artistic events that take place in the huge park.
Every Sunday afternoon from May to September, musicians from all over the world hold concerts in front of the Chopin monument in the park. These concerts of Chopin’s music have been happening since 1959 and are free of charge for the visitors of the park. I am already looking forward to grabbing a blanket and relaxing with some friends on the grass in front of the monument, talking and listening to music.
One last thing that is quite special about Łazienki Park are the animals who live there. Apart from some ducks, swans and different kinds of birds, visitors of the park will surely notice the squirrels everywhere. There are approximately more than 200 of them running around and jumping from tree to tree. These little friends are so used to human contact that they will eat nuts right out of your hand so make sure to bring some to the park with you. Surprisingly, Łazienki also is home to peacocks which I got to see on my second visit. While researching about Łazienki for this blog entry, I also read about a roe deer that lives in the park but I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting it yet.
I am planning to spend many more Sundays at the park since I enjoy being there so much. I hope this article made some of you want to see it for yourself. It truly is worth it!