Tour Overview
Follow the route that will lead you through the particular periods of Chopin's life. Easy to cover on foot, winding along the corners of the Old Town of Warsaw, it will tell you everything you need to know about Chopin's life, love, family and friendship – nearly all of these having Warsaw as their main setting. Sightsee the Varsovian parks and open spaces where the composer would spend his spare time, pay a visit to the historical buildings he once resided at and enrich your knowledge of his oeuvre at an ultra-modern museum devoted to this outstanding individual.
Warsaw: the capital of Poland, located some 300 kilometres North of
Krakow, with convenient transport options available for use. The heart of
idyllic Masovia region, whose countryside
full of willows and sounds of nostalgic folk music have always provided composers with a lot of inspiration. This is where
Frederic Chopin would move to from a manor house in
Zelazowa Wola, situated 50 kilometres of distance from the capital city. Nearly
21 years out of the 39 years of his life were spent in Warsaw – back then, the capital of Congress Poland. This makes Chopin a full-blooded Varsovian, with plenty of traces related to his life and works scattered around the Old Town of Warsaw. It suffices to put on comfortable footwear to start the journey into Chopin's world at
Pilsudskiego Square.
The remains of Saski Palace [a.k.a. Saxon Palace] are easy to spot at the side of Pilsudskiego Square that adjoins
the Saski Garden [a.k.a. Saxon Garden]. The Neoclassical and once-extensive palace was
destroyed throughout World War II, with three arcades to remain on site only. However, it will be easy for you to imagine the structure of the palace
Chopin would reside at between 1810 and 1817, beginning as a seven-month-old future prodigy child. At the time, Saski Palace would house a school where Frederic's father was employed as a French teacher. The impressive Saski Garden,
an English-landscape-styled oasis of greenery that is centered around a large 19th-century fountain, is where young Frederic (dubbed into "Frycek" at the time) would play during his early years of life. The place is full of pedestrians enjoying their time there, especially during the high season.
When you turn into
Krakowskie Przedmiescie street – on of the branches of picturesque
UNESCO-listed Castle Square and its Old Town – you will come across a number of
Chopin-devoted multimedia benches, playing the pieces of your choice as you press appropriate buttons. There will be
17th-century Kazimierzowski Palace located by the pedestrianised street - a place where
Frederic Chopin would live between 1817 and 1827. The building has a bas relief with Chopin's effigy placed upon the entry, itself serving as one of Warsaw University's main buildings now. It is free of charge to enter it.
The Botanical Garden located behind the palace is where
young Chopin would spend long hours reading, having strolls or devising his most famous Masovia-related pieces at the time, that he mentioned in the letters his close friend would then receive.
Frederic Chopin left Warsaw at the age of 21, moving to Paris – the turbulent times that affected Warsaw in 1831 (the November Uprising) were one of the reasons of him joining "the Great Emigration" surge of Poles. According to Chopin's letters,
the departure was something he would never fully reconcile with, feeling homesickness throughout this "French period" until his premature death of tuberculosis in 1849. While the composer was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery of Paris, Holy Cross church is one special place related to his demise. Following the will of the composer,
his heart was transported to Warsaw and placed at the said church, inside a pillar bearing the bas relief with his effigy, created in 1880 and unveiled with the sounds of Chopin's Funeral March in the background.
It only takes a few steps to visit
Chopin Museum, housed inside a
thoroughly-renovated Ostrogski Palace. Over
7,000 exhibits related to Chopin – his manuscripts, autographs, instruments or private belongings collected throughout the last one and a half century – beautifully complement
one of the best-designed Polish museums, whose abundance in multimedia will make even children enjoy their time inside. You need to remember, that this is only a fraction of where you may feel the spirit of Chopin while in Warsaw. The world-famous Chopin Monument in the Royal Baths Park is just one of those remaining attractions that still need to be seen.
Willing to discover more about the life and works of Frederic Chopin? Contact us to visit the places described above with professional guidance.
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