Hi:
If you have time for only 1, which is better to do in Warsaw: Uprising or POLIN? I know they're different, as are people's likes; just want to hear what you have to say about them in comparison to each other. Thanks!
Posted by
Minnesota
777 posts
This is a really tough question! I was lucky to be in Warsaw three different times, so I was able to visit both and they are both excellent. I think you will need to consider your personal interests. Neither would be a “wrong” choice.
The Uprising Museum focuses on a specific historical period and event. It gives you a real understanding of what the Polish people experienced during the Nazi occupation and their resistance to it. If you go, be sure to watch the film, taken from an airplane flying over the city shortly after the war, that shows the utter destruction of Warsaw. It will make you appreciate the incredible rebuilding that was done. Also go see the long wall outside that memorializes those who died during the uprising. It’s a lot like the Vietnam memorial in DC with thousands of names. I have a second cousin whose father died during the uprising (she was only a baby) and I was able to find his name (there’s a directory) and send her a picture.
The POLIN Museum, on the other hand, covers a broad sweep of Polish history (they bill it as a “journey through 1000 years of the history of Polish Jews”). It is NOT either a WWII or Holocaust museum, although that period is certainly covered. This gives you a sense of Jewish life and contributions to Polish life through history, not just the sad chapter during WWII. The exhibits are vast and organized chronologically. I spent way too much time on the earlier history and ran out of time. But my entrance ticket was good for seven days (don’t know if this is still true), so I returned to see the rest of the exhibits, as well as one of the special exhibits. They offer guided tours and, if your time is limited, that might be the way to go so that you see all the highlights.