UEFA Europa Conference League - Alkmaar, Legia and Zrinjski

[ChicagoLion]

Is going in the home end a good idea ? I'd be a bit uncomfortable with that .

Speaking Polish and wearing a garish leather jacket would probably help.

Edit : Not that a stylish man like Pat would wear such a jacket.

Shaved head or a mullet to fit right in.

[WarszaVillan]

I've also posted this in the Away section, but thought I might as well put it here too:

Here are a few things I know about Warsaw from my minimal knowledge.

Personally, I am very lucky as I have a sister-in-law and niece that in school term time live in the Old Town. My knowledge is mainly of that area and a few things further afield. But, this will be my base of operations.

Travel

If you fly to Chopin Airport, you are basically on the edge of the city and there will be numerous busses etc. to get where you are going.

I fly to Modlin Airport and take the shuttle bus from the airport to the Modlin train station.  From there, trains to Warszawa Centralna are frequent. Ticket machines in the airport are easy to use and English language can be selected.  Depending upon where you are staying, it is a hub for many bus routes and there are loads of cabs available. If it’s nice and not laden with luggage you can walk to Old Town in 30 minutes.

The Metro system is very simple. Nearest Metro to the Central station is Centrum (about 5 minutes’ walk from the front of the station).  The nearest station to Old Town is Ratusz Arsenal followed by a 10 minute walk.

The Metro station Swietokrzyska is basically where the North-South and East-West Metro lines cross.

Food, Drink etc.

Food - you’re basically spoiled for choice! I’ve never had anything bad to eat and you will have no problem finding somewhere to suit your tastes. I have had one of the best Pasta Arabiattas outside of Italy in Warsaw.

My family live a few doors from the WarSaw pub in Old Town. It has a very rowdy cellar (karaoke) and some pool rooms upstairs…not sure about TVs for football but I’ll update before next Thursday as I arrive on Tuesday. I like the chaos of this place, though. There are a couple of nice little craft beer pubs (one is called Same Krafty) opposite each other on Nowomiejska in Old Town.  And a few doors down is a marvellous little antique/junk shop full of Soviet and Nazi era stuff. Some expensive, some just cheap tat, but it’s always worth a browse. The main square in Old Town has loads of café-bars to choose from. For a late night “strange” drink in Old Town I cannot advise further than the Podwale Bar and Books situated on Waski Dunaj (again a few doors from “my gaff”). It is a wood-panelled whiskey bar that allows the smoking of cigars in doors. The bar staff treat customers as though you are in a Mayfair club (or how I imagine one to be). They only sell a couple of beers and they play subtitled Bond movies on a loop (volume down). It is cash only with a cashpoint outside the entrance. Gangsters? Maybe.

Further in town I have been in a few craft beer places, often down little side streets. If that’s your sort of thing, I have often been in “The Taps” (situated on Henryka Sienkiewicza) waiting for my niece to come out of her lessons and it is a pleasant place. Jabeerwocky on Nowogrodzka is also fine.

Warsaw is big and you’ll find somewhere you like. If you like Vodka there is a Vodka museum on the corner of Senatorska and Wierzbowa.

For those with an interest in history

On the bus from Modlin Airport to train station lookout for all the big brick structures, some built into the side of hills. Also on the train as it leaves Modlin look for the big brick buildings as you cross the river. This is Modlin Fort, the biggest in Europe, first built by Napoleon on his march to Moscow. The airport and town of Modlin are within the fort itself.

A neat walking tour is from the statue outside Ibis Hotel Old Town to the Jewish Museum. The statue is dedicated to those deported to the east under communism. A walk along the road named Stawki takes you to the monument to those deported to Treblinka. It is called the Umschlagplatz and it is the site of the marshalling yard collection point before being put on trains. Cross the road and head down Karmelicka and turn left onto Mila brings you to the memorial “Mila 18”. It is the site of the last survivors of the Ghetto Uprising and one of the HQs of the fighters. The bodies were left there as a war grave. Leon Uris wrote a novel called Mila 18. A short walk from here along Ludwika Zamenhofa brings you to POLIN – Museum of the history of Polish Jews. A fascinating building in itself, let alone the story told inside. It costs less than a tenner.

The Ghetto uprising was April 1942 to May 1943. Whilst walking the streets try to imagine that most of the area north of the central station to south of the Ibis Hotel Old Town and east of the main north-south road General Andersa was the Jewish Ghetto. Occasionally you will come across markings along streets and pavements that show the route of the ghetto wall. North east corner of the ghetto is between the Ibis Hotel and Polonia football ground. From May 1943 onwards this whole area would have been rubble. Just south of the Ibis and near the road called Bonifraterska was a mini concentration camp for the remaining Jews in Warsaw kept there for work.

Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego) is excellent. Well worth a visit. A short walk from Metro station Rondo Daszynskiego. The Warsaw Uprising monument is very impressive, situated on the corner of Dluga and Miodowa. A short walk will take you into Old Town and it’s churches and museums. This whole area was reduced to rubble too, but unlike the ghetto was rebuilt in its original architecture. All over Warsaw you will see plaques on walls to this period; so if you see “35 Osob” it means 35 people killed here, sometimes part of the fighting, sometimes in reprisals.

General Stuff

Remember to tip! 5 zloty is roughly £1.

A lot of places only do table service.

Always wait for the green man before crossing! You will notice most people follow this rule strictly.

Buy a 3 or 5 day travel pass ticket and keep it safe. It’ll cost you less than £10 and you can use on Metro, tram and bus. Ticket machines are at a lot of stops and easy to use with an English option.

On first use get it stamped buy the machine on the bus or tram. It is then valid for the number of days from that time.

Unfortunately after living nearly 30 years in Poland, I won't be in Warsaw when Villa come(s?) to town, how fucking depressing is that? Although being in Athens softens the blow somewhat. This is all pretty comprehensive by Rodent, I'll add a few things that may be of interest.

The Old Town is obviously a place everyone goes and I imagine where Villa fans will congregate. It's beautiful and impressive as it was all rebuilt after the war, yada yada. A decent authentic and relatively cheap place to eat is the Polish/Jewish restaurant Pod Samsomen (https://tinyurl.com/y5dh2563). To get a little off the beaten track go down the steps from Place Zamkowy to Mariensztat and walk around the square and streets there (https://tinyurl.com/2s4ddh45).

From the Old Town you can walk/take a bus along the Royal Way (Krakowskie Przedmieście - Nowy Świat) and end up eventually at a place called Plac Na Rozdrożu. You are then near the entrance to Warsaw's most beautiful historical park - Łazienki Park. In fact, you can walk down through the park pretty much to the Legia stadium  (https://tinyurl.com/4f8jdt4r).

A good place to drink before the match would be by the river (the weather should be nice). If you get the metro to Kopernik then you are right by the area where there are lots of bars and it's a really nice place to hang out in the summer. You can also get a direct bus (15 min) or walk (30 min) to the stadium from there (https://tinyurl.com/cufcnupw) You are also by an old industrial/hipster area Powiśle, worth a wander around. Nearby is also the science museum (Muzeum Nauk Kopernika) and Warsaw University library, which has a great roof garden which gives a nice view over the river (https://maps.app.goo.gl/RG4pPWgeFNn2UYav7).

Other obvious things to do that haven't been mentioned. Go to the top of the Palace of Culture (you can't miss it and it's great). For other socialist realist architecture walk around Plac Konstytucja. Also not far from there you can wander around the nearby streets that give a bit of the feel of how Warsaw was before the war. This is a decent bar in this area and not a bad starting/finishing point: (https://tinyurl.com/2tmhrwk3).

For areas worth visiting outside of the city centre. Żoliborz is lovely and very historical. Go to Metro Plac Wilsona and take it from there: look for park Żeromskiego and adjoining streets. There is a  nice beach bar not far from there: https://tinyurl.com/5b7yws9z.

 Saska Kępa over the river is very nice - go to Francuska Street, lots of cafes/bars and it is an an old diplomatic area: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jsHyPNkb7qoxeFSs7. You are also not far from the national stadium. Talking of stadiums if you are up near the old town then take a look at the Polonia Warszawa stadium - they stand on the side of goodness.

Someone said don't go to Praga (the area over the river). I don't agree with this, it's a bit rough and ready but is very interesting and is an area that was not destroyed during the war. There is an orthodox church there - for bars go to Ząbkowska street (https://tinyurl.com/mbbczzay) or to the gentrified industrial complex if it's your thing with a vodka museum: https://tinyurl.com/2c4j4s7y.

If you are looking for an 'expat' bar the best is probably Legends: https://tinyurl.com/yc3r8435. The Irish Bar on Miodowa which Rodent mentioned is pretty good. Both should have the game on. Avoid the Bull Dog.

Museums - the two obvious ones for historical interest are the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which although not without its controversy is good. I'd recommend the Jewish Museum - although it's huge and I'd skip some of the stuff if you are going around in one go. You are also in the ghetto area and you can find other monuments to see.

Safety - it's a very safe city and you should have no problems. However, Legia fans do have their fair share of arseholes and English fans are still seen as a bit of a scalp.

Bars - I'm too old to know where the hip places in town are. However, if you're looking for a place for late-night drinking in the centre then Pawiliony is a good  (https://tinyurl.com/4ay78mdk ) lots of small bars together and a lively atmosphere. Nearby to there is Amatorska, which is a decent little more 'old school' place: https://tinyurl.com/24s4ueut .

Travel: download this app and you can buy tickets on it - scan the QR code when you get on a bus/tram or enter the metro: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mobilet.app&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1 .

You can hire city bikes as well through this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nextbike.veturilo&hl=en_US

Enjoy. It's a great city.

[Risso]

Some more great info, nice one WalsallVilla. I sadly won't be going but nice to see two great posts from you and Small Rodent which will be massively helpful to those that are.

[Holte L2]

Some more great info, nice one WalsallVilla. I sadly won't be going but nice to see two great posts from you and Small Rodent which will be massively helpful to those that are.

They have ben a godsend I have to say. Thank you lads. UTV!

[VillaTim]

Brilliant info really good.

Is it top 2 from each group who qualify ?

[liam]

Thansk WarszaVillan and Small rodent, i have a couple of days either side, so will check some of these places out on Wednesday and Friday.

[liam]

Brilliant info really good.

Is it top 2 from each group who qualify ?

Top team goes through runners up play a quallifeir against the teams that drop out Europa League - so 2 extra games we could do without !

[Small Rodent]

Great info WarszaVillan. I’ll definitely be looking at the river tomorrow. And my niece and sister-in-law here will use the information too. They’re only there in term time and tend to be tied up with ballet stuff so don’t go far. And when dad/husband goes out there he doesn’t know the place too well.

[TaxDodger]

I know it's all fairly meaningless at this point, particularly with teams dropping out of the Europa League still to enter, but I do very much enjoy seeing us listed as favourites to win the entire thing.

Who'd have thought when losing at home to Barnsley in the Championship that in six years we'd start the season as favourites for a European trophy and Philippe Coutinho would be a mere loaned out squad player.

[VillaTim]

Brilliant info really good.

Is it top 2 from each group who qualify ?

Top team goes through runners up play a quallifeir against the teams that drop out Europa League - so 2 extra games we could do without !

Yeah winning the Group is pretty important then

[liam]

Villa saying ETickets will be sent out from 3pm today  - so no collection at a location afterall? Passport numbers on the tickets which need to be crossed checked going into the ground, be interested in how many are actually checked if thats the case.

[olaftab]

Villa saying ETickets will be sent out from 3pm today  - so no collection at a location afterall? Passport numbers on the tickets which need to be crossed checked going into the ground, be interested in how many are actually checked if thats the case.

Cheers liam. You have answered the question I was going to ask on here just now. As for  x checks it's all loads of $%^^&*&. Very very unlikely.

[liam]

Shame to hear a Newcastle fan stabbed last night in Milan - and a couple others hurt, warning to everyone to be safe during the excitment of European games agian.

 "I’ve spoken to the family of 58-year-old Newcastle fan Eddie McKay, who was stabbed by men in balaclavas last night.
He’s in a stable condition after being stabbed in the back & arms.
His daughter Rachel said her dad wanted to send a message to #NUFC fans here in Milan 🗣️"

[VillaTim]

seems on the continent attacking English fans is seen as a badge of honour

[Bad English]

seems on the continent attacking English fans is seen as a badge of honour

Your partial sentence would be better if the predicate were followed by an agent complement; it would make it less of a generalisation. For example "by the minority who like to indulge in violence."