Europe Trip 2025 - Poland - Remnants of war and urban decay

In 2025 Poland's economy is set to be the 20th biggest in the world: 

Poverty rate is in the low range for OECD countries:

Unemployment rate is one of the lowest in OECD:

The real minimum wage in PPP is decent:

The motorway network is approaching the status of being complete:

Green - complete.

The first new high speed rail (HSR, max 320 km/h operational speed, max 350 km/h design speed) is being built, with the planned opening of the first section between Warsaw and Łódź in 2032 and the rest of the 480 km Y line connecting Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław by 2035.

Still, there is a lot to do to. The scars of the 1939-1945 war are still visible on some buildings in Warsaw:

9 Dymińska street - bullet holes.

224 Grochowska street - see the shell explosion pattern.

21 Hetmańska street - bullet holes.

There is a lot of dilapidated buildings, uneven pavements, missing footpaths, abandoned lots. Drivers park on grass and footpaths and destroy them. It's too easy to buy alcohol (you can buy it at any time of day or night at regular food shops and even at petrol stations) and it is too cheap (you can buy 0.5 litre beer bottle for about 2.5 PLN - 1 AUD, and a 0.5 litre bottle of vodka for 25 PLN). 

There is too much graffiti and grime. Some buildings need a wash. The iconic Palace of Culture was almost white when it was built in 1955: 

1958 photo by John Shultz

 

Now it's dirty grey:

Abandoned building:

11C? Żółkiewskiego street

Katowice were a beautiful city with tree lined streets and squares on some pre-war postcards. Since the fall of communism they lost 20% of population:

Łódź lost 24% of population since the fall of communism. This city has probably the biggest task of all Polish cities to renovate, but I believe it will pull through. Its advantage is being in the middle of Poland and close to Warsaw. In 2032 it will get a high speed rail connection to Warsaw, with travel time of about 40 minutes. 

Kraków, despite growing population, and a public image of a beautiful city, there are places like these:

Kazimierz district

Wrocław, despite being a beautiful and cared for city in general, also has many ugly places:

The graffiti at the base of the building and the van parking on grass.

So many cars, and even a smokestack.  

An alcohol shop where an apartment building should be.

Cars make grime, grime stays on facades.

How are these chain spikes legal? They are at a small child's eye level.

Most of this street is for cars. No place for trees, bikes, benches.

Someone is fighting ugly graffiti with street art. The message says: Don Quixote is the patron of people fighting the plague of illegal graffiti.

Inside one of the old buildings.

Dirt and lack of maintenance.

Abandoned shop.

Abandoned historical building.

Street art being destroyed by graffiti.

Hopefully this one will get renovated soon.

Lublin, a beautiful old town, but not all of it has been restored yet:

And then when you step outside:

What is the history of this building? Is it missing its second half?

Abandoned, but secured. Hopefully, it will become something useful again soon.