The other half
By : Roseanne Gerin
What President Aleksander Kwasniewski thinks about hundreds of tourists traipsing across his carpet every summer weekend is anyone's guess, but one thing's for sure: While he's getting some much-needed R&R in the countryside, throngs of visitors will be queuing outside his home in Warsaw to see how he lives.
A pierogi's throw from Old Town (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 48/50), the presidential palace is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. until September. For those interested in getting a glimpse of the abode that has has welcomed a gaggle of foreign heads of state, VIPs, sports heroes and pop culture icons over the years, admission is free.
The early-Baroque palace was built between 1643 and 1655 and housed Poland's aristocratic Radziwill family for 144 years. Bought by the government in 1818, it served as a casino for high-ranking German soldiers during World War II and has been the official president's residence since 1994.
Last summer, the palace welcomed 12,800 tourists and more than 10,000 weekend visitors during the rest of the year, according to Wojciech Domoslawski, a 64-year-old member of the palace staff who occasionally gives tours for special guests. On a recent Sunday, 800 people turned up to see the palace.
But while the Kwasniewski mansion may rank high in historical happenings, it pales in comparison to Old Town in its ability to draw visitors. Several tourists lingering on the Royal Way on a recent afternoon were not even aware of the palace's open-house policy on weekends. Magda, a 24-year-old Warsaw native and her companion Dominika, 16, from Chelm, strolled right past the palace, instead heading for the cobbled streets and cafes of Old Town. They pointed out that their guidebook said the palace was closed to visitors. When informed of weekend hours, however, they reverted to their original plans.
Barcelonians Marc and Monica also skipped the palace, opting instead for the Royal Castle. Despite planning to spend 15 days touring Poland, they seemed aloof about visiting the president's home. Likewise, Aretia Andersson, a 27-year-old travel agent from Finland, took a quick snapshot of the palace and continued on her way toward Old Town.
But for those who do manage to sign Kwasniewski's register will find that most rooms apart from the presidential cabinet and living quarters on the second and third floor are temporarily closed for renovation. "Sorry for the mess; it's just a necessity," said Domoslawski about the rolled-up carpets, folded drapes and tablecloths, and miscellaneous furniture cluttering the White Room Kwasniewski's quarters for chats with foreign heads of state.
Domoslawski sometimes invites guests to sit on the White Room's gilded couch where the likes of Bill Clinton, King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Elizabeth II have posed with Kwasniewski for an official photo. The majority of the passing plebes, however, aren't so lucky. "We don't let them sit on it because you never know if there's a crazy one in the group or if someone will get it dirty," Domoslawski said.
The most famous room, however, is Colonnade Hall. The former ballroom is the largest room in the palace, flanked on each side by four light-green Italian marble columns. It was here that Fryderyk Chopin held his first concert at the age of eight in 1818; the Warsaw Pact was inked in 1955; the Roundtable Talks between the Solidarity labor movement and communist authorities were held in 1989; and the Constitution of 1997 was signed.
"So many things happened here that it gives you a headache," Domoslawski added.
