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Praga

The other side of the river (the east side) is commonly referred to as Praga, infamous as the place where the Soviet Red Army was stationed and stood in wait as the Germans crushed the 63-day Warsaw Uprising and Hitler vowed to erase the city off the map in retribution just before the end of the Second World War. It was only after the Germans were defeated that the Soviets crossed over to reclaim Warsaw. For this reason, Praga was spared much of the war's destruction and a historical tension developed between the right and left banks of the river. Praga has a slightly dubious reputation among locals for crime, dangerous streets, the Mafia, car theft and so on. Although this is true in large part in only a few specific areas, they have seen dramatic improvement in the last few years. Popular among artists for the low rent available in this district, Praga has become home to many studios and workshops for the new avant-garde. Cafes, pubs and clubs are popping up to cater to Warsaw's bohemian crowd. Saska Kepa is an upper-class haven running down to the riverbanks. Its narrow tree-lined streets are wonderful to walk through and admire the villas that were once home to Tsarist ministers. Now these structures instead belong to private owner, embassies and international schools.