Nowa Huta - Communist tour review - Revision history

Editor at 17:24, 31 December 2020

2020-12-31T17:24:02Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:24, 31 December 2020
Line 45:		Line 45:
	To find out more, see [http://www.crazyguides.com/ Crazy Guides.]		To find out more, see [http://www.crazyguides.com/ Crazy Guides.]

−	~~= Find out more =~~	+	= Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki =
−		+
−	=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===	+

	* Abandoned movie theatres in Russia.		* Abandoned movie theatres in Russia.
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	--[[User:Michael_Brooks\|Michael Brooks]]		--[[User:Michael_Brooks\|Michael Brooks]]

−	[[Category:~~History~~]] [[Category:~~International~~]] [[Category:~~Projects_and_case_studies~~]] [[Category:~~DCN_Project_Knowledge~~]]	+	[[Category:DCN_Project_Knowledge]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]]

Michael Brooks at 17:49, 12 February 2018

2018-02-12T17:49:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:49, 12 February 2018
Line 63:		Line 63:
	* The Kremlin.		* The Kremlin.

−	[[Category:History]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]]	+	--[[User:Michael_Brooks\|Michael Brooks]]
		+
		+	[[Category:History]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:DCN_Project_Knowledge]]

Editor at 14:09, 26 October 2017

2017-10-26T14:09:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:09, 26 October 2017
Line 55:		Line 55:
	* Imagine Moscow exhibition.		* Imagine Moscow exhibition.
	* James Crawford - Fallen Glory.		* James Crawford - Fallen Glory.
		+	* Karl Marx-Hof.
	* Owen Hatherley interview.		* Owen Hatherley interview.
	* Owen Hatherley - Landscapes of Communism.		* Owen Hatherley - Landscapes of Communism.

Editor at 09:59, 24 August 2017

2017-08-24T09:59:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:59, 24 August 2017
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	[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]

−	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has moved on in the years since Poland became independent in ~~1991~~, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.	+	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1989, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.

	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions tarnished Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the statue of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.		A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions tarnished Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the statue of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.

Editor at 08:56, 24 August 2017

2017-08-24T08:56:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:56, 24 August 2017
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	[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]

−	The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners providing parks and even a large lake on its ~~western~~ periphery.	+	The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners providing parks and even a large lake on its eastern periphery.

	Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.		Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.

Designing Buildings at 08:01, 24 August 2017

2017-08-24T08:01:37Z

Editor at 18:15, 23 August 2017

2017-08-23T18:15:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:15, 23 August 2017
Line 39:		Line 39:
	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has very much moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.		While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has very much moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.

−	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions began to tarnish Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the ~~state~~ of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.	+	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions began to tarnish Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the statue of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.

	[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]

Editor at 18:12, 23 August 2017

2017-08-23T18:12:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 23 August 2017
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−	[[File:Nowahuta1.jpg]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta1.jpg\|link=File:Nowahuta1.jpg]]

	In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world.		In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world.
Line 5:		Line 5:
	Nowa Huta, in eastern Krakow, Poland, is a unique project that was designed and built as a utopian ideal city and has been described as ‘one of the most renowned examples of deliberate social engineering’ in the world. With some 200,000 residents, it remains one of Krakow’s most populous areas.		Nowa Huta, in eastern Krakow, Poland, is a unique project that was designed and built as a utopian ideal city and has been described as ‘one of the most renowned examples of deliberate social engineering’ in the world. With some 200,000 residents, it remains one of Krakow’s most populous areas.

−	[[File:Nowahuta4.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta4.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta4.JPG]]

−	Crazy Guides describe themselves as an ~~‘alternative’~~ to typical tourism in Poland, and have grown in popularity over the last few years to become perhaps the most well-known tour company in Krakow.	+	Crazy Guides describe themselves as an ‘alternative to typical tourism in Poland', and have grown in popularity over the last few years to become perhaps the most well-known tour company in Krakow.

	Their ‘unique selling point’ is their small fleet of renovated Trabants – the diminutive car that was manufactured in East Germany and synonymous with Soviet bloc countries – which they use for their tours.		Their ‘unique selling point’ is their small fleet of renovated Trabants – the diminutive car that was manufactured in East Germany and synonymous with Soviet bloc countries – which they use for their tours.

−	[[File:Nowahuta9.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta9.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta9.JPG]]

	Our tour guide picked us up from the city centre, introducing herself as being a proud resident of today’s Nowa Huta. As we drove east, she explained some of the history to the project, how it was created in 1949 by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as a means of housing the workers of the new Vladimir Lenin Steelworks nearby, which in the years following its 1954 opening became the largest steel mill in Poland.		Our tour guide picked us up from the city centre, introducing herself as being a proud resident of today’s Nowa Huta. As we drove east, she explained some of the history to the project, how it was created in 1949 by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as a means of housing the workers of the new Vladimir Lenin Steelworks nearby, which in the years following its 1954 opening became the largest steel mill in Poland.
Line 17:		Line 17:
	Controversially, to enable such a major centre of heavy industry on the outskirts of Krakow, the Communist government repossessed the land from farming villages, creating a ‘tabula rasa’ for the architects to plan their utopian vision from scratch.		Controversially, to enable such a major centre of heavy industry on the outskirts of Krakow, the Communist government repossessed the land from farming villages, creating a ‘tabula rasa’ for the architects to plan their utopian vision from scratch.

−	[[File:Nowahuta2.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta2.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta2.JPG]]

	Arriving in the Central Square, our guide talked us through the planned layout and architectural design of the district.		Arriving in the Central Square, our guide talked us through the planned layout and architectural design of the district.
Line 23:		Line 23:
	The doctrine of ‘socialist realism’ was enforced in Poland, as elsewhere, until the mid-1950s. Accordingly, architecture was considered a valuable weapon for the Soviets in their drive to instil a new social order, with buildings needing to express a sense of power and ambition. Architects were viewed as being ‘engineers of the human soul’, with the role of such their designs to spark the consciousness of citizens and enhance their outlook on life.		The doctrine of ‘socialist realism’ was enforced in Poland, as elsewhere, until the mid-1950s. Accordingly, architecture was considered a valuable weapon for the Soviets in their drive to instil a new social order, with buildings needing to express a sense of power and ambition. Architects were viewed as being ‘engineers of the human soul’, with the role of such their designs to spark the consciousness of citizens and enhance their outlook on life.

−	[[File:Nowahuta3.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta3.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta3.JPG]]

	The plan of Nowa Huta is based on classical Renaissance design, with streets running radially out of one centre – the Central Square – and linked together to form a web. It is this axial composition that is the most characteristic feature of the project.		The plan of Nowa Huta is based on classical Renaissance design, with streets running radially out of one centre – the Central Square – and linked together to form a web. It is this axial composition that is the most characteristic feature of the project.
Line 29:		Line 29:
	The Central Square and Avenue of Roses were clearly inspired by Baron Hausmann’s wide Parisian boulevards as well as the classical architecture of cities like London and Vienna; but subtle deviations were incorporated to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, creating a unique blending of forms.		The Central Square and Avenue of Roses were clearly inspired by Baron Hausmann’s wide Parisian boulevards as well as the classical architecture of cities like London and Vienna; but subtle deviations were incorporated to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, creating a unique blending of forms.

−	[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]

	The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners making sure to provide parks and even a large lake on its western periphery.		The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners making sure to provide parks and even a large lake on its western periphery.
Line 35:		Line 35:
	Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, with the onset of ‘de-Stalinisation’, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.		Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, with the onset of ‘de-Stalinisation’, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.

−	[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]

	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has very much moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.		While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has very much moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.
Line 41:		Line 41:
	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions began to tarnish Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the state of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.		A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions began to tarnish Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the state of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.

−	[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]	+	[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]

	The tour is a fascinating insight to a rare example of urban planning, and over the course of 2.5-3 hours, Crazy Guides do it very well indeed. There is a break with a complimentary drink included, as well as a glimpse inside one of the apartments preserved as it would have been during the Communist era, where you can watch some propaganda film footage of beaming workers helping to build their utopian new city.		The tour is a fascinating insight to a rare example of urban planning, and over the course of 2.5-3 hours, Crazy Guides do it very well indeed. There is a break with a complimentary drink included, as well as a glimpse inside one of the apartments preserved as it would have been during the Communist era, where you can watch some propaganda film footage of beaming workers helping to build their utopian new city.

Editor: Created page with "File:Nowahuta1.jpg In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world. Nowa Huta,..."

2017-08-23T18:11:27Z

Created page with "File:Nowahuta1.jpg In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world. Nowa Huta,..."

New page

[[File:Nowahuta1.jpg]]

In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world.

Nowa Huta, in eastern Krakow, Poland, is a unique project that was designed and built as a utopian ideal city and has been described as ‘one of the most renowned examples of deliberate social engineering’ in the world. With some 200,000 residents, it remains one of Krakow’s most populous areas.

[[File:Nowahuta4.JPG]]

Crazy Guides describe themselves as an ‘alternative’ to typical tourism in Poland, and have grown in popularity over the last few years to become perhaps the most well-known tour company in Krakow.

Their ‘unique selling point’ is their small fleet of renovated Trabants – the diminutive car that was manufactured in East Germany and synonymous with Soviet bloc countries – which they use for their tours.

[[File:Nowahuta9.JPG]]

Our tour guide picked us up from the city centre, introducing herself as being a proud resident of today’s Nowa Huta. As we drove east, she explained some of the history to the project, how it was created in 1949 by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as a means of housing the workers of the new Vladimir Lenin Steelworks nearby, which in the years following its 1954 opening became the largest steel mill in Poland.

Controversially, to enable such a major centre of heavy industry on the outskirts of Krakow, the Communist government repossessed the land from farming villages, creating a ‘tabula rasa’ for the architects to plan their utopian vision from scratch.

[[File:Nowahuta2.JPG]]

Arriving in the Central Square, our guide talked us through the planned layout and architectural design of the district.

The doctrine of ‘socialist realism’ was enforced in Poland, as elsewhere, until the mid-1950s. Accordingly, architecture was considered a valuable weapon for the Soviets in their drive to instil a new social order, with buildings needing to express a sense of power and ambition. Architects were viewed as being ‘engineers of the human soul’, with the role of such their designs to spark the consciousness of citizens and enhance their outlook on life.

[[File:Nowahuta3.JPG]]

The plan of Nowa Huta is based on classical Renaissance design, with streets running radially out of one centre – the Central Square – and linked together to form a web. It is this axial composition that is the most characteristic feature of the project.

The Central Square and Avenue of Roses were clearly inspired by Baron Hausmann’s wide Parisian boulevards as well as the classical architecture of cities like London and Vienna; but subtle deviations were incorporated to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, creating a unique blending of forms.

[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]

The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners making sure to provide parks and even a large lake on its western periphery.

Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, with the onset of ‘de-Stalinisation’, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.

[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]

While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has very much moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.

A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions began to tarnish Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the state of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.

[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]

The tour is a fascinating insight to a rare example of urban planning, and over the course of 2.5-3 hours, Crazy Guides do it very well indeed. There is a break with a complimentary drink included, as well as a glimpse inside one of the apartments preserved as it would have been during the Communist era, where you can watch some propaganda film footage of beaming workers helping to build their utopian new city.

If you are planning a trip to Krakow then you really shouldn’t miss out on this unique experience.

To find out more, see [http://www.crazyguides.com/ Crazy Guides.]

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* Abandoned movie theatres in Russia.
* Architecture of Christiania.
* Constructivist architecture.
* Danish Architecture Center.
* Imagine Moscow exhibition.
* James Crawford - Fallen Glory.
* Owen Hatherley interview.
* Owen Hatherley - Landscapes of Communism.
* Palace of Culture and Science.
* Sink estate regeneration plans.
* Spomeniks.
* The Kremlin.

[[Category:History]] [[Category:International]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:01, 24 August 2017
Line 3:		Line 3:
	In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world.		In August 2017, Designing Buildings Wiki went on an organised tour to one of only two planned socialist realist housing projects in the world.

−	Nowa Huta, in eastern Krakow, Poland, is a unique project ~~that was~~ designed and built as a utopian ~~ideal~~ city and has been described as ‘one of the most renowned examples of deliberate social engineering’ in the world. With some 200,000 residents, it remains one of Krakow’s most populous areas.	+	Nowa Huta, in eastern Krakow, Poland, is a unique project designed and built as a utopian city and has been described as ‘one of the most renowned examples of deliberate social engineering’ in the world. With some 200,000 residents, it remains one of Krakow’s most populous areas.

	[[File:Nowahuta4.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta4.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta4.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta4.JPG]]

−	Crazy Guides describe themselves as an ‘alternative to typical tourism in Poland', and have grown in popularity over the last few years to become perhaps the most well-known tour company in Krakow.	+	Crazy Guides describe themselves as an ‘alternative to typical tourism in Poland', and have grown in popularity over the last few years to become perhaps the most well-known tour company in Krakow. Their ‘unique selling point’ is their small fleet of renovated Trabants – the diminutive car that was manufactured in East Germany and is synonymous with Soviet bloc countries – which they use for their tours.
−		+
−	Their ‘unique selling point’ is their small fleet of renovated Trabants – the diminutive car that was manufactured in East Germany and synonymous with Soviet bloc countries – which they use for their tours.	+

	[[File:Nowahuta9.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta9.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta9.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta9.JPG]]

−	Our tour guide picked us up from the city centre, introducing herself as ~~being~~ a proud resident of ~~today’s~~ Nowa Huta. As we drove east, she explained some of the history to the project, how it was created in 1949 by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as a means of housing the workers of the new Vladimir Lenin Steelworks nearby, which in the years following its 1954 opening became the largest steel mill in Poland.	+	Our tour guide picked us up from the city centre, introducing herself as a proud resident of Nowa Huta. As we drove east, she explained some of the history to the project, how it was created in 1949 by Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as a means of housing the workers of the new Vladimir Lenin Steelworks nearby, which in the years following its 1954 opening became the largest steel mill in Poland.

−	Controversially, to enable such a major centre of heavy industry on the outskirts of Krakow, the Communist government repossessed ~~the~~ land from farming villages, creating a ‘tabula rasa’ for the architects to plan their utopian vision from scratch.	+	Controversially, to enable such a major centre of heavy industry on the outskirts of Krakow, the Communist government repossessed land from farming villages, creating a ‘tabula rasa’ for the architects to plan their utopian vision from scratch.

	[[File:Nowahuta2.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta2.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta2.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta2.JPG]]

−	Arriving in the Central Square, our guide talked us through the planned layout and architectural design of the district.	+	Arriving in the Central Square, our guide talked us through the planned layout and architectural design of the district. The doctrine of ‘socialist realism’ was enforced in Poland, as elsewhere, until the mid-1950s. Accordingly, architecture was considered a valuable weapon for the Soviets in their drive to instil a new social order, with buildings expressing a sense of power and ambition. Architects were viewed as ‘engineers of the human soul’, with a role to spark the consciousness of citizens and enhance their outlook on life.
−		+
−	The doctrine of ‘socialist realism’ was enforced in Poland, as elsewhere, until the mid-1950s. Accordingly, architecture was considered a valuable weapon for the Soviets in their drive to instil a new social order, with buildings ~~needing to express~~ a sense of power and ambition. Architects were viewed as ~~being~~ ‘engineers of the human soul’, with ~~the~~ role ~~of such their designs~~ to spark the consciousness of citizens and enhance their outlook on life.	+

	[[File:Nowahuta3.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta3.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta3.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta3.JPG]]

−	The plan of Nowa Huta is based on classical Renaissance design, with streets running radially out of ~~one centre –~~ the Central Square – and linked together to form a web. It is this axial composition that is the most characteristic feature of the project.	+	The plan of Nowa Huta is based on classical Renaissance design, with streets running radially out of the Central Square and linked together to form a web. It is this axial composition that is the most characteristic feature of the project.

−	The Central Square and Avenue of Roses were ~~clearly~~ inspired by Baron Hausmann’s wide Parisian boulevards as well as the classical architecture of cities like London and Vienna; but subtle deviations were incorporated to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, creating a unique blending of forms.	+	The Central Square and Avenue of Roses were inspired by Baron Hausmann’s wide Parisian boulevards as well as the classical architecture of cities like London and Vienna; but subtle deviations were incorporated to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, creating a unique blending of forms.

	[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta5.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta5.JPG]]

−	The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners ~~making sure to provide~~ parks and even a large lake on its western periphery.	+	The street hierarchy was based on the concept of ‘neighbourhood units’, forming self-contained areas of 5,000-6,000 residents, each equipped with their own shops, schools, play areas, and so on. One thing that is remarkable about Nowa Huta, when considering the ‘concrete jungle’ housing estates that it inspired across Europe, is its abundance of green space, with the architects and planners providing parks and even a large lake on its western periphery.

−	Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s~~, with the onset of ‘de-Stalinisation’~~, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.	+	Although the original architects’ plans for the ‘Stalinist showpiece’ were abandoned in the mid-1950s, the district continued to expand throughout the 1960s as the population grew, without any real overarching plan.

	[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta7.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta7.JPG]]

−	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has ~~very much~~ moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.	+	While there are still reminders of its Communist past – an old Soviet tank sits on the side of one street – the area has moved on in the years since Poland became independent in 1991, and, as our guide informed us, it is now considered a fine place to live.

−	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions ~~began to tarnish~~ Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the statue of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.	+	A far cry from the 1970s-1980s, when the steel mill began making workers unemployed, and social tensions tarnished Nowa Huta’s reputation. During the 1980s, the area became a focal point for demonstrations and violent street protests by the Solidarity movement, with the statue of Lenin on the Avenue of Roses toppled in 1989.

	[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]		[[File:Nowahuta8.JPG\|link=File:Nowahuta8.JPG]]

−	The tour is a fascinating insight to a rare example of urban planning~~, and over the course of~~ 2.5-3 ~~hours, Crazy Guides do it very well indeed. There is~~ a break with a complimentary drink ~~included~~, as well as a glimpse inside one of the apartments preserved as it would have been during the Communist era, where you can watch some propaganda film footage of beaming workers helping to build their utopian new city.	+	The tour is a fascinating insight into a rare example of urban planning. The 2-3 hour tour includes a break with a complimentary drink, as well as a glimpse inside one of the apartments preserved as it would have been during the Communist era, where you can watch some propaganda film footage of beaming workers helping to build their utopian new city.

	If you are planning a trip to Krakow then you really shouldn’t miss out on this unique experience.		If you are planning a trip to Krakow then you really shouldn’t miss out on this unique experience.