Washington - Waszyngton

Washington
Washington Montage 2016.png
Information
CountryUnited States
Surface177 km²
Population705 749
Area code025
Postal Code20001–20098, 20201–20599
website
Capitol

Washington (eng. Washington, D.C.) - founded on July 16, 1790, the capital Of the United States.

Drive

By plane

There are two large airports in the Washington area. International connections are mainly served by Washington Dulles-International Airport (IAD), located 42 kilometers west of the city. Domestic connections are directed to Washington Reagan National Airport. The airport is connected to the rest of the city by a metro system.

By train

The largest train station in Washington, which is used by virtually all long-distance connections, is Union Station. It serves as the terminus for the Northeast Corridor line, operated mostly by Amtrak, including the Acela Express high-speed trains. Private MARC (Maryland) and Virginia VRE and the Metrorail red line also use this stop. The station is perfectly connected with the entire Washington area by metro (red line - Union Station).

By car

The Washington Metropolitan Area is often an example of one of the most congested and overcrowded regions in the United States. In 2007, suburban residents spent an average of sixty hours a year in congestion, the most in the country after Los Angeles. The state highway network (I-95 from the south and north and I-270 from the northwest) provides good access from other areas of the United States.

Distances to the nearest big cities:

By bus

Intercity bus services are provided by Greyhound, Peter Pan, BoltBus, Megabus, and many other so-called "Chinatown lines".

Communication

As many as 37.7% of commuters use public transport, which is the second result in the country, after New York. The city's underground rail network, Metrorail (most often referred to simply as "Metro") and Metrobus bus lines, are operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Public transportation serves both the District and the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. The metro began operating on March 27, 1976, currently it has 86 stations and tracks with a total length of 171.1 km [116]. With a million daily rides in 2009, Metrorail is the busiest network of its kind in the United States, after the New York Subway, and MATA predicts an average of one million passengers a day will use the subway by 2030. The need to increase capacity has refreshed plans to add 220 carriages to the system and to re-route some trains to relieve the busiest stations. Population growth in the region has also revived the idea of ​​building two additional lines serving the suburbs and tram routes connecting certain neighborhoods - the first one is due to start operating in late 2009. The administrative units surrounding Washington also have their own bus networks, for example Ride On in Montgomery County, Maryland. which complement the services provided by WMATA. In Metrorail, Metrobus and all local bus networks, SmarTrip pre-paid cards are used for tickets.

Worth seeing

Tourist attractions
  • National Mall - a large, generally accessible green area with the Washington Monument as the central point. There are, among others: the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial (at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Pond), the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Albert Einstein Memorial.
  • Smithsonian Museums - The most frequented exhibition facility under the foundation's tutelage in 2007 was the Natural History Museum, located within the National Mall. Other museums and galleries located near this park, supervised by the Institute, include the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Freer and Sackler Galleries (both oriented towards Asian art and culture), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Arts and Industries Building, S. Dillon Ripley Center, and the Smithsonian Institution Building (known as the "Castle"), which serves as the Institute's headquarters. All Smithsonian museums have free admission.
  • United States Capitol - the building located on the Capitol Hill in Washington, which serves as the seat of the United States Congress (American parliament). Entry to the Capitol is free. It is best to book a guided tour (for groups of 15), which begins with a visit to one of the Capitol's cinemas and the screening of the thirteen-minute film "Out of Many, One". Then you can see the Crypt, Rotunda and the National Statuary Hall
  • Arlington National Cemetery - American military cemetery located in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. About 400,000 deceased active members of the armed forces, veterans from all wars in which the United States has participated throughout its history, beginning with the American Revolution, and members of their families are buried in the necropolis. In addition, it is the burial place of a small number of civilians who were in some way connected with the army or who died while on duty. There were state funerals at Arlington Cemetery - William Taft, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and General John Pershing.
  • National World War II Memorial - a monument dedicated to Americans who fought in armed forces during World War II. It consists of 56 pillars and a pair of arches, surrounding a square with a fountain in the center. The monument is located on the National Mall in Washington, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It opened on April 29, 2004. It is managed by the National Park Service. Each year, the monument is visited by over 4.4 million people.
  • Georgetown University - an American private Catholic university in Washington, in the Georgetown district. Its roots date back to 1634, in its present form it was established in 1789 and is the oldest Catholic university in the United States. It is run by the Jesuit Order.
  • Pentagon Memorial - a memorial installation located just southwest of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, dedicated to the local victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the United States Capitol in the deliberate crash of American Airlines Flight 77.

Nearest neighborhood

The Washington agglomeration includes not only the District of Columbia (D.C) itself, but also the surrounding cities: Bethesda, Silver Spring, Alexandria, Springfield, Fairfax and Rockville.

Parties

  • National Cherry Blossom Festival - Cherry blossom festivals take place in many American cities during the spring, the most impressive of which is the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington. 1,700 cherry trees planted around the Tidal Basin water reservoir are a gift from Japan to the United States and a symbol of international friendship. In March or April (forecasts are usually issued at the beginning of March), the trees bloom slightly pink and white. This is when the nearly two-week festival begins, with daily events celebrating traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and art. Most of the events are free and open to the general public, which is why people of all ages have fun here. Festival events include the Pink Tie charity party, family day at the National Building Museum, opening concert, kite and fireworks shows, parade, drumming and dance workshops, and costume play.[1]
  • National Book Festival - the September National Book Festival is a real reader's dream come true. The event, which takes place at the Washington Conference Center, enables authors to meet readers during lectures, panels, signing books, etc. The festival is a great celebration of literature and promotion of reading. The program of the event includes a variety of events, from reading fairy tales for children and workshops for children, to an in-depth look at the classics and debates on contemporary poetry and prose. The festival on an unprecedented scale attracts the best and brightest artists, giving you the opportunity to listen to what contemporary authors have to say.[2]
  • Marine Corps Marathon - one of the largest marathons in the country is the Marathon of the Marathon, which leads along a scenic route through the state of Virginia and the capital of the country, Washington (District of Columbia). As all runners can participate, it is known as the "People's Marathon". It is a great proposition for beginners, and the lack of cash prizes means that the fight on the route is not that fierce. The most important thing is participation, but even the spectators have a great time cheering on the competitors along the way. The program includes, among others a fight-warming meeting (the so-called pep rally), shows related to health and fitness, and salesmen, interactive exhibitions and gifts contribute to livening up the atmosphere. Runners can try to run in October weather during a meeting that precedes the marathon, culminating in a light meal.[3]

Security

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington

2640 16th St NW

Washington, DC 20009

telephone: (202) 499 17 00

fax: (202) 328-6271

e-mail: [email protected]

Information: (202) 499 17 00

Useful contacts

  • The official site of the Washington Tourist Information Center is https://washington.org/visit-dc/spring-washington-dc
  • White House Visitor Center - 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW tel. 1 (202) 208-1631
  • United States Capitol Visitor Center First St NE, Washington, DC 20515 1 202-226-8000