Bemowo Guide: The Fort That Gave a District Its Name
What to know: Bemowo, on the western edge of Warsaw, is one of the youngest districts of the capital - 110,000 residents, 60 percent under 30 - wrapped around Fort Bema, a Tsarist-era fortress from 1886-1890 whose grounds are now a 22-hectare public park.
Photo: Meteor2017, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Fort Bema in the Bemowo district of Warsaw.
On the western border of the capital lies Bemowo, a district the City of Warsaw describes as covering 2,500 hectares with over 110,000 inhabitants, 60 percent of them under 30 - one of the youngest populations in the city.
Fort Bema
The district owes its name to a fortress. According to the city, Fort Bema was built in 1886-1890 as Fort Parysów, part of the second inner ring of forts of the Warsaw Fortress raised on the Tsar's order. Renamed Fort Bema in 1921, it survived the fortress's demolition order almost intact. Today its 22.2 hectares form a public park: historic fort buildings, a moat, earthworks, walking and cycling paths and a playground.
A young district
Bemowo's housing estates fill the land between the fort park and the city's western ring road, served by metro line M2 - see our coverage of the metro's Bemowo extension. The district's green character links it to Wola to the east.
Visiting
Metro line M2 serves Bemowo at its eastern edge; buses and trams run along Powstańców Śląskich and Górczewska. The fort park is the district's essential sight.
FAQ
Why is Bemowo called Bemowo?
The district took its name from Fort Bema, a fortress built in 1886-1890 as Fort Parysów and renamed in 1921 after General Józef Bem; its grounds are now a 22.2-hectare park.
What is there to see in Bemowo?
Fort Bema park with its 19th-century fortifications, moat and earthworks, plus the everyday life of one of the youngest districts of Warsaw.
How do I get to Bemowo?
Metro line M2 serves the eastern edge of the district; trams and buses run along Powstańców Śląskich and Górczewska streets.
Sources
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