Things to do and see in Warsaw

Warsaw at night (source: dataconomy.com)

Warszawa (English: Warsaw), is the capital and largest city of Poland. Located on the Vistula River, in Mazowieckie voivodeship, has about 1.729 million residents and it covers around 516.9 square kilometers. However, the entire agglomeration covers about 6,100.43 square kilometers and about 2.666 million residents. In 2012 ranked as the 32nd most livable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit and one of the most attractive cities to live in Central and Eastern Europe.

Exploring Warsaw

To explore Warsaw click on the path that suits you best:

Active exploring in Warsaw – if you like spending time in the fresh air walking around the city? This one is for you.
Monumental Fun in Warsaw – this one will be the best if you want to have some great memories of the cultural and historical places of Warsaw.
Chilling out in Warsaw – follow this path if all you want to do is to relax within the city. Solo or with your friends.

Explore the Warszawa’s Old City

Old Town

The Old City is vibrant with life. You can hear Warsaw’s bugle-call and ride in a hackney carriage admiring the beauty of Polish architecture. You can also take a walk around the market square, see sparkling fountains and meet the famous mermaid. Not to mention enjoying life in one of the many beer gardens.

Address: the centre of Warszawa
Opening hours: all the time
Length of visiting: unrestricted fun
Price: depending on the restaurant/cafe
Directions: lines: 4, 15, 18, 35, 74, 75 (Królewska stop)

National Stadium

It was built for the occasion of UEFA EURO 2012. It can hold around 58,000 of people! It’s open to visitors (they are even allowed to go and see the changing-rooms) so everyone can feel like an international footballer.

Address: Al. Ks. J. Poniatowskiego 1
Opening hours: 10am-9pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: depending on the ticket: 5-80 PLN
Directions: lines: 102, 111, 117, 158, 166, 507, 517, 521 (Rondo Waszyngtona stop)

Walk along the Vistula riverbank

Vistula riverbank – www.wawalove.pl

The Vistula’s riverbanks give you an exceptional chance to spend your time actively or to spend your time by chilling-out solo or with your friends. Use one of many running or cycling routes, play volleyball on the city beach or simply sit down on the green grass around the river. However, if you’re more into eating/drinking you can’t miss the great pubs, cafes and bars that will serve you almost anything your dream of. What else can we say – go there and take a look yourself!

Address: basically look for the river to find other attractions
Length of visiting: depends on your strenght and how much time you have
Price: free of charge unless you want to visit some pubs

Watch a play in The Teatr Wielki

Grand Theatre

One of the most modern theatres in Europe. It also has the biggest opera stage in the world. The auditorium can hold up to 1,828 people, so quite a lot. The theatre is also the residence of the National Opera, National Theatre and Theatre Museum.

Address: Plac Teatralny 1
Opening hours: 9am-7pm
Length of visiting: depends
Price: depends
Directions: by bus – lines: 111, 116, 128, 175, 178, 180, 222 (Pl. Teatralny stop)

Discover a monkey in yourself in the Rope Park

Rope fun – fot. www.malpigaj.com.pl

It is a special place prepared for adventure seekers. It doesn’t matter if you have or have not tried it before. The park is the perfect place for a family day-trip as well as an unforgettable first date. It is also a wonderful replacement for sitting in front of a computer all the time! So pull yourself together and go!

Address: ul. Wybrzeże Helskie 1/5
Opening hours: depends on the weather (call 666 666 957)
Length of visiting: various
Price: depends, from 30 up to 120 PLN
Directions: by tram – lines: 1,4,6,37,41,74 (Wybrzeże Helskie stop)

Get wild in the ZOO

Elephant Area

Warszawa’s zoo may not be the biggest one in Poland but is certainly one of the best. It holds 553 species of animals. It’s better to go there in the morning – you will avoid long queues and in the morning animals are more active. Let’s take, for instance, polar bears, who tend to play together in water during morning hours.

Address: ul. Ratuszowa 1/3
Opening hours: 9am-6pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 15 – 20 PLN
Directions: by tram – lines: 1, 4, 6, 16, 28, 40 (Wybrzeże Helskie stop)

Królikarnia

Królikarnia Palace

It’s a classical palace in Warszawa where art exhibitions are organized. In the 17th century it was the place where people used to hunt for rabbits (hence the name: królik = rabbit). Around the palace, there is a park holding the same name where Sculpture Park is located, presenting selected works from the National Museum.

Address: ul. Pulawska 113a
Opening hours: 10am-6pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 4-8 PLN
Directions: by tram – lines: 4, 10, 14, 18, 31, 35 (Królikarnia stop)

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The Palace of Culture and Science

Being 230 metres tall, the Palace of Culture is not only the highest building in Warsaw, but also in Poland. What is more, a clock is placed on the top of the palace, being the highest situated clock in the world. The palace itself holds many institutions and companies like a cinema, theatre, libraries, museums and even concert and congress halls.

Type: monumental/attraction
Address: Plac Defilad 1
Opening hours: see the website
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: depens on the ticker, see the website
Directions: at the front of the Warszawa Centralna train station
Website: www.pkin.pl

Visit The Royal Castle

Royal Palace

Since the 16th century the castle has been the main royal residence in Poland. During World War II it was razed to the ground by Germans but fortunately the authorities decided to rebuild it so that we could admire it now. In the castle itself you can marvel at many stunning halls and rooms which take a great pride in their design and architecture. Recently, new exhibitions have been established so make sure you have plenty of time to see them.

Type: castle
Address: Plac Zamkowy 4
Opening hours: 11am-6pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: depends on the ticet, prices start from 14 PLN
Directions: by tram – lines: 18, 20, 23, 26; by bus – lines: 160, 190, 226, 313, 512, 527, 718, 738 (Stare Miasto stop)

Warsaw Uprising Museum

Uprising Museum

Opened in 2004, it is probably the most eagerly visited museum in Poland. Why? Because the authors and creators of the museum decided to get rid of boring exhibitions and instead combined history with modern means of displays and presentations. In such a way we can learn about the history from audiovisual materials, photographs or films. Definitely worth visiting!

Type: museum
Address: ul. Grzybowska 79
Opening hours: 10am – 6pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 10-100 PLN
Directions: lines: 102, 105, 109, 178 (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego stop)

Copernicus Science Centre

If you are tired of boring museums, where you have to be quiet and you mustn’t touch anything, the Copernicus Science Centre is a perfect place for you. You can touch and see everything and the more you shout and scream the better! Why? Because the volume of your scream is directly proportional to, for example, the amount of water flowing. The centre is great especially for children who prefer fun to, well, standard museums.

Type: science center
Address: ul. Wybrzeze Kosciuszkowskie 20
Opening hours: 10am-7pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
Price: 16 PLN – discounted, 25 PLN – normal
Directions: lines: 105, 118, 127 (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka stop)
Internet: www.kopernik.org.pl

Ujazdowski Castle

Located by the Wisla river, Ujazdowski Castle attracts many visitors. It is a former princely residence and a hospital. Today, it holds an excellent Modern Art Centre and beneath the building itself you can wander around Agrykola Park.

Type: castle
Address: Al. Ujazdowskie 6
Opening hours: 12am-7pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 6-20 PLN
Directions: by bus – lines: 116, 166, 180 (Lazienki Królewskie stop)
Internet: www.csw.art.pl

Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art – www.wawalove.pl

If you’re into art – you definitely need to go here and we shouldn’t really have to try to convince you. If you’re taking your first steps into the world of art you couldn’t find many better places to start from than the Museum of Modern Art. Why? It gives you the answers to all the questions regarding modern art and the people behind it. It is an absolute must see, especially as they have tours for foreigners!

Type: museum
Address: ul. Pańska 3
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
Length of visiting: enough to enjoy the exhibitions
Price: free
Directions: by bus (from the city center) – 109, 160 (Emilii Plater 02 Stop)

Museum of the prison “Pawiak”

The museum is a commemoration of the prison “Pawiak”, existing in from 1939 to 1944. It was the biggest political prison at that time, owned by the gestapo – the official secret police of Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe. You can go and see where and in what conditions the prisoners were kept and learn a bit about Polish history.

Type: museum
Address: ul. Dzielna 24/26
Opening hours: 9am-4pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 5-8 PLN
Directions: by tram – lines: 17, 33, 37, 41, 74 (Nowolipki stop)

Caricature Museum

In its collection, it hold many photographs, graphics and paintings connected to satire and caricature. What’s interesting, you can find there works from both Polish and foreign authors. The museum is the perfect place for people with great sense of humour so if you have one, you should definitely visit it!

Type: museum
Address: ul. Kozia 11
Opening hours: 10am-6pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 4-15 PLN
Directions: bu bus – lines: 111, 116, 128, 175, 178, 180, 222

Museum of Science

Located in the Palace of Culture, the museum is a paradise for technology lovers. You can explore there how the telephone works, become absorbed with electronics, engineering and physics or see how the radio emits sounds. There are a lot of permanent exhibitions but from time to time you can also see some temporary ones like an exhibition about creating a famous model of car, namely the Ford-T.

Type: museum
Address: Plac Defilad 1
Opening hours: 10am-17pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: 8-14 PLN
Directions: short walk from main train station

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Warszawa’s Royal Łazienki

Łazienki

An amazing and magical place right in the centre of Warsaw. It is a huge garden, which was used as a summer residence by king Stanislaw August. It is divided into three parts, namely the Royal Garden, Belweder Garden and Modernist Garden. Apart from lots of greenery, you can admire there the Palace on an Island or Amphitheatre. It is a great place for evening walks and relaxing.

Address: Warszawa, Al. Ujazdowskie/ul.Gagarina/ul.Belwederska
Opening hours: 7am-9pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: depens on the ticket
Directions: by bus – lines: 116, 166, 180 (Lazienki Królewskie stop)

Ujazdowski Park

One of the most beautiful parks in Warsaw. It has a playground for children, lots of greenery and a pond. What is, however, most interesting is the fact that you can find there personal scales! There is also bad news for sports enthusiasts – you cannot rollerblade or ride a bike in the park. But you can walk, jump, sit and run!

Address: Warszawa, Al. Ujazdowskie
Opening hours: 8am-9pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Price: admission free
Directions: by bus – lines: 116, 166, 180 (Lazienki Królewskie stop)

Warsaw University’s Garden

The garden is located on the roof of the library and is one of the most beautiful roof gardens in Europe. It is around 10 thousand square metres and is divided into two parts – upper and lower. Visitors may admire many plants, not only coming from Poland but also from India, China and Ethiopia. It is also the perfect place for leisure and a great viewpoint.

Address: Warszawa, ul. Dobra 56/66
Opening hours: 9am-6pm
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Directions: by bus – lines: 105, 118, 128, 185 (Biblioteka Uniwersytecka stop)

Saski Garden

It is one of the oldest public parks in Poland. It is located in the centre of Warsaw, near the Polish National Opera. Apart from taking a walk and riding a bike, one may admire here many sculptures, sundials and a beautiful fountain. It is also a great place for children since it has a big playground and lots of greenery.

Address: Warszawa, ul. Królewska/ul. Marszałkowska
Opening hours: 24/7
Length of visiting: unrestricted
Directions: lines: 4, 15, 18, 35, 74, 75 (Królewska stop)

Candy Manufacture

Candy Manufacture – fot. www.manufaktura-cukierkow.pl

We all love sweets and if somebody tells you differently they are probably lying. Now, you have a great chance to make your own personal candy, show it to your friends and…eat it at the end. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Anyways, by going to the Candy Manufacture you agree to be surronded by sugar, sweets, candies and be strong enough not to try to eat all of them at once.

Address: Warszawa, ul. Tamka 49
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday 11 am – 5:30pm, Sunday 1pm – 5:30pm
Length of visiting: it’s a secret!
Price: from 10 PLN per person
Directions: by bus – 128, 175 (Ordynacka stop), by tram – 9 (Muzeum Narodowe stop)

Pawilony Nowy Swiat

Pawilony – fot. www.wawalove.pl

Pawilony Nowy Świat was built in 1972 and during that time they were the place where merchants and craftsmen offered their goods and services to the people of Warsaw. Nowadays, the place itself remains almost untouched but it’s not a trade place anymore but a place of discussion, culture, live music, meetings and fun. Go there and choose one of many different pubs, bars and clubs to enjoy your time there.

Address: Warszawa, ul. Nowy Świat 22/28
Opening Hours: almost 24/7
Length of visiting: depends on how strong your head is
Price: you decide!
Directions: 127 (DH Smyk stop), by tram – 7, 9, 24 (Muzeum Narodowe stop)