Travelling to Warsaw with friends is a fantastic option for a weekend break or short holiday, but the city could also be the starting point for a trip around Poland. History, modernity, food, nightlife, and cultural activities all nestle side by side in a city that had to be entirely rebuilt following World War II.
The Warsaw of today has a historic centre that was completely rebuilt to be identical to how it looked before the Nazi invasion, and also has Communist-style buildings constructed during the nation’s period as the Polish People’s Republic (1945-1989), modern skyscrapers, green spaces, and streets that are buzzing life. The Vistula River divides the Polish capital in two.
Warsaw is in the centre of Poland and many European cities have direct flights to the Polish capital. It’s served by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, and especially WizzAir and Lot, and flights can be found from between €100-€200.
Travelling to Warsaw in winter or Christmas is particularly appealing thanks to low prices, the chance to see the capital under a magical blanket of snow and the twinkling Christmas lights…but the cold is a big obstacle for many. If you visit in spring or summer, you won’t need a winter coat and can enjoy the sunshine, but prices are higher. But don’t forget that, regardless of when you travel, Poland is always an inexpensive destination.
Below is a selection of activities to do if you travel Warsaw with friends.
Selected activities
Visit the historic centre and most emblematic sights
A couple of days are enough to see Warsaw properly. If you have less time, you’ll still be able to fit in the main streets, squares, and monuments in a day.
Once known as the “Paris of the East”, Warsaw was destroyed by the German army during the Second World War (1939-1945), suffering particularly extensive damage after the historic Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Remarkable reconstruction work was performed on the city between 1945 and 1953; this achievement was recognised by UNESCO and it made the historic centre a World Heritage Site in 1980.
Today, the Old Town (Starówka in Polish) is practically new, but visitors can see into its past through the reconstructed buildings. The area is marked out by Wybrzeże Gdańskie, along the Vistula, and Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale streets.
The Royal Castle, on the banks of the Vistula, is a great starting point for a tour of the area. It was the official residence of the Polish royal family until 1795 and what is considered to be the first European constitution was signed here in 1791. The outer courtyard of the castle contains the popular column of King Sigismund III of Poland (1587-1632).
After visiting the Cathedral of St John (14th century), walk from the castle to Old Town Market Place (Rynek Stare Miasto). The square is home to the sculpture of the Warsaw Mermaid, who wields a sword and shield; the mermaid is the symbol of Warsaw. The Warsaw Museum is also in Old Town Market Place, one of the liveliest squares in the capital alongside New Town Market Place (Rynek Nowe Miasto), which is a short distance away. The Warsaw Barbican is just moments from Old Town Market Place and is an old medieval defensive structure that originally dated from the 16th century.
Warsaw New Town (Nowe Miasto) is slightly to the north of Old Town Market Place and is part of the historic centre of the Polish capital. Like almost everything else in the city, it was burned to ashes in 1944. It originally dated from the end of the 14th century when it was the independent town of New Warsaw. It was made part of the city of Warsaw by the 1791 constitution.
The most emblematic space in the New Town is New Town Market Place (Rynek Nowe Miasto). Built between the 14th and 15th centuries, it once contained a town hall and it has buildings from the communist period. The main street in the New Town is Freta Street, which starts at the Warsaw Barbican and is lined with shops and restaurants. The birthplace of Physics and Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie is also on Freta Streete. Make sure to visit the Monument to the Heroes of Warsaw in Krasinskich Square and the Warsaw Citadel while you are in the New Town.
Once you’ve explored the historic centre of Warsaw, there are two more essential stops: the old Jewish Ghetto and the Palace of Culture and Science.
The Jewish Ghetto was in the south-east of Warsaw and was built in 1940 following the German invasion in 1939. It was constructed to imprison the Jewish population of Warsaw and other regions. An 18-km wall surrounded the ghetto and the Nazis forced over 400,000 Jews (a third of Warsaw’s inhabitants at the time) to live in this tiny area in inhuman living conditions.
After years of subjugation, thousands of armed Jews took part in an uprising. The uprising began on 9 January 1943, when the second mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps began, and lasted until the middle of May. The German army won the battle and destroyed the entire ghetto in retaliation, and to generate yet more fear. To learn all about these historic events, visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes is opposite the museum. Another monument, which stands in Umschlagplatzm, is a reminder of the departure point of the vehicles that transported Jews to Treblinka extermination camp.
Parts of the wall and buildings can still be seen, such as those on Waliców Street, and also bunkers used during the Jewish uprising are visible on Mila Street. Everything else was obliterated by fire and the German army.
Wrap up your tour of Warsaw’s essential sights by heading to the Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki). It stands 237 m tall, making it the tallest building in the Polish capital, and it can be spotted from anywhere in the city.
The Palace of Culture and Science is in the south of Warsaw and was built between 1952 and 1955 under the communist regime. It was constructed in the Socialist Realist style but its design was inspired by the Art Deco movement and the Empire State Building in New York was used as a reference point. It was a symbol of socialist Poland, hosting conferences by the Polish Workers’ Party, among other groups.
Today, it has over 3,000 rooms, with several theatres, a cinema, swimming pool, offices, and a university; even Warsaw City Council is housed in this impressive building. It also contains two museums: the Museum of Technology and the Museum of Evolution. The terrace on floor 30 has spectacular views over Warsaw at an altitude of 144 m. The building is surrounded by other modern skyscrapers that create a type of “downtown” area.
Museums and palaces
Another way to discover Warsaw on a trip with friends is to explore its museums and palaces.
The city has two essential museums that explain what happened in the Polish capital during World War II. The Warsaw Rising Museum is at 79 Grzybowska Street and is an interactive space that shows the battle and daily life of the thousands of Poles who rose up against the Nazi army between August and October 1944. The resistance fought against the Nazi occupation and hoped to take back control of Warsaw before the Red Army seized the city.
The second museum is POLIN: the Museum of the History of the Polish Jews (at 6 Mordechaja Anielewicza Street). This large modern building takes you on an itinerary through eight themed galleries that explain the 1,000-year history of Jews in Poland. The museum’s main attractions include a traditional Jewish street in Warsaw before World War II, a simulation of the Warsaw Ghetto and a replica of the dome of Gwózdziec Synagogue (a wooden building that was destroyed by the Nazis).
Marie Curie, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics and Chemistry, composer Fryderyk Chopin and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus are important figures related to Warsaw. The birthplace of Marie Curie is at 16 Freta Street in the Old Town and contains a fascinating exhibition about her life and work, told through numerous scientific objects.
Warsaw also pays tribute to one of the most important pianists of all time, Chopin, through public sculptures and benches, etc., and you can learn more about the composer at the Fryderyk Chopin Museum. The museum is in Ostrogski Palace and contains fascinating details about his life and work; it uses multimedia displays to present information about his life that make it one of the most modern biographical museums in the world.
The Copernicus Science Centre is not a biographical museum like those of Marie Curie and Chopin. Instead, it uses the name of the forerunner of astronomy to take visitors on an interactive and educational journey into science and astronomy.
A further big attraction of Warsaw are the many royal palaces that belong to different periods of the Polish monarchy. If you have time, walking the Royal Route is a great activity to enjoy. It’s a 10-km historical route that ends at Wilanów Palace. The origins of the route can be traced back to the 14th century when the Polish monarchs moved from their official residence to their summer palaces on the outskirts of the city.
Today, the route lies within the city and passes along many of the most famous avenues and streets in Warsaw. It’s a great way to see how the city changed under different royal houses through their palaces and gardens.
Krasińskich Palace and Garden (Pałac Krasińskich), to the north of the Royal Palace, is a good place to start the route. Built in the Baroque style, it dates from the 17th century and has a beautiful garden. You could then walk to the Presidential Palace, the residence of the Polish president, which is the largest palace and was built in the 17th century. Piłsudski Square and the Saxon Garden are next to it. The garden was originally the site of the 18th century Saxon Palace (only part of its porticoes survived World War II), and features the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a beautiful English-style landscape park with several Baroque sculptures.
Continuing the route southwards, you next come to Kazimierzowski Palace, which was originally a country house belonging to the monarchy. Ujazdowski Castle in famous Lazienki Park is the penultimate stop and was also a royal summer residence ‒ today it’s the Contemporary Art Centre. While you’re in Lazienki, make sure to admire the beautiful Palace on the Isle. The final stop on the Royal Route is the Palace of King John III in Wilanów, known as the “Polish Versailles”.
Lazienski Park, Vistula beaches and Warsaw’s alternative side
Besides a cultural tour of Warsaw’s streets, buildings and museums, the Polish capital also has endless green spaces, places to unwind, beaches on the banks of the Vistula River, and areas of the city with a modern, alternative vibe, like Praga neighbourhood.
A fourth of Warsaw is green spaces, so, if the weather is reasonably fine, a great way to spend the day is to head to a park for a walk, picnic and to relax on the grass.
The most popular park is 76-hectare Lazienski Park. Its origins date from the 17th century when a nobleman built baths here (lazienski means baths in Polish). The Polish monarchy later built Ujazdowski Castle as a summer residence here, and today it contains a museum of paintings from the royal collections. Pavilions, sculptures, and waterfalls are other attractive features that can be spotted as you stroll through the park and enjoy this stunning natural space with its hundred-year-old trees, peacocks, and pheasants. In summer, it’s a beautiful spot to hear outdoor Chopin concerts.
Prestigious National Geographic magazine included the natural beaches of the Vistula on its list of the “most beautiful city beaches in the world”. The beaches have lovely soft sand and are surrounded by greenery, making them wonderful spots in good weather, mainly the summer. Hitting the beach is a great opportunity to take a break, go for a dip in the river, sunbathe, have a barbecue, and play beach volleyball.
Poniatówka Beach is the most famous river beach and it’s beneath Most Poniatowskiego Bridge, near the PGE Narodowy football stadium on the bank opposite the historic centre of Warsaw. It has a great atmosphere ‒ parties are held here at night, you can light barbecues and there’s plenty of space to sunbathe. Rusalka Beach is another popular spot: it has views of the Old Town and is near Warsaw Zoo.
Praga neighbourhood is also opposite the historic centre and is reached by crossing Slasko-Dabrowski Bridge. Praga dates from the 7th century and was one of the areas least affected by World War II, so it still conserves a genuine part of Warsaw. The district effortlessly blends history and modernity and is the place to experience Warsaw’s more alternative side, have a few beers, and party in local nightclubs.
Praga neighbourhood was historically an industrial district. It had numerous large factories that were operating up until the 1970s, some remaining open until even more recently. To protect them as part of the city’s cultural heritage, they have now been converted into cultural and leisure centres and co-working spaces.
Centrum Praskie Koneser is a great example of how architecture can be repurposed; once the Vodka Koneser distillery, it has been turned into a Google Campus and designer stores. Soho Factory is another alternative space that has been revitalized. Formerly a motorbike and moped factory, today it contains designer shops, a restaurant, and artists’ workshops.
Tips and recommendations
Despite being a member of the European Union, Poland still uses its own currency, the zloty, rather than the euro. So, if you’re travelling to Warsaw with friends, make sure you keep an eye on the exchange rate and find out where to obtain the local currency. If you decide to wait until you are in Warsaw, you’ll find several currency exchanges (kantor in Polish) in the city centre. You can also exchange money at banks, travel agencies, and post offices. These days, many places also accept payment by card.
Travelling around Warsaw is easy because you can walk or take the bus, metro or tram. Taxis are also inexpensive if you need one.
When eating out, people usually leave a 10% tip.
Finally, in terms of the climate, bear in mind that high season is from May to September and the warmest months are July and August, although it sometimes rains then too. April and October are cooler with sunny days, and in the winter it’s extremely cold and often snows.
Where to stay in Warsaw
If you would you’d like to spend a few comfortable and relaxing days in Warsaw, the Barceló Warsaw Powisle hotel is a fantastic option to enjoy the Polish capital with friends.
This new four-star hotel is housed in the former Powiśle power station, in Powiśle neighbourhood, and Centrum Nauki Korpernik metro station is just moments away. Its design, and interior and exterior architecture, offer guests a uniquely industrial vibe. Large pipes and pieces of machinery are incorporated into the design and seamlessly blend the old and the modern.
It has 151 rooms, a restaurant that serves a wide range of delicious food, a sky bar with an outdoor pool on the fifth floor, meeting and events rooms, and even a gym.