Many people who have never set foot in Poland have probably never even considered Warsaw as an option for a weekend trip. When I mentioned the city to friends and colleagues, I often heard that they thought the city would be gray and rather drab – a place of concrete rather than charm. And of course, Warsaw has had many tough years and the Second World War destroyed large parts of the city. But that is precisely why it is so fascinating to see how the city has risen from the ruins in recent years and become something completely unique – a city that is both modern and historic, filled with lots of exciting contrasts.
Today, Warsaw is a city of shiny skyscrapers rising above green parks, teeming with culture, restaurants and innovation. Beautiful neighborhoods are mixed with contemporary architecture (and concrete), and stories from the dark years are woven together with faith in the future. And best of all? Warsaw is just over an hour away by plane from Stockholm – perfect for an affordable weekend that offers exciting food, pleasant walks and reflection.
Here are ten tips for attractions in Warsaw – everything from things to do to things to eat.
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1. Stroll through the Old Town (Stare Miasto)
The Old Town of Warsaw is a must for all visitors. Here you will find everything you are looking for in an old part of town. The cobblestone alleys are filled with pastel-colored houses with decorations, markets fill the squares and the charm is great. It is just a small detail. The Old Town is actually not that old.
The Old Town of Warsaw was founded in the 13th century around the castle of the Dukes of Masovia, which is now the Royal Castle. The district was the beautiful heart of the city and the Market Square was the center of trade, justice and festivities. But then came the Second World War.
During World War II, almost the entire Old Town was razed to the ground after the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. It was total destruction and not a single house was left untouched. But the beautiful district was to be given a new lease of life. After the war, a meticulous reconstruction began with the help of Bernardo Bellotto's 18th-century paintings and old drawings that were carefully studied. The result was the beautiful Old Town that meets you today, a truly successful historical reconstruction.
Today, the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its beautiful square (Old Town Square), the magnificent Slottsbacken with the Sigismund Pillar and the small triangular Kanontorget with the church bell from the 17th century.
2. Visit the Royal Palace
The Royal Castle in Warsaw is an obvious stop when strolling through the Old Town. The original castle was built in the 16th century and Europe's first modern constitution was written here in 1791. During World War II, the castle was destroyed along with the Old Town, but in the 1970s the castle was rebuilt with attention to detail. Every single stone that could be recovered from the original castle has been reused. Today, it is hard to believe that this is a newly built castle, every room has been rebuilt with incredible craftsmanship and skill.
Inside the castle you will be greeted by royal glamour, magnificent halls and world-class artwork – including paintings by Rembrandt and Bernardo Bellotto (known as Canaletto), whose Warsaw paintings played a crucial role in the reconstruction of the city.
During a visit, you can wander freely through the golden rooms, admire the grand halls and peek into the more personal royal chambers. The furniture is not original, but it is from the right era.
The castle is open to visitors every day except Monday. When we visited the castle during the off-season, we did not need to pre-book tickets, but if you are planning to visit during major holidays and vacation periods, you can pre-book tickets on the official website.
Read more on the official page: Royal Castle in Warsaw
3. Go up to the Palace of Culture (Palace of Culture and Science)
Standing in front of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw takes you back to Poland’s days as a communist state. The 237-meter-high skyscraper, Poland’s second tallest building, was a “gift” from the Soviet Union in 1955 and has been both loved and hated by the city’s residents ever since. Many still see the building as a symbol of Soviet oppression, but many in the younger generation have begun to soften. Regardless, it is an impressive architectural landmark that is strongly associated with the city.
Inside the Palace of Culture there is plenty of space for both business and pleasure: theatres, a museum, a cinema, a concert hall, a university and even an indoor swimming pool. We took the lift up to the observation deck on the 30th floor, and the view of Warsaw is truly special – from here you can see the entire Old Town, the Vistula River and the city’s modern skyline.
The observation deck at Kulturpalatser is generally open every day, year-round. However, the observation platform is closed during certain events, but this is announced well in advance on the website.
Read more and plan your visit on the official website: Palace of Culture and Science
4. The Bastion and the Little Rebel
Warsaw Bastion (barbakan warszawski) from 1540 is one of the few remaining remains of the city's historic walls and fortifications. The bastion was built to defend Nowomiejska Street against enemies and was designed by the Venetian Renaissance architect Jan Baptist. From a distance, the bastion looks almost like a small castle, with its round towers and large gates, but several battles have been fought here – including against the Swedes in 1656.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the bastion lost its function and was incorporated into the newer buildings of the district. This building was also badly damaged during World War II, but was rebuilt in the 50s with bricks from other historic buildings.
A statue along the wall that you should look out for is the little soldier boy.The Little Rebel” (“The Little Rebel”). The bronze statue honors the young child soldiers who participated in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Behind the statue is a memorial plaque that can be translated into Swedish as “Children of Warsaw, we go to battle – for every stone of you, our capital, we give our blood.”
It is free to visit the bastion and it is always open to walk through the gates into the Old Town and walk on the wall. During the summer months there are usually exhibitions inside the bastion, these usually cost a small fee to visit.
Read more at: Warsaw Barbican
5. Visit the Warsaw Uprising Museum
The Warsaw Uprising is probably the single event that has influenced and shaped Warsaw the most. In 1944, World War II was underway and Warsaw was occupied by Germany and the Nazis. In a courageous attempt to liberate Warsaw from occupation before the Red Army arrived, the city's brave inhabitants rose up against the Germans.
For 63 days, the city's heroes fought against their opponents, but the German forces were too strong. Thousands of Poles died and the revenge of the Germans was merciless. Warsaw's most beloved areas and buildings were deliberately destroyed on the orders of Hitler.
The Warsaw Uprising is today a symbol of the city's great courage, freedom struggle and national pride, and an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the soul of the city and its dark years. At the Warsaw Uprising Museum, you can learn more about the poignant events and the people who took part, through text, images, films and interactive exhibitions.
The museum opened in 2004, 60 years after the uprising and is one of my strongest memories from our visit to Warsaw. We did not pre-book tickets during the off-season, but this is one of Warsaw's most popular attractions and often has long queues.
Read more about the museum on the official website: Warsaw Uprising Museum
6. Drink chocolate at legendary Wedel
Wedel is Poland's most beloved chocolate manufacturer and you can find their chocolate in every grocery store. However, Wedel's story began as a café on Midowa Street in Warsaw. Here, Karl Wedel served hot chocolate in beautiful premises to the delight of the city's residents and the queues were often long. And this is where you should still go to drink chocolate and eat chocolate today.
There are more Wedel cafes in Warsaw, but the one at Midowa is the original cafe and by far the coziest. I must admit that I didn't drink chocolate, but a coffee with chocolate in it when we visited the cafe at Midowa, but that didn't take away from the charm of the visit. The premises are incredibly beautiful and everything is charming and just as cozy as you want a cafe to be.
Here at Midowa is also Wedel's flagship store. In the store you will find large quantities of tempting chocolate in all shapes, everything from chocolate animals to chocolate boxes and chocolate bars. If you are planning to buy chocolate to take home, this is where you should shop. The prices at the airport are ridiculously much more expensive than here.
Read more about my visit to the Wedel café and get more tips on great coffee places in Warsaw here: Lovely cafes in Warsaw – 3 tips for a coffee break.
7. Go to a Christmas market
90% of Poland's population is Catholic and Christmas is one of the highlights of the year. The popular Christmas markets in Warsaw start at the end of November and continue until the first week of January. The squares are filled with people and stalls with sparkling lights, beautiful decorations and cozy wooden stalls with food and drink. The streets are lined with magnificent Christmas trees and traditional Polish carols echo between the walls of the houses.
The most popular market in Warsaw is right outside the castle, but there are smaller markets in almost every square. When we visited the city during the first weekend of February, all the bright Christmas decorations were still up, which was very cozy during the dark winter evenings.
Read more about Christmas celebrations and Christmas markets in Warsaw here: Christmas In Warsaw – Warsaw Visit
8. Nowy Świat and the Palm Roundabout
Nowy Świat is one of Warsaw's most famous streets, located in the city center and part of the historic Royal Route (Trakt Krolewski). Today the street is lined with restaurants and shops, but the street has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is always lively here with bars and outdoor cafes and plenty of fast food places and ice cream parlors.
The street ends in the south with the somewhat unexpected Palm Roundabout, where an artificial date palm marks the site of the Jewish community that once stood here. Today, the palm is often used as a symbol of the city's multicultural history.
9. Visit the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army
On Długa Street near the Old Town, the cathedral is located Department of Polowa Wojska Polskiego – “The Polish Army Chapel”. Besides being a beautiful cathedral, this is an important place to remember Poland’s history. Inside the cathedral are several war memorials and memorial plaques to Polish soldiers who died in war.
One of the most touching places is the 15 plates with the names of Polish officers murdered by Soviet secret police in 000.
Opposite the Church of the Supreme Court, you will find one of Warsaw’s most impressive monuments – the Warsaw Uprising Memorial. The monument was inaugurated after Poland became free in 1989, as it had been difficult to officially honor the uprising during the communist era. Today, the monument is an important symbol for all Warsaw residents, preserving the memory of all those who fought and died during the uprising.
10. Eat pierogi at a milk bar (bar mleczny)
Warsaw may have become an international foodie city with top-notch restaurants, but you can't visit the city without having lunch at a milk bar (milk bar). A milk bar is a very simple, formerly state-subsidized restaurant that became popular in the late 19th century. They became especially common during the communist era. They serve Polish home cooking for self-service and low prices. After the fall of communism, international restaurants became popular and many milk bars closed. Today, the remaining milk bars have almost a cult status.
We tried eating the traditional Polish pierogi – pierogi – on Milk Bar Gdański which can be found in several locations in Warsaw. It was a relatively modern milk bar, with touch screens for ordering. A plate of pierogi cost 14 zlotys (about 36 kr), a beetroot soup with eggs 9 zlotys (23 kr).
A tip for a cheap breakfast is to visit a milk bar. A plate of scrambled eggs and bacon here costs 11 zlotys (26 SEK).
Bonus tip: Look for mermaids
Mermaids in Warsaw? It's in the middle of the country, you might think? The mermaid is Warsaw's patron saint and a symbol of freedom and strength.
Legend has it that a mermaid swam along the Vistula River near present-day Warsaw. The fishermen were annoyed that she was eating from their nets and wanted to drive her away, but her singing enchanted everyone who heard her. In gratitude for her stay, the mermaid promised to protect the city from danger.
Today you can find mermaids all over Warsaw – on the city's coat of arms first and foremost, but also on signs, walls, statues and fountains. A great activity for all families is to count mermaids – who will win the competition and find the most first?
Accommodation and restaurants
Warsaw has several really good hotels and even more great restaurants. You can find my tips on accommodation and restaurants in the articles below:
More tips?
If I were to go to Warsaw during the green months of the year, I would go to one of the city's large parks - for example Łazienki Park and Wilanów Park. We visited, however Saski Garden with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Do you have any more tips? Feel free to leave a comment! :)
Great tips for first time visitors. Warsaw has much more to offer, also being in Poland there's a lot more to see. From Warszawa not far we have lakes. Also there's a good public transport by train or bus not mentioned plane's. By train you can go north by train to the Baltic sea, or south to the mountains. Believe me you won't be disappointed. Going south towards mountains is old town Krakow. Not far from there is place called Wieliczka, old salt mine set up as an museum you must visit and you won't be disappointed. And there's much more around, impossible to mention all. Going North from Warsaw there's a place called Lancut, an old castle with old horse carriages. There's lakes around, and on the coast there's a beauty place called Gdansk. You must visit Gdansk and places around, one is Sopot.