35 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN WARSAW

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Poland was one of the European destinations that we still had to discover. But finally we remedied him traveling to Warsaw, the capital of the country and that turned out to be a big surprise. We have already told you a few times that it throws us more "the south", but it is undeniable that this city conquered us with its contrasts, its street atmosphere and its history. In this article we will tell you 35 things to see and do in Warsaw:

1. Kick yourself up and down the old town of Warsaw, the same one that was completely ruined during World War II. The Stare Miasto (Old Town) was rebuilt maintaining the same appearance it looked before being devastated. It was such a meticulous reconstruction that UNESCO decided to give it the recognition of World Heritage. Do it for free or on a free tour. You can also sign up for a free mystery tour, to get to know the most hidden face of the city.

2. Although it is best to wander around and get lost in the old town, you have to go through the squareRunek Starego Miasta, its epicenter and with a lot of atmosphere. In it you can meet the great protagonist of Warsaw: the little mermaid.

3. But for us the most beautiful street of all is Piwna. With its cobblestone and its facades of different colors.

4. Don't try to learn the name of the Warsaw Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie), just look at it. The one that was residence of the Polish monarch until 1795, today is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. If you have time you can visit it and get lost among its rooms full of works of art (30 PLN entry).

5. Right in front of the Warsaw Castle is the Sigismund III column, responsible for moving in 1596 the capital of the country from Krakow to Warsaw.

6. The St. John's Cathedral It is another essential stop. It is the oldest sacred place in Warsaw and has a curious facade, not at all similar to the churches to which we are accustomed. This is because in the reconstruction, the communist government preferred to give it a more sober air, away from the Gothic, original style of the cathedral.

7. There is a corner of Warsaw that will make you freak out, we talk about an urbanization with typical finnish housesof wood. After the disaster of the Second GM, Finland undertook the construction of these houses as payment to the USSR. On Jazdów Street, 3/12 there is one where you can visit your garden.

8. The Wilanów Palace, apart from being a perfect example of baroque art, it is a super recommended visit and part of the well-known “royal route"From Warsaw. This Palace, which could well be named "the Versailles of Poland" is one of the few buildings that remained standing after the bombings of World War II.

9. Did you know that in Warsaw there was a medieval wall What surrounded the historic center? Today what is left can be visited in the Barbican, which was once one of the entrances to the city. At night it is even more picturesque.

10. On one of its sides is the monument to the Little Insurgent, which reminds all the children who had to suddenly grow up in the Warsaw Uprising, and who were buried in the rubble.

11. Once we have passed the Barbican, after a short walk, we can reach the New Town Square (Rynek Nowego Miasta). AMarie Curie statue welcomes us A native of Warsaw, she was the first person to receive two noble awards in different disciplines (chemistry and physics).

12. By the way, there is a small Marie Curie's birthplace museum on 16 Freta Street.

13. And since we talk about famous citizens, we cannot forget the greatFrédérik Chopin. We can learn more about this legendary composer in the Chopin Museum.

14. Also walking through the Łazienki Park, where there are a few "music banks" in his honor. Here, on Sundays at 12 and at 16, there are concerts in his memory, right in front of a statue in his honor. This is the largest park in Poland, where getting lost is very easy, but don't do it without having visited the beautifulŁazienki Palace (Palace on the Water).

15. If you like science or are traveling with young children, a good plan is to visit the Copernicus Science Center, with interactive and didactic exhibitions and a great planetarium. By the way, Copernicus was not born in Warsaw, but in Torun, 200 km north, but another great character can be considered.

16. In Nowy Swiat 26 there is an entrance to a very cool patio, with street art and a few bars where to come for a drink at night.

17. Another good alternative for dinner is theNight Market (Nocny market) at the former Warszawa Główna train station. It is very popular for young people. It is open from Thursday to Sunday from 17.

18. If the next day you wake up with a hangover (and it coincides on Saturday), it is best to pay a good tribute in the Breakfast market (Targ Śniadaniowy) in the barium Mokotow. It has become fashionable among the Varsovians themselves, although be careful because it is outdoors and if it rains, the plan is flat, as happened to us.

19. One of the best museums in the city is theWarsaw Uprising Museum. There are lots of objects of World War II and they detail you to the smallest detail, in what this historical fact consisted, which marked the future of Warsaw forever.

20. The neighborhood that surprised us most in Warsaw is the Prague neighborhood, the most alternative area of the city. For us, the most representative street is Brzeska, with brick buildings and decaying air. Do not miss the entrance to the small courtyards, because the surprises are almost endless!

21. There are many initiatives to improve this neighborhood, one of them is theSoho Factory, an enclosure with small museums like the Neon Museum (more info) and the Czar PRL, a museum of the communist era (more info).

22. Another of them is the rehabilitation of the old vodka factory Koneser in the new Vodka Museum. We did not know the deep-rooted tradition of vodka in Poland until we visited it. By the way, between the walls itself there is a small enclosure that houses a headquarters, neither more nor less, than Google. (More info)

23. South of Prague is the Skaryszewski park, with beautiful walks, lakes and waterfalls. Although the best thing about the park is to sit close to the Wedel chocolate factory and smell the scent it gives off. As far as we know, this is not getting fat at the moment.

24. Approach the Warsaw Jewish ghetto, which was once the largest in all of Europe. Here it is essential to visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews (there is no better place to learn about the tragic history of the Jews of Warsaw, more info), Jewish cemeteries and the Warsaw heroes monument. Curiosity: The Pianist (from Polanski) is set here. A good idea is to join a free tour of the ghetto.

25. The Palace of Culture and Science It is the most controversial building in the city. The reason is simple: it was a gift from Stalin to the Polish people, during the Russian occupation. After the release they were about to tear it down, luckily today it is still imposing on the city skyline and we can visit it. So go up to the terrace of the 30th floor, from where you will have the best aerial views of the city (entrance of 20 PLN).

26. Warsaw is a city of contrasts. If you walk down the street Zoom out Ujazdowskie you will be doing it surrounded by buildings from the beginning of the s. XX that were occupied by the Germans during the II GM. As you can guess, the facades are intact.

27. On the other hand, if you want to see the only houses of the Jewish ghetto that remained standing, you have to approach the Prózna street.

28. It is not well known but the polish cuisine It is worth the trip. Of course, light, light, it is not. The star dishes are the pierogis (savory or sweet stuffed ravioli), pyzy (a kind of fat gnochis), zurek (soup with egg and sausage),golonka(a piece of knuckle of more than 1 kg, better to share), orbigos (a rare mixture of cabbage, meat and vegetables).

29. If, like us, local markets freak you out, you have to approach the Hala Mirowska where you can rub shoulders with Polish grandparents in search of the best fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish ...

30. The twin building right next to it is the Hala Gwardii, and it is one of the oldest markets in the city, rehabilitated to offer a true gastronomic experience, with stalls of different cuisines of the world (there is even one of Spanish tapas!).

31. Another of these large and increasingly fashionable markets is theHala Koszyki, in the center of Warsaw. There are many restaurants with different types of food and it is a perfect place to have a drink. The restaurants of the famous chef Mateusz Gessler stand out: "Ćma" and "Warszawski Sen".

32. Although to try the true traditional Polish food and at low prices, the best are the milk bars (bar mleczne). These bars were created by the communist government to feed the workers in the post-war era. There are several of them around the city, we recommend the “Prasowy”.

33. The Warsaw Army Museum It is paid, but you can enter the open area where weapons, tanks and airplanes from World War II are free.

34. Relax to Vistula river banks, especially if you travel in summer: in the area ofCypel CzerniakowskiThey usually put terraces and at sunset it is very cool because there is ambience.

35. A sad but very interesting excursion is the one to take to discover the Treblinka Nazi death camp, the final destination of the Jews of Warsaw, after the liquidation of the ghetto.