Warsaw In Your Pocket - August - September 2020

Maps

Events

Sightseeing

Restaurants

Warsaw

Nightlife

Shopping

SINCE 1991

City Guide

Local Industry Voices

p.10

Miracle on the Vistula

p.18

No. 116, August – September 2020

Warsaw Summer Activities p.66

Contents

Warsaw

Local Voices Ed Shellard: Warsaw’s Alchemist p.10 Foreword p.6 Local Voices

Breakfast & Brunch p.72 Restaurants

Local Flavours

New & Featured ���������������������������������������������������������p.75 Fine Dining �����������������������������������������������������������������p.76 Casual Dining ������������������������������������������������������������ p.80 Vegan & Vegetarian ������������������������������������������������� p.84 Food Markets ������������������������������������������������������������ p.86

Ed Shellard: Warsaw's Alchemist �������������������������� p.10 Anthony Campaniaris @ Nobu Hotel �������������������p.12 Traditional Polish Dishes �����������������������������������������p.14 Polish Alcohol ����������������������������������������������������������� p.16

Events Miracle on the Vistula: 100 Year Anniversary �����p.18 What’s On in Warsaw: Aug-Sept 2020 ���������������� p.20

Transport p.24 Sightseeing

Essential Warsaw ������������������������������������������������������ p.28 Old Town Walking Tour ������������������������������������������� p.30 The Royal Route ������������������������������������������������������� p.36 Powiśle Walking Tour ���������������������������������������������� p.42 Praga ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� p.48 Łazienki ����������������������������������������������������������������������� p.50 Wilanów ���������������������������������������������������������������������� p.53 Jewish Warsaw ���������������������������������������������������������� p.56 Warsaw Uprising ������������������������������������������������������ p.60 Museums �������������������������������������������������������������������� p.62

Activities & Experiences p.66 Kids & Families p.68 Day Trips from Warsaw p.70 4

Nightlife

New & Featured �������������������������������������������������������� p.89 Bars ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� p.90 Clubs ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� p.94 Adult Entertainment ����������������������������������������������� p.97

Shopping p.98 Index p.102

Maps

City Centre Map ����������������������������������������������������p.7 City Map �����������������������������������������������������������������p.8 Old Town Map ��������������������������������������������������� p.31 Royal Route Map ����������������������������������������������� p.37 Powiśle Map �������������������������������������������������������� p.43 Praga Map ����������������������������������������������������������� p.48 Łazienki Map ������������������������������������������������������� p.50 Wilanów Map ����������������������������������������������������� p.53

80/ 82 KA

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SELFIE MUSEUM_WARSAW SELFIE MUSEUM WARSAW

884 880 518

SELFIEMUSEUMWARSAW@GMAIL.COM

Foreword What a crazy six months it’s been since we printed our last guide! Though right now we can breathe a socially distanced sigh of relief (under a face covering, please), it's difficult to shake the fatalistic feeling that COVID-19 may not be done disrupting our lives. Varsovians, however, have seen more than their fair share of serious challenges - something we're particularly reminded of in August, during commemorations to the devastating Warsaw Uprising (p.60) and also The Miracle on the Vistula (p.18). But how do we stay vigilant in the collective fight against an enemy as nuanced and inexhaustible as the current global pandemic? Hear how local industry insiders in gastronomy and hospitality are getting on, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, in our new ‘Local Voices’ interview series (pp.10-13). While we understand the anxiety now associated with everyday public activities, local businesses are doing their part to provide a safe, enjoyable environment for their guests, and once again (following a short break and mini redesign) we've compiled the best the city has to offer in this guidebook. So be smart, stay safe and chins up, everyone. Enjoy Warsaw.

Andrew Elliott has been living in Warsaw since 2016. With close ties to Poland, he made the big leap from Scotland to get a more in-depth grasp of this fascinating country. Personal interests include astronomy, current affairs, history, food & drink, photography & videography! There is definitely a smile under that mask.

6

Cover Story After the past few months we’ve all had, it’s time to keep our heads up. Look up to the sky in the colourful Saska Kępa district (L-7) for some inspiration.

Photo: Adobe Stock.

Publisher & Staff Publisher IYP City Guides Sp. z o.o. Sp.k. ul. Karmelicka 46/51, 31-128 Kraków iyp.com.pl poland@inyourpocket.com Circulation 15,000 copies published every 2 months Writer & Editor: Andrew Elliott Sales Consultant: Jarek Śliwiński (+48) 606 749 643 Events:Monika Boguszewska-Stopka (+48) 728 879 494, Research: Aleksandra Sosnowska, Dominika Sosnowska Layout & Maps: Tomáš Haman Social Media & Marketing: Juan Sarabia Copyright Notice Content and photos copyright IYP City Guides Sp. Z o.o Sp.k. unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The brand name In Your Pocket and maps are used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Bernardinu 9-4, Vilnius, LT, tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).

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Ed Shellard: Warsaw's Alchemist Ed Shellard is the Executive Chef and owner of The Alchemist Gastropub (p.83), located in the Metropolitan building on Piłsudski Square. Ed is an Englishman, originally from Surrey, a businessman who has had success in Poland since moving here. He is a person that understands the local hospitality scene and the wider International community in Warsaw (and Poland) making him the ideal person to kick off our latest series of interviews with local based expats about life and work in the country.

How did you begin your venture into the world of gastronomy?

My Mother is French, which is part of my influence for cooking, having been 'forced' to drink wine at the age of 4, eating strong cheeses by the age of 5. As a teenager, after a few seasons as a ski instructor in Switzerland and working in the kitchens, I came back to the UK and went to the Oxford school of Hospitality Management to do a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management. In my final year, one of the modules offered a year in the Hilton London Metropole in the kitchen and bar, as well as a year cooking in the Oxford Brookes University kitchens as part of a training chef’s degree.

So you’re a bit of an Alchemist?

That’s where the name came from - I’m always experimenting with various herbs and ferments. Right now I’m making my own antibiotics with unpasteurised honey and raw garlic which you leave to ferment for a year until it goes black - that’s how people used to survive bacterias before we had pharmacies! It’s got to the point that we’re now experimenting with CBD Cannabis infusion in one of our cocktails!

Why did you choose to come to Warsaw?

I first came to Warsaw 15 years ago. I was working on projects installing kitchen ventilation systems in hotels.

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I remember thinking ‘there is barely any gastronomy here - I’ll keep my eye on this place’. I looked at opening something in the London area, but the competition, rents and deposits were insane, there was no way I could do that. After a quick attempt in Vancouver, Canada that didn’t turn out well, I decided to come here not speaking any Polish, not knowing anybody. I sold my house and put every penny I had into the Alchemist. I spent 6 months sleeping on peoples’ sofas, borrowing their cars, meeting real estate agents, trying to find somewhere that had good frontage and a garden with sun. Those were my two objectives because I’ve always been passionate about pubs and public houses and how they should be nonjudgemental and have a menu that caters to everyone.

That’s what I wanted to bring to Warsaw; a modern version of this idea.

How has life been in Poland since moving here?

I love the simplicity of Poland, and as a chef, I love that it’s an agricultural country. I love eastern Poland where you can still see sights that look like something from the 1920s, where people still live off the land. There’s something about driving past an old Babcia [grandmother] on the side of the road selling mushrooms and jars of blueberries that just makes me stop and say ‘yup! I’m going to buy that!’, and I’m going to do everything I can to buy real vegetables from the people that grow and pick them.

Ed Shellard: Warsaw's Alchemist | Local Voices Also, I think that the people in Poland are fantastic, and eating Polish food with people outside of the cities is one of the most mind-blowing experiences, where you’re eating simple food that’s fantastic, in an atmosphere of love, especially when a Polish Babcia takes you under her wing and makes you eat!

What were your first impressions of the gastronomy scene in Poland upon arrival?

I found the old hospitality style in Poland quite shocking when I first came here, and we just wanted to turn that on its head because I think Polish people are fantastic they’re warm and hospitable, but if they don’t know you, they can be quite cold. We wanted to create a family gastropub, which is what I think we’ve done. A good majority of our customers have been with us for years because they love the atmosphere.

The COVID-19 Pandemic turned the hospitality industry upside down - how did it affect The Alchemist?

We immediately had to adapt, and our staff dealt with deliveries. I know restaurants that fired staff on the spot, but we decided to carry on. Thanks to our friendly approach, in the first weeks of restrictions, we received a lot of love from supporters helping us by ordering food. Of course, we had to introduce the new sanitary regime, but we got used to it. I’ve used the opportunity to teach my staff that work at The Alchemist is not just a job, but the art of hospitality - you need to care about guests. People appreciate this and remember it. Making a team of positive people leads to staff becoming like part-owners with me, not just me being their boss. A lot of Polish restaurants need to have this approach, to give staff a feeling of engagement. Happy staff make happy customers who will always return.

How do you think the hospitality industry will adapt to the new situation we are in?

If there is another lockdown, we know how to work around it. We’ll keep our staff and become delivery focused. Part of our philosophy is that everyone in the gastronomy industry is in this together - I don’t see other restaurants as competition, I see them as friends, so let’s support each other. Poland for a long time just saw ‘restauracja’ or ‘pub’, they didn’t understand it’s part of the hospitality industry; about caring for people and offering guests a good night out. I tell my staff regularly not to judge anyone that visits us - you don’t know them, they’re just normal people with mortgages, sick family members, and on Friday night they come here to leave all that behind, to have some good food and drinks, and it’s your job to cater to that.

Those guests are the people that will regularly return and help us survive.

It's time for something a little bit more lighthearted! What are your favourite things to see and do in and around Warsaw?

The Warsaw Rising Museum is one of my favourite attractions to take visiting family & friends. We do that so they understand why Warsaw looks like it does. This city and its history blows my mind. I sometimes join walking tours and just listen to a local telling me about all those in-depth stories. Even on a side street in Warsaw you’ve never been to, you’ll find something captivating.

I tell friends it’s like diamonds in the rough; it looks rough on the surface, but behind each door you can find something interesting. One of my favourite things to do is go to other restaurants - you can eat relatively cheaply, being able to afford three restaurant visits per week without breaking the bank.

A modern menu to match a modern approach to running a restaurant.

Photo: Bartosz Mokrzycki.

And how about the rest of Poland?

I love exploring. I love Kraków, we’ve also been to Auschwitz, which is essential for anyone living here, but the minute the temperature is decent, I love going to the countryside, to experience the old world Poland.

I’m a bit of a petrol head, and sometimes we just spin a bottle and drive in any direction to see what we come across. Konstancin (p.71) was my most recent adventure, which I had no idea had all these mansions.

Do you have anything you would like to say to our readers?

Please spare a thought for the restaurant you love, the hotel you enjoyed staying in, the people that looked after you - these are real people with real lives doing their best for you, and in your free time, you’ve got to support the places that you actually like. Don’t buy a coffee from a petrol station, avoid the big shopping malls for food, remember the food that you actually like to eat rather than fast food alternatives that do nothing good for your body. Most importantly, it’s summer, go out with friends for a drink and out for a meal, embrace it.

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Local Voices | Anthony Campaniaris @ Nobu Hotel

The impressively designed Nobu Hotel Warsaw on ul. Wilcza 73 (F-10).

Nobu Hotel Warsaw: Anthony Campaniaris Anthony Campaniaris has until now been connected with the hotel industry in Toronto, Canada. He began his career at the reception of Granite Club and Metropolitan Hotel. In 2006-2009, he worked at Hilton, first as a Reception Manager and then as an Executive Level Manager. He then served as Deputy CEO of Hilton Garden Inn, Chief Operating Officer of Hazelton Hotel, and for five years was Director of Sales and Business Development at the luxury Shangri-Li. Before coming to Warsaw, he managed the Andore House hotel for three years.

He is now the General Manager of Nobu Hotel Warsaw, owned by Chef Nobuyuki 'Nobu' Matsuhisa, Actor Robert De Niro and Film Producer Meir Teper.

As the General Manager of Warsaw’s new NOBU Hotel, what can you briefly tell us to introduce the NOBU brand to our readers?

Nobu is a brand that began with restaurants and evolved into a hotel group. Our shareholders vision to see the experience from our restaurants translate to a hotel was seamless as Nobu guests are seeking unique and crafted experiences. We pride ourselves on selecting locations that have inspiring designs that are inspired through Japanese minimalism and luxury through simplicity.

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Nobu is an expanding international brand which we’re excited to welcome to Warsaw. Can you tell us why the city was chosen as a new location?

Warsaw is a city that has seen consistent growth over the last 15 years and shown stable economic growth, as well as higher leisure and business travel volumes. We select specific locations where our brand is either already well known and can thrive or where the market has a need for a luxury-lifestyle experience that is missing. Poland is also where our shareholder Meir Teper was born, and this property is truly special to him for this reason.

Anthony Campaniaris @ Nobu Hotel | Local Voices The design concept of Nobu in Warsaw is stunning. Can you tell us why this specific location on ul. Wilcza was chosen, but also what the thought process was behind merging a super modern and pre-war building?

The concept of marrying two totally unique concepts gives us an opportunity to become part of the existing landscape of the city. Spanning 100 years since it’s creation to the addition and opening on the new wing, Nobu Warsaw proudly encompasses the perfect blend of classic elegance and modern sophistication. We respect the heritage and importance of the existing Art Deco building, and by including this concept in the overall property, we have given guests the opportunity to chose the way they experience Warsaw through the decades, all while receiving the same incomparable Nobu experience.

The initial opening date was planned for June 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the date being pushed back to August. How has Nobu adapted to the pandemic reality?

We are fortunate that in Warsaw specifically, the epidemic was contained and handled correctly and it has allowed the public to feel comfortable and safe in resuming life.

Apart from the minor delay in opening, we had further time to ensure that hygiene and sanitation policies for our guests and team members were developed and implemented. Following the recommendations from the government, we recognise social distancing inside the building, the use of masks and gloves for our team members, hourly public space sanitising, and UV light germicidal room sanitisers to ensure all hotel rooms are safe to occupy.

Is there anything you personally love about the building/location?

Perhaps something unique which other hotels don’t have?

Personally, I have always been inspired by buildings and locations that are unique. For me, as a Canadian, relocating to Warsaw was a wonderful experience and I was so happy to be introduced so comfortably to the way of life in this vibrant city. Add to this a truly incredible building that stands out among other hotels in the city by its design, its unique ability to tell the story about the evolution of a city, and most importantly by the incredible local team members who make each experience different and exciting, are among the reasons why I am so passionate about Nobu Hotel Warsaw.

What advice can you give to people who are perhaps apprehensive about visiting Poland at this time?

Poland, along with many other EU countries, had a swift response to containing and handling the epidemic.

It was via these methods, and with the public following regulations, that the virus did not become harder to control.

Being apprehensive about travel is to be expected, but when taking that first step, it is important to select accommodations that are taking the proper steps to ensure they are putting all guests' minds at ease, knowing that they are in a safe and hygienic environment.

The hotel industry has grown and improved immensely in Poland over the last 30 years, especially in Warsaw, with the choice of accommodation available to visitors being ever more varied. What makes Nobu stand out as the no. 1 choice for prospective travellers coming to Warsaw?

Poland has seen great growth in hotel developments under large chains. This has shown that there is demand for choice and that frequent guests may wish to experience different styles of hotel when they travel. Nobu Hotel Warsaw is filling a much needed gap in the city, where guests can have a truly unique lifestyle experience in a vibrant, energetic and stylish space that focuses on design, ambience and mood, all while having the highest level of luxury service that our guests expect of the brand.

What can the Nobu experience offer to local Varsovians and expats?

The Nobu experience that can be found in all of our hotels and restaurants around the world can be seen here in Warsaw. We have a truly incomparable cuisine and menu, and a guest experience that any local or expat would be hard pressed to find in Warsaw. We hope to become part of the local community, and welcome everyone as part of our family.

Is there anything you would like to say to, or ask of, our readers?

I would encourage all readers to come to the property.

It’s such a unique hotel and building, with an even more unique dining experience and hotel stay. Our Nobu Cafe has many local influences in the lunch menu and we are even more excited to share our pastry offering that can be ordered as take out or dining in.

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Local Flavours | Traditional Polish Dishes

Traditional Polish Dishes Polish food is famous for being simple, rich and very filling.

Below we list the most well-known dishes you simply must try while in town, all of which you should be able to order from any Polish restaurant worth its salt. Smacznego!

BARSZCZ A nourishing beetroot soup, barszcz may be served with a croquette (‘barszcz z krokietem’), with miniature pierogi floating in it (‘barszcz z uszkami’), or simply as broth in a mug expressly for drinking. A recommended alternative to other beverages, we’d be surprised if you can find a bad cup of barszcz anywhere in Poland, so make sure you return home with barzszcz stains on at least one of your shirts.

BIGOS Though there’s no standard recipe for this hearty stew, ingredients usually include fresh and pickled cabbage, sausage, onion, mushrooms, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, caraway and whatever else is on hand. In fact, metaphorically bigos translates to ‘big mess,’‘mish-mash’ or ‘confusion’ in Polish. A Polish restaurant or prospective bride can be fairly measured on the strength of their bigos, so put it to the test.

GOŁĄBKI Translating to ‘little pigeons,’ this favourite dish is like a ‘cabbage enchilada'. Consisting of boiled cabbage leaves filled with rice, onion and typically beef, gołąbki are rolled up and baked or steamed, then served with tomato or mushroom sauce. Polish legend claims that King Kazimierz IV fed his army gołąbki before the Battle of Grunwald, and their unlikely victory attributed to the fortifying meal ever since.

GOLONKA This is ‘pork knuckle’ or ‘ham hock,’ as in the part of a pig’s leg between the knee and ankle. Boiled, braised or roasted, this is the closest the Poles come to barbecue, and is a delicacy.

The meat should slip right off the bone, be served with horseradish, and washed down with beer. Generally sold by weight, you might end up with more than you bargained for, but it’s certainly an Instagram opportunity. Go caveman.

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Traditional Polish Dishes | Local Flavours

All photos courtesy of U Fukiera restaurant, p.79.

KOTLET SCHABOWY Typically served with mashed potatoes and pickled cabbage, this is probably the most popular meal in Poland. Essentially a breaded and fried pork chop, ‘kotlet schabowy’ is quite similar to Viennese schnitzel, and a solid bet for a cheap, filling, risk-free meal. If you’re awoken on a weekend by the sound of profuse banging - that’s the sound of the meat being tenderised with a spiky mallet, so best mind your manners.

PIEROGI Poland’s most famous food, you can't leave PL until you’ve had them. These doughy, stuffed dumplings are typically steamed or pan-fried. Traditional fillings include potato, sweet cheese, minced meat, mushrooms and cabbage or seasonal fruits. If you nose around, you’ll find plenty of maverick fillings like chocolate, lentils or even chicken livers; the possibilities are limitless and served literally everywhere.

PLACKI ZIEMNIACZANE These greasy, fried potato pancakes are very similar to hashbrowns or Jewish latkes (if that means anything to you), and may be served in a variety of ways. Keep it simple with just sour cream (‘placki solo’), or turn it into a hefty meal by ordering them smothered in mushroom sauce or - our favourite - goulash (‘placki po węgiersku’). Highly caloric, they’re also a tried and true hangover cure.

ŻUREK It doesn’t get any more Polish than żurek – a sour soup made from a thick stock of fermented rye flour. Typically chock full of potatoes, sausage and hard-boiled eggs, żurek is most often thickened with cream, and seasoned with marjoram, garlic, salt and pepper. The result is a tasty grayish gruel that any Polish peasant would be proud to polish off. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get it served in a bread bowl.

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Bottoms up with classy drinks at Woda Ognista (p.93)

4 Polish Alcohols You Have to Try ‌plus several others that also work‌

Polish Alcohol | Local Flavours

Vodka Translator

Poland’s national drink has many exciting variations for you to try… © Fabrizio Sciami

1. Żołądkowa Gorzka Due to its very name, which translates to something like ‘Bitter Stomach Vodka,’ Żołądkowa Gorzka gives even the most infirm of health an excuse to drink under the guise of its medicinal properties. Though it comes in a variety of flavours, the original orange label (‘tradycyny’) is an aged, amber-coloured liquor flavoured with herbs and spices, Żołądkowa has a unique aroma and sweet spiced taste unlike anything you’re likely to have tried before.

2. Żubrówka One of Poland’s most popular overseas vodka exports, Żubrówka - also known as Bison Grass Vodka - has been produced in Eastern Poland since the 16th century. Flavoured with a type of grass specific to the primeval Białowieża Forest (a blade of which appears in each bottle), Żubrówka is faint yellow in colour, with a mild fragrance of mown hay and a subtle taste which has been described as ‘floral’ or having traces of almond or vanilla. Delightfully smooth as it is on its own, Żubrówka is most commonly combined with apple juice – a refreshing concoction called a ‘tatanka’ or ‘szarlotka’ depending where you are.

3. Krupnik Popular in Poland and Lithuania, Krupnik is a sweet liquor made from honey and a multitude of herbs.

Buy a bottle for Mum – drinking booze doesn’t get any easier than this. In winter, hot krupnik is a popular defroster with hot water, lemon and mulling spices.

4. Miód Pitny Mead, or ‘drinkable honey,’ preceded beer’s arrival in Poland and has remained a favourite since the Middle Ages. Since 2008, Polish meads have been protected under EU law as a traditional specialty.

Distilled from honey, the drink comes in 4 strengths with Połtorak being the strongest (15-18%).

Poles have been producing and drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling some of the best vodka blends available in the world. The most highly regarded clear Polish vodka brands must be Belvedere, Chopin, Luksusowa, Ostoya, Pan Tadeusz and Wyborowa, all of which you’ll find in any alcohol shop. While clear vodkas are generally reserved for giving away at weddings and mixing in cocktails, the real fun is in sampling Poland’s flavoured vodkas and nalewki - a large range of Polish liqueurs and aged tinctures made from vodka or neutral spirits and fruits, herbs and spices. Vodka shot & snack bars like Pijalnia Wódki on ul. Nowy Świat 19 (G-8) are a great place to try them. Here are just some of the notable varieties: Wiśniówka - cherry vodka Cytrynówka - lemon vodka Pigwówka - quince vodka Orzechówka - walnut vodka Piołunówka - wormwood liquor Wódka figowa - fig vodka Wódka śliwkowa - plum vodka Wódka gruszkowa - pear vodka

Warsaw’s Best Beer Gardens Having to spend a few months every year freezing, it’s no surprise locals dive right into beer gardens as soon as Mr. Sun appears. There are many, but we have a few recommendations. If you’re in Warsaw for a short time, the main tourist trail, the Royal Route (p.36) leading to the Old Town (p.30), is jam-packed with outdoor seating and courtyard gardens - accessible for all budgets! One of our top choices are the Pavillions (Pawilony), a ramshackle collection of dive bars at ul. Nowy Świat 26 (G-7).

If beer gardens are less your thing, head down to the river. The Vistula Boulevards (p.115) on the left bank offers seasonal bars and deck chairs. On the other side, there are more beaches and bars, like the popular La Playa (G-4). Nearby, ul. Francuska in the leafy Saska Kępa area (L-7) becomes a hive of activity with every bar, cafe and restaurant spilling out onto the streets with chairs and tables everywhere! For something 'alternative', mixing the best of the night market’s (p.87) street food, with bars and clubs with a circus ground flare, then head to one of our favourite new outdoor fun places: Lunapark (K-8).

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Local Voices | Ed Shellard: Warsaw's Alchemist

Miracle on the Vistula

Polish soldiers positioned in Miłosna (now Wesoła) on the eastern defences of Warsaw, August 1920.

It was a battle that Poland was not supposed to have won. A David and Goliath battle so pivotal yet so criminally-overlooked in the shadows between two world wars. If Poland lost, it would mean the end of its short-lived independence. But for the rest of Europe, a Soviet victory could have changed the history of the continent immensely. 100 years later, we take a look at the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, or as it’s known in Polish Cud Nad Wisłą (ENG: The Miracle on The Vistula)

in its goal of spreading the communist revolution westward. Thus began the Polish-Soviet War in 1919.

Falling back from Belarus and Ukraine, Piłsudski used the Polish retreat to make preparations for the Russian offensive. He knew their objective was the capital Warsaw, so that’s where he’d meet them.

Partitions and New Borders

Crossing over the Vistula in early August of 1920, the Polish 5th Army was positioned to the city's north, in and around Modlin Fortress. To Warsaw’s east, the Polish 1st Army was entrenched as the city’s last line of defence, that was to be held at all costs.

The Polish 3rd and 4th armies were placed to the city’s south, awaiting a counter-offensive command.

In the year 1795, Poland had failed in its resistance against the major powers on its borders, leading to the country’s partition between Austria, Prussia, and the Russian Empire. Poland was completely erased from the world map for 123 years. In the space of 5 generations, you'd expect anyone else to just give up and relinquish their statehood. But this is Poland we’re talking about, and as the national anthem states: ‘Poland is Not Yet Lost, So Long as we still live’ Fast-forward to 1918, when Germany and AustroHungary lost WWI and Russia’s participation was disrupted by the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. Polish resilience had finally paid off, and the 2nd Polish Republic emerged in 1919. A new Polish army led

by Chief of State Józef Piłsudski quickly mobilised to reclaim its former territories in the east. But the Bolsheviks were not ready to give up their ground so easily. Much more in fact - they were determined 18

Preparations

Leading the Russian offensive was General Mikhail Tukhachevsky. The core of his strategy was to encircle Warsaw from the northwest, the same way that Russian forces had done during the November Uprising of 1831! Simultaneously, he would send the Russian 16th army to attack the city from the east while the 12th Army and 1st Cavalry would eventually breach Warsaw from the south-east.

Thanks to Polish cryptologists who had broken the Russian ciphers, Piłsudski was well aware of Tuchashevsky's plans. But regardless of the advantage, the Poles were going up against a far more advanced army with more experienced commanders. Piłsudski

Miracle on the Vistula: 100 Year Anniversary | Events was better known as a politician and had no formal military education. So the cynics and military observers predicted a decisive Soviet victory.

A miracle would indeed be required!

An Unfavourable Start And so the Battle of Warsaw began. On August 12, Tukhachevsky sent the Russian 16th Army to attack city’s defences from the east, focusing their efforts on the town of Radzymin (just 30km north-east of Warsaw). At the same time, he concentrated the 3rd, 4th and 15th armies on the northern front to begin his surrounding maneuvre. Radzymin was eventually captured by the Red army on August 14, forcing the Polish 1st army back towards the Vistula. This added more pressure to the northern defences, as they continued to resist three whole Russian armies.

Things were not looking good. But as the name of this article suggests, a miracle was about to take place!

A Miracle Takes Place!

At midnight on Aug 14th, the Polish 203rd Uhlan Regiment broke through the northern line and managed to sabotage a radio tower in Ciechanów that was being used to coordinate Soviet troops. They did this by transmitting conflicting Morse code over the same frequency, recited the Book of Genesis in Polish and Latin! Due to the disruption in communication, the Russian 4th army missed the command to turn south and continued advancing west.

At this point, Tukhachevsky was still hoping for support from Russian forces in the southeast, but due to disagreements in strategy as well as personal grudges, these commanders ignored their orders. Most notably, the Russian 1st Cavalry was convinved by a young Jozef Stalin to mobilise south and capture the Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Russia's Defeat

By August 18th, Russian forces had effectively been defeated, though it would take days for a full retreat to be issued. The Russian 4th Army, cut off from the main force, retreated into East Prussia, and all 35,000 men were taken prisoner. Total Russian losses during the engagement have been estimated at 126,000, compared to just 40,500 on the Polish side. Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin was quoted as calling the battle an ‘enormous defeat’, and with the Red Army in full retreat, Piłsudski was able to mobilise his troops again, eventually solidifying Poland's borders by March 1921.

Whether it was divine intervention, poor Soviet leadership, talented Polish code breakers or unstoppable Polish morale, Piłsudski had effectively stopped Soviet expansion into Western Europe. If Poland had not succeeded, it’s very possible that world history would have taken a very different turn, greatly effecting the circumstances in which WWII and the Cold War would have taken place.

Where to see More?

It was now August 15th - the Zdzisław Jasiński’s ‘Forward Catholic feast of the assumption. As Warsaw!’, with the allegory of War cemeteries can be visited in if motivated by a divine force, the Poland leading the charge.

Radzymin, and also in the nearby Polish 5th Army pushed forward town of Ossów. Modlin Fortress from their position and forced the Russian flank back can be visited as well as the remnants of the concrete away from the Vistula. The situation was finally turning. defence networks around the north of the city. In Warsaw itself, the finer details of the battle and the Preparing for the counter-offensive, Piłsudski realised overall war can be explored in the Polish Army the gravity of the situation and handed in a letter Museum and the Warsaw Citadel from where the of resignation from all state duties, so that the radio stations jammed Soviet signals. government would not be disrupted by his death.

On August 16th, he personally led the 3rd and 4th armies north, steamrolling over the measly southRead our full article and eastern Russian flank. This cut off communication to watch our video here: the Russian 16th army. As confusion ensued, cohesion iyp.me/78007f in the Russian lines began to come apart.

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Events | What’s On in Warsaw: Aug-Sept 2020

What's On in Warsaw Crack Up – Crack Down Exhibition at Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art | Photo: Karolina Zajączkowska, p. 22

Events by Date UNTIL 29.08 » Jazz at the Old Town Square If you’re a jazz lover, this is a great series of concerts taking place every Saturday in the picturesque surroundings of Warsaw’s Old Town (p.30). Drawing over 40,000 festival-goers annually and into its 26th year now, this open-air festival promises to be the largest and most popular jazz festival in Poland. Check out the full schedule of who’s playing, and don’t forget, it’s all free. If you ask us, that’s a pretty reasonable price to see some big names in the Polish and jazz scene. And this year’s names are: Paweł Kaczmarczyk & Adam Bałdych Directions In Music: Weather Report (18/07), Krzysztof Ścierański Special Band Edition - Pandemia (25/08), Piotr Baron Quintet - Wodecki Jazz (01/08), EABS - Slavic Spirits (08/08), Michał Urbaniak ORGANATOR (15/08), Marcin Wasilewski Trio & Adam Pierończyk - Arctic Riff (22/08) and Leszek Możdżer Polish Trio (29/08).

QF‑4, Old Town Square, Rynek Starego Miasta, Admission free, www.jazznastarowce.pl. Every Saturday from 19:00.

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UNTIL 29.08 » Millennium Docs Against Gravity Summer Cinema at Elektrownia Powiśle When Millennium Docs Against Gravity started 12 years ago, it was the only festival that screened feature length documentaries in Poland, as well as being the first to award a prize for such films. On a further point, summer cinema has always been popular in Poland, but the COVID pandemic has pushed for film festivals to move outdoors like never before - a move to try and minimise the restrictions. Thus, the Summer Cinema edition of this important event has come to fruition it's a perfect activity to relax, spend some (sociallydistanced) time with friends whilst simultaneously coming together to watch some thought-provoking and enjoyable films. Screenings take place at the newly-opened Elektrownia Powiśle (p.46) every Tuesday and Saturday (19:30-21:30) until the end of August in the main square right in front of the characteristic main entrance. Check out their site for the full film repertoire.QH/I‑6, Elektrownia Powiśle, ul. Dobra 42, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, Admission free, www.elektrowniapowisle.com. Every Tuesday & Saturday from 19:30.

What’s On in Warsaw: Aug-Sept 2020 | Events 15.08 - 31.08 » International Music Festival ‘Chopin and his Europe’

A classic event (in every sense of the word), organised by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. The International Music Festival ‘Chopin and his Europe’, now in its 16th edition, focuses on the work of Chopin through the masterpieces of both historical and contemporary artists, especially those from which he drew inspiration during his life. Historically, the works of his friends, Polish composers, who although not as famous Chopin, undeniably created works of great value: Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński, Józef Nowakowski, Franciszek Lessel, Józef Krogulski, as well as those with whom Chopin co-created the musical world of Europe in the 19th century. The festival performers, invited specially by the Institute, are stars on the world stage - eminent chamber musicians, virtuososos of various instruments, conductors and ensembles.

Among those to have been invited to Warsaw many times are Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire, Nelson Goerner, Garrick Ohlsson, Orchestra of the 18th century, Europa Galante, Collegium 1704, Sinfonia Varsovia... we think you get the point! All music will be performed on period instruments (or their copies) and pianists will play on those of the Institute’s own collection, including one of Chopin’s Warsaw Piano! Selected concerts are also available to watch online on the Institute’s youtube channel.

QF‑7, National Philharmonic, ul. Jasna 5, Tickets 40140zł, www.festiwal.nifc.pl.

AZYL by Broadway in Poland

AZYL (ENG: Asylum) by Broadway is a new space for artistic activities in town. Located in the Club Room of the Rampa Theater, AZYL is the initiative of award-winning Polish artist Jakub Wocial in response to the difficult times we live in. The Asylum network gives concertgoers the opportunity to discover new artists without the barrier of a computer screen in a small, intimate space (COVID restrictions have to be respected). Having access to such venues are, of course, a welcome haven for musicians themselves, who have been deprived of an audience, a space to perform and, in any other case, a livelihood for those who call it a full-time job! So far, the stage has been graced by the likes of Edyta Krzemień, Dorota Osińska, Emilia Klimczak and Jakub Wocial himself! The small space allows for the audience to spend time with them freely, not only during their performance.

The number of seats are, therefore, limited. These exclusive ticket prices include white and red wine, coffee and tea, complimentary during your evening, and can be purchased on bilety. fm. Check out the Broadway w Polsce Facebook page for event details.Qul. Kołowa 20, tel. (+48) 514 01 80 01.

09.10 - 18.10 » Warsaw Film Festival Yes, film festivals are popping up all over the place now, but this is the original—back this year for its 35th edition. Things have come a long way since 1985 when this event started life as a small student festival.

Nowadays, it’s a full-blown red carpet, posh frock affair with prizes running to 100,000 zł. Numbered amongst the elite group of the 13 most important film festivals in the world, the programme includes films from all over the world, most of which receive their Polish premieres at this very festival. Head to their website to browse a programme of stunning works from all corners of the worldQ www.wff.pl.

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Events | What’s On in Warsaw: Aug-Sept 2020 22.08 - 30.08 » Jewish Culture Festival: Singer’s Warsaw A truly multicultural event, the 17th Jewish Culture Festival: Singer’s Warsaw embraces jazz, pop, cabaret acts, theatre performances, literature, visual arts, small indoor and large outdoor performances such as Shabat Shalom, Klezmer Night or the final concert, and of course, history - telling the story of Jewish traditions in Poland. As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will have a more intimate feel, spread across many venues such as the Reduta Bank Polski, the Jewish Theatre, with the majority of the events focused across the river in the Praga Koneser Center - all with the added bonus of being streamed online! What the festival has to offer is truly amazing, a mix of traditional, pre-war and contemporary music, to performances by Jazz stars such as Italian guitarist Francesco Bruno who will play with the Jerzy Małek Trio, the Szymon Łukowski Quintet, Lithuanian sax player Liudas Mockūnas, Grammy award winning Jazz pianist Włodek Pawlik (Poland), Janek Młynarski and the Combo group (Poland), Dominik Wania and Atom String Quartet (Poland), Kroke (Poland) who will surprise attendees with their latest project, Małgorzata Guthman (Poland), Chaim Steren, Nacman Trojeman, Nathanel Ilvitzki - cantoral concert, Next Generation (Israel), Vadim Brodski (Ukraine) and a highly-anticipated appearance by world-pop artist Kayah (Poland). Families have no need to feel left out of the proceedings. There will be plenty of activities for children and families too!QVarious Locations, www.shalom.org.pl.

Exhibitions UNTIL 22.03.2021 » Here is Muranów Only rubble was left of the Warsaw Jewish district after WWII (p.56), and its former residents perished in the Holocaust. The new residential district, Muranów, was commissioned to be built and repopulated by people from all over Poland and abroad, who began to mould a new identity of the district. But the foundations of pre-war buildings are still to be found underneath the pavements, houses and green spaces of today’s Muranów. The exhibition attempts to present the unique history of this district, recounting it through the prism of selected locations, their inhabitants and visitors.QD‑4, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, ul. Anielewicza 6, MRatusz Arsenał, Admission 20/15zł, www.polin.pl. Open 10:00 18:00, Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Tue.

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UNTIL 11.10 » Crack Up – Crack Down Who doesn’t love a bit of satire? Step up English speakers, we all love some scathing political jokes! Crack Up – Crack Down, an exhibition put together by the art collective Slavs and Tatars focuses on satire and its power to humour us, but to also be a tool of political opposition (or sometimes its failings in opposition). The first edition was presented at the 33rd Biennial of Graphic Art in Ljubljana, now at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art. But here in Warsaw, the graphic genre has been expanded to include new Polish contexts. The exhibition showcases a broad spectrum of works, in both historical and contemporary contexts, including satirical magazines, academic sources and even activist works. See works by artists from Slovenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, but also China, Iran, UK, and the US. Polish artists include Bolesław Chromry, Rafał Dominik, Jana Shostak and Jacqueline Sobiszewski. The role of satire too is questioned in the modern-day context, is it effective in the face of the rise of populism and revanchism? Hmm, makes ya think!QI‑10, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, ul. Jazdów 2, MPolitechnika, Admission 16/8zł to all exhibitions, for two exhibitions 12/6zł, for one exhibition 10/5zł, entrance to project room 5zł, students up to 26 years of age 1zł. Thu free. www.u-jazdowski.pl. Open 12:00 - 19:00, Thu 12:00 21:00. Closed Mon.

UNTIL 30.08 » Of Crafts and Craftsmen: The Miecznik Studio The story of the Mieczniks is a fascinating sharedhistory between modern Warsaw and a family of dedicated to the craft of bronze-work. With metal-crafting clearly in their blood (‘Miecznik’ translates as ‘Swordmaker’ in English), patriarch Władysław established his bronze workshop in 1936.

During the war, he unofficially made Polish eagles and combat badges for the Resistance, forged the seals of German institutions needed for counterfeiting documents. The workshop burned down during the 1944 Uprising (p.60), but Władysław managed to recover hidden tools and products from under the rubble and sought to rebuild his livelihood, like millions of other city residents at the close of the war. During the Communist PRL, the Miecznik’s struggled with a system that aimed to nationalise of the craft, whilst enjoying almost-unrivaled position on the market and a flow of orders. Around this time, they created sculptures, statuettes, medals, plaques and badges commemorated historical events and national figures. This exhibition gives incredible insight into the political, economic, social and cultural life of people

What’s On in Warsaw: Aug-Sept 2020 | Events in modern Warsaw.QF‑4, Museum of Warsaw, Rynek Starego Miasta 28-42, MRatusz Arsenał, Admission for both perm/temp exhibitions 20/18zł, perm only 20/15zł, temp only 12/7zł. All come with headphones. Thu free. www.muzeumwarszawy.pl.

13.08 - 20.09 » Adelina Cimochowicz. Project Room 2020. Emerging Polish artists at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in 2020 This is the 9th edition of a program aimed at giving an opportunity to young artists, having them create works especially for the Project Room space. Selected from 150 candidates, Adelina Cimochowicz is one of 6 artists that will be on display throughout 2020 at the Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art. Cimochowicz is an video/photo artist, heavilyinvolved with various community activities. In her works, she explores borderline emotional states and nervous crises. Graduating in architecture from the Białystok University of Technology and the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Cimochowicz is also laureate of the Grand Prix of the Young Wolves competition, the Special Jury Prize of the Hestia Artistic Journey competition and the Maria Anto and Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. At the program's end, a jury will select two artists to award with financial grants, as well as an opportunity to their own standalone exhibition in Ujazdowski!QI‑10, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, ul.

Jazdów 2, MPolitechnika, Admission 16/8zł to all exhibitions, for two exhibitions 12/6zł, for one exhibition 10/5zł, entrance to project room 5zł, students up to 26 years of age 1zł. Thu free., www.u-jazdowski.pl. Open 12:00 - 19:00, Thu 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon.

25.09 - 17.01 » Ursula Mayer Co nas przetrwa What will survive us? Austrian artist and film director Ursula Mayer seeks the answer to this question in the ideas of ‘post-humanism’, science and mysticism from the East. In this exhibition, prepared especially for the host venue, she creates a kind of microcosm in a calming atmosphere.

Organic, mechanical and technological elements connect within, creating a kind of hybrid organism.

More questions will then be posed to the audience: To what extent will the development of science and technology authenticate the theses of ‘post-humanism’, contributing to the change of philosophical paradigms, the concept of life and nonhuman subjectivity? Will it be plastic that survives us or will it be love, written in the algorithm?QI‑10, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, ul.

Jazdów 2, MPolitechnika. Admission 16/8zł to all exhibitions, www.u-jazdowski.pl.

Katie Melua 08.10 19:00-21:00 Georgian-born singer, songwriter and musician Katie Melua requires no introduction to anyone in Poland or, indeed, Europe, where she was the highest-selling female artist in 2006 at the ripe age of 22. Her first two albums, ‘Call Off The Search’ and ‘Piece By Piece’ both became international number ones, and the story was to continue, after an exciting, record-breaking rollercoaster ride involving several massive world tours. Her intense career took a toll though on her health she suffered a nervous breakdown that required her to step out of the limelight for a bit, but she since had recovered and continues to charm her audience with her unique and astonishing voice, with maturity and richness that she developed over the last decade, narrating tales of love and life. After 3 years between releases, a new album, simply titled 'Album No. 8' will be released on October 16th this year, much to the anticipation of fans and the music press. Maybe she will preview some new material at her concert in Warsaw?QJ‑10, Torwar Hall, ul. Łazienkowska 6A, Tickets 149-279zł, www.koncerty.com/pl.

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Transport

Transport

Warsaw is Poland’s most navigable city by far. | Photo: Adobe Stock

Travel within Warsaw using buses, metro and trams is efficient, fast and cheap; driving a car through the centre, on the other hand, can be confusing indeed, and the is best negotiated either on foot, public transport or by taking a cab. In this section you’ll find all you need to know about getting around the city with general ease via bus, metro, tram and taxi.

Car Rental All most travellers need to rent a car in PL is 18 years of age, a credit card (not debit), and a valid foreign driver’s licence. Be aware, however, that those from countries that didn’t ratify the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (tsk, tsk, United States, China, Australia...) cannot legally drive on their home licences; technically an International Driver’s License is required in those cases. Though some rental companies (the dodgier ones) will still rent you a car, be aware that you are assuming full liability for any damages if you get behind the wheel; you also run the risk of getting a citation from the police for driving without a valid license.

If you’re looking to leave the country in your rental car, be aware that you can’t cross the borders into Belarus or Ukraine in a rental car. Although you shouldn’t have problems crossing into other Schengen area countries, we advise you always check each hire company’s policies about cross-border travel.

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Avis Budget Also at Modlin Airport (ul. Gen. Wiktora Thommee 1A), Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (E-9, Marriott Hotel) and ul. Łopuszańska 12A (Włochy).Qul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 48 72, www.avis.com. Open 10:00-20:00; Sat, Sun 10:00-15:00.

Europcar Qul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 25 64, www.europcar.com. Open 07:00-23:00.

Hertz Qul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 28 96, www.hertz.com. Open 08:00-23:30.

Innogy GO The largest electric car sharing service in Poland with a fleet of 500 BMW i3 and i3s waiting for you to scan the QR code and drive off. Install their app, register your personal information, driver’s licence and payment details, then search for car locations. Costs are from 1.19zł p/min driving the i3, 0.19zł stopover fee, and a daily fee of 199zł for 24h (239zł p/day thereafter). The i3s cost 1.49zł p/min, daily fee of 199zł for 24h. Free parking applies for electric, however, parking restrictions still apply to all cars, so be careful.

For full details, visit their site.Qtel. (+48) 22 212 60 90, www.innogygo.pl.

Transport Scooter Rental QG‑8, ul. Nowogrodzka 22, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 690 99 77 60, www.skutery-centrum.pl. Open 07:30-19:30.

Metro-Morphosis

Sixt Qul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Chopin Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 20 31, www.sixt.com. Open 08:00-22:00.

Public Transport Warsaw has an extensive bus and tram system crisscrossing the city as well as a good metro system with M1 line running north-south and M2 running eastwest. Over 1,500 buses operate in and around the city, and run 05:00-23:00. After that night buses run on most routes twice every hour. All night buses display the letter N. ‘Fast buses’ (marked with red digits) skip the smaller stops.

Tickets (all valid for use on metro, bus and tram) can be bought from machines with instructions in English dotted around the city, at all metro stations, and some bus and tram stops. Tickets can also be purchased from machines on buses and trams, where you can pay by card, or using exact change only. Alternatively, kiosks also sell tickets.

A standard public transport single ticket costs 4.40zł. If you’re travelling to the further reaches of Warsaw you’ll be needing a ticket that covers both zones 1 and 2 – these are priced at 7zł. Note that the airport is in Zone 1. Still with us? Good. There is also a 20 minute ticket at 3.40zł. Tickets valid for 24 hrs are priced at 13 or 26zł if travelling through both zones.

A weekend ticket (available from 19:00 on Fri till 08:00 on Mon) costs 24zł (also a weekend group ticket is available for up to 5 people and costs 40zł). A 3-day ticket costs 36zł for zone 1 only and 57zł for zones 1 & 2.

Those over 70 ride for free, as do children up until the end of September of the year they turn 7, but you must have photo ID with you (in such cases, to enter the metro, use a ‘wejściówka’, which is a ticket that allows you to enter the electronic gates - they can be found from dispensers next to the gates). Everyone else pays full fare unless in possession of an ISIC card.

This entitles you to buy a reduced ticket (ulgowy).

Once you’ve got a ticket you will need to validate it in one of the box-style kasowniks in buses/trams. On the metro this must be done before you get on board.

Plain clothes ticket inspectors stalk the lines, dishing out 270.40zł for those without valid tickets (we understand quick payment results in the fine being lessened). They often don’t look very official and you are within your rights to request identification.

Qwww.ztm.waw.pl.

Tentative construction of a Warsaw metro system first began in 1938 and was spearheaded by the forward thinking mayor Stefan Starzyński, however, the first line finally opened for business a whopping sixty years later! To be fair, engineers and designers had a lot to deal with in the interim, namely the ravages of the second world war and the perils of communism. The Cold War brought a change in priorities. City planners were called to create a super-deep underground system, primarily to allow for swift troop movements below the city. By 1953 over 700 metres of tunnels had been carved underground but the death of Comrade Stalin saw all works abandoned. In 1995, the North-South M1 line opened and eventually grew to 21 stations. The east-west M2 line, intersecting at Metro Świętokrzyska, opened in 2015, originally consisting of 7 stations - 3 more were added in 2019, and a further 3 in 2020. There are plans to have 21 by 2022. The metro is key to any visit in Warsaw.QF‑8.

Taxis It’s still always better to ring ahead than hail a taxi.

Be vigilant; we’ve heard plenty of horror stories. The accepted fare from Chopin Airport to the centre is 35-50zł; we suggest you agree this price with your driver. The companies we list usually have someone on their switchboard who speaks English. Tipping is not expected.

Ele Taxi Qtel. (+48) 22 811 11 11, www.eletaxi.pl.

Glob Cab Taxi Qul. Aleksandra Kotsisa 4, tel. (+48) 666 00 96 68, www.globcabtaxi.pl.

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Transport

Useful Transport Tools e-podroznik.pl Travelling around Poland is becoming easier! With a host of services available to ease your travels woes, one of the best is e-podroznik (e-traveller). This is your one stop shop for planning and buying tickets for all major cross-country travel in Poland whether it be by bus or train. You can search timetables and buy tickets online by visiting their site en.e-podroznik. pl or download their app.

By Train Warsaw’s main train station, Centralna, is a hulking metal giant that sits conveniently in the city’s centre and is the main hub for trains arriving in the capital.

Additionally, passengers may disembark at the smaller Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East station) between Praga Północ and Praga Południe districts, and Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West station) on the border of Ochota and Wola districts.

Jakdojade Warsaw’s metro, bus and tram network is incredibly easy to use; and it's made easier with the skeleton key to unlocking public transport: the Warszawa.jakdojade.pl site and app. The former is a great tool for advance planning, but the app is more practical for figuring out how to get from A to B once you’re out in town. Just type in your starting address (the app does this automatically), destination, departure time, and Jakdojade magically churns out the best method for you to get there. If you prefer, you can also find timetables and network maps at ztm.waw.pl.

Glob Cab Taxi Not to be outdone, Glob now has their own app good, because they are one of the better services operating in the city, charging only 2zł per km, and with fixed rates for transfers to/from the two major airports: Warsaw Chopin Airport is 29zł to/from the city centre and 99zł to/from Modlin Airport. Their app is easily found on the App Store and Google Play - Please note: you must use a registered Polish no. to sign up (prepaid or contract). To order by phone, call (+48) 1-9668 or (+48) 666 00 9668.

Uber Not only has Uber (uber.com) arrived in Poland, but has in fact chosen Kraków as its European hub.

If you’re already an Uber user, you’ll find that the alternative taxi service - whose free mobile app offers cheap one-tap, no cash, no tip rides from local drivers - has good coverage across Warsaw and all of Poland, however there are some drawbacks.

Specifically, Uber drivers don’t have the same permissions as regular cabbies and may not be able to take you as close to your destination, or get you there as directly; such is the trade-off for slightly cheaper rates.

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Travelling around Poland by train is much better today than 10+ years ago!

Photo: Jakub Hałun.

Warszawa Centralna Train Station Warsaw Central Station (Warszawa Centralna) is exactly what it says on the tin: central. And thanks to recent renovations, we’re happy to say it’s now easier to navigate. Once you alight from your train, take one of the two facing escalators in the centre of the platform, which lead you up into one of the underground passages that flank the main hall.

Whichever side you come up on you will be one level below ground level and the ticket hall. Kantors can be found in the underground passageway between Centralna and the Marriott. Signs for ATMs (bankomats) are everywhere, and the machines can be spotted at almost every turn.

Tourist info can be found across the street at the Palace of Culture - just look for the ‘i’ sign (open daily 09:00 - 19:00). Tickets for the public transport system can be bought from most newspaper kiosks.

Left luggage is located in the underground corridor that runs below the main hall (temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but subject to change). Look for Przechowalnia Bagażu, where stewards will look after your bag, or opt for one of the plentiful lockers.

Connect to a Polish network via mobile by getting SIM and pre-paid cards from the same newsagents (you now need to register any new SIM card so expect a bit of a wait).

Both entrances of the main hall are covered by taxi ranks, and by passing via tunnels under the main road you’ll find bus and tram stops though once you enter,

Transport the signs are more of a hindrance than a help and you may never be seen or heard of again. Officially sanctioned SAWA taxis and ELE taxis can be called to pick you up.

On the ground level there is a travel office run by Polish rail on the Złote Tarasy side of the building to the right of the stairs heading down to the platforms under the Centrum Obsługi Klienta sign (info line 197 57, intercity.pl). Open from 09:10 - 20:30, the multi-lingual staff (they can even assist the deaf ) can search for the cheapest/easiest connection, sell you international and domestic tickets, and can help plan your trip for you. There is a new info point called InfoDworzec open 07:00 - 21:00 which offers more general tourist info.

The selection of outlets selling food and drink at Centralna has improved dramatically. There are all kinds of local and international coffee joints, fast food chains and kebab shops to grab a quick bite or pass some time.QE‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 54, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 391 97 57 (from foreign mobile phones).

Open 24hrs. Note that due to system maintenance seat reservations cannot be made between 24:00-01:00.

Warszawa Wschodnia Train Station (Warsaw East Train Station) QL‑3, ul. Kijowska 20, tel. (+48) 22 391 97 57 (from foreign mobile phones). Open 24hrs.

Warszawa Zachodnia Train Station (Warsaw West Train Station) QAl. Jerozolimskie 142, tel. (+48) 22 391 97 57 (from foreign mobile phones). Open 24hrs.

By Bus If you come to Warsaw by bus, odds are you’ll be landing at the main bus station on Al. Jerozolimskie, while budget options like FlixBus drop passengers off a short distance from Metro Młociny.

Flixbus

Services leave from the bus stances at either Metro Młociny, Metro Wilanowska, in front of the Palace of Culture & Science at Plac Defilad, and from Warsaw West Train/Bus Station, depending on where you’re travelling.Qul. Kasprowicza 145 (Dworzec Autobusowy Metro Młociny, stance 1), www.flixbus.pl. P­W

Main Bus Station Coaches arrive and depart – unless otherwise stated – from the Warsaw West Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia). Find a currency

exchange and two ATM (bankomat) machines located in the main hall. There is no Tourist Info point, for the closest you’ll have to make the journey into the Palace of Culture (p.29, entrance from ul. Emilii Plater). There’s a legitimate left-luggage operation, automatic luggage lockers and a travel agency located here. You’ll also be able to buy SIM cards (for which you’ll need to register your details with ID), prepaid cards and transport cards. Taxis to the centre run between 20-30zl (refuse a lift from any of the smiling unlicensed operators who offer you a lift). The bus running to the centre is found right across a busy highway and getting there is an adventure in itself seeing there are no signposts in the subway leading there. Basically from the main hall duck down under the sign saying Dworzec PKP, head down the stairs, turn right, follow the corridor to its conclusion, turn right again – you’ll see two stairwells leading to the surface. Take the left one and presto, there’s your bus stop. Confused? Not half as much as we were. Good work Warsaw. To get to the Central Train Station take bus no.s 127, 158 or 517. At night you’ll be needing N35 or N85. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes so buy a 3,40zł ticket valid for 20 minutes.

Remember to validate your ticket on boarding.QAl. Jerozolimskie 144, tel. (+48) 703 40 34 03, www.dawz.pl.

Ticket office open 05:30-22:00. U 27

Sightseeing | Essential Warsaw

Warsaw Sightseeing In the not-too-distant past, Warsaw was a sea of ruins. From the ashes it arose once more, and being compared to a Phoenix is highly appropriate. Today, Warsaw is a vibrant city, inevitably conscious of its tragic past, but buzzing with confidence, looking to the future. There’s plenty to discover here, so read on to find out more...

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Essential Warsaw | Sightseeing

9 Essential Sights 1

Old Town Square

A window into the ‘once-upon-a-time’ of Warsaw’s golden days, the Old Town is also symbolic of Warsaw’s rise from the ruins of WWII. See p. 33.

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Plac Zamkowy

More of a triangle than a square, there isn’t a more popular meeting place in the city than the entrance to the Old Town! A classy location! See p. 31, 3

Łazienki Park

The name Łazienki means 'baths' and is derived from the park’s centrepiece, the Palace on the Island.

A great place to sightsee or relax. See p. 50, 4

Wilanów Palace

The ‘Polish Versailles’ is just one of the many fitting monikers applied to this splendid late 17th-century royal palace 10km to the south. See p. 53.

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5

POLIN

1000 years of Jewish history in Poland is chronicled in this excellent museum where the Jewish Ghetto stood during WWII. See p. 57, 6

Copernicus Science Centre

One of the city's top attractions, this fun family science centre also attempts to restate the case for science in a very religious country. See p. 45, 7

Vistula Boulevards

Warsaw's left-bank boulevards are a favourite haunt of the locals - go and see why - walk, ride, or just chill on the riverside steps. Wow. See p. 44, 8

Warsaw Uprising Museum

Packed with interactive displays and other exhibits this wonderful museum chronicles the heroics and tragedy of the WWII Warsaw Uprising. See p. 61,

Palace of Culture & Science

Originally commissioned by Stalin as a ‘gift from the Soviet people’ the 237 metre structure takes its inspiration from the capitalist world, namely the Empire State Building. Over 5,000 workers were ferried in from the Soviet states and housed in a purpose-built village in Jelonki. Working around the clock, it took them just three years to complete the Palace by 1955. In all 16 died during the construction, though despite the Olympian efforts of the labourers Stalin never lived to see his pet project completed.

Built using an estimated 40 million bricks and housing 3,288 rooms the Palace’s purpose was to serve as not just party headquarters but also ‘the people’s castle’. Regardless, the building became an object of hatred and was seen as no more than a symbol of Russian hegemony. Besides the theatres, bars and museums on the ground level, visitors looking to further explore the building can take a tour, but are best directed to the viewing terrace on the 30th floor (Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00).

To get there you’ll need a ticket, after which you’ll be shepherded into an old-style lift complete with a lovely lift attendant who has probably been doing the job since the building opened.QE‑8, Pl. Defilad 1, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 656 76 00, www.pkin.pl.

Open 10:00-20:00. Admission for the viewing level is 20/15zł. You can purchase tickets online. U

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Sightseeing | Old Town Walking Tour

Warsaw’s Old Town Begin your tour of the Old Town on Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square). | Photo: Patryk Kosmider/Adobe Stock

A labyrinth of winding cobblestone streets, ornate tenement facades and picturesque plazas, it’s easy to understand why the Old Town is Warsaw’s top tourist area. A window into the ‘once-upon-atime’ of Warsaw’s golden days when it was one of Europe’s architectural pearls, Warsaw's Old Town was actually entirely rebuilt after WWII. In the devastating aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 (p.60), 85% of Warsaw’s left-bank lay in ruin and half of the its population had perished. The Old Town was hit with particular Nazi efficiency, and by the time the Red Army rolled across the river it was little more than a smouldering wasteland. To their credit the Capital Reconstruction Bureau immediately chose to start carefully reconstructing the historic centre using pre-war sketches, paintings and photographs - a painstaking process that would last until 1962.

Although what you see in Warsaw's Old Town today is not strictly 'original' per say, the district is a stunning testament of the city’s rise from the ruins of WWII and of Varsovians’ great pride in their city.

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Walking Tour IYP’s Old Town Walking Tour leads you in and around the oldest part of the city, showing you its most important and interesting points, beginning and ending near Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square) - the traditional entrance to the district. The prescribed route covers only about 1km. If you’re only interested in the exercise, it could take as little as 30mins, but we reckon for most, an exploration of Warsaw’s Old Town will take several hours ‘if done correctly’ - that is, with a couple of short culture, food and coffee/beer breaks. If you have only one day in Warsaw, this is how you should spend it. Make sure you’ve got a full charge on your smartphone or camera, some comfy shoes and off you go.

Full contents online: warsaw.inyourpocket.com

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Those who plonk down for admission will have plenty to see, beginning with the Kings’ apartments and chambers, heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments and maps from the days when the kingdom stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The apartments of Prince Józef Poniatowski are also open to the public (though a separate ticket is required), and a chapel boasts an urn containing the heart of Polish hero and freedom fighter Tadeusz Kościuszko. The Houses of Parliament can also be seen, as can the opulent Great Assembly Hall. The free basement exhibition “From Destruction to

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King Sigismund’s Column

More a palace than a castle, this building is the pride of Warsaw, reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incredible cost between 1971 and 1984. Much of the furniture was donated by now deceased commie buddies such as the GDR and USSR, and much of the money came via generous donations from exiled Poles. Dating back to the 14th century, the castle has been the residence of Polish kings, Presidents and the seat of parliament. Some of the halls are reputed to be intermittently haunted by a ‘white lady,' whose appearance portends disaster, according to legend.

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Erected in 1644 by Sigismund’s son, Władysław IV, this 22m column was designed by Italian architects Augustyn Locci and Constantino Tencalla. Local legend asserts that Sigismund rattles his sabre whenever Warsaw is in trouble, an occurrence first reported during the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising and again during WWII. With the Warsaw Uprising in full swing the column took a direct hit from a tank shell and came crashing down. Amazingly Sigismund survived, losing only his sword, and was returned to his new perch in 1949. The remains of the original column can be seen nearby beside the Royal Castle.

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Plac Zamkowy

Most visits to the Old Town begin on Plac Zamkowy under King Sigismund’s Column. More of a triangle than a square, there isn’t a more popular meeting place in the city, and not a minute of the day when the steps to the statue aren’t besieged by dating couples, school kids and skateboarders. As you face ahead, the Royal Castle looms to your right and the old defensive city walls of Podwale to the left. A lot happens here, whether it's a steady flow of locals and tourists out for a walk, protest marches starting or ending, or street performers plying their trade.QF‑4.

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Old Town Walking Tour | Sightseeing

St. Anne's

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Reconstruction” details the castle’s resurrection after World War II rendered the place a pile of rubble, while the east-wing also contains the Gallery of Paintings, Sculpture and the Decorative Arts, which has works by Rembrandt. Lastly, the newly renovated 2.5h French Baroque Royal Gardens are also very much worth seeing behind the castle.QG‑4, Pl. Zamkowy 4, tel. (+48) 22 355 51 70, www.zamek-krolewski.pl.

Open 12:00-17:00; Sun, Sat 10:00-17:00; closed Mon. Admission 10/5zł. Wed free. U

Handsome backside of the Royal Castle. © eska2012/Adobe Stock

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Sightseeing | Old Town Walking Tour 4

St. John the Baptist Cathedral

Originally built in the 14th century, St John’s is steeped in history. The last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned and eventually buried here, and in 1791 he also declared the Constitution of May 3 inside the building. The crypt holds the bodies of Henryk Sienkiewicz (writer), Gabriel Narutowicz (Poland’s first president) and various Mazovian knights. As with most major landmarks, it was the scene of heavy fighting during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and was subsequently left in a heap of ruins before being rebuilt in pseudo-gothic style. On the external wall by the main entrance are fragments of a Borgward IV - a remote-controlled ordnance transporter used by the German army. It’s possible to visit the cathedral crypts Mon-Sat 10:0017:00 and Sun 15:00-17:00 at a cost of 3/5zł (closed during mass).QF‑4, ul. Świętojańska 8, tel. (+48) 22 831 02 89, www.katedra.mkw.pl. Open 09:00-18:00; Sun 15:00-17:30.

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Jesuit Church

Built at the behest of King Zygmunt III Waza’s confessor, Piotr Skarga, this lovely little Renaissance church was constructed between 1609 and 1626 for the city’s Jesuit community. Having had something of a varied and colourful history to say the least, it suffered at the hands of the Swedes in the latter half of the 17th century, who looted it of its entire contents, and it even spent time as a storehouse during the Partitions.

Also known as the Holy Mother of Grace Church after the city’s patron saint, the church was returned to the Jesuits at the end of WWI only to be destroyed by the Germans in 1944. Rebuilt after the war, the church has a few remaining original interior parts - of particular interest is the 17th-century picture of the Holy Mother herself. The crypt, not open to visitors, contains the remains of Prince Karol Ferdynand Waza and Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (15951640) - the Jesuit priest, poet and court preacher to King Władysław IV. Resisting the draw of the market square for the time being, instead head down the side alley to ul. Piwna for a glimpse of St. Martin’s Church.QF‑4, ul. Świętojańska 10, tel. (+48) 22 831 16 75, www.laskawa.pl. Open 09:00-15:30; Sun 14:0015:30. No visiting during mass please.

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St. Martin’s Church

Founded in 1356 by the Duke of Mazovia Ziemowit and his wife Euphemia, St. Martin's has been repeatedly reconstructed in the Baroque style, however, following destruction in 1944, the Baroque interior was not rebuilt and now it is largely modern, 32

Detail from ul. Piwna.

© Mat Fahrenholz

with the only surviving original element being the partially burned crucifix in the main nave. The church played a part in the resistance movement of the 1970s and 80s where opposition members would gather for meetings, or run for refuge following police actions to disperse protestors.

As you explore the area, the real beauty of ul. Piwna - aptly named ‘Beer Street’ after the 15th century breweries that once operated here - lies in the details.

Check out the elaborate motifs and gargoyles that peer from the facades, including a flock of pigeons on the portal of number 6. Stay on the left flank of the Old Town to check out the area around ul. Piekarska and ul. Rycerska, once home to a small square used for executions. Nicknamed ‘Piekarka,’ this is where witches and other ne’er do wells were burned at the stake, hanged, or beheaded.QF‑4, Ul. Piwna 9-11.

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Jan Kiliński Monument

This huge monument honours Jan Kiliński, a Warsaw cobbler who became the unlikely hero of the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising. Despite being wounded twice, Kiliński and his troop of peasants captured the Russian Ambassador’s Warsaw residence; an action that ultimately led to his imprisonment in St. Petersburg.

Said to embody the Polish virtues of bravery and patriotism, his statue was erected in 1936 and originally located on pl. Krasińskich. In reprisal for an attack on the Copernicus Monument, Nazi troops hid Kiliński inside the vaults of the National Museum.

Within days, boy scouts had daubed the museum with the graffiti ‘People of Warsaw! I am here, Jan Kiliński.’

After the war the cobbler was returned to his rightful place, before being relocated here in 1959. Kiliński's comrade and superior Tadeusz Kościuszko himself once lived nearby at Szeroki Dunaj 5; this wide street was formerly home to Warsaw’s fish market, while the narrow street running at a 90-degree angle, Wąski Dunaj, was the town’s Jewish Quarter during the Middle Ages.QF‑4, ul. Podwale.

Old Town Walking Tour | Sightseeing 8

The Little Insurgent Monument

The communist authorities continually thwarted efforts to commemorate the Uprising of 1944, though by the early 80s cracks in their resolve were beginning to show.

In 1983, this most poignant of all Uprising monuments was unveiled by the walls of the Barbican. Designed

by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz and funded by collections undertaken by scouts, the bronze installation shows the figure of a boy soldier clutching a Sten gun and weighed down by an adult-sized helmet. Commemorating the children who served as messengers and frontline troops, the figure is inspired by the story of 13 year old corporal Antek, himself killed in action close to the scene on August 8, 1944.QF‑4, ul. Podwale.

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Barbican

Crowning the set of the medieval defensive walls which once protected the northern entrance to the city, this fearsome rotund structure dates from 1548, built by architect Giovanni Battista Venetian on the site of an earlier gate. Despite its intended use, the Barbican was only ever used in one fighting action when on June 30, 1656, during the Swedish deluge, Polish troops attacked to retake the city.

In the 18th century, the Barbican was partially demolished with the remains being incorporated into new apartment buildings. It was during the interwar period that restoration work began to return the Barbican to its former glory, but alas, World War II put a hold to works, with it being completely destroyed.

Along with the Old Town reconstruction, the fortified wall and Barbican were restored. Today, it serves as a bridge between the Old and New Town, and is also the hangout of choice for teenage drinkers, buskers and ‘artists’ selling their wares. At this point you’ll find your nose pointing straight down ul. Nowomiejska, which will finally lead you to the heart of the Old Town.QF‑4, Between ul. Rycerska and ul. Podwale.

Warsaw's 'Syrenka' - centrepiece of the Old Town Square.

alefbet26/Adobe Stock

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Warsaw Barbican

Old Town Square

Measuring 90 by 73 metres Warsaw’s ​Old Town Square (Rynek Starego Miasta) is Warsaw’s defining highlight, lined with richly decorated burgher houses and filled with al fresco diners in the warmer months.

Among them you'll find Warsaw's oldest restaurant - 11 U Fukiera (Rynek 27, p.79) - which dates back to 1810, and is one of the most exclusive addresses in town. During the 15th century the Old Town Square was home to Warsaw’s Town Hall, though this was pulled down in 1817 and never replaced. Today you’ll find a couple of water pumps dating from the 19th century, as well as Warsaw’s best loved monument Syrenka.QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta.

‘Syrenka’ - Warsaw Mermaid

The most famous Warsaw mermaid statue, or at least the one which gets the most daily eyeballs on it, is the sculpture on Warsaw’s Old Town Square. This iconic ‘syrenka’ (Polish for mermaid) was designed by Varsovian sculptor Konstanty Hegel and the original sculpture stood sentry on the square from 1855-1928 and then again from 2000-2008 before it had to be removed due to its poor condition. The repaired original was transferred to the Museum of Warsaw and replaced with a copy made by the Jacek Guzera foundry near Kielce.QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta. © krivinis/Adobe Stock

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Sightseeing | Old Town Walking Tour 15 Old Town Heritage Interpretation Centre

This branch of the Warsaw Museum focuses on the architectural history of the Old Town, its destruction during World War II and the rebuilding efforts thereafter. The museum includes some great interactive multimedia pieces as you walk through the old basements of the building.QF‑4, ul. Brzozowa 11/13, tel. (+48) 22 635 34 02, www.ciz. muzeumwarszawy.pl. Open 10:00-18:00; closed Mon. Admission 10/7zł; Thu free. U 16

Inside the Museum of Warsaw.

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Museum of Warsaw

Found inside a collection of 11 Old Town tenements, this revamped museum’s stored permanent collection (300,000 items total) consists of three new curated sections: The Things of Warsaw, Warsaw Data and The History of Tenement Houses. All museum items and exhibits are displayed over 21 thematic rooms. Every item has been carefully chosen and many played starring roles in the city’s storied history; also, the majority of the collection was gifted by the citizens of Warsaw after World War 2, hoping to preserve the cultural history of the city. Without doubt, there is plenty to see and enjoy. The very buildings the museum is located in are a sight to behold.

Interestingly, despite severe damage during the war, many of the original aspects of the architecture remained intact and can be viewed during your visit.

The museum is a truly amazing and kinaesthetic way of experiencing the events and understanding the processes that formed Warsaw as we know it today.

Note, a ticket here also grants entry into the Praga District Museum. QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta 2842, tel. (+48) 22 277 44 02, www.muzeumwarszawy.pl.

Open 10:00-18:00; closed Mon, Tue, Wed. Admission for both perm/temp exhibitions 20/18zł, perm only 20/15zł, temp only 12/7zł. Thu free. U 14 Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature

Find out about the smart Alec who inspired Romanticism in Poland. As well as having a number of manuscripts and historical artefacts connected with Mickiewicz, the museum also has exhibits connected with other leading Polish writers.QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta 20, tel. (+48) 22 831 76 91, www. muzeumliteratury.pl. Open 11:00-18:00; Thu 12:0020:00; Sat, Sun 12:00-17:00; closed Mon. Admission 6/5zł, Sun free for permanent exhibit. Children and students up to 26 pay 1zł. N 34

Gnojna Góra (Dung Hill)

Demonstrating how every word sounds exotic when you don't know the language, Gnojna Góra may sound like a charming end to your walking tour of the Old Town. And it is, for the views of the River Vistula and the Praga district beyond, but not for the name, which literally translates as Shit Hill (Dung Hill, if you wish to be more polite). For centuries, this was the dumping ground for all of the Old Town’s waste chamber pots and buckets of rubbish, ahoy! As you can imagine, it grew over time and the distinctive shape can best be seen from the bottom. At one stage it was actually renowned for its healing properties - people with obscene amounts of money would come here to be buried up to their necks in rubbish in a supposed cure for syphilis (doesn’t work, we’ve tried). From here head back towards the Old Town by walking towards ul. Dawna, whose trademark blue archway is one of the most picturesque sights in the city. Finally, conclude your epic walking tour by swerving onto ul. Kanonia.QG‑4, ul. Brzozowa.

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Ul. Kanonia Wishing Bell

Once a graveyard, this little square features a cracked cathedral bell dating back to 1646, cast by artisan Daniel Tym (who also made the statue of King Sigismund III atop the famed column). The bell never rang at the cathedral next to it, but it has developed its own legend: touch the top of the bell and walk its circumference and your wish will come true. Across from the bell is one of the world’s most narrow houses at number 20/22. Also note the covered walkway nearby, which links the Cathedral to the Royal Castle. This was built after a failed assassination attempt on Sigismund III. The King escaped unharmed, but the hapless hitman, Michał Piekarski, found himself skinned alive, stretched by four horses and then chopped into pieces with an axe! You yourself are now within horse-stretching distance of your starting point on Plac Zamkowy. Point your fatigued figure in the direction of Krakowskie Przedmieście and take the path of Kings along The Royal Route next. Cue fanfare!QG‑4, ul. Kanonia.

Old Town Walking Tour | Sightseeing

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Sightseeing | The Royal Route

The Royal Route ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście | © AdobeStock, makam1969

Warsaw’s famed ‘Royal Route’ links the city’s three Royal residences, starting from the Royal Castle on Plac Zamkowy, via Łazienki Park’s Palace on the Island, en route to Wilanów Palace in the district of the same name. Covering 11km in length, this main artery through the city takes in a great range of Warsaw’s historic buildings, parks, churches and monuments, making a trek down the ‘path of the Kings’ a ‘must-do’ part of any visit to the city.

The Walking Tour The heart of the route, along Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat, will also lead you past, or more likely into, a grand selection of bars, restaurants and shops. Granted, a few of the further out parts of the route may not be anything to write home about, but it really is worth making the effort in order to visit the beautiful Wilanów Palace, gardens and parkland. We let you know what not to miss, so let’s start at the traditional beginning heading south, or in reverse, heading north if you chose to go to Wilanów first!

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St. Anne’s Church

St Anne’s survived the war with a few token scratches and a collapsed roof, but what the Nazis failed to destroy was very nearly demolished by a team of incompetent builders in 1949 when the thoughtless construction of the nearby Trasa W-Z tunnel led to several landslides, huge cracks in the floor of the church and it very nearly crashing to the ground. It took a team of 400 people two weeks of tireless work to stabilise the undersoil and shore up the foundations. Intriguingly, this wasn’t the first time St Anne’s had survived vicious conflict to find disaster around the corner. It escaped destruction during the war with Sweden (1650-1655) only to be gutted by fire two years later, apparently the victim of an arson attack. The classicist façade dates from 1788 and is the design of the royal architect Piotr Aigner. The interior holds even more classicist and rococo details.

The viewing tower is one of the best in Warsaw and worth the 147-step climb.

One other point of interest concerns a simple wooden cross you will see there. These two planks of wood became the focus of a battle that threatened to divide the country in the

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Warszawy Sienkiewicza Warecka

Novotel His defining masterpiece, Pan Tadeusz, is a beautifully Centrum written epic portraying Polish society in the 19th century. His statue dominates ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście, and traces of bullet holes dating from WWII are still visible on the monument.QG‑5, ul.

Krakowskie Przedmieście 5, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 635 18 81.

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Much mystery surrounds his life; his role as a national cultural icon meaning that much of the seamier side of his life has been covered up, including his involvement in strange cults and alleged womanising. To this day, even his birthplace remains a hot source of argument. Some say Nowogródek (Lithuania), others say the nearby Zavosse (Zaosie).

A champion of freedom, he died during a cholera outbreak in Turkey, 1855, while recruiting a Polish legion to fight the Russians in the Crimea. Originally buried in Paris, Mickiewicz’s body now lies in Wawel Cathedral, Kraków.

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Patriot, poet and the man who inspired Romanticism in Poland, Mickiewicz stands out as Poland’s greatest literary figure - as well as a figure of hope during a bleak age of Russian oppression.

His involvement in politics saw him exiled east in 1824 by the ruling Russians, before finally heading to western Europe in 1829. A bid to return to his homeland in 1830 was thwarted at the border, and he never saw his native Poland again.

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Sightseeing | The Royal Route

Fryderyk Chopin

Chopin Monument in Łazienki Park (p.50). Marcin Chodorowski

Poland’s greatest composer, Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) has lent his name to everything from vodka to airports (and even an asteroid).

Most sources agree he was born on February 22, 1810, yet some claim his family could be found celebrating his birth on March 1. There’s one thing we can be certain of, however, and that’s his birthplace – the town of Żelazowa Wola (p.71) 50km west of Warsaw. Shortly after the family moved to Warsaw in 1811. By all accounts he was a prodigy from the offing. Fryderyk started learning piano aged four, and by eight had already performed at what is now the Presidential Palace (p.38). He was educated at home for the first 13 years, before attending Warsaw’s Lyceum, and then the Warsaw Music Conservatory from which he graduated in 1829. Within weeks he made a sparkling foreign debut in Vienna, before returning to Poland to perform the premier of his Piano Concerto in F minor. A keen traveller, Chopin set off to play in Vienna in November 1830. Unbeknownst to him, that was to be his last taste of Warsaw. Poland had risen against the ruling Russians. Staying in exile, he settled in playboy Paris where he was welcomed by Polish émigrés, as well as upcoming composers and high society. The 1830s saw an impressively productive spell, composing a series of acclaimed polonaises and mazurkas. The defining point in his life was in 1837 when he met the controversial author George Sand (yes, that’s a woman), which ended badly! Racked with chronic lung problems, broke, ill and broken-hearted, he passed away in Paris aged just 39. Buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, his body was cut open (he was petrified of being buried alive) and his heart interned in Warsaw’s Holy Cross Church (p.39). Our map on p.37 shows sites connected to Chopin along the Royal Route, marked with a musical note .

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Presidential Palace

Of all the palaces, institutions, monuments and churches that line Krakowskie Przedmieście, none is more important than the Presidential Palace at number 46/48 - that mysterious fenced-off building guarded by stone lions and stern-looking soldiers.

Construction began in 1643 at the behest of Stanisław Koniecpolski, though was only completed after his death. It passed into the hands of various aristocratic families and in the 18th century became famed for its banquets - the most extravagant being held to commemorate the coronation of Stanisław II August Poniatowski in 1789; over 2 million złoty was spent entertaining the 4,000 guests.

Presidential Palace

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Poniatowski was to prove one of the nation’s finest monarchs and the Constitution of May 3, 1791, signed on these very grounds, is recognised as Europe’s first - and only the second in the world. A statue of Poniatowski’s brother, himself a military hero, was added in 1965. After 1818 the Palace became the seat of the Viceroy of the Polish Kingdom, and its halls entertained many a visiting Tsar. In 1852 calamity struck, however, and the Palace was burned to the ground. Extensively remodelled throughout the course of its history one of its biggest revamps came at the beginning of the 20th century when one wing was demolished to make way for the Hotel Bristol.

When Poland regained its independence in 1918 the Palace was commandeered to serve as home of the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers. Amazingly it survived both the 1939 Siege of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising five years later, though that did little to stop the authorities from giving it a further facelift.

It saw more momentous events in 1955 when the Warsaw Pact - the Soviet Union’s answer to NATO was ratified within its walls. Since 1994 it has served as the official home of the Polish president, which is why you’ll find streams of limos heading in and out, and square-jawed soldiers pointing their weapons at

The Royal Route | Sightseeing anyone who strays too close. The new Polish President Andrzej Duda, elected in spring 2015 and re-elected 2020, currently resides in the Palace with his family.

QG‑5, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 46/48, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet.

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Church of the Nuns of the Visitation

Visit the church that Fryderyk Chopin attended in his youth by popping into this Baroque beauty. Pride of place goes to the original organ which our man himself played during a part-time stint as a school organist. A plaque outside confirms the Chopin connection: ‘In honour of Fryderyk Chopin, who played on the organ in this church as a pupil of the Warsaw Lyceum in the years 1825-1826’. Make sure to call ahead and ask about their opening hours as they are subject to change.QG‑6, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 34, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 692 42 25, www.wizytki.waw.pl. Open 08:30-17:00, Sat 08:30-13:45, 14:30-16:00, Sun 13:00-17:00. No visiting during mass please.

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Warsaw University

Going further, why all of a sudden do you see young, fresh faced kids? Well, you’re in Warsaw University-land.

The Uni’s main campus lies behind the grand gateway at ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28. Dating from the 17th century the main building, known as ‘Villa Regia,’ was remodelled and renovated several times before Warsaw U was established here in 1819. Chopin even lived here, with plaques found at the entrance to the campus - look up at the building behind you to see another location he lived in! The uni had a tough time under Russian rule; closed in retaliation for the 1830-31 Uprising the university continued to operate underground, though by 1859 the Tsar calmed down enough to rubber stamp the creation of a School of Medicine. Today, with some 57,000 students on the roll call, the university stands out as the largest and arguably best in Poland. Notable alumni include former Israeli premier Yitzhak Shamir, writer Witold Gombrowicz, award-winning hack Ryszard Kapuściński, the late president Lech Kaczyński and poet Julian Tuwim.QG‑6, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet.

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Holy Cross Church

No Chopinologist can leave Warsaw without first visiting the final resting place of his heart. Added to the church in 1882 his heart was sealed in an urn and then placed behind a tablet bearing his likeness specially carved by Leonardo Marconi.

Chopin Recitals Chopinologists will be delighted to know there’s no shortage of daily Chopin recitals in the city, all of which take place along the Royal Route meaning you’re no more than a stone’s throw away from hearing the composer’s touching music. Once you’re done visiting sights connected to the composer, you can choose from one of three of our favourite locations for recitals.

The first takes place in the House of Music on ul. Nowy Świat 63 (17:00, 50zł), the second occurs in Chopin Point on ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 62, (19:00, 75/50zł) in the same building where the composer played a concert at the age of 13!​​, and finally, in Chopin Salon on ul. Smolna 14/7 (19:30, tickets 30/60zł). Happy listening.

Although this serves as the church’s key draw there are several other features of note to tempt the visitor inside this astonishing Baroque creation. The church’s history originally dates from the 15th century when a small wooden chapel stood on the site. Destroyed during the Swedish Deluge of the 1650s, the church was rebuilt in 1682, with the cornerstone being ceremoniously laid by Prince Jakub, son of King Jan III Sobieski. Designed by the royal architect, Jakub Bellotti, it was completed in 1696 though over time would see numerous additions to its shape. The most notable of these would come in the following century when Józef Fontana added two Baroque crowns to the square-cut twin towers. His son Jakub would later extensively refurbish the façade with Jan Jerzy Plersch adding elaborate decorative touches to the interior.

Throughout history the church has played its role in Warsaw’s glories and calamities. It was here that the last Polish King forged the Order of the Knights of St Stanislaus, and it was directly outside in 1861 that Russian troops brutally suppressed a patriotic protest. It was this bloodbath that lit the touchpaper for the January Uprising of that year. Devastated during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 the church was painstakingly rebuilt at the end of the war and is today a feast for the heart, eyes and soul. The organ (built in Salzburg in 1925) is the largest in Warsaw, and other points of note include an urn with the remains of Nobel Prize winning author Władysław Reymont, and tablets honouring various Polish icons including poet Juliusz Słowacki and WWII hero Władysław Sikorski.QG‑6, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 3, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 826 89 10. Open 10:0012:00, 13:00-16:00; Sun 14:00-16:00.

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Sightseeing | The Royal Route

Copernicus Monument.

7

© Grzegorz Korczyc, Pixabay

Nicolaus Copernicus Monument

The founder of modern astronomy. A sheltered academic, he made his observations a century before the invention of the telescope and without help or guidance. His book De Revolutionibus (1543) posited that the earth rotated on its axis once a day, travelled around the sun once a year, and that man’s place in the cosmos was peripheral. This may seem obvious today, but it was an utterly radical idea at the time.

Although astronomers who propagated his ideas were burnt at the stake and the Catholic Church placed De Revolutionibus on its list of banned books (as late as 1835), there was no turning back progress.

The modern cosmological view - that our galaxy is one of billions in a vast universe - is this man’s legacy.

The statue itself was unveiled in 1830 and has seen its fair share of adventure. During WWII the Nazi’s placed a bronze plaque insinuating that Copernicus was in fact - gasp - a German. In 1942, a boy scout called Alek Dawidowski ducked the guards and removed the plaque. Boiling with fury, the Nazis removed the statue, hid it in Silesia and dynamited a few other surrounding monuments for good measure. The statue was recovered in the years following the war, while Dawidowski has entered Polish folklore as a result of his bravery.QG‑6, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet.

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The Palm Tree

You might be wondering: what on earth is a ginat palm tree doing on the traffic island at the intersection of Nowy Świat and Al. Jerozolimskie?

It should come as little surprise that it’s part of a modern art project, awarded the title of 'Greetings from Jerusalem.' First off, the tree is not actually a tree, rather a steel column (specially designed so it can bend in the wind), covered with natural bark and leaves made from polyethylene. It’s the work of artist Joanna Rajkowska who, during a trip to Israel, was struck by the brainwave of sticking a palm tree up in Warsaw to add some sunny cheer. Manufactured in California the tree sent City Hall into a spin, its baffled bureaucrats not knowing what the devil to do with it. Eventually it was unveiled to a curious Warsaw public on December 12, 2002. The populace liked this surprise Christmas present so much it became a permanent fixture, as well as the occasional sleeping habitat of returning clubbers too trollied to figure they haven’t stumbled on a desert oasis. Continue south along ul. Nowy Świat.QG‑8, Rondo de Gaulle’a, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet.

ul. Nowy Świat

Nip across the ul. Świętokrzyska intersection and Krakowskie Przedmieście suddenly becomes the New World! The story of ul. Nowy Świat (New World Street) dates back to medieval times when it was traversed by Kings on their way between Warsaw and Kraków, with the first settlements appearing here in the 17th century. Levelled during WWII, the street found itself rebuilt in rather uniform neo-classical style, as returning it to its predominantly Art Nouveau pre-war style was simply unfeasible. Nowy Świat, along with its little off-shoot streets, has long been seen as one of THE places to be seen and is home to 40

numerous shops, bars and eateries, which are ideal pitstops before shoving off to snap a pic of the former home of cult writer and Anglophile Joseph Conrad at no. 45. Drop into the renowned Café Blikle (no.

33), famous for once serving doughnuts to a young and sweet-toothed Charles de Gaulle. Just across the street you will find super trendy ul. Foksal for more gastronomic and drinking opportunities; follow it to its end to see Zamoyski Palace (ul. Foksal 1/2/4), a neo-renaissance pearl designed by Marconi and the scene of a botched assassination attempt on the Russian governor in 1863. Infuriated Cossack troops reacted by launching a piano once tickled by Chopin out the window.QH‑8, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet.

Warsaw’s famed Palm Tree!

The Royal Route | Sightseeing 10

St. Alexander’s Church

The focal point of Plac Trzech Krzyży (Three Crosses Square), St. Alexander’s Church is Modelled on the Roman Pantheon, this church boasts a sculpture of Christ that dates from the 18th century.

It was here that Allied secret agents met during WWII. The church’s lower level is used for services for deaf mutes. Father Jakub Falkowski, parish priest of St. Alexander’s, founded the nearby Institute of Deaf Mutes and the Blind. From Plac Trzech Krzyży (H‑8), Warsaw’s ‘royal route’ continues down the Embassy-land of Aleje UjazdowskieQH‑8, Pl. Trzech Krzyży, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 628 53 35, www.swaleksander.pl. Open from dawn till dusk. No visiting during mass please.

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Ujazdowski Park

Not as grand as the nearby Łazienki Park, it’s still a pleasant place to walk the dog and get up to other typical Sunday pastimes. There are plenty of benches to chill out on, and a play area for the kids. It is also home to Jan Ignacy Paderewski’s monument.

The park stands under the imposing shadow of Ujazdowski Castle which was rebuilt in the 1970s; head to the castle which is the final stop of this section of the Royal Route.QI‑10, al. Ujazdowskie 6, MPolitechnika.

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Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art

A castle of some description has been found on this site since the time of the Masovian Dukes (1300s), but the Ujazdowski Castle we see today was completed in a Baroque style in 1730 for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski (it was his bathhouse that later became the Palace on the Island and gave Łazienki park its name). Ujazdowski survived two centuries before being gutted by fire during WWII, and was indeed lucky to escape total destruction: the retreating Nazis actually tried to blow it to pieces, as they did a number of Łazienki’s finest buildings. But - as is so often the case - what the Nazis couldn’t do the communists could, and though the original walls and foundations remained structurally sound in the 1950s Poland’s communist authorities decided to tear down the shell of the building and place a military theatre on the site.

Common sense prevailed however, and the 1970s saw Ujazdowski rebuilt to its original plans. It today plays host to several large exhibition halls dedicated to showcasing rotating exhibitions of the very best contemporary art inside; find a wild mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, featuring the work of Poland’s leading contemporary artists here. Worthy and

Ujazdowski Castle peering through the trees.

undoubtedly necessary, the gallery also houses a very good bookshop and reading room where you can freely peruse a huge collection of albums, magazines and books many of which are in English. There is also a fantastic cinema on site (U-jazdowski Kino) plus a top notch restaurant and café. To continue on the Royal Route, check out the dedicated Łazienki Park (p.50) and Wilanów Palace (p.53) sections.QI‑10, ul. Jazdów 2, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 628 12 71, www.u-jazdowski.pl. Open 11:00-18:00; Thu, Fri 12:0020:00; Sat 10:00-19:00; closed Mon. Admission 16/8zł to all exhibitions, for two exhibitions 12/6zł, for one exhibition 10/5zł, entrance to project room 5zł, students up to 26 years of age 1zł. Thu free. U

Further On From Ujazdowski Castle you are only minutes on foot from Łazienki Park (more on p.50).

From there Warsaw’s ‘Royal Route’ continues down ul. Belwederska (I‑13), ul. Sobieskiego (J‑15) and Aleja Wilanowska to ultimately end at Wilanów Palace - the 17th century private residence of King Jan III Sobieski (p.53). While a walking tour of the remaining 7km isn’t realistic, or especially rewarding, Łazienki and Wilanów are both required visits for getting a broader sense of Warsaw’s history and former glory as the grand capital of a vast and wealthy commonwealth stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. To get to Wilanów, take bus 116, 180 or E‑2 from the 'Plac Na Rozdrożu' stop and get off at ‘Wilanów’ 15 stops/23mins later.

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Sightseeing | Powiśle Walking Tour

Powiśle: Warsaw’s Riverside Hot Spot A former ticket office turned iconic bar - Warszawa Powiśle!. | Photo: Emilia Niedzwiedzka, unsplash

It might seem like quite a stretch to refer to any part of Warsaw as a hot spot, but the city’s riverside Powiśle district has been blipping on the radar for quite some time, however, in more recent years it’s gone through quite a rapid transformation which hasn’t gone unnoticed by eager travel writers searching for the next best urban gem! The Powiśle of today is a far cry from what it once was - a fairly mundane area nestled between the Royal Route and the Vistula River, full of apartment blocks, factories/warehouses and workshops (often dilapidated), avoided by locals as there was simply nothing interesting to see or do here that warranted rolling down the hill to explore.

Fast-forward to today and this is one of the most intriguing parts of Warsaw, containing some fantastic museums, the modernised riverside boulevards, a revamped power station (we’ll get to that later), photo-friendly uni gardens, an iconic train station bar (what?) unique shops, and of course, a gastro and social scene hotbed!

It’s time for an explanation for this mish-mash through a brief history lesson (don’t yawn, it’s worth it!). Warsaw University got the ball rolling by relocating its library to its current location on ul.

Dobra 56/66 in 1999 and subsequently adding the 42

now popular gardens (including rooftop garden with viewing platform) in 2002. The intelligentsia had officially moved in. But still Powiśle was still seen as an area of little interest, the most interesting point being the left-bank riverside boulevards, which were merely cracked concrete slabs covered in weeds, the remnants of a pre-war effort to build a promenade, and subsequently became a favourite haunt of local drunks. Oh, dear. But once city centre rents began sky rocketing, the vanquished found their new home here. Local artists, small cafe and restaurant owners, shop owners, even activists, looking for a near-thecentre area to relocate saw the potential in the leafy riverside district.

And so things plodded along for a while, the blips on the radar getting louder with some outstanding gastro venues and nightlife spots popping up; one of the most iconic bars in Warsaw opened here in 2009, the former ticket office of the still functioning train station Warszawa Powiśle - the distinctive modernist shape and its more than Spartan approach to drink/ food struck a chord with locals and its popularity continues to this day. And then exciting new plans to build the Copernicus Science Center were announced, resulting in an official opening in 2010.

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Royal This was followed by the opening of the new eastski zka Castle ąbrow ląsko-D west M2 Metro line in 2015, which plonked a stop in Most Ś Scale 1:15 000 the heart of the district next to the museum - Centrum 1 cm = 150 m Nauki Kopernik! All good and done, but arguably 0 100 200 m 1 Źródłow a Ma the biggest boost to the area’s accessibility was rien szta Chopin t the project to revamp the Vistulan Boulevards - the Point 1st section nearest the Old Town was completed in Bednarska 2015, with the Powiśle section opened in 2017. It was at this same time the Museum of Modern Art on the Vistula moved in to its new location on the river! Now the area was no longer a little known place to stumble a Karow into, but a unique destination in its own right, easily 2 Karowa accessible by metro, full of world class museums, and Warsaw University leisurely opportunities on the boulevards for walkers, Library cyclists, runners and families with kids. What more & Gardens Gęsta could be needed? A power station. Yup. 4 Wiślana 3

Warsaw Lipowa The district had enough energy to power University its popularity, but with all up-and-coming districts, Radna there is always the threat of gentrification, and Obo 5 Copernicus Leszczyńska źna plans were set in motion to revamp the former Science Centre power station Elektrownia Powiśle. The 100+ year 6 old building functioned right up until its closure rzyski Elektrownia więtok Bar Powiśle in 2001, lying in a sorry state until it was bought up Most Ś tosz ew 7 i by investor Tristan Capital Partners with a plan to ajęcza M2 Z turn it into a multifunctional centre with shops, Centrum Nauki Kopernik gastro points and event space, to name a O few. rdynaThe cka big opening occurred in May 2020 and is settling in nicely into the district’s unique atmosphere. Whereas the alternative Praga district across the river is Praga district while also incorporating a socialist o ulik also slowly being gentrified, there are enough local realist element. When it was unveiled in 1949, it Sm shops and initiatives in both districts to maintain a became the first housing complex to be completed in truly local vibe, despite being coupled next to luxury post-war Warsaw. Lying between ul. Bednarska and apartments and investments. The hope is the cultural ul. Dobra, the picturesque neighbourhood is full of venues, the public spaces and unique gastro and small parks and winding streets and provides a leafy nightlife venues will hopefully continue to provide an retreat from the crowds just a short distance away organic atmosphere to the area. from the heart of the Old Town.

In previous centuries, Mariensztat was notorious Powiśle Walking Tour for its bordellos and bare-knuckle boxing matches, and its main square was once the home of a 1 Mariensztat bustling market in the area’s main square, which Cut off from the rest of the Old Town by the intersecting was enlarged to its current size in 1865. The area’s Trasa W-Z, the Mariensztat area, the northern-most role as a market is commemorated with a statue by part of Powiśle, has its origins in the 18th century Barbara Zbrożyna of a woman with a chicken and when nobleman Eustachy Potocki married Maria a basket selling goods, found on ul. Sowa 4. Today, Kątska and received the land as part of Maria’s dowry. although it looks a little sleepy, Mariensztat ranks as The area was built in 1762 and named after his wife, one of Warsaw’s most engaging districts, and the with the latter part of the name ‘stadt’ (changed to main square contains a water fountain, and in the ‘sztat’ after World War II) being added to appease the corner, a Sgraffito (wall decor) by Zofia CzarneckaSaxon king of Poland at the time, King Augustus III. Kowalska and Jan Sokołowski showing a colourful Completely destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising, clock. After your quick walk through Mariesztat, it was rebuilt after the war using a totally different head down to the riverside boulevards.QG‑4/5, ul. street plan; the architectural design aimed to evoke Mariensztat, MRatusz Arsenał. a look mixed between 18th century buildings in the Kozia

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Sightseeing | Powiśle Walking Tour

Stroll along the Vistula boulevards on the left-bank of the Vistula River. Photo: Alexey Topolyanskiy @ Unsplash.

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Vistula Boulevards

Once you’re down by the river, you’ll notice that Warsaw sure has scrubbed up its riverside pretty nicely in the last few years. Here’s the unique part about Warsaw’s riverfront - the west side (the left bank) has concrete boulevards (Bulwary Wiślane) with bars and cafes dotted around in summer, while the right side of the river remains wild providing a unique contrast. Warsaw can now say its riverside boulevard is one of the best in Europe, if not the world; comparable to that of the Thames, the Seine and the Tiber (the then Mayor’s words!). Gradually completed in phases, first started at the turn of the 20 century, then enlarged in the late 1930s and 1970s, in 2013 a plan to modernise the boulevards was hatched, and the first section of the revamped boulevards was opened in 2015, followed by further extensions in Jun and Aug 2017, with the latest linking section reopened in Mar 2019. The new sections are filled with recreational spots. Walk along and enjoy the sights as you head south to the new few destinations, al bunched up fairly close together! First stop, it’s back to the library!QG‑3, Generała George’a Smitha Pattona, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik.

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Museum of Modern Art on the Vistula

The first ‘white block’ building you’ll see on the boulevards. The Museum on the Vistula is an exhibition space, an addition to the Museum of Modern Art (Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej - headquartered in the city centre on ul. Pańska 3) right on the river’s 44

edge, which will house the majority of the museum’s exhibitions until the new headquarters is built.

Opened to the public in March 2017, the building was designed by Austrian architect Adolf Krischanitz, and between 2008-10, was used by the Berlin based Kunsthalle Art Gallery. Now, the building has been provided free of charge to MoMA by the Viennese Thyssen-Bornermisza Art Contemporary foundation.

Very kind of them. Check out MoMA’s site for current/ future exhibitions. Next stop, across the street to the watch tower...QH‑5, ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 22, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 22 596 40 10, www.artmuseum.pl. Open 12:00-19:00; Fri 12:0020:00; Sat 11:00-20:00; Sun 11:00-18:00; closed Mon. Admission 5/2zł, children under 7 enter free.

Warsaw University Library rooftop garden.

Bartosz Morąg

Powiśle Walking Tour | Sightseeing 4

Warsaw University Library & Gardens

Traditionally speaking rooftops are the preserve of chimney sweeps, burglars and Santa, but take a trip down to the Warsaw University Library building and that opinion will quickly change. Topping off the bizarre oxidised green building is one of Warsaw’s best-kept secrets; a two level rooftop garden filled with bridges, streams, pathways, sculptures and plant life that covers an entire hectare. There’s even a fishpond (yep, that’s probably a duck you’ve spotted doing laps) and a stone fountain mixed in among greenery like oak trees and Japanese spirea. Designed by Irena Bajerska and opened back in 2002, the garden and viewing platforms afford panoramic views of lower Warsaw including the river, the Copernicus Centre and across the river to the PGE National Stadium in Praga. A wonderful place to stop and rest in the heart of the city, take a picnic and sit amongst the groups of students taking time out from studying (ahem, napping) at the library below. Easily one of the best places in town to get on bended knee and ooze some serious schmooze should that be your wish. Now skip over to the next building for some science based learning!QH‑5, ul.

Dobra 56/66, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, www.buw. uw.edu.pl. Library open Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00. Garden open daily 08:00-20:00. Admission free.

5

Copernicus Science Centre

A rare example of European Union funding being used in a genuinely visionary way, the CSC is the very

best science centre in Europe, and one of Warsaw’s top tourist attractions. Arriving at the main doors of the stunning building, visitors are met by the centre’s very own Robothespian - an interactive humanoid robot that can be prompted to make a number of sounds and movements.

Not only will you learn an awful lot, but you’ll have a blast exploring the museum’s numerous thematic areas spread over two floors, among them: Bzzz! (aimed at kids between the ages of 0-6), RE:Generation (for young adults) and the remaining section has combined previous exhibitions into an ‘Experiment Zone’. As with any science centre, each area demonstrates a range of phenomenon by way of experiments, button pressing, quizzes and in some cases physical exertion. Don’t overlook the Planetarium of the Copernicus Science Centre, which immerses visitors in 20 million stars, and also screens films about natural science and the origins of life on earth (separate ticket required, admission 2D: 22/16zł).

Finishing up, it’s time to cross the street to Powiśle’s new epicentre of cool - check out the former Nazi machine gun post (in good conditions) on the corner of Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie and ul. Leszczyńska!QI‑6, ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 22 596 41 00, www.kopernik.org.pl. Open 09:00-19:00. Opening Hours will change Sep-Dec: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00; SatSun 10:00-19:00. The Planetarium has separate opening hours. Admission 31/21zł.

Copernicus Science Centre on the waterfront. | © Adobe Stock

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Sightseeing | Powiśle Walking Tour

6 Elektrownia Powiśle NEW When plans for the new Elektrownia Powiśle all-inone complex were announced a few years ago, we hoped this wouldn’t be another copy+paste effort.

When it finally opened in May 2020 after a COVID-19 delay, we can only say we were impressed. The exterior, as impressive as it looks, doesn’t look all too big, which is the first surprise you receive once you go inside - it’s much bigger than you’d ever expect!

So what’s here? Imagine this as a multifunctional centre, including sooped up shops completely new to Poland (nay, in Central and Eastern Europe even!) such as Urban Outfitters, Marc O’Polo Denim, Hugo and Converse (to name a few), plenty more boutiques, beauty salons, a top floor event space, as well as 13 ‘gastronomic concepts’ in their street food market and restaurants, and also 3 bars: Kandela, Centrala and Elektryk! You can shop until you drop, then pick yourself up with some great food, all the while being delighted with the look and feel of the place too.

It’s all fairly exciting stuff, but it’s time for a bit of a history lesson to allow you to appreciate the site’s past, and concept of the present and future! Ooh. Elektrownia Powiśle has been around since 1904, its original role being a power station. Things plodded along swimmingly until World War 2 when the station saw heavy fighting during the Warsaw

46

Uprising (p.60) between local insurgents and the Germans due to its strategic advantage. During the Communist era, the power station even had a special unit (which you can see today) that helped power the Palace of Culture and Science (p.29). And so this all lasted until 2001 when the power station was closed, laying empty for years before receiving its new lease of life...

What you can experience in Elektrownia Powiśle today has taken 4 years to come to fruition, with original power station elements visible throughout the modernisation. Anyone that loves old postindustrial sites will love the original architectural features on display, but that, of course, is not the sole reason to visit. Remember, the entire site is not yet complete, with luxury apartments and a boutique hotel still being constructed, but it’s quite clear Elektrownia has already become the epicentre of cool in the Powiśle district. We wholly recommend visiting and likewise keeping an eye on any upcoming events via their Facebook profile. Head back over to the boulevards and continue walking south until you pass under the nearby Świętokrzyski Bridge.QH/I‑6, ul. Dobra 42, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 22 128 56 00, www.elektrowniapowisle.com. Open 10:0021:00. T­U­6­K­H

Powiśle Walking Tour | Sightseeing 7

‘Syrenka’ - Powiśle Warsaw Mermaid

Possibly the second most famous statue of the city’s symbol. The 2.75m tall bronze monument was created by sculptor Ludwika Nitschowa and unveiled June 29, 1939. Her model was a 23-year-old poet and ethnography student: Krystyna Krahelska, but allegedly Ludwika changed her face slightly as she didn’t want Krystyna to feel intimidated. Despite Warsaw's wartime destruction, the monument survived owing to its riverside location. You can choose to continue to walk to Łazienki Park or simply use public transport (metro or bus, p.25) to get back to the more familiar climes of the Royal Route (p.36) and city centre - alternatively, you can walk up ul. Tamka to get to the Fryderyk Chopin Museum (p.63) before getting back to the Royal Route. Along the way you can spot street art murals and scars on buildings from the 1944 Uprising.QI‑6, Bulwar Bohdana Grzymały-Siedleckiego (near Most Świętokrzyski), MCentrum Nauki Kopernik.

Learn more about Syrenka, the symbol of Warsaw: iyp.me/71466f

Where to Eat and Drink?

Now this is where your taste buds will get excited.

If sightseeing venues don't tickle your fancy, then another good reason to head to the Powiśle district is for its reputation as a bit of a foodie central! There are tonnes of venues to choose from on, many of them to be found on and around ul.

Solec, one of the main streets in the area. Some of our favourites include The Cool Cat with its international menu, LAS dealing with a modern take on Polish cuisine, then there's Pastrami Bistro (guess what they specialise in?), cafes such as Kawiarnia Kafka, to bars with a wide range of craft beer options like Kufle i Kapsle and the rooftop restaurant/bar SEN with its awesome panoramic views of the river. Of course, there is also the iconic dive bar Warszawa Powiśle. Sticking to the riverside, there are numerous barges moored up, and street food trucks and weekend foor market make an appearance near the popular Plac Zabaw (actually a bar/restaurant/play area translated as ‘Play Park’). Elektrownia Powiśle has a unique ‘food hall’ lower level, resembling street food stalls, but also stand alone restaurants and bars. You’ll love them all.

© Shutterstock

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Praga | Sightseeing Gritty. Bo-ho. There are a lot of terms tossed around to describe Praga, the eastern district of Warsaw that hugs the Vistula River. Praga was once regarded as off-limits thanks to its criminal underclass and imposing tower blocks, but a revival of sorts now makes this section of town worthy of emphasising – especially if you prefer to see the city’s artsy underbelly and get away from the well-trodden tourist path in the Old Town from where you see the towers of Sts. Michael & Florian Cathedral and the rounded dome of the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene.

The area is still years away from being hipster-soaked Brooklyn or boho Montmartre, but that’s exactly why now is the time to go before gentrification engulfs the area. Today working-class Praga is a standard-bearer for cool. Folks here prefer their bars dark and their fun improvised (most found on or near the district’s main street, ul. Ząbkowska), and visitors can easily spend a day checking out the attractions.

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Praga Museum of Warsaw

Located in the heart of Praga this relatively small museum has stikes the right chord with its interesting and impressive permanent exhibition, which not only covers the complex history of Warsaw’s right bank settlement, but also captures the colourful district in several interactive multimedia exhibits. We recommend exploring every corner of this great museum and it will inevitably encourage you to head out the door and explore Praga itself. For more info about events and upcoming exhibitions, log onto their website.QJ‑3, ul.

Targowa 50/52, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 518 34 30, www.muzeumpragi.pl. Open 10:00-18:00; closed Mon, Tue, Wed. Admission for both permanent and temporary exhibitions 12/8zł, permanent alone 10/7zł, temporary exhibitions 5/3zł. Thu free. U 2

Praga Koneser Center

Located in what was once the legendary Koneser Vodka Factory (1897-2007), which for a long time lay almost derelict, with exception of becoming an artistic hangout for a few years with bars and clubs. After a major revamp, the complex consists of 18 buildings over 5ha, which includes bars, restaurants, museum, apartments, office and commercial spaces, and even the Warsaw HQ of uncle Google (he knows everything!). The old brick buildings have been scrubbed up nicely, and mix well amongst a collection of modern architecture. A visit to this site is well worth your time.QK‑2, Plac Konesera 2, MDworzec Wileński, www.koneser.eu.

3

Polish Vodka Museum

The site of a former Vodka factory, closed in 2007, now restored to become one of the beacons of the Praga Koneser Centre. The museum is a

Warsaw’s shining beacon the PGE National Stadium (K-6).

multimedia filled experience, taking you from the early beginnings of vodka to modern day production methods. Along the way, you will see a variety of paraphernalia, be treated to a vodka tasting, and afterwards, have the opportunity to buy some classy gifts. The museum is a celebration of the wonderful spirit, so deeply tied to Polish history itself. Polish tours begin every 20 mins, foreign language tours every 40 mins in English (French, German, Russian and Spanish available by booking in advance). The final tours of the day Tue-Thu are at 18:00 and Fri-Sat 19:00.QK‑2/3, Pl. Konesera 1, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 419 31 50, www.muzeumpolskiejwodki.pl.

Open 12:00-20:00; closed Mon. Admission 40zł. L­6 4

Neon Museum

Across Warsaw, the trend for turning old industrial spaces into cultural hubs is progressing well, and the Soho Factory is no different. The crowning glory of the site is no doubt the illuminating (non pun intended) Neon Museum, bringing together Communist-era Poland’s many neon signs which were long associated with bad times and thrown on the rubbish heap until they were collected by passionate curators.QM‑4, ul. Mińska 25, Soho Factory, Building 55, MStadion Narodowy, tel. (+48) 665 71 16 35, www. neonmuzeum.org. Open 12:00-17:00; Sat 12:00-18:00; Sun 11:00-17:00; closed Wed. Admission 15/12zł. U

Getting to Praga

By Public Transport: By far the easiest way to get to Praga is to take the eastbound M2 Metro to Dworzec Wileński, and you’ll be in the heart of the district. From Warszawa Centralna the 160 bus will take you across the river and drop you at the Park Praski stop. If you’re in the Old Town simply walk down the steps near the Royal Castle to Al. Solidarności and the Stare Miasto bus stop, taking buses 160 and 190 to head over the river to Park Praski.

Trams 23 and 26 will get you to Praga. These same buses/trams will return you to Stare Miasto.

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Sightseeing | Łazienki

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Łazienki | Sightseeing Anyone who still thinks that Warsaw is a city of concrete and cement has clearly never been to the city’s lung, the incomparable Łazienki Park. Quite simply, this glorious, 17th century park, spread over 74 hectares, is one of the jewels in Poland’s crown, which might explain why half of Warsaw chooses to spend its summer Sundays here. Fear not though, for so big is Łazienki that it never gives the impression of being crowded, and even on the busiest of days you will always be able to find a quiet, shady corner somewhere.

Łazienki Park

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The name Łazienki means baths and is derived from the park’s centrepiece and best-known attraction, the Palace on the Island. The palace was originally built in the 17th century as a private bathhouse for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, owner of the adjacent Ujazdowski Castle and much of the surrounding land (and much of Poland, come to mention it). The bathhouse was bought by the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, in 1772 and converted into a private residence (thus taking the name Palace on the Island). It was at this time that the grounds were formally laid out as a private garden, most of the landscaping being carried out to the designs of Karol Ludwig Agricola and Karol Schultz. Today dotted with many palaces (big and small), summer houses, pavilions, mansions, cafes, restaurants, lakes and theatres, Łazienki offers much to see and to make the best of it you should plan to spend a full day here.

While you can buy tickets for each Łazienki attraction individually, you can also purchase a one-day ticket (40/25zł) which offers single-access to a chunk of the attractions (the Botanical Garden is not among them).

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Łazienki, up until very recently, was further evidence of the fact that many Central Europeans have never quite grasped the idea of what parks are actually for. With superbly kept grass at every turn, perfect for picnics, pick up games of cricket, softball, football or whatever else it is people get up to in parks in the western world, Łazienki once took a very stern ‘look but don’t touch’ attitude when it came to its lawns. That said, the park now allows you to have a picnic on all patches of grass in the park. Finally, progress!QI‑11, ul.

Agrykoli 1, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 506 00 28, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Open 10:00-20:00; Sat, Sun 08:00-20:00.

The Theatre on the Island

Photo: Waldemar Panów

Getting to Łazienki Any number of buses stop in front of the park’s three main entrances on ‘Al. Ujazdowskie’, including numbers 116, 222 and 503 from the Old Town/Nowy Świat. Bus 108 takes you from ‘Plac Trzech Krzyży’ to stop ‘Agrykola’, on the park’s eastern edge - bus 162 gets you to the same location but from the Praga disctrict at stop Dw. Wileński. From the city centre, however, perhaps the easiest way of reaching Łazienki is to take trams 4, 18 and 35 from ‘Centrum’ (or 10 from ‘Dw. Centralny’) to ‘Pl. Unii Lubelskiej,’ and walk 300 metres along ul. Bagatela to the park’s southern entrance, in front of the Belvedere Palace. Orientation around the park is relatively easy given the prominent placement of maps and signs - in Polish and English - in key locations. There is also a very good Łazienki complex map (again, in Polish and English) which can be picked up for free from the Palace on the Island. If you enter the park via any of the entrances on Al. Ujazdowskie, chances are you will end up, willingly or not, via some surprisingly hilly paths set with tall trees, at the vast artificial lake in the park’s centre, straddled by the magnificent Palace on the Island. In doing so however, you risk missing out on a few treasures, such as The Museum of Hunting & Horsemanship, so try to circumnavigate the park instead. While you can buy tickets for each Łazienki attraction individually, you can also purchase a one-day ticket (45/30zł) which offers single-access to a chunk of the attractions (the Botanical Garden is not among them).QH‑11, ul. Agrykoli 1.

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Sightseeing | Łazienki the most extravagant of Baroque styles with a series of paintings depicting the History of Solomon. They were executed for King Stanisław Augustus in 1791– 93 by Marcello Bacciarelli and depicted the monarch himself as the biblical king. Many of the king’s personal rooms are also open to the public, set in their original context.QI‑11, ul. Agrykola 1, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 506 00 28, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Open 10:0016:00; closed Mon. Combined ticket for 3 venues 15/7zł, Fri free.

Myślewicki Palace

Chopin Monument

Chopin Monument & Temple of Sibyl On entering the park proper, make your first port of call the Chopin Monument, sculpted by Wacław Szymanowski and unveiled in 1926. It depicts Chopin sitting right here in Łazienki, next to a willow tree. The original sculpture was destroyed during WWII, and the one we admire today went up in 1958. Almost hidden in the trees a few metres from Chopin is the astonishing Temple of the Sibyl (closed to the public), an 1820s replica Greek Temple built entirely of wood.

Look out too for a gaggle of other little buildings here such as the Hermitage, the Egyptian Temple and the Water Tower. None are currently open to the public. Currently, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Chopin Concerts are taking place LIVE online via the park’s website every Sunday at 12:00 CET - view from anywhere in the world!QI‑12, MPolitechnika, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl.

Palace on the Island

The Palace on the Island is Łazienki’s raison d’etre.

The palace - completed in 1683 to designs by Tylman Gamerski - was originally a bathhouse, converted into a residence in the late 1700s (after being bought

by Stanisław August Poniatowski). The palace is built on an artificial island that divides the lake into two parts, and is connected to the surrounding park by two colonnaded bridges. The façades are unified by giant Corinthian pilasters that link its two floors and are crowned by a balustrade that bears statues of mythological figures. The northern façade is relieved by a striking central portico, while the southern façade’s deep central recess lies behind a screen of Corinthian columns. Today a museum, almost all of the palace can be visited including the main reception room, Solomon’s Hall, decorated in 52

When in Łazienki Park, make sure you have time for a guided tour of the magnificent, semi-circular and recently restored Myślewicki Palace. The tour lasts about 30 minutes. The palace was the official residence of the king’s nephew, Józef Poniatowski, and is very much ‘as was’ - complete with original murals, furniture and art.QJ‑11, ul. Agrykola 1, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 506 00 28, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl.

Open 10:00-16:00; closed Mon. Admission 10/5zł. Fri free. Guided tours in English 130zł per group. Children and students up to 26 years of age pay just 1zł.

Officer Cadets School In the eastern section of Łazienki near the Palace on the Island stands a large, classical building constructed in a horseshoe plan. Built by King Stanisław Poniatowski as a kitchen, the building was expanded in 1778 (it was deemed to small to serve the king’s need) and eventually morphed into the Infantry Officer Cadets School in 1822. On November 29th 1830, second lieutenant Piotr Wysocki led an uprising, aided by the young men of the school, which led to the November Uprising, a nationwide uprising at the time. Today, there’s little to see inside the building other than the ticket office to visit the park’s other attractions.QJ‑11, ul. Agrykola 1, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 506 00 28, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Open 10:00-16:00; closed Mon.

Myślewicki Palace

Wilanów | Sightseeing

Wilanów

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The ‘Polish Versailles’ is just one of the many fitting monikers applied to this splendid late 17th-century palace which can be found in the Warsaw district of Wilanów, 10km south of the city centre. Essential visiting for all who come to soak up the capital’s lavish culture and wish to understand a little more about ancient Poland, Wilanów is more than just a palace – it represents an era from which much has been lost. The palace, park and surrounding ensemble of buildings represent the height of Polish Baroque and

O I ER W

It is very easy to visit Warsaw and imagine its history stretches no further back than the post-war communist era and before that to WWII, when the city was effectively wiped from the map of Europe.

But that would be to only understand a small part of this city’s history. The nation’s capital has been in Warsaw since the late 16th century and at one time was the centre of the burgeoning Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a union which lasted over 200 years and whose territory at once stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea (incorporating much of modern day Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic States). With so much of pre-war Warsaw destroyed there are few places to experience what this must have been like more than at Wilanow’s palace and gardens.

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Sightseeing | Wilanów

History

this is one of Poland’s greatest national treasures.The sprawling 45-hectare setting is also full of things to do, from visiting the superb Poster Museum next door to renting a rowboat on the palace’s lake. If the weather’s good and you’ve got time to spare, it’s easy to spend an entire and thoroughly rewarding day here.

Wilanów Park & Gardens

Queen’s Bedroom in the Wilanów Palace by Aleksander Gryglewski, 1874

Wilanów gets its name from the borough in which Wilanów Palace is located. First mentioned in the 13th century as Milanów, the then tiny village changed hands several times before being bought in the 17th century by the family of Stanisław Leszczyński. Leszczyński began building a palace here, but the project was halted by the Deluge and the subsequent plundering of the region by the Swedes. In 1676 the abandoned Milanów was bought by King Jan III Sobieski looking for a country retreat, and he ordered a new palace be built on the site. Originally called ‘Villa Nova’ (New Village), the name was soon polonised. A brick manor house was built in 1680, expanding in two stages into a palace during the years 1681-1696 under the supervision of Agostino Locci to his own design.

After Sobieski’s death in 1696, his widow returned to France and the palace, through their sons, became the property of Elżbieta Sieniawska who continued to develop the palace. Sieniawska honoured Sobieski by conserving much of the palace in his memory. It was to become a royal residence again in the 1730s during the reign of August II the Strong. Over the next two hundred years the palace became the property of a succession of families, and each left their mark as they expanded and developed the property. One of its most enlightened residents was Stanisław Kostka Potocki who in the early 19th century made his collection of art and access to the royal apartments of King Jan III Sobieski available to the public.

The palace survived the war virtually intact, though its collections were looted. Confiscated

by Poland’s post-war Communist government, Wilanów became part of the National Museum in Warsaw and was renovated during the 1950s/60s, opening its doors to the public again in 1962.

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The 45 hectares that make up Wilanów Park grew over the centuries according to the particular fancies of its owners. The park’s present form dates from the extensive and mostly faithful renovations made during the 1950s, overseen by the architect and historian Professor Gerard Ciołek (1909-1966). The park grounds include a two-level Baroque garden, a Neo-Renaissance rose garden, a classical English landscaped park and the so called English-Chinese landscape park. The park near the Orangery, East, North and Rose gardens and their associated architecture were recently the subject of a major revitalisation program and during work on the Baroque garden a series of archaeological digs discovered several artefacts, including ceramics dating from the 12th century.Qul. St. Kostki Potockiego 10/16. Open 09:3018:00; Sat, Sun 09:30-21:00. Admission 7/4zł, Thu free.

Note that an obligatory 0zł ticket is still required on Thursdays. Really.

Wilanów Park & Gardens

Photo by W. Holnicki

Wilanów Palace Museum The first museum at Wilanów was opened in 1805 by the palace’s owner at the time, Stanisław Kostka Potocki. The current museum, which takes up a substantial portion of the palace’s interior, comes in two parts. Having bought your ticket, enter the wing on the right and descend the stairs. Head through a small room, up the stairs into the first part of the museum - The Polish Portrait Gallery. Wander through room after room of portraits of the rich and the powerful from the 16-19th century. If portraits are your thing you will find this very interesting, though the lack of descriptions is frustrating.

Wilanów | Sightseeing period 1799-1831, the most precious of which is the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary in the main altar.

Between 1857 and 1870, Aleksandra’s son August and his wife extended the church to a design by Henri Marconi. The church received a Neo-Renaissance look and the marvellous dome was added. In the gardens surrounding the church building you will find terracotta shrines marking the fourteen Stations of the Cross, while within the church, in the crypt under the chapel, are the tombs of the Potocki family.

St. Anne’s Church

Photo by Stanisław Kłosin

The tour leads you around the upper level of the house, however, during winter and well into 2019, this will be closed for renovation. Downstairs you will find yourself in the Wilanów Palace Residence. Featuring residential rooms, suits of armour, Etruscan vases, magnificent frescoes and even a private chapel. The central part of the lower floor is the most impressive.

It is here that you will find the private apartments of King Jan III Sobieski and his wife, while the wings house the apartments of the subsequent owners of the palace. It is quite easy to spend a couple of hours wandering around the palace but be warned that it tends to fill with schoolchildren during the week and tourists at the weekends so there’s not really a best time to visit during the school year.

The gardens are open 09:00-16:00 until 16 Oct. For all the latest information on permanent/temporary exhibitions, visit the Wilanów Palace website. QP‑2, ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 10/16, tel. (+48) 22 544 27 00, www.wilanow-palac.art.pl. Open Mon & Thu 10:0016:00; Sat,Sun 10:00-17:00. Admission 25/20zł, Thu free, but you must obtain an obligatory ticket. Audioguide (available in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish) 10zł. Tickets can be purchased online. U

St. Anne’s Church A church has stood on this site since the 14th century, when the wooden church of St. Leonard was built here. This was replaced by a Gothic wooden construction and graveyard in the 16th century and wasn’t replaced with a brick one until well after the time of Jan III Sobieski in 1772. The new church was called St. Anne’s and was founded by Prince August Adam Czartoryski to a design by Jan Kotelnicki.

Czartoryski’s grand-daughter, Aleksandra Lubomirska Potocka, decorated the church with art in the

The church suffered damage during both world wars and was even used as an internment camp by the Nazis, who also looted and damaged it. The church bells dating from 1723 and 1777 survived thanks to the bravery of the local people who hid them; today they are housed in the newly built Third Millennium Tower.QO‑2, ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 18, tel. (+48) 22 842 18 01, www.parafiawilanow.pl. Open 08:00-17:00; Sat 08:00-12:00; Sun 13:00-17:00.

Getting to Wilanów The Palace and Gardens at Wilanów can be reached best of all by bus or taxi directly from the city centre. The city’s metro system does run to a stop called ‘Wilanowska’ but this is about 5km from the palace and will involve taking a bus (139, 710 or 724) from outside of the station. All buses stop directly outside the palace gates at the ‘Wilanów’ stop.

BY BUS From the Old Town/Plac Zamkowy/Nowy Świat (F-4), Pl. Trzech Krzyży (H-8) and Łazienki Park (H-11): Take buses 116 or 180; journey takes 25-35 minutes.

From the centre (F-8): Take bus 519 or 200 from Warszawa Centralna train station, or 519 from outside the Cepelia store on ul. Marszałkowska 99, next to the roundabout.

From Metro Wilanowska Bus Station: Take buses 139, 200, 251 or 339.

BY TAXI Costing 35-40zł with a recommended company such as Glob Cab Taxi (+48 666 00 96 68), a taxi ride to Wilanów is something of a false economy, taking more or less the same time as the bus to get there. If you prefer the comfort and privacy of your own car then definitely stick to our recommendation.Qul. S.K. Potockiego 10/16.

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Sightseeing | Jewish Warsaw

Jewish Warsaw

It’s not by chance POLIN (p.57) was voted Museum of the year 2016 - it’s fantastic. | Photo by Maciej Jezyk

At the time Hitler chose to expand Germany’s territories under the odious excuse of providing ‘living space’ for the German people, Warsaw’s Jewish population numbered 350,000. Neither pogroms nor the occasional boycott of Jewish businesses deterred Jews from settling in the Polish capital and only New York could boast a larger community. Yet within six years Warsaw’s thriving Jewish scene was all but wiped out, with over 90% perishing either in the Warsaw Ghetto or the gas chambers of Treblinka extermination camp. It is estimated that some 15,000 Jews survived the war hiding out on the Aryan side.

Although anti-Semitism was by no means rare, Poland was seen as a relative safe haven, and it drew settlers forced into flight by more discriminatory regimes elsewhere. By the inter-war years the Jewish population had made significant contributions to the social, political and cultural fabric of Poland. Following World War 2, much of the remaining Jewish population chose to emigrate to the U.S., British mandate of Palestine (taking an active part in the creation of Isreal) and other parts of the world. Some that remained would be forced out in the 1968 political crisis, the local community bearing the brunt of fallout in relations between Israel and the Soviet Union over the 1967 Six-Day War, and as a result of internal struggles amongst factions of the Polish 56

Communist Party. Today, Warsaw’s Jewish population is estimated to stand around 2,000, however, efforts have been put into honouring the city’s Jewish heritage and reintroducing Jewish culture - most notably the opening of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in 2014. Here we list some places connected to the current day community and places worth visiting.

Jewish Historical Institute A chilling recollection of Polish Jewry. This amazing building (which survived the war, but still bears the scars) houses exhibits relating to secular and religious Jewish life in the country from its beginnings to annihilation during WWII and beyond. As well as an excellent bookshop, the institute’s museum, opened in 1948, features temporary exhibitions and a particularly moving permanent exhibition titled ‘What we were unable to shout out to the world’, dedicated to the underground archive of the Warsaw Ghetto and its creators, the Oneg Shabbat group. This is their record. A must see.QE‑5, ul. Tłomackie 3/5, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 827 92 21, www.jhi.pl.

Open 09:00-18:00; Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Sat. Tickets only purchaseable on their website. Admission 15/10zł.

Sun free. ENG Guided tours cost 40zł (400zł for groups of 10+), PL 30zł (300zł for groups of 10+), and are twice a day: ENG tour at 11:00 and PL tour at 14:00.

Jewish Warsaw | Sightseeing Nożyk Synagogue Built between 1898 and 1902 in a neo-Romanesque style, this was the only Warsaw synagogue to survive the ravages of war. It was fully restored between 1977 and 1983, and is still used by Warsaw’s Jewish community today. You can visit Mon-Thu 09:00-17:00, Fri 09:00-13:00 and Sun 11:00-17:00 (but not during Thu-Sun services 13:15-13:45).QE‑7, ul. Twarda 6, MRondo ONZ, tel. (+48) 22 620 43 24, www.warszawa. jewish.org.pl. Admission 10zł. N

POLIN

Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery A beautiful and poignant place to visit. The cemetery was originally founded in 1806 and currently houses around 250,000 tombs. Amongst those buried here are Ludwik Zamenhof, inventor of the international language Esperanto.QB‑5, ul. Okopowa 49/51, tel. (+48) 22 838 26 22, www.cemetery.jewish.org.pl. Open 10:00-17:00; Fri 09:00-13:00; Sun 09:00-16:00; closed Sat. Admission 10zł. N

Plac Grzybowski This delightful square connects the city’s past to its present and unites the worlds of commerce, religion, entertainment and art. The main attraction is the 19th century Renaissance All Saints’ Church. Heavily damaged during the start of WWII, from 1941 it was inside the Warsaw Ghetto. The Parish Priest Fr. Monsignor Marceli Godlewski helped to house Jews in the rectory and assisted several to escape.

Joining the square is ul. Próżna, the only full street that survived the Jewish Ghetto. It remained derelict, however, in recent years, one side was restored to its pre-war splendour, while the second side awaits revival. It is here, that the former heart of the Jewish area of Warsaw undergoes a mini-revival in the form of the Singer Jewish Culture Festival, which has taken place every year in late August/early September since 2004.QE‑7, MŚwiętokrzyska.

A millennium of Polish Jewish history is explained in this excellent museum which opened in 2014 and won the prestigious award for European Museum of the Year in 2016! Located in the Muranów district, this is where the Warsaw Ghetto stood during World War II. The building is a stunning copper and glass structure designed by Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamäki. Each of the eight galleries addresses a different era in the long history of the Jewish people beginning in the forests of Poland of King Mieszko I (960-992), where legend has it the first Jews settled. The permanent exhibition goes on to chart periods where Jews enjoyed social and religious freedoms and protection not bestowed upon them elsewhere in Europe, to the calamitous events of the 20th century. While the period of the Holocaust is described very well, for the most part the museum’s permanent exhibition is a celebration of a thousand years of Jewish life in Poland.

The museum is also home to a canteenstyle restaurant (kosher dishes available), a café and a Resource Center that features a specialist library dedicated to the history, culture and religion of Polish Jews.

A TEMPORARY EXHIBITION, 'HERE IS MURANÓW' (P.22), IS AVAILABLE UNTIL 22/02/2021. OPENING HOURS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PLEASE CHECK POLIN’S FACEBOOK PAGE FOR LIVE INFORMATION.QD‑4, ul. Anielewicza 6, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 471 03 01, www.polin.pl. Open 10:00-18:00; Wed, Thu, Fri 10:00-16:00; closed Tue. Perm. exhibition: 27/17zł.

Temp. exhibition: 20/15zł. 1zł for kids 7-16 and students up to 26 yrs with valid ID. Thu free. All tickets purchasable at www.bilety.polin.pl. U

Plac Grzybowski

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Sightseeing | Jewish Warsaw

German troops on patrol in the ghetto as buildings burn. | National Archives and Records Administration

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Although efforts are in play to revujenate the Jewish community in Warsaw, it’s hard to avoid the subject of why it’s so tiny in comparins to its early 20th century figure. This becomes evident in Warsaw during April/May, during the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Throughout the city, official commemorations are held, there are discussions in the media about the historical importance of the event, but most importantly, there are symbols of remembrance dotted around the city that citizens of the world visit and pay respect to the people that perished on the streets of Warsaw.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, although inevitably destined to fail, has gone down in history as an act of defiance, an act of protest against the inaction of the world in helping the Jewish people in their plight during the Second World War. This was their time to fight. And so it was to be that from 19 April to 16 May 1943, following years of torment, the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto rose up, vastly outmatched by the superior numbers and weaponry of the German war machine. The fighters had a simple choice: go quietly and die anyway, facing extermination in a camp, or die fighting, defying the barbaric system which had spread across Europe.

Numbering only around 700 fighters, the Germans were stunned on the first day of fighting, losing 12 men while the rest were forced to retreat beyond the walls of the ghetto.

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The fighters continued their dogged resistance, and though the Germans quickly broke the military organisation of the Jewish fighters, pockets of resistance couldn’t be easily dealt with, so the Germans began to use heavy artillery and even Stuka dive bombers. It was a doomed struggle. Vicious street-tostreet, house-to-house battles ensued, with insurgents often burnt out of their boltholes by flamethrowers and gas. On 8 May, German forces surrounded the principal command post of the rebels on ul. Miła 18 (current day ul. Miła 2, D-3) and though some did escape, rather than face capture, leader Mordechai Anielewicz and his cabal opted for mass suicide. By 16 May the Uprising was over, with German commander Jurgen Stroop announcing, “The former Jewish quarter of Warsaw is no longer in existence.” As a final, symbolic act of Jewish Warsaw’s demise, the Germans blew up the Great Synagogue on ul. Tłomackie (E-5).

It is estimated 7,000 Jews and roughly 300 Germans were killed during the Ghetto Uprising. The survivors of the Ghetto liquidation, some 42,000, were transported to the Majdanek concentration camp near Lublin. Very little remains of the former ghetto today, however, to give you an idea of scale, the area consisted of 1/3 the size of the city of Warsaw (mainly the Mirów/Muranów and Wola districts, plus parts of the city centre). Despite the destruction, small parts of the ghetto remain, from buildings that somehow survived destruction (ul. Waliców 14 , D-7) and even fragments of the ghetto wall (ul. Sienna 55, D-8).

Jewish Warsaw | Sightseeing

What to See? A Footbridge of Memory

One of the most enduring images of the Warsaw Ghetto is that of the footbridge constructed over ul. Chłodna to connect the large and small Ghettos.

Commemorating this today is a pair of metal poles connected via optical fibres which, after the sun sets, project the shape of the footbridge over the road via light. Designed by Tomasz de Tusch-Lec and installed in 2011, the memorial also has viewing windows inside the poles where visitors can flip through images of life in the Warsaw Ghetto. By now you’ve also probably noticed the pavement outline that symbolises the ghetto’s borders, which can be found on the sidewalk as you tromp down ul.

Chłodna.QC‑6, Intersection of ul. Chłodna and ul. Żelazna, MRondo ONZ.

Miła18 Bunker

Photo: Adrian Grycuk

Ghetto Heroes Monument In the middle of a large, attractive square beside the POLIN Museum, you’ll find the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, which commemorates the first Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Designed by Leon Suzin and sculpted by Nathan Rapoport in 1948, close by stands an earlier memorial tablet to the Ghetto Heroes, also by Suzin, which was unveiled in 1946. Interestingly, stone used in the monument had been brought to Warsaw by the Nazis and was to be used in architectural projects planned for a new Warsaw by Hitler’s architect, Albert Speer. In the square, you’ll also find a statue of Jan Karski, a Polish resistance fighter famed for informing the allies about the existence of Nazi death camps and the systematic destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto.QD‑4, ul. Zamenhofa, MRatusz Arsenał.

The ghetto covered 1/3 of the city. The Mirów/Muranów district, parts of Wola and city centre.

Miła 18 Bunker A grass mound and monument now marks the spot from where the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was lead by the Jewish Combat Organisation, and where many of its fighters, including commander-in-chief Mordechai Anielewicz, are buried. Three weeks after the start of the Uprising, the bunker was discovered by the Nazis on May 08, who used tear gas to try and force the command out. Though some were able to escape, the majority chose to ingest poison rather than surrender.

Their bodies were never exhumed after 1945 and the site became a war memorial. Located on the corner of ul. Miła 2 and ul. Dubois, due to post-war changes in Warsaw’s urban landscape the site no longer bears the address ‘Miła 18.’QD‑3, ul. Miła 2, MDworzec Gdański.

Ghetto Heroes Monument

Read our full article and watch our video here: iyp.me/75002f

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Sightseeing | Warsaw Uprising

Warsaw Uprising The Monument to the Warsaw Uprising depicts fighters preparing for battle.

August 1, 1944. Warsaw, subject to five years of fascist hegemony, rose up in rebellion in what would be the largest uprising in the German occupied territories. With German morale in ribbons, a retreat from Warsaw in full swing, and the Red Army on the east bank of the Wisła, no time seemed better than the present. Following close contact with the Polish government-in-exile, and assurances of Allied aid, the Home Army (Poland’s wartime military movement a.k.a the Armia Krajowa or AK) launched a military strike with the aim of liberating Warsaw and installing an independent government. What ensued was an epic 63 day struggle during which the Home Army faced the full wrath of Hitler.

17:00 - W-Hour On orders from General Tadeusz ‘Bor’ Komorowski, 5pm signalled W-Hour (‘Wybuch’ standing for outbreak), the time when some 40,000 members of the Home Army would attack key German positions.

Warsaw at the time was held by a garrison of 15,000 Germans, though any numerical supremacy the Poles had was offset by a chronic lack of weapons.

Nonetheless the element of surprise caught the Germans off guard, and in spite of heavy losses the Poles captured a string of strategic targets, including the Old Town, Prudential Tower and the post office.

The first day cost the lives of 2,000 Poles, yet for the first time since occupation the Polish flag fluttered once more over the capital.

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Within days German reinforcements poured in, and on August 5th and 6th Nazi troops rampaged through the western Wola district, massacring over 40,000 men, women and children in what would become one of the most savage episodes of the Uprising. It was to prove a mixed first week for the Poles. In liberated areas, cultural life thrived. Better still, the first allied airdrops hinted at the support of the west. As it turned out, this was just papering over the cracks. The Germans, under the command of Erich von dem Bach, replied with heavy artillery, aerial attacks, armoured trains and tanks.

Fantastically ill-equipped, the one thing on the insurgents' side was an almost suicidal fanaticism and belief. Casualties were almost 20 times as high as those inflicted on the Germans, yet the Poles carried on the fight with stoic self-assurance. Airdrops were vital if the uprising was to succeed, though hopes were scuppered with Stalin’s refusal to allow Allied planes landing rights in Soviet-held airports. Instead the RAF set up a new route running from the Italian town of Brindisi to Warsaw, though casualty rates proved high with over 16% of aircraft lost, and the drops often inaccurate. All hopes rested on the Russians.

After six weeks of inaction Red Army Marshal Rokossovsky finally gave the go-ahead for a Polish force under General Berling to cross the river. The operation was a debacle, with heavy casualties and

Warsaw Uprising | Sightseeing no headway made. This single attempt at crossing the Wisla was enough; Warsaw was on its own. Already by this time the situation in Warsaw’s Old Town had become untenable, and a daring escape route was hatched through the sewers running under the city.

The Germans were now free to focus on wiping out the remaining outposts of resistance, a task undertaken with glee. Abandoned by her allies the Poles were forced to capitulate, some 63 days after they had taken on the Reich.

Warsaw Rising Museum

The Aftermath Having deposited their weaponry, 11,668 Polish soldiers marched into German captivity. The battle had cost up to 200,000 civilian lives, while military casualties between Germans and Poles would add a further 40,000 to the figure. Remaining inhabitants were exiled (though around 2,000 are believed to have seen the liberation by hiding in the ruins), and the Germans set about obliterating what was left of the city. “No stone can remain standing,” warned Himmler, and what happened next can only be described as the methodical and calculated murder of a city. Buildings of importance to Polish culture were dynamited by teams of engineers, while less historic areas were simply burned to the ground. Modern studies estimate the cost of damage at around $54bn.

In human terms Poland lost much more. With the Uprising died a golden generation, the very foundation a new post-war Poland could build on.

Monument to the Warsaw Uprising It was only with the regime close to collapse that this unconventional, not to say controversial monument was unveiled. Completed in 1989 and designed by Wincenty Kućma, it depicts a group of insurgents in battle, and another faction retreating into the sewers.

QE‑4, Pl. Krasińskich, MRatusz Arsenał.

The PW (Polska Walcząca / Poland is Fighting) resistance symbol.

Photo: Matt Fahrenholz.

Opened in 2004, this remains one of Poland’s best museums. Packed with interactive displays, photographs, video footage and miscellaneous exhibits it’s a museum that’s guaranteed to leave a mark on all visitors. Occupying a former tram power station the 2,000m2 space is split over several levels, leading visitors through the chronological story of the Uprising. Start off by learning about life under Nazi rule, your tour accompanied by the background rattle of machine guns, dive bombers and a thumping heartbeat. Different halls focus on the many aspects of the Uprising; walk through a replica radio station, or a covert printing press.

The mezzanine level features film detailing the first month of battle, before which visitors get to clamber through a mock sewer. The final sections are devoted to the creation of a Soviet puppet state, a hall of remembrance, and a particularly poignant display about the destruction of the city; take time to watch the black and white ‘before and after’ shots of important Warsaw landmarks being systematically obliterated by the Nazis as punishment.

Near the exit check out the film “City of Ruins,” a silence-inducing 5 minute 3D aerial ‘film’ which took 2 years to make and used old pictures and new technology to recreate a picture of the desolation of ‘liberated’ Warsaw in March 1945.

There is also an exact replica of a B24 Allied plane once used to make supply drops over the besieged city. A viewing platform (open weather permitting) and ‘peace garden’ wrap up this high impact experience. FYI: There are new QR-code triggered videos for the hearing impaired at every exhibition.QB‑7, ul. Grzybowska 79, MRondo Daszyńskiego, tel. (+48) 22 539 79 05, www.1944.pl.

Open 08:00-18:00; Thu 08:00-20:00; Sat, Sun 10:0018:00; closed Tue. Admission 25/20zł (children under 7 free). Sun free. Audioguides in 27 languages 10zł p/person. U 61

Sightseeing | Museums

Museums Museum of Modern Art on the Vistula (p.44).

COVID-19 Pandemic Closed by the government on 11 March, museums, galleries and cultural institutes were allowed to reopen in mid-May, and the majority are now accepting visitors. Certain restrictions are in place regarding the flow and volume of people allowed (dependent on the size of the venue), in order to ensure public safety. Hand sanitiser is provided outside almost all public places, and it is required that visitors use it before entering, social distancing of 1-2m must be maintained, and face coverings (masks) are a must - security will not allow you entry unless you comply. Although Poland is regarded as safe, there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in in July/ August, however, the sources of these infections have come mainly from the home setting (people letting their guard down, gathering indoors in groups), places of work, especially factories/ warehouses, and as has been the case in Silesia, in coal mines. Larger events, mainly weddings, have led to infections and are now to be monitored to ensure the new sanitary rules are being followed.

Warsaw has an impressive selection of museums, and even older establishments are getting facelifts to bring the visitor experience into the 21st century. Without doubt the big four places on your list should be the Warsaw Uprising Museum (p.60), which charts the defining period in the history of modern Warsaw; the Copernicus Science Centre (p.45), which is the city’s most interactive and kid-friendly museum; the Chopin Museum (p.63), which is both interesting and another one of Warsaw’s best examples of a modern museum experience; and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (p.57), which highlights 1,000 years of Jewish history in Warsaw. Most of the museums listed below present a cycle of temporary exhibitions, details of which can be found in our Culture & Events section on page 20.

Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature See p. 34.

Copernicus Science Centre See p. 45.

Dollhouse Museum See p. 69.

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Museums | Sightseeing Fryderyk Chopin Museum Touted as one of the most high tech in Europe, this museum features four storeys of interactive exhibits, where the entire life of Chopin is shown from start to finish, leaving absolutely no detail out. So comprehensive is the collection it even features the last letter he wrote to his family and dried flowers from his deathbed. Also on display are his death mask, a recreation of his Paris drawing room, and even an intriguing section on the women who made the man.

What really revolutionises this museum, however, is the way your route is conducted. Aside from an avalanche of touchscreen multimedia, the museum allows visitors to ‘adapt their trip to their particular circumstances.’ Put simply, those entering can choose exactly what they want to see. Even better are the e-card tickets that can be swiped along different interactive exhibits to allow the visitor to hear music, stories or watch a film. The number of visitors is restricted, so we suggest reserving tickets in advance via the website. Located in the Ostrogski Palace, which itself is an impressive landmark. QH‑7, ul.

Okólnik 1, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 441 62 51, www.muzeum.nifc.pl. Open 11:00-19:00; closed Mon. Admission 22/13zł. Wed free. Guided tours in English 120zł and Polish 100zł, available by prior arrangement. U

Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw

Jewish Historical Institute See p. 56.

Katyń Museum

Recently relocated to the impressive Warsaw Citadel, the museum's permanent collection can now be viewed in appropriately grand and stoic surroundings. The museum documents the shocking events of 1940 when around 22,000 Polish officers were executed by their Soviet captors in the middle of a Russian forest. The museum has a host of objects, documents and personal effects that have been recovered from the site near Smoleńsk, Russia. The artefacts from the victims and a scrolling list of the victim’s names needs no explanation and the multimedia presentation of the extenuating circumstances, the victim’s stories and historical relevancy are well thought out and it’s worth exploring the whole museum.QE‑1, ul.

Jana Jeziorańskiego 4 (entrance from Nowomiejska gate), MDworzec Gdański, tel. (+48) 261 87 83 42, www.muzeumkatynskie.pl. Open 10:00-16:00; closed Mon, Tue. Admission free. U

See the biggest Chopin collection all over the world!

Museum is open: Tuesday – Sunday: 11.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. buy online: www.bilety.nifc.pl www.muzeum.nifc.pl

FRYDERYK CHOPIN MUSEUM IN WARSAW Ostrogski Castle (Gniński Palace) 1 Okólnik Street

Patron

Main Parnter

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Sightseeing | Museums

Guided Tours City Sightseeing Warsaw If Warsaw needed proof that it is a major tourist destination surely City Sightseeing is it. 1.5 hourlong tours on familiar red double-decker buses let you take in the major sights. Buy one ticket and hop on/off the bus of your choice, either blue or red line. Buses depart from the Palace of Culture (p.29, Emilii Plater side) and the Old Town 'Stare Miasto' bus stop near King Sigismund's Column (p.31). Commentary available in various languages. See their site for details, routes and timetables.QE‑8, ul. Emilii Plater, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 793 95 79 79, Tickets 24hrs 70zł, 48hrs 90zł, 72hrs 100zł. 7-day ticket for Warsaw available for 120zł. www.city-sightseeing.pl.

Free Walkative! Tour The experienced locals at Walkative! provide some of the best tours at no cost to you (apart from tips!). Tours are offered in English, German and Spanish. Book online (new temporary COVID-19 reality!) for tours of The Old Town, Warsaw at War, Jewish Warsaw, Communist Warsaw and Alternative Warsaw.Qtel. (+48) 513 87 58 14, www.freewalkingtour.com.

Maria Skłodowska Curie Museum

Born Maria Skłodowska on November 7, 1867, this museum is dedicated to the Polish lass would go on to become a famed scientist better known to the world as Madame Marie Curie. Housed in her actual birthplace, the museum encompasses a charming homage to the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, including displays of Curie’s personal letters that show another side to the famed scientist. Artefacts on display include many personal effects, such one of Curie’s black dresses and even her nail file, as well as a small collection of scientific instruments. One of the museum’s two rooms has been adapted as a recreation of Curie’s laboratory to give visitor’s a glimpse into her daily life. Tours are available in English (150zł) and Polish (100zł).QF‑3, ul. Freta 16, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 831 80 92, www.mmsc.waw.pl. Open 10:00-18:00; closed Mon. Admission 11/6zł, Tue free. U

Museum of Life under Communism If walking around Warsaw’s city centre and admiring the remnants of Poland’s Communist past is not enough for you, why not check out the ‘Museum of Life under Communism’ in the centre? Started privately in 2014, this is not simply a museum that recollects 64

Museum of Life Under Communism

facts and figures, it’s a unique place that shows what everyday life was like for people during the years of Poland’s Communist rule - which includes a mock up of a typical PRL era living room! An essential place to visit, especially for younger generations and those who have never lived under such a system! QM‑4, ul.

Piękna 28/34 (corner of Plac Konstytucji and ul. Piękna), MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 511 04 48 08, www.mzprl.pl.

Open 10:00-18:00; Fri 12:00-20:00. Admission 18/12zł.

Museum of Warsaw See p. 33.

Museum of Modern Art on the Vistula See p. 44.

National Museum Located inside a huge and decidedly bizarre inter-war building, this museum is a must for anyone visiting the city. Dating from 1862 and operating under its current name since 1916, there’s a huge array of permanent exhibitions and antiquities. Visitors will find a wealth of delightful 15th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings as well as several Botticellis in the Gallery of Old Masters (open Tue, Thu, Fri & Sun) which also includes several galleries of Polish art from the 16th century onwards, including some of the best work by the country’s leading painters - Chełmoński and Matejko to name a few. This leads nicely on to the Gallery of 19th Century Art (Tue, Thu, Fri & Sun). The Gallery of Polish Design (Tue, Thu, Fri & Sun) and Professor Kazimierz Michałowski Faras Gallery (Tue, Wed & Sat) are the newest permanent exhibitions to open, the latter being the only exhibition in Europe featuring Medieval Nubian paintings from the Nile River Valley south of the First Cataract. All in all, it’s worth seeing. Make sure to check their website for more info, and please note, due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, strict restrictions

Museums | Sightseeing are in place to prevent overcrowding with each gallery open on a rotational basis, noted above and as follows: QH‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, MNowy ŚwiatUniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 621 10 31, www.mnw.art.pl.

Open 10:00-16:00; closed Mon. Admission 20/10zł for the permanent gallery. Tue free. Children and students up to 26 years of age pay 1zł. U

Neon Museum See p. 49.

Old Town Heritage Interpretation Centre See p. 34.

Palace on the Island See p. 52.

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews See p. 57.

Polish Army Museum The chronological history of the Polish army is presented in a series of gloomy rooms. Suits of armour, crossbows, muskets, medals and paintings pack this museum, though the scarcity of English-language explanations mean you’ll need to hire an Englishspeaking guide to get the most out of the place (make sure to call in advance). The room at the end is dedicated to Poland’s role in WWII, with specific emphasis on the Warsaw Uprising. Curiously, the best part of the museum is actually free of charge: the outdoor collection of 20th century weaponry includes an array of tanks, missiles, aircraft and rocket launchers (open all year).QH‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 629 52 71, www.muzeumwp.pl. Open 10:0016:00; closed Mon, Tue. Admission 20/10zł, Thu free. N

Polish Vodka Museum See p. 49.

Pomaluj.art - Galeria Bolesławiec & Studio Ceramiki There are many great Polish gift ideas, but none as visually exciting as Bolesławiec pottery. With a mix of cups, plates, bowls and other kitchenware with various colours and designs, you can’t go wrong to buy friends, family, or even yourself one of these classic but quirky items. What’s more, at this location, not only do you get the chance to buy something of your pleasing, but you can join in some workshops to make your own! The studio is quite sizeable, well-kitted out, and whether you’re trying to recreate scenes from the film Ghost (not recommended in front of others) or perhaps the kids want to mess about and make anything they want and paint all over it (which is allowed, even encouraged), the end results are sure to raise a smile. The staff speak English and teach you the history of Bolesławiec pottery during your session!QF‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 49, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 690 80 01 84, www.pomaluj.art.

Open 12:00-20:00; closed Sun.

Praga Museum of Warsaw See p. 49.

Royal Castle See p. 31.

Warsaw Rising Museum See p. 60.

Wilanów Palace Museum See p. 53.

Zachęta - National Gallery of Art

Unmissable, and so close to ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście. One of the leading galleries in Poland, with a focus on the contemporary. It's located in the centre of Warsaw, just across from the Saxon Garden.

The name of the gallery derives from the Polish word for encouragement and refers to the group that created it: Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts (Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych), created in 1860. The gallery does a fine job in bringing the best in contemporary art from the 20th and 21st century to you in a mix of exhibitions.QF‑6, Pl. Małachowskiego 3, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 556 96 00, www.zacheta.art.pl. Open 12:00-20:00; closed Mon. Admission 20/10zł, Thu free.

Polish Army Museum

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Activities & Experiences

Activities & Experiences Let’s face it: It doesn’t all have to be museums and sightseeing. You may be travelling solo, as a couple or with the kids (p.68) - luckily, Warsaw is a big, modern city and has a lot to offer those looking for fun in all its leisurely forms! Hours of fun await!

Hulakula Leisure Centre A modern indoor entertainment centre for both adults/kids.

You can strut your stuff on 28 of their 10-pin bowling alleys or play billiards on 8 LEO Black King tables or enjoy classic arcade games, pinball machines and air hockey tables! There is a soft-toy toddler zone and an indoor playground for older kids! An outdoor grill bar with music/DJ is available.QJ‑4, ul.

Jagiellońska 82B, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 669 00 10 01, www.hulakula.com.pl. Open 12:00-24:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-03:00.

Prices vary depending on day of the week and hour of day: 1hr of lane time costs 50-140zł. Billiards 29/39zł per hour. B

FSO Shooting Range Adrenaline pumping fun! Various packages ranging from 59599zł take you on a walkthrough of gun history, from old revolvers and pistols, Soviet-era weaponry to modern-day shooters. The range caters for various groups sizes (stag/hen or corpo events) and can take up to 45 people, It is essential you book in advance (to ensure an Eng speaking instructor), bring photo ID (passport, ID card or drivers licence), and don’t turn up under the influence of alcohol!Qul. Jagiellońska 88/10B, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 604 24 01 95, www.strzelnicafso.pl. Open 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:00-18:00.

Thai Bali Spa Thai Bali Spa continue a 2000 year old tradition using Thai and Balinese massage techniques. The skilled masseurs will have you feeling fresh and rejuvenated in no time!

Choose from various massages including elements of yoga, stretching, acupressure, Japanese Shiatsu massage and reflexotherapy. Various oils and soothing body cocktails will leave you feeling recharged. Other city locations include ul.

Grzybowska 3, ul. Warszawska 8 and ul. Powązkowska 9.QG‑7, ul. Nowy Świat 48, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 663 55 11 22, www.thaibalispa.pl. Open 12:00-21:00.

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Activities & Experiences

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MK Bowling Entertainment Center The latest entertainment center in town, found inside Galeria Młociny in the northern district of Bielany, 2 mins away from the final stop of the M1 metro line ‘Metro Młociny’.

Choose from 12 bowling lanes (6 ppl/lane) and 3 pool tables (COVID-19 limits are in place); all serviced with a bar that dishes out Neapolitan-style pizza. Bowling (59-139zł), Pool (20-35zł) and VR starts at 25zł/15min. Qul. Zgrupowania AK Kampinos 15 (Galeria Młociny, lvl 2), MMłociny, tel. (+48) 600 80 05 56, www.mkbowling.pl/start-warszawa. Open 12:0022:00; Fri 12:00-24:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-22:00.

Selfie Museum Warsaw

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Selfies are now ingrained in our cultures - and Selfie Museum Warsaw is here to help you explore the phenomenon, complete with 500m2 creative/educational space with nooks, rooms, funky installations and backdrops to take perfect shots. Check out their events calendar on Facebook for lectures/workshops and family days (science based shows, magicians, games and more).QB‑7, ul. Grzybowska 80/82, MRondo Daszyńskiego, tel. (+48) 884 88 05 18. Open 10:00-20:00; Mon, Tue 13:00-20:00. Mon-Fri 36/30 zł, Sat-Sun 42/36zł. Children under 2 years of age enter for free. T­U

Veturilo Public Bike Over 390 stations offer 5,700+ bikes in Warsaw. It's easy: set up an account online, pay the initial 10zł fee. Once registered, visit any station and select your ride, which has its own code.

Scan it, or if you don’t have a smartphone, dial and enter your phone number, your PIN and the bike’s code into the station’s screen, and you’re off! The first 20 mins are free, then 1zł for 21-60 minutes, 3zł for the 2nd hour, 5zł for the third, and 7zł for each hour after that up to 12 hours. There’s a 200zł fee for exceeding 12 hours, and a 2,000zł cost for replacing a lost/damaged bike.Qwww.en.veturilo.waw.pl.

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Kids & Families

Kids & Families Dollhouse Museum/ Muzeum Domków dla Lalek

Warsaw has a tonne of sightseeing, but not all places are suited for youngsters. You can only expect them to be quiet and respectful in museums for so long. There must be something else to do in this town, right? Yup! The first step to having a great family vacation abroad is to accept that what you want to do, and what your kids want to do are hardly one and the same. That said, there’s no reason you can’t find common ground in Warsaw’s major attractions.

Helpful Hints & Ideas The perfect choice is to go to the Copernicus Science Centre (p.45), which will not only keep the kids entertained with the games and interactive nature of the museum, but the adults with also have a whale of a time too. The Warsaw Rising Museum (p.61) is super-modern and highly interactive, with kid specific educational zones. The Dollhouse Museum (p.69) is a charming experience showcasing over 120 historical dollhouses.

Multikino in Złote Tarasy (E-8) and Cinema City Arkadia (C-2) are good options to see the latest kids’ movies on a rainy day. If more action packed indoor attractions interest you more, Warsaw also has Hangar 646 for trampolining madness. Hulakula Leisure Centre 68

(p.66) not only has bowling, but an indoor playground for the kids to run wild! MK Bowling Entertainment Centre (p.66) is also a great venue for adults and families with kids. IF that’s not enough, FSO Shooting Range (p.66) is immensely fun, and supervised! For something completely different, check out Selfie Museum Warsaw (p.67), essentially a museum dedicated to selfie pics!

Sometimes the best thing to do is simply take a charming walk along ul. Nowy Świat (p.40), ul.

Krakowskie Przedmieście (p.36) and onward to the Old Town (p.30), where in the warmer months, the area has a family atmosphere. Other outdoor leisure activities could include a visit to Łazienki Park (p.50) with plenty of cute squirrels, peacocks and ducks around! For more animals, check out Warsaw Zoo (p.69)! Don’t forget that Warsaw has plenty of parks to choose from, all with play areas for the kids to jump, swing, duck and roll, with all the central ones marked on our maps at the back. The Vistula Boulevards (p.44) are great for those wishing to walk, bike, skate or play in specially installed play areas for the kids. For general cycling, we highly recommend using the Veturilo city bike (p.67) hire service, with plenty of cycle lanes across Warsaw to ride safely. If you have hyperactive kids, then going to any of Warsaw’s public beaches and outdoor swimming pools (p.69), all with their own child-friendly play areas, is perfect in the summer.

Kids & Families Dollhouse Museum This is a charming experience showcasing over 150 historical dollhouses, and various other settings, with unique detail borne from a passion centred around mankind’s oldest toy. Visit the museum and experience two permanents exhibitions ‘The Bygone World of Dollhouses’ and ‘Religious Toys’, both of which not only show handcrafted pieces, but how tastes and fashions have changed throughout human history.

The museum bills itself as an exciting experience for all to enjoy, especially kids from ages 5-105 (you read that right). Interestingly, those below 100cm and above the age of 100 get in for free! Group tours are available in English, Polish and Russian, costing 90zł, however, you must call in advance to arrange.QF‑8, Pl. Defilad 1, MCentrum, www.muzeumdomkow.pl.

Open 09:00-19:00. Tickets 20/15zł. Group tours available in English, Polish and Russian (Polish groups up to 10 people = 90zł, over 10 people = 65zł. English/Russian groups up to 10 people = 180zł, over 10 people = 130zł).

Fun Park Digiloo Situated not far from the city centre on the otherwise never ending ul. Puławska, Digiloo is a vast kid’s paradise of themed activity rooms. Areas vary from a toddlers space for the under two’s through to the main, jungle inspired activity area, a modern climbing wall and a laser paintball zone! You may ask what the grown ups can do while the nippers are running riot under the watchful eye of the expert assistants? They can take-five in the prize winning café/restaurant with its home cooking style menu.

QH‑16, ul. Merliniego 2, MWierzbno, tel. (+48) 22 854 00 44, www.funparkdigiloo.pl. Open 10:00-20:00; Sun 10:00-19:00.

Warsaw Zoo Opened in 1928, Warsaw Zoo covers an area of 40 hectares and attracts some 500,000 visitors each year. In total there are 12,700 animals here, across 500 species. Conditions have improved dramatically in recent years, though a visit here will do little to change any opinions you have on locking animals in cages. It was bombed at the beginning of the conflict and by 1945 all the animals had either been killed, deported to the Third Reich, eaten by locals or escaped into the wild. Zoo director, Jan Żabiński, became something of a hero; wounded during the 1944 Uprising (p.60), he helped save countless lives by sheltering Jewish orphans inside the grounds of the zoo.QH‑3, ul.

Ratuszowa 1/3, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 619 40 41, www.zoo.waw.pl. Open 09:00-18:00; Sat, Sun 09:00-19:00. Admission 30/20zł.

Public Beaches & Bathing

It can get unbearably hot in Poland during the summer - hot enough to make you want to rip your clothes off and jump straight into the Wisła River. Don’t! It isn’t safe or hygienic, When it's hot, you basically have a few options: get some ice cream, duck into the nearest venue with air-con, or finally, strip down and go to the beach or pool!

You wouldn't think it, but the city has some top class public beaches and outdoor swimming pools.

The riverside beaches are plentiful, found mainly along the wilder right-bank, resembling a nature reserve. We provide some beach recommendations below, but for a detailed list, see our online feature: iyp.me/77944f Poniatówka BeachQJ‑7, Most Poniatowskiego, MStadion Narodowy.

Praga District BeachQH‑3, ul. Wybrzeże Helskie, MDworzec Wileński.

Saska Kępa BeachQL‑8, ul. Kryniczna, MDworzec Wileński.

Many popular outdoor pools have undergone recent revamps, but remember, we really mean it that half the city will have the same idea as you, so your choice of pool may become a large soup bowl, so best go early! Below are some of the best outdoor pools, however, for a full list, check out our online feature: iyp.me/77937f Inflancka Sports ComplexQC‑2, ul. Inflancka 8, MDworzec Gdański, tel. (+48) 22 162 73 50, www.aktywnawarszawa.waw.pl.

Powsin Cultural ParkQul. Maślaków 1, MKabaty, tel. (+48) 22 648 48 11, www.parkpowsin.pl.

Szczęśliwice PoolsQul. Usypiskowa 18, MPole Mokotowskie, tel. (+48) 22 572 90 70, www.basenszczesliwice.pl.

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Day Trips from Warsaw

A Typical villa in Konstancin-Jeziorna. | Photo: UM Konstancin-Jeziorna

Day Trips There’s plenty to see and do in Warsaw, however, we understand that not all visitors are content with just visiting the capital and may wish to explore beyond the city limits. There’s something for everyone across the whole Mazovian region, and this section highlights some of the most interesting things to see and do, from visiting sites full of history, music, relaxation, and outdoor activities for those looking for something more fun-filled and leisurely!

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Day Trips from Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin Birthplace & Park in Żelazowa Wola This museum celebrates both the Historical Birthplace of the lauded composer and pays tribute to the dramatic history of the very museum itself.

Half of the house has been filled with early 19th century keepsakes, instruments and paintings, and many visitors attest to the haunting spirit of Chopin that lingers throughout. Outside the impressively landscaped bucolic garden makes for a nice walk.

As you walk around the gardens, there are craftily hidden speakers serenading you with Chopin’s music. Żelazowa Wola is 54km west of Warsaw and can be reached in one hour by bus and train. The best way to get there is to go with a tour group or get a Koleje Mazowieckie train (Route 3) from Warszawa Śródmieście train station to Sochaczew or a TLK train from Warszawa Zachodnia Train Station - once there, get ZKM bus no.6Z which goes to Żelazowa Wola (bus no.1 to Kampinos also stops there).QŻelazowa Wola 15, tel. (+48) 46 863 33 00, www.muzeum.nifc.pl. Open daily 10:00-18:00. Museum closed Mon (park open). Admission 23/14zł for the museum and park, 7/4zł for the park only. Wed free.

Płock

Hugging the Vistula River 111km north-west of Warsaw is the city of Płock. Believe it or not, Płock was also one time capital of Poland from 1079 to 1138 and the seat of Kings! And you thought Gniezno and Kraków were the only previous Polish capitals?!

The area’s importance grew with the first to Pagan Slavic tribes, and later with the Piast Dynasty, which built a fortification on Wzgórze Tumskie (En: Tumskie Hill), overlooking the River. It’s around this hill where you’ll find most attractions, from the Płock Cathedral (Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Masovia) and The Castle of the Masovian Dukes in Płock the boulevards, pier, zoo and beach below, all not far from the charming old town square (Stary Rynek), surrounded by numerous museums. To get there, you will need to take a bus from Warsaw West Main Bus Station, from where you have a choice of using a public PKS bus (going to Płock, journey time 1h 45mins).

We recommend you check the fantastic e-podróżnik. pl site for all bus times to be able to plan your journey in confidence.QStary Rynek, Płock, www.plock.eu.

Konstancin-Jeziorna Ahhh, spa towns, often found far from urbanity - not in this case. Located just south of Warsaw’s Ursynów district in Piaseczno county (a mere 20km from Warsaw’s centre), it’s an ideal day out.

The beginnings of Konstancin go back to 1897 when Count Witold Skórzewski, owner of the Obory Palace Estate decided to found a summer resort. The town became a destination not only for relaxation, but a prime location to live, with numerous villas springing up. Today, they are an attraction in themselves, with the majority on ul. Sienkiewicza, some in perfect condition, while others are in various states of decay. Most visitors head straight to Park Zdrojowy (En: ‘Health Resort Park’), the heart and symbol of the spa resort. The main attraction is the salt graduation tower built in 1976, where you can breathe in the salty mist!

To get there, take bus 200 from stop Dw. Centralny 05 (Warsaw Central Railway Station) which takes you directly to Park Zdrojowy (bus stop with the same name). Alternatively, take the M1 metro line to the end station Kabaty, and from there switch to bus 710. Both journeys take 50 mins and require zone 2 tickets.QKonstancin-Jeziorna, MKabaty, www.konstancinjeziorna.pl.

Fryderyk Chopin’s childhood home

Zegrze Reservoir This large body of water, linking 3 nearby rivers: the Vistula, Narew and Wkra, is the summer playground of Varsovians wishing to get away from the city and enjoy beaches, bars and water sports. And no wonder - it’s only 20km north-west of Warsaw. To say this is a place of relaxation may be overstated as it can sometimes be a tight squeeze for space! Primarily during Spring-Autumn, the lake is full of yachts and other water faring contraptions, and getting there is easy, just take bus 735 from Metro Marymont bus stop 15 will take you to the southern part of the reservoir to stop ‘Zegrze Południe’ and requires a zone 2 ticket. If the busy beaches are not your thing, the surrounding area has plenty of quiet tourist trails to enjoy.Qul. Zegrzyńska 10H, www.jezioro.zegrzynskie.pl.

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Coffee & Sweets

Breakfast & Brunch It’s arguably the most important meal of the day, though not everyone wakes up with the rising of the sun. Below we have a selection of Breakfast and Brunch options, for you party people and late-risers.

News just in: all day breakfasts are finally a thing in Warsaw!

Bułkę przez Bibułkę A great little place that makes you feel like you’re in a smalltown setting as opposed to a busy street in Warsaw! It’s important to highlight they serve all-day-breakfasts, from bagels to soups and sandwiches, and a Cappuccino or Americano on the side only costs an extra 5zł. Furthermore, 0.5l wine is 16zł from 18:00-21:00 daily, and Prosecco 5zł!

Also on ul. Zwycięzców 32 in Saska Kępa, ul. Puławska 24 in the Mokotów district and Żurawia 6/12.QG‑8, ul. Zgoda 3, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 730 28 55 22, www.bulkeprzezbibulke.pl.

Open 07:30-23:00; Sat 08:00-23:00; Sun 08:00-22:00. T­6

Croque Madame A mighty fine French style cafe-bakery which neatly manages to walk the difficult line of being neither too trendy nor too old-fashioned and therefore attracts a nice mix of customers.

Enjoy a morning breakfast (Polish & French style), and mains and soups, freshly made sandwiches, a light salad or the daily selection of cakes and sweets. Whatever you will choose arrives simply, yet perfectly-presented, and served by waitstaff who actually look happy to be working here! QG‑7, ul.

Nowy Świat 41, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 531 43 13 00. Open 09:00-21:00; Fri, Sat 09:00-22:00. B­6

Cafe Bristol If you can’t afford to stay in Warsaw’s sumptuous Hotel Bristol, that certainly doesn’t preclude you from enjoying their wonderful ground-floor cafe overlooking a park in the centre of the city. This historic building is ideal for breakfast (08:00-12:00), but also 2-course lunches or just a simple coffee and cake. The classic interiors of this pre-war Viennese coffeehouse are the perfect place to read the paper and slow time down until it’s merely a triviality.QG‑5, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 551 18 28, www.cafebristol.pl. Open 08:00-22:00. T­B 72

Coffee & Sweets

© Artem Beliaikin on unsplash

To Lubię Divine. Coffee, cakes, pies, all-day breakfast, coffee and apple crumble at 15zł a slice (not necessarily in that order).

Opposite the church on a street that is best known as being tourist-trap central, this is the kind of place you can get all twee and a little bit ‘Cracovian’ for a moment. Head through the little stone-arch doorway and make your order. The Old/New Town should be full of places like is. ‘I like this’ is how the name translates into English and yes, we really do!

QF‑3, ul. Freta 8, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 635 90 23, www.tolubie.pl. Open 09:00-22:00. €. B­6

Charlotte. Chleb i Wino Enjoy buttery croissants with jam or traditional egg dishes for breakfast or anytime really since trendy Charlotte slings breakfast all day. All the ingredients used are sourced locally, and vary depeneding on the season. Their chocolates and jams are made with home recipes, giving that extra dose of niceness which will make you smile. Also found at Plac Grzybowski 2 and Nowy Świat 6/12.QG‑10, Al. Wyzwolenia 18 (entrance from Pl. Zbawiciela), MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 662 20 45 55, www.bistrocharlotte.pl. Open 07:0024:00; Fri 07:00-01:00; Sat 08:00-01:00; Sun 08:00-24:00. T­6

The Cool Cat One of our favourite spots in Warsaw. A quick glance at the menu will take your taste buds on a tour through some truly original Asian-influenced breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Start with Israeli Shakshuka then graduate to a Korean pork bun served with jackfruit, chicken, tofu and crab. Their coffee and alcohol selection mean that you can quite easily find an excuse to hang out here eating and drinking all day and night (guilty as charged). Also on ul. Marszałkowska 8.QI‑7, ul. Solec 38, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 574 81 18 16. Open 09:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 09:00-23:00. €€. T­B­6 73

Restaurants | New & Featured

As fresh as seafood can get! Head to the Lobster House (p.75)

Dining in Warsaw Warsaw’s come a long way fast, and nowhere is the urban vibrancy more apparent than in the city’s progressive culinary scene. Today one can find quality dining experiences from most corners of the world, though the predominance of Italian trattorias, sushi bars and designer burger joints never ceases to amaze us. As regards to tipping, 10% is standard (easy math!).

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New & Featured | Restaurants

The Lobster House

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utensils Seafood The choice of quality seafood venues in Warsaw has steadily been increasing over the last decade or so, however, it still has a reputation as being exclusive and pricey (sometimes unwarranted)! With the opening of The Lobster House, you could say the zenith is upon us!

Set inside a landmark building ([the] house without corners’) along the Royal Route (p.36), the location alone suggests a top quality venue. And it is. Inside you will find a sleek space spanning 451m2 (which comes in handy when you have 7 aquariums housing your food!), able to host 120 people inside (and more outside during summer), along with an impressive 10 metre long bar. The food, as fresh as it can be, you can just imagine, is delightful. This is definitely The Lobster House.

QG‑6, ul. Królewska 2, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 731 00 08 47, www.lobsterhouse.pl.

Open 10:00-24:00. €€€€€. T­U­B­E­6

Pastrami Bistro utensils International For a while we suffered from a lack of good places to get us some Pastrami! Almost embarrassingly, we could find it aplenty in Kraków, but never any decent offerings in Warsaw. That changed with the opening of Pastrami Bistro. Found on the main gastro street, ul. Solec, of the hip Powiśle district, the tiny venue with bare walls and simple neon sign, serves up exactly what we have been searching for aaaages! The craft beer we got with it was also top quality. Beyond the pastrami is a fairly international menu of burgers, pizzas, and variety of dishes centred around pastrami (you’ll find that to be a delight). All day breakfasts (with free coffee), lunch menus, and weekly Saturday evening Weekend Vibes at 18:00 (summer only) make this a little gem.

QI‑7, ul. Solec 50, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 511 03 99 22. Open 12:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-23:00. €.

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Restaurants | Fine Dining

Fine dining PAM PAM Restaurant (p.77).

Belvedere If you want to splash out on some of Warsaw’s finest cuisine, we definitely have you covered - testing the food for you was a joy! Whether you need a venue to have a business meal to impress that client or if you’re trying to impress your other half with a venue that ticks all the right boxes, the following pages will keep you right. While our rigorously researched opening hours would seem self-explanatory, be aware that venues will close their doors if business is slow, and some ‘restobars’ employ different sets of hours for bar and kitchen - the times we list in such cases are for the kitchen.

utensils Polish Nestled inside Łazienki Park, Belvedere is a romantic orangery filled with foliage and a smattering of well-dressed tables both inside and out. Having undergone a head to toe renovation, the Belvedere is a stunningly dramatic venue with peacocks wandering the grounds and multiple waiters offering first class service. The food lives up to the atmosphere. Your options include a weekday lunch menu (called the Bellunch menu) consisting of a 2 course set for 71zł or 3 course set for 81zł and a Sunday brunch option 12:00-16:30 for 199zł (kids menu also available) all

Symbol & Price Key

76

6 Animal friendly

C‑1 Map Coordinate

T Child-friendly

N Credit cards not accepted

E Live music

U Facilities for the disabled

B Outside Seating

X Smoking room available

€ €€ €€€ €€€€ €€€€€

most mains under 25zł most mains 25-45zł most mains 45-75zł most mains 75-115zł most mains over 115zł

Fine Dining | Restaurants set to occasional live chillout music. Few places in Warsaw are this classy or this expensive, and dare we say women are right to assume a booking here means something big is in order.QI‑12, ul. Agrykoli 1 (New Orangery in Łazienki Park, entrance from ul.

Parkowa), MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 606 10 20 02, www.belvedere.com.pl. Open 12:00-23:00; Sun 12:0017:00. €€€€. T­B­E

Elixir by Dom Wódki utensils Polish When we first heard of Elixir we instinctively thought, surely someone has already thought of this? Unbelievably, nobody had - so, top marks to the masterminds behind this classy establishment.

At their Vodka Atelier you can try over 600 vodkas from around Poland and the globe; the range goes from PRL era classics to Polish ‘small batch’ distillers, designer vodkas, flavoured vodkas and culminates in the staggeringly priced “Młody Ziemniak 2017 volare”(25ml for 50zł). The restaurant itself features stunningly presented, contemporary takes on Polish classics with a “food pairing” system which recommends specific vodkas to complement the ingredients and flavours of each dish. An Absolut (pardon the pun!) top-spot and a truly unique venue on Warsaw’s culinary map. Opening hours subject to change as of September.QF‑5, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 828 22 11, www.domwodki.pl. Open 12:00-23:00; closed Mon, Tue. €€€. T­B

PAM PAM Restaurant utensils International Hands down one of the best places we’ve been to recently. Found on the stylish ul. Emilii Plater (modern, vibrant, with a touch of pre-war class), PAM PAM had us intrigued as we walked in - a mix of classic style with post-industrial bare brick, and the back room, more private, cosy even.

The entire place has a classiness to it, which is matched by the premium menu. Relax, and let the very professional waiting staff do their business - ever so helpful. Special mention must also go to head chef Paweł Rumowski whose own artistic flare is visible in all the creative dishes, filling but light, that will glide their way to your table. Stylish food, in both looks and taste, a classy setting, for business people having lunch meetings, to the more serious dinner dates for couples. A wonderful place.QF‑9, ul. Emilii Plater 9/11, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 629 29 29, www.pampam.com.pl. Open 17:00-22:00; Sat 15:00-22:00; closed Mon, Sun. €€€. B 77

Restaurants | Fine Dining Restauracja Różana utensils Polish A two-floor pre-war villa full of chichi touches, flowers and crockery. Very pretty, but you’ll soon learn they attract return customers on account of the cooking, not the interiors. The setting might look high-end but the prices are certainly not, and you’ll find Różana recognised across the city as one of the best dinner deals around. The catfish fillet with white onion sauce, green pepper sauce with blanched spinach, garlic and black lentils is divine. Also try the roasted duck, with apple sauce, cranberries, potatoe purée and fried apple.

Plenty claim to be open till the last customer leaves, but only these guys are the real deal – if there’s people dining then the kitchen will stay open, and that doesn’t matter if it’s midnight or daybreak. Don’t be shy to stay and eat, the staff are happy to make sure you are 100% satisfied with your visit. Highly recommended.QH‑13, ul. Chocimska 7, MPole Mokotowskie, tel. (+48) 22 848 12 25, www.restauracjarozana.com.pl. Open 12:0024:00. €€€. T­B­E

Thai Thai utensils Thai

NOBU Restaurant

Nobu Restaurant & Café utensils Japanese Found inside the stylish Nobu Hotel Warsaw, you may think in-house restaurant is just another hotel filling station, but if you know the Nobu brand, then it’s best to immediately flush that thought away. Nobu Restaurant & Café is a major part of the overall experience, a place where a mix of tastes and emotions become one with your visit. The 125 seater restaurant, is a perfect place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, family meals and business refreshments, and no wonder, with world famous Japanese cuisine of chef Nobu Matsuhisa on the menu (chef Yannicka Lohou is at the helm in Warsaw) offering signauture dishes such as Yellow Tail with Jalapeno and Black Cod with Miso, Toto tartar with caviar, Beef Toban Yaki, exclusive sakes, and creative cocktails featuring on the menu. The café focuses on local Varsovian offerings such as classic Polish pastries, but also sandwiches, salads, and freshly brewed coffees and teas. Nobu looks set to become a Warsaw hit.QF‑10, ul. Wilcza 73, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 22 551 88 00, www.warsaw.nobuhotels.com/dining. Open 18:0022:00; Fri, Sat 18:00-23:00; closed Mon, Sun. €€€€.

T­U­B­E­6 78

Run by the Godfather of Warsaw’s Thai cuisine, Surachart Urajaroen, this restaurant is 100% the real deal. No messing around with fusion concepts or little Polish additions. The five strong Thai kitchen team stick firmly to tradition and the results are spectacular.

Based in the National Theatre building itself, the exterior of hefty, grey stonework gives you no inkling of the opulent interior which awaits you. Black walls decorated with Thai designs and gold curved ceilings create a very calming and relaxing environment. The well laid out seating areas also offer you the option of dining in a more private space, great for business meetings or an intimate dinner date.QF‑5, Pl. Teatralny 3, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 601 81 82 83, www.thaithai.pl. Open 12:00-22:00. €€€. X­T­B

Thai Thai

Fine Dining | Restaurants

U Fukiera

ZONI Restaurant

utensils Polish

utensils International

The most famous and oldest restaurant in town, and not by just a few years, we’re talking about a tradition going way back to the 16th century! Taken under the wing of Magda Gessler, of Poland’s MasterChef fame, this classy place has a guestbook that speaks for itself; Naomi Campbell, Henry Kissinger and Sarah Ferguson are a few of the names who’ve taken a seat here. And no wonder. The magical interior is a work of art, crowded with paintings and antiques, all blending with the tastes and scents of your food to create a fantastic ambience - it’s hard not to feel a part of history when dining here. The food is the perfect indulgence with perfectly presented dishes.

This is a truly fine dining experience right in the heart of Warsaw’s Old Town. Enjoy the great food, including new weekend breakfast menu, and soak up the atmosphere (order up until 23:00). Check out their website for a 360 degree multimedia tour of the venue before you go - quite fun!QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta 27, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 600 99 99 33, www.ufukiera.pl. Open 12:00-24:00; Sat, Sun 10:0024:00. €€€€. T­B

Once a key building in the former vodka distillery here, the revitalisation of Praga Koneser Center and its Polish Vodka Museum (p.49) included ZONI Restaurant as the place to eat in the complex. We could just sit and stare at the details of the post-industrial interior all day, from the former kilns incorporated into the design, to the flooring made from old vodka barrels. Designed by Nizio Design International, the same team behind the Warsaw Uprising Museum and POLIN, ZONI was shortlisted for The World Interiors News Awards 2019, and the accolades don’t end there: head chef Michał Gniadek, was also crowned ‘young talent’ of the year 2018 by Gault & Millau. His International al a carte menu focuses on seasonal ingredients, adding modern flair to Polish dishes. All this amazing food is coupled with a fine selection of alcohols, from fine wines, cocktails, and a vast collection of vodkas. Stunning interior, delightful food. What an experience.QK‑2/3, Plac Konesera 1, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 355 30 01, www.zoni.today. Open 18:00-22:00; Sat 12:00-22:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. €€€. U­B­6 79

Restaurants | Casual Dining

Casual dining Find Neapolitan pizzas right in the heart of the Old Town in Ciao Napoli!

Sometimes fine dining isn’t the right option - whether it’s because of a budget or because you have hyperactive and fussy kids - or you’re in a large group of hyperactive and fussy adults! The venues listed here don’t make our list for the sake of it - they’re here because they make damn good food. While our rigorously researched opening hours would seem self-explanatory, be aware that venues will close their doors if business is slow, and some ‘restobars’ employ different sets of hours for bar and kitchen - the times we list in such cases are for the kitchen.

Beef n’ Pepper utensils Steak Hidden away in a small alleyway alongside the famous Roma Theatre, the exterior may well look like you’re about to enter a 1970’s shopping mall, but inside it’s a smart, urban steakhouse and bar. Expect top grade Polish beef (28 days wet-aged) - the quality is excellent and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. Seafood options and Louisiana Chicken Wings struggle for a look-in as beef rules. In addition to a fine wine list, the slick bar also has a brilliant selection of whiskies and bourbons. Live music is available every Tuesday from 19:00.QF‑9, ul. Nowogrodzka 47A, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 785 02 50 25, www.beefandpepper.pl. Open 12:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-23:00. €€€€. T­B­E­6 80

Ciao Napoli Długa utensils Italian Located a short distance away from the Old Town Square (p.33), Ciao Napoli’s aim is to bring a piece of little Naples to the middle of Warsaw. Having originally opened on Wąski Dunaj 4/6/8 (F-4), it succeeded. With word spreading it has one of the best pizzas in the city, we had to see for ourselves, and we were not disappointed. Think of our delight when they opened a 2nd location on ul. Długa with more seating available, a bigger kitchen, and an expanded menu, all with the friendly atmosphere and cosiness of the first restaurant (this was followed up by a 3rd location on ul. Piwna 40/42). Offering a selection of antipasti, salads, pastas, seafoods, and desserts, it is the choice of Neapolitan pizzas with their fantastically-made thin and crispy dough which really stick out (the fresh ingredients that grace the toppings don't hurt either!) A lunch option Mon-Fri 12:00-16:00 is available for 25zł consisting of soup, main and a water! As if things couldn’t get any better, they have Mon-Fri happy hours from 16:00-19:00 with 2-for-1 cocktails. You leave satisfied, especially when you realise, despite being in a tourist hotspot, just how reasonably priced the whole experience was.QF‑4, ul. Długa 6, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 666 32 27 33, www.ciaonapoli.pl. Open 12:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-23:00. €€. T­B­6

Casual Dining | Restaurants Czerwony Wieprz utensils Polish Workers of the world unite around a large choice of well-presented Socialist Bloc cuisine. Deriving its name from a former meeting place for members of the early communist movement, legend has it that even Lenin paid this place a visit in 1909. The interior is based on the style favoured by the 1950’s -1960’s party elite, and the walls are bedecked with memorabilia of the era. Somehow the owners have managed to carefully side swerve tackiness and the whole experience has a lovely, faded and nostalgic glam to it. Immensely popular with locals and tourists alike (including Bruce Willis, Lennox Lewis and the Real Madrid football squad), 2012 saw ‘The Hog’ voted one of the 25 best and most interesting restaurants in the world by the Spanish Trade Leaders’ Club.QC‑7, ul. Żelazna 68, MRondo ONZ, tel. (+48) 22 850 31 44, www. czerwonywieprz.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. €€€. T­U­B

Grand Kredens utensils International Few places in Warsaw match this for a fine, dare we say, splendid dining experience. The revamped decor is delightfully eclectic and the menu - with a terrific variety of Polish cuisine to savour - is well up to the challenge of its rivals which includes even getting on board with the kiddy playground corner. It is not by any means the cheapest place in town, but we would be fairly certain that however big the bill, you will leave feeling well satisfied. Trust us. This has been around Warsaw longer than we have - since 1997, to be exact, which is a testament to how great it is. It’s a treat, so don’t miss out.QD‑9, Al. Jerozolimskie 111, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 629 80 08, www.kredens.com.pl.

Open 12:00-22:00. €€€. T­U­B­6

Gościniec Polskie Pierogi utensils Polish Walking in the Old Town, you’re going to feel an air of nostalgia. The location is stunning, and the atmosphere sums up the traditional romantic image of Poland. To top it off, you’re going to want to try some traditional Polish grub, right? Gościniec has just that, with hearty food from soups, pierogi, potato pancakes and various meat offerings, all at very reasonable prices (breakfasts cost 14.90zł + 1zł discount for tea/ coffee). You can’t go wrong with pierogi, but we’d personally recommend cabbage rolls stuffed with meat (known locally as gołąbki - go-womp-ki)! The drinks on offer are quite funky (cold/hot options), all served up by friendly staff wearing folk attire! It may 81

Restaurants | Casual Dining L’Arc Varsovie utensils Seafood Upscale dining options are on the rise in Warsaw, and L’Arc Varsovie brings its A game with offerings of fresh seafood and French staples like chicken roulade.

Lobster is their claim to fame, and it’s easy to start your meal with the rich cream of lobster soup if you (and your wallet) aren’t prepared to go all in on a full tail. Alternatively, try out their Mon-Fri lunch option (12:00-16:00) consisting of fish soup and main dish for just 29zł. The black and white interior suggests a smart French brasserie, bringing a little piece of Paris to Warsaw, and the service is in the running for one of the most attentive we’ve experienced on Polish soil. One of the best places in town for seafood.

Recommended.QH‑13, ul. Puławska 16, MPole Mokotowskie, tel. (+48) 519 00 00 50, www.larc.pl. Open 12:00-23:00. €€€€€. P­T­U­E­6

Namaste India utensils Indian

feel very kitsch inside, but the food is immense. They have other locations on ul. Nowy Świat 41, and deep in the Old Town on Podwale 19 and ul. Piwna 14, should you choose to venture some more before eating.QG‑5, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 29, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 273 69 36, www.gosciniec.waw.pl.

Open 11:00-22:30; Fri, Sat 11:00-23:30. €. T­B­6

Guru Restaurant & Bar utensils Indian Guru was borne out of the owners' long dream to open an Indian restaurant. We’re lucky they got their wish, as they are redefining Indian cuisine with a flair for modernity. And what better location than Warsaw - a city that has been transforming at lightning pace, the redevelopment visible on the very street where Guru is located, ul. Widok, right next to Metro Centrum (as central as it gets!). Perfect for both casual dining and business meals, the interior is a mix of traditional and modern, as is the menu with its classics (with a real Tandoori oven!), all the way to the drinks menus. Lunches served Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 (27/21zł).

Recommended. Please note, opening hours subject to change.QG‑8, ul. Widok 8, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 857 06 04, www.gururestauracja.pl. Open 12:00-21:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-22:00. €€. T­B­6 82

What began as a modest Indian-owned grocery store soon expanded into a full-on ethnic restaurant and proved so popular that a second location was needed to meet the demand for delicious Indian cuisine. For office workers around town, this - the newly expanded original location - remains the best, and we’ll agree that it simply doesn’t get much better for Indian food in the capital. Better still, the prices are set so low you can’t help but ask 'what’s the catch?' There isn’t one; we’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu, and have yet to find a weakness. Consider ringing ahead for takeaway because waiting times can be torture.

QG‑8, ul. Nowogrodzka 15, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 357 09 39, www.namasteindia.pl. Open 11:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. €€. B

Restauracja RAUT

NEW

utensils International Discover an old spell book and you may learn to become a wizard! Find old Polish cook books, and you can become a gastro-magician...as long as the language barrier isn’t a problem! Restauracja RAUT takes old interwar Polish recipes and adds a modern touch to dishes which can be described as hearty and delicious. Craft beers and wines are also up for grabs.

The location fits in with the m.o., being in the heart of old Warsaw, but off the beaten track with some prewar architectural charm. Check out their menu online, and be pleased that they also deliver to all parts of the city.QG‑9, ul. Wilcza 27, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 270 27 66, www.raut.menu. Open 12:00-23:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. S

Casual Dining | Restaurants The Alchemist GastroPub utensils International We already love The Alchemist for bringing the future of drinking not only to Warsaw but to the world, with their patented ‘beer wall’ (8 taps). As impressive as the drinks selection and beer card method of purchase is to us (albeit temporarily unavailable due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), their international food selection is also an eye catcher. The menu is full of old gastropub classics and modern delights, from good ole [posh] fish & chips, American burgers, sea food, pizzas, salads, right up to big juicy steaks and other international treats. The presentation of the food is as sleek and pleasing as the interior design, which is hard not to admire. Fun fact: the Warsaw Metropolitan where The Alchemist is housed was designed by British architect Norman Foster. A touch of modernity added to the Old Town area. We can stay here for hours just chilling with our beer cards and sharing platters. Top venue.QF‑5, Plac Piłsudskiego 3, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 628 00 23, www.thealchemist.pl. Open 12:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 12:0024:00. €€. B­6

Zapiecek utensils Polish Packed at all hours, this pierogi kitchen assumes the ‘Grandmother’s country cottage’ look, with pots and pans hanging from every shelf, and lots of hard timber touches. Much talked about, their deliciously light dough pockets come with all the fillings you can imagine. If you don’t fancy a sit down then check their street-level takeaway window for lunch-onthe-run. Also at Al. Jerozolimskie 28 (G-8), ul. Freta 18 (F-3), ul. Wańkowicza 1 (Kabaty), ul. Freta 1 (F-3), ul. Świętojańska 13 (F-4), and ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 55 (G-5).QG‑7, ul. Nowy Świat 64, MNowy ŚwiatUniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 692 41 35, www.zapiecek.eu.

Open 11:00-23:00; Fri, Sat 11:00-23:30. €€. T­B

Restauracja RAUT

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Restaurants | Vegan & Vegetarian

Vegan & Vegetarian Warsaw is the 6th most vegan friendly city in the world (it’s official!). | Photo: Brook Lark @ Unsplash.com

For a country that loves its meaty dishes, it may seem like a surprise that Warsaw finds itself voted as the 6th most vegan-friendly city in the world by Happy Cow, the leading international guide for vegan restaurants!

It’s the 3rd year in a row that Poland’s capital has been included in the top 10! But hey, for as much as meaty dishes dominate Polish menus, veg has forever been a staple of dishes too, and now comes the vegan revolution! Today, you can find 50 vegan venues in and around the city centre - 5 years ago, the figure was only 11! If we include restaurants which offer a vegan option, then that figure goes way above 100!

Happy eatin’.

Lokal Vegan Bistro This communally run “local” restaurant have achieved the impossible: they serve up hot and hearty plates of VEGAN Polish dishes that are often more delicious than their pork-heavy counterparts. What is more, they change their entire menu every two weeks so unless you check out their FB page you won’t know exactly what to find. Alongside vegan ‘cutlets’, cabbage concoctions and beet soups, you’ll also find plenty of more exotic international dishes plus a few 84

surprises. Huge portions, fresh ingredients, cheap prices (Mon-Fri 12-16, a lunch menu consisting of a ‘cutlet’, soup and kompot drink for 25zł), a buzzing friendly atmosphere filled with locals all add up to be one of the best spots for a healthy lunch or dinner in the city centre.QG‑9, ul. Krucza 23/31, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 517 61 51 22, www.lokalveganbistro.pl. Open 12:00-21:00; Sun 12:00-19:00; closed Mon. €. P­T­U­ B­6

Mango Vegan Street Food Mango has rapidly built up a cult following for its cheap and cheerful vegan fair in the city centre. The menu may be short but it’s a great place to enjoy a range of Arabic and Israeli influenced flavours, from juicy vegan burgers, falafel based options to soups, smoothies and drinks - have a lunch for 21.90zł! The yellow and white painted brickwork interior makes this ‘fast food’ joint look effortlessly hip. The tatted and bearded staff are friendly, funny and enjoy a bit of clowning around.QG‑8, ul. Bracka 20, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 535 53 36 29, www.mangovegan.com.pl.

Open 11:30-21:00; Fri 11:30-22:00; Sat 11:00-22:00. €€.

T­B­6

Vegan & Vegetarian | Restaurants Tel Aviv Food & Wine Jewish cuisine in Warsaw gets a bad rap – think singing waiters and old town rip-offs. So Tel Aviv is a refreshing change, a cool vegan restaurant which doesn’t play to the standard caricature. On the contrary, find a hip venue that draws everything from intrigued backpackers to remnants of the local Jewish community to lovers of middle eastern cuisine (hello, hummus). Weirdness like Sabbath chillout sessions add to the random, eclectic nature of this place, and it’s rounded out nicely by Israeli drinks and nibbles.

This place does well to show that vegan cuisine can be both visually stunning and damn tasty, with menus featuring plant based and gluten free menus.

It’s become quite the cult venue in Warsaw.QF‑9, ul. Poznańska 11, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 621 11 28, www.telaviv.pl. Open 10:00-22:30; Fri, Sat 10:00-23:00. €€. T­6

Veg Deli Situated on a tranquil tree-lined residential street in the Powiśle area of the city, Veg Deli has certainly managed to up the ante regarding vegetarian restaurants in Warsaw. The freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan dishes are richly coloured, fragrant and look, smell and taste amazing; there’s even a bar serving alcohol. Even seasoned carnivores such as us were knocked out by the food and natural drinks on offer.QH‑6, ul. Radna 14, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 796 61 75 15, www.vegdeli.pl. Open 12:0022:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. €€. 6

Potato slices!

Photo: Monika Grabowska @ Unsplash

Vege Bistro This bright bistro serves up hearty and healthy vegan lunches and dinners. They draw inspiration from Eastern and Western cuisines and unlike many other vegan joints, the flavours are bursting off the plate.

Daily lunch specials plus a stocked set menu of soups, salads, and a few Polish classics gone vegan like de volaille, blood pudding and everybody’s favourite - pierogi! Grab a smoothy, juice, coffee, Polish wine or craft beer to wash it down and your all set for the rest of the day.QG‑7, ul. Mikołaja Kopernika 25, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 516 02 79 06, www.vegebistro.pl. Open 12:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00. €. T­S­6­W

Vege Miasto

Charcoal buns are all the rage. Photo: Creatv Eight @ Unsplash.com

A paradise for Warsaw’s healthy eating, vegan and gluten-free fanatics. The interior is a pretty simple affair with fittings made from old wooden crates and palettes. The smallish space is permanently packed with a variety of customers; hip vege devotees sit alongside business types, local ladies and tourists in search of something beyond a fried pig and a kilo of potatoes. 2nd location, going by the name Caffe Miasto on Al. Solidarności 84.QE‑5, Al. Solidarności 60A, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 251 05 25, www.vegemiasto.pl. Open 12:00-20:00; Fri, Sat, Sun 12:00-21:00. €€. T­B­6 85

Restaurants | Food Markets

Food Markets The main food hall in Elektrownia Powiśle.

Food and drink markets are becoming ever popular in Poland, and especially so in the capital. Day time markets, night markets, street food festivals, beer festivals, indoors, outdoors, they’re all available in high and low season, spread out across Warsaw like a big cuddly safety blanket. Eat up, drink up, simply indulge by checking out some of Warsaw’s best food markets, which we’ve listed here for you.

Breakfast Market Food and drink markets are becoming ever popular in Poland. Day time markets, night markets, street food festivals, beer festivals, they’re all available, but what about the most important meal of the day? Step up, Breakfast Market, which has a seasonal Apr-Sep setup held across three districts: on Sat 09:00-16:00 near Plac Inwalidów (corner of Al. Wojska Polskiego and ul. Śmiała) in the leafy Żoliborz area, in the park area of Skwer AK Granat in Mokotów on Sun at 10:00-17:00, and a new location, periodically in the Białołęka district’s Park Picassa, also on Sun 10:00-17:00. This market is very much for families, with events setup with the kids in mind. But what of the food? OK, it’s not entirely just about breakfast, as unique places from 86

across Warsaw, cafes and restaurants setup stalls to give you the best they offer. Check their FB page for all event dates.Qaleja Wojska Polskiego 1, MPlac Wilsona, tel. (+48) 508 12 18 91, www.targsniadaniowy.pl.

Elektrownia Powiśle

NEW From the outside, it’s obvious that this former power station has been given a new boost of energy following a major overhaul. What is essentially a classier-than-average shopping mall, in fact, also contains a whole host of gastro eateries and bars! The central food court has the feel of a street food market, with 13 street food stalls and restaurants to choose from. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for this as there are also fully functioning restaurants to choose from in the opposite office buildings too! Your spoilt for choice and can let your tastes or budget decide where you want to grab some grub. And once the food is done, check out the 3 bars: Kandela, Centrala and Elektryk. Awesome. Everything under one roof...or outdoors in summer! Kudos!QH‑6, ul.

Zajęcza 2B, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 22 128 56 00, www.elektrowniapowisle.com. Open 11:0024:00; Fri, Sat 11:00-02:00. T­U­B­E­6

Food Markets | Restaurants Hala Gwardii

Hala Gwardii, the twin building of Hala Mirowska (D-6), has returned to its pre-war roots and is once more a food market where you can peruse and buy speciality products or feast on local and imported foods from a big choice of stalls. After the war, it served as a bus depot until eventually becoming a sports hall used by the military Sports Guard Club (from where the name originates). It’s an eclectic mix of things, being a market, a food hall, a place for events, and it is still in use for sports like boxing (the walls are adorned with legends of the Polish boxing scene), all in a grimier version of Hala Mirowska - the exterior of the building is not in great shape!. The choice of food is very much worth exploring!QE‑6, Plac Żelaznej Bramy 1, MRondo ONZ, www.halagwardii.pl. Open Fri, Sat 09:00-01:00; Sun 10:00-23:00 only.

Hala Koszyki From the outset Hala Koszyki has managed to raise the love and hate hackles of the city’s ‘out on the town’ set. How many world cuisine eateries of various sizes can you squeeze into one space? Actually, due to its popularity, fate may decide what you’ll eat as tables are packed most times of the day or night.

Amazingly popular amongst the young and the beautiful, Hala K will probably remain THE place to be seen for some time to come - mainly because it’s easy to be seen due to its open plan layout. Top class little independent bistros sit next to some of Warsaw’s chain restaurants like American Jeff’s (the 3rd in Warsaw) and the biggest restaurateurs including Mateusz Gessler’s gastronomic outpost - Port Royal.

The main hall has some brilliant food on offer, with

Night Market

stalls offering flavours from all over the world. There are of course some shops here too, however, in reality, they’ll always play second fiddle to the top class dining area. Even if you can’t find a table at any of the cool eateries and bars, we urge you to spend some time taking in this stunning market hall. Don’t forget to look up, down, sideways etc. as beautiful hidden details abound!QF‑10, ul. Koszykowa 63, MPolitechnika, www.koszyki.com. Open 09:00-01:00.

Nocny Market (Night Market)

Hala Koszyki

Photo by Jakub Dziubak on Unsplash

Nocny Market is a unique idea now in its 5th year, bringing together many bars, cafes, restaurants and street food trucks into one location, Thu-Sun. If that wasn’t enough to tickle your interest, the location too is unique, being on the platform of a disused train station (Warszawa Główna). Walk from stall to stall, truck to truck, with old train signs dotted around, and the platform adorned with neon lights and artwork. A truly great place to eat, drink and chill out in good company. To get there, take a tram (no.s 7, 9, 22 or 24) from the centre, stop ‘Centrum’; get off at Pl. Zawiszy and walk toward the long alley with ‘Warszawa Główna’ emblazoned on the building.

Alternatively, get to metro Rondo Daszyńskiego and walk the short distance.QC‑9, ul. Towarowa 3, MRondo Daszyńskiego. Open Thu 17:00-00:15; Fri, Sat 17:00-01:00; Sun 16:00-23:00; closed Mon, Tue, Wed. 87

Nightlife | New & Featured

Get into the flow at AURA Bar.

Nightlife in Warsaw There was a time not long ago when a bar in Warsaw was just a dull place to go and get drunk - that’s it. Though the concept of a bar as a social venue is still relatively new, the choice of modern venues - whether cool dive joints or sleek exclusive cocktail bars - is now immense.

Go enjoy yourself and na zdrowie (cheers)!

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New & Featured | Nightlife

AURA Bar Bar Walking around Warsaw’s atmospheric city centre side streets, you could easily miss this place. It’s barely bigger than a small bedroom.

Despite its size, it’s been causing quite a stir amongst Warsaw locals who are more than happy to squeeze in. Found on the corner of an eye catching pre-war residential building, entering, you’ll immediately see why all the hype is justifed.

Small, dark, moody in all the right ways; it has a relaxed Moroccan interior design to draw your attention. Once you’ve stopped looking at the design of the place, your head then spins in the direction of the wall of bourbons behind the bar - a huge selection for such a small venue. The cocktails here, based on seasonal ingredients, are as delicious as the atmosphere. Also try the cheese and meat boards. It’s hard not to be impressed by such small places that pack a big punch.

QG‑9, ul. Hoża 27, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 791 88 81 98. Open 17:00-01:00; Fri, Sat 17:00-02:00; Sun 17:00-24:00. B­6

Zagrywki

NE

W

Game Pub Warsaw, and Poland, now has its first games-bar in the form of Zagrywki [En: to play/serve). Take the house party favourite beer pong, the outdoor calamity of crazy golf, and a host of other arcade/ outdoor games, and bring it to the inside of a bar setting, spaced out over 3 levels, and hey presto: that’s Zagrywki in a nutshell. It all feels very Dodgeball the movie, taking the sillier games to the next level! But hey, it’s here, and honestly, what could go wrong when you throw in alcohol to the mix? Well, dexterity, reflexes, and in the case of their karaoke rooms, any losing any credibility of making it far on TV talent shows, but that’s not the point! It’s all about the fun of group activities with friends, so take it all on the chin and accept it for what it is: silly but fun. Very important to note, up until 18:00, the fun is open to kids, only after this time adults only!

QH‑8, ul. Nowy Świat 4A, MCentrum. Open 14:00-01:00; Thu, Fri 14:00-03:00; Sat 12:00-03:00; Sun 12:00-01:00.

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Nightlife | Bars

Bars

One of the most modern venues in Warszawa, The Alchemist offers craft beer, cocktails, top cuisine and a wonderful summer terrace.

The explosion of bars in Warsaw means you are never far from a fresh beer or decent nightspot, however, local knowledge is a prerequisite to achieving a successful time out. This section highlights some of our favourite venues for all budgets. But time for some quick tips: Warsaw‘s young arty crowd prefer the down-at-heel clubs and bars in the districts across the river: Stara Praga (H/I-4) and the fashionable and increasingly gentrified Saska Kępa (L-7), whereas the young trendy crowds head to the hipsteresque Powiśle district (p.42). Lads on holiday stick to the party strip on ul. Mazowiecka (F-6/7) and skint travellers and students enjoy the vibe of the dive bars in The Pavilions (Pawilony, G-7) inside the courtyard on ul. Nowy Świat 26. In practice, many bars will stay open well beyond the call of duty if the need arises (and you're continuing to spend), but by the same benchmark will happily bolt the doors if business is slow.

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Back Room Bar Cocktail Bar Head down ul. Koszykowa, just off from Plac Konstytucji, and at no. 53 on your left, head down to the end of the lane which looks more like a residential car park. Keep hugging the right-hand side, walking past a few restaurants, and voilà, you’ll reach the Back Room Bar - an appropriate name indicating how well hidden it is! It would be a shame to miss this place, as inside, the mix of American 1930s bar and inter-war Varsovian lifestyle is strong; all with a heady art deco atmosphere. To top off the atmospehere, they have live music every Thu from 21:00. The cocktails the friendly dressed-for-the-part staff make are great, the setting perfect for a private drink, or a mingling session with friends. No harm in trying it out, huh?QG‑10, ul.

Koszykowa 49A, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 794 49 56 59, www.backroom.bar. Open 19:00-00:30; Fri, Sat 19:0002:00; closed Mon, Sun. B­E

Bars | Nightlife Charlie Cocktail Bar Billing itself as a venue where elegance meets comfort, this lounge bar feels like the type of place your classy ole pal Charlie himself would invite you into. If you don’t know anyone called Charlie, then let this venue be the substitute to fill that void! Found on the likewise elegant ul. Mokotowska, one of our favourite areas of Warsaw, just off the beaten track, come here to check out a wide selection of cocktails, all in the pleasantly dark and moody atmosphere.

Their calendar of events, hosting live acts, jazz music, a Saturday DJ and various dance parties, are expected to return at the end of the summer holidays!QG‑10, ul. Mokotowska 39, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 739 09 75 14, www.charliebar.pl. Open 19:00-01:00; Fri, Sat 19:0002:00; closed Mon, Sun. X­E

Hard Rock Cafe Cocktail Bar Sure you don’t need to see Freddie Mercury’s red leather pants to enjoy a night out, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. The Hard Rock Cafe’s large downstairs bar area is jumping at night even when live rock shows aren’t on the agenda. The endless bar mixes up a long list of colourful cocktails for a heavily expat crowd taking in paraphernalia like a well-worn Bee Gees guitar and a black leather outfit that formerly clung to Madonna’s early 90s frame. Now that we’re in the warmer months, you can enjoy a beer in one of two gardens on the premises. Live music is available on ‘Wednesday Unplugged’ at 20:00.QE‑8, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00, www.hardrockcafe.com/location/warsaw/. Open 09:0024:00; Fri, Sat 09:00-01:00. B­E­6

Jabeerwocky Craft Beer ‘Beware the Jabeerwocky...’, no wait, this one’s not a fictional monster, but a bare-brick dive bar found inside a fine residential building right in the city centre. And one worth checking out too with 17 taps offering some fine craft beers, and bottles of whiskey too! This is a great place to kick back with friends for some good chat, and if you’re desperate to watch some sports, they have a large projector screen and TV for you to stare at if the chat’s not good enough. Aside from the craft beers, they also have bourbon on the menu, along with some basic snacks. A separate room is open available to book out for closed parties, which can hold up to 35 people.

QG‑8, ul. Nowogrodzka 12, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 254 31 07. Open 14:00-24:00; Wed, Thu 14:00-01:00; Fri, Sat 14:00-02:00; Sun 15:00-24:00. 6

The Alchemist GastroPub Cocktail Bar Although temporarily unavailable during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still worth noting that this bar is where the plan for the future of drinking was hatched. The Alchemist’s patented “Beer Wall” is the first of its kind in Europe; working with a handy “Beer Wall" card, you can pour yourself as many drinks (local craft beer, cider and prosecco are typically represented) as you like from the 8 taps on the wall. Futuristic guzzling gizmos aside, their food is also top notch with an all day menu that includes intriguing beer snacks, British gastropub classics, American burgers, sea food, beef steaks, salads, impeccable pizzas and plenty of other international treats. If all this wasn’t enough, in the summer, it’s the spacious terrace which draws the locals to lounge around for hours enjoying the results of the Alchemist’s experimentation...QF‑5, Plac Piłsudskiego 3, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 628 00 23, www.thealchemist.pl. Open 12:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-24:00. T­U­B­6

Read our interview with The Alchemist’s Ed Shellard on p.8.

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Nightlife | Bars but don’t worry, there’s no prohibition shenanigans here, instead, a crypt-like bar which descends into the underworld...not literally, thankfully, but instead to the mysterious domain of Weles, the Slavic god of the underworld, and patron of magic, music and prosperity. The moody crypt vibe they’re rockin’ is definitely intriguing, so much so, that to not sample some of the drinks which catch your eye as the barmen ply their trade would feel like an offence to Weles himself! Try we did, and converted we were. The cocktails are perfect. To say anymore would give away too many secrets, which you can only discover with a visit...QG‑8, ul. Nowogrodzka 11, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 602 77 39 97, www.welesbar.pl. Open 19:00-02:00; closed Mon, Sun. E­6

Whiskey in the Jar Cocktail Bar

The drinks dreamed up in The Roots may have you frothing at the mouth in anticipation.

The ROOTS Cocktail Bar & more Cocktail Bar While the cocktail revolution continues to shake and stir Warsaw’s drinking habits, some places manage to stand out from the crowd. In our opinion The Roots has secured a special place in the hearts of cocktail devotees. First up, the bar is a shrine to the noble art of being a barman/cocktail mixer, check out their intriguing collection of vintage ‘tools of the trade’ – the growing collection of mixers alone stands at nearly 100 items! Add to this a library of antiquarian books on the subject of bartending/cocktail mixing and you know you are dealing with hardcore scholarly mixologists. Two great menus; one featuring classics of the trade and another which presents signature drinks based on seasonal Polish regional flavours. Food is also available in the form of Polish fusion menu, which in itself sounds intriguing. Quite brilliant!QF‑5, ul. Wierzbowa 11, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 828 22 33, www.therootsbar.com. Open 17:00-24:00; Fri, Sat 17:00-02:00; closed Mon, Sun. B­6

The Polish brand’s take on the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’‘steakhouse’ has really taken off after continuing success in Poznań, Wrocław and Łódź, with Whiskey in the Jar is now opening a rock stop in Warsaw! We’ve been to them all, and they are indeed impressive. Although the chances are you’ll most likely come here during the day or early evening for some top quality steaks (with great names like Viking and Mr. T . Bone), there’s no doubt you’ll be able to stay way longer to enjoy the delights of...cocktails! The list is extensive, all served in funky glasses and jars, most containing bourbon, ooh yeah! This Rock ‘n’ Roll bar/restaurant also has some impressive works by artist Tomasz Górnicki inside (just another bonus in their bag of tricks), giving it a sleek gritty vibe. Be careful not to drink too many cocktails here - they are damn tasty!

Live music available Tue-Sat 19:00/20:00.QG‑9/10, ul.

Marszałkowska 53, MPolitechnika, tel. (+48) 798 80 56 18, www.whiskeyinthejar.pl. Open 13:00-01:00; Sat, Sun 12:00-01:00. U­E­6

Weles Bar Cocktail Bar Walk past and you could very easily miss the entrance to this, well, quite frankly, hidden cocktail bar. Found in the far corner of an alleyway, you woulnd’t give a 2nd glance to the rather barren looking entrance.

It’s looks as if they were trying to hide something, 92

Classy cocktails and 1920s panache in Woda Ognista (‘Fire Water’).

Bars | Nightlife Woda Ognista Cocktail Bar Before we mention the place, we’ll mention the area - ul. Wilcza, one of many nice streets here that can be described as being ‘off the beaten track’, hiding some wonderful pre-war architecture, which do not seem immediately apparent if walking on Warsaw’s main ul. Marszałkowska! You get a feel for the place when walking around and no doubt you’ll want to experience more of this ‘forgotten Warsaw’, which is exactly where Woda Ognista fits in. Enter a bar decorated with a 1920s-30s interior decor, the classy staff dressed up to match, and you already know you’ve entered a great place. Prepare to be impressed by their seasonal menu offerings, with fantastic Polish style cocktails and dishes that take you on a journey through Warsaw’s cultural history. Put simply, this is a wonderful place to experience a modern spin on pre-war Varsovian style and we’re sure the likes of Eugeniusz Bodo and Mieczysław Fogg would have approved.QH‑9, ul. Wilcza 8, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 258 14 41, www.wodaognista.com. Open 17:00-24:00; Fri, Sat 17:00-02:00. 6

WuWu Vodka Bar Cocktail Bar Welcome to a place where stereotypes of traditional Polish food and vodka can be stamped out with ease.

As much as we love both, it feels like a wave of fresh air to encounter a venue which embodies the exciting changes in Polish gastronomy and attitudes to drinking vodka. Consider a visit to WuWu an extra curricular activity, where you’ll be shown that Polish vodka is not only to be swigged in large volumes at Polish weddings but can be mixed into a whole array of exciting cocktails and drinks, all of which can be enjoyed alone, or accompanied by modern takes on Polish cuisines using only regionally sourced seasonal ingredients.

WuWu aim to stir up emotions and memories of youthful encounters with smells and tastes of traditional Polish food, and for visitors, this is where the delighted expressions on the local patrons’ faces act as a stamp of approval.QK‑2/3, Plac Konesera 1, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 355 30 02, www.wuwu.bar. Open 17:0022:00; Sun 12:00-20:00; closed Mon. U­B­6

Symbol Key 6 Animal friendly

N Credit cards not accepted

E Live music

U Facilities for the disabled

o Year-round Garden

X Smoking room available

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Nightlife | Clubs

Clubs

Master the art of lucid dreaming by visiting Sen (‘Dream’).

Clubs in Warsaw range from sedate to sinful, and we cover the full gamut here. A night spent clubbing means you’ll most likely greet the dawn because, unlike the closing times you might be used to, Polish clubs stay open until the sun comes up. Expect a cover charge at most venues that can range from 5-20zl depending on events, and note that toilet paper is often a luxury that seems to universally run out around 22:00.

Enklawa - The Legendary Nightlife

It may be quiet by day, but Mazowiecka is home to a number of the city’s top night spots and high up the list comes Enklawa. Keeping their fingers on the pulse of current club trends, live music and fashion events it attracts a pretty classy and sassy weekend crowd, and to stay ahead of the game, they’ve recently undergone a big renovation, which includes some huge screen! If you can’t wait for Friday to come around, not a problem, hit the club as early as Wednesday to appease your desire! Inside, you’ll find 3 bars and a very spacious dancefloor, which you can enjoy, or watch over, from their VIP 94

booths. Enklawa’s popularity means that invites and passwords may be required to get past the lads on the door, but once inside, you’ll find a unique atmosphere like no other venue in Warsaw.QF‑6, ul. Mazowiecka 12, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 827 31 51, www.enklawa.com. Open 22:00-06:00; closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. X­U

Hulakula Indoor entertainment centre by day, and indoor entartainment centre by night - but at night, under a very different guise than its more family orientated daytime function. It may not immediately seem like it, but the idea to also use an entertainment centre as an altogether great night out for nightlife seekers is a top idea. The indoor space is huge. We wholeheartedly encourage you to check out their calendar for upcoming events, once the whole COVID-19 thing finally blows over. We guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised and definitely won’t be disappointed!QJ‑4, ul. Jagiellońska 82B, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 669 00 10 01, www.hulakula.com.pl. Open 12:00-24:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-03:00. X­U­B

Clubs | Nightlife Level 27 Anyone with vertigo, a word of warning, as the name alone suggests, this is not going to be some basement or ground level club. So, now that you’ve heeded our warning...or you choose not to, get up top and find yourself in one of Poland’s top clubs (actually, now it’s officially one of the world’s top clubs). While it’s usually the host of DJs splurging out R&B and Hip Hop on Fridays, House music on Saturdays and an all-round display of society’s beautiful people, at the moment the dance floor is not active due to our pesky friend, COVID-19. For now, the club’s open terrace is an ideal spot to enjoy a drink in the sunshine. If you’re up that late enough, you can even watch the sun come up over Warsaw! You know the level. You know where to go.QC‑9, Al. Jerozolimskie 123A, tel. (+48) 733 66 10 94, www.level27.pl. Open 18:00-04:00; Thu 18:00-24:00; closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. E

N58 Club Smack dab in the heart of the action on Nowy Świat, N58 is the latest club addition to the famous street.

Right above the Bollywood Lounge, move from seeing sequined dresses, scented water pipes and shaking hips and undulating bellies to the more familiar beats of R’n’B, Hip Hop, Funk and Soul, commerical music, dancehall, twerk, to general mash-ups of them all! On Thursdays, they even have Russian karaoke! IF you get peckish during the night, no need to leave and hunt down some food as they serve a selection of snacks. Check out their Facebook page to see information on all the latest events.

QG‑7, ul. Nowy Świat 58, MNowy Świat-Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 500 01 58 58, www.n58.pl. Open Thu 20:00-01:00; Fri, Sat 21:00-04:00. Open from August 17, 2020.

NA LATO Day & Night Na Lato has been a Powiśle favourite for a while now, both during the day and night. The setting, both the location and the interior, work well, as they are pleasant on the eye and the soul. After a meal, sit back at the bar on a Fri or Sat, letting the night set in. Outside times of pandemic and COVID-restrictions, the Na Lato transforms into a dance floor, which has provided us with some very fond memories.

We look forward to its return! Get well fed, dance your socks off, or sit at the bar continuing what you were doing before. If that’s not enough, check out Jackpot Warsaw 777 on the premises, a heady mix of palm trees and 19th century Tennessee bar feel - very romantic, indeed. Not a bad set of choices, huh?QI‑9/10, ul. Rozbrat 44A, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 696 87 84 49, www.na-lato.com. Open 09:00-00:00; Fri, Sat 10:00-02:00; Sun 10:00-22:00. X­B

Room 13 Club & Lounge

Room 13 Club & Lounge Warsaw has had the benefit of a club explosion (clubsplosion?) in the last decade or so, and after visiting venue upon venue, Room 13 is one that stands out.

Located in the heart of the legendary Mazowiecka street, the interior is a striking mix between modern club theme and stunning old architectural style of the building. Couches and pillows adorn the interior, and if your idea of heaven is two bars, a VIP room, a wide array of music and lots of high heels, then consider this your nirvana.QF‑6, ul. Mazowiecka 13, MNowy ŚwiatUniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 827 60 44, www.room13.pl.

Open Fri-Sat 22:00-05:00 only. X

SEN

If you’ve come to SEN (PL for ‘dream’) to enjoy the restaurant (18:00-01:00), we give you a humble nod for making a solid choice, but if you’ve decided to stay and sup on the awesome cocktails, we salute you - you won’t be disappointed. Although not huge, the setting is altogether pleasant as the panoramic backdrop pairs up perfectly with the lounge vibe.

There is a door selection, so dress to impress, and don’t be put off - the staff do their best to maintain the unique and positive character inside, which just adds to your enjoyment. The music’s great and the bar is well stocked, what’s not to enjoy? If you stay until the end, you may very well agree with the venue’s tag line: it was all a dream.QJ‑7, Ul. Wioślarska 6, MCentrum Nauki Kopernika, tel. (+48) 883 02 50 25, www.senwarsaw.pl. Open Thu, Fri & Sat 18:00-05:00 only. X­B­E 95

Nightlife | Clubs

Silent disco at Syreni Śpiew

Syreni Śpiew One of Warsaw’s favourite venues of recent times has returned, with the mermaid’s song (from where the name hails) carrying across the river to its new location in Praga Koneser Center (p.49). The postindustrial style fits in with the revamped ethos of Syreni Śpiew; a place to take in the atmoshphere and create memories. With 4 floors, 4 bars and 3 stages, this is the perfect spot to sip away and eat during the day, and then party the weekend away. Slide inside and let them ply you with upscale cocktails and top shelf whiskies while you schmooze to some smooth tunes.

While it’s a low key high class chill during the week, there are plenty of regular events to enjoy before the weekend vibe goes sublime with carefully curated live music and DJs that keep the parties going all night long. Check their Facebook page for all the latest events.QK‑2, Plac Konesera 4, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 602 77 34 49, www.facebook.com/syrenispiew.

Open 12:00-22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00-02:00. X­U­B­E­6

Teatro Cubano Warsaw The warm tropical Caribbean breeze has finally reached Warsaw in the form of the very first Cuban lounge and club. The giant palms outside flanking the entrance set the tone and as you enter the giant club you are enveloped by vibrant blues and yellows as the staircase takes you into the huge open spaced club with high ceilings. In the middle there’s a huge bar prominently featuring Havana Club rum, a likely sponsor of this jumping joint. Behind the bar is a massive stage which usually hosts regular international touring acts (many Caribbean!) as well as parties with DJ, mix of Latino and pop music. However, due to COVID-19, the dance floor part is closed until further notice. However, DJs are still spinning tunes and the bar is still operating with a colourful, friendly vibe. Stop by sometime!QF‑5, ul. Fredry 6, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 538 19 44 94, www.teatrocubano.com.

Open 22:00-05:00. X­E 96

Adult Entertainment | Nightlife We advise sticking to venues listed here which are central and established. Be warned we’ve had reports of 8,000zł being spent willingly in one club listed here and 8,000 sterling spent unwillingly in one not here. If you go by taxi, make sure the driver takes you to the correct club, not one they have a partnership with.

Avoid street solicitation!

Hustler Gentlemen’s Club Located in the heart of the classy part of Warsaw’s centre, Nowy Świat, and currently the one and only Hustler in Europe! This exclusive club is filled with beautiful women, a wide selection of alcohols and even a VIP room for private reservations. Although one of the smaller clubs in Warsaw, it is definitely one of the best with a great atmosphere. Open from 21:00 05:00, get there early, leave late.QH‑8, ul. Nowy Świat 3, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 576 75 48 08, www.hustlerclub.pl.

Open 21:00-05:00.

Playhouse Gentleman’s Club This smart gentlemen’s club, located in a chunky communist era building on al. Solidarności, has certainly hit the top of the tree (or pole?) with their classy approach to showing off the female form in luxurious surroundings. Their reputation in this market has even gone international, with influential website AskMen.com voting them the best strip club in the world in 2013! Three floors covering over 800m2, four bars, three VIP rooms, an in-house ATM and 57 sizzling hot women makes Playhouse THE place to visit for the discerning gent with a penchant for the erotic.

Payment methods accepted: cash, card, Bitcoin and Paypal.QD‑5, Al. Solidarności 82A, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 794 00 70 00, www.playhouse.pl. Open 21:0005:00. X

Sogo Club The largest of all the strip clubs in Warsaw at a size of 1200m2! It’s ridiculously easy to get to from any part of Warsaw. Simply head to the beginning of ul.

Nowy Świat (G-8, at the Palm Tree) and you’ll see the brightly lit building in the distance. The place consists of three levels: the main hall containing two bars and hundreds of seats, and VIP rooms, and even conference facilities. Should you want more privacy, the Gold Club option provides private rooms with a dedicated lounge bar and washroom facilities! The club has their customers desires in mind and will stay open longer if you feel you simply cannot leave at 05:00!QH‑7, Al. Jerozolimskie 6, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 629 92 09, www.sogoclub.pl. Open 20:00-05:00. X 97

Shopping

Designer Outlet Warszawa (p.100) offers big discounts inside a space emulating Warsaw’s Old Town architecture.

Shopping in Warsaw Paris, London or New York it ain’t, but hard-core shoppers can still find plenty to spend their well-earned lolly on. Warsaw is seeing true growth in the array of shops available and the number of bigname labels that are opening storefronts. Whether it’s westernstyle malls, designer boutiques, dusty family stores or antique markets, a day spent shopping can result in both bargains and treasures.

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Shopping

Alcohol & Tobacco Cigarro - Cigar Shop & Lounge Set inside a historic city-centre tenement not far from the Marriot Hotel’s main door, this cigar shop/lounge offers a selection of 50 cigar brands (Oliva, Cohiba, Arturo Fuente, Padron, Montecristo, Plasencia and Indian Motorcycle, to name few) with 400 types, series and lines - all stored in Poland’s biggest walkin humidor. If you’re purchasing for yourself, there's certainly no better place to light up. Enjoy your chosen cigar in the ventilated VIP ‘Robusto Room’ accompanied by a tumbler of single malt whiskey, bourbon, rum, or even wine. If you're organising a larger group, the basement can accommodate 25 and includes a private bar. A classy venue, indeed. QE‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 61, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 668 83 46 88, www.cigarro.pl. Open 11:00-22:00; closed Sun.

Amber & Jewellery Art Gallery Amber Silver Line This gorgeous gallery specialises in luxury handcrafted jewellery of the amber variety, but crystal, silver and gold items can be purchased here too. This is the location of what is the largest and oldest Amber dealers in the City, a family run business going back to 1988, proudly selling amber of Polish origin - certified by the International Amber Association. Even heads of State and royalty have been spotted procuring presents here, from Bill Clinton to Japanese princesses (whose thank you letters you can see inside)! Choose from pieces by Polish artisans and top designers, plus high quality jewellery made with other precious stones.

QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta 9/11/13, MRatusz Arsenał, www.warsawamber.pl. Open 10:00-19:00.

Lilou Phenomenally successful Polish jewellery chain where customers can select their own components and create a unique and personal piece. The range continues to grow, with the original idea of the personalised bracelet still the biggest seller. Choose a bracelet type and any number of simple silver or gold plated charms in a variety of shapes - hearts, dogs, cats and the likes, and then have it hand engraved with whatever or whoever means a lot to you. A ‘must have’ item amongst local celebs and fashionistas. Also at ul. Francuska 27 (L-7), Westfield Arkadia (B/C-2), Galeria Mokotów and Sadyba Best Mall.QH‑9, ul.

Mokotowska 63, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 506 19 08 97, www.lilouparis.com. Open 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-18:00; Sun 11:00-16:00.

World of Amber This is truth in advertising at its best. World of Amber is, literally, a world filled with all things amber. Interested in a three-masted pirate ship made of amber? How about a goblet trimmed in amber? A glasses case?

Beyond these unusual trinkets World of Amber also has the usual beads, rings, neck-breaking pendants and bracelets that are a must-have souvenir. The shop has a large number of knowledgeable staff, which means you’re never left lingering over a glass case waiting in vain for service. Which we like even more than the chess set made entirely of amber. We swear.

Also at ul. Piwna 12/14 (B-2) and ul. Piwna 26 (B-2).

QF‑4, ul. Świętojańska 11, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 831 16 00, www.worldofamber.pl. Open 09:00-20:00.

Fashion & Accessories Victoria’s Secret This boutique certainly needs no introduction. Even if you know nothing of fashion, you’ve no doubt heard of Victoria’s Secret, the brand that has become synonymous with stylish lingerie and glitzy angel winged fashion shows. Warsaw, it seems, is delighted to have Poland’s only VS stores, and although previously their only boutiques in the city were on the smaller scale of grand, focusing mainly on accessories & perfumes, the new store in the city centre’s Złote Tarasy shopping mall is much bigger than before (now including Victoria’s Secret PINK), but the opening of Poland’s first VS flagship store in Westfield Arkadia Shopping Mall, with the full selection of clothing, including their lingerie, perfumes and accessories has gone down well with fashion bloggers and Varsovians alike! In Arkadia, you can’t miss it - it’s located right at the front entrance!QC‑2, Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), MDworzec Gdański, tel. (+48) 22 445 02 05, www. victoriassecret.pl. Open 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00.

Sunday Shopping Ban Since 2018 government regulations have increasingly restricted Sunday trading in Poland. In 2020 there are only 7 Sundays in the entire year when shops are allowed to be open. There are some exemptions from the ban, namely pharmacies, gas stations, kiosks, bakeries, openair markets, Żabka convenience stores (most of which close at 23:00) and souvenir shops (oh thank god). Note that the Sunday hours we list for venues are the hours they keep only on those Sundays when trade is allowed. 2020’s remaining shopping Sundays are: Aug 30 | Dec 13, 20 99

Shopping

Food & Sweets E. Wedel Chocolate Lounge “Old-Fashioned Shop” The reason everyone at Czekolady Wedel looks like they’re in a daze is because this is the mothership of chocolate cafes, ground zero for all things dark, milk and achingly sweet. Wedel is the country’s longest established chocolate manufacturer and one of the best known brands in Poland. A true Polish legend that’s been operating since Karol Wedel first opened a chocolate factory in ul. Szpitalna in 1851. In here you’ll be able to find all manner of chocolate treats, whather for yourself or as a gift for someone. Be careful when entering: chocolate comas are inevitable.

Try their other city centre location on Krakowskie Przedmieście 45.QG‑7, ul. Szpitalna 8, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 827 29 16, www.wedelpijalnie.pl.

Open 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00.

Namaste India Better known as one of Poland’s best takeaways, Namaste also doubles as a bit of a grocery store with a small but decent line of products imported from Asia – including herbal shampoos, heat-and-eat curries, soft drinks and spices. Lots of spices. Head there to for a quick hit of the wonderful sub-continent!QG‑8, ul.

Nowogrodzka 15, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 357 09 39, www.namasteindia.pl. Open 11:00-23:00; Sun 12:0022:00.

Gifts & Souvenirs E-Manufaktura It’s sometimes hard to find that perfect gift from Poland to take back home with you. We understand the problem, and it may be the case you get home, only to regret not having bought that sweet little tea cup you had your eye on. Now this is why we whole heartedly recommend E-Manufaktura, which is not only a shop in Warsaw, but also an online shop for you to look through an extensive catalogue in the comfort of your home. From egg cups, plates, bowls, and all other kitchenware you can think of, you’ll find it here!

The famous hand-painted ceramics, Bolesławiec, make up the core of what’s on offer. It doesn’t get more Polish than this. A must use service.QF‑3, ul.

Freta 14, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 636 06 84, www.e-manufaktura.com. Open 10:00-18:00.

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Pomaluj.art - Galeria Bolesławiec & Studio Ceramiki There are many great Polish gift ideas, but none as visually exciting as Bolesławiec pottery. With a mix of cups, plates, bowls and other kitchenware with various colours and designs, you can’t go wrong to buy friends, family, or even yourself one of these classic but quirky items. What’s more, at this location, not only do you get the chance to buy something of your pleasing, but you can join in some workshops to make your own! The studio is quite sizeable, wellkitted out, and whether you’re trying to recreate scenes from the film Ghost (not recommended in front of others) or perhaps the kids want to mess about and make anything they want and paint all over it (which is allowed, even encouraged), the end results are sure to raise a smile. The staff speak English and teach you the history of Bolesławiec pottery during your session! QF‑8, Al. Jerozolimskie 49, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 690 80 01 84, www.pomaluj.art. Open 12:0020:00; closed Sun.

Shopping Malls Designer Outlet Warszawa Probably one of the best looking outlets we’ve seen in Poland, set inside a unique collection of buildings designed to resemble the Baroque style buildings of Warsaw’s Old Town. Indeed, this is a premium designer outlet, with an interior specifically arranged to make you feel like you’re walking down a high fashion Warsaw high street. Here you’ll find discounts ranging from 30% to a huge 70% on premium brands like Armani, Boss, Calvin Klein, Guess, Furla, Liu Jo, Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger through to lifestyle brands like Adidas, Geox, Kazar, Levis, Mango, Nike, Salewa, Salomon, Timberland, 4F and many more. Found just 30mins from Warsaw’s city centre, and 20mins from Warsaw Chopin Airport, it is easily reached by car and public transport - take the metro to Metro Wilanowska and then buses 709 or 727 onward to stop Energetyczna 01, using a zone 2 ticket.Qul. Puławska 42E, Piaseczno, MWilanowska, tel. (+48) 22 737 31 15, www.designeroutletwarszawa.pl. Open 10:00-21:00.

Dom Mody KLIF The nationwide Klif chain have long been present in Warsaw, though if you think you’ve seen it all before then think again. Attracting fashion lovers for over 20 years offering a range of Polish and foreign boutiques; but as with all shopping centres, the proof comes in the pudding, i.e. the tenants. Now on show are top tags from MaxMara, Elisabetta Franchi to PennyBlack,

Shopping as well as Michael Kors, Lidia Kalita, as well as well-known and respected mainstream brands such as H&M, Olsen and S’portofino. The draw, other than the brands, is the convenient and easy to get to location - roll in by tram, bus or car. What’s more, this is the only shopping centre to have a concierge point, all for the benefit of the shopper. For true connoisseurs, this year, Klif prepared a unique FASHION STUDIO, where anyone can use the services of stylists.QB‑4, ul. Okopowa 58/72, tel. (+48) 535 41 14 58, www.klif.pl.

Open 09:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00. U

Elektrownia Powiśle

NEW When Elektrownia Powiśle finally opened in May 2020 after a COVID-19 delay, we can only say we were impressed. The exterior, as impressive as it looks, doesn’t look all too big, which is the first surprise you receive once you go inside - it’s much bigger than you’d ever expect! So what’s here? Imagine this as a multifunctional centre, including sooped up shops completely new to Poland (nay, in Central and Eastern Europe even!) such as Urban Outfitters, Levi’s, Weekday, COS, Elementy Wear, Marc O’Polo Denim, Hugo, Balagan, Galilu, Chosen By, 3noi and Converse (to name a few), plenty more boutiques, beauty salons, a top floor event space, as well as 13 ‘gastronomic concepts’ in their food market and restaurants, and also 3 bars: Kandela, Centrala and Elektryk! You can shop until you drop, then pick yourself up with some great food, all the while being delighted with the look and feel of the place too. Recommended.QH/I‑6, ul. Dobra 42, MCentrum Nauki Kopernik, tel. (+48) 22 128 56 00, www.elektrowniapowisle.com. Open 10:00-21:00.

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Galeria Młociny

Found in the north-western district of Bielany, and easily accessible via metro - being right on the doorstep of the final stop, ‘Metro Młociny Bus, Tram & Metro Station’ this is Warsaw’s newest shopping mall, and an impressive one at that! With over 200 stores, including Poland’s first Primark, a ‘meet and eat’ dining area in a post-industrial styled zone (a friendly nod to the area’s importance as a steelworks) containing 50 food & drink venues, a super-modern cinema complex and MK Bowling alley and gym.

The topping on the cake is the impressive rooftop terrace where you can enjoy various cultural events such as dances (a homage to Bielany district public dances of a bygone time), shows and concerts. There are also 2000 parking spots here should you choose to drive.Qul. Zgrupowania AK Kampinos 15, MMłociny, www.galeriamlociny.pl. Open 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:0021:00.

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Index If the venue you’re looking for isn’t listed, you’ll likely find it among the hundreds of places in Warsaw listed on our website: warsaw.inyourpocket.com Adam Mickiewicz Monument

37 Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature 34, 62 A Footbridge of Memory 59 Art Gallery Amber Silver Line

99 AURA Bar 89 AZYL by Broadway 21 Back Room Bar 90 Barbican 33 Beef n’ Pepper 80 Belvedere 76 Breakfast Market 86 Bułkę przez Bibułkę 72 Cafe Bristol 72 Charlie 91 Charlotte. Chleb i Wino 73 Chopin Monument & Temple of Sibyl 52 Church of the Nuns of the Visitation 39 Ciao Napoli Długa 80 Cigarro - Cigar Shop & Lounge

99 City Sightseeing Warsaw 64 Copernicus Science Centre

29, 45, 62 Croque Madame 72 Czerwony Wieprz 81 Designer Outlet Warszawa 100 Dollhouse Museum 62, 69 Dom Mody KLIF 100 Elektrownia Powiśle 46, 86, 101 Elixir by Dom Wódki 77 E-Manufaktura 100 Enklawa - The Legendary Nightlife 94 E. Wedel Chocolate Lounge "Old-Fashioned Shop" 100 Flixbus 27

Free Walkative! Tour 64 Fryderyk Chopin Birthplace & Park in Żelazowa Wola 71 Fryderyk Chopin Museum 63 FSO Shooting Range 66 Fun Park Digiloo 69 Further On 41 Galeria Młociny 101 Getting There 51 Getting to Praga 49 Ghetto Heroes Monument 59 Gnojna Góra 34 Gościniec Polskie Pierogi 81 Grand Kredens 81 Guru Restaurant & Bar 82 Hala Gwardii 87 Hala Koszyki 87 Hard Rock Cafe 91 Holy Cross Church 39 Hulakula 94 Hulakula Leisure Centre 66 Hustler Gentlemen's Club 97 Inflancka Sports Complex 69 Jabeerwocky 91 Jan Kiliński Monument 32 Jesuit Church 32 Jewish Historical Institute

56, 63 Katyń Museum 63 King Sigismund's Column 31 Konstancin-Jeziorna 71 L'Arc Varsovie 82 Łazienki Park 29, 51 Level 27 95 Lilou 99 Lokal Vegan Bistro 84 Main Bus Station 27 Mango Vegan Street Food 84 Maria Skłodowska Curie Museum 64 Mariensztat 43

Features & Categories Fryderyk Chopin Metro-Morphosis POLIN Public Beaches & Bathing Sunday Shopping Ban Useful Transport Tools Vodka Translator Warsaw’s Best Beer Gardens

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38 25 57 69 99 26 17 17

Miła 18 Bunker 59 MK Bowling Entertainment Center 67 Monument to the Warsaw Uprising 61 Museum of Life under Communism 64 Museum of Modern Art on the Vistula 44, 64 Museum of Warsaw 34, 64 Myślewicki Palace 52 N58 Club 95 NA LATO Day & Night 95 Namaste India 82, 100 National Museum 64 Neon Museum 49, 65 Nicolaus Copernicus Monument 40 Nobu Restaurant & Café 78 Nocny Market 87 Nożyk Synagogue 57 Officer Cadets School 52 Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery 57 Old Town Heritage Interpretation Centre 34, 65 Old Town Square 29, 33 Palace on the Island 52, 65 PAM PAM Restaurant 77 Pastrami Bistro 75 Plac Grzybowski 57 Plac Zamkowy 31 Playhouse Gentleman's Club

97 Płock 71 POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews 29, 65 Polish Army Museum 65 Polish Vodka Museum 49 Pomaluj.art - Galeria Bolesławiec & Studio Ceramiki

65, 100 Poniatówka Beach 69 Powsin Cultural Park 69 Praga District Beach 69 Praga Koneser Center 49 Praga Museum of Warsaw

49, 65 Presidential Palace 38 Restauracja RAUT 82 Restauracja Różana 78 Room 13 Club & Lounge 95 Royal Castle 31, 32, 65 Saska Kępa Beach 69 Selfie Museum Warsaw 67 SEN 95 Sogo Club 97 St. Alexander's Church 41 St. Anne's Church 36, 55 St. John the Baptist Cathedral

32 St. Martin's Church 32 Syreni Śpiew 96 'Syrenka' - Old Town Warsaw Mermaid 33 'Syrenka' - Powiśle Warsaw Mermaid 47 Szczęśliwice Pools 69 Teatro Cubano Warsaw 96 Tel Aviv Food & Wine 85 Thai Bali Spa 66 Thai Thai 78 The Alchemist GastroPub

83, 91 The Cool Cat 73 The Little Insurgent Monument 33 The Lobster House 75 The Palm 40 The ROOTS Cocktail Bar & more 92 To Lubię 73 U Fukiera 79 Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art 41 Ujazdowski Park 41 Ul. Kanonia Wishing Bell 34 ul. Nowy Świat 40 Veg Deli 85 Vege Bistro 85 Vege Miasto 85 Veturilo Public Bike 67 Victoria's Secret 99 Vistula Boulevards 29, 44 Warsaw Rising Museum

29, 61, 65 Warsaw University 39 Warsaw University Library & Gardens 45 Warsaw Zoo 69 Warszawa Centralna Train Station 26 Warszawa Wschodnia Train Station 27 Warszawa Zachodnia Train Station 27 Weles Bar 92 Whiskey in the Jar 92 Wilanów Palace Museum

29, 54, 65 Wilanów Park & Gardens 29, 54 Woda Ognista 93 World of Amber 99 WuWu Vodka Bar 93 Zachęta - National Gallery of Art 65 Zagrywki 89 Zapiecek 83 Zegrze Reservoir 71 ZONI Restaurant 79