Day Trips from Warsaw

Płock Cathedral (p.63) on its idyllic hilltop location overlooking the Vistula river. Photo by Robert / AdobeStock

Day Trips

As if there wasn’t enough to do in the Polish capital alone, the surrounding region of Mazovia offers up an astonishing number of fantastic sites worth exploring. If you’ve got some extra time or need an urban escape, consider taking a day trip out to the intriguing destinations listed here.

Fryderyk Chopin Birthplace & Park in Żelazowa Wola

This museum celebrates the lauded composer who was born here, and pays tribute to the dramatic history of the 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 gardens are perfect for a stroll as craftily hidden speakers serenade you with Chopin’s music� 54km west of Warsaw, Żelazowa Wola can be reached in one hour by bus and train�QŻelazowa Wola 15, tel. (+48) 468 63 33 00, www.muzeum.nifc.pl. Open 10:00-18:00. Fryderyk Chopin Museum open Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00; Sat 10:0011:00; 13:00-14:45; 16:00-18:00; Sun 14.00-14.45; 16:0018:00; closed Mon (park open). Admission 30/17zł for the museum, park and temporary exhibition, 22/12zł for the museum and park, 10/7zł for the park only. Wed free.

Kampinos National Park

Only 20km northwest of Warsaw (heading to the towns Łomianki or Truskaw), Kampinos is the most accessible of Poland’s national parks� The entire area covers 385km2, which is interspersed with dense woodland, dunes and marshland, criss-crossed with biking, hiking and horse-riding trails� Equally famous for its association with the battle for Polish independence, Kampinos’ proximity to the capital has made it a favourite camp for partisans throughout history� Numerous mass graves date from national uprisings in 1863, and graves from the Home Army’s ‘Kampinos’ group, which fought in the Warsaw Uprising, (p�52) can be found in Wiersze village war cemetery� None are more somber than the huge Palmiry National Memorial & Museum - where civilians and intelligentsia were executed en masse during World War II�Qwww.kampinoski-pn.gov.pl.

Modlin Fortress

Situated in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, 30km northwest of Warsaw, the 19th century Modlin Fortress (Twierdza Modlin) is one of the longest buildings in Europe at 2,250m� It’s here - at the meeting point of the Narew and Wisła Rivers - that Napoleon ordered the creation of a defensive point in 1806 (he is even rumoured to have designed one of the first buildings)� The complex was expanded by Tsarist troops from 1880 onwards and the main fort became part of a larger defensive project, consisting of two defensive rings� The fortress saw major action in the Battle of Modlin, when 24,000 Polish soldiers held out here from September 13-29, 1939� The fortress was used by the Polish military after the war, but eventually became redundant and has since been sold to developers� Despite this, parts of the fortress are open to tourists� Although entry onto the terrain is free, to explore certain areas you must pay� The Museum of the September Campaign is open 11:00-17:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon (12/6zł)� The underground basements are open Sat-Sun only 11:00-17:00 (12/6zł)� There is also a viewing tower, open 10:00-16:00, SatSun 10:00-18:00 (13/8zł)� The easiest way to get there is via the Koleje Mazowieckie ‘RL’ train, which leaves once an hour from Warszawa Centralna to Modlin station, from which the fort is a 10min walk to the west along the river�Qul. gen. Józefa Bema 500, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, tel. (+48) 604 60 70 92, www.twierdzamodlin.pl.

Modlin Fortress, located north of Warsaw� © PiotrZakrzewski

Płock

This trip can be completed in one day� Hugging the Vistula River 111km north-west of Warsaw is the city of Płock, administrative capital of Płock County in the Masovian Voivodeship� Believe it or not, Płock was also the one-time capital of Poland from 1079 to 1138 and the seat of Kings! The area’s importance grew with the first 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 can take a public PKS bus to Płock (journey time 1hr 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.