Kids & Families

In addition to bouncy floors, Stacja Grawitacja (p.68) also boasts the best 3D VR gaming experience in Poland!

While Warsaw has plenty of wonders, not every cultural site is going to be engaging for young visitors. The first step to having a successful family vacation is probably to just accept that what you and your kids want to do are not going to be one and the same. That said, there’s common ground to be found in some of Warsaw’s most popular attractions.

Wandering the Old Town (p.30) or Łazienki (p.48) will likely please everyone, as will a walk along the Vistula Boulevards - a great outing with plenty of diversions, most obvious of which is the stimulating and educational Copernicus Science Centre (p.46) and Multimedia Fountain Park (p.12) further north. In the city centre, Fabryka Norblina (p.25) is home to Smart Kids Planet, which is right next to some fantastic food options (p.84). Durng winter evenings, the magical illuminations at the Wilanów Royal Garden of Light is perfect for young families (p.71).

Although it may sound more like punishment, kids really respond to the interactive exhibits of the highly modern Warsaw Rising Museum (p.67), which features areas designed specifically for young visitors. Some of Warsaw’s more niche museums like the NBP Money Centre (p.61), Museum of Dollhouses (p.61) and Photoplasticon (p.71) are also good choices for families. Of course, Warsaw has plenty of action-packed indoor attractions, so don’t miss the rainy day recommendations on the previous pages. Panoramic viewpoints are also a winner with kids, so in addition to those at the Rising Museum and University Gardens, check out St. Anne’s tower (p.38) near Plac Zamkowy, and the viewing terrace on the 30th floor of the Palace of Culture & Science (p.26).

Pinball Station

Listen here, sonny boy. Back in the days before every whippersnapper on the block had a gaming console in their blue jeans, folks used to go down to the arcade and play the pinball machines for a little entertainment. Relive those pre-digital days in this wildly fun and nostalgic pinball museum, featuring over 100 working machines you can actually play on, some of which date back to the 1930s. A great place to introduce this old school game to younger generations, admission gets you unlimited play for the entire day; you can even leave and come back later.QB-9, ul. Kolejowa 8A, MRondo Daszyńskiego, tel. (+48) 600 63 31 15, www.pinballstation.pl. Open 12:00-22:00; Fri 12:00-24:00; Sat 11:00-24:00; Sun 11:00-22:00. Admission 45/39zł; kids under 12, 29zł.

Warsaw Photoplasticon

Hidden in a darkened pre-war tenement near the train station, a visit here really is a trip back in time. A popular form of entertainment in the pre-cinema era, a ‘photoplasticon’ is basically a 3D peep show (no, not the saucy kind) where visitors sit in front of a viewing station to see vivid photos as they slowly rotate by. Now obsolete, this venue been located here since 1905, somehow stayed open, surviving the war and even serving as a meeting point for intellectuals during the communist era. Check online to see what’s loaded into the machine (does it matter?) from their collection of over 7,000 stereoscopic images of times, places and people long gone. Visiting time: 20mins.QF-8, Al. Jerozolimskie 51, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 629 60 78, www.fotoplastikonwarszawski.pl. Open 10:00-18:00; closed Tue. Admission 10/6zł; Thu free.

Warsaw Zoo

Opened in 1928, Warsaw Zoo covers an area of 40ha and attracts some 500,000 visitors each year. In total there are 13,000 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. Bombed at the beginning of WWII, by 1945 all the animals had either been killed, deported to the Third Reich, been eaten or escaped into the wild. Zoo director, Jan Żabiński, became something of a hero; wounded during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, he helped save countless lives by sheltering Jewish orphans inside the zoo grounds. QH-3, ul. Ratuszowa 1/3, MDworzec Wileński, tel. (+48) 22 619 40 41, www.zoo.waw.pl. Open 09:00-18:00; Sat 09:00-19:00. Admission 30/20zł.

Wilanów Royal Garden of Light

To bring a little cheer to cold autumn and winter evenings (and some appeal to an otherwise grey garden), each year, from October to February, the gardens around Wilanów Palace (p.52) become a colourful and festive wonderland of lights, as thousands of tiny LED lights trace the baroque contours of the sculptures and gardens. One of Warsaw’s most beloved holiday traditions, almost every local family turns out at some point during the festive season to see these impressive illuminations, and you should too. Each year they change, and some areas of the garden are even programmed to change their lighting in sync with the sounds of Chopin and other music every 15-30mins. Note that the last entrance to the gardens is at 20:30.QP-2, Wilanów Park and Gardens, ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 10/16, www. wilanow-palac.pl. Open 16:00-21:00. Tickets Mon-Thu 20/10zł, Fri-Sun 40/20zł; children under 7 free.

The best sides with the best cuts in Warsaw can only be found at Beef n’ Pepper! (p.73)

Dining in Warsaw

Nowhere is Warsaw’s vibrancy and diversity more apparent than in its progressive culinary scene. What follows are some of the most noteworthy dining establishments in the capital, divided into basic categories with the type of cuisine listed under the venue name; for more options visit our website. In terms of tipping, 10% is standard (easy math). Smacznego!