Warsaw Travel Guide | My Life Trips

Warsaw

Information

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. The city stands on the Vistula River in east central Poland and its population is estimated at 1.765 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.1 million, which makes Warsaw the 8th most populous capital city in the European Union. Warsaw is a major international tourist destination, and a significant cultural, political and economic hub.

Warsaw described as the Paris of the East and it was believed to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world until World War II. The historical Old Town of Warsaw is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Polish currency is Zloty and 10 Polish Zloty’s equals to approximately 2,4 Euros.For the latest updated exchange rates visit the XE Currency Converter page.

What To See...

Old Town Market Square

Warsaw’s historic old town, along with the old central market square, is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the city and certainly the first attraction that you have to visit when you are here. The old town of Warsaw will charm you and you will surely spend most of your time around this enchanting spot of the city.

Warsaw Barbican

This impressive wall is located right behind the old market square and is one of the city’s main attractions. The wall dates back to the 16th century and it is in fact the remains from the old city walls. The piece of the wall that has remained until today is well preserved and definitely deserves a visit.

Royal Castle

The royal castle is located in front of a huge square, right at the entrance of the old town and is one of Warsaw’s iconic buildings. If you want to visit the interior of the castle, the ticket costs 30 zlotys per person and the opening hours are from 10:00-18:00 daily except monday.

Lazienki Park

Lazienki Park is the largest park in Warsaw and one of the city’s spots where you can relax and have a quiet walk. In this 76 hectare park you will also find the beautiful Lazienki Palace, which was used as royal baths several centuries ago.

Palace Of Culture & Science

The palace of culture and science is probably the most imposing building in Poland and of course in Warsaw. Built in 1955 and at a height of 237 meters, it is now the highest building in Poland and the 8th highest in the European Union. This iconic building is the home of several large companies and a huge entertainment center, where concerts and other major events take place.

Saxon Garden

Saxon Garden is the oldest park in the city and one of the oldest public accessible parks in the world. It is located in the center of Warsaw and is definitely one of the parks that you must visit if you find yourself here.

Zlote Tarasy Shopping Mall

Zlote Tarasy is a huge shopping and entertainment mall in Warsaw, directly opposite the main railway station. In this awesome shopping mall, with the incredible glass ceiling you will find everything you need. Restaurants, cinemas, cafes, fashion shops of famous brands, but also many cheaper options. If you want to go shopping in Warsaw, then this is definitely the best place.

Nearby Excursions

Unfortunately, Warsaw is not in a geographical location to favor nearby excursions to cities that are definitely worth visiting, such as Krakow, Gdansk and Wroclaw. Almost all the above cities are about 4 hours driving from Warsaw and it will be extremely difficult to visit them for a one day excursion. If you decide to visit one of them then Krakow is definitely the most beautiful with Gdansk to follow.

What To Eat

We have also mentioned in other posts that Polish cuisine is one of the best we have ever tasted in our trips to Europe. Several dishes deserve your attention and at least a try. Some of these are, of course the well known goulash, pieroggis and many others. In Warsaw you have plenty of options to eat, by visiting a restaurant which serves traditional Polish cuisine and most of them was good enough and very cheap. Our opinion is to choose one of the many restaurants, that you will find around the old market square, for a romantic dinner at very good prices.

How to move

Warsaw is a big city that you will need to walk a lot, if you don’t want to use public transport. Many of the most interesting sights are around the old town and you will not have any problems to explore them by simply walking in just a few hours. If you want to get to know the city a bit better and move away from the center, then a good idea would be to use the metro, which is very simple also, because it has only two lines. The ticket is quite affordable and it costs 3.40 zloty for 20 minutes from the moment of its validation.

Warsaw’s Airport is very close to the city and is easy accessible by bus or taxi. Be careful, because Warsaw has two airports, we refer to Chopin airport (WAW), which is just 10 kilometers from the city and not Modlin (WMI), which is almost an hour from the center (40 kilometers) and mainly serves low cost companies.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Warsaw is quite affordable, as in almost all Polish cities. A great double room in the city center will cost you around 40-60 euros per night. An even better choice and perhaps cheaper are some of the many luxury apartments that you can rent very close to the center which really offers you everything you need. We stayed at such an accommodation, just 10 minutes from the market square, for only 45 euros per night and we were incredibly happy by experience we had. You can make your reservations via Booking.com

Booking.com