Things to do in Warsaw

Nature · Śródmieście South

A royal park of palaces, peacocks and free Chopin concerts under the composer's monument on summer Sundays.

Local tip: The Sunday Chopin concerts (mid-May to late September) are free and genuinely good. Arrive early and sit on the grass rather than the benches.

Neighborhood · East bank of the Vistula

The district that survived the war largely intact — pre-war tenements, courtyard shrines, and the city's most interesting arts scene.

Local tip: Ząbkowska and the Koneser complex are the way in. This is where you go to see what Warsaw looked like before 1944.

Nature · Both banks of the river

Redeveloped riverside promenades on the west bank, and a wild sandy beach and forest on the east.

Local tip: In summer the east bank turns into a string of open-air bars on the sand. Take the free ferry across from the Old Town side.

Culture · Muranów

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the ground of the former ghetto — one of Europe's most accomplished museums.

Local tip: Allow three hours minimum for the core exhibition. The building itself, and the memorial outside, are part of the experience.

Food · Śródmieście

A restored market hall of restaurants and bars at one end, and subsidised traditional cafeterias at the other.

Local tip: Do both. Koszyki for an evening, then a bar mleczny like Prasowy for lunch at a fraction of the price — the contrast tells you a lot about the city.

Nature · Southern end of Metro Line 1

A large forest at the terminus of the metro — genuinely wild woodland twenty minutes from the office towers.

Local tip: Take the metro to Kabaty and walk in. Almost no visitors do this, and it's the fastest escape from the city of anywhere on this list.