Warsaw Travel Guide: Best Things to Do in This Underrated Capital

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Plan your Warsaw adventure with this insider Warsaw travel guide to historic sites, trendy neighborhoods, Polish cuisine, and cultural attractions.

The first time I visited Warsaw, I was taken in by its unique charms. Poland’s capital stuck out to me as a city of pleasant contrasts, a place where old and new, rich and poor, simple and complex lived side by side. Everything from the architecture and the monuments to the food had me entranced and wanting to discover more. 

I couldn’t take my mind off the city, or the people who live there, and so I was lucky enough to move there permanently a little under a year later. Getting out and exploring every day is a real privilege, and there’s always something new to discover.

I consider myself a sort of expert on the city now, and I benefit from seeing things through the eyes of a newcomer while having the time to explore the city in detail. It puts me in a perfect position to create a firsthand Warsaw travel guide for visitors wanting to experience the city beyond the usual tourist attractions. 

Why Warsaw is One of Europe’s Most Underrated Capitals

People often don’t realize that Warsaw has changed completely since its days as a grey, communist capital. These days, it’s a shining metropolis with such a wide variety of attractions, people, and architectural styles. But for those of a certain age, it’s associated with communism, cold weather, and light poverty. My mother, before visiting for the first time, seemed to think she’d be stepping back in time 40 years, into an oppressive world of grey tower blocks and bland food. 

Things have changed drastically in the past decades. Poland has one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe and has enjoyed huge benefits from this. Improvements in education, infrastructure, and cultural institutions have led to a massive increase in tourism. Despite these changes, Warsaw retains many of its traditional elements and offers a safe, clean environment for tourists to enjoy. 

Warsaw Versus Krakow

When it comes to tourism, Warsaw is often overshadowed by Kraków, Poland’s most popular tourist city. Although I have a lot of love for Kraków, I can’t help but feel Warsaw is a much more authentic destination. While the main streets of Kraków are swimming with tourist promoters trying to get you to visit their restaurant or take a visit to one of the nearby attractions, central Warsaw is largely populated by locals, and you can find yourself surrounded by students or working people.

You can also wander into cafes or small shops and discover that only locals are inside, and no one speaks English. Although it might seem inconvenient or daunting to some, I find this authenticity vital to maintaining a city’s character. As a rule, the people inside will be happy to help, even when there’s a language barrier. 

Warsaw’s Unique Charms

Visiting Warsaw for the first time, I noticed the city has charms that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The city’s history and determined populace have ensured that these elements of Warsaw are well-preserved and open to tourists.

Old Town

Warsaw’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it certainly blew me away on my first visit. Now that I live in the city, I like to go back and wander around every so often. Every time I visit, I see a new side of a building or find a small museum that’s completely new to me. 

The streets in this area are lined with old churches and beautiful townhouses decorated in spectacular colors and with intricate designs. You can also enjoy exploring churches like the Archcathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, a church in the Old Town containing monuments to a variety of figures from Polish history. 

During my first visit to Warsaw Old Town, I was fascinated to learn that the area was totally destroyed by the occupying Nazi forces during WWII. Brave resistance fighters, including students from the architectural school, put their lives at risk to document every building in detail so it could be perfectly rebuilt as a replica after the war. But with the beautiful architecture and medieval atmosphere in the streets, you’d never know this had taken place.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to explore. There are a few main thoroughfares, but you’ll find yourself wanting to check out every alleyway and small backstreet. These quiet areas are often lined with unique decorations, candle-lit shrines, and historic statues.

New Town

The New Town is another cool spot, commonly reached on foot by crossing Warsaw’s Barbican, a rebuilt section of the city’s medieval fortifications. New Town is only new in comparison to the Old Town, so you’ll still get to enjoy the area’s history. The area is tastefully decorated, with some houses featuring intricately painted facades. The Market Square in New Town is another popular spot in the area. It’s my favorite place to sit and read on a warm day.

Best Things to Do in Warsaw

No Warsaw travel guide would be complete without exploring the city’s mix of culture, history, green spaces, and nightlife. Warsaw offers a surprising variety of all these activities. On the weekends, I’m sometimes guilty of neglecting my chores, because I can’t wait to get out into the city and enjoy something new. 

Climb to the Top of the Palace of Culture

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Warsaw is the Palace of Culture and Science. This ornate skyscraper was built by the former Soviet Union, which makes it somewhat controversial today. Still, it offers a fantastic viewpoint of the entire city, with an elevator to take you to the top. 

Inside the tower, there are a variety of cultural attractions to enjoy, including a cinema and a theater. Warsaw’s Neon Museum is another popular spot, hosting a collection of preserved neon signs from the communist era.

Enjoy Some Green Space

Warsaw has plenty of green spaces, but its parks and gardens offer more than just a place to relax. They’re also packed with historical and cultural sites.

Royal Łazienki Park is one of the most famous green spaces in the city and also one of the largest parks in Europe. With its shining artificial lakes, classical palace, and roaming band of peacocks, this spot straddles the line between relaxing and fascinating. 

The recently opened Park Akcji Burza is my favorite park in Warsaw. Although it’s located in Mokotów, a fair distance from downtown, it’s well worth the trip. The park features a huge mound with an anchor monument found at the top. Visitors can climb a series of wooded walkways to reach the top. The anchor, or Kotwica, is a symbol seen everywhere around Warsaw, representing the Home Army resistance group that fought fiercely against the Nazis during WWII.

I was also surprised to discover that Warsaw’s main urban area contains a lot of forest. It even has special forest neighborhoods, like Wawer and Kabaty, easily accessible by public transport. Walk the beautiful streets lined with old wooden houses and shrines while keeping your eyes peeled for the wild boar that roam these districts!

Visit the Museum of Life Under Communism

To truly understand how Warsaw and Poland as a whole have changed in the last few decades, a visit to the Museum of Life Under Communism is ideal. I like this museum a lot because the interactive exhibits help you to get a feel of what life was like in the country not so long ago. 

The museum includes a replica apartment building, so you can see how people spent their day-to-day lives in this era. Stop for a break at the café and enjoy some communist-era snacks, surrounded by authentic décor. 

Pay Respects at the Warsaw Ghetto Remains

Warsaw’s ghetto was almost entirely destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising, but a few pieces remain. Visit the boundary markers and sections of wall at Waliców Street to get a sense of the scale of the ghetto. Old synagogues, tenement houses, and other remnants stand as a living memorial to the atrocities that took place here.

Experience the Trendy Praga Neighborhood

One of the biggest mistakes I see many tourists make is spending their entire vacation on the Royal Route. Although Warsaw’s downtown has so much to see and do, other districts of the city offer a completely different vibe and atmosphere. 

Praga offers some of the coolest nightlife outside the city center. The neighborhood is on the other side of the Vistula is packed with trendy bars, vegan restaurants, and much more. The streets feature pre-war architecture, and walls are covered in creative murals. Visit in summer and hang out at the beach, or visit one of the many art galleries in the district. 

Things to Eat in Warsaw

Polish cuisine hasn’t taken the world by storm the way that some others have. But Warsaw offers the chance to enjoy some of Europe’s most interesting cuisine.

Milk bars are the best place to go for those looking for something traditional. These establishments have been around since the communist era, offering mostly vegetarian food at low prices. Things have changed a little nowadays, and you can find establishments with electronic touch screens. But the menu remains largely unchanged, featuring classics.

Hala Koszyki is a popular food hall close to Centrum. It’s the ideal spot for large groups with different tastes, since it has every style of cuisine you could think of around central dining tables. 

Warsaw also offers more original fusion and international options. One favorite spot is the aptly named Vegan Ramen Shop. This cool restaurant offers dishes like Mac N’ Cheese Ramen and Garlic Bread Ramen. Its location in Muranów is the most central shop, but it often has lines going out the door and way down the street. The location in Mokotów is much quieter.

For more upmarket options, you can find high-class traditional restaurants in the city center. Try Restauracja Barbakan in the New Town for traditional Polish cuisine.

Sweet Treats

You’ll also find a variety of delicious sweet foods in Poland. Perhaps the most notable treat is the pączki or donut. These are sold at street stalls around the city, but the best ones can be found at the traditional bakeries on Nowy Świat Street. 

If you’re more of a candy-oriented traveler, there are some great options around Warsaw. Old Town has a selection of candy shops selling everything under the sun, but they can be a little overpriced and not always authentic. 

Retail Heaven

Nowhere is the fusion of old and new more prevalent than in Warsaw’s retail scene. New shopping malls are everywhere, so you can buy all the latest products, including those from Polish brands like Cropp, House, and Reserved. I was a little surprised at the mall-oriented nature of Poland’s shopping scene when I first arrived in Warsaw, but top-class destinations like Złoty Tarasy (Golden Terrace) and Galeria Mokotów won me around to the delights of indoor shopping.

Elektrownia Powiśle is another key spot for shopping fanatics. The former power station saw combat during WWII, but was converted into a trendy shopping spot in recent years. It’s decorated with genuine factory components and artwork crafted from factory fittings. Elektrownia also features a multinational food hall offering a range of exciting options. 

One of the most atmospheric shopping experiences in the city is the Nocny Market (night market). Open between April and September, it’s a vibrant event located in the city’s now-closed central train station. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of street food and live music performances. 

Getting Around

Getting around the city is comfortable and easy, but it can be a treat in its own right. For convenience, the SKM suburban trains and the underground metro system are your best friends. They’re clean, safe, and super cheap, with 20-minute tickets costing under 4 złoty (under a dollar). When I’ve had friends and family visit from the US, they’ve been shocked by the high quality of the city’s transport!

Many of the metro stations are wonderfully decorated with unique murals and mosaics. Some stations include shops and markets. Metro Kondratowicza, in the Bródno district, even contains an underground library decorated with hydroponic plant life!

But the best form of transport for pure fun is the tram system. You’ll find a variety of rolling stock on the streets of Warsaw, some of it dating back to the communist era. Riding on these older trams isn’t the most comfortable public transport experience you’re ever going to have, but it’s probably the most memorable. Riding on one of the yellow, rickety trams while passing by historic bridges and tower blocks is enough to send you back in time. 

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Goodbye Warsaw!

When you leave Warsaw, you’ll undoubtedly feel that you missed a few spots. Even after living in the city for more than a year, I still see new things every day. That’s why it’s so important to take a little time and plan thoroughly before you go! This Warsaw travel guide is only a starting point for discovering one of Europe’s most underrated capitals!

We invite you to explore Wander With Wonder for more inspiring European destinations and immersive cultural experiences.

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