1 LIFE AFTER DEAT
WARSAW
In Poland, dying is an importan
Instead of celebrating Hallowee
on November 1 we flock to cem
the graves of our loved ones. S
population in Warsaw weren’t e
a local twist on the tradition de
visit graves of celebrities at the
CEMETERY. It’s a social occasio
celebrities fund raising for the
elaborate historic tomb stones
of people strolling around til ve
Unforgettable. The old JEWISH
(Cmentarz Żydowski) down Oko
also worth a visit.
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© Copyright: Fundacja Nowej Kultury Bęc Zmiana
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2 PROPAGANDA SHO
Not a Good-Bye-Lenin-style nos
exercise, but a genuine shop tha
survived. Unpretentiously name
PROPAGANDOWE (‘propaganda
national flags, emblems, and tas
memorabilia.
3 CHŁODNA25
Cafe in the daytime, cosy bar i
and an all-round independent
with exhibitions, meetings, tal
by up-and-coming local bands
of ideas and people – you can
conservatives discussing down
a gay rights movement meetin
the first club in Warsaw to lau
documenting in detail all the e
(chlodna25.blog.pl, open daily
www.use-it-warsaw.pl
4 REAL DEAL COMM
RESTAURANT
JAŚ I MAŁGOSIA is the best pres
communist restaurant in the cit
with a neon sign and grumpy sta
E
K
I
L
ACT AL
A LOC
Warsaw may be hard to fall in love with at the first
sight, but you will find excellent places hidden on top
floors, in basements and backyards, in small shops,
galleries and crumbling sheds.
Don't spend too much time in the Old Town (Stare
Miasto). It's a charming place, a World Heritage Site
according to UNESCO. Locals don’t go there to often
– for several reasons: restaurants are expensive and in
most cases awful, there’s no night life because the
neighbours like it quiet after 10 p.m., the Mermaid
fountain makes obscene noises. Half an hour is just
enough to admire the architecture, then head south to
the real centre of the city.
Buy and wear vintage clothing – we invented vintage
before it was called vintage. You will find a shop
bearing a sign ‘lumpeks’, ‘szmateks’, ‘odzież używana’
on every corner.
Eat at the milk bar – for some a necessity, for others a
lifestyle option, milk bars (bar mleczny) are extremely
popular, especially among students, pensioners, bums,
impoverished intelligentsia and hipsters. Left over from
communist days, they offer you super cheap lunch - a
two-course meal under 10 zł. Bars differ slightly in
quality, but in all of them the menu does not consist
just of dairy products, but other Polish favourites like
hearty soups, pierogi (dumplings filled with different
5 FUTURE JEWISH CE
Careful with alcohol outdoors – drinking outside is
prohibited in central areas, even if it’s an innocent
bottle of beer.
Go green – take advantage of the fact that Warsaw is
one of the greenest big cities in Europe, with a wild
river cutting right through the centre. You can have a
civilized time in a park or go for more extreme options:
penetrate the abandoned Port Praski harbour or try to
walk around the city without ever leaving a park (it is
possible!).
Learn the toilet signage – a triangle is for men’s room,
a circle – for ladies’. Don’t ask us why. Public toilets are
almost non-existent in Warsaw (except for metro
stations – clean, cheap and empty) so better do what
you have to do before leaving the bar.
Feel free to isolate yourself from the outside. What in
many relaxed cities would look pretentious – typing
away on your computer in a café or restaurant – is
totally normal here.
Shop late – shops are open really late here, many on
Sundays too. In 2007 a bill was passed that banned
The vast green square, named aft
chancellor Willy Brandt who cont
reconciliation between Germans,
Poles after WWII, is a must-see fo
interested in Jewish culture and h
represents the past – the monum
GHETTO HEROES MEMORIAL and
surrounding blocks built in the 19
1960s directly on the site of the ru
neighbourhood. If you go south, to
Nowolipie, you will even see build
above street level on a layer of so
Willy Brandt square also represen
– check out the funnily shaped bl
OHEL, that advertises the MUSEU
HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS, to be
Join the locals who like to walk th
sunbathe on the site of the future
You can also take bus #180 or #1
JEWISH CEMETERY (to the last st
Esperanto).
6 VINTAGE CLOTHES
Named simply VINTAGE this shop
enthusiasts sells carefuly selecte
vintage clothing. Hard to spot - fi
gate left to the KFC, enter the cou
head left.
7 OLD CARTOONS
KULTOWE DOBRANOCKI ('Cult Ca
sells memorabilia and DVDs with
cartoon characters from the 1970
Learn to love our childhood heroe
bear Uszatek and the two boys Bo
Lolek.
nt part of life.
en, every year
meteries to visit
Since half of the
even born here,
eveloped – we
e old POWĄZKI
on, with (living)
restoration of
s and thousands
ery late.
H CEMETERY
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irst find the
urtyard and
It is hard to believe now that before 1939 about
30% of the population were Jewish. Now the
only SYNAGOGUE remaining is the 100-year
old Synagoga Nożyków. Across Plac
Grzybowski you can take a short walk down
PRÓŻNA STREET – the only street of the
Jewish neighbourhood that survived at least
partially. The cosy new CAFE PRÓŻNA holds
Jewish-themed events irregularly.
9 MOVIE/THEATRE
According to one of the employees, a child
once walked into the KINO MURANÓW and
whined: ‘But mom, I thought we were going to
a cinema, not to a theatre…’ It best sums up
the atmosphere of the place, preserved in its
Stalinist glory. Interior décor aside, Muranów
is a great arthouse cinema showing the best
European and independent productions,
conveniently placed next to the Arsenał Ratusz
metro station. In the foyer, there’s also a small
café and a film-lovers shop selling DVDs,
books, posters and memorabilia. Cheapest
tickets on Mondays. In the summer check out
the re-run programme to catch up on the films
you missed during the preceding season.
10 YOGA AND RESTAURANT
IN A BUNKER
The cold war air-raid shelter split between
a yoga centre (upstairs) and a decent
Indian/oriental restaurant SADHU
(downstairs). For a cold war experience, visit
the toilet and look up into the long ventilation
shaft with a tiny skylight on top.
11 TOP ART ON TOP FLOOR
Take a wobbly lift to the top floor of a 1960s
housing block and go back 40 years in time.
INSTYTUT AWANGARDY is the former roof top
studio of the conceptual artist Edward
Krasiński who lived a very avant-garde life
there with his bohemian friends. The
apartment was completely preserved after his
death – only dust is being removed. In 2007 a
glass exhibition pavilion was added on the
terrace, designed by Dutch architecture’s
bright new hope – BAR Architects. Climb up to
the roof of the pavilion, used for film
screenings in the summer, for a breathtaking
view of the Old Town on one side and the
modern city on the other (al. Solidarności 64
m. 118, open Thu-Fri, 10-14 + on special
occasions).
12 CINEMA PARADISO
Named in honour of Bernardo Bertolucci’s
1988 cult film, KINO PARADISO is the smallest
and the most independent of Warsaw’s
cinemas, hidden in an old palace lost on a
traffic island. See your favourite Lynch or
Jarmusch and other indie classics to the
sound of trams passing by (open Tue-Sun,
tickets 5-13 zł).
Attention movie goers! Luckily, most of the
films in Poland are subtitled, so you can watch
films in English or in your native language.
13 THE LAST RUIN
A lot has been done for the past 60 years to
erase every trace of war demolition and it is
hard to imagine now what the city looked like
in 1945, when 80% of the buildings were
destroyed. Take a look at the spectacular RUIN
OF THE NATIONAL BANK in Bielańska street.
14 COURT OF GLASS
Given the amount of people who visit Warsaw
to experience Jewish culture, it is incredible
how hard it is to find a decent Jewish
restaurant. POD SAMSONEM is really the only
place worth recommending, their Jewish and
Polish fare is delicious and affordable. Try the
goose necks (gęsi pipek) or the hering and
you’ll excuse the lazy service and the extra
charges for toilet and cloak room. Packed in
the evenings and on weekends, relatively
empty at lunchtime on weekdays
(main courses: 10-30 zł).
16 SWEET FAITH
If you find yourself in the touristy Old Town and
desperate for a cup of coffee, head straight to
the only place respected by locals – the
miniature café TO LUBIĘ (I Like It), housed in
the belfry of the Dominican church. You can
also buy some organic honey or fruit conserve
– pretty expensive but 100 % natural.
22 NORMAN FOSTER
BUILDING
28 SOUP-E
Completed in 2003, the METROPOLITAN office
building is British starchitect's Norman Foster
(the one who built London's Gherkin) only
work in this part of Europe. Inner courtyard
with a beautiful fountain is a draw.
23 24 HOUR BISTRO
PRZEKĄSKI ZAKĄSKI, better known as ‘the
BISTRO’ is located in a defunct Hotel
Europejski opposite the posh Hotel Bristol and
the Presidential Palace. Local institution, open
24 hours a day. Patrons range from bums and
crazy old artists to young hipsters. Bistro
offers a simple menu of classic Polish snacks
(herring, sausage, and some other stuff that
can’t be translated – 8 zł each) and drinks
(beer, vodka, wine, coffee, tea, coke – all 4 zł).
Wash the herring down with two shots of
vodka for the ultimate Polish bar experience
and admire the geriatric staff. Warning – avoid
two imitation bars nearby!
17 GAY CLUB IN THE
OLD TOWN
24 UNKNOWN SOLDIER
MONUMENT
Famous for parties that end at 8 a.m. the next
day and adorned with murals by the artist
Karol Radziszewski, TOMBA TOMBA is open to
both gay and straight clubbers, as long as they
like to party hard. The only club in the
otherwise quiet Old Town area.
Three arches of the former Saski Palace are
shelter to the TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN
SOLDIER dedicated to the victims of WWI. In a
miraculous twist of fate, the three arches
survived also the Second World War. There's a
story that Wehrmacht soldiers escaping
Warsaw refused to blow up this part of the
building, as a sign of respect to soldiers
buried there 20 years earlier.
18 OLD MARKET SQUARE
Poles love hot an
chain MARAK of
(both local and in
sizes – to keep y
winters. Price ra
size and flavour.
11-21.
29 TYGMO
Jazz club for mo
one you can alw
least one concer
30 GREEN
The 1999 UNIVE
Uniwersytecka)
modern building
quality learning
green internal s
amazing roof ga
(free!) it gave bir
‘buwing’ (pronou
at the library for
Unfortunately yo
study spaces bu
from the roof. Th
references, start
books on the faç
open daily: 9-21,
open April-Octob
31 COCKRO
There are severa
centre, all comb
food with the thr
smelly bum. UN
because of the lo
the Royal
Route)
Schronisko Młodzieżowe
“Jazz-Pol
door to the unive
academy) and th
dark communist
Guess why.
Crowded with tourists and local families trying
to have quality time together. Dead at night.
Allow yourself ten minutes to look around,
don't eat or drink (expensive) and go
somewhere else.
19 MOVER AND SHAKER
When approaching the Old Town, you will see
a slender column topped by a statue of a man
with a sword and a crucifix. The monument
in plac Zamkowy, popularly referred to as
KOLUMNA ZYGMUNTA, is a token of gratitude
to king Zygmunt III Waza who in 1596 moved
his seat from Cracow to Warsaw and started
the endless feud between the old and the new
capital. After four centuries we are still a
bunch of chancers and nouveau riche scum to
the people in Cracow. Get over it, Cracow!
25 ZACHETA ART GALLERY
Housed in a pompous fin-de-siecle building,
ZACHĘTA is one of two major modern art
galleries in Warsaw. Exhibitions of leading
Polish and foreign 20th and 21st century
artists, a good bookshop with a modest
souvenir section plus the club OBIEKT in the
basement. Gallery open daily 12-20, closed
Monday, free on Thursday. Watch out for a
building with the Latin inscription ARTIBUS
(‘dedicated to art’) over the entrance.
20 TASTE OF MOSCOW METRO
The first ESCALATOR in Warsaw, opened in
1949 is no longer a wonder of technology but
it’s worth seeing – as a downscaled version of
the lavish interiors of the Moscow metro. It
actually was a gift from the Russian capital to
Warsaw. Check out the piece of original
machinery in the basement by the (free and
clean!) public toilet and the Stalinist décor on
the lower platform.
21 PIEROGI IN A CHARMING
STREET
The old, narrow and steep Bednarska street is
favoured as a location by filmmakers. If these
walls could talk, they'd give away a thousand
plots. For lunch: excellent pierogi at the twin
places PIEROGARNIA and CIEPŁE KLUCHY
(12 zł for a serving, hot soup: 3-5 zł, lunch
menu: 14 zł; opening hours – Pierogarnia:
11-21, Ciepłe Kluchy: 11-19).
32 VEGETA
26 MONO BAR
Not exactly a bar, but a full-fledged club, this
is the best place on the party street
Mazowiecka. Located in the 1960s Artists
Association building it is famous for house and
latino parties, popular with the young and
beautiful. Look for an old, crumbling gate and
then try to make your way through the door
selection.
27 VINTAGE SUSHI
Sick of sushi bars looking like a Japanese
dental clinic? SKORUPKA SUSHI CAFE is the
answer to your problem – savour sushi on
funky vintage furniture. Miso soup – 6 zł, maki
from 10 zł for a set of 6.
Poles are quite b
many vegetarian
is one of the few
students, lunch m
lovers, there's a R
next door.
33 KAFKA
Filled with stude
university, KAFK
the coffee and t
for the book-sw
your own book a
from the shelf. I
a deck chair fro
coffee in the sun
Open daily 9-22
GD
One of the most controversial buildings in
Warsaw, designed by Marek Budzyński – the
same guy who gave us the University Library
(no. 30). SĄD NAJWYŻSZY (Supreme Court) is
also green and with trees on top, but this time
15 POLISH-JEWISH
RESTAURANT
E
ZEŻ
BR
WY
artoons')
Polish
0s and 1980s.
es: the teddy
olek and
8 REMNANTS OF
THE JEWISH CITY
wa
TH
nd nutritious soup. The local
fers several sorts of soup
nternational flavours) in three
you warm during those Polish
ange: 4-18,50 zł, depending on
. Open Mon-Sat 10-22, Sun
NT JAZZ CLUB
ore conservative tastes, but
ays rely on as it organises at
rt per night. Open daily 18-4.
LIBRARY
ERSITY LIBRARY (Biblioteka
is one of the most loved
gs in Warsaw. With its great
spaces, shops, cafes, the
treet, green façade and an
arden with views of the city
rth to a social phenomenon of
unce: ‘booving’) – hanging out
r reasons other than reading.
ou need a pass to enter the
t you can take a peek inside
he building is full of literary
ting with seven gigantic open
çade along ul. Dobra. Library
, Sunday 15-20, roof garden
ber 9-18.
OACH BAR
al classic milk bars in the
bining great prices and good
rill of sharing a table with a
NIWERSYTECKI stands out
ocation (right in the middle of
), the studenty crowd (next
l”
ersity and the fine arts
he nick-name it earned in the
t days – “the Cockroach”.
45 BAZAR RÓZYCKIEGO
34 CHILDREN (AND ADULT)
FRIENDLY CAFÉ
Come and witness the last days of the
legendary open-air market in Praga which
used to supply Warsaw with everything from
potatoes to wedding dresses. To be
redeveloped soon, so hurry up.
SZCZOTKI PĘDZLE (Brushes and
Paintbrushes) is a small cafe that operates
under the sign of an old shop that existed
there for decades. It was established by two
young mothers as a children-friendly place,
but don't expect hordes of screaming toddlers.
It is quiet and popular with students who come
here for coffee (from 4,50 zł), cake (6 zł) or
breakfast (10 zł). Open daily: 10-22. Check out
the beautifully designed children's magazine
‘Czarodziejska Kura’ (the Magic Hen) ran by
the owners' husbands.
2 clubs with one address, housed in old
barracks: JADŁODAJNIA FILOZOFICZNA and
DIUNA. Both a bit different, all famous for wild
Friday and Saturday parties and good concerts
of local bands. If you're a rock, indie or punk
music fan you will not leave disappointed. Best
in the summer when the crowd from both
places spills out onto the common courtyard.
36 COFFEE & BOOKS
BARBARIAN STYLE
CZUŁY BARBARZYŃCA is Warsaw’s first – and
perhaps still the best – cafe/bookshop, named
in a tribute to the Czech author Bohumil
Hrabal and its book 'The Gentle Barbarian'.
Coffee, cake and tons of good books, also in
English, plus young crowd. For the illiterate –
a giant swing is hanging from the ceiling.
Open: Mon-Thu 10-22, Fri-Sat 10-24, Sun
12-22.
ŁYSY PINGWIN (Bald Penguin) is perhaps the
best place to hang out in this part of Praga.
Patrons come here for a glass of the excellent
Czech Staropramen beer. On summer
weekends you can enjoy improvised open-air
cinema on the wall of the house.
Standing in front of the Warszawa Wileńska
shopping centre/train station you can trick
yourself into thinking you're in Russia. This is
the point where trains from Petersburg used
to arrive and that's why a huge ORTHODOX
CHURCH was built here – apparently to ease
the culture shock for travellers from Russia.
The Petersburg station does not operate any
more but in 1945 a SOVIET ARMY MONUMENT
was erected in front of the church, so now the
place looks even more Russian. The
monument is called “the four sleepers”
because of the lazy poses of the four soldiers.
47 DESIGN FROM POLAND
Housed on the site of the Koneser vodka
factory, MAGAZYN PRAGA sells the best of
young Polish design plus some paintings and
photography by local artists (ul. Ząbkowska
27/31, entrance through the Koneser factory
gate, open: Tue-Fri 12-20, Sat-Sun 11-18,
closed Mon). Also in the factory area
– LUKSFERA photography gallery.
48 VODKA FACTORY SHOP
40 11 LISTOPADA 22
Beehive of activity in the heart of the so-called
BERMUDA TRIANGLE area (nick-name earned
for the way cars, phones and handbags tend to
disappear here). An alternative
culture/entertainment centre in an old
building is home to clubs & pubs
(SATURATOR, ZWIĄŻ MNIE, SKŁAD BUTELEK,
HYDROZAGADKA) the GS ROZWÓJ gallery and
TEATR ACADEMIA. Busy also on weeknights.
Don't worry about the bad reputation of the
Bermuda Triangle. It's ok so long as you don't
act in a provocative way or don't show off your
fancy new phone in the street.
ig on meat so there are not
places in Warsaw. VEGA BAR
exceptions. Popular with
menus 7-18 zł. For meat
Russian eatery BABOOSHKA
ents from the nearby
KA is famous not just for
he beautiful interior, but also
wap programme. You can bring
and exchange it for any book
In warmer months borrow
om the bar and enjoy your
n on the lawn in front.
.
49 STREET SHRINE
The first shop of the independent fashion
brand GREEN ESTABLISHMENT founded by
three young local designers. Doubles as a
textile shop and an all-day hang out for the
friends (and friends of friends).
42 THE HOLLYWOOD GHETTO
The streets Stalowa, Konopacka and Mała in
the run-down Praga district escaped war
demolition, post-war reconstruction and
recent gentrification. Owing to that, they are
probably the closest to what poor parts of
Warsaw used to look like. No wonder it was
used by the director Roman Polański as a set
for his Oscar-winning film ‘The Pianist’.
43 BAMBINI DI PRAGA
CAFÉ
A branch of the cult Czuły Barbarzyńca
bookshop cafe (no. 36) in an otherwise
disgusting new cinema building. Great for
a lazy afternoon.
38 THE BEARS
Right next to the bus stop you can see bears in
action all year round – a living advertisement
for the nearby Zoo.
For the ultimate communist milk bar
experience visit the ZĄBKOWSKI milk bar on
the corner.
W
In
ży
50 LONGEST BUILDING
IN WARSAW
508 metres and 43 entrances. According to an
urban myth it was designed to conceal
crumbling buildings of old Praga from the
sight of people arriving at the train station
across the street. Nicknames include:
Dachshund, Anthill, Tapeworm. Immortalised
by UK band Travis in their video ‘Love Will
Come Through’ (2003).
Once an architectural gem, now far from its
former glory. Try to spot the beautiful concrete
roof at the entrance to the subway. Also an
important place for everyone heading east of
Warsaw – all the buses leave from this station.
One
the
par
roc
scu
by t
the
fact
55
As
tow
the
for
56
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During World War II people in Warsaw needed
a lot of prayer so they started to build private
shrines near their houses. You can spot a
statue of Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ in many
courtyards and that is a sign that the building
was erected before the war. This one – on the
corner of Ząbkowska and Korsaka – is a rarity:
situated not in a courtyard but in the street
where an entrance to a corner shop should
normally be. Colourful, kitschy, a bit Latino,
often adorned with candles and flowers by
local ladies, it is an essence of Polish folk
Catholicism.
51 STADION BUS STATION
44 MILK BAR
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54
41 FASHION IN OLD PRAGA
11
Lis
to
pa
da
RIAN OR RUSSIAN?
53 S
M
Rub shoulders with local drunks at the modest
Koneser vodka factory shop. Address:
Ząbkowska 33 – easy to pass by. Open 24
hours a day!
37 THE MERMAID
Bearing a sword and a shield, the mermaid
(SYRENA, syrenka) is an official symbol of the
city. There are lots of statues scattered around
the city and you can’t avoid the one in the Old
Town Square, but we prefer the one on the
riverfront. Muscular and androgynous, it
better reflects the character of the city and its
symbol, the bad-ass sister of the romantic and
peaceful Copenhagen mermaid. The statue,
finished in 1939, was modeled for by the
student Krystyna Krahelska who tragically
died 5 years later in the uprising against
Germans, adding a new dimension to the
monument. The surrounding park, generally
empty, is a good place for joggers and cyclers.
Good view to the new-ish Świętokrzyski Bridge
– one of the icons of modern Warsaw.
Modes
flagsh
actual
46 THE BALD PENGUIN
39 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
35 CLUBS AT DOBRA 33
52 C
40
a
ERB
45 BAZAR RÓZYCKIEGO
DREN (AND ADULT)
NDLY CAFÉ
Come and witness the last days of the
legendary open-air market in Praga which
used to supply Warsaw with everything from
potatoes to wedding dresses. To be
redeveloped soon, so hurry up.
ĘDZLE (Brushes and
s) is a small cafe that operates
gn of an old shop that existed
cades. It was established by two
ers as a children-friendly place,
pect hordes of screaming toddlers.
d popular with students who come
ee (from 4,50 zł), cake (6 zł) or
0 zł). Open daily: 10-22. Check out
lly designed children's magazine
ka Kura’ (the Magic Hen) ran by
husbands.
ŁYSY PINGWIN (Bald Penguin) is perhaps the
best place to hang out in this part of Praga.
Patrons come here for a glass of the excellent
Czech Staropramen beer. On summer
weekends you can enjoy improvised open-air
cinema on the wall of the house.
FEE & BOOKS
BARIAN STYLE
BARZYŃCA is Warsaw’s first – and
the best – cafe/bookshop, named
o the Czech author Bohumil
ts book 'The Gentle Barbarian'.
and tons of good books, also in
s young crowd. For the illiterate –
g is hanging from the ceiling.
Thu 10-22, Fri-Sat 10-24, Sun
Standing in front of the Warszawa Wileńska
shopping centre/train station you can trick
yourself into thinking you're in Russia. This is
the point where trains from Petersburg used
to arrive and that's why a huge ORTHODOX
CHURCH was built here – apparently to ease
the culture shock for travellers from Russia.
The Petersburg station does not operate any
more but in 1945 a SOVIET ARMY MONUMENT
was erected in front of the church, so now the
place looks even more Russian. The
monument is called “the four sleepers”
because of the lazy poses of the four soldiers.
47 DESIGN FROM POLAND
Housed on the site of the Koneser vodka
factory, MAGAZYN PRAGA sells the best of
young Polish design plus some paintings and
photography by local artists (ul. Ząbkowska
27/31, entrance through the Koneser factory
gate, open: Tue-Fri 12-20, Sat-Sun 11-18,
closed Mon). Also in the factory area
– LUKSFERA photography gallery.
48 VODKA FACTORY SHOP
40 11 LISTOPADA 22
Beehive of activity in the heart of the so-called
BERMUDA TRIANGLE area (nick-name earned
for the way cars, phones and handbags tend to
disappear here). An alternative
culture/entertainment centre in an old
building is home to clubs & pubs
(SATURATOR, ZWIĄŻ MNIE, SKŁAD BUTELEK,
HYDROZAGADKA) the GS ROZWÓJ gallery and
TEATR ACADEMIA. Busy also on weeknights.
Don't worry about the bad reputation of the
Bermuda Triangle. It's ok so long as you don't
act in a provocative way or don't show off your
fancy new phone in the street.
54 PARK SKARYSZEWSKI
49 STREET SHRINE
41 FASHION IN OLD PRAGA
The first shop of the independent fashion
brand GREEN ESTABLISHMENT founded by
three young local designers. Doubles as a
textile shop and an all-day hang out for the
friends (and friends of friends).
42 THE HOLLYWOOD GHETTO
The streets Stalowa, Konopacka and Mała in
the run-down Praga district escaped war
demolition, post-war reconstruction and
recent gentrification. Owing to that, they are
probably the closest to what poor parts of
Warsaw used to look like. No wonder it was
used by the director Roman Polański as a set
for his Oscar-winning film ‘The Pianist’.
43 BAMBINI DI PRAGA
A branch of the cult Czuły Barbarzyńca
bookshop cafe (no. 36) in an otherwise
disgusting new cinema building. Great for
a lazy afternoon.
o the bus stop you can see bears in
ar round – a living advertisement
by Zoo.
For the ultimate communist milk bar
experience visit the ZĄBKOWSKI milk bar on
the corner.
a
low
Sta
In
ży
50 LONGEST BUILDING
IN WARSAW
508 metres and 43 entrances. According to an
urban myth it was designed to conceal
crumbling buildings of old Praga from the
sight of people arriving at the train station
across the street. Nicknames include:
Dachshund, Anthill, Tapeworm. Immortalised
by UK band Travis in their video ‘Love Will
Come Through’ (2003).
Once an architectural gem, now far from its
former glory. Try to spot the beautiful concrete
roof at the entrance to the subway. Also an
important place for everyone heading east of
Warsaw – all the buses leave from this station.
One of the biggest and most beautiful parks in
the city. Landscaped to resemble different
parts of Poland – from lowlands and lakes to
rocky mountains. Famous also for its art deco
sculptures, the pedal boats that can be rented
by the lake (by the restaurant U Pstrąga) and
the sweet smell from the Wedel chocolate
factory across the water.
55 TOILET SWEET TOILET
As sick as it sounds, some of the best pastry in
town can be found in a former toilet. Try one of
the excellent cakes at MISIANKA and you’ll
forgive and forget the past.
56 FLEA MARKET
In true Warsaw tradition (see: no 53) STADION
OLIMPII (Olimpia Stadium) doubles as a
market. Every Sunday morning (7-13) local
bums and shady vendours display their
merchandise on bunk beds or on the
pavement: old vinyl records, books, bicycles,
footwear. Every once in a while you may
stumble upon decent piece of earthenware or
glassware. Recommended for the strongly
motivated fans of seedy vintage. Take bus
#171 from metro stations Centrum,
Świętokrzyska or Ratusz to the stop called
Stadion Olimpia. Main entrance marked by a
gigantic yellow steel giraffe.
a
ck
pa
no
Ko
KA
ŃS
LO
IEL
JAG
a
w
zo
us
t
Ra
During World War II people in Warsaw needed
a lot of prayer so they started to build private
shrines near their houses. You can spot a
statue of Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ in many
courtyards and that is a sign that the building
was erected before the war. This one – on the
corner of Ząbkowska and Korsaka – is a rarity:
situated not in a courtyard but in the street
where an entrance to a corner shop should
normally be. Colourful, kitschy, a bit Latino,
often adorned with candles and flowers by
local ladies, it is an essence of Polish folk
Catholicism.
51 STADION BUS STATION
44 MILK BAR
11
Lis
to
pa
da
BEARS
Opened in 1955, STADION DZIESIĘCIOLECIA
used to be the largest and the most
prestigious sports venue in Poland. Around
1990 the crumbling icon turned into a huge
market catering to the needs of the whole
region, selling everything from pirate CDs
and fake designer bags to guns and exotic
food. The vendours came from former Soviet
Union or even farther Eastern countries. It is
also the centre of the Vietnamese community
in Warsaw – the largest ethnic minority.
There's even a PAGODA! Spot it on the
northern fringe of the area (address:
Zamoyskiego 4). But hurry up! The old
structure is slowly making way for the new
National Stadium, due for the UEFA European
Football Championship 2012. The market still
exits north of it, but its days are counted.
Rub shoulders with local drunks at the modest
Koneser vodka factory shop. Address:
Ząbkowska 33 – easy to pass by. Open 24
hours a day!
MERMAID
word and a shield, the mermaid
renka) is an official symbol of the
re lots of statues scattered around
you can’t avoid the one in the Old
e, but we prefer the one on the
Muscular and androgynous, it
ts the character of the city and its
bad-ass sister of the romantic and
penhagen mermaid. The statue,
939, was modeled for by the
styna Krahelska who tragically
later in the uprising against
dding a new dimension to the
The surrounding park, generally
good place for joggers and cyclers.
o the new-ish Świętokrzyski Bridge
icons of modern Warsaw.
53 STADIUM TURNED
MARKET
40
a
h one address, housed in old
ADŁODAJNIA FILOZOFICZNA and
h a bit different, all famous for wild
Saturday parties and good concerts
ds. If you're a rock, indie or punk
ou will not leave disappointed. Best
mer when the crowd from both
s out onto the common courtyard.
Modest alternative to the posh E.Wedel
flagship store in the centre, housed in the
actual chocolate factory building.
46 THE BALD PENGUIN
39 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
BS AT DOBRA 33
52 CHOCOLATE FACTORY SHOP
cka
dle
a
ńsk
czy
A LO
Warsaw may be hard to fall in love with at the first
sight, but you will find excellent places hidden on top
floors, in basements and backyards, in small shops,
galleries and crumbling sheds.
Don't spend too much time in the Old Town (Stare
Miasto). It's a charming place, a World Heritage Site
according to UNESCO. Locals don’t go there to often
– for several reasons: restaurants are expensive and in
most cases awful, there’s no night life because the
neighbours like it quiet after 10 p.m., the Mermaid
fountain makes obscene noises. Half an hour is just
enough to admire the architecture, then head south to
the real centre of the city.
Buy and wear vintage clothing – we invented vintage
before it was called vintage. You will find a shop
bearing a sign ‘lumpeks’, ‘szmateks’, ‘odzież używana’
on every corner.
Eat at the milk bar – for some a necessity, for others a
lifestyle option, milk bars (bar mleczny) are extremely
popular, especially among students, pensioners, bums,
impoverished intelligentsia and hipsters. Left over from
communist days, they offer you super cheap lunch - a
two-course meal under 10 zł. Bars differ slightly in
quality, but in all of them the menu does not consist
just of dairy products, but other Polish favourites like
hearty soups, pierogi (dumplings filled with different
sorts of things - ground meat, cheese, mushrooms
etc.) or schabowy (Wienerschnitzel-like pork chop).
Football rivalry - learn to distinguish the two rival
football clubs: Legia and Polonia. The first uses the
Italian flag colour scheme (green+white+red), the latter
goes for black. You can see an L-in-a-circle graffiti all
over the city. L with a crown on top was obviously
scribbled by a Legia fan, an L on gallows – by a Polonia
fan.
Careful with alcohol outdoors – drinking outside is
prohibited in central areas, even if it’s an innocent
bottle of beer.
Go green – take advantage of the fact that Warsaw is
one of the greenest big cities in Europe, with a wild
river cutting right through the centre. You can have a
civilized time in a park or go for more extreme options:
penetrate the abandoned Port Praski harbour or try to
walk around the city without ever leaving a park (it is
possible!).
Learn the toilet signage – a triangle is for men’s room,
a circle – for ladies’. Don’t ask us why. Public toilets are
almost non-existent in Warsaw (except for metro
stations – clean, cheap and empty) so better do what
you have to do before leaving the bar.
Feel free to isolate yourself from the outside. What in
many relaxed cities would look pretentious – typing
away on your computer in a café or restaurant – is
totally normal here.
Shop late – shops are open really late here, many on
Sundays too. In 2007 a bill was passed that banned
shopping on 8 major national and religious holidays,
but otherwise you’re free to spend, spend, spend.
Poles after WWII, is a must-see fo
interested in Jewish culture and h
represents the past – the monum
GHETTO HEROES MEMORIAL and
surrounding blocks built in the 19
1960s directly on the site of the ru
neighbourhood. If you go south, to
Nowolipie, you will even see build
above street level on a layer of so
Willy Brandt square also represen
– check out the funnily shaped bl
OHEL, that advertises the MUSEU
HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS, to be
Join the locals who like to walk th
sunbathe on the site of the future
You can also take bus #180 or #1
JEWISH CEMETERY (to the last st
Esperanto).
6 VINTAGE CLOTHES
Named simply VINTAGE this shop
enthusiasts sells carefuly selecte
vintage clothing. Hard to spot - fi
gate left to the KFC, enter the cou
head left.
7 OLD CARTOONS
KULTOWE DOBRANOCKI ('Cult Ca
sells memorabilia and DVDs with
cartoon characters from the 1970
Learn to love our childhood heroe
bear Uszatek and the two boys Bo
Lolek.
Above all – you don’t really have to act like a local. At
least half of the permanent citizens of Warsaw were
not even born here. Strangers are welcome with their
strange ways.
SIGHTSEEING
a
Tat
FOOD
ga
Jana Ostro
BAR
SHOP
Wawrzyszewska
Ob
oz
ow
a
GOING OUT
ł
So
Zawiszy
HOSTEL
Płocka
ny
Syre
Aga
wy
Złocienia
TRAM
51
Grenady
Żytnia
56
GÓRCZEW
SKA
Rabsztyńs
ka
za
iewic
Tyszk
METRO
Płocka
owska
Działd
USE-IT tourist maps and budget guides
also exist in Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo, Brussels, Ljubljana,... USE-IT is
not-commercial, no-nonsense, free, up-to-date and made by young locals.
If you want to make the network bigger, see: WWW.USE-IT.INFO
12 CINEMA PARADISO
20 TASTE OF MOSCOW METRO
6
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Filled with stude
university, KAFK
the coffee and t
for the book-sw
your own book a
from the shelf. I
a deck chair fro
coffee in the sun
Open daily 9-22
Sick of sushi bars looking like a Japanese
dental clinic? SKORUPKA SUSHI CAFE is the
answer to your problem – savour sushi on
funky vintage furniture. Miso soup – 6 zł, maki
from 10 zł for a set of 6.
IEGO
IŃSK
SŁOM
ska
ow
rak
Bu
1
33 KAFKA
27 VINTAGE SUSHI
The old, narrow and steep Bednarska street is
favoured as a location by filmmakers. If these
walls could talk, they'd give away a thousand
plots. For lunch: excellent pierogi at the twin
places PIEROGARNIA and CIEPŁE KLUCHY
(12 zł for a serving, hot soup: 3-5 zł, lunch
menu: 14 zł; opening hours – Pierogarnia:
11-21, Ciepłe Kluchy: 11-19).
One of the most controversial buildings in
Warsaw, designed by Marek Budzyński – the
same guy who gave us the University Library
(no. 30). SĄD NAJWYŻSZY (Supreme Court) is
also green and with trees on top, but this time
the architect was accused of drawing
inspiration from Nazi architecture. Go make
up your own mind.
Poles are quite b
many vegetarian
is one of the few
students, lunch m
lovers, there's a R
next door.
Not exactly a bar, but a full-fledged club, this
is the best place on the party street
Mazowiecka. Located in the 1960s Artists
Association building it is famous for house and
latino parties, popular with the young and
beautiful. Look for an old, crumbling gate and
then try to make your way through the door
selection.
Mi
ęd
zy
pa
rko
wa
14 COURT OF GLASS
32 VEGETAR
26 MONO BAR
21 PIEROGI IN A CHARMING
STREET
A lot has been done for the past 60 years to
erase every trace of war demolition and it is
hard to imagine now what the city looked like
in 1945, when 80% of the buildings were
destroyed. Take a look at the spectacular RUIN
OF THE NATIONAL BANK in Bielańska street.
artoons')
Polish
0s and 1980s.
es: the teddy
olek and
The first ESCALATOR in Warsaw, opened in
1949 is no longer a wonder of technology but
it’s worth seeing – as a downscaled version of
the lavish interiors of the Moscow metro. It
actually was a gift from the Russian capital to
Warsaw. Check out the piece of original
machinery in the basement by the (free and
clean!) public toilet and the Stalinist décor on
the lower platform.
Dłu
ga
Named in honour of Bernardo Bertolucci’s
1988 cult film, KINO PARADISO is the smallest
and the most independent of Warsaw’s
cinemas, hidden in an old palace lost on a
traffic island. See your favourite Lynch or
Jarmusch and other indie classics to the
sound of trams passing by (open Tue-Sun,
tickets 5-13 zł).
Attention movie goers! Luckily, most of the
films in Poland are subtitled, so you can watch
films in English or in your native language.
13 THE LAST RUIN
p ran by
ed pieces of
irst find the
urtyard and
artists, a good bookshop with a modest
souvenir section plus the club OBIEKT in the
basement. Gallery open daily 12-20, closed
Monday, free on Thursday. Watch out for a
building with the Latin inscription ARTIBUS
(‘dedicated to art’) over the entrance.
the endless feud between the old and the new
capital. After four centuries we are still a
bunch of chancers and nouveau riche scum to
the people in Cracow. Get over it, Cracow!
Dł
ug
a
screenings in the summer, for a breathtaking
view of the Old Town on one side and the
modern city on the other (al. Solidarności 64
m. 118, open Thu-Fri, 10-14 + on special
occasions).
Lew
art
ow
ski
ego
or anyone
history. It
mental
d the
950s and
uined Jewish
owards ul.
dings elevated
oil and rubble.
nts the future
ue tent called
UM OF THE
e built here.
heir dogs and
e museum.
111, to the old
top called
8
ski
rzybow
Plac G
ska
lew
Kró
na
Próż
Oki Dok
ARIAN OR RUSSIAN?
42 THE HOLLYWOOD GHETTO
The streets Stalowa, Konopacka and Mała in
the run-down Praga district escaped war
demolition, post-war reconstruction and
recent gentrification. Owing to that, they are
probably the closest to what poor parts of
Warsaw used to look like. No wonder it was
used by the director Roman Polański as a set
for his Oscar-winning film ‘The Pianist’.
big on meat so there are not
places in Warsaw. VEGA BAR
exceptions. Popular with
menus 7-18 zł. For meat
Russian eatery BABOOSHKA
ents from the nearby
KA is famous not just for
the beautiful interior, but also
wap programme. You can bring
and exchange it for any book
In warmer months borrow
om the bar and enjoy your
n on the lawn in front.
2.
A branch of the cult Czuły Barbarzyńca
bookshop cafe (no. 36) in an otherwise
disgusting new cinema building. Great for
a lazy afternoon.
38 THE BEARS
Right next to the bus stop you can see bears in
action all year round – a living advertisement
for the nearby Zoo.
ka
rsa
Ko
ka
ws
rko
Ma
dna
Ra
na
Oboź
33
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Tamka
11
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52
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34
ZAMOYSK
51
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26 29
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103
41
In
ży
ni
er
sk
a
As
tow
the
for
Once an architectural gem, now far from its
former glory. Try to spot the beautiful concrete
roof at the entrance to the subway. Also an
important place for everyone heading east of
Warsaw – all the buses leave from this station.
For the ultimate communist milk bar
experience visit the ZĄBKOWSKI milk bar on
the corner.
a
low
Sta
50 LONGEST BUILDING
IN WARSAW
51 STADION BUS STATION
44 MILK BAR
a
w
zo
us
t
Ra
55
508 metres and 43 entrances. According to an
urban myth it was designed to conceal
crumbling buildings of old Praga from the
sight of people arriving at the train station
across the street. Nicknames include:
Dachshund, Anthill, Tapeworm. Immortalised
by UK band Travis in their video ‘Love Will
Come Through’ (2003).
43 BAMBINI DI PRAGA
CAFÉ
corner of Ząbkowska and Korsaka – is a rarity:
situated not in a courtyard but in the street
where an entrance to a corner shop should
normally be. Colourful, kitschy, a bit Latino,
often adorned with candles and flowers by
local ladies, it is an essence of Polish folk
Catholicism.
Rad
zym
ińs
ka
symbol, the bad-ass sister of the romantic and
peaceful Copenhagen mermaid. The statue,
finished in 1939, was modeled for by the
student Krystyna Krahelska who tragically
died 5 years later in the uprising against
Germans, adding a new dimension to the
monument. The surrounding park, generally
empty, is a good place for joggers and cyclers.
Good view to the new-ish Świętokrzyski Bridge
– one of the icons of modern Warsaw.
42 THE HOLLYWOOD GHETTO
The streets Stalowa, Konopacka and Mała in
the run-down Praga district escaped war
demolition, post-war reconstruction and
recent gentrification. Owing to that, they are
probably the closest to what poor parts of
Warsaw used to look like. No wonder it was
used by the director Roman Polański as a set
for his Oscar-winning film ‘The Pianist’.
A branch of the cult Czuły Barbarzyńca
bookshop cafe (no. 36) in an otherwise
disgusting new cinema building. Great for
a lazy afternoon.
I
ŚC
NO
47
45
ka
ws
rko
Ma
11
Lis
to
pa
da
i
rze
Ok
44
TA
RG
OW
A
A
SK
W
JI O
K
ka
ińs
es
rz
W
ka
ńs
nie
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go
kie
ws
ko
ra
Sie
o
ieg
sk
ow
t
po
Kło
a
sk
ze
Br
a
sk
oń
iel
Jag
43
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ska
kow
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ą
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46
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33
nów
ery
Sew
etia
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za
jęc
Za
36
ska
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GROCHOWSK
A
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52
54
TURN FOR
CITY SOUTH
a
sk
Sa
t
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tow
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n
Po
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Fran
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49
TEN MINUTES WALK
53
na
a
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Wi
ow
Lip
ka
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w
Ka
50
ZAMOYSKIEGO
30
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39
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Ra
In true Warsaw tradition (see: no 53) STADION
OLIMPII (Olimpia Stadium) doubles as a
market. Every Sunday morning (7-13) local
bums and shady vendours display their
merchandise on bunk beds or on the
pavement: old vinyl records, books, bicycles,
footwear. Every once in a while you may
stumble upon decent piece of earthenware or
glassware. Recommended for the strongly
motivated fans of seedy vintage. Take bus
#171 from metro stations Centrum,
Świętokrzyska or Ratusz to the stop called
Stadion Olimpia. Main entrance marked by a
gigantic yellow steel giraffe.
40
a
ińsk
hom
Tarc
wa
rgo
Ta
41
In
ży
ni
er
sk
a
56 FLEA MARKET
a
ck
pa
no
Ko
KA
ŃS
LO
IEL
JAG
KIE
LS
HE
103
Once an architectural gem, now far from its
former glory. Try to spot the beautiful concrete
roof at the entrance to the subway. Also an
important place for everyone heading east of
Warsaw – all the buses leave from this station.
For the ultimate communist milk bar
experience visit the ZĄBKOWSKI milk bar on
the corner.
a
low
Sta
As sick as it sounds, some of the best pastry in
town can be found in a former toilet. Try one of
the excellent cakes at MISIANKA and you’ll
forgive and forget the past.
51 STADION BUS STATION
44 MILK BAR
a
w
zo
us
t
Ra
50 LONGEST BUILDING
IN WARSAW
Lubelska
o the bus stop you can see bears in
ear round – a living advertisement
rby Zoo.
55 TOILET SWEET TOILET
508 metres and 43 entrances. According to an
urban myth it was designed to conceal
crumbling buildings of old Praga from the
sight of people arriving at the train station
across the street. Nicknames include:
Dachshund, Anthill, Tapeworm. Immortalised
by UK band Travis in their video ‘Love Will
Come Through’ (2003).
43 BAMBINI DI PRAGA
BEARS
corner of Ząbkowska and Korsaka – is a rarity:
situated not in a courtyard but in the street
where an entrance to a corner shop should
normally be. Colourful, kitschy, a bit Latino,
often adorned with candles and flowers by
local ladies, it is an essence of Polish folk
Catholicism.
Rad
zym
ińs
ka
bad-ass sister of the romantic and
penhagen mermaid. The statue,
939, was modeled for by the
styna Krahelska who tragically
later in the uprising against
dding a new dimension to the
The surrounding park, generally
good place for joggers and cyclers.
o the new-ish Świętokrzyski Bridge
icons of modern Warsaw.
1 US DOLLAR = 2,15 ZŁ
1 CZECH CROWN = 0,13 ZŁ
1 RUSIAN RUBLE = 0,094 ZŁ
1 SWISS FRANK = 2,11 ZŁ
1 JAPANESE YEN = 2,11 ZŁ
HOSTELS
Garden Villa – ul. Dolna 42
Single ride ticket = 2,80zł,
20 min. ticket = 2zł, 30 min. = 2,40zł,
40 min. = 2,80zł.
24-hour, 3-day, 7-day tickets also
available.
Tickets may be bought at most
newsagent's, and all post offices
also in ticket machines at metro
stations and several central
locations.
We have only one metro line but
we’re proud of it, as it is one of the
cleanest and safest in Europe (5 p.m.
- 12 a.m., extended til 3 a.m. on
Friday and Saturday night).
Helvetia – ul. Kopernika 36/40,
entrance from ul. Sewerynów
Most of the night buses
(11p.m. to 5 a.m.) meet at the
Central Train Station.
Jump Inn – ul. Prokuratorska 2
Useful bus lines:
Kanonia – ul. Jezuicka 2
Oki-Doki – pl. Dąbrowskiego 3
Tamka – ul. Tamka 30
Nathans's Villa - ul. Piękna 24/26
Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe
nr 2 ul. Smolna 30
Schronisko Młodzieżowe "Zielone
Mazowsze" Green Mazovia
ul. Nowogrodzka 46/6
#175 – bus linking the airport
(Lotnisko im. Fryderyka Chopina),
the Central Train Station (Warszawa
Centralna), the city centre (centrum)
and the Old Town (Stare Miasto)
#180 – links all major historical
sites – from the old Catholic and
Jewish cemeteries, former Jewish
district in the north, through the Old
Town, the Royal Route, down to the
former royal palace in Wilanów
#100 – official tourist line winding
around the centre, including Praga
and the Old Town.
Central Train Station (Warszawa
Centralna), main hall, open daily:
8-20 (May-September),
8-18 (October-April)
Airport, Terminal 1, open daily:
9-17 (May-September),
8-18 (October-April)
Airport, Terminal 2, open daily:
8-20 (May-September),
9-17 (October-April)
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 39
(near the Old Town), open daily:
9-20 (May-September),
9-18 (October-April)
SI
Ludwiki
A
KASPRZAK
Bema
1 BRITISH POUND = 4,39 ZŁ
One ticket system for trams, metro
and buses.
TOURIST OFFICES
SKA
WOL
skiego
Krzyżanow
1 EURO = 3,38 ZŁ
Warsaw is not easy to travel on foot
or on a bike. Bad pavements, cars
parking everywhere, rude drivers,
big roads that you can only pass
underground, long distances: all this
means that it does make sense to
use public transport from time to
time.
Płocka
1 ZŁOTY = € 0,3 = $ 0,46
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
y
Syren
MONEY
wska
Sokoło
TOURIST
INFO
MUSEUMS
Most museums and galleries are
closed on Monday, except for the
Warsaw Rising Museum (no. 57)
– closed Tuesday.
G
Free entrance on Thursday in the two
major contemporary art galleries –
Zachęta (no. 25) and CSW (no. 95), on
Saturday in the National Museum
(no. 85) and on Sunday in the
Warsaw Rising Museum (no. 57).
You can catch a bus or a tram in any
direction (incl. #175) from the busy
junction Rondo Dmowskiego, where
Marszałkowska and Aleje
Jerozolimskie – the main avenues
– cross. This is also where the
biggest metro station, called
Centrum, is located.
57 WARSAW SAW WA
WARSAW RISING MUSEUM is the
popular in the city. It tells the trag
Warsaw and its citizens in World W
focusing on the 1944 uprising aga
Germans. Check out the murals in
memorial garden painted by mod
artists. Allow about 2 hours to see
Entrance from ul. Przyokopowa, o
Wed, Fri 8-18, Thu 8-20, Sat-Sun
Tue, tickets: 4/2 zł.
SPRING
SUMMER
June and July are the hottest months of the year. In the
beginning of July EVERYBODY goes on holiday, and those who
have to work use every opportunity to get out for weekends.
The Polish Army Day (August 15th) is the peak of the holiday
season. Weather stays brilliant for most of the summer so it’s
a great time if you want to walk or cycle and explore a lot or
just enjoy the parks. Enjoy the riverfront! There's plenty to do
in the warmer months: cycling, walking, picnics, wild
beaches. Swimming is not advised, but you can take
advantage of our modest fleet and see the city from the other
side. Every day you can cross the river on a ferry connecting
S
R N
U SO
AW
FO A
SE F RS
O A
W
Life seems to speed up in March when days get longer and
temperature exceeds 10 degrees. This does not apply just to
plants and animals but also to cultural and social life. May is
perhaps the best time to visit Warsaw – to see the city at its
warmest, greenest, most exciting. Note – although Warsaw is
the least religious city in Poland, avoid visiting around Easter
– shops, restaurants, museums, practically everything is shut
down for at least 3 days.
Unmissable: lazy time in the green, studenty Powiśle area
(see no. 30, 33-37).
AUTUMN
The city fills back with people throughout September.
Theatres start the new season towards the end of the month.
On October 1st classes start at universities and the cultural
season kicks off for good.
Unmissable: Warsaw Film Festival – a showcase for indie
movies from all over the world (October, www.wff.pl);
visit at the old Powązki cemetery on November 1st (no. 1).
58 FILTRY CAFE
Charming neighbourhood cafe in
Ochota district run by locals in a
laundry shop. Strictly non-smok
8-20, Sat 10-20, Sun 10-18.
A
Wronia
Tw
ard
a
62
63
a
Złot
Plac Zawis
zy
i
Oczk
Tar
czy
ńsk
a
jowa
Kole
Sz
czę
śli
wi
ck
a
KO
PIŃ
SK
A
n the leafy
a former
king. Open daily
Krzywickiego
RASZYŃSKA
GR
ÓJE
CK
A
Asn
yka
ia
M
a
Hoż
N
Filtrowa
59
Jump Inn
Reja
WAWELSKA
Bia
łob
rze
ska
Ro
kos
ow
ska
63 ROCK AROUND THE Winn
ick
a
SHOPPING CENTRE
You probably won’t avoid the new ZŁOTE
TARASY SHOPPING CENTRE. Some say it’s the
definition of bad taste, some think it’s a
wonder of architecture, we diplomatically say
that the glass roof is spectacular. It is also
home to two important concert venues:
AKWARIUM JAZZ CLUB and HARD ROCK
CAFE. Surprisingly, HRC offers a very good
concert programme – from veteran Polish
punk rock bands to the hippest international
artists. Entrance to both places from the patio
on the Central Train Station side.
64 VIEW FROM 40 TH FLOOR
OF MARRIOTT HOTEL
When opened in 1989, the 140-metre
MARRIOTT HOTEL instantly became a shrine
to capitalist economy. Indulge in pure hotelier
kitsch – hectares of plush carpeting and
dozens of crystal chandeliers – for at least 490
zł per night. Or take a lift to the 40th floor to
the PANORAMA BAR. It’s actually located
higher than the famous observation deck in
the Palace of Culture (no. 68). And weatherproof. You can enjoy a night view of the city and
a 16 zł beer (open: daily 20-2).
To the
airport
ka
rasz
Ond
e most
gic story of
War II,
ainst
in the
dern Polish
e everything.
open: Mon,
10-18, closed
c
Mo
76
WAWELSKA
METRO
AR
de
Aka
hn
ac
kie
no
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ws
kie
go
Rasz
yńsk
a
cza
owi
arut
N
c
Pla
7
ólna
Wsp
Koszykowa
Filtrowa
Krzyckiego
TRAM
Barska
m
ick
a
GR
ZY
MA
ŁY
Kaliska
Joteyki
58
73
No
Sękocińska
69
AL. NIEPODLEGŁOŚCI
HOSTEL
a
isk
Sp
Niem
cewic
za
KIE
IMS
L
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OZ
JER
AL.
Da
lek
a
7
68
O
KIEG
IŃS
ŁUB
CHA
dzka
ogro
Now
GOING OUT
67
64
SKIE
LIM
OZO
R
E
J
AL.
jowa
Kole
70
a
ieln
Chm
leya
Lind
Przyo
kopow
a
66
a
Ślisk
na
Sien
zna
Żela
a
Brylowsk
SHOP
ska
Pań
a
zian
Mied
o
ieg
sk
ń
y
sz
Da
Szarych Szeregów
65
Rondo ONZ
WA
RO
WA
TO
Korczaka
o
nd
Ro
ca
Pere
71
r
late
E. P
STA
PRO
ka
szows
Hrubie
BAR
61
a
ard
Tw
a
Łuck
Przyokopowa
wa
Karolko
ska
Rogaliń
wicka
Skiernie
FOOD
57
a
odzk
iogr
m
d
Sie
IGHTSEEING
ska
bow
Grzy
ców
Wali
wska
Jaktoro
60
owa
Lesz
68 STALIN’S WEDDING CAKE
Palace of Culture and
Science
PAŁAC KULTURY I NAUKI (Palace of Culture
and Science), built by Polish and Russian
architects in the 1950s, is a cousin to
Moscow’s famous „seven daugthers of Stalin”
skyscrapers. For decades regarded as a
symbol of Russian domination it is still equally
loved and loathed. Icon of the city and an
infallible orientation point. Seeing the
panorama from observation deck at the 30th
floor is a must and helps making sense of the
city. Admire monstrous sculptures on the
facades and check the time on the millennium
clock. In winter enjoy the ice skating rink by
the northern entrance, which in summer turns
into a basketball court. Observation deck open
daily September 16-May 31: 9-18, 1 July-15
September: 9-20, tickets: 20/15 zł. Entrance
from ul. Marszałkowska side, ask at the
reception for further directions.
69 GEEKY TECHNOLOGY
MUSEUM
Marvel at the delightfully old-school museum
of technology (MUZEUM TECHNIKI). Main
attractions include a planetarium and the
‘glass maiden’ (szklana panienka) – glass
model of a human body constructed by East
German engineers (Palace of Culture and
Science, entrance from Aleje Jerozolimskie,
open: Tue-Fri 9-17, Sat-Sun 10-17, closed
Mondays, tickets: 8/5 zł, extra charges for the
73 WICKED WICKER
If you’re into rustic style, want to get in touch
with your inner hippie or just buy something
nice and Polish for your grandmother, go for
wicker (wiklina). Skip the overpriced Cepelia
folk handicraft shops and head to the tiny
kiosk in Aleje Jerozolimskie, just next to the
Śródmieście train station, brimming with
everything wicker. Hey, we even made an
EXPO pavilion out of it!
79 FOUR STO
FILMS, MU
TRAFFIC is an art n
turned into a multim
the stained glass in
of fashion. Excellen
you’re not decided w
coffee and leaf throu
magazines in weath
Open Mon-Sat 10-2
74 TIME MACHINE
After over 100 years in service the funny
machine called FOTOPLASTIKON still
entertains. Take a trip back in time and see
vintage slides from exotic trips and fin-desiecle Warsaw. Go through the gate of the old
house in Aleje Jerozolimskie 51. Open Mon-Fri
12-17, Sat 11-14, tickets: 20zł.
75 BIKER'S BAR
80 HIP LUNC
CYKLOZA – a bar and meeting spot for all
bicycle enthusiasts.
No longer the secr
the nineties, MIĘD
reputation of an el
place. Perhaps bec
sign still hanging a
casual place for lu
menus, under 20 z
(6,50) or beer (9). S
beautiful in-house
a
ernik
Kop
85
lna
Smo
87
Mo
kot
ow
ska
Ko
sz
yk
ow
a
93
92
AL.
al. S
zuc
ha
Bagatela
Garden Villa
98
a
wieck
Myśli
97
Zol
i
Łazienkowska
Agry
kola
99
85 AS FARAS YOU CAN GO
MUZEUM NARODOWE (National Museum) is
worth visiting for two reasons: its imposing
quasi-Nazi architecture and the spellbinding
collection of excavations from Faras in Egypt.
In 1960s Polish archaeologists discovered an
excellently preserved ancient city of Pachoras.
Admire the beautiful early Christian frescoes,
such as the mysterious St. Anne, and a model
of a basilica. The collection of Polish 19th and
20th century art is also notable. Militarists will
appreciate the army museum next door. Open:
Tue-Sun 10-19, closed: Mon, tickets: 17/10,
free on Saturday – excluding temporary
exhibitions.
86 COMMUNIST PARTY HQ
One of the most hated places in the country
for almost 40 years. Opened in 1951, officially
2
89 STALINIST CITY
Try to imagine what Warsaw would look like
if the 1950s Stalinist regime had enough time
and money to fulfil their plans. The MDM
housing district, opened in 1952, served as a
model for future development. Admire
grandiose housing blocks, dubbed 'palaces for
workers', larger-than-life and genuinely scary
statues of the working class, the "Four
Seasons of Socialist Poland" mosaic
decorations in the arcades along the main
square (PLAC KONSTYTUCJI), and the 1960s
neon sign with a volleyball player on the
corner of ul. Koszykowa, restored in 2005.
4
Szwo
leżer
ów
93 THE PLACE TO B
84 HAMMERHEAD BUILDING
Warsaw's most mysterious tower block, with a
hammerhead-shaped top that used to house a
restaurant and then the sadly missed Top
Floor club.
TEN MINUT
0
A
BELWEDERSK
ret hipster central it was in
ZY NAMI still retains the
ite fashionista/celebrity/gay
cause of the ‘members only’
at the door. In fact it is a
unch (great home-style lunch
zł for main course), coffee
Shell out 36 zł for the
magazine with little text
Plac Unii Lubelskiej
Pla
cN
aR
ozd
roż
u
IE
DOWSK
AL. UJAZ
CH PLACE
ska
łkow
sza
Mar
ouveau department store
media megastore. Admire
side depicting the history
t meeting point when
where to go next – sip
ugh international
herproof conditions.
2, Sun 10-19.
a
ln
Po
O
KIEG
YŃS
WAR
OREYS OF BOOKS,
USIC AND GAMES
96
Lite
ws
ka
EJ
OW
LUD
I
I
ARM
95
Plac
Zba
wic
iela
zna
Fabryc
90
al. Wyzwolenia
Mo
kot
ow
ska
Lwowsk
a
91
Chopina
100
SKA
IAKOW
CZERN
94
a
ln
Po
Rektorska
C
SOLE
Piękna
Koszykow
a
ska
Koźmiń
ich
ck
de
a
i
Śn
Myśliw
i
śląska
Górno
t
Mosowski
nk
e
i
z
Ła
ka
ec
o
ieg
sk
w
ko
oa
ucji
styt
Kon
c
a
l
P
Matejki
Jazdów
89
77
88
a
Johna Lennon
za
Wilc
Nowowiejska
rat
zb
Ro
Nathans’s Villa
Piękna
a
Prus
ie
Skarp
al. Na
ólna
Wsp
Cz
er
nia
ko
w
sk
a
a
sk
iej
W
KA
WS
AŁO
RSZ
MA
a
ańsk
Pozn
ickiej
Konopn
Green Mazovia
102
ęca
Książ
cza
Kru
wia
Żura
TURN FOR
CITY NORTH
SK
YŃ
SZ
ZY
IĘD
ŁM
WA
83
80
86
a
le’
ul
e
Br
eG
ac
owskiego do D
ka
Rondo Dm
n
o
a
R
k
z
d
ogro
Plac Trzech Krzyży
Now
74
a
82
So
lec
Szkolne Schronisko
Młodzieżowe nr 2
ka
iec
row
Dąb
Zgo
da
al
Foks
Kruczk
ows
kiego
78 Chmielna
79
81
Walecznych
84
Lu
dn
a
o
kieg
Górs
ok
Wid
75
o
kieg
zyńs
Gałc
a
Złot
IAT
Y ŚW
NOW
2
ecka
War
a
italn
Szp
ki
iusz
Mon
icza
kiew
Sien
Established in 2007, PLAN B seems to be the
Plan B for the regulars of the perennially hip
Coffee Karma across the square (no. 94).
Dark, filled with smoke and a bit claustrophobic, it hosts interesting indie bands, djs and
offers. Check out the graffiti above the stairs.
In the summer parties spill outside and this is
the best part of the Plan Be experience.
Simple menu consists of coffee (from 6 zł),
beer (from 6 zł) and toast (6 zł).
98 S
The fa
Chopi
bigge
a box
bottle
respe
exper
OPEN
MONU
12-16
99
90 FINNISH HOUSES
94 KARMA COFFEE
Hidden behind the sleek German and French
embassies you will find a bit of Scandinavian
countryside right in the middle of the city. It is
a colony of ca. 30 wooden houses built along
Jazdów street in 1945 as temporary dwellings
for construction workers rebuilding the ruined
city. They came from Finland via Soviet Union,
were supposed to last for 5 years but
somehow stayed, making for a beautiful and
Karma is a leisurely cafe located in one of the
most beautiful squares in Warsaw. Popular
with young people and actors from
neighbouring theatres: Współczesny and
Rozmaitości. Recommended: Electra (latte
with honey and cinnamon), fruit cocktails
(Pinky or Karmasutra), plus wine, sandwiches
and cakes. In the warmer months try to grab a
table outside, with the view to the Saviour's
Foun
bathh
off as
resis
of an
flock
charm
the la
Avoid
is cro
week
a
elsk
Pos
Lu
dn
a
102
ęca
Książ
Br
ac
ka
rat
zb
Ro
ie
Skarp
al. Na
a
sk
iej
W
ickiej
Konopn
a
Prus
a
Matejki
AL.
al. S
zuc
ha
Bagatela
Garden Villa
98
a
wieck
Myśli
97
Zol
i
Agry
kola
ARAS YOU CAN GO
RODOWE (National Museum) is
for two reasons: its imposing
rchitecture and the spellbinding
excavations from Faras in Egypt.
sh archaeologists discovered an
eserved ancient city of Pachoras.
eautiful early Christian frescoes,
mysterious St. Anne, and a model
The collection of Polish 19th and
art is also notable. Militarists will
e army museum next door. Open:
19, closed: Mon, tickets: 17/10,
day – excluding temporary
MUNIST PARTY HQ
st hated places in the country
years. Opened in 1951, officially
TEN MINUTES WALK
0
99
2
89 STALINIST CITY
Try to imagine what Warsaw would look like
if the 1950s Stalinist regime had enough time
and money to fulfil their plans. The MDM
housing district, opened in 1952, served as a
model for future development. Admire
grandiose housing blocks, dubbed 'palaces for
workers', larger-than-life and genuinely scary
statues of the working class, the "Four
Seasons of Socialist Poland" mosaic
decorations in the arcades along the main
square (PLAC KONSTYTUCJI), and the 1960s
neon sign with a volleyball player on the
corner of ul. Koszykowa, restored in 2005.
4
6
8
10
Szwo
leżer
ów
93 THE PLACE TO B
MERHEAD BUILDING
st mysterious tower block, with a
-shaped top that used to house a
d then the sadly missed Top
zna
Fabryc
Łazienkowska
A
BELWEDERSK
elskiej
Pla
cN
aR
ozd
roż
u
IE
DOWSK
AL. UJAZ
ska
łkow
sza
Mar
6
EJ
OW
LUD
I
I
ARM
95
al. Wyzwolenia
Lite
ws
ka
100
90
92
Plac
Zba
wic
iela
śląska
Górno
t
Mosowski
nk
e
i
z
Ła
SKA
IAKOW
CZERN
Ko
sz
yk
ow
a
Jazdów
a
Johna Lennon
91
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84
Established in 2007, PLAN B seems to be the
Plan B for the regulars of the perennially hip
Coffee Karma across the square (no. 94).
Dark, filled with smoke and a bit claustrophobic, it hosts interesting indie bands, djs and
offers. Check out the graffiti above the stairs.
In the summer parties spill outside and this is
the best part of the Plan Be experience.
Simple menu consists of coffee (from 6 zł),
beer (from 6 zł) and toast (6 zł).
98 SHOPPING FOR CHOPIN
The famous romantic composer Fryderyk
Chopin, raised in Warsaw, is one of Poland’s
biggest prides and exports. You can take home
a box of delicious Chopin chocolates or a
bottle of Chopin vodka, both available in every
respectable supermarket. The best way to
experience his music is to attend a (free!)
OPEN-AIR PIANO CONCERT AT THE CHOPIN
MONUMENT, May to August, every Sunday at
12-16.
99 THE ROYAL ŁAZIENKI PARK
90 FINNISH HOUSES
94 KARMA COFFEE
Hidden behind the sleek German and French
embassies you will find a bit of Scandinavian
countryside right in the middle of the city. It is
a colony of ca. 30 wooden houses built along
Jazdów street in 1945 as temporary dwellings
for construction workers rebuilding the ruined
city. They came from Finland via Soviet Union,
were supposed to last for 5 years but
somehow stayed, making for a beautiful and
Karma is a leisurely cafe located in one of the
most beautiful squares in Warsaw. Popular
with young people and actors from
neighbouring theatres: Współczesny and
Rozmaitości. Recommended: Electra (latte
with honey and cinnamon), fruit cocktails
(Pinky or Karmasutra), plus wine, sandwiches
and cakes. In the warmer months try to grab a
table outside, with the view to the Saviour's
Founded in 18th century on the site of a
bathhouse (hence the name) it is easy to laugh
off as a tired tourist attraction but hard to
resist. A long lake, several palaces, a fake ruin
of an amphitheatre, two greenhouses plus a
flock of peacocks strolling around all add to its
charm. In summer you can even take a ride on
the lake in a gondola – only 6 zł per person.
Avoid the overpriced cafes. The park
is crowded on weekends, nice and quiet on
weekdays, open daily from dawn til dusk.
WARSAW RISING MUSEUM is the
popular in the city. It tells the trag
Warsaw and its citizens in World W
focusing on the 1944 uprising aga
Germans. Check out the murals in
memorial garden painted by mod
artists. Allow about 2 hours to see
Entrance from ul. Przyokopowa, o
Wed, Fri 8-18, Thu 8-20, Sat-Sun
Tue, tickets: 4/2 zł.
biggest metro station, called
Centrum, is located.
SPRING
SUMMER
June and July are the hottest months of the year. In the
beginning of July EVERYBODY goes on holiday, and those who
have to work use every opportunity to get out for weekends.
The Polish Army Day (August 15th) is the peak of the holiday
season. Weather stays brilliant for most of the summer so it’s
a great time if you want to walk or cycle and explore a lot or
just enjoy the parks. Enjoy the riverfront! There's plenty to do
in the warmer months: cycling, walking, picnics, wild
beaches. Swimming is not advised, but you can take
advantage of our modest fleet and see the city from the other
side. Every day you can cross the river on a ferry connecting
the Old Town and the Zoo (free!, weekdays: 1.45 - 9 p.m.,
weekends 10.30 a.m. - 9 p.m.). On Saturday take a 'water
tram' along the left bank. If you can spare a whole day, you
can take a trip down the river to a little town called Serock
and back (roundtrip ticket: 15 zł, departure Saturday-Sunday
10 a.m., back at 7 p.m., from June to mid-September). Rested
and tanned, watch films under the stars - either at Kinomost
(no. 100) or in the club LaPlaya, next to the beach by the zoo,
open June-August (no. 103).
Unmissable: 4 a.m. breakfast at Szpilka (no. 87).
S
R N
U SO
AW
FO A
SE F RS
O A
W
Life seems to speed up in March when days get longer and
temperature exceeds 10 degrees. This does not apply just to
plants and animals but also to cultural and social life. May is
perhaps the best time to visit Warsaw – to see the city at its
warmest, greenest, most exciting. Note – although Warsaw is
the least religious city in Poland, avoid visiting around Easter
– shops, restaurants, museums, practically everything is shut
down for at least 3 days.
Unmissable: lazy time in the green, studenty Powiśle area
(see no. 30, 33-37).
AUTUMN
The city fills back with people throughout September.
Theatres start the new season towards the end of the month.
On October 1st classes start at universities and the cultural
season kicks off for good.
Unmissable: Warsaw Film Festival – a showcase for indie
movies from all over the world (October, www.wff.pl);
visit at the old Powązki cemetery on November 1st (no. 1).
WINTER
People prefer to stay sealed in department stores and
shopping centres. The Christmas shopping frenzy lasts for
about 6 weeks, ends with the last items of winter clothing two
weeks into the new year.
Unmissable: ice skating at the foot of the Palace of Culture
and Science (no. 68).
58 FILTRY CAFE
Charming neighbourhood cafe in
Ochota district run by locals in a
laundry shop. Strictly non-smok
8-20, Sat 10-20, Sun 10-18.
59 KOLONIA CAFE
From April to October you can re
KOLONIA CAFE set up in a tiny h
young mothers for other locals w
Wielkopolski across the street.
60 BAR HOPPING IN A
POLE MOKOTOWSKIE is a huge gr
the site of Warsaw's first airport.
among roller skaters and beer lov
a warm day you can do a bit of bar
between the cheap pubs like MER
LOLEK scattered around the park
crowded on summer weekends. If
hungry, go for a grilled sausage o
super cheap CAFETERIA IN THE N
LIBRARY (huge building, impossib
WHAT’S
ON
TODAY?
PARTIES
Try to make sense out of the schedule published in the monthly
guide 'Aktivist' (only in Polish, free, available in dozens of bars,
clubs and cafes).
EXHIBITIONS
For exhibitions: try to spot the quarterly bilingual 'What’s On In
Warsaw’s Galleries', available in most art places, some cafes/bars
and tourist information points. Tickets to concerts, theatre
performances and major club events can be bought at the
Bileteria counters in Empik megastores (Rondo de Gaulle’a – near
no. 83) and in the Traffic megastore (no. 79).
61 CULTURAL LUNCH
CAFE KULTURA is crowded with y
lunchtime, quiet in the evening, o
salads and pasta under 20 zł, plu
and all the usual fare. Probably th
in Warsaw selling cigarettes a pie
generally illegal in Poland. They g
it by selling matches and giving th
as a 'bonus'. Warning – closed on
62 GHETTO WALLS
Not much is left of the Jewish ghe
you can see a bit in the courtyards
ul. Złota 62 and ul. Sienna 55. Two
taken out of the wall in Sienna to
Holocaust Museum in Washington
from Złota is now displayed in the
Institute in Jerusalem, and one in
Texas.
Text:
Grzegorz Piątek
Editor:
Fundacja Bęc Zmiana
www.funbec.eu
Design and Illustration:
Dominik Cymer
www.nobdepot.com
Rafał Szczepaniak
www.rafal-szczepaniak.com
Supported by
the City of Warsaw
Ra
I lo
hea
e most
gic story of
War II,
ainst
n the
dern Polish
e everything.
open: Mon,
10-18, closed
You probably won’t avoid the new ZŁOTE
TARASY SHOPPING CENTRE. Some say it’s the
definition of bad taste, some think it’s a
wonder of architecture, we diplomatically say
that the glass roof is spectacular. It is also
home to two important concert venues:
AKWARIUM JAZZ CLUB and HARD ROCK
CAFE. Surprisingly, HRC offers a very good
concert programme – from veteran Polish
punk rock bands to the hippest international
artists. Entrance to both places from the patio
on the Central Train Station side.
64 VIEW FROM 40 TH FLOOR
OF MARRIOTT HOTEL
n the leafy
a former
king. Open daily
When opened in 1989, the 140-metre
MARRIOTT HOTEL instantly became a shrine
to capitalist economy. Indulge in pure hotelier
kitsch – hectares of plush carpeting and
dozens of crystal chandeliers – for at least 490
zł per night. Or take a lift to the 40th floor to
the PANORAMA BAR. It’s actually located
higher than the famous observation deck in
the Palace of Culture (no. 68). And weatherproof. You can enjoy a night view of the city and
a 16 zł beer (open: daily 20-2).
elax in the
house by two
who visit Park
PARK
reen area on
Popular
vers alike. On
r hopping
RLIN or
k. Very
f you get
or visit the
NATIONAL
ble to miss).
yuppies at
offering nice
us coffee, beer
he only place
ece, which is
get away with
he cigarette
n weekends!
etto walls but
s of houses at
o bricks were
the
n DC, one
e Yad Vashem
n Houston,
65 TEMPORARY MUSEUM
OF MODERN ART
No building, no collection, but lots of love for
art – that pretty much sums up Warsaw’s new
museum. Their temporary space is one of the
coolest in town – in a 1960s furniture shop on
the ground floor of a concrete housing block
dwarved by nearby skyscrapers, adorned by a
neon sign reading simply MUZEUM.
66 TOWER WITH A HOLE
IN THE MIDDLE
One of the weirdest looking buildings in the
city – the 190-metre tall INTERCONTINENTAL
HOTEL has a huge hole on its lower floors to
allow daylight into neighbouring buildings. If
you shell out €200 for a room you can also
enjoy a spectacular view of the city from the
top floor swimming pool.
68 STALIN’S WEDDING CAKE
Palace of Culture and
Science
PAŁAC KULTURY I NAUKI (Palace of Culture
and Science), built by Polish and Russian
architects in the 1950s, is a cousin to
Moscow’s famous „seven daugthers of Stalin”
skyscrapers. For decades regarded as a
symbol of Russian domination it is still equally
loved and loathed. Icon of the city and an
infallible orientation point. Seeing the
panorama from observation deck at the 30th
floor is a must and helps making sense of the
city. Admire monstrous sculptures on the
facades and check the time on the millennium
clock. In winter enjoy the ice skating rink by
the northern entrance, which in summer turns
into a basketball court. Observation deck open
daily September 16-May 31: 9-18, 1 July-15
September: 9-20, tickets: 20/15 zł. Entrance
from ul. Marszałkowska side, ask at the
reception for further directions.
69 GEEKY TECHNOLOGY
MUSEUM
Marvel at the delightfully old-school museum
of technology (MUZEUM TECHNIKI). Main
attractions include a planetarium and the
‘glass maiden’ (szklana panienka) – glass
model of a human body constructed by East
German engineers (Palace of Culture and
Science, entrance from Aleje Jerozolimskie,
open: Tue-Fri 9-17, Sat-Sun 10-17, closed
Mondays, tickets: 8/5 zł, extra charges for the
maiden and the planetarium).
Frequented by taxi drivers, policemen,
prostitutes and people who missed their night
bus, the BAR BUS is, well, a bar in a bus, open
only at night. You will not be able to get the
kitchen smells off your coat for days, but the
'Canadian-style sausages' (parówki po
kanadyjsku) and the tea will do wonders to
your alcohol drenched stomach. Look for a
(formerly) white bus across the street from
the Intercontinental tower.
afał, 28, illustrator:
ove cycling along the river and a
arty plate of pierogi.
If you’re into rustic style, want to get in touch
with your inner hippie or just buy something
nice and Polish for your grandmother, go for
wicker (wiklina). Skip the overpriced Cepelia
folk handicraft shops and head to the tiny
kiosk in Aleje Jerozolimskie, just next to the
Śródmieście train station, brimming with
everything wicker. Hey, we even made an
EXPO pavilion out of it!
79 FOUR STO
FILMS, MU
TRAFFIC is an art no
turned into a multim
the stained glass ins
of fashion. Excellent
you’re not decided w
coffee and leaf throu
magazines in weath
Open Mon-Sat 10-22
74 TIME MACHINE
After over 100 years in service the funny
machine called FOTOPLASTIKON still
entertains. Take a trip back in time and see
vintage slides from exotic trips and fin-desiecle Warsaw. Go through the gate of the old
house in Aleje Jerozolimskie 51. Open Mon-Fri
12-17, Sat 11-14, tickets: 20zł.
75 BIKER'S BAR
80 HIP LUNC
CYKLOZA – a bar and meeting spot for all
bicycle enthusiasts.
No longer the secr
the nineties, MIĘD
reputation of an el
place. Perhaps bec
sign still hanging a
casual place for lu
menus, under 20 z
(6,50) or beer (9). S
beautiful in-house
and lots of great ph
Fri-Sat til midnigh
70 STORM THE PALACE
81 AMATORS
Glamorous Stalinist interiors and music – the
Palace of Culture has two good clubs in its
bowels. CAFE KULTURALNA (entrance from
ul. Marszałkowska, look for huge red arrows)
in a theatre foyer, is a cafe in the daytime,
packed with young people on Friday and
Saturday nights, famous for its decadent Vinyl
Voyage night, as well as concerts, poetry
readings etc. CLUB 55 (entrance from
ul. Emilii Plater, opposite the Intercontinental,
through the huge gate) is a regular club in
a former ballroom, best known for the eclectic
Sorry, Ghettoblaster night.
An exception on the
this bar is a cheap a
by middle-aged alc
students who come
Or two. Or more.
71 FROM MARKET
TO MUSEUM
The huge, grey, whale-like object in front of
the Palace of Culture is a temporary structure
that envelops a shabby market called KDT. It is
soon to make room for a new Museum of
Modern Art designed by the Swiss architect
Christian Kerez. Ironically, when his
minimalist design was first unveiled, it was
unjustly likened to a... supermarket.
72 COMMUNIST STYLE BAR
67 NIGHT BAR BUS
73 WICKED WICKER
I highly recommend going for a stroll
around Łazienki Park, especially in
spring. Get yourself an ice cream, sit
back and enjoy.
76 INDIAN FOOD +
ALTERNATIVE CLUB
MASALA – decent Indian food in the daytime,
indie watering hole in the evening. Food
served til 9 p.m.
77 OLD SCHOOL PARTY
PUNKT club in the maze-like, century-old
cellar of the Architecture School is not a
studenty hang-out that you could expect but a
place for die-hard fans of hip-hop, reggae or
ragga.
78 CHOCAHOLIC CENTRAL
If you're visiting Warsaw for communist
nostalgia, then visit U GRAŻYNKI. It's an
old-school bar with plain food, cheap alcohol,
middle-aged service and net curtains in the
windows. Open Mon-Sat: 10-22.
Robert, 22, student
from Spain:
82 CHEAP A
Stock up on beautifully packaged pralines or
have a cup of hot chocolate in the elegant
old-fashioned E. WEDEL FLAGSHIP STORE
(ul. Szpitalna 8). Ptasie Mleczko pralines,
invented by Wedel in the 1930s, are something
you’ll want to take home.
Anna, 27 from
Switzerland:
Check the wild and untouched Vistula
river beaches out for a nice picnic!
But please, don’t even think
to swim in this river.
PAWILONY – a clu
the back of the tou
ultra posh Foksal
young Warsaw in t
the people from a
bars spill onto sur
PEWEX is the olde
bar with a funky d
cheap (6-7 zł for a
83 FAKE PAL
It looks like a joke b
artist Joanna Rajko
passers-by of the vo
the Jewish commun
“Greetings from the
Erected as a tempo
island in 2003 it bec
landmark and staye
K
C
r
nouveau department store
media megastore. Admire
side depicting the history
nt meeting point when
where to go next – sip
ugh international
herproof conditions.
22, Sun 10-19.
CH PLACE
ret hipster central it was in
DZY NAMI still retains the
lite fashionista/celebrity/gay
cause of the ‘members only’
at the door. In fact it is a
unch (great home-style lunch
zł for main course), coffee
Shell out 36 zł for the
e magazine with little text
hotography. Open 10-23,
ht.
SKA CAFE
e tidy Nowy Świat street,
and messy dive populated
coholics, arty types and
e round for a shot of vodka.
AND CHIC BARS
uster of shabby pavilions in
uristy Nowy Świat and the
street turns into the heart of
the warmer months, when
dozen or so claustrophobic
rrounding pavements.
est and perhaps still the best
décor. All places are pretty
a beer).
Garden Villa
EDERSKA
97
OREYS OF BOOKS,
USIC AND GAMES
84 HAMMERHEAD BUILDING
Warsaw's most mysterious tower block, with a
hammerhead-shaped top that used to house a
restaurant and then the sadly missed Top
Floor club.
85 AS FARAS YOU CAN GO
MUZEUM NARODOWE (National Museum) is
worth visiting for two reasons: its imposing
quasi-Nazi architecture and the spellbinding
collection of excavations from Faras in Egypt.
In 1960s Polish archaeologists discovered an
excellently preserved ancient city of Pachoras.
Admire the beautiful early Christian frescoes,
such as the mysterious St. Anne, and a model
of a basilica. The collection of Polish 19th and
20th century art is also notable. Militarists will
appreciate the army museum next door. Open:
Tue-Sun 10-19, closed: Mon, tickets: 17/10,
free on Saturday – excluding temporary
exhibitions.
86 COMMUNIST PARTY HQ
One of the most hated places in the country
for almost 40 years. Opened in 1951, officially
named DOM PARTII (House of the Party) it was
jokingly referred to as the White House.
Ironically, after the fall of communism it was
taken over by an arch-capitalist institution –
the stock exchange.
89 STALINIST CITY
Try to imagine what Warsaw would look like
if the 1950s Stalinist regime had enough time
and money to fulfil their plans. The MDM
housing district, opened in 1952, served as a
model for future development. Admire
grandiose housing blocks, dubbed 'palaces for
workers', larger-than-life and genuinely scary
statues of the working class, the "Four
Seasons of Socialist Poland" mosaic
decorations in the arcades along the main
square (PLAC KONSTYTUCJI), and the 1960s
neon sign with a volleyball player on the
corner of ul. Koszykowa, restored in 2005.
On the north side of Plac Trzech Krzyży you
will find three bars: Szparka, Szpulka, Szpilka.
Avoid the first two and head straight to
SZPILKA – open 23 hours a day (break
between 6-7), for coffee, lunch, drinks or a bit
of everything. Speciality of the house:
breakfast menus served 23 hours a day.
90 FINNISH HOUSES
94 KARMA COFFEE
Hidden behind the sleek German and French
embassies you will find a bit of Scandinavian
countryside right in the middle of the city. It is
a colony of ca. 30 wooden houses built along
Jazdów street in 1945 as temporary dwellings
for construction workers rebuilding the ruined
city. They came from Finland via Soviet Union,
were supposed to last for 5 years but
somehow stayed, making for a beautiful and
calm place to escape to on a hot summer day.
Karma is a leisurely cafe located in one of the
most beautiful squares in Warsaw. Popular
with young people and actors from
neighbouring theatres: Współczesny and
Rozmaitości. Recommended: Electra (latte
with honey and cinnamon), fruit cocktails
(Pinky or Karmasutra), plus wine, sandwiches
and cakes. In the warmer months try to grab a
table outside, with the view to the Saviour's
Church. Open Mon-Fri 7:30-22, Sat-Sun 10-22.
95 CONTEMPORARY ART IN
A BAROQUE CASTLE
91 WARSAW'S NIKE
You may wonder why we’re advising you to visit
a Nike shop, but this one is different.
WARSZAWSKA NIKE sells only vintage and
collector’s pieces displayed against a
custom-made wallpaper composed of
black-and-white photos of swinging sixties
Warsaw. The glass chandelier was bought
from a bankrupt communist restaurant
nearby. Open Mon-Fri 13-20, Sat 12-17, closed
Sun.
92 COMME AS YOU ARE
88 ART BITE
Adorned with paintings by one of the hippest
contemporary Polish painters – Marcin
Maciejowski, PRZEGRYŹ (‘have a bite’) serves
the best pierogi in town (18 zł), along with
other unbeatable Polish classics (duck, goose)
plus pasta and salads, all at affordable prices.
Kasia, 26, philosopher:
Check out the view from the green
roof of the University Library.
Katja, 22, student from
Belgium:
My Polish paradise: To visit Rudolf,
the big cat in the bookshop Bagatela
(on Plac Unii Lubelskiej).
Established in 2007, PLAN B seems to be the
Plan B for the regulars of the perennially hip
Coffee Karma across the square (no. 94).
Dark, filled with smoke and a bit claustrophobic, it hosts interesting indie bands, djs and
offers. Check out the graffiti above the stairs.
In the summer parties spill outside and this is
the best part of the Plan Be experience.
Simple menu consists of coffee (from 6 zł),
beer (from 6 zł) and toast (6 zł).
98 S
The fa
Chop
bigge
a box
bottle
respe
exper
OPEN
MONU
12-16
99
87 23-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE
LM TREE
but in fact it’s a work of
owska meant to remind
oid left by the absence of
nity in Warsaw, named
e Jerusalem Avenue”.
orary installation on a traffic
came something of a
ed for good.
93 THE PLACE TO B
Not exactly affordable, but worth seeing –
Warsaw's addition to the GUERRILLA STORE
chain of the Japanese fashion house Comme
des Garcons. Copying guerrilla tactics, the
stores appear at one location only for 12
months and then disappear. Warsaw's second
Guerrilla Store appeared on the site of a
run-down grocery store and the expensive
frocks are displayed against stacks and stacks
of vintage furniture.
Daniel, 25, student
from Sweden:
A proper electronic evening starts at
Pewex (Pawilony), then grab a
“Zapiekanka z dodatkami" at the
Central Train Station and continue
your evening in Club 55 in the Palace
of Culture and Science with some
excellent minimal music. If you are
still not satisfied, continue your night
and day in Luzztro or Tomba Tomba.
Art lovers cannot miss the Center of
Contemporary Art (CSW). In the baroque
Ujazdowski Castle (Zamek Ujazdowski) you
will find shows of international and Polish
artists, a decent permanent collection, a
bookshop, the Kino.Lab arthouse cinema, a
cosy café and the artsy yet pricey (main
courses: 28-68 zł) Qchnia Artystyczna
restaurant with stunning views over the park.
If you can’t be bothered to go in, at least check
out the stone benches in the alley leading to
the main entrance – adorned by the American
artist Jenny Holzer. Open Tue-Sun 11-19, Fri
til 21, closed Mon, tickets: 12/6 zł, Thu free.
96 RIOT GIRL CLUB
UFA is the feminine UFO, say the women who
founded UFA, Warsaw's first feminist/queer
club and cultural centre. You will find it in an
old printing house in Marszałkowska 3/5,
opposite the cult TR theatre.
Foun
bath
off a
resis
of an
flock
char
the l
Avoid
is cro
week
100
Guer
of the
on an
pillar
of ind
educ
from
come
maga
101
Fra
stre
neig
cafe
bes
doe
win
Efes
Zwy
War
102
97 COOL BAR IN OLD
MOKOTÓW DISTRICT
Mokotów is considered one of the best areas
to live but it's hardly a bedroom community.
It has several cinemas and a handful of cool
bars. The smoky REGENERACJA is the local
party central with a dancefloor in the
basement. Parties are usually free or there's
a small fee of 5 zł.
You
may
betw
a sli
offer
of th
Agnieszka, 26, art
director:
Not much is going on in clubs on
weeknights, but brace yourself for
the weekend!
Garden Villa
EDERSKA
97
93 THE PLACE TO B
MERHEAD BUILDING
st mysterious tower block, with a
-shaped top that used to house a
d then the sadly missed Top
RAS YOU CAN GO
RODOWE (National Museum) is
for two reasons: its imposing
chitecture and the spellbinding
excavations from Faras in Egypt.
sh archaeologists discovered an
eserved ancient city of Pachoras.
eautiful early Christian frescoes,
mysterious St. Anne, and a model
The collection of Polish 19th and
art is also notable. Militarists will
e army museum next door. Open:
9, closed: Mon, tickets: 17/10,
day – excluding temporary
MUNIST PARTY HQ
st hated places in the country
years. Opened in 1951, officially
ARTII (House of the Party) it was
ed to as the White House.
r the fall of communism it was
an arch-capitalist institution –
ange.
89 STALINIST CITY
Try to imagine what Warsaw would look like
if the 1950s Stalinist regime had enough time
and money to fulfil their plans. The MDM
housing district, opened in 1952, served as a
model for future development. Admire
grandiose housing blocks, dubbed 'palaces for
workers', larger-than-life and genuinely scary
statues of the working class, the "Four
Seasons of Socialist Poland" mosaic
decorations in the arcades along the main
square (PLAC KONSTYTUCJI), and the 1960s
neon sign with a volleyball player on the
corner of ul. Koszykowa, restored in 2005.
ITE
paintings by one of the hippest
Polish painters – Marcin
PRZEGRYŹ (‘have a bite’) serves
gi in town (18 zł), along with
ble Polish classics (duck, goose)
salads, all at affordable prices.
Katja, 22, student from
Belgium:
My Polish paradise: To visit Rudolf,
the big cat in the bookshop Bagatela
(on Plac Unii Lubelskiej).
The famous romantic composer Fryderyk
Chopin, raised in Warsaw, is one of Poland’s
biggest prides and exports. You can take home
a box of delicious Chopin chocolates or a
bottle of Chopin vodka, both available in every
respectable supermarket. The best way to
experience his music is to attend a (free!)
OPEN-AIR PIANO CONCERT AT THE CHOPIN
MONUMENT, May to August, every Sunday at
12-16.
99 THE ROYAL ŁAZIENKI PARK
90 FINNISH HOUSES
94 KARMA COFFEE
Hidden behind the sleek German and French
embassies you will find a bit of Scandinavian
countryside right in the middle of the city. It is
a colony of ca. 30 wooden houses built along
Jazdów street in 1945 as temporary dwellings
for construction workers rebuilding the ruined
city. They came from Finland via Soviet Union,
were supposed to last for 5 years but
somehow stayed, making for a beautiful and
calm place to escape to on a hot summer day.
Karma is a leisurely cafe located in one of the
most beautiful squares in Warsaw. Popular
with young people and actors from
neighbouring theatres: Współczesny and
Rozmaitości. Recommended: Electra (latte
with honey and cinnamon), fruit cocktails
(Pinky or Karmasutra), plus wine, sandwiches
and cakes. In the warmer months try to grab a
table outside, with the view to the Saviour's
Church. Open Mon-Fri 7:30-22, Sat-Sun 10-22.
95 CONTEMPORARY ART IN
A BAROQUE CASTLE
OUR PARTY PEOPLE
side of Plac Trzech Krzyży you
e bars: Szparka, Szpulka, Szpilka.
t two and head straight to
pen 23 hours a day (break
, for coffee, lunch, drinks or a bit
. Speciality of the house:
enus served 23 hours a day.
Established in 2007, PLAN B seems to be the
Plan B for the regulars of the perennially hip
Coffee Karma across the square (no. 94).
Dark, filled with smoke and a bit claustrophobic, it hosts interesting indie bands, djs and
offers. Check out the graffiti above the stairs.
In the summer parties spill outside and this is
the best part of the Plan Be experience.
Simple menu consists of coffee (from 6 zł),
beer (from 6 zł) and toast (6 zł).
98 SHOPPING FOR CHOPIN
91 WARSAW'S NIKE
You may wonder why we’re advising you to visit
a Nike shop, but this one is different.
WARSZAWSKA NIKE sells only vintage and
collector’s pieces displayed against a
custom-made wallpaper composed of
black-and-white photos of swinging sixties
Warsaw. The glass chandelier was bought
from a bankrupt communist restaurant
nearby. Open Mon-Fri 13-20, Sat 12-17, closed
Sun.
92 COMME AS YOU ARE
Not exactly affordable, but worth seeing –
Warsaw's addition to the GUERRILLA STORE
chain of the Japanese fashion house Comme
des Garcons. Copying guerrilla tactics, the
stores appear at one location only for 12
months and then disappear. Warsaw's second
Guerrilla Store appeared on the site of a
run-down grocery store and the expensive
frocks are displayed against stacks and stacks
of vintage furniture.
Daniel, 25, student
from Sweden:
A proper electronic evening starts at
Pewex (Pawilony), then grab a
“Zapiekanka z dodatkami" at the
Central Train Station and continue
your evening in Club 55 in the Palace
of Culture and Science with some
excellent minimal music. If you are
still not satisfied, continue your night
and day in Luzztro or Tomba Tomba.
Art lovers cannot miss the Center of
Contemporary Art (CSW). In the baroque
Ujazdowski Castle (Zamek Ujazdowski) you
will find shows of international and Polish
artists, a decent permanent collection, a
bookshop, the Kino.Lab arthouse cinema, a
cosy café and the artsy yet pricey (main
courses: 28-68 zł) Qchnia Artystyczna
restaurant with stunning views over the park.
If you can’t be bothered to go in, at least check
out the stone benches in the alley leading to
the main entrance – adorned by the American
artist Jenny Holzer. Open Tue-Sun 11-19, Fri
til 21, closed Mon, tickets: 12/6 zł, Thu free.
96 RIOT GIRL CLUB
UFA is the feminine UFO, say the women who
founded UFA, Warsaw's first feminist/queer
club and cultural centre. You will find it in an
old printing house in Marszałkowska 3/5,
opposite the cult TR theatre.
97 COOL BAR IN OLD
MOKOTÓW DISTRICT
Mokotów is considered one of the best areas
to live but it's hardly a bedroom community.
It has several cinemas and a handful of cool
bars. The smoky REGENERACJA is the local
party central with a dancefloor in the
basement. Parties are usually free or there's
a small fee of 5 zł.
Founded in 18th century on the site of a
bathhouse (hence the name) it is easy to laugh
off as a tired tourist attraction but hard to
resist. A long lake, several palaces, a fake ruin
of an amphitheatre, two greenhouses plus a
flock of peacocks strolling around all add to its
charm. In summer you can even take a ride on
the lake in a gondola – only 6 zł per person.
Avoid the overpriced cafes. The park
is crowded on weekends, nice and quiet on
weekdays, open daily from dawn til dusk.
100 KINOMOST SUMMER
CINEMA
Guerrilla cinema run by Ja Wisła, a foundation
of the river Vistula lovers. Films are screened
on an old parachute stretched between the
pillars of the Łazienkowski Bridge. Screenings
of independent movies, old propaganda and
educational films start every Friday at sunset,
from May to September. No tickets, but better
come with your own chair, blanket or a thick
magazine to sit on.
101 THE RESTAURANT STREET
Francuska (the French street) is the main
street of the Saska Kępa modernist
neighbourhood. Out of many restaurants and
cafes, the creperie Rue de Paris offers the
best value-for-money and – a rarity here – it
doesn't clear away the tables outside for
winter. Also note worthy – Turkish restaurant
Efes on the corner of Francuska and
Zwycięzców, some say the best kebab in
Warsaw.
102 103 EAST COAST VS. WEST
COAST
You don't want to dip into the water but you
may enjoy the sun and the views. Choose
between the wild beach on the West bank and
a slightly more civilized one on the East bank,
offering a view of the Old Town (see other side
of the map).
Mariusz, 24, engineer:
The city is full of tower blocks. Many
people hate them but I think they are
our local speciality.
Agnieszka, 26, art
director:
Not much is going on in clubs on
weeknights, but brace yourself for
the weekend!