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. vellers ra t g n u o y r o f p a FREE m © Copyright: Fundacja Nowej Kultury Bęc Zmiana commercial de by locals not no-nonsense ma 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 opowa street is OP stalgia at somehow ed ARTYKUŁY items’) it sells steful patriotic in the evenings t cultural centre, lks and concerts s. Open to lots see young nstairs, and ng upstairs. Also, unch its own blog events y 8-til late). MUNIST served ty, complete aff. ENTRE ter German tributed to , Jews and 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 p ran by ed pieces of 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 In t OLI ma bum me pav foo stu gla mo #17 Św Sta gig a ck pa no Ko KA ŃS LO IEL JAG a low Sta 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 a w zo us t Ra Opene used presti 1990 mark region and fa food. Union also t in Wa There north Zamo struct Natio Footb exits 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 13 y pl. Bankow a rsk ato n e S CI OŚ RN A LID .SO AL OKO POW A wa Pod 12 ta Fre r nif Bo Esp eran to AŃ GD k ryne Przy Pias kow a E ZEŻ BR WY ska zym roc Zak a rsk a nia wi rsk No ate Wałowa ofa enh Zam II 9 Mi od ow a e cT Pla W ier Wol ność 7 Kacza ŁA II PAW JANA lna hma Kroc ska bow Grzy zna Granic ki irows pl. M ców Wali nia Wro ROWA TOWA ica Stasz ga elber Waw dna Chło 3 na ral kto e l E ła Bia a azn Żel rska Młyna a wa odo Ogr O LESZN Wolska 15 14 11 i lipk wo No ie olip Now o ieg lot Bel owa Okop Kacza rska Świętoje 16 Bie lań ska i lipk wo No owa Karolk Żytnia 2 ia Paw icza elew Ani a ieln Dz kiego Gibals osza Dług 5 a ieln Dz a wi Pa go ckie Mire Dubo is ła Mi ka ńs zka s i nc Fra 10 Anielewicza 4 a ocz Sm ka łty ERSA GEN. AND ka Nis ka elic rm Ka ŁA AW AP JAN ki Staw Miła a zynk Wier ois Dub ka Nis Kolska wska Murano i wk Sta Spokojna i zk us g n Sa ka ors ikt w n Ko na kor Po a Dzik POWĄZKO WSKA ika Dz ka ars cka lan Inf 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 Helvetia Tamka 11 Lis to pa da 35 za jęc Za 36 52 Sokola i st ysk Mookrz ięt Św 37 ka m Ta So le c u Kr lnik Okó 34 ZAMOYSK 51 a br Do a Cich A TAMK iel Top Bartoszewicza a nack Ordy a ian wn Dre cz ko w sk ieg o 2 t Mos skiego tow a i n Po KA NIEC IELE AL. Z rna wa Bro 32 a ernik Kop a Jasn A YSK KRZ ĘTO I W Ś 31 ŚWIAT NOWY iego Czack 28 Mazowiecka 26 29 27 Ko W śc y iu br sz ze ko że w sk ie na a śla Wi ow Lip nów ery Sew a gutt Trau ki a row Ka IE IEŚC EDM PRZ 25 0 53 30 SKIE KOW KRA 24 TEN MI ka ws ze s y ar Sk IE SK IŃ EC CZ SZ 23 a sk ań rm Fu 22 A SK W JI O K E EŻ RZ YB W at Marien szt rska Bedna lny tra ea 45 49 50 ZAMOYSKIEGO 19 21 rzb ow a i rze Ok 44 TA RG OW A 48 ska kow b ą Z ka ińs es rz W ka ńs oja ięt a Św iwn P ale 20 go kie ws ko ra Sie 18 o ieg sk ow t po Kło ka ńs nie Pa i sk st ow Mo ąbr D osk ą l Ś 47 a sk ze Br a sk oń iel Jag 17 a ińsk hom Tarc wa rgo Ta 43 Kanonia I ŚC NO 46 ć leś Bo St ar a 42 ka oc st o ł Bia 38 In t OLI ma bum me pav foo stu gla mo #17 Św Sta gig 40 AR ka ńs LID ile O W .S AL 39 a ow sz u t Ra 56 a ck pa no Ko KA ŃS LO IEL JAG KIE LS HE ŻE ZE BR WY KIE ŃS 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 Pa go kie ws ko ra Sie o ieg sk ow t po Kło a sk ze Br a sk oń iel Jag 43 48 ska kow b ą Z 46 0 33 nów ery Sew etia Tamka za jęc Za 36 ska Miń GROCHOWSK A Sokola 52 54 TURN FOR CITY SOUTH a sk Sa t Mos skiego tow a i n Po a cusk Fran cz ko w sk ieg o 10 na to ONA ng y NGT z Y Z s S a WA AL. oW nd Ro 37 ka m Ta So le c u Kr lnik Okó 34 35 8 55 a br Do a Cich a ernik Kop A TAMK iel Top toszewicza a nack a ian wn Dre 6 KA NIEC IELE AL. Z na Oboź i st ysk Mookrz ięt Św 4 ZAMOYSKIE GO 51 IE SK IŃ EC CZ SZ rna wa Bro 32 dna Ra 2 ka ws ze s y ar Sk E EŻ RZ YB W Ko W śc y iu br sz ze ko że w sk ie 49 TEN MINUTES WALK 53 na a śla Wi ow Lip ka yńs ęcz w Ka 50 ZAMOYSKIEGO 30 cka dle Sie ka rsa Ko ka oc st o ł Bia 38 i sk st ow Mo ąbr D osk ą l Ś 42 AR ka ńs LID ile O W .S AL 39 a ow sz u t 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 go 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 O 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 Chopina w zcó ycię Zw ka ec Myśliw i kna wa ska Koźmiń Mo kot ow ska 88 101 C SOLE Cz er nia ko w sk a rzech Krzyży ców Obroń a ysk Par 87 e’a I SK YŃ SZ ZY IĘD ŁM WA 83 TURN FOR CITY NORTH icka ow Kat ka iec row Dąb 85 86 So lec Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe nr 2 Kruczk ows kiego AT 82 ka cus Fran a ernik Kop o kieg zyńs Gałc al Foks lna Smo 1 Walecznych 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!