EXPLORE WARSAW
Places to visit during your stayWARSAW
1. The Monument to the Ghetto Heroes (Pomnik Bohaterow Getta)
Designed and sculpted in 1948, the monument commemorates the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. It is located in the area that was part of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War.
2. The Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN (Muzeum Historii Zydow Polskich POLIN)
One thousand years of the history of Polish Jews is told at the POLIN Museum. The permanent exhibition is divided into eight galleries, each telling a story of a different era of Jewish presence in Poland. According to a legend, as Jewish people arrived in Poland at the end of the 10th century, they heard the word “Polin”, which sounded similar to a Hebrew word for “here you will rest”. Up to this day, “Polin” means Poland in Hebrew. Before the Holocaust – the extermination of Jews committed by Nazi Germany during World War II, 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland. The building of the museum itself is worth seeing, as it is a great example of contemporary architecture, saturated with symbolic references.
3. The Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego)
This interactive museum displays the history of the 63-day-long uprising against Nazi-German occupiers. It also allows visitors to experience what was the everyday life of the civilian population like during the war. There is a path through the sewers that soldiers and messengers used to move undetected, one can see a replica of a radio station or underground printing press. The film City of Ruins, which airs near the exhibition’s exit, shows digital stereoscopic reconstructions of the scale of destruction in Warsaw in 1945. A visit to the museum takes approximately three hours.
4. The Norblin Factory (Fabryka Norblina)
An example of revitalisation efforts in post-industrial facilities, the 200-year-old Norblin, Buch Brothers and T. Werner factory compound is now a vibrant centre of city life which attracts visitors with shops, cafes, restaurants, a cinema and museum.
5. The Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki)
The unmistakable feature of Warsaw’s skyline, it was a gift from the USSR and Joseph Stalin. It sparks a lot of controversies, as it is by many people perceived to be a reminder of the Soviet influence over Poland. The Palace now houses cultural venues, restaurants, pubs and museums. On the 30th floor, there is a viewing terrace offering a spectacular perspective of the city.
6. Nowy Swiat and (6.1) Krakowskie Przedmiescie
While walking along these avenues, it is worth noticing the (6.2) Nicolaus Copernicus Monument and the (6.3) Holy Cross Church, where one of the pillars is the resting place of Fryderyk Chopin’s heart. Among beautiful townhouses and churches, you can find the (6.4) University of Warsaw campus and the (6.5) Presidential Palace. The streets are part of the Royal Route that connects three former residences of Polish kings: the Royal Castle, the Lazienki Park and the Wilanow Palace.
7. The Grand Theatre – National Opera (Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa)
The building, constructed between 1825 and 1833, is in the Theatre Square. Severely damaged during the Second World War, it underwent a 20-year-long reconstruction and opened again in 1965. The Grand Theatre houses the Polish National Opera and the Polish National Ballet.
8. The Church of the Holy Trinity (Cerkiew Swietej Trojcy)
Located it Podwale street is the oldest Orthodox church in Warsaw. It is easy to be missed as one of the walls of the church is adjacent to the neighbouring building.
9. The Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) and the Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski)
On the 3rd of May 1791, at the Senators’ Hall of the Royal Castle, a Constitution Bill was signed into law, making it the second written constitution in the world and the first in Europe. Now housing a museum, the Castle documents the history of Polish statehood – the gardens of the Royal Castle are open to the public for free.
In Castle Square in front of the Castle is located Sigismund’s Column, which commemorates a 16th-century Polish king who moved the capital from Cracow to Warsaw.
(9.1) A viewing point at the Bell Tower of St. Anna’s Church – tickets are available for purchase on the ground floor of the Tower. After climbing 147 steps, one enters an observation deck worth the effort, with a spectacular view of the Old Town, the Vistula river and the Praga district – located on Vistula’s left bank.
10. The Old Town Square (Rynek Starego Miasta)
The oldest square in Warsaw tracks its origins to the late 13th century. It was destroyed during World War II by German bombardment and incendiary campaign launched in retaliation for the Warsaw Uprising. After the war, the square with some surrounding streets were reconstructed with great attention to detail. In the middle of the square stands the Warsaw Mermaid, a symbol of Warsaw, represented on the city’s coat of arms.
(10.1) The Museum of Warsaw is located in eleven townhouses on the north side of the Old Town Square. At the museum, one can find exhibitions presenting the history of the city, the Warsaw Data project consisting of statistics from the past and present. Until the 19th of February 2023, a temporary exhibition presenting Warsaw of the 1990s as captured in photos, films, and postcards is on show.
11. The New Town Square (Rynek Nowego Miasta)
Warsaw New Town lies north of the Old Town. The neighbourhood dates back to the 15th century and like the Old Town it was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt after. The east side of the New Town Square holds St. Kazimierz’s Church, founded by queen Maria Kazimiera Sobieska (d’Arquien), wife of King Jan III Sobieski. The New Town used to be independent from the Old Town and had its own coat of arms – a girl with a unicorn, this image can be found on the top of the well in the square.
12. Warsaw Citadel (Cytadela Warszawska)
The 19th-century fortress was built by the order of Tsar Nicholas I to reinforce the Russian Empire’s control over Poland after the November Uprising of 1830. It was used to detain thousands of political prisoners, some of them were executed there. The Citadel is now home to the Katyn Museum and the Museum of the 10th Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel.
(10.1) The Museum of Warsaw is located in eleven townhouses on the north side of the Old Town Square. At the museum, one can find exhibitions presenting the history of the city, the Warsaw Data project consisting of statistics from the past and present. Until the 19th of February 2023, a temporary exhibition presenting Warsaw of the 1990s as captured in photos, films, and postcards is on show.
More details about…
More details about listed attractions, other interesting places, and useful information about Warsaw can be found on the Official Tourist Website of Warsaw.