Things to do in Warsaw

There are countless things that you can do in Warsaw! Doesn’t matter if you’re coming to the capital with your friends or family, for a longer time or just for a weekend trip. Warsaw has so many attractions to offer that everyone will find something interesting and enjoyable for him. You just can’t get bored of it!

Things to do in Warsaw — Warsaw Old Town

Warsaw Old Town is one the most beautiful parts of the city. It is the oldest part of Warsaw, a complex of historic architecture, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. It has a medieval layout and is surrounded by a ring of defensive walls from the 14th-16th centuries.

On September 2, 1980, the Old Town in Warsaw was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Warsaw Old Town was on this list as an example of almost complete reconstruction after being destroyed in WWII.

Now, even the simplest walk around the tiny charming streets of the Old Town is enjoyable. Old Town in Warsaw is full of life at each time of the day, especially during Summer. People sitting in the restaurant’s patios, playing songs on various instruments on the streets, all of that makes the atmosphere of this place truly unique. Make sure you won’t miss exploring it while staying in this city!

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Museums in Warsaw

Copernicus Science Centre

Science center in Warsaw, which aims to develop science and cooperation with scientists and teachers. According to the mission of the institution, it should be inspiring to observe, experience, ask questions and seek answers. The Center is open to the public from November 5, 2010. This undoubtedly entertaining and interesting place will be the perfect option for spending time. It’s a guarantee that both, adults and children will have lots of fun there.

The Warsaw Rising Museum

It was opened on July 31, 2004, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the uprising. It is located in the former Municipal Tramway in Warsaw.

The facility documents the history of the Warsaw Uprising. It conducts scientific-research and educational activities dedicated to the history of the uprising, as well as the history and activities of the Polish Underground State. It is a tribute to those who fought and died for free Poland and its capital, showing the meaning of those events to the future generations of Poles.

The exhibition presents the struggle and everyday life of the uprising against the background of the occupation, by showing the complex international situation, post-war communist terror and the fate of insurgents in the PRL. The museum uses modern audiovisual techniques. They are very useful in reaching one of its main recipients, which is the youth. They also allow to talk about history and patriotism in an inspiring way that everyone can understand.

The Warsaw Uprising Museum gathered over 30,000 exhibits. During the first 10 years of operation, more than 4.6 million people visited it so the numbers say for themselves — it’s just worth it!

Warsaw Fotoplastikon — peep show (photoplasticon) that is a branch of the Warsaw Uprising Museum.

The National Museum in Warsaw

Founded in 1862 as the Museum of Fine Arts, is one of the oldest museums of art in Poland. It’s also one of the biggest museums in Poland and the biggest museum in Warsaw. After regaining independence in 1918, the National Museum found an important place among the plans of the new state and Warsaw — its capital. The modernist edifice, the seat of the museum, was established in 1927–1938.

The National Museum in Warsaw collects series of ancient art (Egyptian, Greek, Roman), Polish paintings from the 13th century, as well as a gallery of foreign paintings (Italian, French, Dutch, German and Russian), including several paintings from the private collection of Adolf Hitler, numismatic collections and handicrafts. The collections count about 830 thousand works of Polish and world art, from antiquity to the present. It includes paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings, photographs, numismatic items, as well as objects of applied art and design.

Royal Castle

Baroque-Classicist castle located in the heart of the Warsaw Old Town that performs museum and representative functions. In its long history, the Royal Castle was repeatedly plundered and devastated by Swedish, Brandenburg, German and Russian armies.

In 1965, the surviving fragments of the castle and the building of the Royal Library and many others were listed in the registry of monuments. The reconstruction of the castle in 1971–1984 was directed by the Citizens’ Committee for the Reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. In 1979, a museum was created in the castle, setting up the state cultural institution The Royal Castle in Warsaw — Monument of History and National Culture. From 2014 operating under the name Royal Castle in Warsaw — Museum. Residence of the Kings and the Commonwealth. In 1980, the Royal Castle and the Old Town were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, and in 1994 together with the historical town complex with the Royal Route and Wilanów Royal it was considered a historical monument.

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Museum documenting the centuries-old history of Jews in Poland. The museum performs two functions: a traditional museum and a cultural and educational center. POLIN Museum does not focus its message on the Second World War and the Holocaust, but describes the contribution of Jews to the development of Polish culture, science and economy. It presents their history from the arrival of the first Jewish merchants to the Polish lands and the beginning of the Jewish settlement in the area of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the latest history of the Jewish community in the Third Polish Republic.

POLIN Museum is a modern cultural institution — a historical museum showing the 1000 years of Polish Jews’ history. It is also a place of meetings and dialogue for all those who want to learn more about the past and present Jewish culture. For those who want to learn from the Polish-Jewish history for the future and who want to face stereotypes and face modern threats such as xenophobia and nationalist prejudices. Serving the ideas of openness, tolerance and truth, the Polin Museum contributes to mutual understanding and respect among Poles and Jews.

In September 2014, the Museum added to its name the word “Polin” (which means “Poland” in Hebrew), referring to the legend of the appearance of the first Jews in Poland.

Fryderyk Chopin Museum

The museum was created in 1955 by the Fryderyk Chopin Association. It documents the life and work of Fryderyk Chopin. The museum is a department of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.

The collections of the museum include about 7,000 objects that belonged to Chopin. These include manuscripts, letters and other personal memorabilia of the composer, as well as photographs, iconographic images, paintings, drawings and graphics. The institution has the largest collection of manuscripts of the composer in the world. The mission of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum at the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute — the largest Chopin center in the world — is to cultivate the memory of the great composer and provide knowledge about his life and work to a wide audience.

Museum of Independence

It was established in 1990 and has three branches: Museum of the X Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel, Museum of Pawiak Prison, Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom.

The headquarters of the museum was established by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in the palace, where Lenin Museum was previously located. In 1992, the Independence Museum was granted the status of the National Institution of Culture.

Neon Museum

The purpose of the Neon Museum is to document and protect post-war light ads — neon signs. Since 2005 institution is involved in activities related to researching and renewing old neon signs. Those are memories of large neonisation projects in the Eastern Bloc countries. It’s the first in Poland and one of the very few museums in the world devoted to old light neon advertisements.

The permanent collection of the museum consists of approximately 100 old neon signs and other advertising installations, which were often designed by outstanding artists and graphic designers. In this museum you have the unique opportunity to look at neons close up, as well as to appreciate the artistry of creators and craftsmen of this often forgotten art form.

This is not even half of the list of all museums that exist in Warsaw, but those are the main and the biggest ones. There are numerous smaller, less known but also interesting and fun museums in Warsaw.

Warsaw Nightlife

Warsaw has a very rich nightlife, full of parties and dancing. The heart of the city is full of life during Summer warm nights. With numerous pubs, bars and clubs there no way to get bored and great fun is guaranteed. If you don’t want to look for perfect places on your own, we have a perfect solution as well. You can have fun with your friends or meet new people during our guided Beer and Vodka Tasting Tours. Your private guide will take you to the best local places and tell you everything you want to know about our Polish liquor and the city itself. You will hear much more than you can read in any guidebook. Click HERE to learn everything you need about nightlife in Warsaw.

Things to do in Warsaw — a must-see in Warsaw

Warsaw is much more than just Old Town. You should really remember about few places to see if you want to truly discover the amazing city of Warsaw.

Vistula Boulevards

It’s difficult to imagine the panorama of Warsaw without the Vistula River Boulevards. This is the place where the city’s culture operates and it offers numerous attractions to both, tourists and residents. A few kilometers long, freshly restored riverside promenade is perfect for a walk or bike or rollerblades ride. On the boulevards gazebos with sun loungers, stone benches, and seats made from branches of trees await you. There is also a lookout point to admire the view and a mini beach with wicker baskets. In such a place, you can’t miss the symbol of Warsaw — the Mermaid, where you can take great pictures with your friends or family.

Vistula Boulevards are not just a daytime attraction. At night, during Spring and Summer seasons, the Vistula riverside becomes a great place for parties. You can spend all night sitting by the river with friends or listening to music during many open-air concerts. You can also go to one of many clubs and bars located by the river and dance until the very morning. Everyone will find something great!

Palace of Culture and Science

It’s the tallest building in Poland (in terms of total height), located in the center of Warsaw. The palace is the seat of the Council of the Capital City of Warsaw, which is held in the Warsaw Hall. It is managed. Since 2007, the building is in the register of historic monuments. The palace is the location of many companies and public utilities, including cinemas, theaters, museums, universities and many others. Palace of Culture and Science is a reminder of PRL times in Warsaw, when it was built.

As a visitor, you can take a tour around few spectacular rooms inside the palace. You can also go all the way up to the 30th floor and admire the beautiful panorama of Warsaw from the viewing terrace.

Royal Łazienki Park

Beautiful palace and garden complex in Warsaw founded in the 18th century by Stanisław August Poniatowski. It’s an amazing place to walk around with friends or family and admire the beauty of nature. You can feed the squirrels as there is so many of them there and marvel at wonderful peacocks walking around the park. There is a classicist Palace on the Island. The palace complex lies on an artificial island surrounded by a pond. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges crowned with columns. At the lake there is also an Amphitheater. in Łazienki Park in addition to buildings, pavilions and free-standing sculptures, there are four gardens: Royal, Romantic, Modernist and Chinese.

Wilanów Park

Palace and garden complex in the Wilanów district of Warsaw. This 45-hectare complex has a variety of stylish buildings as well as gardens and parks: the Northern Garden, the Baroque Garden divided into two terraces, the Rose Garden, two landscape parks — North and South and the Orangery Garden. Despite beautiful gardens there is a baroque Wilanów Royal Palace built in 1681–1696 for King Jan III Sobieski. The palace together with the surrounding park and buildings has preserved the unchanged architectural form, historical and artistic values despite wars and occupation. The palace and park complex in Wilanów is also a place full with cultural events, concerts and meetings.

Things to do in Warsaw — Activities&Attractions

Warsaw city center and its surroundings have many places for sightseeing, but if you’re more into active or sporty things to do, you will have many of them to choose from as well! Warsaw offers numerous fun things to do.

You can rent a bike or moped and go around the city along with one of the great bike routes. It’s an easy, convenient, and fast way to get everywhere you want and see the best spots in the city.

Do you like music? Consider taking the night out to the Grand Theater — National Opera or National Philharmonic in Warsaw. Check the current repertoire and pick the desired concert to spend some great time with higher culture.

Another fun place worth visiting in Warsaw is National Stadium. The stadium was built specifically for the European Football Championships — Euro 2012 which took place in Poland and Ukraine. There are almost 60 thousand places on two-storey stands! Currently, it’s one of the best places to go to football games, concerts and many other shows being organised there. Make sure you check out if something’s going on there while you’re visiting Warsaw so you won’t miss anything.

If you’re travelling with your kids, they will surely have fun in Warsaw Zoo. Zoological garden of Warsaw is placed in North Praga district and it covers the area of almost 40 hectares. Almost 500 species of different animals live there. All of you will have lots of fun watching giraffes, monkeys, elephants, sharks, and many many other various cute animals.