You have to hand it to Warsaw: for a city that took an absolute kicking in World War 2, with roughly 85% of it being blitzed to rubble, it really has picked itself up, dusted itself off and made an amazing job of the painful rebuilding process. Not that Warsaw is one of those quaintly attractive European cities, displaying remnants of glorious times past; it couldn’t be. But it definitely has some incredibly beautiful parts that you wouldn’t expect. A thorough and conscientious rebuilding of the destroyed Old Town, brick for brick, has produced a really beautiful area in the north of Warsaw full of lovely architecture and street artists, to say nothing of some of the best restaurants for traditional Polish food. In the south of the city you’ll find the vast and beautiful Lazienki Park that will alter all your perceptions of Poland as an urban jungle. And in the middle of the two you’ll find the new town – the shiny, modern and far-cleaner-than-you’d-expect new town. There’s some really very impressive architecture here, as well as some very good shopping. Add to all this some great museums and markets and we think you’ll agree that Warsaw is a pleasant surprise that you shouldn’t miss out on.
New Town
Palace of Culture and Science
See that giant building towering over the centre of Poland, dominating everything? That would be the Palace of Culture and Science, and may just be the most hated building in Warsaw. It’s original name might give you a clue as to why: It was previously named The Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science. It was a gift from Stalin and the Soviet Union to Poland, and took three years to build, which is quite a feat of achievement but made more believable by the 3500 labourers working hard under Soviet standards. It’s also the tallest building in Poland (and in the top 200 tallest buildings in the world, but that doesn’t sound as impressive) and the view from the top is fabulous. Residents of Poland will tell you that the view is best from up there because it’s practically the only place where you can’t see the Palace itself. It’s definitely worth a look from up there.
Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego) – ul. Grzybowska 79, off ul. Przyokopowa
Probably Warsaw’s best museum, the Uprising Museum is Warsaw’s depiction of the city’s struggle through WWII and the ensuing Soviet occupation and regime. It’s an extremely moving museum, with carefully thought out and sensitively portrayed exhibitions. It focuses not only on the army and military life but the life of the civilians who had to suffer through the violence. To get a good idea of Warsaw’s recent history, there is no better place. It’s closed on Tuesdays and the rest of the days is open from 8am until 6pm. On Thursdays they have extended opening hours until 8pm.
Old Town
The Old Town, in all its beauty, was totally destroyed in the bombing that Warsaw suffered, and so in 1971 a reconstruction programme began, gamely attempting to build the Old Town, brick for brick, as it once was. When you get there, you’ll see that they succeeded in their task. The Old Town is mostly about walking about and appreciating how incredible it is, and enjoying eating in the restaurants’ outdoor seating among the beauty.
Royal Castle
Now, do bear in mind that this castle, like the rest of the Old Town, is a reconstruction, if a very accurate one. The original was built between 1589 and 1619, and marked the moving of the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw. It served as a Palace and a parliamentary building. It was thoroughly and purposefully blown up in the mid 20th century, and in 1971 the rebuilding of the Old Town in general and the Castle in particular began. It was completed in 1984. Within the castle you’ll find the houses of parliament, the royal apartments and the audience rooms, among others. It is open on Mondays from 11am until 4pm, on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am until 6pm and on Sundays from 11am until 6pm.
Lazienki Park
The park itself is the biggest within Warsaw, covering a staggering 76 hectares and containing some beautiful buildings as well as some lovely walks. Below are listed some things to do and see here.
Chopin Concerts
In the summer, a grand piano is dragged out and amplified massively, and hundreds of people congregate on the grass around the fountains to listen to renditions of Poland’s favourite musician, Chopin. It’s a great atmosphere and a really peaceful way to spend the afternoon. There are two concerts a day, one at 12pm and one at 4pm. You should get the bus down there, because it’s quite a walk, and from there just follow the crowds of people.
Palace on the Water
This is one of Warsaw’s most beautiful buildings, dating back to the 17th century and thankfully intact. It includes royal baths and a gallery with a few works by well-known artists among other beautiful rooms. It was pencilled into the schedule to be bombed like the rest of the city, but, thankfully, there wasn’t time in the end, and it still stands to this day.
Royal Orangery
The orangery is a very nice building within the park that was completed in 1788. It completes the park’s overall feeling of elegance and sophistication.
Temples
There are two temples to be found within the boundaries of the park: the temple of Diana and the Egyptian temple. For the temple of Diana (Goddess of the Hunt), head to the south lake in the park, and aim for the northwest corner. It is a wooden building dating back to 1822 decorated with murals within. The Egyptian temple, on the other hand, which was also built in 1822 by the same designer, is in the south west corner of the same lake. Half of it was bombed in the Warsaw Uprising, but the other half has remained.
Markets
Bazar na Kole – ul. Obozowa 99
For odds, ends and general flea market goods, this is probably your best bet for Warsaw markets. Here you’ll be able to dig out quite a lot of pre-war goods, old records, and general bits and pieces, and you’ll be able to get a good deal for all of it. It’s not just somewhere you come to find some bizarre bits and bobs, it’s also got a great if surreal atmosphere to be soaked up. It’s open at weekends from dawn until about 2pm.
Russian Market – Stadion Dziesieciolecia, Rondo Waszyngtona
Located in and around the old, now crumbling, stadium, the Russian market is something of an institution in Warsaw, and with good reason. It has spread massively over what seems to be a vast expanse when you’re pushing your way through the throngs of people and stalls, and sells just about everything you could possibly want to find. Estimates put the amount of traders there at about 12,000. It’s a crazy mish-mash, but a good one. One of the most interesting features is that, despite the name (and indeed, there are many Russians), there is a fairly sizeable Vietnamese section, just next to the Chinese section. Now, Chinese, sure; they get everywhere. But Vietnamese? What’s that about? And yet, as you wander around their section, with all the writing on the food stalls in Vietnamese, you will feel just like you’re in Hoi An or Nha Trang market. Very bizarre. Being huge and packed, there are obviously quite a few pickpockets around, but unless you keep your wallet in your back pocket, you should be fine. Just keep a quiet eye out, as you would in any market. It’s open every day but only in the morning – most traders have packed up by 1pm. Just to warn you – there are plans to get rid of the whole thing and rebuild the stadium, better than ever before. Go before the Polish bureaucracy flattens this integral part of Warsaw in the name of becoming a civilised EU member.
Eating in Warsaw
Gosh, where to begin? Okay, well, you should probably start with the Old Town, where you can find more traditional Polish food. The best thing to do is to is dive down the smaller side streets and try to find smaller restaurants or just ones that aren’t so obviously straight in front of you: the food will be better and the prices more wallet-friendly. If you want to spend your evenings in the Square 
people watching and generally relaxing, then do so with a few glasses of vodka, rather than a whole meal.
If you want something cheap, cheerful and yet tasty, you could do worse than to try out Sphinx, an interesting chain if restaurants that seem to be doing their best to combine Polish and Middle Eastern food. For the amount and quality you get, the prices are great. The place tends to be packed out with young trendy types, and, as with most Eastern European cities, the service can sometimes be slightly... indifferent, not to say unfriendly. But hey, you can’t have everything. And the decor is superb – a serious piece of Istanbul in each. You’ll find one at ul. Jerozolimskie 42.
If, frankly, you can’t stand Eastern European food (and though we would personally disagree with you, we do understand others feeling this way), here are a couple of good Italian options: Arsenal (ul. Dluga 52) has loads of dishes; 240, in fact. Jajo (ul. Zgoda 3) is quite cool and funky, and the lunchtime menus in particular are good and affordable. And Pizza Marzano is the Polish equivalent of Pizza Express (in fact, they used to be Pizza Express), and is located on the oh-so-trendy Nowy Swiat (42), and so is great for watching the beautiful people walking by. You could even follow them into the nearby bars and clubs if you fancy having a go at stalking.