City Breaks to Warsaw
The capital city of Poland, Warsaw is located on the banks of the Vistula river and only 200 km from the Baltic. Warsaw has famously given its name to the Warsaw Convention, Pact of Warsaw, Warsaw Confederation and Treaty of Warsaw. Though the city suffered great damages in World War II, it has emerged through the rubble and many of the marvellous buildings have now been restored to their former glory. The Old Town was even deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.
Today, the city thrives with energy and is a dynamic and forward-thinking place. Though it’s full of marvellous museums and monuments to the past, the city firmly faces the future. Performing arts, theatre, and nightlife are truly alive and unparalleled in the rest of Poland. The music scene is also absolutely legendary. Home of Fryderyk Chopin, classical music has top billing, but music of every genre is popular.
The banks of the river play host to festivals, fairs and fireworks and the annual Midsummer's night "wreath floating" festival truly brings the whole city to life. The Praga district is fast becoming a little artistic and creative oasis in the city and, surrounded by modern buildings and glass skyscrapers, the tallest 4 faced clock tower in the world stands proud. A city with a big heart, Warsaw is an excellent destination to spend several days exploring!
Warsaw’s nickname is the Phoenix City, because it was totally destroyed in WW2 and then rebuilt.
Mermaids are the symbol for Warsaw and are found on the city’s coat of arms and have several statues around the capital.
Warsaw’s Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Warsaw's Unique History
- Cultural Hotspots
- Must-see City Sights
Warsaw's Unique History
Warsaw Uprising Museum: A museum not well known that remembers history. The museum captures the uprising of a city that was nearly annihilated during WWII.
Gas Museum: A few steps away from the Old Town lies the Gas Works Museum. Providing gas and lightning to Warsaw’s streets in the late 19th century, it’s now an interesting Museum with a collection of original machinery, street lamps and gas cookers.
Royal Castle: Being the residence for the Polish royalty between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Royal castle was completely destroyed in WWII. It was reconstructed in 1980, fitting in well with the Old Town’s atmosphere. It is located on the beautiful Castle Square.
Cultural Hotspots
Palace of Culture and Science: The Palace of Culture and Science has amazing things inside: four theatres, one cinema, two museums, several bookshops, offices, one swimming pool and a coffee house inside. Oh – and an amazing 360 view from the rooftop terrace on the 30th floor.
Tibetan Gallery: Just after the Council of Warsaw awarded the Dalai Lama with honorary citizenship, the Tibetan Gallery was created. The open air street art gallery is dedicated to the Tibetan culture, their history and the transgression that still occurs today
Praga District: The Praga district, the city's most authentic area, used to be off limits for tourists and Varsovians, but has undergone a complete revival.
Must-see City Sights
Stroll along the Royal Route (Trakt Królewski): The most beautiful part of the city, the Royal Route, connects the UNESCO-listed Old Town with the famous Royal Łazienki Park. Along the way are the University, Church of St. Anne, Nicolaus Copernicous monument, Polish Academy of Science and the Three Crosses Square.
Warsaw University Library Garden: The rooftops of the Warsaw University Library looks like a secret garden in Warsaw! It’s an entire hectare covered by a two storey rooftop garden, filled with bridges, streams, cobbled pathways, sculptures and plants.
Relax in Royal Łazienki Park: The biggest park of Warsaw. This Baroque style park was designed in the 17th century, the park is home to the main Palace and a neoclassical amphitheatre.
Nowy Świat Street: A part of the Royal Route is the Nowy Świat Street, about one km long. There are fine Neoclassical mansions, upmarket shops and unique cafes located along the street.
AIRPORT
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW)
Distance: 11km to the city centre
TRAIN
The S2 train will take you to downtown Warsaw, and the S3 to Central Railway Station. The journey takes approx. 20 minutes, and the station is located underneath Terminal A. Trains depart about every 15 minutes and cost about €1 per journey.
BUS
There are several different buses that connect the city centre and the airport. The bus stop is located at the arrival hall on the lower level of the airport, and buses depart every 10-15 minutes. The journey takes about 45 minutes and costs €1 per ticket.
PRIVATE SHUTTLE
A private shuttle into the city would take about 30 minutes and cost approximately €44pp for a return transfer based on 2 sharing.
Average temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| high | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| low | -4 | -5 | -1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | -2 |