SEKAI Explorer Guide Warsaw (2011)

Wiki-travelers are members of a world-wide community and contribute to the Wikitravel (a collaborative travel guide). We are passionate about travel, and about sharing our impressions, tips and knowledge with other. This allows you to make the most out of your vacation, finding and enjoying the most amazing places. No other travel guide can provide you with more interesting places.

This book was created to allow Kindle reader a optimized version of the associated Wikitravel article and is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Generic License. For further License information please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ and for user contribution please see next page.

Wikitravel is not associated with this book and we assumes no liability and make no guarantee of accurarcy. Use this ebook at your own risk and fun.

Contributor

This book would not be as it is without the great effort of all supporting Wikitravel user. People who are directly involved in this work are:

Adam Zolnowski, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel, Bea Bodnar, Bill Ellett, Carson Roen, Claus Hansen, Colin Jensen, David, David Le Brun, Douglas, Evan Prodromou, Geniu, Ian Moore, Jakub Zagrajek, jan, Jani Patokallio, Jan Słupski, Jeremy Smith, Jerry, Jim Nicholson, Kevin Leeds, Marie Glassborow, M. Hogue, Michele Ann Jenkins, mike.hobday@ntlworld.com, Niels Elgaard Larsen, Peter Donaghy, Phil Gorrindo, Piotr Goldstein, Piotr Szczepański, Ricardo, Roberto Moutinho, Ryan Holliday, Stefan Ertmann, Tim Sandell, Tom Holland, Wikitravel user Ashton.bridget, Wikitravel user Cundzo, Wikitravel user Firipu, Wikitravel user Lysy, Wikitravel user Pcharasz, Wikitravel user Pukkalad, Wikitravel user Taxi, Wikitravel user Valtteri, Wikitravel user Zepppep .

Table of Content:

• Districts

Śródmieście

Wola

Mokotów

Żoliborz

Ochota

Praga Północ

Praga Południe

Northern Warsaw

Bemowo

Włochy

Ursus

Eastern Warsaw

Ursynów

Wilanów

• Understand

History

Warsaw Uprising

Post-World War II

Climate

Tourism

Orientation

City center

• Get in

By plane

Getting toorfrom the airport

By bus

By taxi

By other means

By train

Suburban trains

Warsaw Commuter Railway

By car

By bus

• Get around

By car

Parking

Taxis

Public transport

Metro (subway)

Buses

Trams

Tickets

• See

Itineraries

• Do

Concerts and performances

Festivals

Sports

• Learn

Universities

Polish language

Work

• Buy

• Eat

Fast food

Milk bars

• Drink

Clubs

Concerts

Tea and coffee

• Sleep

• Contact

Postal service

Internet

Telephones

• Stay safe

• Cope

Religious services

Laundry

Embassies

• Get out

Districts

Centrum (Śródmieście, Wola, Mokotów, Żoliborz, Ochota, Praga Północ, and Praga Południe)
The Centrum area, made up of six diverse districts, is a mixture of industrial areas and prestigious residential neighborhoods. It will be here that most travelers will spend their time in Warsaw, as most major attractions and hotels are primarily located in Śródmieście, Wola, and Mokotów.

Northern Warsaw (Bielany and Białołęka)

Western Warsaw (Bemowo, Włochy and Ursus)

Eastern Warsaw (Targówek, Rembertów, Wawer, and Wesoła)

Southern Warsaw (Ursynów and Wilanów)
The southern terminal of the Royal Route, Wilanów is home to the Wilanów Palace. Ursynów is home to the historic Natolin park and nature reserve, which hosts the College of Europe Natolin in the Potocki Palace. The area saw intense activity on the part of the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising.

Understand

History

The medieval capital of Poland was the southern city of Krakow, but Warsaw has been the capital of the country since 1596, and has grown to become Poland's largest city and the nation's urban and commercial center. Completely destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, the city managed to lift itself from the ashes. Today, almost every building in Warsaw dates to the postwar era - with what little remains of the old structures being confined largely to the restored districts of Stare Miasto (the 'old city') and Nowe Miasto ('new city'), as well as selected monuments and cemeteries.

Warsaw Uprising

A thriving European capital, Warsaw was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1939, and was the scene of two major uprisings during the war - the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, and the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The former involved the remaining Jewish inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto, which had already largely been emptied by the Nazi extermination policies of the Holocaust, and was ended by the annihilation of the Ghetto by Nazi forces. The latter involved the Polish resistance forces, known as the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, or AK), rising up against the Nazi occupation of the city in hopes that the city could be liberated by Polish forces instead of the facing dubious Soviet 'liberation' from the east. The Soviet Union had cooperated with Nazi Germany in the invasion and occupation of Poland in 1939.

After five years under brutal occupation, with the tide of the war turning against the Third Reich, the leaders of the Polish underground resistance (the AK) made the decision to launch a total effort to dislodge the Nazis from the city of Warsaw. With over 45,000 troops already in Warsaw, the AK and several allied organizations took up strategic locations around the city and launched the Uprising. Across Poland, there were roughly 400,000 troops involved in the resistance. The Uprising was scheduled to begin on August 1, 1944 at 5PM. However, in the the city center, and the districts of Wola and Żoliborz, fighting broke out before the planned hour.

Fighting continued until October 5, 1944 when the Home Army and its allied organizations surrendered. Despite its successes and valor, the Polish fighters were outnumbered and outgunned. The Home Army was unable to continue its fight without the help of the Allies. America and Britain did very little to support the Uprising, other than dropping some supplies over the city (the Soviet Union refused to allow the use of airfields in territory under its control). The Soviet Union took a multifaceted role by allying themselves with the Home Army to win victories against the Germans in other Polish territories, then disarming and imprisoning the Polish soldiers. The Soviet Union purposely allowed the Warsaw Uprising to fail by abandoning the Home Army and Varsovians so it could install a puppet government in postwar Poland.

After the surrender, the German army, despite its agreements under the surrender treaty, systematically destroyed over 85% of Warsaw in retaliation for the uprising, including the historic "Old Town" which was rebuilt after the war. Of 987 historically important buildings, only 64 were left untouched by the Germans. Polish soldiers were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Warsaw's civilian population was "evacuated" with some being sent to concentration camps, or sent to Germany for forced labor. Others were sent to different Polish cities.

In the first days of the fighting, Nazi forces indiscriminately murdered about 60,000 civilians, including women and children, in the district of Wola. In the end, the Uprising cost 180,000 civilians their lives, the lives of an additional 18,000 insurgents, the capital its glory, and the Polish nation its long-desired independence. The only thing that persevered was the Polish spirit.

Post-World War II

Capitalist insult

The building at Nowy Świat 6/12 served as the headquarters for the Central Committee of the Polish Communist party until 1991 when some creative anti-communists decided to make the Communist Headquarters the home for the Warsaw Stock Exchange and The Banking Finance Center. The Warsaw Stock Exchange has since moved to the building directly behind the Communist HQ, but the irony remains.

The city was rebuilt in the immediate aftermath of the war, and the monolithic gray apartment blocks that characterize much of the city (especially its outer areas) are a relic of the Stalinist utilitarianism that dominated the rebuilding efforts. A typical example of the Stalinist architecture is the monolithic Palace of Culture (palac kultury), with its clocktower, which remains Warsaw's tallest building.

Since the fall of communism in 1989, Warsaw has been developing much more rapidly than Poland as a whole. You wouldn't recognize the city if you saw it ten years ago, and more changes are constantly taking place. Warsaw has long been the easiest place in Poland to find employment, and for this reason many of the Polish inhabitants of the city are first or second generation, originating from all over the country.

Even though much of Warsaw seems to imitate western cities, there are many peculiarities to be found here that you will not find in western capitals. Examples include the communist-era bar mleczny (lit. 'milk bar') that remain in operation (essentially cheap cafeterias for no-frills, working-class traditional Polish dining, which have remained incredibly popular in the face of westernization), as well as Europe's largest outdoor marketplace, following in the footsteps of the traditional Slavic bazaar, which is located in the region of Warsaw on the east bank of the Vistula by the Poniatowski bridge (near the stadium).

Climate

Climate

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

High(°C)

-1

1

6

13

19

22

23

23

18

13

6

1

Low(°C)

-6

-5

-2

3

8

11

13

12

9

4

1

-3

Precipitation (cm)

22

21

26

33

58

71

69

62

43

37

41

32

Summers in Warsaw can vary from mild to exhaustingly hot. In most residences and some hotels, there is no air conditioning, which means the days and nights can be hot to the point of interrupting one's sleep. Travelers should bring light, summer clothes for the day, but bring an extra jacket for evenings, which can sometimes get a little chilly.

The winters, on the other hand, are brutally cold. Weather can often force the city to come to a standstill. When it snows, it may take up to an hour's time just to travel a few city blocks with traffic at a standstill and road crews seemingly caught off guard (despite warnings from meteorologists in several days in advance). Public transportation will also be utter chaos with buses and trams running late. On the first day of snow in 2010, it took upwards of three hours to travel from Warsaw's Wola district to the northern tip of Warsaw's Mokotów district; a trip that should take no more than 30-45 minutes. Travelers would best be advised to bring heavy, water-resistant shoes with them when traveling in Poland in late Autumn to early Spring.

Tourism

The Warsaw Convention Bureau [2] is the official tourist information agency in Warsaw and can provide visitors with information regarding hotels, attractions, and events. They also have maps for travelers. Unfortunately, the bureau's website isn't well designed and doesn't provide all that great of information, though, it can be helpful. They operate three locations in Warsaw.

There are a few other organizations that are useful when planning or looking for information about a trip to Warsaw. The City of Warsaw [3] has a lot of useful information on its website and would be a good place to get some information. Destination Warsaw [4] has some useful information, but seems to trump up its members' products, restaurants, and services over others. It's main goal is the promotion of Warsaw as a destination abroad. The best source of practical tips, contacts, and current event information is the Warsaw Insider [5], available at every concierge, tourits information and larger newsagents'; the Warsaw Voice [6], an English language weekly newspaper, also maintains a good calendar of events [7] on its website.

A wise investment may be the Warsaw Tourist Card [8], which can either be purchased for a 24 hour period or three days. The card will get you into museums for free or for a discount. It also doubles as a ticket for public transportation in Warsaw. You may also be able to get discounts at galleries, sports facilities, shops, restaurants, and discounted tours, car rentals, or accommodation. The card can be purchased at the tourist agency's offices around the city, some hotels, and a few other locations.

Orientation

As is the case with most major cities, Warsaw is situated on a river. The river's name is Vistula (Polish: Wisła) and it crosses the city on a north-south axis, dividing it into two parts, usually referred to as the left bank (Polish: lewy brzeg adj. lewobrzeżna Warszawa) and the right bank (Polish: prawy brzeg adj. prawobrzeżna Warszawa).

City center

Historically, the right bank was the first one to become populated, during the 9th or 10th century. However, the present city's central district, called Śródmieście lies on the left bank. The Old Town is fully contained within the borders of the city center.

The central point of the city is located at the intersection of Al. Jerozolimskie and ul. Marszałkowska, near the entrance to the Metro Centrum subway station. It is good to know that the Palace of Culture is a landmark visible from almost any location in Warsaw. Should you ever get lost in the city, just walk toward the Palace of Culture and Science.

The quarter delimited by Al. Jerozolimskie, ul. Marszałkowska, al. Jana Pawła II, and ul. Świętokrzyska, contains Dworzec Centralny, the main railway station, and the Palace of Culture and Science.

Get in

By plane

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport [9] (IATA: WAW, ICAO: EPWA) is located in the area of Okęcie in Włochy, some 10 km south of the center point of the city. For many years the airport used to be called just Okęcie, but this reportedly caused confusion and it was renamed.

There are two terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The Etiuda Terminal was used by budget airlines and for charters, but now it's closed. The terminals are very close to each other, but it's best to know from which terminal you will be departing.

Before passing through security in Terminal 1, buy your duty free items, newspapers, and food and drinks because there are no shops or restaurants in the boarding area.

Getting toorfrom the airport

By bus

Regional and long-distance bus connections in Poland are traditionally called PKS. Once it was a legitimate abbreviation for the state-owned monopoly. Now, however, bus routes are operated by completely independent companies, some of which has chosen to retain the old PKS as a part of their name. In Warsaw, there's PKS Warszawa [14] but PKSes from various other cities also operate. Most PKS buses arrive and depart from either of two major terminals:

- Dworzec PKS Warszawa Zachodnia, Al. Jerozolimskie (near Rondo Zesłańców Syberyjskich). The bigger of the two, next to the railway station by the same name. Most buses arrive at Dworzec PKS Warszawa Zachodnia. To get to the city center from here, walk to the other side of Al. Jerozolimskie and take a bus: 517, E-5  (peak hours only), 127 , or 130  to Dw. Centralny (one bus stop short of Centrum). Catching the eastbound suburban train or S2 urban railway line might be the best option. During the night, buses N35  and N85 run to Dw. Centralny (main station) every 30 minutes beginning at 23:52.

- Dworzec PKS Warszawa Stadion, al. Zieleniecka (near Stadion X-lecia). For buses going east of Warsaw.

By taxi

Avoid the taxi drivers soliciting customers inside the terminal, as they severely overcharge. Instead, use one of the companies recommended by the airport authorities (Merc Taxi, MPT Radio Taxi, Ele, or Sawa Taxi). They are slightly above market average in terms of prices and stop near the exit from Terminal 1. You can also order a taxi from another corporation by phone (there is no surcharge). A typical fare to a hotel near Warszawa Centralna station is around 40 zł at night, less in the daytime.

In any case, the most you should pay is 3.00 zł (up to 4.50 zł on Sundays; but typically no more than 2.40 zł) per km in the daytime plus an initial fee of no more than 6 zł. You are entitled to a receipt (which must specify the route used) upon request. The Polish word for receipt is rachunek. There is no obligation to tip the taxi drivers, but most won't refuse if you offer. See the Taxis section for a more in-depth explanation of taxi fares.

By other means

Some hotels offer a shuttle to/from the airport, while some will send taxis for you.

By train

Warsaw has three stations for long-distance trains:

- Dworzec Centralny or Warszawa Centralna (Warsaw Central) ul. Emilii Plater

- Dworzec Wschodni or Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East) between ul. Kijowska and ul. Lubelska (on the right bank)

- Dworzec Zachodni or Warszawa Zachodnia (Warsaw West) Al. Jerozolimskie near Rondo Zesłańców Syberyjskich

Unless you really know what you're doing, the best option is Dworzec Centralny (Warszawa Centralna) station, as it has best connections with all the places in the city. All long-distance trains pass through this station and all stop there. It is the only long-distance station underground. It isn't the last station on the route!

Trains running eastwards start at Warszawa Zachodnia, stop at Warszawa Centralna and then at Warszawa Wschodnia, while trains heading westwards make the same trip in the opposite direction (except that they don't always stop at Warszawa Zachodnia). The same is true for arriving trains. Tourists often find it confusing that the main train station (Warszawa Centralna) is not the last station on the route.

The Berlin-Warszawa Express runs from Berlin to Warsaw daily and is quite inexpensive if booked in advance. Students get discounts as well. It's a fairly comfortable six hour trip. Schedule are available on Intercity's website [10] and tickets can be booked through Polrail Service [11].

One train per day runs to Kaunas and Vilnius in Lithuania, with a change of trains near the border.

There're also trains to Russia - Moscow, Saint Petersburg and even direct cars to Saratov or Irkutsk, Belarus - Minsk, Ukraine - Kiev and direct cars to Simferopol or even Astana in Kazakhstan. There are many direct connections to west-european cities too.

In domestic trains, reservation is obligatory only on EC, EIC or Ex trains. In the most popular TLK (cheapest, sometimes only a little slower than expensive EIC) seat reservation is possible (but not obligatory!) only in 1st class.

There are also some IR (InterRegio) trains, operated by Przewozy Regionalne. These are the cheapest trains in Poland, but often not very comfortable and slow. Only IR Warsaw-Szczecin-Warsaw (called "Mewa") and Warsaw-Rzeszow-Warsaw (called "WOŚP") are highly recommended - they're equipped with air-conditioning, CCTV, power sockets for every seat and free wi-fi connection, although the price is extremely low. Seat reservation is possible for as little as 3zł (~0,75€), but only when purchasing internet ticket on website [12].

If you don't have a reservation, you may get a better seat by boarding the train at its point or origination. During peak season, you may not be able to get a seat at all.

Suburban trains

There is no central station for suburban trains, but the most important one is Warszawa Śródmieście (in close proximity of Warszawa Centralna and Metro Centrum). Some destinations you can reach from there are Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Łowicz, Milanówek, Mińsk Mazowiecki, Otwock, Piława, Pruszków, Radom, Siedlce, Skierniewice, Sochaczew, Sulejówek, Terespol, Tłuszcz, Wołomin, Żyrardów.

Suburban trains going north depart from Warszawa Gdańska (Metro Dworzec Gdański). From there, you can go to destinations like Ciechanów, Działdowo, Mława and Nasielsk.

Similarly, suburban trains going east depart from Warszawa Wileńska (ul. Targowa near Al. Solidarności, also a shopping mall there). Some example destinations include Małkinia, Tłuszcz, Wołomin.

Warsaw Commuter Railway

WKD [13] (Polish: Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa) is separate train service that runs from a distinct platform at Warszawa Śródmieście WKD to Grodzisk Mazowiecki, a city some 50 km west of Warsaw through Pruszków, Milanówek, and Podkowa Leśna.

By car

By bus

Regional and long-distance bus connections in Poland are traditionally called PKS. Once it was a legitimate abbreviation for the state-owned monopoly. Now, however, bus routes are operated by completely independent companies, some of which has chosen to retain the old PKS as a part of their name. In Warsaw, there's PKS Warszawa [14] but PKSes from various other cities also operate. Most PKS buses arrive and depart from either of two major terminals:

- Dworzec PKS Warszawa Zachodnia, Al. Jerozolimskie (near Rondo Zesłańców Syberyjskich). The bigger of the two, next to the railway station by the same name. Most buses arrive at Dworzec PKS Warszawa Zachodnia. To get to the city center from here, walk to the other side of Al. Jerozolimskie and take a bus: 517, E-5  (peak hours only), 127 , or 130  to Dw. Centralny (one bus stop short of Centrum). Catching the eastbound suburban train or S2 urban railway line might be the best option. During the night, buses N35  and N85 run to Dw. Centralny (main station) every 30 minutes beginning at 23:52.

- Dworzec PKS Warszawa Stadion, al. Zieleniecka (near Stadion X-lecia). For buses going east of Warsaw.

Get around

By car

Parking

There is a paid-parking zone in the center of the city. This applies Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM. Parking costs 3.00 zł for the first hour. Subsequent hours cost more although there is no hour limit. 0.60 zł is the minimum payment. You can pay with coins (must be exact amount - the parking meters give no change) or with the Warsaw City Card (not the tourist card).

Taxis

The maximum base fare (taryfa 1) is 3.00 zł/km and applies to journeys within the city (zone 1) on weekdays. Taxi drivers can charge 150% of the base fare (taryfa 2) at night or on weekends and public holidays, and 200% of the base fare (taryfa 3) for journeys into the suburbs. Watch out for blue rectangular signs saying taxi 2 strefa (Taxi Zone 2), they can charge 300% of the base fare (taryfa 4) at night and in the suburbs or on weekends and public holidays).

In addition, they can also charge you 6 zł initial fee (closing the door), 40.00 zł an hour for waiting for you if you you are not in the first zone, and for getting back to the boundary of the first zone if you left in zone 2. There are no surcharges for additional passengers (normally up to 4 should fit), or for luggage.

They cannot charge you for anything else. There is no obligation or custom of tipping the drivers. The driver is required to give you a receipt on request. The full route must be written on the receipt. If the route was suboptimal, the fare can then be challenged. Call the City Guard (Polish: Straż Miejska) at 986 (+48 22 986 from a mobile phone) should there be any problems.

The aforementioned prices apply only to officially registered taxis. Others (non-taxi carriers) may charge you whatever they feel like, so they are best avoided.

A legal taxi will have its number displayed on the front door under the window (black digits on white), on a TAXI sign (not TAX1 or TAKI), on a sticker with the base fare displayed on the passenger (rear) door window, and on the driver's ID card visible inside the cab.

Public transport

The public transport system in Warsaw is generally well-developed, with some 200 bus routes and 30 tram lines. The route descriptions on the tram stops are easy to follow (although bus stop notices are more complex) and the tickets are cheap. It can be painfully slow, however, to travel between destinations far from the city center.

There is also a modern underground line going from south to north on the left bank, and a recently-introduced Rapid Urban Railway (Polish: Szybka Kolej Miejska or SKM) which has proved to be a big disappointment, but now it's becoming more and more popular. Travelling to districts like Włochy, Ursus, Rembertów or Wesoła by SKM instead of bus can save a lot of time.

Metro (subway)

Warsaw's subway system, called Metro, opened in 1995 and is one of the newest underground railway systems in Europe. Operated by Metro Warszawskie sp. z o.o. [15] it runs daily from early morning until midnight at 3-10 minute intervals. On Friday and Saturday, Metro runs until 3 am. Trains and stations are clean and neat. The system currently consists of only one line, which was designed to carry commuters from the densely populated new districts at the northern and southern outskirts into the city center. As a result, the subway does not go to many tourist destinations, however several stations will take you in a general vicinity of some attractions. A second route is planned, which is supposed to link the center with the right bank of the river Vistula (i.e. Praga) with a segment containing 7 stations now expected to be completed in 2013 at the earliest.

Buses

Buses operate usually from 5.00 to 23.00, but you should always check the schedule. The intervals can be anything from as little as 5 minutes (crowded routes during peak hours) to nearly 2 hours (certain suburban routes). Usually, you will wait 20 minutes at most.

Warsaw has well-developed night bus communication, that will take you basically to every part of city. Most buses start and finish at the back of Central Railway Station (Dworzec Centralny). They start every 30 minutes, hour by hour, at XX:15 and XX:45.

Bus route numbers consist of three digits. Only the first digit has any meaning, the latter being merely ordinal. Here's the key to understanding Warsaw bus route numbers:

Normal

Expedited

Suburban

All-Day Service

1xx

5xx

7xx

Certain Hours Only (Usually Peak)

3xx

4xx

8xx

Other than that:

- Nxx  are night routes.

- 2xx  are local routes.

- 9xx  are special routes, which operate only a few days in a year.

- E-x  are express routes, which link the farthest districts to the city centre, call at very few stops and operate during peak hours only.

- Z-x  are routes in place of trams.

There are a few routes that are of certain interest to tourists:

- 148, 175  and  188  operate to and from the airport.

- 180 [16], the Warsaw Sightseeing Route between the Powązki Cemetery and Wilanów.

A map of the tourist routes is available here: [17].

Requesting a stop - certain bus stops are request-only (Polish: na żądanie):

- If you want to get off, press the stop (red) button. In certain old buses, the button is located above the door (and it's not red).

- If you want to get on a bus, wave your hand (or star-jump, or do whatever it takes to attract the driver's attention).

Sometimes (all-year in air-conditioned buses and trams, October-March in every bus or tram), the door will not open automatically. To open it, locate the button drzwi (blue) and press it. Then you have 15 seconds until the door closes back.

Night buses operate on 38 routes: N01 to  N95 . The first digit indicates the area of Warsaw the bus travels to. All parts of the city are covered, but travelling to distant locations is particularly time-consuming. All buses operate at 30-minute intervals and depart from their central stop at Dw. Centralny 15 and 45 minutes after the hour, which facilitates changing.

When travelling on a night bus, it is essential to know the location of your bus stop at Dw. Centralny. There is a map [18] that will help you.

All night bus stops except Dw. Centralny and Centrum are request stops. Signal well in advance as some night bus drivers may be too busy accelerating to notice.

There is also a map of all the night bus routes: [19].

Note that not all bus stops that have Centrum in their name are in the city center. For example, there is a bus route 525 that goes from Centrum (the real city center) through Centrum Optyki in Praga Południe to Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka in Wawer. This is always clear from the route map so please read it carefully.

Trams

Although trams are not faster than buses unless there is a heavy traffic jam, they may have some appeal for a tourist as it is easier to predict where they are going - they usually go straight ahead and only rarely turn. However, it may be worth travelling by tram in the city centre during rush hours. Because of Warsaw's dreadful congestion problems it can take 20 mins for a bus to get to the next stop which is only a few hundred metres away.

Trams have numbers below 50 (for the curious, the 50+ numbers were used by the long-lost trolley buses). Trams with numbers above 40 operate during peak hours only. A map of tram routes is available to assist you in planning your journey: [20].

There is a special route  T  operated by historic cars from pl. Narutowicza. You can see the route on a map here: [21]. Note: 'T' only runs in July and August.

The tram services can end as early as at 10PM, but most routes are served until midnight.

Tickets

Although there are many carrier companies, tickets are issued and controlled by the single Warsaw Transport Authority (Polish: Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego or ZTM) [22] and are valid for all means of transport including the suburban trains (usually painted in green and white) and Rapid Urban Railway (S2 and S9 routes).

Tickets can be purchased in kiosks, ticket machines and any shop that displays the Sprzedaż biletów ZTM ("WTA tickets sold here") stickers for around 3-6 Euros depending on the type of transportation. For buses and trams, the ticket can also be bought on board from the driver. In Rapid Urban Railway (SKM) you can buy a ticket from train attendant or (in new trains) in the ticket machine. From 2 June 2008, along with the other fare changes, there is now no extra charge for buying tickets from drivers, though they can refuse to sell you a ticket if the bus is over 3 minutes late.

The ticket system is quite complicated, but as a tourist you shouldn't need to trouble yourself about knowing all the details. What you need to know, however, is that a single ticket costs 2.80 zł and there is a 50% concession for ISIC (international student ID) card holders, such tickets cost 1.40 zł. The same prices apply for a 40 minute travelcard where travel is allowed however you want as long as it is in the 40 minute time limit. There's also 20-minute ticket for only 2zł (or 1zł with ISIC card), which is the best way if you want to travel only a few stops. Remember, it's 20 minutes of clock (not timetable!) time.

Immediately validate your ticket after boarding the bus, subway, or tram. Travelcards, however, only need to be activated on your first journey, except in the underground where touching in and touching out (or inserting a ticket) is required to open the gate to the station.

Travelcards are probably the simplest way of paying for public transportation, if you're spending more than a day in the city and want to see as much as possible. If you will be taking a bus, subway, or tram at least three times in a given day, it's best to buy one of these cards, especially as they are valid for all modes of transportation, including night buses. There are several options for purchasing travelcards, but the most sensible way for most travelers would be either a 24 hour ticket, a three day card, or a one week card. Additionally, there are one month and three month travel cards for those who are staying in Warsaw for a longer time.

24 hour travelcard – Valid for 24 hours after being validated. The card costs 9.00 zł (normal ticket) or 4.50 zł (50% reduction). 3 day city travelcard – Valid for 3 days after being validated. This card costs 16 zł (normal ticket) or 8 zł (50% reduction). One Week city travelcard – Valid for one week after being validated. This card costs 32 zł (normal ticket) or 16 zł (50% reduction).

Note that the tickets and prices above can only be used for travel within Warsaw. For suburban travel outside Warsaw, a more expensive ticket covering zones 1 & 2 is required.

See

Most of the major sightseeing attractions are located in Centrum area, which encompasses seven districts, however, the most important district for sight seeing is likely to be considered Śródmieście. The other districts all have something else to offer too, but the further from Centrum you journey, the less likely you're to find much of anything that is of any major interest, although Wilanów's palace and Kabaty forest are interesting enough.

Itineraries

- The Royal Road (Trakt Królewski) was originally a track linking the Royal Castle to the Royal Palace in Wilanów (Pałac Królewski w Wilanowie), some 10 km farther. There are many points of interest along the route, and there's a Poster Museum (Muzeum Plakatu) in Wilanów as well.

Do

Concerts and performances

Warsaw is home to several professional musical and play companies. Being the capital city means the Polish National Opera [23] and the Warsaw Philharmonic (also, National Philharmonic) [24] call Warsaw home. There are a number of other companies, including play companies and theaters that will likely be of interest to travellers.

Festivals

- Warsaw Film Festival (Warszawski Festiwal Filmowy), [25].

- Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, [26].

- Jewish Culture Festival - The Singer's Warsaw (Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej - Warszawa Singera), (festiwalsingera@shalom.org.pl), [27].

- Warsaw Autumn (Warszawska Jesień), [28].

- Old-Polish Music Festival (Festiwal Muzyki Staropolskiej).

- Garden Theaters Contest (Konkurs Teatrów Ogródkowych).

- Noc Muzeów (Long Night of Museums), [29]. Noc Muzeów is a fun night that sees thousands of people turn out to spend the night wandering around Varsovian museums and galleries for free. It's a great opportunity to wander around with your date of friends, as many people do, and grab an ice cream cone from one of the many cafes that stay open late. Most museums and galleries will stay open past midnight. Noc Muzeów usually occurs around mid-May.

Sports

Warsaw is not internationally known for its sports teams or for any of its sports venues, although, that is likely to change in the next few years as Warsaw, and Poland as a whole with Ukraine, starts to improve its sporting infrastructure and stadiums as the host to the European Football Championship in 2012. In fact, the renovation of the Legia football team's stadium has seen some dramatic and quick progress.

Despite all the emphasis on football, no traveller to Warsaw should be so naive as to think that football is the only sport to do in Warsaw. There is a mixture of both professional sports teams for spectators to visit and participatory sports for travelers to participate in.

- Legia Warszawa, [30]. The football team in Warsaw.

- Polonia Warszawa, [31]. The other football team in Warsaw.

- Warsaw Eagles, [32]. An American football team in Warsaw.

Learn

Universities

- University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski), ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28, (+48) 22 552 00 00, [33]. The University of Warsaw is Poland's largest university and offers a large variety of courses and programs to choose from. University of Warsaw currently has some 50,000 students enrolled.

- Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska), Pl. Politechniki 1, (+48) 22 234 72 11, [34]. The biggest Polish technical university.

- Warsaw School of Economics (Szkoła Główna Handlowa), Al. Niepodległości 162, (+48) 22 564 60 00 (informacja@sgh.waw.pl), [35]. Poland's largest economics school.

- Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego, [36]. Originally an agricultural school, this is now a rapidly expanding university.

- Collegium Civitas, Plac Kultury i Nauki, 12th floor, Plac Defilad 1, (+48) 22 656 71 87, [37]. This is a private school located inside the Palace of Culture of Science. Majors include Sociology, Political Science, American Studies, International Relations, and Human Rights and Genocide Studies. For those interested, some programs are conducted in English.

- Akademia Medyczna, [38]. A medical college.

- The Academy of Arts (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych), [39].

- Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego, ul. Dewajtis 5, (+48) 22 561 88 00 (info@uksw.edu.pl), [40]. This is a well-known Catholic university.

- Leon Kozminski Academy, ul. Jagiellońska 59 (Located in the Praga Połnoc district), (+48) 22 519 21 00 (uczelnia@kozminski.edu.pl, fax: (+48) 22 814 11 56), [41]. This is a private school specializing in law and business management majors.

- Clark University, ul. Łucka 11, (+48) 22 656 36 65 (warszawa@swpiz.pl, fax: (+48) 22 656 36 15), [42]. This is a branch of the U.S.' Clark University. This branch offers M.A. degrees related to business management.

Polish language

- Institute of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 32, (+48) 22' 5521530, [43]. Part of the Warsaw University. 1200 zł for a standard course or 1800 zł for an intensive one.

Work

Home to many international companies, Warsaw has an excellent job market for potential expats. Of course there are several immigration hurdles, but landing a job should not be overly difficult if you have the right skill sets.

If you're a backpacker and looking for short-term employment this may be somewhat more difficult, as you are legally required to have a work permit. You could possibly find short-term work in the hospitality industry, or possibly as a tutor or an ESL teacher.

If you'd like to work in Warsaw, or Poland for that matter, but don't want to go through the hassle of finding a job opportunity, there are some employment recruiting agencies you can use in your search for a job. Just a few are:

- Adecco Poland, Al. Jerozolimskie 123A, (+48) 22 529 76 40, [44].

- Randstad, Al. Jerozolimskie 56c, (+48) 22 462 25 00, [45].

Buy

Touts Handing Out Flyers

Warsaw has many touts, who mainly congregate at the subway station "Centrum", near the northeastern corner of the Palace of Culture and Science. They pass out fliers and brochures for all kinds of imaginable and useless services. If you don't want to start a collection of fliers, a simple and easy way to beat the touts at their own game is to simply make a gesture indicating stop with your hand while stating in English "No, thank you" or "I can't understand Polish". This works surprisingly well, especially on touts who pass out fliers for English language instruction schools.

ATMs (Polish: bankomat) are plentiful around Warsaw. Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron, and Maestro are widely accepted at most establishments. AmEx and Diners' Club are not as commonly accepted. Some establishments require minimum purchases of 10-50zł for credit card purchases.

Indoor shopping malls (Polish: centrum handlowe pl. centra ~, often abbreviated CH) are also plentiful in Warsaw. Usually open until 8-10PM, most malls will have a food court, restaurants, cinema, and some may have a sports hall with billiards tables or a bowling alley.

Tesco and Carrefour are the largest stores in Europe, and carry just about everything, including groceries, at low prices.

Eat

This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:

Budget

30 zł or less

Mid-range

31 zł - 60 zł

Splurge

61 zł and up

Eating in Warsaw is not the treat it would be in Paris or London, but with that said, eating here can be fun and interesting mostly because Poland lacks large numbers of chain restaurants. Finding a unique dining experience is feasible daily.

For those on a budget, there are many kebab shops sprinkled around Warsaw, especially in Śródmieście, which offer decent food and portions for the fair price of 7-13 zł a kebab. Other cheap alternatives are milk bars, which are discussed later in the section, and vietnamese restaurants.

Fast food

Tourists will be happy to know there's no shortage of fast food in Warsaw. The most popular brand names are of course McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut, but there are also a few Subway sandwich shops and even a Burger King restaurants. The prices charged in most of these restaurants can be expensive by Polish standards.

Milk bars

Remnant of the communist era, milk bars (Polish: bar mleczny, bary mleczne) were originally created in the sixties to serve cheap meals based on milk products. After the fall of communism, most of them closed down but some survived and still bear the climate from the old days. Almost everything inside looks, feels and smells like in the 1980s. Milk bars attract students and senior citizens, because of the low prices (soup and the main course together may cost as little as 10.00 zł). The food served by milk bars can actually be quite palatable. Even if you can afford more expensive meals, milk bars are interesting because they offer somewhat a view of life before democratization in Poland.

Drink

Old Town and areas like pl. Trzech Krzyży, ul. Nowy Świat, ul. Chmielna, Krakowskie Przedmieście in Śródmieście are saturated with cafés. Coffee typically costs about 10.00 zł. Beer can cost anywhere from 5.00 zł to 15.00 zł for half a liter (the supermarket price being about 2.50-3 zł). Drink prices in clubs can go up to 50.00 zł (and possibly more). Drinking alcoholic beverages in public places is prohibited, but this is often ignored by locals with regard to public drinking in parks.

Speak easy

If you're looking to mingle with real Varsovians, there's a well-kept, secret row of nameless, dark bars located off of Nowy Świat. They are reportedly good for those wishing to participate in the more decadent side of Varsovian night life. In truth, the places attract a younger crowd who want to socialize over a beer (usually about 6 zł for a half liter). If you'd like to give one of these bars a try, walk through the gateway at Nowy Świat 22. You'll find a few small buildings with bars tucked away. The number one tip about visiting one of these bars is go early if you want find a seat. You won't be able to find one after 10PM.

- E. Wedel (Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel), Szpitalna 8, +48 (22) 827 29 16. 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; 11 a.m.-20 p.m. on Sunday. The best hot chocolate in Warsaw, with prices starting at 10-11 PLN. The interior is old style and reminds you of pre-war Warsaw. Wedel's shop with stylish sweets is adjacent to the cafe.

Clubs

Clubs are plentiful in Warsaw and are a very popular way to spend nearly every night out.

The most popular nice and chic clubs are on ul. Mazowiecka in Śródmieście.

Student clubs are popular and usually moderately priced, but can be hit or miss. Normally, the centrally located Hybrydy is a good option for night out. Other student clubs, like Stodoła or Remont in Śródmieście, and Park in Mokotów, are less predictable and quality isn't necessarily a concern for these clubs' patrons. If the point is to get drunk, then these are the place to go for a cheap drink.

In addition, there are clubs in Wola and Mokotów as well as several popular and down-to-earth clubs in the Praga districts.

Concerts

Warsaw's music scene can sometimes be disappointing, but it's a matter of knowing where to look because Warsaw has an abundance of musical delights, they just need to be ferretted out.

Tea and coffee

Throw stereotypes out the door. For Poles, one of the most important staples to quench their thirst is not wódka or beer, but rather tea and coffee. As such, you're likely come across dozens and dozens of cafés. Chain-wise, Coffee Heaven [46] and W Biegu Cafe are the big players. Starbucks [47] just setup shop in Poland, opening its first store in Warsaw in April 2009. The real treat of Warsaw, however, are small cafés that are littered about Warsaw. For the most part, a good cup of tea or coffee can be had for 5-10 zł a cup. A small tea kettle is between 20-30 zł.

Sleep

The hospitality industry in Warsaw is growing rapidly before it hosts the European Football Championship in 2012 and there are plenty accomodation options at all budget levels. The best accomodation options are located in Śródmieście, Wola, and Mokotów. There are also many business travel hotels in Warsaw/Włochy, near the airport. There are also campgrounds in Włochy, Wawer, Wola, Ochota and Mokotów.

- Karolkowa Youth Hostel, Karolkowa 53a, Warszawa (By bus lines 171, 190, 422; by tram lines 20, 23, 24, 26, 27 - station DT Wola), (+48 22) 632 88 29, [48]. checkin: 5 pm; checkout: 10 am. An educational institution, mainly used by Polish pupils, students, teachers and education workers. Foreign students and teachers are also welcomed. If room is available, they can accommodate people who are not connected with education. 18 - 105 PLN.

Contact

Postal service

- Central Post Office, ul. Świętokrzyska 31/33, [49]. Open 24/7.

Internet

Internet cafés (Polish: kawiarenka internetowa) are rare in Warsaw; however, wi-fi hotspots are common. Free wi-fi is available in most of Old Town, as well as in several cafés and restaurants, including McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Coffee Heaven, and W biegu.

You get 30 min free internet access at the Tourist Information Center in the Place of Culture and Science Building, just opposite the Central Train Station. Free info and maps are available too, of course.

There are two good internet cafes in the Centrum metro station building (that's about 500 m north from Central Train Station at ul. Marszałkowska, across hotel Novotel): Arena at booth 2001D (5 zl/h, pay as you go, 20+ machines) and Cafe NET (6 zl/h, prepay, 20+ machines) at 2010C, both open 7 am - 12 pm. You can't miss them in the middle of the line of booths just above the rail lines.

Two internet cafes are available at Level -1 at the Central Train Station: Eurocafe (4.50 zl/h, 20+ machines) and Internet Cafe (a couple of machines), both open 24h/day. From the Main Hall go one level down and follow the Police (Policja) signs.

You can go to Verso in Stare Miasto (ul. Freta 17) however it's not really a cafe but a photo and printing company office in which there are 3 computers for public internet access more like a side business. Useful for quick check of email while strolling the streets of Old Town.

Telephones

The area code for Warsaw is 22, and it must be dialed even when making local calls. When calling internationally to Warsaw, dial the country code, +48, followed by the rest of the number. There is no necessity to use "0" at the beginning of the telephone number. When dialing from a mobile phone, you must dial any number as if it was an international number.

Pay phones are very rare and it is therefore best to rely on other means of communication. Pay phones are only operable using calling cards that can be bought at post offices.

Pre-paid SIM cards with polish phone numbers cost as little as 5zł and can be purchased from just about any major carrier.

Stay safe

In general, the problems that plague many visitors to Warsaw are alcohol-related: a hangover with a possible run-in with the police (Polish: Policja). The city centre has a strong police presence and is generally a very safe area. The Praga districts are reputed to be dangerous, but this seems to be more hype than reality. Of course, it would be wise to exercise a little extra caution if you're in an area you do not know well. The bus and rail stations can be a magnet for homeless and drunkards, who, for the most part, will leave you alone. There are, however, some problems that are not widespread but, unfortunately, happen too frequently and travelers should be forewarned.

Pickpockets can sometimes be a problem and you should be careful to hold onto your belongings when in a large crowd or on buses (Number 175, which runs from the airport to city centre, is reportedly infamous for pickpockets). At bars and clubs, a good rule of thumb is the cheaper the door entry and the laxer the bouncers are about letting people in, the more likely you're going to want to keep extra care of your wallet, passport, cell phone, and camera. Make use of hotel room safes to help ensure that your valuables are not stolen. Also, if you have a car, try to park in a guarded parking lot and do not leave any valuables in plain sight.

Visitors not knowing Polish may also be the target of "bar girls," especially in Underground off of ul. Mazowiecka on days where there isn't a cover charge. Be cautious if you encounter a girl speaking English who will offer you a drink or a cigarette. She will then ask you to walk her to her car parked outside of the club and then explain how her friend still inside of the club has her car keys. Then she will ask if you would like to share a cab back to her place for 70 zloty and then go back to the club. Doing so puts yourself in danger because it isn't known where she lives and you could besetting yourself up for possible harm or other scams.

Football hooligans can be a problem in Warsaw, so it's best to avoid them, because they seem to understand only two things: football and destruction. Visitors will want to avoid particularly Łazienki Park when there's a football match, as the Legia stadium is located near the park.

In case of emergencies, call emergency services. The number for the police: 997, firefighters: 998, Ambulance: 999. The common European emergency number 112 works too.

Cope

Religious services

- Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kaplica Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny), ul. Radna Street 14, (+48) 22 826 73 95, [50]. The Holy Mass in English on Sunday at 11:30AM.

- International Christian Fellowship, ul. Pulawska 114 (Corner of ul. Pulawska and ul. Maczewskiego. In the Mokotów district), (+48) 22 844 7996 (contact@icf-pl.org, fax: (+48) 22 844 7996), [51]. Mass is held every Sunday at 5PM. . This is a non-denominational church with Protestant leanings. Anyone and everyone is welcome and if you're a newcomer you're likely to be greeted by people who notice a new face in the crowd. You may even be invited for coffee after the service. The congregation is made of Brits, Germans, Poles, Americans, and Aussies, and other nationalities.

- Nożyk Synagogue (Synagoga Nożyków), ul. Twarda 6, (+48) 22 652 28 05 (varshe@jewish.org.pl, fax: (+48) 22 652 28 05), [52]. Ever Shabbat services begin 15 minutes before sunset. Shabbat morning services begin at 9:30AM (Weekday services at at 8AM and 9AM on Sunday). . This is Warsaw's only Orthodox Jewish synagogue that is still in operation. (52.235,21.002)

- Warsaw International Church, ul. Miodowa 21b (Metro: Ratusz), (+48) 22 842 23 51 (pastor@wic.org.pl), [53]. Worship service and Sunday School every Sunday at 11AM.

- Islamic Center of Warsaw, ul. Wiertnicza 103, (+48) 22 88 56 276.

Laundry

Most hotels and hostels either offer laundry services or have washers and dryers available for use by guests. Additional fees may be incurred for use of these services or machines. Otherwise, you can find a full-service laundry shop at just about any mall. There is only one self-service laundromat in Warsaw, which offers washing machines, but not dryers:

- Laundromat blanc lys, Ul. Ksiecia Janusza 23, 0048 508 162 810, [54].

Embassies

- Belarus (Ambasada Białorusi), ul Wiertnicza 58, +48 22 742 09 90 (+48 22 842 52 02, poland@belembassy.org, fax: +48 22 742 09 80), [55]. M-F 8AM-4:15PM.

- Canada (Ambasada Kanady), ul Jana Matejki 1/5, +48 22 584 3100 (warsaw@international.gc.ca, fax: +48 22 584 3192), [56].

- Greece, Gornoslaska 35, 00-432 Warszawa, +4822 6229460, +4822 6229461 (gremb.war@mfa.gr, fax: +4822 6229464).

- Hungary (Ambasada Węgier), ul Fryderika Chopina 2, +48 22 628-44-51 (fax: +48 22 621-8561), [58].

- Ireland (Ambasada Irlandii), ul Mysia 5, 6F, +48 22 849 66 33 (fax: +48 22 849 84 31), [59]. 9AM-1PM and 2PM-5PM.

- Japan, ul Szwolezerow 8, +48 22 696-5000 (fax: +48 22 696-5001), [60].

- Romania (Ambasada României în Republica Polonă), ul Fr. Chopina 10, +48 22 621 59 83 (+48 22 628 31 56, office@roembassypl.org, fax: +48 22 628 52 64), [61]. M-F 8:30AM-5PM. (52.2515531,21.2220526)

- Russia (Ambasada Rosji), ul Belwederska 49, +48 22 621 34 53 (+48 22 621 59 54, rusemb_poland@mail.ru, fax: +48 22 625 30 16). (52.21053,21.02765)

- Spain, ul Mysliwiecka 4, +48 22 583 40 00 (+48 22 583 40 01, embesppl@mail.mae.es, fax: +48 22 622 54 08).

- United Kingdom (Ambasada Wielkiej Brytanii), ul Emilii Plater 28 (Inside the Warsaw Corporate Centre), +48 22 311 00 00 (+48 22 696 005 696, consular@britishembassy.pl, fax: +48 22 311 02 50), [62]. M Tu, Th-F 8:30AM-2PM, W 8:30AM-noon.

- United States (Ambasada Stanów Zjednoczonych), Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, +48 22 504-2000 (Emergencies during business hours are 8:30AM-5PM +48 22 504-2784), [63]. If you have an emergency outside of normal embassy business hours, dial the first phone number and ask to speak with an Embassy Duty Officer.

Get out

- Kampinos Forest (~15 km, take the 726 bus) – A wild and beautiful primeval forest, often called the green lungs of Warsaw, and an ideal choice for a day off from the noise of the city

- Konstancin-Jeziorna (~20 km, take the 700 bus) – A spa town with a spacious park. Famous for its clean air and high housing prices.

- Krakow (~300 km, in just under 3 hours by hourly IC/Ex trains) – The former capital of Poland, this was the European City of Culture in 2000.

- Lublin (~200 km) – A medieval city with a well preserved old town, it is now the largest city and main tourist attraction in eastern Poland.

- Kazimierz Dolny (~150 km, less than two hours by TLK train to Puławy, then half an hour by bus) – A Renaissance town with a picturesque marketplace, it is a hub for painters and Boheme.

- Żelazowa Wola (~50 km) – The birthplace of Frederic Chopin.

- Brest is a city in Belarus on the border with Poland and is rich with history from both the Soviet times and before. You can see a Brest Hero Fortress, perhaps the most impressive soviet monument every built. It is 200km away from Warsaw. You can go there by train (runs 3-4 times/day and takes 3-4 hrs. Same visa regulations as rest of Belarussr:Varšava

District Śródmieście Table of Contents

• Get in

By subway

• Get around

By foot

By car

By bus

By tram

By metro

• See

Highlights

Religious buildings

Galleries

Museums

Parks

Other

• Do

Performing Arts

Theaters

Cinemas

• Buy

Off-the-beaten-path shops

Malls

• Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Cafés

Bars

Clubs

Concert venues

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Contact

Internet

Get in
toc

- Most bus and tram routes pass through Śródmieście.

- So are the railway stations Dworzec Centralny (for long-distance trains) and Dworzec Śródmieście (for suburban trains and Warsaw Commuter Railway).

By subway
toc

From the Mokotów, the last subway before entering Śródmieście is the Pole Mokotowskie metro station. The first stop in Śródmiescie from this direction is Politechnika. The last northern stop in Żoliborz before entering the district is Plac Wilsona. The first stop in Śródmieście from this directions is Dw. Gdański.

Get around
toc

Śródmieście is a relatively small district. The entire width of Śródmieście could be walked in roughly 25 - 35 minutes. The length of the district, however, would be longer by approximately an hour or so of non-stop and brisk walking. The district's geographical location and size makes it the easiest district to get around. Being home to many well-known businesses, governmental institutions, universities, and the center of a tourist's universe means that public transportation is well built up in the district.

By foot
toc

Considering that the strict city center is a flat area whose sides measure only some 2 km, it is a good idea to take a stroll through it. There are two streets that serve the purpose of a promenade, ul. Chmielna, which is fully pedestrianized and ul. Nowy Świat , which is closed to traffic on summer weekends

If you start your walk from Metro Centrum (this is a popular place where people arrange to meet one another), you can get to the other side of ul. Marszałkowska through the underpass. The round building adjacent to the intersection is called the Rotunda. It is a bank branch and the pavement in front of it is another popular meeting place. Going along the ul. Marszałkowska you'll pass some department stores and after 500 m or so, turn right into ul. Chmielna. At the end of it, turn left into ul. Nowy Świat and go straight ahead. This street, which then changes into Krakowskie Przedmieście, will lead you to Castle Square and the Old Town.

By car
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: Wyb. Kościuszkowskie and Wyb. Gdańskie - more often referred to as Wisłostrada, ul. Solec, ul. Marszałkowska, al. Niepodległości-ul. Chałubińskiego-al.Jana Pawła II, ul. Raszyńska

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: al. Armii Ludowej - more often referred to as Trasa Łazienkowska, Al. Jerozolimskie, ul. Tamka-ul. Świętokrzyska-ul. Prosta, al. Solidarności, ul. Słomińskiego

By bus
toc

Dworzec Centralny is also a big bus terminus. Note that the stops are named either Dw. Centralny or E. Plater but they are really just next to each other.

By tram
toc

By metro
toc

Within Śródmieśćie, there are five subway stations that moreorless cut through the midsection of the district in a North to South direction. From North to South are: Dw. Gdański (at the district's northern border with Żoliborz), Ratusz, Świętokrzyska (north of the ul. Marszałkowska and ul. Świętokrzyska intersection), Centrum (lies at the intersection of ul. Marszałkowska and al. Jerozolimskie), and Politechnika (located near the Technical University).

See
toc

For sightseeing purposes, Śródmieście is divided here into these areas: Old Town, Royal Road, Contemporary Center and Jewish Quarter. The Highlights section below is to help you prioritize the sights - only the most important are listed there. More sights are listed in the itineraries for their respective areas. This does not apply to museums and parks, which are listed further below.

Highlights
toc

- Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki), plac Defilad, +48 (0/22) 65 67 676, [2]. 9AM-6PM daily. Built in the 1950s as a "gift" to the Polish people by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin the Palace of Culture and Science is Warsaw's most recognizable building. The building elicits mixed feelings from Poles - on one hand, the building has a controversially beautiful architectural style, however, the building was built by the man who helped Hitler rape the Polish countryside, then continued a campaign of senseless murders of the Poles when the Soviet-Nazi Germany relations soured. Today, the building is home to a movie theater, museum, restaurant, and college. Visitors can take an elevator to an observation deck, which provides a great view of Warsaw. Admission to the observation deck: zł 18/12.

- The Parliament (Sejm and Senat) ul. Wiejska. Sejm is the name for the lower chamber of the Polish parliament (the name has also been adopted by Lithuania and Latvia).

- The Palm Tree [3] at the intersection of Al. Jerozolimskie and ul. Nowy Świat, probably the only palm tree in the world that has its website.

- Umschlagplatz, ul. Stawki. A contender for the most sinister place in Warsaw the Umschlagplatz was the location Nazi officials herded Jews into cattle cars to be murdered at the Treblinka extermination camp. Estimates place the total number of persons transported from the Umschlagplatz at 300,000 or more.

- Tomb of The Unknown Soldier (Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza), pl. Piłsudskiego. Built in 1925, the tomb holds the remains of a Polish soldier who died in battle at Lwów, now Lviv, Ukraine. It also holds soil from 38 battlegrounds Poles fought at. During the period communists controlled the country's political structure, the authorities removed references to battles Poles fought against the Soviets. After Poland regained its independence in 1990 the references to the Polish-Soviet War were again added to the memorial.

- The Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski), pl. Zamkowy 4 (Following Krakowskie Przedmieście northbound will take you into plac Zamkowy), +48 (0/22) 355 51 70 (informacja@zamek-krolewski.pl), [4]. Tu. - Sa.: 10AM - 4PM. Su.: 11AM - 4PM. Entrance is zł 12 for a normal ticket or zł 6 for students. Entrance on Sunday is usually free, except when there are special exhibitions.

Religious buildings
toc

- Nożyk Synagogue (Synagoga Nożyków), ul. Twarda 6, +48 (0/22) 652 28 05 (varshe@jewish.org.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 652 28 05), [5]. Open for visitors Su. - Th. from 9AM until 3PM. Warsaw's only Orthodox Jewish synagogue that is still in operation. 6 zł for entrance. (52.235,21.002)

- Jesuit Church (Kościół Jezuitów), ul. Świętojańska 10 (Old Town), +48 (0/22) 831 16 75. From the outside it seems like a large church, but step over the threshold and you'll see a rather modest and relatively small worship hall.

- St. John's Cathedral (Katedra św. Jana), (Old Town).

Galleries
toc

- Center for Contemporary Art, Al. Ujazdowskie 6, +48 (0/22) 628 12 713 (+48 (0/22) 628 76 83, csw@csw.art.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 628 95 50), [6].

- Zachęta Gallery, pl. Małachowskiego 3, +48 (0/22) 827 58 54, [7]. A cool little gallery that mixes graffiti, sculptures, experimental painting, and photography.

- Yours Gallery ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 33, tel. +48 22 890 95 00

- Bank Square Gallery (Galleria Na Placu Bankowym) pl. Bankowy 3/5

- Graphics and Poster Gallery (Galeria Grafiki i Plakatu) ul. Hoża 40, tel. +48 22 621 40 77

- House of Culture (Dom Kultury) ul. Smolna 9, tel. +48 22 825 26 86

- Kordegarda Gallery (Galeria Kordegarda) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 15/17, tel. +48 22 421 01 25

- Le Guern Gallery (Galeria Le Guern) ul. Widok 8, tel. +48 22 690 69 69

- Lufcik Gallery (Galeria Lufcik) ul. Mazowiecka 11a, tel. +48 22 827 76 88

- Nusantara Gallery (Galeria Nusantara) ul. Nowogrodzka 18a, tel. +48 22 629 24 41

- Obok Gallery (Galeria Obok) pl. Zamkowy 8, tel. +48 22 831 23 39

- Pokaz Critics' Gallery (Galeria Krytyków Pokaz) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 20/22

- Pracovnia ul. Popiełuszki 16, tel. +48 22 833 44 50

- Test Gallery (Galeria Test) ul. Marszałkowska 34/50, tel. +48 22 622 70 97

- XX1 Gallery (Galeria XX1) al. Jana Pawła II 36, tel. +48 22 620 78 72

- ZPAF Old Gallery (Stara Galeria ZPAF) pl. Zamkowy 8, tel. +48 22 831 03 86

Museums
toc

- National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe), Al. Jerozolimskie 3, +48 (0/22) 621 10 31, [8]. The museum has a wonderful collection of paintings, sculptures, and depictions of the passion of the Christ. Several of Poland's most iconic paintings call this museum home. Be certain to catch Jan Matejko's Stańczyk painting, which depicts a famous jester to the Polish royalty in dispair after Lithuania lost the city of Smolensk to Russia in 1514.

- Fotoplastikon Al. Jerozolimske 51 (near Dworzec Centralny). Established 1905, it is an "IMAX one hundred years ago"; a collection of unique 3D stereoscopic images from the 19th and 20th centuries. M-F 12PM-5PM, Sa 11AM-2PM.

- Warsaw History Museum (Muzeum Historyczne Warszawy), Rynek Starego Miasta 20, [9].

- Frederic Chopin Museum (Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina), ul. Okólnik 1 (Located in Ostrogski Castle), +48 (0/22) 826 59 35, [10]. Tu.-Su.: 12:00 - 20:00 (Closed Mondays and holidays (including Easter Saturday and Christmas Eve)). Displays in English and Polish. The museum's design favours interactivity at the expense of information, giving the impression it would best be suited to children with ADHD. 22/12 PLN, free on Tuesdays. (52.2364,21.0227)

- Marie Curie Museum (Muzeum Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej), ul. Freta 16 (In Warsaw's New Town), +48 (0/22) 831 80 92.

- Technology Museum (Muzeum Techniki), pl. Defilad 1 (In the Palace of Culture and Science), +48 (0/22) 656 67 47.

- Polish Emigration Museum (Muzeum Wychodźstwa Polskiego), ul. Agrykoli 1, +48 (0/22) 621 62 41.

- Asia-Pacific Museum (Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku), ul. Freta 5, +48 (0/22) 635 28 11.

- Chopin Family Living Room (Salonik Chopinów), ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 5, +48 (0/22) 320 02 75. Open from 16 April - 15 October Tu.-Su.: 9AM - 5:30PM (Open from 16 October - 15 April Tu.-Su.: 9AM - 4PM. Closed Mondays, Easter Saturday, the first day of the Easter holidays, 1 November, 24 - 26 December, and New Year's Day).

- Polish Military Museum (Muzeum Wojska Polskiego), Al. Jerozolimskie 3 (just before the bridge, next to the National Museum), +48 (0/22) 629 52 71 (+48 (0/22) 629 52 72, fax: +48 (0/22) 629 52 73), [11].

- Independence Museum (Muzeum Niepodległości), al. Solidarności 62, +48 (0/22) 826 90 91 (astawarz@interia.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 827 03 23), [12]. (52.24601,21.00431)

- Adam Mickiewicz Literature Museum (Muzeum Literatury im. Adama Mickiewicza) Rynek Starego Miasta 28/42 [13] (Old Town Market)

- Earth Museum, Polish Academy of Sciences (Muzeum Ziemi PAN) al. Na Skarpie 20/26, tel. +48 22 629 74 97

- Etnographic Museum (Państwowe Muzeum Ethnograficzne), ul. Kredytowa 1, +48 (0/22) 827 76 41 (+48 (0/22) 827 76 42, sekretariat@ethnomuseum.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 827 66 69), [14]. Open from Tu. - Th.: 10AM - 6PM. Fr.: 10AM - 4PM. Sa.: 10AM - 5PM. Su.: Noon - 5PM (Closed mondays and holidays). Exhibitions that tell the stories of various societies and cultures. Normal tickets cost 10 zł or 5 zł with a discount.

- History Meetings House (Dom Spotkań z Historią) ul. Karowa 20, tel. +48 22 876 51 95

- Hunting and Horsemanship Museum (Muzeum Łowiectwa i Jeździectwa) ul. Szwoleżerów 9, tel. +48 22 628 42 05

Parks
toc

- Saski Garden (Ogród Saski). Ogród Saski is a lovely park in central Warsaw. It's small in comparison to Łazienki, but nonetheless relaxing with its forested landscape. Prior to WWII, it housed the Saski Palace, which like the rest of Warsaw was destroyed in the insane Nazi vengeance for the Warsaw Uprising. Plans to rebuild the palace have failed to materialize due to funding. Nowadays, one of the draws aside from the escape of the city is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is on the park grounds.

- Łazienki Park (Park Łazienkowski), ul. Agrykoli 1, +48 (0/22) 621 8212 (fax: +48 (0/22) 629 6945), [15]. Łazienki Park was built and designed for a Polish politician, but became King Stanisław Poniatowski's, the last king of Poland, residence for much of later half of the 18th century. During Poniatowski's reign, much of the buildings on the park grounds were built. The most interesting buildings are the Łazienki Palace, Roman theater, and the so called Little White House, where the King sought the worldly comfort of mistresses. The park is a wonderful escape from hustle and bustle of the city streets that surround the park and can be the setting for a picnic or a wedding. Strangely, it's a great place to find peacocks and occasionally, a rat.

- Ujazdów Park (Park Ujazdowski), Al. Ujazdowskie (Lies south of ul. Piękna, east of Al. Ujazdowskie, and north of Al. Armii Ludowej). Ujazdów Park, another beautiful park, lies just north of Łazienki, but is far less known and visited by tourists. One of the big draws to the park is the Ujazdów Castle, which dates it orgins back to the 13th century. Over the centuries, the castles has housed princes, politicians, queens, kings, soldiers, and it's current resident - The Center for Contemporary Art. Free admission to park grounds. (52.221944,21.025556)

Other
toc

- Ulica Kubusia Puchatka, (Enter from ul. Świętokrzyska, 100m west of the intersection with Nowy Świat). A nondescript street in central Warsaw, whose claim to fame is that it's named after the children's book character Winnie the Pooh. (52.2366,21.01647)

Do
toc

Performing Arts
toc

- The Warsaw Philharmonic (Filharmonia Narodowa), ul. Jasna 5, +48 (0/22) 551 71 11.

- Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera (Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa), pl. Teatralny 1 (close to pl. Bankowy and the Ratusz metro stop), +48 (0/22) 692 02 00, [16].

- Warsaw Chamber Opera (Warszawska Opera Kameralna), al. Solidarności 76b, +48 (0/22) 831 22 40 (tickets@operakameralna.pl), [17].

Theaters
toc

- Ateneum ul. Jaracza 2, tel. +48 22 625 73 30

- Teatr Dramatyczny, pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture), +48 (0/22) 656 68 44, [18].

- Bajka ul. Marszałkowska 138, tel. +48 22 826 69 66 (for children)

- Kwadrat ul. Czackiego 15/17, tel. +48 22 826 96 37

- Polonia ul. Marszałkowska 56, tel. +48 22 622 21 32

- Polski ul. Karasia 2, tel. +48 22 826 79 92

- Prochoffnia ul. Boleść 2, tel. +48 22 635 89 64 (unorthodox)

- Roma ul. Nowogrodzka 49, tel. +48 22 628 03 60 (musical)

- Scena ul. Żelazna 51/53, tel. +48 22 620 82 88

- Teatr Studio, pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture), +48 (0/22) 620 21 02 (csstudio@teatrstudio.pl), [19].

- Studio Buffo ul. Konopnickiej 6, tel. +48 22 625 47 09 (unrelated to the one above)

- Syrena ul. Litewska 3, tel. +48 22 628 50 93

- TR (Rozmaitości) ul. Marszałkowska 8, tel. +48 22 629 02 20 (unorthodox)

- Współczesny ul. Mokotowska 13, tel. +48 22 825 59 79

- The National Jewish Theatre (Teatr Żydowski), plac Grzybowski 12/16, +48 (0/22) 620 62 81 (+48 (0/22) 620 70 25), [20]. Jewish theatre located adjacent to the Nożyk Synagogue. Teatr Żydowski is the only theatre in the world that regularly performs plays in Yiddish.

Cinemas
toc

- Kinoteka, pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture and Science with the entrance facing Al. Jerozolimskie), +48 (0/22) 551 70 70 (+48 (0/22) 551 70 00, biuro@kinoteka.pl), [21]. Comfortable cinema in the heart of Warsaw.

- Multikino, ul. Złota 59 (On the top floor of the Złote Tarasy mall), +48 (0/22) 201 16 11 (zlotetarasy@multikino.pl), [22]. The super-chic cinema in Warsaw. It can get obnoxiously crowded in the evenings or on the weekends. That aside, it's one of the most advanced cinemas around.

- Kino Luna, ul. Marszałkowska 28, +48 (0/22) 628 98 64 (kino.luna@kinoluna.pl), [23]. This cinema's marquee displays a wide variety of films from Polish films to Hollywood productions to other more independent and "foreign," that is to Poland, films. On Thursdays, the films are shown with English subtitles.

Buy
toc

Off-the-beaten-path shops
toc

Neat little shops can be found all over Warsaw, especially for those who are looking for a shopping extravaganza in Warsaw other than snobby upscale shopping malls, where the experience becomes lost.

In Śródmieście, and the Centrum area, in fact, there are several streets that see fewer tourists, but have interesting boutiques of all sorts. These same streets boast some of the best and most intimate restaurants and cafés. Plac Trzech Krzyży is an excellent starting point. The streets that branch out from the square are host to numerous of such shops and restaurants. Ul. Bracka, ul. Nowogrodzka, ul. Żurawia, ul. Krucza, ul. Mokotowska, and ul. Hoża would all be great streets to start wandering up and down. As you progress down ul. Hoża, drawing closer to ul. Marszałkowska, the shops will likely become of less interest, but the closer you remain to Pl. Trzech Krzyży the more boutique shops you'll find.

Malls
toc

- Złote Tarasy, (Adjacent to the Warszawa Centralna train station), [24]. An enormous mall in the middle of Warsaw, Złote Tarasy has many interesting shops, but its food court lacks any luster. The most interesting thing about it from the architectural point of view is the roof. Another interesting aspect to this mall is that a Polish talk show is filmed on the "first" floor. (52.230,21.002)

- Arkadia, al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Metro Dw. Gdański), [25]. Hours: M-Sa 10AM-10PM; Su 10AM-9PM. Arkadia has an interesting collection of shops, plus a much better selection of restaurants in its food court than Złote Tarasy. Arkadia also has several restaurants located on its outside, at its main entrance.

- Galeria Centrum [26] at the so called "eastern wall" (ściana wschodnia) at ul. Marszałkowska between Al. Ujazdowskie and ul. Świętokrzyska - designer's clothing.

Eat
toc

Budget
toc

- Szwajcarski ul. Nowy Świat between Al. Jerozolimskie and pl. Trzech Krzyży

- Prasowy, ul. Marszałkowska 10/16, +48 (0/22) 628 44 27. Mo. - Fr.: 10AM - 9PM. Sa. - Sun.: Noon - 9PM. Prasowy is a comical place, where the insane gather for meals, so if you stake out a seat and wait, you'll see someone do something insanely stunning and comical. It's recommended that your seat is arranged so you dash out of the milk bar, should too many crazies come in simultaneously. As for the food, the food is cheap and decent. In its better days, it was frequented by journalists, hence the name. 10 zł. (52.2156,21.0207)

- Bambino ul. Krucza 21

- Złota Kurka, ul. Marszałkowska 55/73, +48 (0/22) 622 46 78. Mo. - Fr.: 7AM - 7PM. Sa. - Su.: 9AM - 5PM. Small milk bar located near Plac Konstytucji. This particular milk bar serves up decent, but not good food, although it can be a tad difficult to find a place to sit and the kitchen can take a while. 10 zł.

- Wook, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Housed in the same building as the Marriott. The entrance is below street level and should be approached from ul. Chalubinskiego), +48 (0/22) 630 7474 (marriott@wook.pl), [27]. Wook is a good and cheap place to grab Chinese. Soups and sides cost 4 zł, while all main courses cost only 6 zł. Wook also throws off the stereotypical European restaurant experience. OK, so while the service isn't amazing, it's effective, but the trademark difference between Wook and nearly any other restaurant on the continent is that the food will be on your table before you've even completed ordering. About 27 zł for a three course meal.

Mid-range
toc

- Krokiecik, ul. Zgoda 1, [28]. fast food, but pre-prepared on premises. Very good soups, steaks, pancakes with fruits and whipped cream. Try bogracz, a hungarian hot soup or żurek, a traditional Polish soup. 12-20 zł.

- Chłopskie Jadło, ul.Wierzbowa 9/11, +48 (0/22) 8270351. A chain of restaurants from Kraków, literally: "peasant's food".

- Casa Mia, ul. Poznańska 37 (Located just a few steps from Al. Jerozolimskie and the Hotel Polonia Palace), +48 (0/22) 621 61 01. A small, cozy pizzeria, Casa Mia is a great little restaurant to seek refuge and satisfy your hunger. Somewhat appallingly, especially since this is Poland, but Casa Mia doesn't serve alcoholic beverages, though they have non-alcoholic beer.

- C.K. Oberża, ul. Chmielna 28, +48 (0/22) 828 45 85 (ckoberza@neostrada.pl), [29].

- Buddha, ul. Nowy Świat 23, +48 (0/22) 826 35 01 (restauracja@buddha.info.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 35 01), [30].

- Sunanta, ul. Krucza 16/22, +48 (0/22) 434 22 16 (sunanta@sunanta.pl), [31]. Thai restaurant with well designed decor and good food, albeit a bit pricey. The lunch menu, however, has some good deals.

Splurge
toc

- Karczma na Grzybowie, pl. Grzybowski 12/16. A kosher Jewish eatery.

- Kmicic ul. Piwna 27. Polish.

- Menora pl. Grzybowski 2. Also Jewish.

- Pasieka ul. Freta 7/9. Serves Polish meads.

- Tradycja, ul. Belwederska 8a, +48 (0/22) 840 09 01 (fax: +48 (0/22) 840 09 50).

- U Fukiera, Rynek Starego Miasta 27 (Old Town Market), +48 (0/22) 831 10 13 (fukier@tlen.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 831 58 08), [32].

- Absynt ul. Wspólna 35 (Kręgliccy). French.

- Akashia ul. Jana Pawła II 61. Japanese and Korean.

- Bruno ul. Wierzbowa 9/11. Italian.

- Cesarski Pałac ul. Senatorska 27. Chinese.

- Chianti ul. Foksal 17 (Kręgliccy). Italian.

- Compagnia del Sole ul. Żurawia 6/12. Italian, partly self-service.

- El Popo ul. Senatorska 27 (Kręgliccy). Mexican.

- Freta 33 ul. Freta 33/35. Partly Italian.

- Kompania Piwna ul. Podwale 25. Bavaria-style.

- Le Cedre al. Solidarności 61. Lebanese.

- Papaya ul. Foksal 16. Japanese and Thai.

- Puszkin ul. Świętojańska 2. Russian.

- Rubikon ul. Książęca 6. Italian.

- Santorini ul. Egipska 7. Greek.

- Smaki Warszawy ul. Żurawia 47/49. Polish and International.

- Ryżowe Pole ul. Zgoda 5. Japanese, sushi.

- AleGloria pl. Trzech Krzyży 3 (Gesslerowie).

- Belvédére Nowa Pomarańczarnia (Łazienki Royal Gardens)

- Kużnia Smaku ul. Mazowiecka 10

- Melodia ul. Nowy Świat 3/5

- Quchnia Artystyczna Al. Ujazdowskie 6 (Gesslerowie) ('Center for Contemporary Art)

- Studio Buffo ul. Konopnickiej 6 (Maciej Kuroń)

- Sense, ul. Nowy Świat 19, +48 (0/22) 826 6570 (sense@sensecafe.com, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 9071), [33]. Hours: M - Th.: Noon - 11PM. F - Sa.: Noon to 12:30AM. Su.: Noon - 10PM.

- St Antonio ul. Senatorska 37

- Tandoor Palace, ul. Marszałkowska 21/25 (The entrance is on Al. Armii Ludowej), +48 (0/22) 825 23 75 (tandoor@tandoor.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 825 76 77), [34]. Great Indian restaurant not too far from the Centrum.

Drink
toc

Nowy Świat

Located about a ten minutes' walk from the Palace of Culture and Science is the street Nowy Świat. The street is lined with cafés, restaurants, and shops. If you're intent on visiting the Old Town, you can walk down Nowy Świat and follow it as it turns into Krakowskie Przedmieście – which will take you directly into the Old Town. It's an excellent walk, especially if you'd like to stop for an espresso or some food on your way to or from the Old Town. Chances are you'll find the prices better at the cafés and restaurants on Nowy Świat rather than in the Old Town.

Cafés
toc

- Cafe A. Blikle, ul. Nowy Świat, +48 (0/22) 826 66 19 (gastronomia@blikle.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 05 69), [35]. A café and confectioner, stepping inside elicits memories of a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century café, which is more than charming in Warsaw, where a well-made coffee has been replaced by iced mochas and in-and-out coffee shops. This particular building is divided into two parts: the café/restaurant and the confection shop. Walking into the confection shop may stun your senses with the wonderful smells of delicious sugary treats.

- Kawiarnia CAVA, ul. Nowy Świat 30, +48 (0/22) 826 64 27 (info@cava.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 64 27), [36]. (52.233766,21.019292)

- Cafe Bar Bla-Bla, ul. Nowogrodska 22 (The cafe isn't on a proper street and is actually next door to the Novotel), +48 (0/22) 621 35 76, [37]. A cozy cafe in the center of town. Cafe Bar Bla-Bla is a great place to hang out with friends.

- Starbucks, ul. Nowy Świat 62, [38]. Within minutes of opening Starbucks became an instant hit in Warsaw with quite a queue forming inside. The service is actually relatively speedy, which may come as a shock for those who have ever experienced a line in Poland and what's more is that there actually seems to be something called customer service here.

Bars
toc

- Cafe Kulturalna, Plac Defilad 1 (Located in PKiN, in the entrance to the theater, which is to the left of the main entrance of PKiN), +48 (0/22) 656 62 81, [39]. A really cool bar in the Palace of Culture and Science. A DJ spins the beats which is occasionally enhanced by a drummer and keyboard player. They also host live music on occasion. Kulturalna attracts the college aged intelligentsia type, but can bring in the elderly, but hip too who all end up grooving on the dance floor or chill out on chairs all night. Occasionally charges a door fee.

- Jimmy Bradley's Irish Pub, ul. Sienna 39 (Ground floor of the Warsaw Towers, behind the Holiday Inn), +48 (0/22) 654 66 56 (jimmybradlets@gmail.com). A decent Irish bar located in the dead center of the city. It's one of the few decent places that claim to be Irish (there's even an Irish guy that works here, although, most employees are Polish!). Bradley's is great for a drink, but don't order food, as it's expensive for the portions and quality that you receive. If you need to catch a soccer match, this will be the place to go.

- Jazz Bistro, ul. Piękna 20 (Located on the same street as the U.S. Embassy and on the same side of the street), +49 (0)22/ 627 41 51 (fax: +49 (0)22/ 627 41 501), [40]. M-Fr.: 8AM - Midnight, Sat. & Sun.: 10AM - Midnight. Good restaurant in the city center, near the US Embassy and comes equipped with free Wi-Fi access. The restaurants hosts live musicians several times a week. The only downside to the restaurant is a side door, which leads into an office building. Bright lights from the office building shine into the restaurant, which somewhat diminishes the atmosphere of the restaurant and its music.

- Tam Tam, ul. Foksal 18 (Just off of Nowy Świat), +48 (0/22) 828 26 22 (tamtam@hot.pl), [41]. A fairly large bar/restaurant. Good place to hang out with friends over a beer.

- Living Room, ul. Foksal 18, +48 (0/22) 826-39-28 (restauracja@livingroom.pl), [42]. A trendy bar that serves up good food and has a wide variety of elaborately created drinks.

- Warszawa Powiśle, ul. Kruczkowskiego 3B, +48 (0/22) 474 40 84 (biuro@warszawapowisle.pl), [43]. The cool factor of Powiśle lies in the fact that its essentially an outdoor bar. There are no tables inside and most people either grab up the limited number of chairs that sit on the sidewalk or they straggle around underneath the nearby bridge, on the staircase leading upto the train station above (from which the bar takes its name), or off on a side street. Powiśle attracts huge crowds nearly every night.

Clubs
toc

- Klub Opium, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11 (Pl. Teatralny, near Metro station Ratusz Arsenał), +48 (0/22) 827 71 61 (info@opiumclub.pl), [44]. Opium scores extra points for having a decent interior design, which really adds to the atmosphere. The music is so-so. Somewhat weirdly, the place seemed to be empty during peak clubbing hours.

- Kamieniołomny. Not entirely well known, but a great night out. The club does a good job of mixing up DJs and getting good beats that gets students grooving. For the current academic year, Wednesdays will see a larger crowd of intoxicated crowd of Erasmus students, but weekends are usually excellent. Entrance is usually free or reasonably priced.

- Zoo, ul. Mazowiecka 13, +48 (0/22) 827 60 44 (info@klubzoo.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 827 60 44), [45].

Concert venues
toc

- Tygmont, ul. Mazowiecka 6/8 (Located on a side stree off of ul. Świętokrzyska), +48 (0/22) 828 34 09 (club@tygmont.com.pl), [46]. Open Sa. - Th. from 6PM - 4AM; Friday 6PM - 5AM. Tygmont is Warsaw's best known jazz club and for good reason – the musicians it hosts are good, however, there are a few caveats. On occasion, Tygmont has a weird atmosphere and can be disappointing. There are nights when one floor will be dedicated to hip hop, which seems completely out of place, while the other is dedicated to musicians playing obscenely loud music. If the club brought the decibels down, it would be near perfect. (52.2372,21.0133)

- Palladium, ul. Złota 9 (Located off of ul. Marszałkowska), +48 (0/22) 822 87 02 (palladium@palladium.art.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 822 30 03), [47].

Sleep
toc

Budget
toc

- Hostel Helvetia, ul. Kopernika 36/40, [48]. Helvetia is a cool hostel, a stone's throw away from the University of Warsaw's main campus, Nowy Swiat, and a ten minute walk to the Old Town. The staff are pleasant and helpful and the hostel occasionally hosts vodka and beer parties for its guests.

- Etap Hotel Warszawa Centrum, ul. Zagórna 1, +48 (0/22) 745 36 60 (fax: +48 (0/22) 622 55 01), [49]. Etap is a bare minimum, every expense spared budget hotel chain. Don't expect the door to manned all night and if you will arrive after the check-in deadline, you better arrange to be let into your room, because Etap hotels may or may not have anyone on duty to let you in after a certain time. Now, don't necessarily condemn Etap outright, especially if you are on a budget. The great thing about Etap is that it's a step up from hostels offering private showers, private rooms for just you and anyone you are traveling with, plus you're likely to have more security at an Etap, so there's no worrying about some drunk backpacker waking you up all night or worrying about your belongings being stolen like there would be in a hostel. Rates start at zł 159 per night. (52.2204,21.0261)

- Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto, ul. Muranowska 2 (Old Town), +48 (0/22) 310 10 12. (52.2539,20.9986)

- Logos ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie, tel. +48 22 622 55 62

- Oki Doki Hostel, pl. Dąbrowskiego 3, +48 (0/22) 82 65 112, [50]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. From the outside this big grey, ugly building doesn't look promising, but once inside you are greeted by a friendly, chatty member of staff on the 24hr reception. Directly opposite is the bar/café/breakfast room which serves some very cheap drinks. Each room has been individually decorated by a different artist and they are given names such as 'House of the Maiden'. Also equipped with kitchen, free Internet access, car/bicycle rental and a little shop. Rooms vary from a 5 bed dorm (50 zł each) to a double room with shower and toilet (90 zł each).

- Nathan's Villa, ul. Piękna 24/26 (Located on the same street as the main entrance to the U.S. Embassy), [51]. This hostel offers a cable tv room, and free laundry service, however, since they do not have a dryer it may take a day or two for clothes to dry. The manager will sometimes take guests to clubs. This hostel is open all day and is located only a few blocks from the city center.

- Powiśle ul. Szara 10a, tel. +48 22 621 03 41

- PTSM Hostels [52] (IYHF-recognized) are at ul. Smolna 30, tel. +48 22 8278952 and at ul. Myśliwiecka 9, tel. +48 22 6229105

- Tamka Hostel, ul. Tamka 30, +48 (0/22) 826 30 95 (tamka@hostel.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 30 95).

Mid-range
toc

- Mercure, al. Jana Pawła II 22, +48 (0/22) 620 15 21.

- Maria al. Jana Pawła II 71, tel. +48 22 838 40 62

- Novotel Warsaw Centrum, ul. Marszalkowska 94/98 (About a two - three minute walk from the main train station), +48 (0/22) 621 02 71 (nov.warszawa@orbis.pl, fax: +48 (22) 625 0476), [53]. Located a stone's throw from the Palace of Culture and Science the Novotel is easy to reach and comfortable rooms. If you ask for room one of the higher storeys you're more than likely going have an amazing view in any direction.

- Old Town Apartments Rynek Starego Miasta 12/14, tel. +48 22 826 78 43. (in Old Town)

- Royal Route Residence ul. Chmielna 1/3, tel. +48 22 692 84 95 (near ul. Nowy Świat)

- Hotel Metropol, ul. Marszałkowska 99a (Adjacent to the Polonia Palace Hotel and opposite the Novotel), +48 (0/22) 32 53 100 (hotel.metropol@syrena.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 628 66 22), [54]. Great location - caddy corner to the Palace of Culture and Science. If you get a room here don't expect much of a view, unless you consider an intersection and the Novotel a view. Rates start at €99 for a single room or double room with one bed. A double room with two beds will set you back €119. Suites are also available.

- MDM Hotel, pl. Konstytucji 1, +48 (0/22) 33 91 600 (hotel.mdm@syrena.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 33 91 608), [55]. Rates start at €130. (52.2223,21.0165)

Splurge
toc

- Warsaw Marriott Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, +48 (0/22) 630 6306 (fax: +48 (0/22) 830 0041), [56]. checkin: 4PM; checkout: Noon. The Marriott is located steps away from the Warszawa Centralna train station, in the new heart of the city. If you want a room with a view, you can't go wrong here, especially because the building is one of the tallest in Warsaw. Depending on the location of you're room, you'll have a view of the interesting Palace of Culture and Science. Rates vary from as low as v69 (rare) - €350. (52.23345,21.0012195)

- Le Royal Méridien Bristol, Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44, +48 (0/22) 551 1000 (fax: +48 (0/22) 625 25 77), [57]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: Noon. Rates start at €129. (52.242964,21.003199)

- Hotel Le Regina Warsaw, Kościelna 12, +48 (0/22) 531 60 00 (reservation@leregina.com, fax: +48 (0/22) 531 60 01), [58]. Very comfortable hotel, that wants to go out of its way to make its guests comfortable. The hotel is located in the Old Town, but can be a little confusing to find, so be sure to take a cab or have the front desk to arrange for you to be picked up. Rates start at €120 and go as high as €1,200. (52.253868,21.007404)

- Hotel Rialto, ul. Wilcza 73, +48 (0/22) 584 8700 (info@hotelrialto.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 584 8701), [59]. Rates vary but can be as low as €98. (52.22517,21.00899)

- Holiday Inn, ul. Zlota 48/54 (Steps away from Warszawa Centralna train station), +48 (0/22) 697 3999 (fax: +48 (0/22) 697 3899), [60]. checkin: Noon; checkout: Noon. Ever heard of a four star Holiday Inn? Well, welcome to an alternate universe. Though the lack of some amenities (such as a pool) may raise questions about the meaningfulness of the four star rating, the staff's attention and service is easily four star.

- InterContinental, ul. Emilii Platter 49 (Around the corner from Holiday Inn, near the Warszawa Centralna station, and just steps from the Palace of Culture and Science), +48 (0/22) 328 8888 (warsaw@ihg.com, fax: +48 (0/22) 328 8889), [61]. The five star InterContinental is one of Warsaw's tallest, best designed, and most luxurious hotels. The hotel optimizes it's commanding height by using wide windows to provide breathtaking panorama views of Warsaw. Be sure to stop by the fitness center for the best view. All rooms have at least 32 square meters of space, spacious bathrooms that come equipped with a bath and a separate shower, and minibars. For the long term traveler the hotel has 75 appealing longterm apartments, which start at just €80 a day, but are billed in monthly installments. High speed internet connection is available for a fee for those staying in the standard rooms. The hotel is in the process of installing WiFi on club floors and replacing TVs with flat screen TVs. Each of the three restaurants have welcoming atmospheres and the E. Wendl cafe on the ground floor would be a great place to kick back to a coffee and some chocolates. Rates may be as low as €60 for advanced bookings. €120 - 180 during the week.

- Polonia Palace Hotel, ul. Jerzozolimskie 45 (The hotel is located on the same side of ul. Jerzozolimskie as the Marriott, but is at the opposite end of the Palace of Culture and Science), [62]. Luxury hotel in the dead center of Warsaw. Police warn to watch out for prostitutes that congregate in the area and occasionally approach guests in order to take advantage of the wealthier travelers. Rates start at €149 for a single room.

- Sofitel Victoria Warsaw, ul. Krolewska 11, +48 (0/22) 657 8011 (sof.victoria@orbis.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 657 8057). Located a short distance from Nowy Świat, the Sofitel Victoria Warsaw Hotel is the prime real estate for visitors who would like to tour the Old Town on a whim.

Contact
toc

Internet
toc

- Casablanca Internet Cafe, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 4/6, +48 (0/22) 8281447 (info@casablanca.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 826 6786), [63].

District Wola Table of Contents

• Get in

• Get around

• See

Powązki Cemetery (Cmentarz Powązkowski)

Powązki Communal Cemetery (Cmentarz Komunalny - Powązki)

• Do

Cinema

Sports

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

Cafes

Clubs

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-rage

Splurge

• Contact

Internet

Get in
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: ul. Kasprzaka-ul. Wolska, ul. Leszno-ul. Górczewska

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Towarowa-ul. Okopowa

Get around
toc

See
toc

- The Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego), ul. Grzybowska 79 (The entrance is on Przyokopowa, which is about two streets west of the Hilton Hotel. Trams: 20, 22, 24, 32, and 45. Buses 106, 155, and 100 will stop near the museum on request), +48 (22) 539 79 05 (+48 (0/22) 539 79 06, kontakt@1944.pl, fax: +48 (22) 539 79 24), [2]. Hours: M., W., and F.: 8AM - 6PM. Th.: 8AM - 8PM. Sat. and Sun.: 10AM - 6PM (Closed on Tuesday). Enormously fascinating, The Warsaw Risng Museum is a moving experience that anyone to Warsaw must visit. This museum will almost certainly not bore anyone, especially with the museum's superb use of multimedia. The museum has bilingual displays in Polish and English. The museum does a good job of explaining the perceived history of the insurgents and the Uprising in the years following the Second World War. If you go on Sunday, they have chapel services at 12:30PM. Regular: zł 4; Reduced rate: zł 2; Group ticket: zł 1. Free admission on Sundays.

- Drukarstwa Warszawskiego, ul. Łucka 1/3/5, [3].

- Muzeum Gazownictwa, ul. Kasprzaka 25.

- Muzeum Kolejnictwa, ul. Towarowa 1 (If you're driving, follow Al. Jeroslimskie west to ul Towarowa, then turn right), [4].

Powązki Cemetery (Cmentarz Powązkowski)
toc

Roman Catholic Cemetery (Cmentarz Rzymskokatolicki)

- St Charles Borromeo Church (Kościół Św. Karola Boromeusza)

- Famous tombs: Jan Kiepura, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Stanisław Moniuszko, Bolesław Prus, [[WikiPedia:Władysław Reymont|Władysław Reymont]

Jewish Cemetery (Cmentarz Żydowski)

- Famous tombs: Estera Rachela Kamińska, Isaac Loeb Peretz, Ludwig Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto

- A symbolic monument to Janusz Korczak (he died in a concentration camp),

Calvinist Cemetery (Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany)

- Halperts' Chapel (Kaplica Halpertów)

- Famous tombs: Wojciech Gerson, Tadeusz Stefan Jaroszewski, Emil Wedel, Szymon Bogumił Zug

Lutheran Cemetery (Cmentarz Ewangelicko-AugsburskiCmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany)

- Famous tombs: Anna German, Leopold Kronenberg, Józef Simmler, Stefan Żeromski

Powązki Communal Cemetery (Cmentarz Komunalny - Powązki)
toc

Previously: Military Cemetery (Cmentarz Wojskowy)

- The Avenue of the Meritorious (Aleja Zasłużonych)

- Mass graves of the participants of the November Uprising (1830-1831), January Uprising (1863-1864), World War 1 (1914-1918), Polish-Bolshevik War (1920-1922), World War 2 (1939-1945) and Warsaw Uprising (1944).

Do
toc

Cinema
toc

- Silver Screen, ul. Górczewska 124 (CH Wola Park).

Sports
toc

- Hala Sportowa Koło ul. Obozowa 60, tel. +48 22 877 38 99

- Frag Factory, ul. Złota 72, +48 (0/606) 292 392 (info@fragfactory.pl), [5]. Set up in an old school building is Frag Factory a three level complex used for paintball warfare. Games last about ten minutes or until one team loses and you'll be divided into teams with other people. Teams will switch starting points after each game. Frag Factory will supply you with a gun, CO2, and suit for only 50 zł. 50 zł for equipment rental, 15 zł for every 100 paintballs, and free entrance.

Buy
toc

- Klif, ul. Okopowa 58/72, [6]. Open M - Sa.: 9AM - 9PM. Su.: 10AM - 8PM. Shopping mall.

- Centrum Handlowe Wola Park, ul. Górczewska 124 (Buses 109, 154, 171, 190, 310, 501, 507, and 523 run by Wola Park. Trams 8, 10, 26, and 46 run in the direction, but you'll need to get off at ul. Powstańców Śląskich), +48 (0/22) 533 4000, [7]. Shopping mall. (52.244,20.932)

- CH Fort Wola, Ul. Połczyńska 4, +48 (0/22) 535 04 80, [8]. M-Sa.: 9AM - 9PM. Su.: 9AM - 8PM.

Eat
toc

- T.G.I. Fridays, Al. Jana Pawła II 29, +48 (0/22) 653 8362 (fax: +48 (0/22) 653 8363), [9]. A nice retreat for anyone wanting an restaurant experience that's a bit more American than at other restaurants. It's a tad bit pricey, though, and there are no free refills.

- Chicago's, ul. Żelazna 41, +48 (0/22) 89 00 999, [10]. Chicago's is a Route 66 themed eatery that cooks up typical American fare. Upon first entering the restaurant you'll be greeted by no one and you'll need to impose yourself upon an inattentive staff to be able to order. Although the staff is apathetic and somewhat rude, when they are attending to customers, the kitchen is rather quick and makes basic, but good food. The bar has a fair selection of alcohol to choose from, if the bartender will even greet you. If you want more of an Americanized eatery, but demand decent service head over to T.G.I. Fridays, or, for even better service, go to the Hard Rock Cafe.

- The Inn under the Red Hog (Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem), Zelazna 68, Warsaw (Corner of Zelazna and Chlodna streets), (+48 22) 850 3144, [11]. 12:00-24:00. This restaurant seems as though it might cater to out of towners, given it's ex-Soviet kitschy atmosphere (complete with PRI-inspired menu), but one can usually find it populated with locals having a get-together on weekend evenings. In those days, the site of the restaurant was an Inn which housed many notorious communist dignitaries and other notables. The menu itself is printed in the style of a newspaper (cheaper items under the heading "PROLETARIAT" and higher-priced items "FOR DIGNITARIES AND BOURGEOISIE"). (40.777518,-74.01581)

Drink
toc

Cafes
toc

Clubs
toc

- Harlem, ul. Kolejowa 8/10, +48 (0/502) 635 399, [12]. A club that mostly plays Hip-hop and rap music.

- Club 70, ul. Waliców 9 (About a block from the Hotel Hyatt, on a side street off of ul. Grzybowska), +48 (0/22) 654 71 41, [13]. Club 70 is a really well done club – the music is a decent mix of 70's and 80's music, bouncers aren't as hardcore as bouncers at other clubs, and the dedication of the management to fun clubbing makes Club 70 one of the best clubs in Warsaw. If you call Monday - Friday between 10AM - 6PM, you can make reservations. Entrance ranges from free to roughly zł 20 or so. Drinks are a bit on the expensive side with 0.5 liter of beer costing zł 10.

- Ice Club, ul. Pańska 61 (About a minute's walk from Rondo ONZ. Ul. Pańska runs parallel to ul. Prosta and is more of a parking lot than a street), +48 (0/22) 654 56 34 (iceclub@iceclub.com.pl), [14]. Entrance cost zł 10.

- Piekarnia, ul. Młocińska 11 (Near the Arkadia shopping mall. The club is kind of hidden on a side street, so you may want to memorize its location on a map first), +48 (0/22) 636 49 79 (klub@pieksa.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 636 49 79), [15]. At first glance the club is a wreck, especially due to the the club's out-of-the-way locale, with some of the shadiest DJing ever, but venturing further in actually will reveal a second dance floor with better DJing and chart topping music. For the most part, the club is hit or miss and probably won't be a very memorable night out, unless you're one of the people half-engaged in intercourse on the sofas. (52.2551,20.9805)

- Klub Rio, ul. Pańska 97 (On the street just south of ul. Prosta), +48 501 8701588 (rio.biuro@klubrio.pl), [16]. Rio is way off the radar screen for most people, but the club actually does partying pretty well. The dance floor isn't too large, but comfortable nonetheless for people get their groove on. (Alcohol starts at 8 PLN (beer) and runs up to 25 PLN (cocktails)). (52.2310,20.9893)

Sleep
toc

Budget
toc

- Rapsodia, ul. Fort Wola 22 (entrance from ul. Wolska 186), +48 (0/22) 634 41 65 (rapsodia@rapsodia.com.pl), [17]. A campsite, but hostel rooms are available too. Prices: tent (2 persons) - 30 żł, camping car (electricity connection included) 60 zł.

- Karolkowa Youth Hostel, ul. Karolkowa 53a (Buses 125 or 522 until DT Wola or trams 13, 20, 23, 24. 26, and 27 until DT Wola), +48 (0/22) 632 88 29 (+48 (0/22) 632 97 44, recepcja@hostelkarolkowa.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 632 97 46), [18]. n Hostelling International recognized hostel. Like other HI hostels in Poland there is a curfew, which lasts from midnight - 6AM, so don't plan on going out. Prices for a dorm bed begin at 25.20 zł for students with HI membership.

Mid-rage
toc

- Ibis Warszawa Centrum, Al. Solidarnosci 165, +48 (0/22) 520 30 00 (fax: +48 (0/22) 520 30 30), [19]. A basic, but comfortable hotel. It's a good deal for those who do not demand luxury, but are satisfied with the basics. (52.2373,20.9806)

Splurge
toc

- Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre, Grzybowska 63, +48 (0/22) 356 55 55 (fax: +48 (0/22) 356 55 56), [20]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: Noon. Although located in Wola, the hotel is actually very close to the downtown area of Warsaw. A ten to fifteen minute walk will take you to the Centralna train station.

- Westin Warsaw Hotel, Al. Jana Pawla II 21, +48 (0/22) 450 8000 (reservation.warsaw@starwoodhotels.com, fax: +48 (0/22) 450 8111), [21]. Another centrally located hotel, a few minutes from the Warszawa Centalna station. Rates start at €111. (52.240783,21.002984)

Contact
toc

Internet
toc

- Teleskop e-cafe, ul. Krochmalna 2, +48 (0/22) 652 25 84, [22]. Internet cafe tucked away on the side street near TGI Fridays, and the Atrium International Business Center buildings.

District Mokotów Table of Contents

• Get in

By car

By bus

By metro

• Get around

By metro

• See

Czerniaków

• Do

Cinemas

Music

Sports

Bowling

Ice-skating

Swimming

Theaters

• Buy

Malls

• Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Cafés

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Contact

Get in
toc

By car
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: ul. Czerniakowska-ul. Powsińska, ul. Belwederska-ul. Sobieskiego, ul. Puławska, al. Niepodległości, ul. Żwirki i Wigury

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Spacerowa, Trasa Siekierkowska-ul. Witosa-ul. Sikorskiego

By bus
toc

From the Warszawa Centralna train station, you can take 119, 131, 525 to get to Mokotów. From Marszałkowska, also in the Centrum, you can take 522. Or if you cross under the street, and pop up on al. Jerozolimskie, you can catch the 107. If you go further down to ul. Piękna, where the US, French, and Canadian Embassies are located, you can also catch the 159. The 180, which is known as the tourist route, connects the Old Town and Nowy Świat with Wilanów, via the Mokotów. Most of these buses will end up taking you in the direction of the Sadyba neighborhood of Mokotów, toward Wilanów.

Other buses that connect other parts of Mokotów with Warsaw exist too.

By metro
toc

Warsaw's subway system immediately connects Mokotów with Śródmieście and Ursynów. The last station in Śródmieście before entering Mokotów is the Metro Politechnika stop, while the last stop before entering Mokotów from Ursynów is the Metro Ursynów stop. More or less, the subway line cuts down the middle of Mokotów.

Get around
toc

By metro
toc

Warsaw's subway system has several stops in Mokotów, which can allow for travelers to quickly hop on and off the metro line and get north and south of Mokotów in just a few minutes. The following stops are in Mokotów - Pole Mokotowskie, Racławicka, Wierzbno, Wilanowska, and Służew.

See
toc

- National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), al. Niepodległości 213, +48 (0/22) 608 29 99 (+48 (0/22) 452 29 99, bndyrekt@bn.org.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 825 52 51), [2]. (Closed Sunday). Simply put - it's the library of Poland.

- Szuster Palace ul. Puławska 55 (near the Flik restaurant)

- Królikarnia ul. Puławska 113a [3]. A palace on a slope, part of the National Museum.

- St Katherine Church ul. Fosa 17

- Monument to the Victims of Communist Terror 1944-1956

Czerniaków
toc

- St Anthony Church in Czerniaków ul. Czerniakowska 2/4

- Folwark Czerniakowski

- Gardener's House ul. Jodłowa 18

- Manager's House ul. Bernardyńska 1

Do
toc

Cinemas
toc

- Cinema City, ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), +48 (0/22) 456 65 00. A decent cinema in Galeria Mokotów. The upside of the theater is that the mall's food court allows you to grub out before or after the movie.

- Iluzjon ul. Narbutta 50a, tel. +48 22 646 12 60

- IMAX ul. Powsińska 31, tel. +48 22 550 33 33 (Sadyba Best Mall)

Music
toc

- Warsaw Music Society (Warszawskie Towarzystwo Muzyczne) ul. Morskie Oko 2 [4] (classical music)

Sports
toc

Bowling
toc

- Hokus Pokus ul. Powsińska 31, tel. +48 22 550 35 35 (Sadyba Best Mall)

Ice-skating
toc

- Tor Stegny ul. Inspektowa 1, tel. +48 22 842 27 68 [5] (near the intersection of ul. Sobieskiego and ul. Sikorskiego). Open when the temperature falls below 10°C.

Swimming
toc

- Wodny Park ul. Merliniego 9, tel. +48 22 854 01 30 [6] (near ul. Puławska near Królikarnia)

Theaters
toc

- Pruderia ul. Racławicka 99 (unorthodox)

Buy
toc

Malls
toc

- Galeria Mokotów, ul. Domaniewska 41, +48 (0/22) 541 41 41, [7]. Shops open from 10AM - 10PM. A large, uncrowded, and extremely nice and comfortable shopping mall. It's a great mall for those that want to avoid the crowds of Zlote Tarasy or Arkadia. Plus, you can find a few more lesser known shops here than at other popular malls.

- Sadyba Best Mall, ul. Powsińska 31, [8]. By comparison to other malls in Warsaw, this one is pretty small, but it comes equipped with a cinema, food court, and interestingly enough - a bowling alley, which is a one-up on most malls in Warsaw. Its cinema is also one of only a few IMAX theaters in Poland.

- CH Land, ul. Wałbrzyska 11 (Metro Służew), (cuhlands@land.waw.pl), [9]. A very small, rather un-populated mall in Mokotów. This mall isn't too large or packed with annoyingly large crowds like at Złote Tarasy, Arkadia, or Galeria Mokotów, but it also doesn't have nearly the same number of stores as those malls or the activities.

Eat
toc

Budget
toc

- Dominium Pizza, ul. Rakowiecka 41 (Subway to Pole Mokotowskie, then restaurant is opposite the SGGW administration building), +48 (0/22) 210 10 10, [10]. Just one of a chain of pizzerias.

- Efes, Al. Niepodległości 80 (Metro Racławicka). Great place to go for a kebab.

Mid-range
toc

- Pizzeria Segment, ul. Powsińska 18A, +48 (0/22) 651 87 01. Open from 11:30AM - 10PM. A cool little pizzeria located in the Sadyba neighborhood of Mokotów. The pizza is superb and there is a number of varying pizza themes. The deserts only improve the experience. In the summer, dining upstairs is nice and the restaurant has an outdoor balcony. In the winter, it's warmer to eat downstairs than upstairs. 30+ zł.

- Flik ul. Puławska 43

Splurge
toc

- Restauracja Roma, ul. Artur Grottgera 2, [11]. 60+ zł.

- Portucale, ul. Merliniego 5, +48 (0/22) 898 09 25 (restauracja@portucale.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 898 09 27), [12]. Portuguese restaurant that made its reputation in its collection of amazing wines.

- Blue Cactus, Zajączkowska 11, +48 (0/22) 851 23 23 (fax: +48 (0/22) 851 23 22), [13]. M - F.: 8AM - 11PM. Sa.: 9AM - 11PM. Su: Noon - 10PM. An excellent Mexican restaurant with good food and drinks. You can easily spend 60 or more złotych per person, but it's well worth the money. Roughly 60+ zł.

Drink
toc

- Park, Al. Niepodległości 196, +48 (0/22) 825 91 65 (park@klubpark.pl), [14]. Park is like Russian roulette; you may have your head blown off, or possibly have a great time. The door is relaxed, which means a lot of fools and the fashion challenged can usually get in. Alcohol is cheap with a shot of Wyborowa only costing zł 5. The only real problem is likely to be a concern for women. The men who go to this club often act like they have never seen a woman before, which may be due to the ethanol induced state of mind they are in, and may touch women who obviously don't want to be bothered. If any woman decides to go to this club, be sure to bring along friends or a guy friend to ward off drunk advances. Also, be sure not to upset the bouncers – let's just say, they don't take too kindly to being upset.

- Qlala Bar, ul. Chełmska 21, +48 507 071 787 (manager@qlalabar.pl), [15]. A random and thoroughly unsuspecting bar. Walking in, the bar tender seemed surprised by the idea of customers, but was friendly. The furniture in Qlala consists of large comfortable chairs, love seats, and sofas, which are surrounded by book shelves that are covered in worn Polish-language books.

- Klub Mechanik, ul. Narbutta 87, +48 (0/22) 234 83 14 (klub@klubmechanik.pl), [16].

Cafés
toc

- Zielnik, ul. Odyńca 15 (A few streets from Racławicka metro stop, off of Al. Niepodległości), +48 (0/22) 844 35 00 (info@zielnikcafe.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 844 99 15), [17]. Zielnik is a really cozy café where couples and close friends could go for lunch, dinner, and a cup of coffee or tea. Worth a visit, if you like to get a sense of having some alone time with a friend or date.

- Cafe Chełmska, ul. Chełmska 9 (Buses 107 and 141 stop across the street, while bus 119 stops around the corner after turning off of ul. Chełmska), +48 (0) 605 104 207 (cafe@cafechelmska.pl), [18]. Open M-F from 8AM - 8PM (Open Saturday and Sunday from 10AM - 6PM).

- Sikkim, Al. Niepodległości 88 (Racławicka metro stop), +48 (0/22) 844 14 79 (sikkim@herbaciarnia.com), [19]. Cool little café, where you can stop in for a cup of tea or grab some tea leaves for home.

Sleep
toc

Budget
toc

- Atos ul. Mangalia 1, tel. +48 22 841 43 95

- Aramis ul. Mangalia 3, tel. +48 22 858 21 26

- Portos ul. Mangalia 3a, tel. +48 22 463 63 63

- SUSeł ul. Rzymowskiego 41/43, tel. +48 22 843 53 72

Mid-range
toc

- Reytan ul. Rejtana 6, tel. +48 22 646 31 66 (near Metro Pole Mokotowskie)

Splurge
toc

- Hotel Karat, ul. Słoneczna 37, +48 (0/22) 849 84 54 (+48 (0/22) 849 33 19, hotelharat@hotelkarat.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 849 52 94), [20]. checkin: 12PM; checkout: 10AM. 250 - 400 zł per night.

Contact
toc

District Żoliborz Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

Cinemas

Sports

Swimming

Theaters

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

Bars and Clubs

Cafés

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: Wyb. Gdyńskie, ul. Mickiewicza-ul. Słowackiego, al. Jana Pawła II-ul. Popiełuszki

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Słomińskiego, Trasa Armii Krajowej

See
toc

- The Citadel (Muzeum X Pawilony Cytadeli) ul. Skazańców 25. Built during the Russian occupation in the 19th century to keep control over Warsaw. Many participants of the January Uprising, including its leader Romuald Traugutt have been executed there.

- Żoliborz Oficerski ul. Krasińskiego × ul. Mickiewicza. Residential district built in the 1920s renowned for its architecture. Some of the highest housing prices in Warsaw.

- St Stanislaus Kostka Church ul. Hozjusza 1 Renowned because of the sermons of Jerzy Popiełuszko, the priest who was later assassinated by the communist regime.

- Church of Virgin Mary, the Queen of Poland ul. Gdańska 8a has an interesting history. Originally built in the 1600s for Queen Marysieńka, it was converted into a hunting residence by King August II the Strong only to be then turned into a chapel in 1816 and again into a church in the 20th century.

Do
toc

Cinemas
toc

- Muranów ul. Gen. Andersa 1, tel. +48 22 831 03 58

- Wisła pl. Wilsona 2, tel. +48 22 839 23 65

Sports
toc

Swimming
toc

- OSiR Żoliborz ul. Potocka 1, tel. +48 22 832 46 00

Theaters
toc

- Komedia ul. Słowackiego 19a, tel. +48 22 833 68 80

Buy
toc

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

Bars and Clubs
toc

- praCoVnia art club (music club pCV), ul. Popiełuszki 16 (close to Metro Marymont station), +48 22 833 44 50, [2]. open: 16.00-00.00; fri-sat: 16.00-3.00.

- Artistic place: bar, art gallery, live music

- People: musicans, artists, journalists, Żoliborz-District habitants

- How to get?: subway, bus, tram - all very close at Metro Marymont stop/station [3]

- Extras: beers, wines, very tasty coffe, yerba mate, WiFi internet, air condition

- Żywiciel.

- Klubogaleria.

Cafés
toc

- Mielżyński, ul. Burakowska 46.

- Blikle, Pl. Wilsona.

Sleep
toc

- Wilson Hostel Warszawa, Felinskiego 37, 01-569 Warszawa (300m from Plac Wilsona metro station), +48 22 8394081 (hostel@wilsonhostel.pl), [4]. from 40 PLN for bed or sleeping capsule.

Contact
toc

District Ochota Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

Sports

Skiing

Swimming

Tennis

Theaters

• Buy

• Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Cafés

Clubs

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: ul. Żwirki i Wigury, ul. Grójecka-al. Krakowska

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Wawelska-ul. Grzymały-Al. Jerozolimskie

See
toc

- The streets in a radiant layout around pl. Narutowicza.

Do
toc

- Szczęśliwicki Park (Park Szczęśliwicki) between ul. Drawska and ul. Włodarzewska is a large green area with some lakes.

Sports
toc

Skiing
toc

- There is an artificial slope (with artificial snow) in Szczęśliwicki Park.

Swimming
toc

- OSiR Ochota ul. Rokossowska 10, tel. +48 22 572 90 70

Tennis
toc

- Mera ul. Bohaterów Września 6/12, tel. +48 22 823 63 82

Theaters
toc

- Teatr Ochoty ul. Reja 9, tel. +48 22 825 85 44

Buy
toc

- Blue City, Al. Jerozolimskie 179, [2]. A large, but somewhat bland mall. Its major advantage against other Warsaw malls is that it is not so crowded and less visited; perfect place to visit during the time of the sales.

- CH Reduta Al. Jerozolimskie 148 [3]. Shopping mall, adjacent to Blue City. Free hot-spot.

Eat
toc

Budget
toc

Mid-range
toc

- Jeff's, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32, +48 (0/22) 82516 50 (fax: +48 (0/22) 875 39 10), [4]. American style restaurant with the stereotypical road sign novelties posted on the wall. The food is decent, especially for a cuisine that many Polish restaurants fail miserably at cooking. Huge breakfasts are served daily till 10 p.m. (1 p.m. at the weekends) for just 9 PLN.

Splurge
toc

- Meltemi ul. Opaczewska 43/1 (Kręgliccy). Greek.

Drink
toc

Cafés
toc

- Café Strauss Al. Jerozolimskie 45

- Filtry Cafe ul. Niemcewicza 3 Good looking interior and tasty coffee

Clubs
toc

- Luzztro al. Jerozolimskie 60

- Paradise ul. Wawelska 5

- Proxima Żwirki i Wigury 99a

Sleep
toc

Budget
toc

- Astur Camping ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 15/17. Prices: 20 zł for a tent, 60 zł for a camping car.

- Gromada Camping ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32, tel. +48 22 825 43 91

Mid-range
toc

- SUITES.PL, ul. Wlodarzewska 51, +48 6622 78483 (suites(at)suites.pl), [5]. Next to Szczesliwicki Park

Splurge
toc

- Hotel Jan III Sobieski, Pl. Artura Zawiszy 1, +48 (0/22) 579 10 00 (rezerwacja@sobieski.com.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 659 88 28), [6]. Weekend rates start at 95 Euro with rates topping 695.

Contact
toc

District Praga Północ Table of Contents

• Get in

By car

By bus

By tram

• Get around

By car

• See

• Do

Sports

Swimming

Theaters

• Buy

• Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Cafés

Clubs

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

By car
toc

By bus
toc

From Śródmieście, you can take the Z-1 from Ratuesz Arsenał or Stare Miasto (beneath the Royal Castle). From Mokotów, the 162 takes you to Praga Północ via Praga Południe.

By tram
toc

From Śródmieście, the trains trams that take you across the river past Praski Park towards Dw. Wileński are 13, 23, 26, and 32.

Get around
toc

By car
toc

The Main streets parallel to Vistula are ul. Zamoyskiego, ul. Targowa, ul. Jagiellońska, Wyb. Szczecińskie, and Wyb. Helskie. Perpendicular to the Vistula are al. Zieleniecka, ul. Sokola, al. Solidarności, and ul. Starzyńskiego.

See
toc

The zoo – not just a sanctuary for animals

During the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Jan Żabiński, the Warsaw Zoo's director, and his wife, Antonia, saved about 300 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto and Nazi death camps. The Żabiński family turned the zoo into a pig farm, which was to be used so the German forces could be fed. Jan Żabiński befriended a few Nazi officials and was granted access to the Warsaw Ghetto so he could gather left over scraps to feed the pigs, to study the Ghetto's park system, and for any other imaginable reason. His real reason for going to the Ghetto was to smuggle Jews out and safeguard them at the zoo by hiding the Jews in the cages and animal exhibits at the zoo. Diane Ackerman wrote The Zookeeper's Wife, which details the story of the Żabińskis, focusing particularly on Antonia's story.

- Warsaw Zoo (Warszawskie Zoo), ul. Ratuszowa 1/3, +48 (0/22) 619 40 41 (fax: +48 (0/22) 619 58 98), [2]. Open daily from 9AM until 7PM (Tickets sold until 6PM). A relatively small zoo, but with some interesting species, including a pack of wild and rambunctious monkeys that seem to fascinate every visitor. Other Zoo residents include lemurs, giraffes, elephants, hyraxes (the elephant's strange looking relatives that weigh only 2 - 5 kilograms compared to an elephant's weight of 3,000 - 6,000 kilograms), lions, tigers, zebras, and jaguars that live in a glass enclosure that allows you stand only centimeters away from the beasts. The Warsaw Zoo is a great place to spend time for adults or children. Admission: Adults zł 12, Children zł 6, Children under three years are free.

- Saint Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church (Cerkiew św. Marii Magdaleny), pl. Wileński (Lies about a block east of Praski Park). One of two Orthodox churches in Warsaw nowdays. (52.245,21.033)

- The Memorial of the Brotherhood of Arms at the intersection of al. Solidarności and ul. Targowa, maliciously nicknamed "the four sleeping guys" (czterech śpiących).

- 19th Century Houses around pl. Weteranów 1863 r., ul. Kłopotowskiego and ul. Okrzei, in particular The Jewish Mikvah built in 1840 at ul. Kłopotowskiego 31. See also the list of all historic buildings in Praga Północ [3] (RTF).

- Ząbkowska Street (ul. Ząbkowska) [4]

- Praski Park (Park Praski), (Across the street from the Zoo's entrance). A park that's good for a stroll. There's a large sculpture of a giraffe and a playground for children within the park's grounds. Near the entrance to the Warsaw Zoo, there are a few eateries that serve up ice cream.

- Saints Michael & Florian Cathedral (Katedra św. Michała Archanioła i św. Floriana), ul Floriańska 3, +48 (0/22) 619 09 60, [5].

Do
toc

- «Koneser» Vodka Distillery (Warszawska Wytwórnia Wódek «Koneser») ul. Ząbkowska 27/31 [6]. Sightseeing with optional degustation. (For English service, it's best to call ahead as they don't have English speaking personnel immediately on hand to help walk ins.)

Sports
toc

Swimming
toc

- Prawy Brzeg ul. Jagiellońska 7, tel. +48 22 698 48 00

Theaters
toc

- Teatr Powszechny ul. Zamoyskiego 20, tel. +48 22 818 25 16

- Teatr Wytwórnia ul. Ząbkowska 27/31, tel. +48 22 741 23 05

- Theatre Baj (Teatr Baj), ul. Jagiellońska 28, +48 (0/22) 619 80 77 (teatr@teatrbaj.waw.pl), [7].

Buy
toc

- Warszawa Wileńska ul. Targowa 72 [8]. A shopping mall and also a railway station.

- Różyckiego Bazaar (Bazar Różyckiego) ul. Targowa 54 [9]. For many years it was the most famous bazaar in Poland, a place where everything could be purchased. In recent years however it has fallen into decline.

Eat
toc

Budget
toc

Mid-range
toc

Splurge
toc

Drink
toc

Cafés
toc

- Łysy Pingwin ul. Ząbkowska 11

- W Oparach Absurdu ul. Ząbkowska 6

Clubs
toc

- Fabryka Trzciny ul. Otwocka 34 [10]. Originally a marmalade factory, now a cultural center with a club, a theater, a restaurant, artist ateliers and an exhibition area.

Sleep
toc

- Hit Hotel, ul. Kłopotowskiego 33, 22 618 94 70 (22 818 07 75, rezerwacja@hithotel.pl, fax: 22 619 57 44), [11].

- Dedek Park al. Zieleniecka 6/8, tel. +48 22 619 77 81

- Gościniec Praski al. Solidarności 61, tel. +48 22 463 63 63

- Hetman, ul. Kłopotowskiego 36, +48 (0/22) 511 98 00 (rez@hotelhetman.pl, fax: +48 (0/22)618 51 39), [12].

- Hotel Praski, Al. Solidarności 61, +48 (0/22) 201 63 00 (rez@praski.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 201 63 03), [13]. Rooms start at 150 zł.

Contact
toc

District Praga Południe Table of Contents

• Get in

• Get around

• See

• Do

Cinemas

Sports

Swimming

• Buy

• Eat

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Clubs

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Main streets parallel to Vistula: ul. Grochowska; Wał Miedzeszyński

- Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Ostrobramska and al. Stanów Zjednoczonych (United States Avenue) - collectively referred to as Trasa Łazienkowska; al. Waszyngtona (Washington Avenue); Trasa Siekierkowska

Get around
toc

See
toc

- Skaryszewski Park (Park Skaryszewski or Park im. Ignacego Paderewskiego, but nobody says so)

- Barriers of Grochów (Rogatki Grochowskie) ul. Grochowska. Used for collecting the toll for entering the city.

- Monument to the builders of the Brześć Road ul. Grochowska. Built in 1825, it was the first monument in Poland to honor anonymous workers (instead of famous national heroes).

- Saska Kępa

- The forest in Olszynka Grochowska, which was an important battlefield during the November Uprising .

Do
toc

Cinemas
toc

- Cinema City ul. Ostrobramska 75, tel. +48 22 611 75 11 (CH Promenada)

Sports
toc

Swimming
toc

- Wodnik ul. Abrahama 10, tel. +48 22 673 82 00

Buy
toc

- CH Promenada ul. Ostrobramska 75 [2]. Shopping mall.

- Alma [3] delicatessen in Promenada

- Géant ul. Jubilerska 1/3. Hypermarket.

Eat
toc

Mid-range
toc

- Several restaurants and bars in CH Promenada.

Splurge
toc

- Dom Polski ul. Francuska 11. Polish.

- Santorini ul. Egipska 7. Greek.

Drink
toc

- Herbaciarnia na, ul. Francuskiej 12, +48 (0/22) 617 46 16 (+48 502 066 447, MagdaSzulinska@poczta.fm, fax: +48 (0/22) 617 46 16), [4]. A cozy little place where that serves a wide variety of teas. About 10 - 15 PLN for a small kettle of tea.

Clubs
toc

- M25, ul. Mińska 25, [5].

Sleep
toc

- Ibis Warszawa Ostrobramska, ul. Ostrobramska 36, +48 (0/22) 515 78 00.

Contact
toc

District Northern Warsaw Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Main streets in Białołęka are ul. Modlińska (parallel to Vistula) and Trasa Toruńska (perpendicular to Vistula)

- See the map for the location of bus termini.

- If you are going to Zalew Zegrzyński, northeast of Warsaw, you will most probably want to drive through Białołęka. Drive along ul. Modlińska and then turn right in Jabłonna (it's already outside Warsaw). The road number is  61 .

See
toc

- The Palace in Jabłonna is nearby.

Do
toc

- Henryków and Dąbrówka Forest (Park leśny Henryków i Dąbrówka). It is near the railway station Warszawa Płudy.

Buy
toc

- Auchan [2] and Leroy Merlin [3] near the intersection of ul. Modlińska and Trasa Toruńska.

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

Sleep
toc

Contact
toc

District Bemowo Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Main streets in Bemowo are: ul. Powstańców Śląskich, ul. Połczyńska, ul. Górczewska, ul. Lazurowa, ul. Radiowa and ul. Wrocławska.

- Tram termini: Boernerowo, Os. Górczewska. See the map for bus termini.

See
toc

- Fortifications that consituted the Warsaw Fortress in the 19th century. Four of them were preserved, these are: Fort IV Chrzanów, Fort III Blizne (Groty), Fort IIA Radiowo (Babice), Fort P (Parysów) Bema. [2] (PDF, in Polish)

- Transatlantic Radio Exchange (Transatlantycka Centrala Radiotelegraficzna), or rather ruins thereof [3] (in Polish). The twin object in Grimeton, Sweden is still preserved [4].

Do
toc

- Sports and Recreation Centre (Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji) [5] swimming pools at ul. Oławska 3 and ul. Brygadzistów 18, sports hall at ul. Obrońców Tobruku 40.

- Flying School (Aeroklub Warszawski) [6] parachuting, gliding, ballooning, etc. at ul. Księżycowa 1.

Buy
toc

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

- Infrequent occasional parties in the industrial park at Instytut Energetyki, ul. Mory 8 [7] [8]

Sleep
toc

- Fort Wola Camping ul. Fort Wola 22, tel. +48 22 634 41 65

Contact
toc

District Włochy Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- Most foreign tourists visit Włochy even though they're usually unaware of this momentous fact. It's because the Frederic Chopin Airport is located here.

- The main streets parallel to Vistula are: ul. Żwirki i Wigury, ul. Grójecka-al. Krakowska and Al. Jerozolimskie.

- The main streets perpendicular to Vistula are: ul. Sasanki-ul. Hynka-ul. Łopuszańska-ul. Kleszczowa and ul. 17 Stycznia (adjacent to the airport).

- The bus and tram terminus Okęcie despite its name is far away from the airport (apparently this is the reason why the airport was recently renamed). The airport is served by bus routes  175 ,  188 and  611 and the terminus name is Port Lotniczy.

See
toc

Do
toc

Buy
toc

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

Sleep
toc

- Gromada ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32, tel. +48 22 825 43 91. A campsite.

- Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw International Airport, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 1, +48 (0/22) 6500 100 (fax: +48 (0/22) 6500 101), [2]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: Noon.

- Novotel Warszawa Airport, ul. Sierpnia 1, +48 (0/22) 575 6000 (nov.airport@orbis.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 575 69 99), [3].

- Airport Hotel Okęcie, ul. Stycznia 24, +48 (0/22) 456 8000 (+48 (0/22) 456 8008, fax: +48 (0/22) 456 8029), [4].

- Hotel Dedek, ul. Dźwigowa 43, +48 (0/22) 863 48 21 (+48 (0/22) 863 48 22, hotel@dedek.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 863 31 54), [5]. Basic room begins at 150 zł on the weekend.

Contact
toc

District Ursus Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- The principal street that goes through Ursus is al. Jerozolimskie.

- There are railway stations Warszawa Ursus and Warszawa Gołąbki.

See
toc

Do
toc

Buy
toc

- Factory ul. Traktorzystów [2]. Defective designer's clothing at bargain prices.

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

Sleep
toc

Contact
toc

District Eastern Warsaw Table of Contents

• Understand

Rembertów

Targówek

Wawer

Wesoła

• Get in

Rembertów

Targówek

Wawer

Wesoła

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Understand
toc

Rembertów
toc

Rembertów [5] is a district Warsaw. Originally, it was a settlement created for the workers of the Warsaw-Moscow railway and then, a training ground for the military. It has been a part of Warsaw since 1957, but it doesn't look very much like a district of a big city to this day. Rembertów is further divided into Kawęczyn-Wygoda, Nowy Rembertów and Stary Rembertów.

Targówek
toc

Targówek [6] is a district of Warsaw. It is further divided into Bródno. Bródno-Podgrodzie, Elsnerów, Targówek Fabryczny, Targówek Mieszkaniowy, Utrata and Zacisze.

Wawer
toc

Wawer [7] is a district of Warsaw. It is the most rural district and this has some advantages unless you need to commute. It is also the biggest district of Warsaw in terms of area. It is further divided into: Aleksandrów, Anin, Falenica, Marysin Wawerski, Miedzeszyn, Międzylesie, Nadwiśle, Radość (meaning "happiness"), Sadul, Wawer proper and Zerzeń.

Wesoła
toc

Wesoła [8] is the youngest district of Warsaw. It mostly consists of low-rise residential housing. The Polish word wesoła means "happy". Wesoła is further divided into Stara Miłosna, Wesoła-Centrum, Wola Grzybowska and Zielona-Grzybowa.

Get in
toc

Rembertów
toc

- Main streets in Rembertów are ul. Żołnierska and ul. Marsa-ul. Cyrulików.

Targówek
toc

- Main streets in Targówek are Trasa Toruńska, ul. Radzymińska, ul. Odrowąża, ul. Św. Wincentego and ul. Bazyliańska-ul. Kondratowicza-ul. Młodzieńcza.

Wawer
toc

- The main streets parallel to Vistula are ul. Wał Miedzeszyński, ul. Trakt Lubelski, ul. Płowiecka-ul. Czecha-ul. Trakt Brzeski and ul. Patriotów (which are really two streets running on the opposite sides of the railway track).

- There are many smaller streets perpendicular to Vistula, Those notable are ul. Zwoleńska-ul. Żegańska-al. Dzieci Polskich and ul. Bysławska.

- Several railway stations on the route to Otwock lie in Wawer. These are, beginning with those closest to the city center: Wawer, Anin, Międzylesie, Radość, Miedzeszyn and Falenica.

- ul. Wał Miedzeszyński (which has recently been upgraded and is now a dual carriageway) beyond the borders of Warsaw turns into road 801 and leads to Lublin (although this is not the primary route).

Wesoła
toc

- The main street in Wesoła is ul. Czecha-ul. Trakt Brzeski, which is also the  2   E30  road to Terespol and the border with Belarus. ul. Cyrulików-ul. Okuniewska is parallel to it, and the two main perpendicular streets are ul. 1 Praskiego Pułku and al. Piłsudskiego.

See
toc

- Nearly all Wawer is a one big forest. The best starting point for a trip is the bus terminus in Międzylesie (the name roughly means "inter-forest" or "between the forests"). You can walk through the forest to Wesoła - this shouldn't take more than an hour or two (unless you get lost).

- Bródnowski Cemetery (Cmentarz Bródnowski) ul. Św. Wincentego 81. Established 1883.

Do
toc

- Rampa Theater (Teatr Rampa) ul. Kołowa 20, tel. +48 22 679 89 76 [9]. One of the best musical theaters in Poland. The building was originally meant to be a metro station in the 1950s when there were plans to construct a metro line on the right bank.

- Polonez ul. Łabiszyńska 20, tel. +48 22 884 88 00

Buy
toc

- CH Targówek, ul. Głębocka 15 (Located in Targówek. Buses 126, 134, 112, 120, 140, 527, and 732 all go to CH Targówek), +48 (0/22) 675 80 00 (targowek@mel-pl.com, fax: +48 (0/22) 675 80 80), [10]. Open M-Sa.: 10AM - 9PM and Su.: 10AM - 8PM.

- M1 Marki at the intersection of Trasa Toruńska and ul. Radzymińska (to be precise, it's not Targówek but Marki just outside Warsaw)

- Park Handlowy Targówek between the two of them

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

Sleep
toc

- WOK ul. Odrębna 16, tel. +48 22 612 79 51 [11] (near ul. Wał Miedzeszyński). Campsite with bar, Internet, laundry. Apr-Oct. Tent: 14 zł, car 14 zł, trailer 16-20 zł, electricity 10 zł and 14 zł/person. No credit cards. Bus 146 from Dworzec Wschodni station stop Romantyczna.

Contact
toc

District Ursynów Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

• Do

Cafés

Cinemas

Sports

Swimming

• Buy

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- The most important streets are: ul. Puławska, al. KEN or al.Komisji Edukacji Narodowej, ul. Ciszewskiego, ul. Pileckiego, and ul. Płaskowickiej.

- There are five metro stations in Ursynów. From north to south, the metro stations are: Ursynów, Stokłosy, Imielin, Natolin, and Kabaty. With the metro, it's possible to get to Centrum in 10 - 20 minutes.

See
toc

- The Pheasantry Palace (Pałac Bażantarnia) ul. Nowoursynowska 84

- The «Delight» Palace (Pałac «Rozkosz») ul. Nowoursynowska 166

Do
toc

- Kabacki Forest near  M   Kabaty . You can walk through the forest to the Park of Culture and the Botanical Garden (read about them in the Wilanów article).

Cafés
toc

- Jar ul. Koński Jar 6

Cinemas
toc

- Multikino al. KEN 60, tel. +48 22 543 52 22

Sports
toc

- Gymnasion Sports Center ul. Puławska 427, tel. +48 22 649 37 38, [2].

Swimming
toc

- Basen SGGW ul. Ciszewskiego 10, tel. +48 22 593 12 83.

Buy
toc

- REAL ul. Puławska 427. Hypermarket.

- Kangurek, al. KEN 93 (get off at the stoklosy subway station.), 022 335 07 01. Small supermarket, right beside the "STOKLOSY" subway station.Kangurek also have home delivery. average.

- MarcPol, ul. Dereniowa 8 (get off at stoklosy subway station), 022 859 12 05. Small supermarket, decent prices, goood selection of meats and alcohols. right at the stoklosy subway station.

- outdoor bazaar/market, Indiry Gandhi and Cynamonowa (1 block from imielin subway station (From the Multikino go towards Cynamonowa street , once there turn right walk about 20 meters , it will be on your right.), N\A. Its an outdoor bazaar, excellent prices ,super fresh produce, veggies, friuts and meats. Better than a supermarket. Mingle with the locals. cheap. cheap.

Drink
toc

Sleep
toc

Contact
toc

District Wilanów Table of Contents

• Get in

• See

In Powsin

Other

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Get in
toc

- The two streets that lead to Wilanów are: ul. Powsińska-ul. Wiertnicza and al. Wilanowska (not ul. Wilanowska which is in Śródmieście), which earlier merges with ul. Sobieskiego. They intersect right in front of the Palace and merge into ul. Przyczółkowa, which leads to the Park of Culture in Powsin, the Botanical Garden and to Konstancin-Jeziorna.

- There are no trams or metro in Wilanów. The bus terminus closest to the Palace is called Wilanów. Another bus terminus Sadyba (in Mokotów) is also in close proximity.

- The Park of Culture and the Botanical Garden are far away from the Palace and can be reached from bus termini Powsin - Park Kultury and Ogród Botaniczny respectively, or if you prefer to take a walk, take the  M  to  Kabaty  (in Ursynów) and then walk through the Kabacki Forest.

See
toc

- Wilanów Palace (Pałac w Wilanowie), ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 10/16, +48 (0/22) 842 81 01, [2]. Wilanów Palace is tucked away in the romantic surroundings of the royal gardens. Its an ideal place to take a date or just to relax, but be forewarned that there are a few ponds and lakes along the walking paths that are infested with mosquitoes, so be wise and protect yourself or your date with bug repellent.

- Poster Museum (Muzeum Plakatu), ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 10/16, +48 (0/22) 842 48 48 (palkat@postermuseum.pl, fax: +48 (0/22) 842 26 06), [3].

- SD Galeria, ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 24, +48 (0/22) 842 00 66, [4].

In Powsin
toc

- The Park of Culture. On the edge of the Kabacki Forest (Las Kabacki). Many sports venues including an swimming pool. Walk or cycle through the forest (although the latter is now illegal!) to Metro Kabaty.

- Botanical Garden (Ogród Botaniczny) ul. Prawdziwka 2 [5]. Actually, next to the Park of Culture, although there is another bus terminus (see above). No pets allowed.

Other
toc

- Polish People's Movement History Museum (Muzeum Historii Polskiego Ruchu Ludowego), al. Wilanowska 204, [6]. The building in which it it situated, called The Yellow Inn (Żółta Karczma) is probably a lot more interesting than the museum itself.

Do
toc

- The Royal Road ends here, but you could do it backwards.

Buy
toc

Eat
toc

Drink
toc

- A hot chocolate at Cafe Wedel near Wilanow Palace.

Sleep
toc

- Rezydencja Parkowa, ul. Wiertnicza 94, +48 (0/22) 642 6204, [7].

- Zajazd Na Uboczu, ul. Jara 4a, +48 (0/22) 885 1352, [8].

Contact
toc