12 of the best things to do in Warsaw

Wandering around Warsaw today it’s difficult to comprehend that 80 years ago, the Polish capital was little more than rubble. Overcoming that WWII catastrophe, then the challenging Communist decades, forged in Varsovians grit, determination and a love of life’s simple pleasures. Recent generations have brought youthful energy, creativity and fun to the metropolitan mix. The result is one of Europe’s most dynamic cities, a cultural trendsetter of ambitious architecture, delicious places to eat and inventive locations to gain insight and be entertained.

1. Get a bird’s eye view of Warsaw

Emblematic of Warsaw’s contemporary ambitions is the Varso Tower – the EU’s tallest tower block at 330m (1083ft). A new hotel in the tower is up and running, while the Varso’s observation decks, at 205m (673ft) and 230m (755ft), will open later in 2025. They will be a prime spot from which to admire the retro architectural stylings of the Palace of Culture & Science (abbreviated to PKiN in Polish), a Communist-era icon that, on its 30th floor, has its own observation terrace.

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There are also spectacular views of PKiN from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the RiverView Wellness Centre, a fitness club in the Intercontinental Warszawa that’s open for day visitors.

2. Check out the art at MSN Warsaw

For the last couple of decades, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN Warsaw) has occupied temporary spaces while awaiting the construction of its permanent home. At the tail end of 2024 the brand-new arts complex, which includes a bistro and cinema, finally opened on Plac Defilad opposite PKiN. In February 2025 it debuted the Impermanent, a free exhibition of over 150 works from its permanent collection showcasing pieces ranging from the 1950s to the present day.

Detour: Set aside a couple of hours to be dazzled by the art and design collection at the National Museum, including masterworks by the likes of painter Jan Matejko and graphic artist Fangor.

3. Wander through Warsaw’s parks

Green spaces abound across the city including the Saxon Garden, opened as Warsaw’s first public park in 1727, which features baroque statues and a mock Grecian temple; and Łazienki Park, a former royal hunting ground that’s home to a couple of palaces, an ornamental lake, an amphitheater, museums and various follies.

A mound in the Czerniaków district was built in the post-WWII years from the rubble of the destroyed capital and a park created around it. Recently, Action Park Burza has been upgraded with inventive new concrete structures and facilities including a nature trail and childrens’ playground, winning it a European Award for Urban Public Space in 2024.

Planning tip: From mid-May to September, free Chopin piano concerts are held on Sundays (noon and 4pm) beside Łazienki Park’s art nouveau Chopin Monument.

4. Polish up your knowledge of Polish history

Dating to 1830, the Warsaw Citadel was once a Russian army garrison and political prison. The verdant grounds include two newly constructed, grand-scale museums. The Polish Army Museum traces the history of the nation's armed forces through a chronological display of uniforms, armaments and dioramas. The permanent exhibition at the Polish History Museum is still under construction. In the meantime, there are temporary exhibitions, the current one entitled 1025. The Birth of the Kingdom.

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Original sections of the Fortress have been adapted to house the Katyn Museum with exhibits on the Polish victims of Soviet aggression during WWII; and the Museum of the X Pavilion of the Warsaw Citadel about the political prisoners who once languished here, included Communist firebrand Rosa Luxemburg and statesman Józef Piłsudski.

5. Delve into the long history of Jews in Poland

Based in one of Warsaw's best examples of contemporary architecture, the award-winning POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews documents over 1000 years of Jewish history in Poland. Its multimedia exhibitions include accounts of the earliest Jewish traders in the region through waves of mass migration, progress, pogroms, WWII and the current situation. This is a big museum with heavy themes, so take a break midway through the exhibition halls at the museum's restaurant, Warsze.

Detour: A short walk from the museum is the Jewish Historical Institute where there’s a fascinating exhibition on the Ringelblum Archive, a precious collection of direct testimonies about the extermination of Polish Jewry unearthed from Warsaw’s post WWII ashes.

6. Savor Warsaw’s meat-free feasts

Warsaw is ranked one of the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow, the popular vegan food search platform. Several of my favorite places to dine in the city are meat-free. Lokal Vegan Bistro, for example, serves Tartar 2.0, a tasty plant-based version of beef tartare. At Peaches Gastro Girls nibble inventive vegan dishes inspired by global flavors, alongside Varsovian hipsters sipping cocktails between sets at the attached live music venue Klub SPATiF. The toppings on the sushi at Youmiko Vegan Sushi, which include edamame beans, sweet potato and jackfruit, are so tasty you won't miss the seafood. And at vegan bakery Eter, you’ll also be amazed at how good the cakes and cookies are even though they're made without eggs or dairy.

7. Appreciate the art of neon signage

Thanks to over two decades of efforts by photographer Ilona Karwińska and her partner David Hill, Warsaw is home to an outstanding collection of retro neon signs from across the Eastern bloc. Around 100 of them are on display at the Neon Museum in the Praga district. The meticulously researched and clearly presented explanation boards make a visit here a crash course in the beauty and history of this illuminating art form that still dazzles around the city.

Detour: In central Warsaw look out for revamped neon signs including those on the ZODIAK Warsaw Pavilion of Architecture and beloved chocolate shop and cafe E. Wedel on Szpitalna street.

8. Marvel at palatial survivor Wilanów

Commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski in 1677, Wilanów Palace has changed hands several times over the centuries, with each new owner adding a bit of baroque here and a touch of neoclassical there. The palace miraculously emerged on the other side of WWII almost unscathed. Much of its original furnishings and art have been restored, including the magnificent Chinese and Hunting Rooms, with coffered ceilings and polychrome faux bois (false wood).

Planning tip: Set aside the best part of the day for a visit here so that you can also enjoy the palace’s lovely grounds. The 45-hectare park includes a manicured, Italian Baroque garden, a Renaissance-inspired rose garden and the Orangery garden graced with contemporary sculptures.

9. Time travel in the Old Town

The atmospheric and compact Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is where Warsaw began in the 13th century as a settlement around the castle. It’s a meticulous facsimile of the original that while touristy, stays the right side of Disneyfication. Learn about the Old Town’s heroic reconstruction post WWII at the Heritage Interpretation Centre, a separate branch of the excellent Museum of Warsaw, which faces Old Town Square.

Planning tip: Entry to the permanent exhibitions at the Museum of Warsaw are free on Thursdays. Pay extra for access to the museum’s fifth floor for a bird's-eye view out over the Old and New Town rooftops.

10. Have fun in refashioned factories

The successful transformation of the 19th-century Koneser Vodka Factory, to include the Vodka Museum Warsaw, the Moxy Hotel and a shopping mall, has since inspired other makeovers of defunct industrial sites. Fabryka Norblina, where metal goods were once produced, is the biggest and most buzzing of these locations – it includes Warsaw’s largest food hall. Here, and at one-time electrical power plant Elektrownia Powiśle, a sense of the complex’s original purposes remain, as original architectural and factory features have been preserved as part of the redevelopment.

11. Throw yourself into Warsaw’s nightlife

After-dark entertainment is one of the capital’s strengths. There’s something for everyone – from lovers of the performing arts to those in search of cocktails and nightclubs. See what's playing at Teatr Wielki, a beautiful piece of architecture that’s home to the Polish National Opera and Ballet companies. Sample craft beers brewed on-site at drinking and dining hot spot Browary Warszawsskie. Enjoy the quirky decor and inventive libations at mixologist’s bar El Koktel or dance the night away with drag queens at queer-friendly bar and club La Pose.

Detour: Head to Praga for old school dive bars such as Łysy Pingwin and W Oparach Absurdu, with an eclectic, bric-a-brac-filled interior.

12. Walk or cycle along and across the Vistula

From spring through autumn, the Vistulan Boulevards and terraces are where Varsovians come to stroll, cycle and hang out at cafe–bars on floating pontoons along the riverside promenade. Since April 2024, there’s been a new attraction here: the Kładka na Wiśle, a footbridge across the Vistula. The 452m-long (1483ft) span, dedicated to cyclists and walkers, includes viewing platforms from which to admire the vistas along Poland’s longest river.

Detour: Having crossed the bridge from Powiśle on the west bank of Vistula to Praga on the east, continue along Stefana Okrzei to view the new polychromatic mural Urban Jungle, a fairy-tale vision of city landmarks by artist Tytus Brzozowski.