Warsaw walking tour & city guide

The Old Town

The Old Town Market Square, with its mermaid statue, and the Royal Castle were rebuilt from old paintings and photographs, earning UNESCO status. The Royal Route leads past palaces and churches.

Parks and museums

Łazienki Park has a palace on the water and free Chopin concerts in summer. The Warsaw Uprising Museum and POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews are powerful. The Palace of Culture and Science offers views over the city.

A day in Warsaw

Warsaw's Old Town was almost completely destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt brick by brick after the war, so carefully that it became a UNESCO site. Start at Castle Square, walk through the colorful Old Town Market Place and along the walls to the Barbican, then follow the Royal Route down Krakowskie Przedmieście, past palaces, churches and the university.

In the afternoon, visit the Warsaw Rising Museum or POLIN, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, two of the best museums in Europe. End with a walk in Łazienki Park, where free Chopin concerts are held at the monument on summer Sundays.

Good to know

Warsaw is a modern capital with a striking mix of old and new, from the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science, which has a viewing terrace, to glass skyscrapers. The metro, trams and buses are efficient and cheap.

The Vistula riverbanks have become a popular place for summer evenings, with beach bars and bike paths. The Praga district, across the river, has prewar buildings and a creative scene.