Whether you’re a classical music freak, science nerd, visual art aficionado or history buff, Warsaw has a lot to offer. If you’re planning a trip to Poland‘s beautiful capital city, check out our guide to the top tourist attractions in Warsaw to make the best of your time. Keep reading on to prepare your trip.
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Top Tourist Attractions In Warsaw
1. Old Town Market Square
Old Town Market Square is a good example of reincarnation. Located in the oldest part of Old Town, the square dates back to the late 13th century. It was totally destroyed by bombs in World War II. Following the war, it was restored to its prewar condition.
Most of the buildings were rebuilt beginning in 1948, and look much like the original 17th century structures. A drawing point of the square today is the many restaurants that surround this pretty square, which make it a good place to sample Polish specialties such as stuffed cabbage leaves and grilled mutton. The market square features a bronze sculpture of the Warsaw mermaid, the symbol of Poland’s capital.
2. Lazienki Park
Lazienki Park, also known as Royal Baths Park, is the largest park in Warsaw. Designed as a park in the 17th century, it eventually was turned into a place for villas, monuments and palaces.
The Palace on the Isle is the foremost building in the park, located on the Royal Route in central Warsaw. This palace today is a treasure trove of paintings collected by Polish royalty and statues of the country’s greatest rulers.
Also located on the isle is a Greco-Roman amphitheatre that dates back to 1793. More palaces and an 18th century orangery can be found in the park.
3. Royal Castle
The Royal Castle served as the home and officials of Polish rulers for centuries. It is located on Castle Square at the entrance to Old Town. The castle dates back to the 14th century when it was the official residence of the Dukes of Masovia.
It was conquered many times by invaders from afar, but bounced back to be the place where the first constitution in Europe was drafted in 1791. This impressive structure, with a tower in the middle, is a museum today, though official state meetings are sometimes held here. The castle’s design was the inspiration of many other Warsaw buildings.
4. Museum of Warsaw
Located in the Old Town on the Market Place, the Museum of Warsaw re-opened in May 2017 and is composed of 11 modernised tenement houses which feature the core exhibition ‘The Things of Warsaw‘ as well as temporary exhibitions, a cinema, workshops and special tours. It’s a great starting point for those who want to learn more about the city’s turbulent, yet fascinating history.
5. Łazienki Królewskie Park-Palace Complex
The park-and-palace complex Łazienki Królewskie has all the elements of a great city park: a lake with palace on the water, as well as a botanical garden and an amphitheatre with free plays, performances and Chopin concerts during the summer months. Located in the city centre and spanning 76 hectares, this park is a great place to visit on a hot summer’s day.
6. Warsaw Fotoplastikon
Warsaw Fotoplastikon in the only such institution in Poland and one of the few in the world. The stereoscopic theatre based on the Kaiserpanorama system of rotating images, allowed viewers to watch changing three-dimensional images and was a precursor for cinemas. Warsaw Fotoplastikon’s archive include over 3,000 original photographs from the city and around the world. This is one of the top tourist attractions in Warsaw you should not miss.
7. Keret House
Described as ‘an art installation in the form of an insert between two existing buildings, representing different historical periods in Warsaw’s history’, Keret House is the narrowest, fully-functional house in the world. Designed by Jakub Szczęsny and operated by the Polish Modern Art Foundation, Keret House is used primarily as a space for art residencies, however visitors are invited once a month. Those interested should book their tour in advance.
8. Koneser Vodka Distillery
Currently the centre of the vibrant entrepreneurial scene and home to Google Campus, Koneser Vodka Distillery is an interesting example of Gothic style industrial architecture. Relatively undamaged during the World War II, the old distillery as well as the surrounding neighbourhood give a good glimpse of what the city used to look like before the war.
