Regardless if you have only a few hours, one day, a weekend or one week in the city, you can still experience a lot with our handy tips.
Explore the City
First thing's first, Warsaw is a great city to walk around, and you can use our guide maps to give yourself walking tours of the city, a walk through the ages, from the charm of the Royal Route going from Wilanów Palace leading all the way to the Old Town , right up to the brutality of Warsaw's communist years to the Bohemian, but increasingly gentrified Praga district , depending on your tastes, you can be easily entertained and informed with our guide.
The Royal Route especially becomes packed with tourists as it conveniently leads along ul. Nowy Świat to Krakowskie Przedmieście , and finally, to old Ziggy's column in front of the Royal Castle . At the weekends in summer, the roads are closed off to traffic, with the whole route turning into a family friendly zone with various events taking place, street performers plying their trade and people just milling about in ice-cream induced brain freezes. If you wish to have something a little bit more tailored, then a walking tour of various parts of Warsaw, with some amazing guides from Free Walkative! Tours can be a perfect alternative, giving out that insightful local knowledge in fine vocal form!
Walk and Cycle Through Greenery
This is all nice in itself, but if the sun is out and you're looking for something a little quieter from the bustle of the tourist trail, then some park scenery will be right up your street; Łazienki Park is ideal everyone, from couples to families, but so too are many other parks, like Skaryszewski Park in the Praga district (among others), but none more popular than Pole Mokotowskie (Mokotów Fields) in Warsaw's southern half, where locals tend to hang out on the grass or in the many bars there – that is, if they're not down by the river! And on that note, in the last few years, Warsaw's left bank riverside has been revitalised in the form of the Vistulan Boulevards, resulting in a mix of spruced up promenades, ideal for cyclists, skaters, walkers, and lazy loungers. But even along the sanitised stretch of the boulevards, there are barges-turned-food-and-drink-venues dotted around for you to enjoy. Wander further and the southern older half of the boulevards still remains fairly raw, with many gathering on the riverside steps in the evenings to enjoy the sunsets, the company of friends, and... to enjoy drinking your own shop-bought alcohol here, without the risk of a fine from the locan Varsovian 5-0! All this is legal on the left bank of the boulevards due to a 2018 update in Polish law in regards to drinking in public – but be careful, this doesn't apply to every stretch of the riverside, so drinking on the wilder side of the right bank in areas not designated as a place for selling alcohol (along with the amenities that go with it, such as toilets – crucial if you have a weak bladder, huh?) can set you back with a hefty fine!
Thanks to this ruling, and its subsequent adoption by the city authorities, the right bank of the river is the much wilder, rugged side, with areas which are mainly intended for recreational use, such as public beaches (found in various districts of the city along the river), paths for walking and cycling, which is great for the more active types amongst you, as the contrast between the two riversides can't be more stark – the views of the Old Town from Rusałka [Praga district public] beach, for example, can be quite breathtaking, especially during the sunset. If you're here as the night begins, it's worth turning around and enjoying the nightlife of one of Warsaw's most active beach venues – La Playa. This place can get wild at the weekends, so party animals will be satisfied with the beach party vibe, available to all urban dwellers looking for something a little different. If that sounds a bit too much, no problem, it functions as a perfectly pleasant place to hang around during the warm summer days, where you can lounge around or even play some volleyball.
Speaking of the river, there's a lovely walking and biking path that runs along the Praga side and can be accessed from plenty of spots along the river. We suggest going in at the entrance to the beach in Saska Kepa, just below the Poniatowski Bridge. From there, you can either wander down south (very far--the path goes on for a while) or north, where you'll likely run into the new pedestrian bridge that takes you across the river!
If you prefer to cycle rather than walk, (whether for leisure, or to really crunch up the km count), then we suggest hiring a local Veturilo city bike (it's so easy to sign up and provides over 5,000 bikes), you can zig-zag your away across all Warsaw's bridges, be on wild paths on the right-bank and back on the concrete boulevards on the left-bank within mere minutes. You have so much to choose from. We've written extensively about the city's bike routes in the past and it's certainly very much a favourite with the IYP team! Head far north or south (within city limits if have a city bike, of course) and you'll see some fairly wild terrain and wildlife to match!)
If you decide to head north with your bike, or hell, even if you wish to travel there using public transport, the north-eastern Białołęka district has something special for adrenaline seekers! '2 Wieże' (translated as Two Towers), is just that, once an industrial area, these remnants stand tall, which you can now climb, or alternatively, jump off, should you see fit to do so! It's all heart pumping stuff, with quite a range of jump packages to choose from – from smaller heights right up to the top!
