Warsaw in Your Pocket

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warsaw.inyourpocket.com
ISSN 1641-5264
Hotels Restaurants Cafs Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps
WARSAW
August - September 2012
Maria
Skodowska
Curie
The Nobel prize winner
called the capital home
Rosa
Luxemburg
A revolutionary who was
born in Warsaw
Multimedia
Fountain Park
Music, water and lights
create a feast for the
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4
Warsaw In Your Pocket
CONTENTS
Arrival & Transport 12
The Basics 17
Culture & Events 20
Where to stay 28
Dining 36
Cafs 64
Nightlife 66
History 78
Sightseeing
What to see 81
Palace of Culture and Science 95
Old Town 96
Praga 98
Warsaw Uprising 100
Jewish Warsaw 104
Treblinka 107
azienki 108
Wilanw 110
Chopin 113
Copernicus Science Centre 116
Leisure 118
d 120
Directory
Shopping 122
Directory 128
Maps & Index
City centre map 131
City map 132
Country map 134
Street index 136
Listings Index 137
Feature Index 138
Contents
Rosa Luxemburg is another famed former resident of
Warsaw, though her story doesnt end quite as well as
Skodowska Curies. As a noted revolutationary socialist
Luxemburg fought hard to prevent the onset of World War
I, and paid the ultimate price for her beliefs -- first with
prison time, but eventually with her life. Read up on this
historic heroine on page 34.
Maria Skodowska Curie may be more widely known as
Marie Curie, but she was Poland born and bred and called
Warsaw home until the age of 24. This two-time Nobel
Prize winner became famous for discovering radium and
polonium (the latter named after her home country) and
made wide-ranging contributions to the world of physics.
Read about her extraordinary life and find all the important
landmarks associated with her in this months feature on
page 8.
LUXURY DEPARTMENT STORE, RESTAURANT, DELICATESSEN AND WINE BAR
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, BALENCIAGA, BALMAIN, BOTTEGA VENETA, BRIONI,
CLINE, CHLO, EMPORIO ARMANI, GUCCI, JIMMY CHOO, MISSONI HOME,
STELLA MCCARTNEY, YVES SAINT LAURENT
AND MANY MORE
WARSAW, BRACKA 9, MON-SAT 11:0021:00, SUN 11:0018:00, WWW.VITKAC.COM
6
Warsaw In Your Pocket
FOREWORD
Copyright notice
Text and photos copyright WIYP Sp. z o. o.
1999-2012. Maps copyright cartographer.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any
form, except brief extracts for the purpose
of review, without written permission
from the publisher and copyright owner.
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tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).
Maps
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With the massive Euro 2012 football tournament that
was co-hosted by Poland wrapping up last month,
Warsaw is still in a festive mood as its citizens recover
from four weeks of great games and its newfound role
as host to thousands of first-time visitors just getting
to know the countrys capital. After years of sprucing
up highways and building stadiums (with Warsaws
National Stadium the crown jewel) we can safely say
the country pulled it off with style and can probably
expect some return visitors.
Fortunately many of the changes that Warsaw made
for the tournament are permanent ones, starting with
the new train that hauls visitors from Chopin airport
to the city center at lightning speed. Theres also the
new Modlin Airport north of Warsaw, where low-cost
carriers like Wizzair and RyanAir are depositing budget
travelers and weve got all the goods on how to get to
and from this sleek new airport.
Of course theres plenty of things to see that are more
historic than a new train, which is why weve dedicated
our feature to one of Warsaws most famous citizens:
Maria Sklodowska Curie (you probably know her better
as Madame Marie Curie). From her birth in the New
Town which is now home to a museum to the park
that Warsaw dedicated to this Nobel prize-winning
physicist, youll be able to follow a veritable timeline of
Curies life beyond her scientific discoveries.
But with it being summer (aka Warsaws best season)
and all, were ok with the fact that your main goal might
be to simply soak up the atmosphere in an Old Town
beer garden. Youll find our take on all Warsaws best
dens for imbibing in the nightlife section, regardless of
whether you prefer clubs, pubs or illicitly taking a paper
bag to the park.
As always we sincerely hope you enjoy your time
in Warsaw and the guide we have put together.
Be sure to like us on Facebook (facebook.com/
warsawinyourpocket) and follow us on Twitter (Twitter.
com/warsawiyp) for all the latest on whats happening
in the city, and you can leave comments about all
the venues listed here (and more) on our website at
inyourpocket.com/Poland/warsaw. And of course
we welcome your direct feedback at editor_poland@
inyourpocket.com
The number of cities now covered by In Your Pocket in print,
online and via mobile application has climbed over 70 in some
22 countries, with an astounding 5 million city guides publis-
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and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/warsawiyp).
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tely subjective and independent of paid-for advertising or
sponsored listings. In Your Pocket writers do not accept
free meals, sexual favours, first-born chil dren or other
bribes in return for favourable reviews and reserve the right
to say whatever the hell they damn well feel like about the
venues listed in this guide, regardless of disagreement from
advertisers, establishment owners or the general public.
The editor has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of
the information in this guide at the time of going to press
and assumes no responsibility for unforeseen changes,
errors, poor service, disappointing food or terrible hangovers.
Europe In Your Pocket
Editorial
Editor Monica Wright, MGW
Research Manager Anna Hojan
Researchers Dorota Konkel, Aneta Roszak,
Maria Rulaff
Events Klaudia Mampe, Vaughan Elliott
Design Tom Haman
Photography In Your Pocket unless
otherwise stated
Cover Monica Wright
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WARSZAWA
CENTRUM
15 min
AL. JEROZOLIMSKIE
W-WA URSUS
KLESZCZOWA
MAKRO
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8
Warsaw In Your Pocket warsaw.inyourpocket.com
MARIA SKODOWSKA CURIE
Poland has produced its fair share of barrel-chested, mus-
tachioed historical figures over the centuries - one lap past
Warsaws many statues and monuments will attest to that -
but what about the fairer sex? Look no further than Warsaws
own Marie Curie, a two-time Nobel prize winner and pioneer
in the world of science. Born Maria Salomea Skodowska on
November 7, 1867, she lived in what is now the New Town of
Warsaw (her birthplace at ul. Freta 16 now houses a museum
about her life) in the Russian partition of Poland. As the fifth
and youngest child of teachers Bronisawa, who operated
a well-regarded boarding school for girls, and Wadysaw
Skodowski, who ran two schools for boys, Skodowska
was born into a home that put a high value on education.
Tragedy struck with the loss of her sister Zofia to typhus and
subsequently her mother to tuberculosis when Skodowska
was 12, but her focus on academics remained consistent
and she graduated from a girls school in 1883.
Striking a deal with her older sister Bronisawa, Skodowska
promised to help with financial assistance while Bronisawa
pursued her medical degree in Paris in exchange for the
same kind of assistance when Skodowska wanted to seek
an advanced degree. That meant Skodowska had to take
a position as a governess to earn the necessary income to
support Bronisawa, which is how she ended up working for
relatives of her father known as the orawskis. As fate would
have it Skodowska fell in love with the familys mathematician
son Kazimierz, but his parents rejected the idea of a union
between the promising scholar and Skodowska due to her
familys poor financial standing. Out of a job and with a broken
heart to boot, Skodowska found another governess job in
Sopot before returning to Warsaw in 1890.
Whi l e l i vi ng wi th her father and pi ni ng for orawski
Skodowska began her scientific education, moving between
the secret Flying University (the Russian occupation of Poland
meant strict limits on Poles gaining higher education, espe-
cially for women, which lead to the creation of this clandestine
institution to teach Poles on the sly) and a laboratory run by
her cousin. In 1891, thanks to encouragement from her sister
in France and definitive word from orawski who would
go on to have a distinguished math career in Poland that
their union could never be, Skodowska moved to Paris. She
enrolled at the Sorbonne, tackling subjects like physics,
chemistry and mathematics during the day while tutoring
other students in the evenings to make ends meet. In 1893
Skodowska earned a degree in physics, which she followed
up with a degree in mathematics in 1894.
Around this time Skodowska crossed paths with Pierre
Curie, an instructor in the School of Physics and Chemistry -
ironically, their mutual interest in magnetism is what brought
the scientifically-minded duo together. Though Skodowska
hoped to continue her career in Poland, a rejection by Krakow
University due to her gender meant she was now committed
to Paris and Curie, who she married in 1895.
Scientific discoveries
While Skodowska and Curie had two children together
(Irene in 1897 and Eve in 1904) her li fe revolved around
the lab and her research. Following up on the work of Henri
Becquerel, who discovered that uranium sal ts emi tted
radiation, Skodowska and Curie worked together to study
the radiation phenomena in other compounds. Skodowska
discovered that regardless of the form a compound took
(powdered, solid, etc) the strength of its radiation depended
entirely on how much uranium it contained, and Skodowska
coined the term radioactivity to describe the emittance of
radiation from a compound. Upon working with the mineral
pitchblende Skodowska discovered that its radioactivity
could not be accounted for solely due to uranium - which
meant it must contain another radioactive element. Before
long the husband and wife team published papers in 1898
announcing that their research had led to the discovery of
two new radioactive elements: polonium, which was named
in honour of Skodowskas homeland, and radium, which
earned its name from its radioactive nature.
The groundbreaking radiation work of Skodowska and
Curie landed the duo, along with Becquerel, the Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1903 (the same year Skodowska earned her
doctorate). The award also made the couple famous, with
the Sorbonne allowing Curie to establish a laboratory with
Skodowska as the director of research. Sadly the husband
and wife didnt have much time to enjoy their success; on
April 19, 1906, Curie was killed when a horse-drawn carriage
struck him as he crossed the street. A distraught Skodowska
was subsequently awarded Curies professorship at the
Sorbonnes physics department - making her the first woman
to be a professor at the famed university - and granted full
authority over the lab.
Despite the loss of her husband Skodowska continued
her research, netting a second Nobel Prize in 1911, this
time in chemistry. Her notoriety enabled Skodowska to get
government funding for the creation of the Radium Institute
(now the Institut Curie) dedicated to research in physics
and chemistry, which produced four subsequent Nobel
Prize winners - the most notable being Skodowskas own
daughter Irene. During World War I Skodowska developed
mobile radiography units to offer x-rays in the field and even
offered to donate her Nobel Prize medals to the war effort
(the offer was turned down).
After years of exposure to harmful radioactive materi-
als - the health effects were not known at the time, and
Skodowska worked without the safety measures in place
today - Skodowska succumbed to aplastic anemia (many of
her papers and artefacts are too radioactive to be handled
without protective gear even today). Skodowska was buried
alongside her husband in Paris, but in 1995 the couple was
moved to the famed Pantheon alongside legends like Voltaire
and Victor Hugo.
Despite her long history in France Skodowska was forever
loyal to Poland, hiring Polish nannies for her daughters and
making frequent trips to her homeland over the years to hike
the Tatras and visit family. Poland returned that love, naming
everything from a university (Maria Curie-Skodowska Univer-
sity in Lublin) to a nuclear reactor after its favourite daughter.
10
MARIA SKODOWSKA CURIE
Maria Skodowska-
C u r i e Mu s e u m
( Mu z e u m Ma r i i
Skodowskiej- Curie)
B-1, ul. Freta 16, tel.
(+48) 22 831 80 92,
www.muzeum- msc.pl.
Born Mari a Skodowska
on November 7, 1867, this
Polish lass would go on to become a famed scientist better
known to the world as Madame Marie Curie. This small mu-
seum inside the building she was born in contains a charm-
ing homage to the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning
physicist, including displays of Curies personal letters that
show another side to the famed scientist. Artifacts on display
include many personal effects, such one of Curies black
dresses and even her nail file, as well as a small collection
of scientific instruments. One of the museums two rooms
has been adapted as a recreation of Curies laboratory to
give visitors a glimpse into her daily life. The lady who gave
the world so much, including the chemical element polonium
(named after the country of her birth) died in Savoy, France,
on July 4, 1934, the victim of leukaemia, which she is believed
to have contracted during her many years of dangerous re-
search. QOpen 09:30 - 17:00, Tue 08:30 - 16:30, Sat 10:00
- 17:30, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 11/6z.
Group ticket for more than 5 people 16z with film per person.
Maria Skodowska-
Curie Park E-4, ul. Marii
Skodowskiej-Curie. Yes,
the lady has her own park.
And not only that, the park
contains a life-size statue
of the famed scientist and
an educati onal trail that
opened in 2011 and con-
tains several large cubes
that share the stor y of
Sk odowska Curi es l i fe
and her contri butions to
science. Our recent visi t
saw several of the cubes
out for renovation, but the
park itself sits at the per-
fect crossroads of Skodowska Curie history to be worth
a visit. Across the street is the Maria Skodowska-Curie
Institute of Oncology (formerly the Radium Institute) which
features several images of Skodowska Curie as well as a
large mural dedicated to the elements she founded (spot it
on the Wawelska side of the building). Skodowska-Curie laid
the foundation stone herself in 1925, and upon its completion
seven years later she donated a gram of radium for research
purposes. It might sound minor, but a gram is nothing to
sneeze at; in order to get 0.1g of radium several tons of
uranium ore has to be mined. Maria Skodowska Curie park
is a great place to learn about how the scientist brought her
work back home to the Polish people.
Mu r a l o f Ma r i a
Sk odowska Curi e
C- 2, Ul . Li powa 3. I f
youve always pictured Ma-
ria Skodowska Curie as a
bit of a scienti fic badass
then youll appreciate the
mural of her on ul. Lipowa near Warsaw University Library.
Sure her signature graying bun is in place, but Skodowska
Curie is balancing two large beakers with arms that are tat-
tooed with her famous elements - radium and polonium - and
she looks more like a member of Kiss than a Nobel Prize
winner. Written next to the punk scientist is information about
her famous discoveries and the declaration that Skodowska
Curie was born in Warsaw. The mural is ideally located near
the Copernicus Science Centre - an attraction were sure
Skodowska Curie would approve of - and on the street that
connects the library with the rest of Warsaw University.
Sk o d ows ka f a m-
i l y t o mb D - 1 , u l .
Powzkowska 14, tel .
(+48) 22 838 55 25. Ma-
ria Skodowska Curie died
on July 4, 1934 in a clinic in
the French Alps. The cause of
death: leukaemia, most likely
a result of her many years of
dangerous work with radioac-
tive substances. Originall y
Skodowska Curie was bur-
ied alongside her husband
Pi erre i n his hometown of
Sceaux, but i n 1995 both
were ceremoniously moved to the Panthon in Paris - which
means Skodowska Curie is the only woman buried there
on her own merits, and the only non-native French person
to rest there as well. The rest of Skodowska Curies family
can be found at Powazki Cemetery, including sisters Zofia,
Bronislawa and Helena and both her parents. A plaque on
the side of the tomb which can be most easily accessed
via the St. Honorata gate near St. Karol Boromeusz Church
and is in section 164, row III - notes Skodowska Curies dates
of birth and death and her current resting place in France.
QOpen 07:00 - 18:00.
Maria Skodowska Curies discovery of two elements,
radium and polonium, was so monumental that it landed
her a Nobel Prize and unending fame in the scientific
world. But what exactly are these two elements? You may
be able to spot them on the periodic table of elements,
but can you pick them up in the store? Not exactly. Both
radium (symbol Ra, atomic number 88) and polonium
(symbol Po, atomic number 84) are wildly radioactive
and hard to come by in nature. Polonium was lovingly
named after Skodowska Curies native country and is
exceedingly rare youll find just 100 micrograms per ton
of uranium. Its uses are varied, ranging from a neutron
trigger for nuclear weapons to anti-static brushes for
removing dust from film. Yet Polonium is probably most
well-known for its role in the highly publicized 2006
poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB of-
ficer living in London who was the first confirmed victim
of Polonium-induced acute radiation syndrome. The
former spy unknowingly ingested 10 micrograms of the
substance, 200 times the median lethal dose, during a
meeting at the Millennium Hotel with two other former
KGB agents. Following three weeks of severely debilitat-
ing symptoms Litvinenko died, and to this day no one
has been charged for the crime. Radium lacks the dead
spy storyline but has similarly varied applications: it is
used in the manufacture of medical equipment (calibra-
tors, for example), as a treatment for cancer, and as an
ingredient in self-luminous paints. Once upon a time it
was an additive in food due to its reputed curative pow-
ers, an idea that quickly passed thanks to the elements
seriously adverse health effects.
Radium and Polonium
EL)RECO
9 Grzybowska St., 00-131 Warsaw
tel / fax. +48 22 654 04 58
www.elgreco-restauracja.pl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8.30 - 23.00
Sat-Sun 12.00 - 24.00
Greek and Mediterranean cuisine
The food is a feast, so escape the rush and enjoy
a long evening in Greece
Thanks to our Greek chef you will truly get to know original
Greek flavors in our unique atmosphere
We invite you to breakfast
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12
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
While Warsaw is generally well linked with both the outside
world and the rest of Poland, both road and rail networks
are undergoing major regeneration work, in part thanks to
Warsaws recent hosting of the Euro 2012 football champion-
ships. Improvement work also extends to the airport, and
for the time being travellers more used to the streamlined
transport links of the west may find both patience and nerves
severely tested.
By Car
Warsaw is located in the heart of the country and has
extensive road links with other major Polish cities. Having
said that the competition on the roads front isnt fierce.
Roads leading into Warsaw tend to be of decent dual car-
riageway standard, though once you enter the city limits
Warsaw traffic can become a serious problem - particu-
larly during the week. Most major hotels are located in the
central area and you should be heading in most cases for
the Central Train Station (Dworzec Warszawa Centralna)
and its neighbour, the Palace of Culture (PKiN). Parking
in the central area is generally available on-street where
there are standard parking charges payable at roadside
machines. Most major hotels will offer some form of off-
road guarded parking. Be warned that Polish roads and
Polish drivers are not the best especially i f you have driven
in western Europe.
Indeed, Poland is one of Europes leading nations in road
fatalities, a statistic that will surprise few who have had the
pleasure of using the roads here. A lethal combination of poor
road surfaces, networks unsuited to the volume of different
traffic and, most of all, drivers who have no consideration
for anybody else result in the common sight of mangled car
wrecks around the country. Police seem unwilling to control
irresponsible driving, and dont be surprised to see cars
shooting through red lights, cutting each other up and staking
a claim for the Formula 1 championship.
The speed limit is 50km/hr in cities (60km/hr between
23:00 and 05:00), 90km/hr outside urban areas, 120km/
hr on dual carriageways and 140km/hr on motorways. Seat
belts must be worn at all times and it is illegal for drivers to
use hand-held mobile phones. Following the letter of the
law all cars should be equipped with a first aid kit, warning
triangle, fire extinguisher, rear mud flaps and right and left
hand outside mirrors. Flouting the rules will cost you 200z
(for using a mobile), 100z (not wearing a seat belt) and up to
500z for speeding. The legal limit for drink driving is 0.2
blood/alcohol level. Put simply, if youre driving, dont drink.
EU citizens may use their home driving licenses as long as
they are valid, however citizens of countries that didnt ratify
the Vienna Convention (tsk, tsk Australia and America) will
find their licenses invalid (though that hasnt stopped anyone
we know from driving their girlfriends car). Carry your license
and passport at all times when driving.
Since April 2007 it has been compulsory for headlights to be
switched on at all times.
Guarded Parking B-3, ul. Krlewska 11 (Sofitel War-
saw Victoria Hotel).
Whats going on in Poland?
Subscribe free to the
Warsaw- Modlin Mazovia Airport (Mazow-
i ecki Por t Lotni czy Warszawa- Modl i n)
ul . Gen. Wi ktora Thommee 1a, Nowy Dwr
Mazowiecki, tel. (+48) 22 346 43 60, www.
modlinairport.pl. The brand new Modl i n ai rpor t
l ooks like a shiny tin can in a forest in the mi ddl e of
nowhere, whi ch is essentiall y what i t is. Fortunatel y
the i nsi de i s cl ean, modern and wel l -equi pped to
handl e international travel ers wi th pl enty of promi -
nent si gnage. After coll ecting your luggage from one
of two bel ts and exi ting into the main hall youll find
all the services you could want: ATMs, an information
desk, bathrooms, currency exchange (expected any
day) and car rental compani es (though the airports
newness has these folks operating from makeshi ft
IKEA desks at the moment).
Those looking to end up in Warsaw have three main
options for transport into the city: grab a cab, take a
bus to the capital, or board a shuttle that will take you to
Modlin Train Station where you can take a train to your
destination. Glob Taxi is currently offering transport
from Modlin to the city center for 99z during the week,
and on weekends/after 22:00 it costs an additional
29zl. Bus riders will find Modlin Airport Express bus
company offering two routes from the airport: the first
deposits travelers outside Warszawa Centralna train
station at Al. Jerozolimskie 56C (a guarded parking)
for 33z, while the other drops you at the Mociny metro
station for 29z (tickets can be purchased at the well-
marked desk near the airports exit, and all buses are
equipped with wi-fi). Translud also offers bus service
to the center of Warsaw (youll be dropped across the
street from the Intercontinental on Emili Plater) but it
requires an annoying bus change at Modlin Twierdza
ptla stop. You pay 1zl for the first portion of the trip
and 8zl for the second bus into the city for a total of 9zl.
For the schedule visit their website at www.translud.
pl/. The final option involves a 10-minute shuttle bus
ride to the Modlin train station. The green and yellow
buses pull up in front of the airport every 20 minutes,
and drivers sell 12zl airport tickets that cover your
fare on the train as well. The brand new modern and
air-conditioned Koleje Mazowieckie (El f) trains take
45 minutes to reach Warszawa Centralna (note you
need to board the trains that terminate at Frederick
Chopin Airport in order to reach Centralna, and this
train also stops at Warszawa Wschodnia). The earliest
train departure for Centralna is 3:30, while the last is at
23:23. For the latest schedule information visit http://
www.mazowieckie.com.pl/en.
Modlin Train Station
ul. Mieszka I 3, Nowy
Dwr Mazowiecki, tel.
(+48) 19 757, www.
pkp.pl. Modlin train sta-
ti on has recentl y been
renovated and is as spar-
klingly new as the airport
itself. That said, you wont find much beyond a waiting
room, toilets and a ticket window (open 07:00 - 18:40)
so far. Plans for a cafe and hostel are in the works,
however, with openings slated for August. The shuttle
to Modlin Airport picks up and drops off passengers in
the front of the station.
Warsaw-Modlin Mazovia Airport
13
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
August - September 2012 warsaw.inyourpocket.com
By Bus
If you come to Warsaw by bus, odds are youll be landing
at the main bus station on Al. Jerolozimskie, while budget
options like Polskibus drop passengers off at Dworzec
Autobusowy Metro Wilanowska, a short distance from the
Metro Wilanowska stop.
Main Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warsza-
wa Zachodnia) D-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 144, tel. (+48)
703 40 33 30, www.pksbilety.pl. Coaches arrive and
depart - unless otherwise stated - from the Warsaw West
Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia).
Find a currency exchange and two ATM (bankomat) machines
located in the main hall. There is no Tourist Info point, for the
closest youll have to make the journey into the Palace of
Culture, Pl. Defilad 1 (entrance from ul. Emill Plater). Theres
a legitimate left-luggage operation, as well as five payphones
located in one of the side corridors (though youll need to
buy phone cards to use them). You can do that by visiting
one of the Relay kiosks in the main hall. Youll also be able
to buy SIM cards, prepaid cards and transport cards from
here. HALO taxis stand outside the entrance and will charge
you about 20z to the centre. Refuse a lift from any of the
smiling unlicensed operators who offer you a lift. The bus
running to the centre is found right across a busy highway
and getting there is an adventure in itself seeing there are
no signposts in the subway leading there. Basically from the
main hall duck down under the sign saying Dworzec PKP, head
down the stairs, turn right, follow the corridor to its conclu-
sion, turn right again - youll see two stairwells leading to the
surface. Take the left one and presto, theres your bus stop.
Confused? Not half as much as we were. Good work Warsaw.
To get to Central Station take bus number 127, 130, 158 or
517. At night youll be needing and N35 or N85. The journey
takes approximately 15 minutes so buy a 2,60z ticket valid
for 20 minutes. Remember to validate your ticket on boarding.
Q Ticket Office open 05:30 - 22:00.
PolskiBus ul. Puawska 145 (Dworzec Autobusowy
Metro Wilanowska, s.14), www.polskibus.com.
Every single street in Warsaw
is clearly marked by a number
of well-positioned and highly
visible street signs. It is al-
most impossible to go more
than 100 metres in Warsaw
without knowing what street
you are on. Whats more,
the signs are almost always
colour coded: each area of the capital has its own colour.
As a visitor you are most likely to see blue signs (for the
south and south-central part of the city) and brown (for
the northern part of the city centre, and Old Town). But
theres far more helpful information on those street signs
than the mere street name, however. If you look closely,
the vast majority of also include the numbers of the
building in the block to which they are attached. Whats
more, there will often be an arrow showing which way the
numbers climb. As anyone looking for ul. Marszalkowska
135 (or such like) will know, Warsaws central boulevards
are incredibly long, and knowing which way to go makes
life much, much easier. Whoever it was who decided to
invest in the street signs (and they have been up for some
time now, certainly for more than a decade) we hope that
they became rich and famous.
Street Signs
Alina Zienowicz,
pl.wikipedia.org
9
8
14
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
The hallway connecting the zones houses ATMs, exchange
offices, tourist info, coffee shops and snack marts.
The taxi rank outside exits 1 and 2 offers three certified
companies: Super Taxi, Sawa Taxi and Ele Taxi. The 15-30
minute ride to the centre costs around 25-40 zoty, though
be on guard for unlicensed sharks - theyll charge three or
four times that.
Cheapskates can catch the brand new train into the city or
get bus number 175.
The train station can be found underground by turning right
outside of whichever arrivals area you leave from and going all
the way to the end of the covered section where you will find
escalators taking you down to ticket booths. Routes S2 and
S3S will take you Centralna train station, while S3C will take
you to Srodmiescie station in the city center. Trains are due
to run 4 times per hour. Be sure to validate your ticket in the
kasowniks upon boarding. Bus stops can be found in front of
arrivals at Zone AB and Zone CD. Tickets for the bus are also
3.60z (be sure to validate). Buses run frequently between
05:05 and 23:05 with journey time taking approximately
25 minutes. At night when the 175 stops running travelers
can take the N32 night bus, which runs every 30 minutes.
Warsaw Shuttle, tel. (+48) 506 17 54 95, www.war-
sawshuttle.com. The company offers private airport transfer
services at competitive prices from 99PLN per run. Highest
quality for the best possible price. Call in advance to book.
Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina Train Station ul. wirki
i Wigury 1 (Airport). The new railway station connecting the
airport and the city centre can be found by exiting the arriv-
als hall in either terminal and turning right. The underground
station can be accessed by escalators found just after the
covered area outside the terminals. See By Plane for informa-
tion on train destinations, ticket prices and frequency.
By Train
Warsaws main train station, Centralna, is a hulking metal
giant that sits conveniently in the citys center and is the main
hub for trains arriving in the capital. Additionally passengers
may disembark at the smaller Warszawa Wschodnia on the
eastern side of the Vistula river between Praga Polnoc and
Praga Poludnie districts, and Warszawa Zachodnia on the
border of Ochota and Wola districts to the west of the city.
Warszawa Wschodnia Train Station H-1, ul. Kij-
owska 8, tel. (+48) 42 19 436. Q Reopened after reno-
vation. Open 24hrs. Note that due to system maintenance
seat reservations cannot be made between 00:00 - 01:30.
Warszawa Zachodnia Train Station D- 4, ul.
Tunelowa 1, tel. (+48) 42 19 436. Q Ticket office open
24 hours. Note that due to system maintenance seat reser-
vations cannot be made between 00:00 - 01:30.
By Plane
Warsaw has been fortunate when it comes to airports:
the main hub, Chopin Airport, recently received a modern
overhaul while budget carriers like Wizzair and Ryanair now
have a place to call their own in the new Modlin Airport north-
west of the capital. Both airports offer plenty of options for
transportation and make accessing the city an impressively
smooth endeavour.
Warsaw Frederick Chopin Airport (Port Lotniczy
im. Fryderyka Chopina) ul. wirki i Wigury 1, tel.
(+48) 22 650 42 20, www.lotnisko-chopina.pl. Warsaw
Frederick Chopin Airport (Port Lotniczy im. Fryderyka Chopina)
has recently seen the opening of Zone AB, a glass and steel
giant that sits rather awkwardly next to the older Zone CD
(which will begin its own renovation in September, lasting
2.5 years). Collectively they are called Terminal A, and the
spacious AB now handles most incoming an outgoing traffic.
The days when cash
bells would ring when-
ever a cab driver would
hear a foreign accent
might have passed, but
its still always better
to ri ng ahead rather
than just hailing a taxi
in the street. In particular avoid drivers who hawk their
services in the arrivals hall at the airport; weve heard
plenty of horror stories.
All the companies we list will usually have someone on
their switchboard who can speak English. MPT, the state-
run firm, can boast the most reliable reputation. But you
wont find many cheaper than Super Taxi. Find ELE taxis
on the Marriott tower side of the central station; its the
second row of cars. Tipping is not expected, but if your
driver gets you from A to B without a detour through the
countryside then by all means, feel free
Ele Taxi, tel. (+48) 22 811 11 11, www.eletaxi.pl.
Halo Taxi OK, tel. (+48) 22 196 23, www.halo-
taxiok.pl.
Merc Taxi, tel. (+48) 22 677 77 77, www.6777777.
pl.
MPT, tel. (+48) 22 191 91, www.taximpt.pl.
Sawa Taxi, tel. (+48) 22 644 44 44, www.
sawataxi.com.pl.
Super Taxi, tel. (+48) 22 196 22, www.super-
taxi.pl.
Taxis
15
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
Car rental
Budget ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650
40 62, www.budget.pl. QOpen 07:00 - 22:00.
Dollar Thrifty Rent a Car ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (Air-
port), tel. (+48) 668 66 33 00, www.dollar-rentacar.
com.pl. QOpen 07:00 - 22:00.
Hertz ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650
28 96, www.hertz.com.pl. Also at (F-3) ul. Nowogrodzka
27 (Open 09:00 - 15:00, Mon, Fri 08:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat,
Sun.) QOpen 07:00 - 22:00.
Local Rent A Car B-3, ul. Marszakowska 140, tel.
(+48) 501 21 61 93, www.lrc.com.pl. QOpen 09:00 -
18:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 14:00.
Avis ul. wirki i Wigury 1
(Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 48
72, www.avis.pl. Avis provide
short-term and long-term rentals,
chauffeur drive service as well as cargo van rentals. Theres
over 1,000 models available, equipped with air-conditioning,
air bags and ABS for your guaranteed comfort and safety.
Also possible to exchange and swap cars. Also at Al. Jero-
zolimskie 65/79 (B-4, Marriott Hotel) and ul. opuszaska
12a (Wochy). QOpen 07:00 - 23:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 23:00.
Europcar ul. wirki i
Wigury 1 (Airport), tel.
(+48) 22 650 25 64,
www.europcar.pl. One
of the worlds biggest car rental companies offers rental so-
lutions tailor made for travellers (both short and long term)
that will suit all needs (15 different categories of cars are
available; Europcar is present at all Polish airports and many
other convenient locations). Europcar creates flexible driving
solutions to meet your individual mobility needs. Note that
the Radisson Blue Sobieski is a meeting point (cars can be
picked up and dropped off here). QOpen 07:00 - 23:00.
Joka D-2, ul. Oko-
powa 47, tel. (+48)
609 18 10 20,
www.joka.com.pl.
A wide range of cars from the baby Fiat Panda to the
spacious Mercedes E200 CDi station wagon. All cars
are equipped with power assisted steering. Satellite
navigation systems are also available. Special rates
offered to those who order through the Joka website,
and go online to find the latest seasonal promotions. Q
Open 09:00-17:00, Sat 09:00-12:00. Outside of these
hours open on request.
Sixt ul. wirki i Wigury 1
(Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650
20 31, www.sixt.pl. One of
the worlds largest and oldest
car rental companies offers a choice of solutions from
short and long rental periods to holiday cars. Theres
even a fleet of limousines if youre interested. Vehicles
range from Seats to luxury Mercedes. Bonuses include
GPS and Sixt cards. Also at ul. Emilii Plater 49 (A-4,
InterContinental Hotel). QOpen 07:00 - 22:00.
16
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT
Public Transport
Public Transport, www.ztm.waw.pl. Warsaw has an
extensive bus and tram system criss-crossing the city as
well as a good, but very limited, metro system running from
north to south. Over 1,200 buses operate in and around the
city, and most run from between 05:00 and 23:00. After that
night buses run on most routes twice every hour. All night
buses display the letter N, followed by a two digit number.
Fast buses (marked with red digits) skip the smaller stops.
Tickets (all valid for use on metro, bus and tram) can be
bought from some kiosks bearing the green and yellow RUCH
logo, or anywhere with a sign reading Bilety. There are now
also a series of ticket machines with instructions in English
dotted around the city, and English translations are printed on
tickets.To save yourself the hassle of working out which ticket
you need or trying to buy to explain it to the lady in the kiosk.
A standard public transport single ticket costs 3.60z.
If youre travelling to the further reaches of Warsaw youll
be needing a ticket that covers both zones 1 and 2 - these
are priced at 5.60z. Note that the airport is in Zone 1. Still
with us? Good. Tickets are also available for specific time
periods and come valid for 20, 40 and 60 minutes. These
are priced at 2,60z, 3,80z and 5,20z. Tickets valid for 24
hrs are priced at 12 or 19z if travelling through both zones.
Three day tickets cost 24z, or 38z for both zones. Children
up to the age of 7 years travel for free (have proof of age
ID handy). Everyone else pays full fare unless in possession
of an ISIC card. This entitles you to buy a reduced ticket
(ulgowy) which costs approximately 50% of the full fare.
You can buy single tickets from the dri ver, though you
must have exact change. Once youve got a ticket you
will need to validate it in one of the box-style kasowniks,
thus activating the magnetic strip on the back. On the
metro this must be done
before you get on board.
I t is no l onger necessary
to buy an extra ti cket for
ani mal s or l arge pi eces
of l uggage. Pl ai n cl othes
ticket inspectors regularly
stalk the lines, dishing out
180z fines for those with-
out valid tickets. They often
dont look very official and
you are within your rights
to request i denti fi cati on,
or even do as the l ocal s
do, and attempt to bargain
them down.
Warszawa Centralna Train Station A/B-4, Al.
Jerozolimskie 54, tel. (+48) 197 57. Warsaw Central
Station (Warszawa Centralna) is exactly what it says on
the tin: central. And thanks to recent renovations were
happy to say its now easy to navigate as well. Centralna
is looking better than it ever has with new storefronts
and modern upgrades that will impress those whove
been away for a while. From alighting the train you should
take one of the two facing escalators (if theyre working)
in the centre of the platform, which will lead you up into
one of the underground passages that flank the main
hall. Whichever side you come up on you will be one
level below ground level and the ticket hall. Kantors
can be found in the underground passageway between
Centralna and the Marriott. Signs for ATMs (bankomats)
are everywhere, and though once sparse the machines
can be spotted at almost every turn.
Tourist info can be found at the Service Point in the main
hall or across the street at the Palace of Culture - just look
for the i sign (Open 08:00-20:00). They can provide you
with maps, etc. Tickets for the public transport system
can be bought from most of the newspaper kiosks. Left
luggage is located in the underground corridor that runs
below the main hall. Look for Przechowalnia Bagau,
where stewards will look after your bag, or opt for one
of the plentiful lockers. Payphones can be found in the
underground tunnels with cards available from all the
kiosks. Connect to a Polish network via mobile by getting
SIM and pre-paid cards from the same newsagents.
Both entrances of the main hall are covered by taxi
ranks, and by passing via tunnels under the main road
youll find bus and tram stops though once you enter the
signs are more of a hinderance than a help and you may
never be seen or heard of again. Officially sanctioned ELE
taxis can be found at the rank on Aleje Jerozolimskie and
SAWA taxis can be found rank on the Zote Tarasy side.
On the ground level there is a travel office run by Polish
rail. Find it on the Zote Tarasy side of the building to the
right of the stairs heading down to the platforms under
the Centrum Obslugi Klienta sign (info line 197 57, www.
intercity.pl). Open from 09:00 - 20:00, the multi-lingual
staff (they can even assist the deaf) can search for the
cheapest/easiest connection, sell you international and
domestic tickets, and can help plan your trip for you.
The selection of outlets selling food and drink at Cen-
tralna has improved dramatically with the renovations.
Head to Green Coffee, Starbucks or Coffee Heaven for
a range of good coffee or hot and cold snacks which
are available to takeaway while McDonalds can also
be found by following one of the many signs. If you have
time to kill, Champions in the Marriott can be reached
via the underground passageway and offers a far better
place to sit and wait than the station itself, as does the
nearby Zote Tarasy shopping centre. Dont be alarmed
to find Warszawa Centralna used as a drop-in centre
by Warsaws homeless population - while most are
harmless some like to pass their time being drunk and
abusive. Bizarrely, while the Polish rail staff manning
the ticket booths are mono-lingual (try booths number
14 and 16, which now claim English-speaking staff),
the tramps in Centralna seem adept at begging in a
multitude of tongues. Q Open 24hrs. Note that due to
system maintenance seat reservations cannot be made
between 00:00 - 01:30.
Warszawa Centralna
17
BASICS
markets where vendors cannot provide the necessary docu-
ments; if there is any doubt about the value or age of your
purchase, we suggest you visit an Antykwariat (antiques
dealer - see shopping) for advice.
Electricity
Electricity in Poland is 230V, 50Hz AC. Plug sockets are round
with two round-pin sockets. Therefore if you are coming from
the UK or Ireland you are definitely going to need a plug
convertor. The best place to pick these up is at home as our
residents Brits will testify although if you do arrive without
a covertor you can try your hotel concierge or reception. If
they dont have one the best place to pick one up is at one
of the big electrical outlets often situated on the edge of
town. Our advice is save yourself the hassle and get one in
the airport as you leave.
Health & Emergency
In case of an emergency those dialling from a land line or
public phone should use the following numbers: 999 for an
ambulance, 998 for the fire brigade and 997 for the police.
Mobile phone users should call 112 to be forwarded to the
relevant department. English speaking assistance is not
necessarily guaranteed, and rests on the linguistic capabili-
ties of the operator.
Between June 1st and September 30th English, German and
Russian speakers have the option of using a separate line
specifically designed for foreigners in distress: dial 800 200
300 from a land-line or 608 599 999 from a mobile phone
for troubles during high-tourist season.
If youve woken up to find youve got a raging headache, a
swollen foot you cant put weight on and vague memories of
some kind of calamity we suggest you sort it out by calling
a private clinic, thus avoiding the hassle of the notoriously
long queues in Polish hospitals; a list of private clinics can
be found in the Directory in the back of this guide. Further
help can be provided by embassies and consulates, a list
of which can also be found in the Directory. If its a financial
emergency your hopes will rest on a Western Union money
transfer. Most banks and many exchange bureaus (kantors)
can now carry out such transactions, just keep an eye out
for the Western Union logo.
For a list of clinics and hospitals check the directory section
at the back of this guide.
Territory
Poland covers an area of 312,685 square kilometers
and is the ninth biggest country in Europe. It borders
the Baltic Sea and seven countries, namely the Baltic
Sea (528km), Belarus (416km), Czech Republic (790km),
Germany (467km), Li thuania (103km), the Russian
exclave of Kaliningrad (210km),Slovakia (539km) and,
Ukraine (529km).
Longest River
Warsaw is split by the river Vistula (Wisa). At 1,047km it
is Polands longest river and flows into the Bay of Gdask
(Zatoka Gdaska).
Highest Point
The highest peak in Poland is Rysy (2,499 metres) found
in the Tatra mountains in the south of Poland.
Population (2010)
Poland - 38,200,037
Warsaw - 1,720,398
Krakw - 756,183
d - 737,098
Wrocaw - 632,996
Pozna - 551,627
Gdask - 456,967
Katowice - 306,826
Sopot - 38,141
Local time
Poland is in the Central European (CET) time zone
(GMT+1hr). When its 12:00 in Warsaw its 11:00 in
London, 12:00 in Paris and Berlin and 19:00 in Tokyo.
Polish summer time (GMT+2hrs) starts and ends on the
last Sundays of March and October.
Facts & Figures
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management,
www.imgw.pl
Climate
0
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40
50
60
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80
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Rainfall
Temperature
Climate
Poland has a temperate climate with hot summers and cold
winters. Seasons tend to be more pronounced than in the
west and temperatures can get down as low as -20 C in winter
and as high as +30 C in summer. The coldest weather tends
to hit around February although the long winter of 2009/10
saw a record low temperature in Poland of -32 degrees. Be-
low is a graphic showing average temperatures and rainfall.
Customs
If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take
10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 110 litres of beer.
Most countries will not allow more than 800 cigarettes from
Poland. If purchasing art or books, you need to consider their
age and value. In order to leave the country, art must be both
less than 50 years old and under a certain value (varies
depending by type; photos 6,000z, other art 14,000z, for
example); if these conditions are met, the gallery curator can
then provide you with a zawiadczenie (permission docu-
ment) describing the artworks price and when and where it
was created. If the work exceeds the permitted age or value,
you must get permission from the Wojewdzki Konserwator
Zabytkw (Regional Curators Office) to take it out of Poland;
bear in mind that this process will likely take 2-3 months.
Books must be less than 100 years old and under 6,000z in
value in order to leave the country; if neither applies, permis-
sion must be obtained from the National Library. Obviously,
problems arise when purchases are made at bazaars or flea
18
BASICS
a ci ty centre fountain have tested the pati ence of the
l ocal law enforcement. Their tol erance threshol d is now
decidedl y low so dont push your luck. Those who do may
well be treated to a trip to Warsaws premi er drunk tank
(ul. Kolska 2/4), a chastening experi ence whi ch will set
you back 250z for a 6-24 hour stay. In return for your
cash expect a strip search, a set of blue pyjamas and the
company of a dozen mumbling vagrants. Those resisting
arrest may well find themsel ves strapped down to a bed,
One Fl ew Over The Cuckoos Nest-styl e. Refreshment
comes in the form of limi tl ess cof fee, though the mug
sometimes comes wi th a smell of urine for a reason.
Credi t cards not accepted.
The other well -known ways tourists can cross cops is
by jaywalking. I f you are from a country whi ch has no (or
doesn t respect) jaywalking laws, youll be surprised to
see a crowd of peopl e standing obedi entl y at a crossing
waiting for the lights to change. This peculiarity has extra
ef fect i f you are aware of how li ttl e Pol es respect the
rul es of the road in a vehi cl e, where i t often feels like a
survi val of the fi ttest. The reason for the obedi ence of
this parti cular rul e is the fact that the l ocal ci ty poli ce
(Stra Mi ej ska) will qui te freel y gi ve you a 100z fine for
crossing a road at a place where no crossing is marked
or a 100z fine when the walk li ght is red. And don t
think you are exempt by being a forei gn visi tor. You are
subj ect to the law too and your non-residency means you
will need to pay the fine on the spot (the helpful chaps
will even accept forei gn currency).
Money
Thinking of paying for your tram ticket with one of the
100z notes in your pocket? Think again. Small shops,
newsagents, public toilets, even the occasional fast food
franchise and bar, will refuse to break a large note for you.
As annoying as coins can be, do carry small change for such
moments. Notes come in denominations of 200, 100, 50,
20 and 10 zotys, and there are 1, 2 and 5 zoty coins. One
zoty equals 100 groszy which come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and
50 groszy coins.
Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, banks and
anywhere with a sign proclaiming it to be a Kantor and you
will also be able to withdraw currency at a bankomat using
your ATM card. A Kantor will often provide better value than
the banks in your home country or the ATM although for
Pri ces i n Poland are still fai rl y competi ti ve despi te
increases over the last couple of years particularly in
the prices of cigarettes. Here are some typical everyday
products and prices.
Market values as of July 20, 2012
based on 1 = 4.12z
Product Price (z) Price ()
McDonald's Big Mac 9.10 z 2.21
Snickers 2.19 z 0.53
0.5ltr vodka (shop) 22.99 z 5.58
0.5ltr beer (shop) 2.55 z 0.62
0.5ltr beer (bar) 9.00 z 2.18
Loaf of white bread 2.99 z 0.73
20 Marlboros 12.80 z 3.11
1 ltr of unleaded petrol (98) 5.96 z 1.45
Local transport ticket (1 journey) 3.60 z 0.87
Market values
PLN US$ Euro Pound
3.36z = $1 4.12z = 1 5.28z = 1
1 z $0.30 0.24 0.19
2 z $0.60 0.49 0.38
3 z $0.89 0.73 0.57
4 z $1.19 0.97 0.76
5 z $1.49 1.21 0.95
6 z $1.79 1.46 1.14
7 z $2.08 1.70 1.33
8 z $2.38 1.94 1.52
9 z $2.68 2.18 1.70
10 z $2.98 2.43 1.89
20 z $5.95 4.85 3.79
50 z $14.88 12.14 9.47
100 z $29.76 24.27 18.94
150 z $44.64 36.41 28.41
200 z $59.52 48.54 37.88
250 z $74.40 60.68 47.35
1 000 z $297.62 242.72 189.39
Quick Currency Convertor
Internet
Internet access is typically free and widely available in
Poland, with practically every caf and restaurant offering
wi-fi to customers with laptops and smartphones. Getting on
the network often requires nothing more than a password,
which you can request of your favorite bartender or barista
with a simple, Poprosz o haso do internetu? If you dont
have your own gadgets we offer a few Internet cafe options,
which are plentiful.
Arena B-4, Pl. Defilad 1 (Metro Station Center), tel.
(+48) 22 620 80 32. Also at (F-4) Pl. Konstytucji 5. QOpen
07:00 - 24:00, Sun 09:00 - 24:00. 6z/hour, 10z/2 hours,
18z/4 hours.
Cyber Cafe ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (in Courtyard by Marri-
ott), tel. (+48) 22 650 01 72, www.courtyardwarsawair-
port.com. Polands best internet cafe. Seating sixty people
the Courtyard Cyber Cafe offers high-speed wireless access,
as well as a menu that puts most Warsaw cafes to shame.
20z per hour. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00.
Law & Order
In general Warsaw is far safer than most Western cities,
and visitors are unlikely to face any problems. Petty crime
does exist, and travell ers shoul d be on guard against
pickpockets working tram and bus routes by the train
station. I f youre in a bar or a restaurant keep your wallet
inside your trouser pocket, not inside a jacket casually left
lying around. Those travelling by car are advised to use a
guarded car park. Avoid being ripped off by opportunistic
taxi gits by using clearly marked cabs, something to bear
in mind around the train station and airport. The officially
sanctioned state company MPT (tel. 22 19191) is pos-
sibly the best bet, and their switchboard features English
speaki ng operators. The vagrants and pondl i fe who
gather around the train station are by in large harmless
and easily ignored. Warsaws right bank has traditionally
enjoyed something of a no-go reputation, though is now
fast becoming ever more trendy.
Staying on the ri ght si de of the law is si gni fi cantl y easi er
for tourists who accept that Polish beer and vodka are
rocket fuel and drink accordingl y. I f youre determined to
make an i diot of yoursel f then make sure i ts not in front
of the law. In recent years visi tors ranging from folks in
Chewbacca costumes to compl ete fools whove thought
i ts per fectl y acceptabl e to drop trousers and urinate in
19
BASICS
obvious reasons be very wary of Kantors in the airports,
bus stations and close to tourist sights. Shopping around
will reward you with the best rate. The Polish currency has
been exceedingly strong in recent years and the value of
the dollar has nearly halved while you will be getting 25-
40% less zoty for your euros and sterling than a couple of
years back. Having said that prices for food, drink, cultural
venues and transport still remain comparatively cheap
in contrast to Western Europe. A ticket to the theatre or
cinema will rarely cost more than 20z while admission to
most museums costs around 5-10z.
Post
Central Post Office (Urzd Pocztowy Warszawa
1) A-3, ul. witokrzyska 31/33, tel. (+48) 22 505 33
16, www.poczta-polska.pl. Q Open 24hrs.
Post Office (Urzd Pocztowy Warszawa 15) C-4,
Pl. Trzech Krzyy 13, tel. (+48) 22 629 81 67, www.
poczta-polska.pl. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Toilets
Generally speaking toilets in Poland come marked with a
circle for women, and a triangle for men. Although the habit
is gradually dying some restaurants and bars still charge
a nominal fee for use of their facilities - no matter how
much cash youve already spent in the establishment. This
is a practice also used in train stations and most public
conveniences.
2theloo A/B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 54 (Warszawa Cen-
tralna Train Station), www.2theloo.com.
Toilet C-4, ul. Krucza 51.
Toilet B-1, ul. Krzywe Koo 22/24.
Water
Water in Poland is officiall y safe to drink al though the
quality of plumbing in many places can affect the quality
of the water that is delivered from your tap. We therefore
recommend that you use bottled water which is widely
available and inexpensi ve. The best known bottled lo-
cal brands are ywiec, Cisowianka, Kropla Beskidu and
Naczowianka. In restaurants many tourists are surprised
to find a glass of water is not compulsory, and ordering
some typically results in the receipt of a tiny glass bottle
that will barely wet your whistle. Beer is often a better bet
since its cheaper and arrives in larger quantities, but i f
youre set on having water its best to learn the di fference
between gazowana (carbonated water) and niegazowana
(still water).
Many Poles, particularly younger people, have a fairly healthy
command of the English language. Many will also be adept at
other European languages with German being the most commonly
spoken. Older Poles will fiercely contest that they have forgotten
the Russian taught to them at school but most will still have a
reasonable understanding.
Mastering the Polish tongue can be a terrifying ordeal and will often
result in personal degradation as shop assistants laugh at your
flustered attempts. That aside, learning a few key phrases will smooth
your time in Poland and may even win you friends and admirers.
On the positive side Polish sounds as it appears. This is a great
help once you know how to pronounce each letter/combination
of letters. Many letters represent the same sounds as they do in
English. Below we have listed those particular to Polish.
Basic pronunciation of Polish vowels
sounds like on in the French bon
sounds like en as in the French bien
is an open o sound like oo in boot
Basic pronunciation of consonants
c like the ts in bits
j like the y in yeah
w is pronounced like the English v
like the w in win
like the ny in canyon
cz and like the ch in beach
dz like the ds in beds
rz and like the su in treasure
sz and like the sh in ship
drz like the g in George
r is always rolled and stress is generally always on the last but
one syllable.
Think youve got that? Here are some words and phrases to get
you started.
Civilities
cze (cheshch) hi/bye
dzie dobry ( jen do-bri) good morning/
afternoon
dobry wieczr (do-bri vyeh-choor) good evening
dobranoc (dobrah-nots) good night
tak (tahk) yes
nie (nyeh) no
prosz (prosheh) please
na zdrowie (nah zdrovyeh) cheers
dzikuje ( jen-koo-yeh) thank you
przepraszam (psheh-prasham) sorry
kocham ci (koham tshe) I love you
Mam na imi (mam nah ee-myeh) My name is
Jestem z Anglii (yehstem zanglee) I am from England
Necessities
Gdzie s toalety? (gdjeh song toalety) Where are the toilets?
Czy mwi pan/pani
po angielsku?
(che moovee
pan/panee po
angyelskoo?)
Do you (male/female)
speak English?
Nie mwi po
polsku
(nyeh moovyeh po
polskoo)
I dont speak Polish
Prosz to napisa (prosheh toh
napeesatch)
Please write it down
Czy mona tu pali (che mohzhnah too
paleech?)
Can I smoke here?
Jedno piwo
poprosz
(yedno peevo poh-
prosheh)
One beer please
Numbers
1 jeden yehden
2 dwa dva
3 trzy tshi
10 dziesi jayshench
General
Airport lotnisko
Train station dworzec pkp
Bus station dworzec pks
Right/left prawo/lewo
One ticket to jeden bilet do
First/second class pierwsza/druga klasa
Language smarts
August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also
Polish Army Day
November 1 All Saints Day
November 11 Independence Day (Nov 11, 1918)
December 25 First Day of Christmas
December 26 Second Day of Christmas
January 1, 2013 New Years Day
January 6, 2013 Three Kings
March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday
April 1 Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
May 3 Constitution Day (May 3, 1791)
May 19, 2013 Pentecost Sunday
May 30, 2013 Corpus Christi
National Holidays
20
CULTURE & EVENTS
Art galleries
Stairs Gallery (Galeria Schody) C-3, ul. Nowy wiat
39, tel. (+48) 22 828 89 43, www.galeriaschody.pl.Q
Open 13:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission free.
Zachta National Gallery of Art (Zachta Nar-
odowa Galeria Sztuki) B- 3, Pl. Maachowskiego
3, tel. (+48) 22 556 96 00, www. zacheta.art.
pl .QOpen 12: 00 - 20: 00. Cl osed Mon. Admi ssi on
15/10z, Thu free.
Cinemas
Femina A-2, Al. Solidarnoci 115, tel. (+48) 22 654
45 45, www.heliosnet.pl.QBox office open 09:30 - 21:15.
Tickets 16-27z, Tue, Thu 15z.
IMAX ul. Powsiska 31 (Sadyba), tel. (+48) 22 550
33 33, www.kinoimax.pl. Q Box office open from 30
minutes before the first showtime to 15 minutes after last
showtime. Tickets 25-34z.
Multikino Zote Tarasy A-4, ul. Zota 59, tel. (+48)
22 201 16 10, www.multikino.pl. Also on Al. Ken 60
(Ursynw), Wola Park, ul. Grczewska 124 (Wola), Centrum
Targwek, ul. Gbocka 15 (Targwek). Q Box office open
from 15 minutes before the first showtime to 15 minutes
after last showtime. Tickets 18-32z.
Cultural Centres
Mazovia Region Centre of Culture and Arts
(Mazowieckie Centrum Kultury i Sztuki) A-3, ul.
Elektoralna 12, tel. (+48) 22 586 42 00, www.mckis.
waw.pl.QOpen 08:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 16:00.
Admission free.
Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Art/
CSW) (Centrum Sztuki Wspczesnej Zamek
Ujazdowski) G- 4, ul. Jazdw 2, tel. (+48) 22
628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl.QOpen 12:00
- 19: 00, Fri 12: 00 - 20: 00. Cl osed Mon. Admi ssi on
12/6z, Thu free.
Opera Stages
Great Theatre - National Opera (Teatr Wielki -
Opera Narodowa) B-2, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. (+48) 22
826 50 19, www.teatrwielki.pl.QBox office open 09:00
- 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00- 19:00. Closed until September
17th. Tickets 25-145z.
Philharmonics
National Philharmonic (Filharmonia Narodowa)
B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 10, tel. (+48) 22 551 71 28,
www.filharmonia.pl.Q Box office open 10:00 - 14:00,
15:00 - 19:00, Sun depending on the repertoire. Closed
August and first half of September. Closed until September
15. Tickets 25-90z.
Theatre Stages
National Theatre (Teatr Narodowy) B-2, Pl. Teat-
ralny 3, tel. (+48) 22 692 06 04, www.narodowy.pl.Q
Box office open 11:00 - 14:30, 15:00 - 19:00, Sun depend-
ing on repertoire. Closed Mon. Closed until September 5.
Tickets 40-80z.
Theatre On Wola (Teatr Na Woli im. Tadeusza
omnickiego) ul. Kasprzaka 22 (Wola), tel. (+48)
22 632 24 78, www.teatrnawoli.pl.QBox office open
12:00-19:00, or until show time. Closed until September.
Tickets 20-70z.
25.05 Friday - 30.09 Sunday
La Playa in Warsaw
G-1, ul. Wybrzee
Helskie 1/5, tel.
(+48) 22 331 49
75, www.laplaya.
pl. The La Playa Mu-
si c Bar has been
opened for the 7th
ti me and the good
news i s that i ts for
the whol e summer.
A uni que musi c cl ub
si tuated at the Vi s-
tul a ri versi de, i ts an attracti ve al ternati ve i f youre
i n the capi tal thi s summer. La Pl aya of fers the pos-
si bi l i ty to spend ti me outsi de, pl ay beach vol l eybal l,
fri sbee and badmi nton tournaments, use the ski m-
board track or j ust chi l l out on a deck chai r. So gi ve
yoursel f a day of f at the beach, rel ax wi th a dri nk
and l i sten to chi l l out musi c and take i n the vi ew of
the ol d town over the ri ver. Every Sunday features
Fi esta en La Pl aya, a party wi th Cuban sal sa musi c
where you can l earn the Lati n steps. Special events
are as fol l ows: on August 17 i s the I bi za Proj ect wi th
top DJs; August 3rd wel comes Pete Hel l er, one of
the best musi c and dance producers. On 4th August
theres the Bi r thday Zumba Marathon; Zumba, i f
youre not sure, i s a mi x of dance and fi tness to
l ati no rhythms.
La Playa
21
CULTURE & EVENTS
Concerts
14.08 Tuesday
PEPSI ROCKS! presents The Washing Ma-
chine & Stardust
B- 4, Hard Rock Cafe, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00, www.pepsirocks.pl. Thi s
ti me two bands representi ng d wi l l pl ay. The spl en-
di d soundi ng Washi ng Machi ne know that rock & rol l
wi l l never di e and present materi al from thei r debut
al bum I nto the sun. Stardust i s a band formed by
peopl e who l ove 70s rock. Q Concert starts at 21:00.
Admi ssi on free.
28.08 Tuesday
PEPSI ROCKS! presents Setting The Woods
On Fire & Capital
B- 4, Hard Rock Cafe, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00, www.hardrockcafe.com/
warsaw. Two bands from Warsaw make up the bill here.
Setting The Woods On Fire play post hardcore, i t shoul d
be an energeti c af fair. Meanwhil e Capi tal are influenced
by American indie rock, grunge and post hard-core. Nice.
Q Concert starts at 21:00. Ti ckets 20/10z. Availabl e
at www.ti cketpro.pl and Empik, ul. Zota 59 (Open 10:00
- 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00).
Sunday Chopin Concerts in Royal azienki
Park G- 4, Royal Lazienki Park, ul. Agrykoli 1,
www.estrada.com.pl. Great pianists from all over the
world have been coming to The Royal azienki Park to
perform Chopin every year since 1959 - so its deep in the
cultural tradition of the capital city. The Fryderyk Chopin
Society contracts pianists for the whole season and
this year includes names like Christina Biorkoe, Joanna
awrynowicz, Andrey Skibko, Edward Wolanin, Jan Simon,
Alberto Nose, Clarin Huangci. There are two concerts,
the first at 12.00, the second at 16.00 - each with an
audience of 4000 people. The season of concerts starts
in the middle of May and lasts till the end of September.
From August the location will change due to renovation
work, moving to the theatre stage on the island in the
park. Q Concerts take place every Sun at 12:00 and
16:00. Admission free.
Sunday Chopin Concerts
The latest events online:
G O S P E C J A L N Y
S P E C I A L G U E S T
22
CULTURE & EVENTS
19.09 Wednesday
Coldplay at the National Stadium
H-1, National Stadium, National Stadium, Al. Ziele-
niecka 1. The new national stadium has Coldplay as its
first maj or concert. The band have per formed already
per formed in these parts, going down a storm at last
years Heineken Opener festival in Gdynia. They promised
to come back and so they are. Apart from their greatest
hits Im sure we will be hearing songs from the latest album
Mylo Xyloto. Q Time was undecided at the moment.
Please check our website for updates. Tickets 165-825z.
Available at Empik, ul. Zota 59, B-3 (Open 10:00 - 22:00,
Sun 10:00 - 20:00).
14.10 Sunday
Film Music Concert
B-4, Congress Hall, Pl. Defilad 1. Polish orchestra Sinfonia
Luventu conducted by Maciej Sztor will take us on a journey
through the best in film soundtracks. Come and hear the
theme music to Star Wars, Gladiator, Jaws, Jurassic Park,
Superman, Titanic, Forest Gump, Harry Potter, Superman
and more. Q Concert starts at 19:00. Tickets 49-89z.
Available at www.ticketpro.pl and Congress Hall box office
(Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 15:00).
Exhibitions
01.03 Thursday - 31.10 Wednesday
Great Football Exhibition
B-4, Palace of Culture and Science, Pl. Defilad 1. This
exhibition features a unique collection of boots, t-shirts,
pennants and more. Over 100 shirts once worn by the likes
of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Francisco Gento and others
alongside Polish memorabilia and family mementos from
E S S E N T I A L C I T Y G U I D E S
W W W . F A B R Y K A Z E S P O L O W . P L
23
CULTURE & EVENTS
Jerzy Englert and the great 70s trainer Kazimierz Grski.
For the younger fans theres multimedia stations with xbox
games and so on; jumpers for goal posts and all that. Q
Open 09:00 - 18:00. Admission 15/10z.
06.03 Tuesday - 31.08 Friday
Karol Beyer - first photos of Krakowskie
Przedmiecie
C-2, Square of Ks. Jan Twardowski, www.mnw.art.pl.
This outdoor exhibition is on all the time so you can come
whenever you want. It features work by one of the progenitors
of press photography in Poland, the pictures here document
life in the capital in the second half of the XIX century. Q
Admission free.
Figures From The New World
G- 4, Ujazdowski Castle, ul. Jazdw 2, tel. (+48) 22
628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. Art often harks
back to times gone by and other cultures - think of the
influence of African art on the emergence of cubism and
this show examine the phenomenon. An added attraction
will be workshops for students of the Academy of Fine Arts
conducted by the most ethnic-sounding Ohad Meromi Q
Open 12:00 - 19:00, Fri 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admis-
sion 12/6z, Thu free.
From Pharaoh to Lady Gaga
C-4, National Museum, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, tel. (+48)
22 621 10 31, www.mnw.art.pl. Come and explore the
modalities and iconography of power, investigate the his-
torical hierarchies in older European civilizations up to the
present day. Based on the comparison of old and modern
Warsaw Chamber Opera
(Warszawska Opera Kam-
eralna) A-1, Al. Solidarnoci
76b, tel. (+48) 22 831 22
40, www.operakameralna.
pl. The Warsaw Chamber Opera
was founded in 1961 by Stefan
Sutkowski, who has served as
its Managing and Artistic Direc-
tor ever since. The companys
inaugural production, performed
on the 4th September 1961,
was Pergolesis La Serva Padrona. Since October 1986
the Opera has performed at its own theatre, a listed
building dating from 1775 whose audience contributes
to the acoustic sound created.
The repertoire of the Warsaw Chamber Opera spans a
wide variety of musical styles and genres: from medieval
mystery plays to the operas of the Baroque and Clas-
sical periods, 18th century pantomimes, the operas by
Rossini and Donizetti, as well as works by contemporary
composers.
The Warsaw Chamber Opera ensembles also give regular
concerts featuring chamber, oratorio and symphonic
music of various epochs. In 1984 the Warsaw Chamber
Opera established the Research and Documentation
Centre of Early Polish Music. It deals with the research,
publ i cati on, per formance and recordi ng of newl y-
discovered works by Polish composers.
The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has long oc-
cupied a prominent place in the companys repertoire.
The Warsaw Chamber Opera is the only company in
the world to have Mozarts entire operatic output in its
permanent repertoire and this unprecedented achieve-
ment has won the Warsaw company-wide international
recognition. In addition to this the Warsaw Chamber
Opera has also organized the 4th Claudio Monteverdi
Festival, The Celebrations to mark 400 Years of Opera
as a Genre and An Ode to Europe Festival. Q Box office
open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun depending on repertoire.
Closed August. Tickets 20-130z.
Warsaw Chamber Opera
icons; portraits are displayed on modern Samsung tablets
(it emphasises the transience of popularity and fame, dont
you know). Q Open 10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00.
Closed Mon. Admission 20/15z. Last tickets sold 45 minutes
before closing.
02.06 Saturday - 18.08 Saturday
New National Art
E-3, Modern Art Museum, ul. Paska 3, tel. (+48) 22
596 40 10, www.artmuseum.pl. A joint exhibition and
research project, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
worked with the 7th Berlin Biennale. Focussing on what they
call the national-patriotic visual culture in Poland, there will
be installations, paintings, films, books and so on. Q Open
12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Admission free.
24
CULTURE & EVENTS
05.06 Tuesday - 23.09 Sunday
My own cinema
G- 4, Ujazdowski Castle, ul. Jazdw 2, tel. (+48) 22
628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. This exhibition
presents works of Jzef Robakowski, a forerunner of the
neo-avantgarde in Poland. Presented as a clash between
two different but related perspectives, Robakowskis artistic
practice dealt with what he called expanded cinema and my
very own cinema. Its about the artists role in the formula-
tion and development of the idea of structural film as well
as demonstrating Robakowskis unique artistic position;
tempted to say dont you know at the end of all that, but
have just done that one. Q Open 12:00 - 19:00, Fri 12:00 -
21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6z, Thu free.
03.07 Tuesday - 02.09 Sunday
PHOTOGRAPHY. Part of the Collection of the
CCA Ujazdowski Castle
G- 4, Ujazdowski Castle, ul. Jazdw 4, tel. (+48)
22 628 12 71 ext. 135, www.csw.art.pl. I n exi s-
tence for many years and sti l l growi ng, the col l ecti on
of the Centre for Contemporar y Ar t Uj azdowski Castl e
14.10 Sunday
The Cranberries
H-4, Torwar, ul. azienkowska 6a, www.makrocon-
cert.com/pl. A blast from the past if ever there was
one. I thought theyd given up years ago, but apparently
not. If youre younger than me, likely, and dont know,
they are Irish rockers lead by the charismatic vocalist
Dolores ORiordan. All the big hits such as Zombie, Linger,
Salvation and Dreams will be on the setlist, but there will
also be tracks for the new album Roses. 10 years in the
making, lets hope for the fans sake its worth the wait.
Q Concert starts at 19:00. Tickets 150-250z. Available
at www.ticketpro.pl and Empik, ul. Zota 59, B-3 (Open
09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00).
21.11 Wednesday
Seal
B-4, Palace of Culture and Science, Pl. Defilad 1,
www.makroconcert.com. Famous all over the world for
hits like Kiss From a Rose, Crazy and Amazing, the last
time he gave a concert in Warsaw the tickets sold out
immediately. For this reason hell take in 3 cities on this
tour: Gdynia Warsaw and Wrocaw, and will be playing all
his greatest hits as well as songs from his latest album:
Soul 2. Q Concert starts at 19:00.
Coming Soon
i n Warsaw has al ready been presented on a number
of occasi ons i n di f ferent versi ons and forms. Thi s
ti me theres the chance to see photography themed
around the body, corporeal i t y and ever ythi ng that
can be connected wi th i t. How ar ty i s that? Q Open
12: 00 - 19: 00, Fri 12: 00 - 21: 00. Cl osed Mon. Admi s-
si on 12/6z, Thu free.
The Hollywood of Marilyn Monroe
B-2, Stara Galeria, Pl. Zamkowy 8. An exhibition pre-
senting the photos of Milton H. Greene, one of the few
people who managed to meet the real Marilyn Monroe. A
close friend, he took photos for such magazines as Vogue,
Harpers Bazaar and Look. A last chance to view them, later
the work will go to auction. One highlight will certainly be
a picture of her with the mighty Marlon Brando, definitely
worth checking out. Q Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 14:00
- 18:00. Admission free.
Festivals
Mazovia in the Crown - Ode to Joy
Event takes place in various location. Check de-
scription for more info., www.mckis.waw.pl. Mazovia
i n the Crown is a seri es of concerts set i n the fi nest
medi eval, Renaissance, and Baroque archi tecture that
the regi on has to of fer. Throughout the cycl e choi rs,
orchestras, chamber bands and sol oists will per form.
Wi th events organised away from the capi tal the ai m
is to wi den access to hi gh and the host ci ti es include
Bonie, Ciechanw, Posk and Sierpc. Q Concert starts
at 19:00. Admission free. Full schedule available at www.
mckis.waw.pl.
17.08 Friday - 31.08 Friday
Chopin and his Europe
www.pl.chopin.nifc.pl. The theme for this years classical
music festival is: from Bach to Debussy. Gathering great
orchestras and soloists from all over the world, apart from
the starts of this year edition we will hear compositions
of Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Mozart and Paderewski. Q
Tickets 35-150z. Available at Empik, ul. Zota 59 (Open
10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00).
25.08 Saturday - 02.09 Sunday
Singer Festival
tel. (+48) 22 652 16 48, www.festiwalsingera.pl. The
first edition of this festival was organised to celebrate Jew-
ish author Isaac Bashevis Singers 100th Birthday. This
will be 9th edition of concerts, exhibitions, meetings, film
shows, workshops, art installations and lectures. Again
ul. Prna and Pl. Grzybowski will regain thier pre-war
character with klezmer music everywhere and traders,
wineries, bakeries and market stalls. Also taking place
in Praga district the list of artists invited this year is long
and i ncl udes Joshua Nel son, known as the pri nce of
gospel music, Alberto Mizrahi, Benzion Miller and Yaakov
Lemmer with the Si fthey Noham Choir from Jerusalem as
well as legendary New York artist Frank London with his
band Klezmatics. Also on the bill will be Joshua Daniel
Kahn and Painted Bird which mives klezmer music with
punk-rock. Meanwhile Polish artists Kayah and Justyna
Steczkowska will perform a special Yiddish repertoire. Q
Full schedule available at www.festiwalsingera.pl. Avail-
able at Jewish Theatre box office, Pl. Grzybowskich 12/16
(Open 11:00 - 14:00, 15:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:30 - 19:00,
Sun 14:30 - 18:00).
26
CULTURE & EVENTS
20.09 Thursday - 30.09 Sunday
Body/Mind Festival
B-4, Studio Theatre, Pl. Defilad 1, www.cialoumysl.pl.
This edition will concentrate on 21st century modern art, on
body language and its expression. The event concentrates on
dance and theatre, but apart from the performances there will
be workshops and meetings. Come and learn how to show
fear, sadness, happiness through gestures. The guests invited
this year include: Tabea Martin, Luca Silvestrini and Helena
Waldmann. Q Full schedule available at www.cialoumysl.pl.
Tickets 20-50z. Available at Studio Theatre box office (Open
11:00 - 15:00, 15:30 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 16:00).
Misc. Events
23.09 Sunday
2nd Red Bull Racing
H-4, Agrykola, ul. azienkowska, www.redbull.pl. The
rule here is easy: all you have to do is to prepare a vehicle
which is ecological, has an interesting design and goes. The
other thing to remember is that they cant have any engine
and have to use natural power, so the faster you move your
legs, the faster you go, basically. If you just want to come and
watch, you are welcome on 23rd September, the vehicles are
an impressive sight, highly recommended.
01.10 Monday
Chippendales - The Ultimate Girls Night Out Show
B-4, Congress Hall (PKiN), Pl. Defilad 1, www.makrocon-
cert.com/pl. Beefcake!!! The story of the Chippendales goes
back to 1978 when 12 incredibly handsome guys from Los
Angeles formed the first group. Not looking back since in their
various incarnations the band have given over 40,000 shows
18.08 Saturday - 26.08 Sunday
International Mime Art Festival
Wola Theatre, ul. Kasprzaka 22 (Wola), www.mime.
pl. Organised by the Wola Theatre for the XIIth time, this
is a review of mime theatres from all over the world. The
acts for 2012 are top drawer and include Paolo Nani, Nola
Rae and the Bodecker&Neander Company. Over 9 days
we have a chance to see all mimes various forms; from
classical to contemporary, sometimes experimental, from
solo performances to duos and group creations. There
will also be a presentation of archive posters from the
Wrocaw Mime theatre. The programme goes like this:
18.08 Saturday - The Letter - Paolo Nani (Italy)
A story told in 15 different ways, as a horror, from the
back, magically, as a surprise and so on, the author uses
the motto: less means more
19.08 Sunday - Poawiacze papieru/Dom Ber-
nardy Alba Wrocaw Pantomime Theatre
The first performance made under the conventions of
the absurd, presenting an allegory of power and politi-
cal systems; the second spectacle is about the borders
of sexuality.
21.08 Tuesday - Act 1925 Art Theatre
Here expression is shown by dance, gesture and mime
which sometimes looks like a moving installation; based
on works of Franz Kafka
23.08 Thursday - 13th Month/Requiem for
Brunon Schulz Spitfire Company
Inspired by the work of Brunon Schulz, this presents an
allegory of a falling world, false mythology, naked body
and death; its not a typical interpretation of his story but
one which shows the scope of catastrophy.
24.08 Friday - Night of Modern Mime
This event has become something of a tradition during
festival; all the artists from many countries perform to
show their own characteristic short theatre forms.
25.08 Saturday - Elitabeths Last stand - Nola Rae
Inspired by Elizabeth I, the author of spectace is known for
showing for most original interpretations in British theatre
26.08 - Sunday - Opus 4 - Bodecker / Neander
Company
A collection of stories by Bodecker and Neander who
continue the art of Marcel Marceau. Q Tickets 40/30z.
Festival pass 140z. Available at Wola Theatre box office
(Open 12:00 - 19:00).
Mime Festival
27
CULTURE & EVENTS
in 150 countries. Apparently its not about nudity, squadron of
porkers at 6 oclock, but about making womens dreams come
true. All in the best possible taste. Q Event starts at 19:30.
Tickets 90-160z. Available at www.ticketpro.pl and Empik,
ul. Zota 59, B-3 (Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00).
Sport
15.09 Saturday
Verva Street Racing
B-2, Pl. Teatralny, www.vervastreetracing.pl. An extra-
special helping of high adrenalin from some of the fastest
and, naturally, most expensive cars around. As always the
streets of Warsaw will be transformed into a racing track,
although having driven there a few times.... boom boom!
The stars should be out in force too; the final list is yet to
be announced, but take your autograph book. Last year
85,000 people came and more are expected this time round.
Q Event starts at 21:00. Tickets 69z. Available at Empik,
ul. Zota 59 (Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00). 1
30.09 Sunday
Warsaw Marathon
Al. Ks. Poniatowskiego, tel. (+48) 22 353 85 24, www.
maratonwarszawski.com. Described as one of the most
beautiful courses in Europe, the Warsaw Marathon offers run-
ners 42 and 195 kilometre routes that begin at Al. Ks. Poni-
atowskiego and finish at the new National Stadium. The 34th
annual marathon has 8,000 spots, but its popularity requires
runners to register early so visit www.maratonwarszawski.pl
to get a place in the race. Supporters are encouraged to line
the route and partake in the days activities, which include
live music and a Sports and Fitness Expo. Q Registration
fee 200/150/100z.
23.09 Sunday - 29.09 Saturday
Cross-Culture Festival - World Music in
Warsaw
http://www.f estival.
wa r s z a wa . p l /1 5 _
skrzyzowanie_kultur.
Thi s festi val wi l l l eave
you knowing all that you
need to know about World
Cul ture. The theme this
time round is: Inspiration
- Orient and the aim is to
open up the city and its
residents to the cultural
variety the modern world has to offer. Divided into two
parts, there are workshops and music stage events.
Workshops
This year the schedule of workshops is as diverse as you
could wish for and we can learn Indian singing, the rythms
of Persia as well as Madagascan dance. See Hindu violin
and an artist from Russia telling us how to become Jimmi
Hendrix on mandolin. Meanwhile a Siberian will make
workshops about improvisation; as always there will be
purcussion workshops.
Music Stage
The 8th edition will concentrate mainly on oriental music;
concerts will take place in the Palace of Culture, Congress
Hall, Pl. Defilad 1; the schedule goes as follows:
23.09 Sunday
19:00 - The Legends of the East: Mugham and Duduk
Alim Qasimov (Azerbaijan) Jivan Gasparyan (Armenia)
24.09 Monday
19:00 - Awakened voices of Asia
Ayarkhaan/Yakutia (Russia), Rustavi (Georgia)
25.09 Tuesday
19:00 - The energy of the Orient
Al Kindi Ensemble (Syria)
26.09 Wednesday
19:00 - Tales of the Tiger
Ahn Sook-sun (Korea), Ondekoza (Japan)
27.09 Thursday
19:00 - The Sum of Tradition
Masters of the Workshops concert - Aleksey Arkhipovs-
kiy (Russia)
28.09 Thursday
19:00 - Temples of Sound
Titi Robin (France/India/Morocco/Turkey), Raza Khan
(India)
29.09 Saturday
11:00 - Childrens Orient at the Cross Culture
19:00 - Direction Africa
Boubacar Traor (Mali), Dobet Gnahor (Ivory Coast)
QTickets 25/10z. Festival pass 120z. Available at
Stoeczna Estrada, ul. Marszakowska 77/79, Empik, ul.
Zota 59 (Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00) and
before the concert.
Cross Culture Festival
28
WHERE TO STAY
Cream of the crop
Hyatt Regency Warsaw G- 5, ul. Belwederska
23, tel. (+48) 22 558 12 34, www.warsaw.regency.
hyatt.com. Si tuated ri ght on the doorstep of azi enki
Park, the Hyatt not onl y has all the fi ve star trimmings,
but the bi ggest hotel swimming pool in Warsaw. By ho-
tel standards the rooms are enormous, and come wi th
easy-on-the-eye cream col ours and huge showerheads
designed for that mock rain experience. Q250 rooms (90
singl es, 132 doubl es, 10 sui tes, 2 Dipl omati c Sui tes, 1
Presidential Sui te). PTHAR6UFLGKD
CwW hhhhh
InterContinental A-4, ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. (+48) 22
328 88 88, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com. A beau-
tiful three-legged structure, the Warsaw InterContinental is
nothing short of an architectural marvel. Accommodation
fits the setting, with spacious rooms using pleasant colour
combinations and including every facility one would expect.
Setting it apart from the competition is a fitness centre
and swimming pool on the 43rd floor, and huge residential
suites for long-term guests. Q414 rooms (336 singles, 336
doubles, 76 apartments, 1 Presidential Suite). PTHA
R6UFLGKDCwW hhhhh
Le Mridien Bristol C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
42/44, tel. (+48) 22 551 10 00, www.lemeridien.pl.
Breathe in history by booking a night in Warsaws most fa-
mous hotel. The plaque in the marble clad lobby lists dozens
of stars and royalty who have chosen to lodge here, and to
countdown the facilities on offer would require an hour of
your time. Art nouveau is the theme and rooms feature the
classy ambiance of yesteryear. But for all the five star perks
and trimmings our favourite touch is the courtyard garden; an
oasis of luxury perfect for evening drinks. The hotels floor by
floor renovations should be completed by the end of August.
Q204 rooms (173 singles, 173 doubles, 30 apartments,
1 Paderewski Sui te). PTJHAR6UFGK
DCW hhhhh
Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw B-1, ul.
Kocielna 12, tel. (+48) 22 531 60 00, www.mamai-
son.com/leregina. Rated by many as the most stylish
hotel in Warsaw, the Regina is the bottom line in elegance
and comes set behind a row of pastel coloured colonnades
in Warsaws New Town area. No expense has been spared
in creating this luxury retreat, with bleached oak and marble
mocha used for flooring, and restored frescoes featuring in
many of the rooms. A monastic quiet prevails throughout
this courtyard centred hotel, with interiors featuring a sooth-
ing combo of whites, creams and caramel colours. Q61
rooms (58 singles, 58 doubles, 1 Penthouse, 1 Le Regina
Suite, 1 Presidential Suite). PTJHARUFGK
DXCW hhhhh
Marriott B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. (+48) 22
630 63 06, www.warsawmarriott.pl. A hotel with real
pedigree, the Warsaw Marriott has everything from Warsaws
classiest doorman outside to award winning restaurants
inside. The accommodation has been home to a long line
of visiting nabobs, including President Obama. An extensive
program of renovation has recently seen all the rooms up-
graded and the beds are so comfortable you may not wish
to leave them. Little details include lemon shampoo in the
bathrooms, mini-bars complete with pipes of Pringles and
views that stretch right across the city. Q518 rooms (423
singles, 423 doubles, 31 suites, 60 apartments, 2 Vice
Presidential Suites, 1 Presidential Suite). POTHA
R6UFLGKDCwW hhhhh
Warsaw i s a busi -
ness ci ty fi rst and
foremost, and oc-
cupancy rates reflect
that. Prices dip the
moment the cl ock
hits Friday, 5pm, and
youll find some great
discounts available
i f you hunt around
online. A good place
to start is at poland.
i nyourpocket. com
where our Hotel Calculator scours booking engines for
the best rates based on your criteria (you can thank us
later). The Warsaw hotel market reflects the citys im-
age as the corporate briefcase of Eastern Europe and
comes well equipped with five star offerings as well as
a new breed of options for thri fty travellers. Warsaw
now has a group of Golden Keys concierges and their
tips for the coming months can be found in our Ask the
Concierge box.
Here is a list of recommendations depending on what
you are looking for.
Local
Be King of the Castl e by booking into Castle Inn,
where rooms custom designed by local artists offer
a uniquely modern angle to the Old Town setting. For
something more upmarket check into the Polonia
Palace, a restored art nouveau building bang in the
centre. Or why not see what its like to be a (wealthy)
l ocal , and rent out an apar tment - we vouch for
Residence St Andrews, cl ass apartments i n an
A1 location.
Cheap
Camera Hostel i s i deal i f youre l ooki ng to meet
up wi th random travel ers from around the gl obe,
whi l e newcomer Moon Hosteli s a l i ttl e more up-
scal e (fl atscreens i n the rooms) and a l i ttl e l ess
backpackeresque. I f you need qui ck access to the
ai rport at a good pri ce then Noclegi Okecie wi l l
have you covered.
Lads
I f youre touri ng i n numbers then go for a name
brand, al l of whi ch tend to drop thei r rates at
weekends. I f you want to be central and cl ose to
the acti on then try The Golden Tulip, Radisson
Blu and Campanile.
Couples
MaMaison Le Regina is the perfect honeymoon ex-
perience, and right in the middle of romantic new town.
Alternatively, request the rose room at the Sleepwell
Apartments and find floor-to-ceiling flowers accenting
your bed.
Splurge
The city has seen a number of new hotels in recent
years and while we can vouch for all the major hotels,
it might be worth taking a look at the price comparison
service hotelcalculator on the hotel pages of poland.
inyourpocket.com.
Lodgings at a glance
29
WHERE TO STAY
Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel A-3, ul. Grzybowska
24, tel. (+48) 22 321 88 88, www.radissonblu.com/
hotel-warsaw. An excellent hotel with top-drawer facilities
and rooms themed on Italian, Scandinavian and maritime
styles. All come with dataports, free Wi-fi, three telephone
lines, safes and pay-TV, and theres also state-of-the-art
conference, dining and fitness facilities. Q311 rooms (284
singles, 284 doubles, 26 apartments, 1 Presidential Apart-
ment). PTHAR6UFGKDCwW hhhhh
Rialto F- 4, ul. Wilcza 73, tel. (+48) 22 584 87 00,
www.rialto.pl. Relive the days of Lempicka and Lindbergh
inside Polands original boutique hotel, a stunning venue
decorated exclusively in art deco style. Period furnishings
have been plucked from the auction houses and antique
stores of Europe, and all the individually designed rooms
come with Italian linen, DVD players and a host of luxurious
extras. I f its available then book into lucky number 13, a
colonial pearl which Hercule Poirot would have loved. He
would have thought highly of the excellent in-house restau-
rant, too, which has a special menu that offers the cuisine
of pre-war Warsaw for added authenticity. Q44 rooms (6
singles, 27 doubles, 11 apartments). PTHARUF
GKDW hhhhh
Sheraton Warsaw Hotel C- 4, ul. Prusa 2, tel.
(+48) 22 450 61 00, www.sheraton.pl/en. Its all a
bit Dynasty in the Warsaw Sheraton, with lots of marble
and gold plate extras, as well as a selection of some of
Warsaws best eateries on the ground floor. Rooms are
of generous size, though to really feel like king consider
upgrading to executive, where perks include access to a
great lounge featuring complimentary snacks and bever-
ages. Q350 rooms (326 singles, 326 doubles, 18 suites,
5 apartments, 1 Presidential Suite). PTHAR6U
FLGKD hhhhh
Sofitel Warsaw Victoria B-3, ul. Krlewska 11,
tel. (+48) 22 657 80 11, www.sofitel.com. For years
the Sofitel was in very real danger of stagnation. Now this
revamped concrete block finds itself at the heart of the ac-
tion with revitalised Krakowskie Przedmiecie on one side,
and Saski Park on the other. And, right in front, Sir Norman
Fosters Metropolitan building, complete with its glass cased
offices and designer boutiques. So what of the Sofitel itself?
Rooms are dapper enough, fully equipped to deal with the
steep demands of the five star traveller. Ask for a business
class room if you require an additional study with fax and
copy facilities. Q343 rooms (160 singles, 170 doubles, 52
apartments, 1 Presidential Suite). POTHAR6U
FLGKDCW hhhhh
The Westin Warsaw Hotel A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II
21, tel. (+48) 22 450 80 00, www.westin.pl/en. A
top bracket sanctuary situated amid the skyscrapers of
Warsaws business district. The lobby buzzes at all hours
and a glass lift whisks guests to rooms decorated in warms
tones and ultra-modern fittings. Each comes replete with
dressing gowns and slippers, in-room movies and mini-bars
that will take a considerable effort to clear. Splash out on the
executive floor for access to a top floor lounge that features
gourmet finger snacks and champagne on ice. Q361 rooms
(345 singles, 345 doubles, 15 suites, 1 Presidential Suite).
PTHAR6UFLGKD hhhhh
Poland hit world headlines on April 10th 2010 when a
plane carrying President Lech Kaczyski, his wife and
ninety four other passengers crashed by the city of
Smolensk killing all on board. The plane clipped trees as
it came into land, before turning upside down and plung-
ing to the ground. The president and his entourage had
been flying in to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katy
Massacre, a notorious episode in which Stalin ordered
the execution of approximately 22,000 Polish officers.
For decades Russia had denied responsibility, and only
recently had steps been taken to mend bridges.
Strangely, the tragedy served to bring these two ancient
foes closer together and many Poles, at the time, were left
impressed by the sympathetic reaction of Putin & Co. As
with all high profile disasters speculation as to the cause
continues to be rife. The official Russian air authority report
into the incident laid the blame squarely on the pilots who
they claim ignored instructions to land elsewhere because
of the poor weather conditions. They also suggested the
presence and distraction of unauthorized personnel in the
cockpit as the key to the tragedy. At first this had been
thought to have been the president himself a man who
once notoriously insisted his pilots fly against their judge-
ment and land in war torn Tbilisi though black box evidence
now points to the intrusion at members of the entourage.
While Kaczyski had been widely forecast to lose heavily
in elections due for the autumn of 2010, the episode had
wider implications. Also on board were the first lady, the
head of the national bank, leading politicians and the heads
of the army, navy and air force; at a stroke Poland lost its
political, military and economic elite. Despite Kaczyskis
unpopularity the outpouring of grief was unmatched since
the death of Pope John Paul II, and churches packed out
as mourners paid their respects. In the capital thousands
lined the streets when the bodies of Mr and Mrs Kaczyski
were returned, and for the next week the streets outside
the Presidential Palace were turned into a giant shrine as
people converged to lay flowers and light candles on April
17th alone, over 100,000 mourners gathered in Pisudski
Square to listen to a state service.
But even in death Kaczyski remained a divisive and
controversial figure. The decision to bury him in Krakws
Wawel Cathedral, the ancient resting site of monarchs
and saints, split Poles down the middle, with many
protesting the decision with the slogan Warsaw for
Presidents, Krakw for Kings. Held on April 18th 2010
the funeral was marked with a service in Krakws St
Marys Cathedral, before the coffins were transported
with military escort to the crypt of Wawel.
Since then however President Kaczynskis twin brother
and his opposition party have openly accused the current
government of negligence and relations between Poland
and Russia have been strained by what the Poles see
as a total whitewash in the report of any Russian blame.
Disaster at Smolensk
www.prezydent.pl
30
WHERE TO STAY
Upmarket
Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre E-3,
ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. (+48) 22 356 55 55, www.
hiltonwarsaw.pl. Although only open since 2007 the Hilton
already feels like an established big shot on Warsaws four
star circuit. And it cant be denied, theres a hefty dose of
wow factor to swallow - from a breathtaking glass lobby to
the best (and biggest) conference facilities in the city. But its
not just about business. The hotel touts a gorgeous looking
25 metre pool, while the top floor executive lounge provides
diversions by way of DVDs, snacks, computer games and
private check in. As for the rooms, theyre just what youd
expect from a brand like Hilton. Accommodation comes
with a stylish modern look, walk-in showers and flat screen
televisions. Particularly impressive are the corner suites,
complete with floor-to-ceiling views of downtown Warsaw.
Q314 rooms (303 singles, 303 doubles, 10 apartments,
1 Presidential Suite). POTHAR6UFLGK
DCW hhhh
Holiday Inn Warszawa A- 4, ul. Zota 48/54, tel.
(+48) 22 697 39 99, www.holidayinn.com/warsawpo-
land. A trademark Holiday Inn with a location hemmed in
by the Palace of Culture and Zote Tarasy shopping centre.
Find immaculate facilities throughout, and a standard just
typical of the HI crest. It might look small and squat com-
pared to its neighbours but this hotel is deceptively large,
with a quick tour revealing designer boutiques, fitness
facilities and a beauty parlour. Q336 rooms (54 singles,
272 doubles, 10 apartments). PTHA6UFL
GKDW hhhh
Mercure Warszawa Grand C-4, ul. Krucza 28, tel.
(+48) 22 583 21 00, www.mercure.com. A landmark
of a hotel, housed in one of those 1950s buildings that
simply oozes class and makes you wonder why the rest of
the city couldnt look the same. High quality rooms come
with fantastic showers that make brilliant use of the avail-
able space. Add in comfy beds, a top central location, good
staff and a brilliant buffet breakfast, and you have a winner.
Q299 rooms (86 singles, 207 doubles, 6 apartments).
PTHAR6UFGKDW hhhh
Novotel Warszawa Centrum B-4, ul. Marszakowska
94/98, tel. (+48) 22 596 00 00, www.accorhotels.
com. A sleek silver skyscraper with grandstand views of the
Warsaw skyline one of the big pluses. Subject of a thorough
overhaul the Novotel Centrum gets points for both location
and size, meaning its not rare to find it overrun with tour
groups and conferences. Upstairs find revamped rooms
offering all the four star extras, including Executive rooms
(with iPod docking stations) and even studio and apartment
options. Q733 rooms (50 singles, 661 doubles, 12 suites, 10
apartments). PTHA6UFLGKDW hhhh
Polonia Palace Hotel B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 45, tel.
(+48) 22 318 28 00, www.poloniapalace.com. Originally
built in 1913 the Polonia Palace has seen it all, from a victory
banquet hosted by Eisenhower to the Miss World girls back
in 2006. The exterior has benefited from a full facelift, and
now dazzles amid its soot-clad neighbours. Slidey doors open
onto a grand marble lobby, while upstairs amply portioned
rooms reveal modern fittings among made-to-look-old
furniture. New 32 and 40 LED TVs and hotel-wide Wi-Fi
extend the modern upgrades. Pride of place goes to the
apartment, whose defining feature is a raised lounge area
with an oval-shaped window. Q206 rooms (198 singles, 198
doubles, 7 suites, 1 apartment). PTHAR6UF
GKDwW hhhh
Welcome to one of the most fantastic
places in this part of the world - the city
which recently hosted one of the biggest
sports event in the world - Euro 2012.
The newly built National Stadium
played its role extremely well.
In a couple of weeks it is going
to be a host again this time
Madonna will entertain fans on
1 August
Following that, on 14 August,
Klub Palladium will be the place
for those who like the group the
Afghan Whigs. The group has
reformed after 25 years of being absent from the music
scene and comes to Warsaw as part of its world tour.
One day later, 15 August, is a chance for those who like
rock, and not only, due to the fact that they will have the
opportunity to listen to the group which 15 years ago
completely changed the image of music. Yes, ladies and
gentlemen, the Korn.
And now something for those who prefer classical music.
Every Sunday till the end of September at 12 and 4 p.m. La-
zienkowski Park will be filled with live music composed by
one of the worlds greatest ever pianists - Fryderyk Chopin.
Every Saturday at 7 p.m. the old town will swim in the
sounds of jazz music - Eastwood band, Ernie Watts
Quartet. The beauty of the old town and the sounds of
jazz should then lead you to Podzamcze where you can
admire a wonderful multimedia show where the actors are
fountains one of Warsaws newest tourist attractions.
The old town has more to offer; Saint Annes Church is
an important monument in the history of Poland today
its not only a place of prayer but there is also the chance
to listen to baroque music.
Soon after the summer holiday break, on 17 September,
the National Opera presents a charity concert of pianist
Ewa Pobodzka.
On 6 September the group Flogging Molly will play in
Palladium, while from 15 September the 55th Warsaw
Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music
will take place.
For those who like a mixture of music from all around the
world, there is the 8th Warsaw Cross Culture Festival. It
takes place between 23 and 29 September. This time
the inspiration for this event is taken from the Orient.
Musicians from Armenia, Azerbaijani and India as well
as many other countries will perform.
The newly re-opened and refurbished National Museum
is celebrating its 150th birthday and visitors to Warsaw
can admire a series of new exhibitions.
Warsaw is also a great place for those who prefer the day to
last all night long. There are plenty of restaurants, pubs and
discos. For those who like dancing we recommend Mazow-
iecka and Kredytowa streets as well as Pilsudski square.
After a day full of attractions and excitement you are more
than welcome to visit the Panorama bar in the Marriott
Hotel situated on 40 floor right in the heart of Warsaw
where you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the city.
Enjoy your stay in Warsaw and remember your concierge
is here to help you enjoy your stay. We are happy to help
with any assistance or information you might need.
Elbieta Miszczyk
Warsaw Marriott Hotel
Ask your Concierge
31
WHERE TO STAY
Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel E-3, Pl. Zawiszy 1, tel.
(+48) 22 579 10 00, www.radissonblu.com/sobieski-
warsaw. The faade has a garish rainbow-colored paint job,
but fortunately this newest addition to the Radisson Blu
chain has a much more subtle interior featuring a marble
lobby, big rooms and fitness facilities. Rooms are currently
undergoing renovations that will be completed this fall and
wont disturb guests. And we applaud any changes that
mean this hotel isnt going to charge guests for Internet
use anymore. Q435 rooms (60 singles, 328 doubles, 40
apartments, 1 Presidential Suite). PTHAR6UF
GKDw hhhh
Mid-range
Belwederski G-5, ul. Sulkiewicza 11, tel. (+48) 22
840 40 11, www.hotelewam.pl. Smart rooms found in
the sleepy diplomatic quarter. The pink exterior is as wacky
as it gets, while the rest of the hotel offers conservative
mid-range comfort complete with satellite TV and large
bathrooms. Q53 rooms (32 singles, 21 doubles, 10 suites,
1 apartment). THA6UGKW hhh
Boutique Bed & Breakfast C- 4, ul. Smolna 14/6,
tel. (+48) 22 829 48 01, www.bbwarsaw.com. Quiet
and cobbled, Smolna is not a typical city centre street, and
neither is this your typical set of apartments. Apartments
suit all budgets, though the Queen - featuring jacuzzi and
large living space - is well worth the extra outlay. Accom-
modation has been designed to evoke a real atmosphere
of home-away-from-home and features lots of flowers,
natural wood and personal touches courtesy of Jarek, your
host. Q14 rooms (8 singles, 11 doubles, 2 apartments).
THAGW
Campanile E-3, ul. Towarowa 2, tel. (+48) 22 582 72
00, www.campanile.com.pl. Decorated with chequered
patterns and green and yellow colour schemes the Cam-
panile accommodation includes satellite TV and pristine
bathrooms. High standards and a central location. Q194
rooms (194 singles, 194 doubles). PTHA6UG
KW hh
Castle Inn B-2, ul. witojaska 2 (entrance from Pl.
Zamkowy), tel. (+48) 22 425 01 00, www.castleinn.
pl. When students grow up, grow rich and can no longer
stand hostels, they stay in places like this. A dream of a
hotel at the centre of Old Town you can expect big rooms,
all with individual decor - some classy, some kitsch, all good
fun - and - wait for it - velvet doors. Best of all though are
the rooms which have the massive (and we mean massive)
bathrooms. We dare you to find bigger bathrooms than those
on offer here in any other hotel in Warsaw. Much like their
clientele the owners of this place have also graduated up
from hostels (they run the Oki-Doki). If this is what becomes of
hostels when they grow up, bring it on. Q22 rooms (3 singles,
10 doubles, 1 triple, 8 apartments). TYHA6GW
Chmielna Guest House C-4, ul. Chmielna 13, tel.
(+48) 22 828 12 82, www.chmielnabb.pl. Budget priced
boutique accommodation courtesy of the brains behind the
New World Hostel. Theres seven rooms to choose from,
including London (red, vibrating wall), San Francisco (black/
white, modern metropolitan) and Hoi An (hardwood and a
curtained bed). Its a great concept for those too old for
hostels but too young for Hilton, and the deal here includes
a cool looking living room with a chic style and flatscreen
plasma. Find the reception 100m away in the New World
St. Hostel at ul. Nowy wiat 27 (C-3). Q7 rooms (7 singles,
7 doubles, 1 triple). AGW
Born in Lodz in 1946, Daniel Libeskind has gone on to
become one of the worlds best known architects, with
projects like the Imperial War Museum in Manchester
and the Jewish Museum in Berlin to his credit. To many
though he will be familiar as the man who originally won
the contract to create the master plan for the World Trade
Center site following the 9/11 attacks.
Wrangles with other architects and developers saw
him eventuall y squeezed from that proj ect, though
closer to (his original) home Libeskind found himself in
charge of the design of Zlota 44, a landmark 192 metre
skyscraper perched between the InterContinental and
the Palace of Culture.
Looking not unlike a bendy Arab cutlass the daring
glass tower was the envisioned home of 251 luxury
apartments (including a number custom designed by
Libeskind himself), a 25 metre stainless steel swimming
pool and a top floor wooden sundeck. And in spite of an
average price of 7,000 euro per square metre interest
proved phenomenal, with packages allegedly snapped
up by stars such as ski jumping legend Adam Malysz and
former national football captain Jacek Bak.
All very well so far, only no one appeared to have a clue
about the financial crisis which was lying in ambush.
Work on the tower had originally been forecast to finish
in 2009, but construction ground to a halt. The project
became the subject of a long-running court battle over
whether it had the necessary permissions to be built and
its developer, the Orco property group, found itself in
difficult financial waters. It looked like Warsaw was going
to have a half-finished concrete epitaph to the financial
travesties of the noughties right in the heart of the city.
Fortunately all finally seems to have been resolved. After a
court decision in October 2010 allowing Orco to start build-
ing again, construction on the skyscraper has resumed.
Now scheduled to be completed 2 years behind schedule
in 2012, it appears that the financial crisis hasnt stopped
Warsaw from continuing to change beyond recognition.
Which will be welcome news to the city gods whose op-
posite numbers in Krakow saw that citys tallest building
stand half-built and empty for over thirty years with work
abandoned on the 90 metre structure the moment com-
munist Poland was plunged into economic meltdown.
Zlota 44
Courtesy of Orco Property Group
32
WHERE TO STAY
Golden Tulip Warsaw Centre E-3, ul. Towarowa 2,
tel. (+48) 22 582 75 00, www.goldentulipwarsawcen-
tre.com. A very favourable price to quality trade-off here,
with plenty of room, heavenly beds and a warm welcome all
part of the deal. However, our favourite detail is the breakfast,
clearly one of the best in the city. What a spread! A hotel with
big ideas that is rightfully putting its sights on getting a fourth
star very soon. Q144 rooms (144 singles, 144 doubles).
PTHA6UFGKDW hhh
Gromada - Dom Chopa B-3, Pl. Powstacw Warsza-
wy 2, tel. (+48) 22 582 99 00, www.domchlopa.pl. Its
almost a surprise to find such a good deal in the city centre.
As the coaches parked outside testify, Gromada is a hit with
package tours and conferences. First sight is an over-waxed
marble lobby, and a curvy stairwell spirits guests to modern,
sunny rooms. The older portion of the hotel offers economy
class accommodation that are not quite as sleek, but the
basic rooms provide everything a weary travel requires. New
amenities include a billiard room, fitness center and sauna,
not to mention a beauty salon that offers a 10 percent dis-
count to guests. Q320 rooms (301 singles, 265 doubles, 17
apartments). POTHAR6UFLGKW hhh
Harenda C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 4/6, tel.
(+48) 22 826 00 71, www.hotelharenda.com.pl. A decent
family-style hotel within walking distance of the Old Town. Rooms
are decorated in pink and chocolate brown colours. Stay at the
weekend and get one night thrown in for free. Q41 rooms (34
singles, 5 doubles, 2 apartments). TJHALGW hh
Hetman G-1, ul. Kopotowskiego 36, tel. (+48) 22 511
98 00, www.hotelhetman.pl. This is three-star accommo-
dation at its finest. The large rooms come with internet ac-
cess, hairdryers, cable TV and neutral beige colour schemes.
On the Praga side of the river. Q68 rooms (68 singles, 55
doubles). TYHAR6ULGKW hhh
Ibis Ostrobramska ul. Ostrobramska 36 (Praga
Poudnie), tel. (+48) 22 515 78 00, www.accorhotels.
com. Practical, fully functional rooms right in line with the
standard you expect from the Ibis chain. Q137 rooms (137
singles, 137 doubles). PTHA6ULGKW hh
Ibis Stare Miasto A-1, ul. Muranowska 2, tel. (+48)
22 310 10 00, www.accorhotels.com. More of the same
from Ibis: international standards at competitive prices. Best
of all, its location ten minutes from the Old Town means
that your immediate choice is no longer limited to spending
suitcases of cash in the Bristol. Q333 rooms (333 singles,
333 doubles). PTHA6UGKW hh
Ibis Warszawa Centrum D-2, Al. Solidarnoci 165,
tel. (+48) 22 520 30 00, www.accorhotels.com. Reliable
international standards, sensibly priced. Rooms come armed
with all expected mod-cons. Q189 rooms (189 singles, 189
doubles). PTHA6UGKW hh
Maria D-1, Al. Jana Pawa II 71, tel. (+48) 22 838 40 62,
www.hotelmaria.pl. A small, family run hotel offering moderate
prices and prim rooms featuring random floral designs. Q24 rooms
(21 singles, 16 doubles, 3 apartments). PTA6KW hh
MDM F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. (+48) 22 339 16 00,
www.hotelmdm.com.pl. Occupying a spot at the top of
Marszakowska most rooms in the MDM feature grandstand
views of Warsaws finest piece of socialist realism: pl. Kon-
stytucji. Accommodation comes with plum coloured carpets
and predictable three star comfort. Q134 rooms (21 singles,
108 doubles, 5 suites). THA6UGKW hhh
In a city that does not want for tragic, heroic stories,
that of Janusz Korczak and the orphanage of which he
became director in 1912 is one of those that warrants
telling time and again. Warsaw-born Korczak - whose real
name was Henryk Goldszmit - was a pioneering Polish-
Jewish childrens author, paediatrician and pedagogue
of some renown, whose approach to raising orphans
(he believed in offering children as much freedom and
autonomy to express themselves as possible) was at
odds with the prevailing attitude towards children in
general at the time. The orphanage (which still stands
today, at ul. Krochmalna 92 (A-3), and which remains a
childrens home) was specifically designed (by Korczak
himsel f) to offer the children who would live there as
comfortable an existence as possible. Korczak ran the
orphanage as a model of democracy, the orphans having
their own parliament and even their own newspaper, and
were consulted on all major decisions.
Having served as a military doctor in World War I, Korczak
volunteered for the Polish army again at the outbreak of
World War II, but was rejected due to his age. When the
occupying Nazis created the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940,
he was forced to move his orphanage to a much smaller
building at ul. Chlodna 33, and later still to ul. Sienna
16. A poignant sculpture of Korczak leading his children
(one small child clings on his back) stands close by, at
ul. Jaktorowska 6 (D-3).
At this stage, it is likely that anyone with the most rudi-
mentary knowledge of Polish history can probably guess
the rest. On August 5, 1942, the Nazis came to round-up
the 192 orphans in Korczaks care at the time, to take
them to Treblinka. For reasons that remain unknown,
Korczak himself was offered an amnesty by the Nazis,
and passage to the Polish side of the Ghetto walls. He
refused, insisting that he go with the children. Eyewitness
Joshua Perle described the scene:
A miracle occurred. Two hundred children did not cry.
Two hundred pure souls, condemned to death, did not
weep. Not one of them ran away. None tried to hide.
Like stricken swallows they clung to their teacher and
mentor, to their father and brother, Janusz Korczak, so
that he might protect and preserve them. On all sides
the children were surrounded by Germans, Ukrai-
nians, and this time also Jewish policemen. They
whipped and fired shots at them. The very stones of
the street wept at the sight of the procession.
Though rumours ran through the Ghetto for months
afterwards that the children had been saved on route to
Treblinka, there is no evidence of this, and not one child
appears to have survived the war. Korczak himself died
in Treblinka in 1942.
Besides the monument on ul. Jaktorowska, there is a
bust of Korczak in front of his former orphanage at ul.
Krochmalna 92, and a cenotaph in Powzki Cemetery.
A further monument - of Korczak sheltering children,
sculpted by Boris Saktsier - can be found at the Yad
Vashem Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem.
Composer Adam Silverman wrote an opera based on
the Korczak story, called simply Korczaks Orphans,
which premiered in New York in 2003. Korczaks own
most famous work is probably King Matt the First (Krl
Maciu Pierwszy), a childrens adventure story about
a young king that is a thinly-veiled representation of
historical events in Poland. You can usually find copies
in English in larger branches of Empik
The Korczak Orphanage
33
WHERE TO STAY
Metropol F-3, ul. Marszakowska 99a, tel. (+48) 22 325
31 00, www.hotelmetropol.com.pl. Renovations have phased
out the Cold War era rooms, replacing them with decent enough
digs in the very heart of Warsaw. True, youll still be looking
enviously at those staying in the Novotel opposite, but this is no
longer the hall of horror of yesteryear. Q191 rooms (180 singles,
180 doubles, 11 suites). PTAR6UGKW hhh
Puawska Residence ul. Puawska 361 (Ursynw),
tel. (+48) 22 241 75 00, www.pulawskaresidence.com.
pl. So new it still has that new-hotel smell. Geared towards
business travellers, Pulawska Residence Hotel has 197 highly
modern rooms that have everything a long-term visit to War-
saw requires: kitchenettes with refrigerators and burners, large
desks and wall-mounted flat screen TVs. The dcor throughout
the hotel is thankfully muted and tasteful, which extends to the
lobby bar and large restaurant. Q197 rooms (80 singles, 85
doubles, 27 apartments). PTAFLGKDW hhh
Reytan G-5, ul. Rejtana 6, tel. (+48) 22 201 64 00,
www.reytan.pl. Found down a quiet side street the Rey-
tan delivers a high three star standard. Crisp bed sheets,
bright colours and new furniture. Q86 rooms (86 singles,
74 doubles, 2 suites). THA6ULGKW hhh
Sleepwell Apartments C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 62, tel.
(+48) 600 30 07 49, www.sleepwell-warsaw.pl. Sitting
above Nowy Swiat, Warsaws swankiest tourist stroll, Sleepwell
has one of the best locations in the city; in one direction are the
clubs of Foksal street, and in the other the stunning Old Town.
Inside the nine rooms all have home theatres, mini-fridges and
giant LCD televisions, but each one is decorated in a unique and
sometimes jarring style. One room features a murderous manga
assassin painted on the wall, one room has a glittery carpet, and
another has large fake roses romantically climbing the ceiling.
Reception is in a separate building so guests must call ahead
for initial access, and no common space means breakfast is
not included (though a discount is available at Caf Vincent
downstairs). Q9 rooms (9 singles, 9 doubles). A6GW
Budget
Hit G-1, ul. Kopotowskiego 33, tel. (+48) 22 618 94
70, www.hithotel.pl. Singles and doubles as well as apart-
ments ranging in size from 30 to 60 metres. Shuttered away
in a colourful building close to the zoo section of Praga. Its
brand new and cheap and has two stars to its name. Q102
rooms (12 singles, 36 doubles, 6 triples, 48 apartments).
THA6UGKW hh
Ibis Budget Warszawa Centrum H-3, ul. Zagrna 1,
tel. (+48) 22 745 36 60, www.accorhotels.com. A super
addition to Warsaws budget bracket, this hotel is in the midst
of a brand shift so you may find yourself checking into an Etap
or, if the transition is complete, an Ibis hotel. Either way its a
winning formula here: bright, modern rooms inside a sparkling
white building in the quiet Powile district. The rooms come
with a simple design but your cash gets you all the facilities
the modern traveller requires: wireless net access, en-suite
bathrooms and cable television. Q176 rooms (176 singles,
176 doubles, 14 triples). PA6UGW h
Mazowiecki B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 10, tel. (+48) 22
827 23 65, www.hotelewam.pl. What used to be a
grubby budget hotel has seen modest refurbishments and
now promises utilitarian comfort at cut prices. The peep
show next door may have closed, but the hotels proximity
to several of Warsaws top bars make it a popular choice for
a particular breed of traveller. Q56 rooms (56 singles, 34
doubles). YA6UGKW h
Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw Airport ul.
wirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 01 00,
www.courtyardwarsawairport.com. In many senses
this place, almost directly opposite the airline check-in
desks, is an extension of Warsaw Airport. People use
the superb lobby bar as a departure lounge, and for
those with an early morning start the big, comfortable
rooms here are as good a place as any to wait for a flight.
Q236 rooms (113 singles, 121 doubles, 2 apartments).
PTHARUFGKW hhhh
NEW
Holiday Inn Express Warsaw Airport ul. Poleczki
31 (Ursynw), tel. (+48) 22 373 37 00, www.hiex-
press.com/hotels/us/en/warsaw/wawwa/hotelde-
tail. Those wanting easy access to the airport just short
of sleeping on the runway will find the brand new Holiday
Inn Express to fit the bill perfectly. Just three minutes away
and accessible via a convenient hotel shuttle, the Holiday
Inn promises amenities that are miss-your-flight worthy
when it opens on August 30: wifi and flatscreens in every
room, a complimentary breakfast buffet and a business
corner for last-minute work needs.Q124 rooms (124
singles, 124 doubles). PHAUGW
Novotel Warszawa Airport D-7, ul. 1 Sierpnia 1, tel.
(+48) 22 575 60 00, www.accorhotels.com. Comfort-
ably inside the mid-range bracket, Novotel is a canny choice
for those who expect professional standards at competitive
prices.Q281 rooms (280 singles, 280 doubles, 1 apart-
ment). PTHAR6ULGKDCW hhh
Airport Hotels
34
WHERE TO STAY
Noclegi Okcie Al. Krakowska 236 (Wochy), tel.
(+48) 696 07 00 40, www.noclegiokecie.pl. Magnolia,
one of Noclegi Okcies three accommodations coupled
near the airport (the neighbouring two buildings, Pod Lipami
and U Jakuba are set up hostel-style) has newly remodelled
single and double en-suite modern rooms that will delight
budget travelers: free Wi-fi, an outdoor space for lounging,
immaculate cleanliness and enough distance from the road
to make sleeping a breeze. Breakfast isnt included, but
the hotels nearby restaurant Totu (Al. Krakowska 236) has
reasonably priced Polish fare. Q46 rooms (25 singles, 26
doubles, 8 triples, 7 quads). ARGKW
Premiere Classe E-3, ul. Towarowa 2, tel. (+48) 22 624
08 00, www.premiereclasse.com. One of the best budget
options in the city, and as such often fully booked. Basic, modern
rooms come equipped with private bathrooms and television,
and the location is just a tram stop from the train station. Q126
rooms (126 singles, 126 doubles). TA6UGXW h
Start Hotel Aramis H-7, ul. Mangalia 3b, tel. (+48)
22 207 80 00, www.puhit.pl. Slightly forbidding at first
glance this one star hotel offers base comfort at even lower
prices. Do go the extra yard and shell out on a renovated room
- perks are minimal but the rooms are clean and come with
television and internet access. Q232 rooms (232 singles,
92 doubles, 139 triples). TYHAR6ULGK h
Start Hotel Atos H-7, ul. Mangalia 1, tel. (+48) 22
207 70 00, .puhit.pl. Another hotel where spending the
extra on a premium komfort room is wholly encouraged.
Doing so gains you digs in clean, renovated rooms with
functional furniture and wifi and tv. Cutting costs gets you
something altogether more basic. Q231 rooms (231 singles,
106 doubles, 109 triples). TYHAR6ULGK h
Apartments
InterContinental A-4, ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. (+48)
22 328 88 88, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com.
Luxury apartments aimed at the long-stay corporate traveller.
Guests are awarded all the privileges granted to those stay-
ing in the hotel, including 24hr room service and use of the
fitness centre. Q76 rooms (76 apartments). PTHA
R6UFLGKDCwW hhhhh
Mamaison Residence Diana Warsaw C- 3, ul.
Chmielna 13a, tel. (+48) 22 505 91 00, www.mamai-
son.com/diana. An outstanding set of serviced apartments
filled with designer furniture and extras such as DVD players,
hi-fi and fully functioning kitchens. Very chic, and absolutely
perfect for the travelling CEO. Services include a 24hr English-
speaking reception, laundry and business facilities. Q46
rooms (46 apartments). PTHARLGKW
P&O Apartments B-2, ul. Miodowa 12 lok.22, tel.
(+48) 508 13 59 95, www.pandoapartments.com.pl.
Good looking, modern furnished apartments in locations
across Warsaw - both centre and out. All sizes, and all bud-
gets, though with a distinct slant towards the higher end of
the market. Q60 rooms (60 apartments). TA6GW
Residence 1898 B-4, ul. Marszakowska 72, tel. (+48)
22 523 62 78, www.1898.pl. Designer apartments and
studios aimed at the high-flying long-term traveller. Accommo-
dation comes fitted with state-of-the-art goodies that include
plasma screen TVs, DVD players and high speed internet ac-
cess. Sliding doors hide fully-equipped kitchens and beautiful
bathrooms complete with bath oils and dressing gowns. Q24
rooms (24 apartments). PTAR6LGW
While the name sounds like that of a soap opera charac-
ter or possibly a romance novel heroine, Polands Rosa
Luxemburg was not a fictional figure though her story as
a noted revolutionary socialist is just as dramatic. Born in
the southern city of Zamo (which was then controlled
by Russia) in 1871, Luxemburg was the fifth child born to a
Polish Jewish family that eventually moved to the capital of
Warsaw. There Luxemburg attended school and got her first
taste of political activity by becoming involved in the left-wing
Proletariat party, a short-lived socialist political party that
was essentially dissolved after most of its members were
executed or imprisoned around 1886. Luxemburg fled to
Switzerland in 1889 to escape persecution for her beliefs and
enrolled in Zurich University, where she met Leo Jogiches a
fellow student and the man who would be her romantic and
political partner for the rest of her life.
Together the duo founded the Social Democratic Party of
the Kingdom of Poland and created a newspaper, Sprawa
Robotnicza (The Workers Cause) to oppose the policies
of the Polish Socialist Party. Luxemburg maintained the
position that an independent Poland would only come about
through socialist revolution, a position she held from across
the border in Germany (by 1898 Luxemburg had married
Gustav Lubeck in order to gain German citizenship and
settled in Berlin). In Germany Luxemburg was an active
participant in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
and accurately foresaw the upcoming war, condemning
Germanys militarization and writing analyses about Euro-
pean socio-economic issues as well as speaking publicly
to workers about solidarity in the event of war.
Despite Luxemburgs efforts to unite workers into a strike
against war, when the Balkans erupted in 1914 there was
no such strike, and the SPD itself voted to support financing
the war and refraining from strikes throughout its duration.
Not one to take things lying down, Luxemburg promptly
organised anti-war demonstrations and earned herself
a year in prison for inciting to disobedience against the
authorities law and order. Shortly thereafter Luxemburg
and likeminded friends, including Karl Liebknecht, founded
the Spartacus League which generated anti-war leaflets
and continued to encourage workers to strike against the
war. Those efforts landed Luxemburg back in prison once
again, this time for a 2.5 year stretch beginning in 1916.
Upon her release in November 1918 Luxemburg and
Liebknecht immediately regrouped the Spartacus League
and created the Red Flag newspaper to continue press-
ing their ideas which now included amnesty for political
prisoners and an end to capital punishment. The following
month saw the duo found the Communist Party of Ger-
many amidst the countrys post-war revolution, though
the revolutions second wave would prove deadly for both
Luxemburg and Liebknecht. While Luxemburg herself op-
posed the revolutions violent grab at power, the Red Flag
backed the rebels and both Luxemburg and Liebknecht
were seized, questioned and summarily executed as a
result. Luxemburgs corpse was thrown into the Landwehr
Canal, where it went undiscovered for four months.
Despite her untimely death Luxemburg left a vast legacy
of ideas and writings, with the term Luxemburgism even
used to describe a specific revolutionary theory within
Marxism that is based on her work. And while there are
currently no monuments or memorials to the revolution-
ary in Poland, Berlin sports a U-Bahn station named in
her honour (Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz) and a memorial in
the citys Tiergarten marking the spot where her body
was tossed in the canal.
Rosa Luxemburg
35
WHERE TO STAY
Residence St. Andrews Palace B- 4, ul. Chmielna
30, tel. (+48) 22 826 46 40, www.residencestan-
drews.pl. Fantasti c apartments i n a wonder ful, ful l y
renovated building in the most central location possible:
ul. Chmielna. Not a penny was spared in the decoration
and kitting out of these places, and the nice little touches
that are found all over - from the marble in the bathrooms
to the full y fi tted ki tchens wi th washing machines and
dishwashers - will convince you that this was money well
spent. Free Wi fi and daily cleaning included. I f this were a
hotel, it would be in the Cream of the Crop section, these
apartments are that nice. Q24 rooms (24 apartments).
PTARGW
Hostels
Camera B-3, ul. Jasna 22, tel. (+48) 22 828 86 00,
www.camerahostel.com. Weve never seen a more
bustling hostel than Camera, where the average age of the
guests appears to be 22. Graffiti decorates nearly every
bare space, including the shaky elevator, which adds to the
very youthful feel. The large kitchen is painted like a cartoon
saloon, and lanky male travellers feel comfortable enough
to wander the halls in their boxer shorts. A great location
and sense of camaraderie for younger travellers looking to
connect and party. Q15 rooms (1 single, 5 doubles, 1 triple,
70 Dorm beds). 6GW
Moon C-3, ul. Foksal 16, tel. (+48) 22 468 00 66,
www.moonhostel.pl. I f its all about location then Moon
Hostels new Warsaw location is one of the best, with a
prime buil ding in the heart of bustling Foksal. The 26
rooms range from one to eight beds, some with ensuite
bathrooms, and in-room flatscreen tvs. The combined
ki tchen/l ounge area is naturall y sparklingl y new, wi th
cushy leather sofas and a foosball table ready for action.
Ideal for visitors who want their hostel to feel like a hotel.
Q26 rooms (14 doubles, 5 triples, 3 quads, 1 Five-person
room , 1 Six-person room , 1 Seven-person room , 1 Eight-
person room). A6GW
Oki Doki B-3, Pl. Dbrowskiego 3, tel. (+48) 22 828
01 22, www.okidoki.pl. A charismatic hostel stuffed with
abstract art, bits and pieces from thrift stores and wacky
colour schemes. Rooms (and the reception area) are cur-
rently getting a small refurb though they still dont have
numbers, just themes, and have been designed by a team
of local artists. Take a look at The Realm of Narnia, like
something straight out of C.S. Lewis, or The Communist
Dorm, filled with commie iconography and scenes from So-
cialist Paradise. Kitchen and internet also available for guests
(iffy in rooms, always in common spaces), as well as what
the owners promise is the cheapest beer in Warsaw. For
something more upmarket check into the decidely boutique
Castle Inn, a second pet venture from the same team behind
the Oki Doki. Q37 rooms (1 single, 21 doubles, 5 triples, 60
Dorm beds). TYA6G
Team Hostel D-7, ul. Lechicka 23 B, tel. (+48) 22
868 09 68, www.teamhostel.com. Get recruited for
Team Hostel, a newcomer that makes the hostel l i ng
experience rather plush with air conditioned rooms, free
wi-fi and a location that splits the di fference between the
airport and the city centre. With easy access to public
transit youll be in bunk bed heaven here, where guests
can choose from the private two-bed option or the more
communal 20-bed megaroom. Be sure to test the staffs
insider tips to the city, which are nothing short of com-
prehensive. Q14 rooms (2 singles, 2 doubles, 100 Dorm
beds). TA6GW
Are you tired of staying in standard hotels?
Feel at home in P&O Apartments in Warsaw.
P&O Apartments offers you accommodation for rent
in the center of the City for overnight stays or for lon-
ger visits and helps you to feel at home in Warsaw.
We offer professional service, quality and excellent
locations as well as competitive pricing.
land line +48 22 636 86 99,
mobile +48 508 135 995
e-mail: booking@pandoapartments.eu
Internet: www.pandoapartments.com.pl
For sun lovers we offer properties for
Sale & Rental on the Costa Del Sol in Spain.
Visit our new and modern office
in Marbella on Costa del Sol or call us
+34 663 652 145; +34951245424
Internet: www.pandoapartments.es
email: costadelsol@pandoapartments.es
36
RESTAURANTS
American
Burger Bar G-6, ul. Puawska 74/80. The space is
small and the lines are long, but Burger Bars simple list
of classic burgers makes up for what the location lacks
(namely sides and much of a beverage selection). Choose
from the chalkboard menu - weve had the juicy cheese-
burger more than once - and tell the chef your selection.
I f the only other employee is on the phone hell ask you to
pay later rather than handle your money, so grab a seat
at one of the four odd tables and buckle up: this is a con-
tender for Warsaws best burger, and youre going to need
both hands and plenty of napkins. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00.
Closed Mon. AB
Hard Rock Cafe B-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel.
(+48) 22 222 07 00, www.hardrockcafe.pl. Is there
anything more American than sinking your teeth into a 10oz
burger stacked with cheddar and bacon while staring at the
jacket worn by Jimi Hendrix on the cover of Are You Experi-
enced? The Hard Rock Cafe has based a business around the
concept of unrivalled burgers and impressive memorabilia,
and Warsaws chapter is no different. The two-story venue
features a wall made of 675 guitars and menu items like hefty
nachos and barbecue ribs. The dark basement bar churns
out heaping drinks that look like they require two straws.
Even the bathrooms are painfully cool, labelled Guns for
him and Roses for her. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. (29-93z).
PTAUEGBSW
Sioux B-4, ul. Chmielna 35, tel. (+48) 22 827 82 55,
www.sioux.com.pl. Sioux interprets the American Wild
West as only a chain of themed restaurants can: cheesely.
Grab a Conestoga wagon booth or a table under a framed
photo of Chief Sitting Bull and peruse a menu that tries to
recreate li fe around the campfire with unimpressive ribs,
cold fries and a random selection of Mexican offerings like
fajitas and burritos. Youll find a Sioux serving up cheap,
completely average food in almost every city of size in Po-
land, and unless youre a diehard wagon wheel fanatic, trot
your spurs on to a more interesting (and flavourful) option.
QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 23:00. (20-99z).
PTAUGBSW
SomePl ace El se C- 4, ul . Prusa 2 (Sheraton
Warsaw Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 450 67 10, www.
warszawa.someplace- else.pl. SPE has been serving
up some of the best burgers in Warsaw for as l ong as
we can remember, and a recent visi t shows li ttl e has
changed: the Orient Express burger is a marriage of lamb
and roast beef doused in hallumi cheese and Medi ter-
ranean veggi es - epi c and creati ve. The large, open bar
is capabl e of mi xing up anything you can think of, includ-
ing a spi cy bl oody Mary to accompany the Sheratons
brunch, whi ch is served here on Sunday. Recommended
particularly i f you are sleeping upstairs so you wont have
far to haul your happil y fed sel f. QOpen 12:00 - 00:30,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:30, Sun 12:00 - 23:30. (41-160z).
PTAUEGBSW
T.G.I. Fridays E-2, Al. Jana Pawa II 29, tel. (+48) 22
653 83 60, www.tgifridays.pl. The Fridays experience as
replicated the world over, so no surprises to find Americana
aplenty and staff fitted out with bells, whistles and other
moronic markings. The Warsaw op features decent burgers
and, i f you catch them on the right day, some smashing
steaks. By day a family fave, at night its a bit more grown up
with expats and locals, usually in office attire, drinking shots
and braying for cocktails. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun
12:00 - 24:00. (35-70z). PTAUGBSW
Warsaws come a long way and fast, and nowhere is the
urban vibrancy more apparent than in the citys progres-
sive culinary scene. The immediate post-communist
obsession with Italian has since given way to fusion,
sushi and - most recently - steak, and dining out is now
a truly international experience.
Disappointments do still exist, however, with gruff, ditzy
or plainly incompetent service being a common lament.
Youd think the opening hours we list are self-explanatory.
Not so. Venues will more often than not close their doors
if business is slow. Other restobars often employ dif-
ferent sets of hours for bar and kitchen - the times we
list in such cases are for the kitchen, and the prices we
list in brackets denote the cost of the cheapest and
most expensive main course on the menu. In regards to
tipping, either round the bill up or leave 10% - but only if
you think the service warrants it. Here is a selection of
recommendations depending what you are looking for.
Business
Restauracja Rozana is an experienced local offering
that will impress the client and give you room to talk shop,
while Butchery and Wine recently won accolades as
the citys top restaurant. For a more casual atmosphere
weve spotted many briefcases and ties at Socjals
communal table.
Cheap
The many Bar Mleczny canteens (Milk Bars) are a
legacy to the communist past, and while theyre cheap
you may wish to skip them unless you really are bone
broke and starving.
Couples
Festa Italianas authentic cuisine will have you sharing
dishes and eating off each others forks while Halka
has elegant date night interiors and a menu to match.
Kids
Hard Rock Cafe is always going to be a favourite and
they do know how to make your special ones feel special.
Lads
The Warsaw Tortilla Factory is the place to prove your
worth to the team by guzzling lager from private taps while
noshing on the citys best burritos. Or if you like meatier
fare were fans of the burgers at Sheratons Someplace
Else and the steaks at 99 Restaurant and Bar.
Polski
Eat Commie style in Oberza Pod Czerwonym Wiepr-
zem, or for a more upscale take on Polish cuisine try Dom
Polski. For a new take on Polish cuisine in the form of
burgers try Lokal Bistro Warszawa.
Eating at a glance
38
RESTAURANTS
Brazilian
Browar de Brasil B- 4, ul. Marszakowska 76/80,
tel. (+48) 534 60 09 90, www.browardebrasil.pl. The
large copper tanks are your first clue that this new two-story
churrascaria is serious about brewing their own high-quality
beer. The attire worn by the waitresses might throw you off
for a minute - yes, they are dressed in tacky, revealing faux
football uniforms - but the four in-house beers are worthy, and
carnivores will swoon at the ten different types of meat that
arrive on a giant sword in all-you-can-eat style for 59z. Sure
to be as popular as the flagship d location. QOpen 10:00
- 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 01:00. (18-59z). PTABXS
British
Legends British Bar & Restaurant B-4, ul. Emilii
Plater 25, tel. (+48) 22 622 46 40, www.legendsbar.
pl. Legends is settling gently into its rhythm as the thinking
(and eating) mans football watching venue of choice. Basi-
cally has two things going for it: good British grub (a steak
and kidney to relish is served), British ales and Sky Sports
(if the waitress can work out which channel is showing what).
What it needs now are a few pints spilt on the floor and a few
rowdy evenings to knock off the new look. Find it a stones
throw south of the Marriott hotel. QOpen 11:00 - 21:00,
Sat, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (25-50z). PTA6BXSW
Chinese
Cesarski Paac B-2, ul. Senatorska 27, tel. (+48) 22
827 97 07, www.cesarski-palac.com.pl. The lunch deal
is one of the best value in the city, so expect a bit of a free-
for-all once the clock hits one. The food is a mix of Chinese
flavours, with more Szechuan than Beijing, though its this
lack of focus that eventually hamstrings this locale: theres
just too much on offer. If they stuck to what they knew best
it could easily become one of the better Asian eateries in
Warsaw. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:30 - 23:00, Sun
12:30 - 22:00. (29-136z). PTAUGBSW
China Garden ul. Kazachska 1 (Wilanw), tel. (+48) 22
241 10 10, www.chinagarden.pl. Excellent food served in an
elegant but relaxed atmosphere down in the moneyed Wilanow
district of Warsaw. Unlike many Chinese restaurants the decora-
tion is tastefully done with tiled floors, lanterns and lots of reds
and blacks with an aquarium and fountain centrepieces. The
food is authentic with a particular focus on the cuisine of the
Jiangsu region and the menu offers a comprehensive choice of
dishes including a beautifully presented Nanjing duck. Of note if
you are visiting the palace at Wilanow, youll find it a 10 minute
walk along Klimczaka, the start of which is the left of the two
streets directly across the road from the palace entrance. Its
definitely worth the walk and arguably even the cab fare from the
centre. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (22-59z). PTAUGSW
The Oriental C-3, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Warsaw Hotel),
tel. (+48) 22 450 67 05, www.theoriental.pl. Exquisite
dishes at premium prices. The menu covers every kitchen from
Japan to Singapore, with the seafood earning particularly high
scores. Q Closed during August except for Sunday brunch,
which is available 12:30 - 16:30. In September open 17:00 -
23:00, Sun 12:30 - 16:30. (35-140z). PTAUGSW
Czech
U Szwejka F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. (+48) 22 339 17
10, www.uszwejka.pl. This aging establishment, equipped
with Czech street signs and images of simpleton Szwejk, is
a bit of a Warsaw classic, and while it looks brash and basic
After holding out to be one of the few remaining EU coun-
tries with no prohibitions on smoking, a new law put into
effect on November 15th, 2010 finally limited smoking
in public places. Smoking is now completely banned in
Poland on public transport, transport stops and stations,
schools and universities, workplaces, sports arenas and
other places where the public gather. Owners are obliged
to place a clear and visible No Smoking sign and anyone
caught smoking by either the police or local city guards
(Stra Miejska) is supposedly subject to a 500z fine.
However, in the case of bars, clubs, restaurants and
other public places, the law states that there can be
a separate room for smokers as long as it is properly
ventilated and closed off from the other public areas. In
response to the controversial legislation, many owners
have exercised their right to create a small smoking
room, however others have made the majority of their
establishment smoker-friendly with only a small area set
aside for non-smokers. Due to a lack of enforcement,
some establishments openly flout the law by allowing
smoking wherever they want. As such, while smoking
in public places in Poland has been greatly reduced, it
still continues in many places. To help you find or avoid
places which continue to allow smoking on the premises
we have used the following symbols throughout the guide:
G This place has a complete smoking ban on the
premises
X This place has a smoking section on the premises
Smoking
39
RESTAURANTS
the food is fine and the portions are scary. The steak is in-
consistent, so best stick to ordering standards like sausages
and schnitzel, and visit in summer when a terrace opens
onto Pl. Konstytucji. Patience is a good tactic to use with
the staff, but theres certainly no criticism of the Pilsner on
draught - cut the dismal waiting times by ordering in steins.
QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00.
(18-52z). PTAEBXSW
French
Charlotte. Chleb i Wino F- 4, Al. Wyzwolenia 18
(entrance from Pl. Zbawiciela), tel. (+48) 22 628 44
59, www.bistrocharlotte.com. Sinking your teeth into
Charlottes pain au chocolate you expect to hear La Seine
bubbling past, but instead its your waitress bringing giant
jars of jams, honey and chocolate spread to dig into - this
doesnt look like typical French portion control. This new
French bakery/bistro is already a popular breakfast spot,
and a communal table in the center of the restaurant is
a genius solution for the many solo diners ducking in for
a pastry and a latte. The service at this start-up is still
spotty, but considering the crowds its also understand-
able. Charlotte is the ideal place to sip a Perrier and nibble
a tart without feeling like le snob. QOpen 07:00 - 23:45,
Fri 07:00 - 00:45, Sat 09:00 - 00:45, Sun 09:00 - 21:45.
(8-16z). TA6GBSW
La Rotisserie B-1, ul. Kocielna 12 (Mamaison
Le Regina Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 531 60 70, www.
leregina.com. Tucked i nsi de the el egant Mamai son
Hotel, this high impact treasure presided over by chef
Pawel Oszczyk will leave you bowled over. Decorated with
calming vanilla and caramel colours, Rotisserie is a worthy
indulgence i f youre looking to impress and have the bank
to do it. The chefs tasting menu is the place to splurge,
with six courses of Polish/French cuisine that emphasises
seasonal foods, while the three-course lunch menu lets
budget conscious foodies get their hands on the likes of
Welsh lamb, risotto and a rich chocolate cake. Recom-
mended. QOpen 06:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 23:00.
(86-124z). PTAGBSW
Saint Jacques A-3, ul. witokrzyska 34, tel. (+48)
22 620 25 31, www.saintjacques.pl. Directly across
the road from the Warsaw Financial Centre and a few more
metres from the Intercontinental hotel, this French venture
is adorably quaint and well located. A range of well-prepared
French favouri tes (including frogs l egs and snails) are
served amongst black and white floor-to-ceiling pictures of
French street scenes that make it easy to forget the busy
city speeding by outside. The lamb shank with herbs and
truffle puree and brunoise vegetables is their signature
dish for a reason, but we were equally delighted with the
rustic savoury crepes. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (28-56z).
PTAGBSW
Fusion
Fusion A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II 21 (The Westin Hotel),
tel. (+48) 22 450 86 31, www.restauracjafusion.pl.
Beautifully presented food in the modern, if regularly quiet,
interiors of the Westin hotel. The food here is very good, if a
tad pricey compared to city restaurants, but you get what you
pay for, with everything being of a superior quality. Regular
seasonal specials based around particular ingredients keep
happy local foodies coming back for more. Great brunches
return in September after a summer break. Q Open 06:30 -
10:30, 12:00 - 22:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 10:30, 12:30 - 22:30.
(45-150z). PTAUGSW
40
RESTAURANTS
Papaya C-3, ul. Foksal 16, tel. (+48) 22 826 11 99,
www.papaya.waw.pl. Well never tire of recommending
Papaya, an ice white venue rated as one of the best restau-
rants in the city. Oysters come plucked from the aquarium,
while an open kitchen allows the pleasure of watching the
chefs at work; these guys dont miss a beat, and show off
every trick in the book as they create standout dishes like
steamed bass in banana leaf. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (32-
265z). PTABXSW
Theatro C-3, ul. Foksal 18, tel. (+48) 22 828 09 32,
www.theatro1811.com. Newcomer Theatro is easily the
most grown-up place on Warsaws busy Foksal Street.
The interiors instantl y wow - and make you reflexi vel y
smooth your attire - and show an impressive attention
to detail in everything from the stone walls to the im-
maculately set tables. Where Theatro loses steam is its
enormous menu; our waiter had to be sent away twice as
we pawed through pages of just drink choices. Fusion
seems to mean everything but the kitchen sink, and the
well-priced entrees can be hit (mix vegetable salad) and
miss (a gluey papardelle pasta). QOpen 09:00 - 23:00.
(30-75z). PTAGSW
Galician
C.K. Obera B- 4, ul. Chmielna 28, tel. (+48) 22 828
45 85, www.ckoberza.pl. Budget priced dinners, pints
of lager and a bubbly atmosphere come presented inside
a basic room decked out in dark woods. The menu is all
pork chops, potato pancakes and plates of animals, and
happil y consumed by crowds who recognize a serious
bargain. QOpen 11:00 - 23:30, Sun 12:00 - 23:30. (27-
68z). AGBS
Georgian
Bar Gruziski Argo B-2, ul. Piwna 46, tel. (+48) 22
635 06 03. Where once was the smallest curry house in
all Poland now stands a Georgian chop house which serves
brilliant food at cracking prices. The lamb in plum sauce is
top notch, and the chinkali (Georgian dumplings) will give any
pierogi in town a run for their money. Only a handful of tables,
so reserve if you want to eat here at weekends. QOpen
13:00 - 22:00. (24-38z). GS
German
Adler C-4, ul. Mokotowska 69, tel. (+48) 22 628 73
84, www.adlerrestauracja.pl. Its been years since Adler
was touted as a top restaurant, but those who do visit will
find just that. Still popular with an over-40 business crowd
this circular haunt comes laden with peasant contraptions,
and serves up classic German recipes presented by girls
dressed as Heidi. QOpen 10:00 - 23:30, Sat, Sun 13:00 -
23:30. (39-65z). PTA6GBS
Greek
El Greco A-3, ul. Grzybowska 9, tel. (+48) 22 654 04
58, www.elgreco-restauracja.pl. On the downside is a
location on the ground floor of a hulking sixties tower block.
Fortunately theyve done a good job on doing it up, and youll
only notice now weve told you. It certainly looks the deal with
a light, bright atmosphere, while the menu is the complete
Grecian experience, right down to the excellent seafood.
Theres even the option for breakfast during the weekday,
an additional reason to pop in and have a look around.
QOpen 08:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (34-72z).
PTAUBXSW
R E S T A U R A N T
&
C L U B
www.bollywoodlounge.pl
BEST INDIAN
RESTAURANT IN POLAND
facebook.com/bollywoodloungepl
COME, TASTE & FEEL THE DIFFERENCE
BOLLYWOOD LOUNGE
Przeskok 2, 00-032 Warsaw
+48 22 827 02 83
+48 666 145 001
41
RESTAURANTS
Indian
Bollywood Lounge B-3, ul. Przeskok 2, tel. (+48)
22 827 02 83, www.bollywoodlounge.pl. Dark and low-
ceilinged, Bollywood feels like the kind of on-the-mark Indian
restaurant that friends tell friends about. Paging through the
menu to the beat of Bhangra music, diners will find some of
the best Indian food in the city - more chicken dishes than we
can count (from tikka masala to tandoori) and creamy paneer
options to boot. The 19z lunch specials remain popular with
local businessmen, who arent above throwing a shisha in to
seal the deal. One thing that has seen a major improvement is
the service, with attentive waitresses who bring both the food
and the bill at impressive speeds. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00,
Fri 12:00 - 01:00, Sat 14:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00.
(25-36z). PTAUBXSW
Bombaj Masala A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II 23, tel. (+48)
606 68 87 77, www.bombajmasala.pl. This local favourite
has expanded from its small location in Mokotw to include
a surprisingly upscale spot on Jana Pawla, and the suits are
all the better for it. Our tikka masala actually had a respect-
able kick (rare in spice-averse Poland) and the palak paneer
was both creamy and rich. The real gem of this new location,
however, is the service. Our waitress was happy to toss out
recommendations (get lasooni nan over plain nan) and was
exceptionally attentive. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (16-42z).
PTAUGBS
Ganesh F-4, ul. Wilcza 50/52, tel. (+48) 22 623 02 66,
www.ganesh.pl. If you can move past the overwhelming
incense that greets you at the door, Ganesh offers hearty help-
ings of Indian food set in a well-planned, modern Eastern inte-
rior. Heaps of pillows and Bollywood films on the flatscreens
round out the experience, but rarely did our focus stray from the
tikka masala and chicken madras. Both offer a spiciness that
is rare to find among a populace that fears a burning tongue.
QOpen 12:00 - 23:30. (30-50z) PTAVGBSW
If youre fortunate enough
to be in Poland on August
15 you will get to experi-
ence a somber nati onal
holiday: Polish Army Day.
The ti tl e sounds vague,
but it commemorates the
fact that Pol i sh sol di ers
repulsed an attack from
Sovi et Cossack uni ts i n
the 1920 battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Bolshevik
war. The Polish 1st Army resisted the Red Armys direct
assault on the capital as well as the attack on the town
of Radzymin 23km away. The success of the Polish Army
in sending the Soviets packing is often called the miracle
at the Vistula. Naturally, this holiday didnt exist while
Poland was under communism, but in 1992 the Sejm cre-
ated the public holiday to coincide with the Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary a two-for-one holiday, if you will.
In addition to celebrating past victories, August 15 is also
a day of holy masses to honor those who died in battle.
Military cemeteries have ceremonies to commemorate
the war dead, and in front of the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier in Warsaw the Changing of the Guard of Honor
is celebrated with the participation of the Highest State
Authorities. In Warsaw celebrations also typically include
a speech by the president and parades on Pisudskiego.
Polish Army Day
www.prezydent.pl
42
RESTAURANTS
Saffron Spices F- 4, Plac Konstytucji 3, tel. (+48)
22 622 94 10, www.saffronspices.pl. Open less than
a year and Saffron Spices has already made big changes,
shi fting the restaurant from a drab, undecorated space
on Plac Konstytucji to a two-story mammoth with views
of the street and more atmosphere. Fortunately the food
remains consistentl y good: the restaurants si gnature
lentil dish is an instant favourite, pairing deliciously with
piping hot naan. The crunchy onion bhaji are also a good
pre-meal option, especially since the speedy staff brings
them out ahead of the main course. An additional Asian
menu of dishes like pad Thai, fried rice and various Viet-
namese dishes is now also available, but were partial
to the Indian staples. QOpen 11:00 - 22:30. (14-35z).
PTAUGBSW
International
12 stolikw F-3, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. (+48) 22 578
23 88. If the idea of a restaurant not having a menu sounds
pretentious, well, we thought the same thing. Fortunately the
concept turns out to be charming at 12 Stolikw, a small
restaurant that writes the ever-changing offerings on a
chalkboard facing diners. Waitresses are happy to interpret,
and though the transient system means you might not get
the delicious tomato soup with pesto or handmade ravioli
that we did, their quality indicates you cant go wrong. The
high ceilings and stacks of wine crates are all that pass for
dcor, but we couldnt take our eyes off the chef tempering
chocolate on the centre island - call it dinner and show.
And were not the only ones who think so: 12 Stolikow was
named one of the top five restaurants in Warsaw in 2011
by Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Fri
08:00 - 22:30, Sat 09:00 - 22:30, Sun 09:00 - 22:00. (20-
70z). PA6UGBSW
Bagno Food & Wine B-3, ul. Bagno 2, tel. (+48)
22 620 22 77, www.bagno2.pl. Bagno proves to be
full of surprises. A simple order of the fillet of trout comes
with perfectly chosen seasonal vegetables; the attentive
staff manages a bustling lunchtime trade of nearby office
workers smoothly; and what appears to be an industrial,
concrete-and-plywood dcor is accented with a series of
large photos of naked Asian women in bondage. Thrown
for a loop? You sure are, but its a good one. The menu is
short and to the point, with items like Italian bruschetta and
Asian sesame chicken blending together seamlessly. QOpen
10:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. (29-49z).
PTAUGBSW
Bierhalle C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 64, tel. (+48) 609 67 77
65, www.bierhalle.pl. Bierhalle have 2 locations in the city
of which this is the more central. Located on the equivalent
of Warsaws main street, youll find bench seating, generous
portions of good food and a tasty range of in-house brewed
beers. Match a stein of fresh pils with something from their
picture menu which features local favourites like pierogi, pork
knuckle and kaszanka (a kind of black pudding) as well as
dishes more often associated with Polands beer drinking
neighbours; German Wurst, Austrian Schnitzel and Hungar-
ian Goulash. Simple, accessible and with regular promotions
make this a popular spot. Also at Al. Jana Pawa II 82 (D-1,
Arkadia). QOpen 12:00 - 22:45, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:45, Sun
12:00 - 21:45. (18-50z). PTAGBSW
BrowArmia B-3, ul. Krlewska 1, tel. (+48) 22 826
54 55, www.browarmia.pl. Warsaws other mi cro-
brewery tends to mysteriously live in the shadow of the
more famous Bierhalle, and though it fails to share the
lively atmosphere of its rival, BrowArmia is by no means
Authentic Indian and Thai cuisine
prepared by chefs from India and Thailand.
Wide range of alcoholic beverages.
Special indian and thai lunch menu from 12 pm to 4 pm
at very attractive prices.
Ample space for organising private parties
and corporate dinners.
PL. KONSTYTUCJI 3, WARSAW
For reservations please call
TEL. 22 622 94 10, MOB. 797 597 100
info@saffronspices. pl, www. saffronspices. pl
restauracja indyjska i tajska
43
RESTAURANTS
second best. The interior has a dark beer hall vibe with
all the requisi te pipes, dials and tanks on display, as
well as a good menu that trounces the competition - the
sticky wings pair perfectly with a BrowArmia pils. More
importantly the beer is top standard and best imbibed
on the seasonal terrace looking onto bustling Krakowskie
Przedmiecie. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 24:00.
(27-66z). PTAEBXSW
Concept C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 16/18,
tel. (+48) 22 492 74 09, www.likusconceptstore.pl.
Its hard to do justice to Concept restaurant, one of the
most impressive dining experiences to be found in War-
saw. Found inside a former pre-war bathhouse this place
is accessed down a gloomy looking courtyard, flanked on
each side by kebab stands and student dives. Dont turn
back. Instead duck through the entrance to find yoursel f
in a whole di fferent world. Decorated with glazed floor
tiles, shimmery fabrics and a skylight this place looks
every inch a masterpiece. Keeping up with the surrounds
is the food, with a newly launched menu that includes a
near perfect steak. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun.
(29-99z). PTAEBXSW
DeCoteria H-1, ul. Zbkowska 16, tel. (+48) 603
60 22 52, www.decoteriacafe.pl. A smal l restau-
rant wi th a pl easant orange i nteri or, DeCoteri a i s one
of the few cl utter-free l ocati ons i n Praga for a meal.
Thanks to that rol e i t has a crowd that mi xes young
Praga hi psters wi th moms toti ng strol l ers, al l tucki ng
i nto a menu that seems to of fer di shes from around
the gl obe (Hungari an-styl e pancakes wi th stew, for a
start). We stuck to the Pol i sh fare and found the potato
pancakes to be a wi nner. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (16-
45z). TA6UGBSW
If you have an opinion about any of the venues listed in this
guide, let the two million regular unique visitors to our web-
site, warsaw.inyourpocket.com, know about it. Every
venue on our website now has a function for comments,
be they critical, complimentary or comical, so spill it.
Olive Garden
Great restaurant an excellent opportunity to explore
new tastes! Sabrina, Madrid, July 2012
Ganesh
Best Indian in Warsaw. Good food, great curry and the
inside climate - awesome!
Izzon, U.K., May 2012
Na Zielnej
Na Zielnej has a lovely ambience, wonderful waiters who
can translate chick peas; on the menu if needed and can
put on a real Warsaw power lunch.
Letitia, Vermont, May 2012
Male Piwo
Best place for a nice evening!
Kuba, Warsaw, May 2012
The Pictures Art Bar Cafe
Ok drinks and rude waitresses, do not recommend.
Valentyna, Ukraine, June 2012
Have Your Say
Bracka 9, Warsaw
tel. +48 22 310 7373
www.vitkac.com
open: mon-sun 11.00-23.00
Concept 13 is located on the top oor
of VITKAC - the rst luxury department
store in the country. The bright, modern
interior offers breathtaking views of
the capitals vibrant urban scenery. But
the architecture is not all the cuisine
will satisfy even the most discerning
gourmand. The modern international
menu with Polish traditional accents
guarantees culinary contentment.
44
RESTAURANTS
Five A-3, ul. Grzybowska 5, tel. (+48) 793 53 53 53,
www.fiverestaurant.eu. Guaranteed a steady flow of
customers by its designer looks and top location amongst
Warsaws biggest and best hotels, this place doesnt have to
be all that good, but is. In fact, recent visits have made us love
the place all over again, as the menu of simple Italian classics
always delivers a decent meal at a fair price. Look out for
the changing specials, which on our last trip included some
terrific grilled salmon with leek sauce. QOpen 11:00 - 23:30,
Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:30. (19-49z). PTAVGBSW
Flow C-3, ul. Chmielna 2, tel. (+48) 519 30 00 68, www.
flowbar.pl. A light, bright cafe bar on the corner of Chmielna
and Nowy wiat, day time sees coffee and a decent choice of
lunch options served in a modern setting with large windows
offering plenty of people watching opportunities. As day turns
to night, this turns into a decent pre-club option with guest DJs
coming in to entertain the young and fashionable crowd. One
of the few central places with an indoor smoking area inciden-
tally. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00. (20-40z). PAEBXSW
Galeria Freta B-1, ul. Freta 39, tel. (+48) 22 831 02
35, www.galeriafreta.pl. Bar? Restaurant? Caf? A mix of
all to be honest, and a highly impressive addition to an area
more known for its tourist traps. Landmarks here include a
glass topped atrium filled with plants and posters, as well
as a more formal chamber consisting of antiques and gilt.
This place is huge, and well worth poking around, and while
the design suggests dollar signs it actually transpires to be
a very good deal. Salads are a particular forte, though more
voracious appetites should look to the king prawns. QOpen
10:00 - 22:00. (22-75z). PTAGBSW
Gastronomia Rozrywkowa B- 3, ul. Szpitalna 8
(entrance from ul. Grskiego), tel. (+48) 22 828 42
85, www.gastronomiarozrywkowa.pl. A two-level bistro
set on a quiet street just away from the hustle and bustle
in the centre of the city. A small downstairs area connects
to an intimate upstairs with black and white prints on walls
tastefully decorated with striped wallpaper set above wooden
picture rails. The menu is concise featuring an international
selection of well-prepared and presented dishes including
soups, salads, pastas and meat dishes. Good as a lunch
stop, where the daily specials are well-worth the few euro
prices, it is a particularly recommendable as a place for an
intimate meal away from the crowds of Chmielna with the
food matched by a good selection of wines and cocktails.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00.
(27-52z). TA6GBSW
Grand Kredens A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 111, tel. (+48)
22 629 80 08, www.kredens.com.pl. Few places in
Warsaw match this for a fine, dare we say splendid dining
experience. The decor is tremendously, enjoyably eclectic,
and the menu - with a terrific variety of fish (amongst much
else) to savour - well up to the challenge of its rivals. It is not
by any means the cheapest place in town, but we would be
fairly certain that however big the bill, you will leave feeling
well satisfied. This has been around Warsaw longer than
we have and its a treat. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun
11:00 - 24:00. (33-100z). PTA6UEGBSW
Gwiazdeczka Jazz Zone B-2, ul. Piwna 40, tel. (+48)
22 887 87 64, www.jazzzone.pl. A venue of legend, with a
show stealing skylight allowing diners the privilege of dining
under the stars. Can anything be more romantic? Certainly,
like the old town location for a start. Faultlessly presented,
the menu here is global in style and every much the lure as
the jazz thats promised. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (22-45z).
PTAEGBSW
Taste the forest at Kredens
restaurant in the carpaccio
with porcini mushrooms and
goose leg with beetroot and
special przecieraki noodles.
Al. Jerozolimskie 111, Warszawa
tel. 22 629 80 08
www.kredens.com.pl
kredens@kredens.com.pl
Happy Hour
From 16.00 to 18.00 enjoy a
happy hour of selected spirits and
beverages at a 50% discount
45
RESTAURANTS
Na Zielnej B-3, ul. Zielna 37, tel. (+48) 22 338 63
33, www.nazielnej.pl. You may remember this as KOM,
an old favourite housed in Warsaws former telephone
exchange. Re-branded and given a slight makeover, this
has been immediately installed as one of our fave places
in the city. There are in fact now three venues in one: a
bistro, which is open for lunch; a restaurant (both offering
the same menu of simple yet wonderfully cooked food);
and a small shop where you can buy traditional Polish
fixings like preserves and honey. Not cheap but terri fi-
cally good value, it is well worth a visit. Take a moment to
check out the remnants of the exchange on your way to
the lavatory. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. (30-69z).
PTAXSW
Piekna 56 F- 4, ul. Pikna 56, tel. (+48) 22 412
06 56, www.piekna56.pl. Nei ghbourhood restaurants
don t get more charming than Pi ekna 56, a sentiment
youll agree wi th as soon as you spot the bri cks wi th tiny
plants growing out of them that dot each birch tabl e. The
twee-ness doesn t stop there, but l et the menu distract
you; our cod coated i n sunfl ower seeds and Mexi can
tortilla soup were li ck-your-plate worthy, and the wine
list is easil y navi gabl e thanks to the helpful wai t staf f.
Wed gladl y suf fer through more bad dates i f they all
came wi th meals like this one. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (20-40z).
TAUGBSW
Podwale - Kompania Piwna B-1, ul. Podwale 25,
tel. (+48) 22 635 63 14, www.podwale25.pl. Enter
via a mock Bavarian courtyard to discover a huge hall
fill ed wi th the sound of beery anti cs and oompah musi c.
The word here is size, wi th Warsaws bi ggest portions
comi ng wi thi n a whi sker of sendi ng tabl es keel i ng.
This is basi call y meat, cabbage and potatoes served
on huge wooden boards by wai tresses obviousl y l ess
fragil e than they l ook. Certai nl y the best val ue i n Ol d
Town, wi th beer usuall y playing a bi g part in the evening.
QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. (20-50z).
PTUEGBSW
Prosta Historia H-3, ul. Francuska 24, tel. (+48) 22
870 13 25, www.prostahistoria.com. Prosta Historia is
almost superhero-like in its ability to hide its true identity.
The swank Saska Kepa location and bistro dcor - butcher
bl ock tabl es, carnati ons i n mason j ars, French musi c
tinkling from the speakers - make you think a menu of
salads and soups await. But crack the menu and youll
see a selection of creative burgers youd expect to find at
a greasy spoon. The Bollywood burger arrives with curry
and chutney, while the more traditional Royal burger (which
has the more typical cheddar, ketchup, onion and pickles)
is a revelation. Throw in the fact that Prosta makes their
own buns and French fries and its safe to say Warsaw
has a new king of the beef patty QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Wed 12:00 - 22:30, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00. (18-49z).
PTAGBSW
Restaur acj a Kul tur a B- 2, ul . Kr akowski e
Przedmiecie 21/23, tel. (+48) 784 04 40 51, www.
restauracjakultura.pl. On the ground floor of the Kino
Kultura, and therefore commanding one of the greatest
locations on all Krakowskie, the Kultura makes good use
of the space by serving food that lives up to its surround-
ings. Smart waitresses wearing freshly starched aprons
will bri ng a chill ed crayfish soup to your tabl e before
presenting you with a bill that should, given quality, be far
higher. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. (32-59z).
PTAEGBSW
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46
RESTAURANTS
Restauracja Wilanw ul. S. K. Potockiego 27
(Wilanw), tel. (+48) 22 842 18 52, www.restaurac-
jawilanow.com. An extraordinary excursion back to the days
of a planned Polish economy, this much talked about classy
restaurant serves a range of international and Polish food in
a blast to the past atmosphere. Despite what they say about
the place theres no ignoring the service. Breathtakingly
snobby, expect to be treated like something the cat dragged
in if youre not dressed for the opera. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00.
(32-58z). PTAGBS
Restaurant @Ferdys A-3, ul. Grzybowska 24 (Radis-
son BLU Centrum Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 321 88 22,
www.ferdys.pl. A class act found on the ground floor of the
Radisson. Veneered woods, potted plants and huge shutters
lend an atmosphere not dissimilar to the first class deck of a
cross Atlantic liner, while the steaks are reputed to be some of
the best in the city. Not a cheap indulgence, but a worthwhile
one. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (36-164z). PTAUGBS
Restro A-4, ul. Paska 57, tel. (+48) 22 620 22 66,
www.restro.pl. As you may have noticed some central
Warsaw streets have a habit of ending abruptly before re-
appearing again sometimes hundreds of metres away on
the other side of a busy road. Bear this in mind when you
hunt down Restro, a cafe restaurant that is a favoured lunch
spot of ours, which can be found to the south-east of the
UN roundabout (Rondo ONZ). The changing menu features
offers a choice of excellently priced set menus and dishes
with a distinct Mediterranean feel. The tagiolini with scampi
and coriander is a steal at around 6 euros although we often
have a dilemma between that and one of the salads, the beef
and spinach being another winner. Recommended but mind
the opening hours. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 12:00 - 20:00,
Sun 13:00 - 18:00. (18-39z). PTAUVGBS
If ever there was a sign of how far Poland has come then
Plac Trzech Krzyy is it - lined up like diamond ducks are
top bracket boutiques, a five star hotel, and a phalanx
of Jeeps parked outside designer bars. This corner of
Warsaw has it all, and standing at the top of it is Dom
Dochodowy (the Incomes House), a glittering example
of when old meets new. Essentially a triangular faced
townhouse, the original Dom Dochodowy is thought to
have been constructed back in the 18th century, before
being improved on by Antoni Luciski - the supervisor of
King Poniatowskis private cellar. Essentially comprised
of three separate houses (one facing Ujazdowskie,
another Mokotowska, and the final one staring down
Trzech Krzyy), the properties served countless uses
over the years, including that of distillery, playing card
factory and private laboratory for one budding Harry
Potter. The building survived the Warsaw Uprising, but
not in particularly good shape, and for the following
decades was allowed to rot slowly away. Finally, at
the start of this century, work was undertaken by the
Platan Group to restore the structure. The results are
fantastic - decorative plaster mouldings, polychromes
and historic decorations all saw the master touch, while
other details to look for include a floor mosaic making
use of four types of wood, iron balustrades and period-
style lampposts. Check the finer details for yoursel f by
spending in the Zegna and Burberry boutique inside,
the Ale Gloria restaurant in the cellar, or the stretch of
cafes/bars/restaurants to the side. Look for it on pl.
Trzech Krzyy 3.
The Incomes House
47
RESTAURANTS
SAM Restaurant & Bakery C-2, ul. Lipowa 7a,
tel. (+48) 600 80 60 84, www.sam.info.pl. Fresh
baked bread, pl enti ful salads, a shop wi th organi c herbs
and super foods l i ke acai...i ts safe to say that SAM has
arri ved i n Warsaw wi th some strong credenti al s, and
after our vi si t we can decl are i t the Charl otte of the
student set. Youl l fi nd the same l ackadai si cal servi ce
and hi pster cl i entel e as the popul ar Pl . Zbawi ci el a
hotspot, and i f you can overl ook these fl aws youl l be
del i ghted wi th heal thy di shes that ensure youl l forever
be abl e to squeeze i nto those ski nny j eans. QOpen
08: 30 - 23: 00, Sat, Sun 10: 00 - 23: 00. (14-35z).
TA6UGBSW
Skwer - filia Centrum Artystycznego Fabryka
Trzciny B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 60a, tel.
(+48) 508 36 58 49, www.fabrykatrzciny.pl. I f location
is everything then Skwer is the place to be. Commanding
a prime spot on Krakowskie Przedmiescie a stones throw
from the presidential place it looks like an architects show-
home yet manages to create a decent atmosphere thanks
to the students who flock here for coffee after lectures. By
night the crowd gets trendier as local arty-types turn up
to be seen eating the well-priced food through the glass
walls. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (18-45z). PTAUEG
BSW
NEW
Socjal C-3, ul. Foksal 18, tel. (+48) 601 31 89 66.
Socjal comes with excellent pedigree its the creation of
the folks behind 12 Stolikow, which was named one of the
top 5 restaurants in the city last year. Socjal is another win
for this crew, boasting a rotating menu of Italian entrees and
salads (prosciutto and melon for the win) that diners order
via the restaurants chalkboard. The communal tables force
diners to be socjal with their neighbours, an asset when
you see a delicious plate and want to casually ask, Whats
that? QOpen 11:00 - 04:00, Mon, Tue, Sun 11:00 - 24:00.
(28-60z). PA6GBSW
NEW
Soul Kitchen F- 4, ul. Noakowskiego 16 lok. 27,
tel. (+48) 519 02 08 88, www.soulkitchen.pl. Soul
Ki tchens aim is to stir emotions and touch souls wi th
their cooking. Corny? Indeed. But tasting is beli eving,
and this strai ghtforward menu makes a good case for
the power of simpl e cooking. Don t skip the soup, whi ch
is where we first fell in l ove, and from there i ts impos-
si bl e to go wrong as the seasonal menu changes often
and i nnovati vel y. The i nteri or i s a stark chi c that wil l
ini tiall y strike diners as col d, but a spot in the garden
qui ckl y cures that assessment. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (38-67z).
TAEGBSW
NEW
STO900 H-3, ul. Solec 18/20, tel. (+48) 787 69 62
41. Any ti me a chef wi l l hol d up what hes maki ng i n
thi s case wi ggl i ng a kl uski kadzi one, a type of doughy
Pol i sh dumpl i ng wi thout fi l l i ng, i n the ai r to expl ai n
what youre ordering then you can feel good about where
youre di ni ng. STO900 has the appearance of a student
clubhouse wi th mismatched furni ture, a glass rack made
of hangers and a bumpi ng Bob Marl ey soundtrack,
but the menu i s surpri si ngl y grown up. Opti ons are
l i mi ted to the few di shes the aforementi oned chef i s
maki ng that day (our choi ce was ri bs, the dumpl i ngs
or a carrot-l emon soup) but he cl earl y thri ves when not
di vi di ng hi s focus. QOpen 10: 00 - 22: 00. (20-50z).
TA6GBSW
Bar Mleczny Familijny C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 39,
tel. (+48) 22 826 45 79. QOpen 07:00 - 20:00, Sat,
Sun 09:00 - 17:00. (3-13z). PUGS
Leniwa Gospodyni F-4, ul. Nowowiejska 12/18,
tel. (+48) 22 825 44 23, www.leniwagospodyni.pl.
QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
(10-25z). AGS
Mleczarnia Jerozolimska C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie
32, tel. (+48) 602 38 17 34. This new milk bar has
the dcor to look modern, but all the classic staples of a
traditional milk bar - bitchy staff, a dead bug in our drink,
not enough tables - to feel like a Communist-era classic.
Mleczarnia Jerozolimska is consistently busy, something
we chalk up to location more than anything else. Our
pierogis never materialized (anything not on hand behind
the small counter is sent down via a food elevator) though
the borscht and giant salad were both serviceable. Also
at ul. Bagatela 15 (G-5). QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun
12:00 - 20:00. (6-12z). PUGBS
Wiking C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 28, tel. (+48) 22 828
06 44, www.restauracjewiking.pl. A modern take on
the often-dumpy milk bar, Wiking offers a spread of Polish
staples in helpings bigger than your head. Simply point to
the pile of meat or bursting veggie pancake you desire and
the cheery maids will toss it in the oven for a warm-up before
slapping it on an awaiting tray. The Nowy Swiat location
means Wiking does a brisk business even though the food
skews towards the bland. QOpen 07:30 - 21:30, Sat 09:00
- 21:30, Sun 10:00 - 20:30. (11-34z). PTAGS
Milk bars
48
RESTAURANTS
Tamka 43 C-3, ul. Tamka 43, tel. (+48) 22 441 62 34,
www.tamka43.pl. Location, location, location. You could
probably open a dive serving tripe soup and nothing else and
be successful here (here being opposite the Chopin Museum),
but Tamka 43 would be brilliant anywhere. Modern and bright
without overdoing it, by day its coffee and cakes, mums and
kids, (there is a lunch option too) by night its serious drinks,
light meals and well dressed smoothies. We love it to bits.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (49-89z). PTAUGBSW
Villa Foksal C-3, ul. Foksal 3/5, tel. (+48) 22 827 87
16, www.restauracjavillafoksal.pl. Villa Foksal has long
had a name for good food and is a smart, modernish eatery
found on one of Warsaws sexiest streets. Presentation is
faultless, the cooking excellent and the menu an inventive
interpretation of standard European finds. QOpen 12:00 -
23:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (34-72z). PAGBSW
Vinoteka La Bodega C-4, ul. Nowy wiat 6/12, tel. (+48)
22 745 46 10, www.vinoteka.pl. You may remember the
Vinoteka crowd from their old place across the road or from one of
their other premises around Poland. If you do youll recognise this
as probably the most impressive space theyve yet occupied. Not
only does it look great, but theyve built on their previous success
with a fantastic collection of wine and a very impressive menu.
And while the food is great, its the wine that has always bought
us back. Find wines from all over the world in a part of what was
once Polands communist party HQ. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sat,
Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (21-75z). PA6GBSW
You & Me C-4, ul. urawia 6/12, tel. (+48) 22 379 03
79, www.youandmebar.pl. The narrow as hell yet shaded
and glorious terrace is the top draw here in the warmer months
while they also make a half-decent stab at an English break-
fast. The lunchtime menu is top value, although we question
their claim to serve the cheapest beer in Poland (have they
been to Lublin). At night You & Me becomes a rather trendy bar
Sure, it started out as
a joke: In 1990 satirist
Janusz Rewinski formed
the Pol i sh Fri ends of
Beer Party (Polska Par-
tia Przyjaciol Piwa or
PPPP in Polish) to pro-
mote the countrys sec-
ond most beloved bever-
age during the new shift
in government. The concept was popular enough, in fact,
to inspire a similar party in Russia as well. And thanks to
some disillusionment with Polands democratic transition
after the end of communism a number of Poles voted for
the prank party, and in the 1991 parliamentary elections
16 seats were nabbed by the PPPP. What started out as
a joke their slogan regarding the party running Poland:
it wouldnt be better but for sure it would be funnier
evolved into a semi-serious platform thanks to the newly
acquired seats. Of course, the divided cannot conquer,
so when the party split into Large Beer and Small Beer
factions it signalled the end of the jokey era, and eventu-
ally the Large Beer faction transformed into the far less
humorous Polish Economic Program. Today little remains
of the group except for well-earned entries in top ten lists
of most ridiculous political parties and Facebook groups
celebrating the original idea: that consuming quality beer
is a symbol of freedom and a better standard of living.
Polish Friends of Beer Party
polskapartianarodowa.org
49
RESTAURANTS
that fills up with no tie, coloured-shirted types from the media
companies whose offices line this street. Come prepared
to do and talk business and you will love the place. QOpen
08:30 - 24:00, Fri 08:30 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun
12:00 - 24:00. (39-65z). PTABXSW
Italian
NEW
Festa Italiana Ristorante B-4, ul. Hoa 27a, tel. (+48)
516 61 61 06, www.festaitaliana.eu. We know we shouldnt
fall for it, but Festa Italiana had us at waitress wearing an Italian
flag skirt. Throw in a glossy menu that features three languages
(Polish, English and Italian) and theres no excuse for not having
a large dollop of marinara somewhere on your clothes before
the night is through. The pizzas taste wood-fired (though theres
no such oven in sight) and have a crisp Roman-style crust that
makes it easy to eat an entire pie yourself. The creamy carbon-
ara, highly recommended by our flag-draped waitress, proved
to be just as worthy as the pizza. QOpen 10.00 - 22.00, Sat,
Sun 12.00 - 22.00. (35-60z). AGBS
Il Patio A-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel. (+48) 602 19
87 26, www.ilpatio.pl. Zlote Tarasy isnt your average mall, so
why dine on the standard fast food fixes? Il Patio sits next to the
malls monstrous movie theatre and has impressive views of
the bustling city below. But our focus was on the pizzas, which
are at their best when they arent especially Italian (like the BBQ
and Messicana versions) and the large chunks of lasagna come
coated in a healthy layer of melted cheese. Shoppers with tots in
tow will appreciate the kids menu. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun
09:00 - 21:00. (30-45z). PTAUGBSW
La Tomatina F-3, ul. Krucza 47, tel. (+48) 22 625 10
47, www.latomatina.pl. La Tomatinas enormous menu
of Italian dishes can best be described as Bacchanalian;
how else do you describe an orgy of nearly 40 pizzas and
24 pasta choices? The pasta is all freshly made in-house,
which automatically gives every noodle dish a tasty boost. We
doubt theres an item in the kitchen that La Tomatina hasnt
put on their pizzas, and we especially liked the spicy slap of
the diavola, which packs chilli oil, jalapenos, peppers and
spicy salami onto one fiery pie. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri,
Sat 11:00 - 24:00. (21-47z). PTA6VEGBSW
Roma G-5, ul. Belwederska 17 / ul. Grottgera 2, tel.
(+48) 22 841 01 33, www.restauracjaroma.pl. Atten-
tion to detail is apparent at Roma, and every aspect of this
secretive restaurant hints at the neighbourhood locales
youd find in the side alleys of Italy. The interior is intimate,
with silverware resting on cinnamon sticks and piles of
crispy breadsticks on every table. The menu itself is ency-
clopaedic were talking three pages of pastas enabling
Roma to build a loyal fan base across the years. Were fans
of the Neapolitan soup, especially on rainy days, and if you
like strings of mozzarella dangling from your lips were fairly
certain you will too. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00,
Sun 14:00 - 21:00. (25-63z). PTAUGBSW
Roma Bukieteria C-4, ul. Mokotowska 49a, tel. (+48)
22 621 03 11, www.restauracjaroma.pl. Pasta might be
the kind of thing youre used to gorging on, but not here. Roma
Bukieteria is all romantic atmosphere think candles, ter-
racotta and heavy wood tables so bring your best manners
and your latest date. The only place with a larger selection of
pasta has to be Rome itself, so take your time when sorting
through the massive menu. It may look like a small trattoria,
but the wine list suggests seasoned pros who will ensure a
charming date. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00,
Sun 14:00 - 21:00. (25-63z). PTAGBSW
)HVWD,WDOLDQD
5LVWRUDQWH
ul. Hoa 27a , Warszawa
Tel/Fax. 516 616 106
festaitaliana@wp.pl
www.festaitaliana.eu
festaitalianaristorante
$SODFHWKDWZLOOVWLPXODWH
DOOWKHVHQVHV
Uni ver si t y of
Warsaw Library
Gardens (Ogro-
dy Bi bl i ot eki
Uniwersyteck-
iej w Warszawie)
C- 2, ul . Dobr a
56/66, www.buw.
uw.edu.pl. Tradi -
tionally speaking rooftops are the preserve of chimney
sweeps, burglars and Santa, but take a trip down
to the Warsaw Uni versi ty Library buil ding and that
opinion will quickl y change. Topping off the bizarre
oxidized green building is one of Warsaws best-kept
secrets; a two level rooftop garden filled with bridges,
streams, pathways, sculptures and plant li fe that cov-
ers an entire hectare. Theres even a fishpond (yep,
thats probabl y a duck youve spotted doi ng laps)
and a stone fountain mixed in among greenery like
oak trees and Japanese spirea. Designed by Irena
Bajerska and opened back in 2002, the garden and
viewing platforms afford panoramic views of lower
Warsaw including the river, the new Copernicus Centre
and across the river to the new National Stadium in
Praga. A wonderful place to stop and rest in the heart
of the city, take a picnic and sit amongst the groups
of students taki ng ti me out from studyi ng (ahem,
napping) at the library below. Easily one of the best
places in town to get on bended knee and ooze some
serious schmooze should that be your wish. QOpen
09:00 - 20:00. Admission free.
Warsaw University Gardens
50
RESTAURANTS
Trattoria Rucola B-2, ul. Miodowa 1, tel. (+48) 888
57 54 57, www.trattoriarucola.pl. Trattoria Rucola has
taught us a simple truth: wed surely eat more salads if they
all came with smoky bacon. The smell of garlic wafting onto
Krakowskie Przedmiescie will undoubtedly lure you in, the
strange leafy dcor will encourage you to grab a table and the
hefty menu of Italian staples will mean a certain belt-loosen-
ing. Thirty pizzas dominate the menu, but we were intrigued
by the rare sighting of doughy calzones. The aforementioned
salads are soaked in a lush balsamic dressing that no one
should be ashamed to lick from their fingers (we did). QOpen
12:00 - 22:00. (20-55z). PTAVGBSW
Japanese
We could quite easily have a guide with only sushi restaurants
such has been the explosion of them in recent years. This
is a selection of the places we feel you ought to know about
but you are likely to find somewhere serving sushi in every
major mall these days.
77 Sushi A-4, ul. Sienna 83, tel. (+48) 22 890 18 11,
www.sushi77.com. The number 77 might well refer to the
number of sushi stops in town - in fact, it says a lot about
the city that its now easier to find sushi than it is a cabbage.
Youre guaranteed the real deal in Sushi 77, where imaginative
sets - try the California rolls, or even the hot sushi - come
chopped and sliced inside an attractive interior. Some
outlets offer local delivery. Also at (F-4), ul. Polna 48A, Open
12:00-22:30, Al. KEN 49 (Ursynw), Open 12:00-22:30 and
ul. Sawoja-Skadkowskiego 4 (Ursus, CH Skorosze), Open
11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30.
(29-49z). PTAGBSW
Besuto C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 27, tel. (+48) 22 828 00
20, www.besuto.pl. Besuto has moved from among the
prefab cabins and ramshackle pavilions inside Nowy wiat
22 to a more visible location just down the street at 27. The
good news is the sushi, which has historically been very
decent hot and cold cuts prepared in front of your eyes, is
still reliably delicious, and the new storefront is significantly
less likely to make your date question your commitment
the interior also gets marks for being bright and modern.
The bad news is that a better location means higher prices
than Besuto loyalists might be used to, but its worth it to dig
a little deeper. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00.
(30-65z). PTA6VGBSW
Bonsai E-2, ul. Grzybowska 5a, tel. (+48) 22 620 88
22, www.sushibonsai.pl. A well-prepared and good selec-
tion of sushi served by a polite black-clad staff keeps this
place busy particularly during the day when the surrounding
office crowd are meeting for lunch. The sushi is good and
there is also a choice of hot dishes to choose from while you
enjoy your Japanese cocktail amidst the modern surround-
ings. Our eel sushi and plum cocktail made for a refreshing
lunch snack while the sketches of Japanese women on the
wall left a lot to the imagination. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00.
(28-54z). PTAUGBSW
Inaba B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 84/86, tel. (+48) 22 622
59 55, www.inaba.pl. Heres a restaurant that was around
years before sushi became a fashion statement. Japanese
owned and run everything about Inaba strives for authentic-
ity, and this is one of only three places in town that can claim
a Japanese master chef calling the shots in the kitchen. A
pleasantly panelled interior creates a great atmosphere and
those who want more than just raw fish should take a look
at the grill dishes: try the duck in teriyaki sauce. QOpen
11:30 - 22:00. (20-60z). PTAGSW
Bar Salad Story B-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 883 64 44 45, www.saladstory.com. Fast
food gets the health treatment in Salad Story, a chain of
outlets serving salads, sandwiches and soups. Also at
(C-4) ul. Krucza 41/43, (C-4) ul. Nowy wiat 18/20 and
(F-4) ul. Polna 46. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 -
21:00. (10-23z). PAUGS
Burger King A-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel.
(+48) 713 86 15 88, www.burgerking.com.pl. Also
at Al. Jana Pawa II 82 (D-1, Arkadia). QOpen 09:00 -
22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00. (15-22z). PAUGSW
Groole C-3, ul. niadeckich 8, tel. (+48) 795 63 36
26, www.groole.pl. Groole makes straightforward baked
potatoes and heaps them with the toppings of your choos-
ing. The new space is infinitely larger (meaning you wont
feel the stifling heat of the potato roaster on your face)
and has plenty of seating. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat
12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 20:00. (6-10z). A6GS
KFC C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 11/19, tel. (+48) 713
86 16 90, www.kfc.pl. Also at (B-4) ul. Widok 26,
(A-4, Zote Tarasy) ul. Zota 59, (F-4) ul. Pikna 28/34
and (A-2) Al. Solidarnoci 68 A. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 08:00 - 02:00, Sun 09:00 - 23:00. (12-18z).
PTAUGSW
McDonalds B-3, ul. Marszakowska 126-134, tel.
(+48) 694 49 60 15, www.mcdonalds.pl. Various
locations including ul. Zota 59 (A-4, Zote Tarasy), Al.
Jerozolimskie/ Jana Pawa II, pawilon 64, WPP (Warszawa
Centralna; A-4) and Al. Solidarnoci 117 (A-2). Breakfast
served in selected branches till 10:30 during the week
and 11:00 at weekends. QOpen 07:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat
07:00 - 05:00. (13-17z). PTAUGBSW
MG Eat Magda Gessler C-3, ul. Chmielna 32,
tel. (+48) 22 827 47 13, www.mgeat.pl. Also at
ul. Krlewska 2 (C-3, entrance from ul. Krakowskie
Przedmi eci e). QOpen 10: 00 - 22: 00. (6-23z).
PTA6UGBSW
Pizza Hut B- 4, ul. Widok 26 (entrance from ul.
Chmielna), tel. (+48) 713 86 15 23, www.pizzahut.
pl. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00. (15-
50z). PTA6UGBSW
Room Service, tel. (+48) 22 651 90 03, www.
roomservice.pl.
Royal Menu, tel. (+48) 22 244 21 21, www.
royalmenu.pl. A food, wine and flower delivery service
with English-speaking operators and a choice of over 50
restaurant menus to choose from (think Polish food from
Polka to sushi from Rice Field). Place an order over the
phone or online and theyll have the food delivered piping
hot to your door in special containers in no time at all.
Subway C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 24, tel. (+48) 22 828
40 25, www.swiezo.pl. Also at (B-4) Al. Jerozolimskie
31, (A-4, Zote Tarasy) ul. Zota 59, (F-4) ul. Polna 54,
(A-3) Al. Jana Pawa II 18, (B-2) ul. witojaska 15/17
and ul. Mickiewicza 27/ Pl. Wilsona (oliborz) . Q Open
08:00 - 24:00, Fri 08:00 - 04:00, Sat 10:00-04:00, Sun
10:00 - 23:00. (7-18z). PAUGBSW
Fast Food & Delivery
51
RESTAURANTS
innovative
and contemporary
japanese restaurant
Warszawa,
Nowy wiat 46
(22) 828 00 88
www.oto-sushi.pl
delivery 12.00-23.00
lunch mon.-fr. 12.00-16.00
C D L N L > 6 I ) +
.00-23.00
-fr. 12.00-16.00
Kaya Sushi A-3, ul. Grzybowska 30, tel. (+48) 22 620
50 25, www.kayasushi.pl. Not the most obvious venue for
a sushi restaurant - underneath a giant block tucked from
the traffic - but Kaya are known as being a bit of an open
secret among the sushi grapevine. The fish is great (isnt it
everywhere in Warsaw nowadays?), so what sets this venue
apart is a strong line in Korean options that never disappoint.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (25-90z). PTAUGSW
Kiku Japanese Dining Gallery B-2, ul. Senatorska
17/19, tel. (+48) 22 892 09 01, www.kiku.pl. Our advice
when coming to this typically Japan-in-a-packet decorated
place is simple: forget the sushi and just ask for the noodle
menu. Never before in this city have we eaten such fresh,
spicy and downright tasty noodles as we have at Kiku. At
around 25z a bowl, a portion of noodles here - and the
seafood ones are best - represents terrific value. QOpen
12:00 - 23:00. (25-95z). PTAUVGBSW
OTO!SUSHI F-3, ul. Nowy wiat 46, tel. (+48) 22 828
00 88, www.oto-sushi.pl. One of our favorite sushi spots in
Warsaw. Sure, the location helps - who can argue with sitting
outside on swanky Nowy wiat? - but the helpful staff, great
tea options and fair prices put it squarely on top. A vegetarian
sushi set for two with 22 pieces ranging from kappa maki to
inari was tops, and the tempura is crispy rather the soggy we
often encounter. Ducking in for a lunch special will get you
heaps of fresh sushi along with miso soup, a salad and green
tea for a reasonable price. The small storefront means you
may have to fight for a seat, though. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. (20-60z). PTAVGBSW
Planet Sushi A-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel. (+48)
602 19 87 26, www.planetsushi.pl. Sushi? In a mall? We
know, we had the very same thoughts. But step away from
the burger chains and suspend your disbelief long enough to
enjoy Planet Sushi and stereotypes will be shattered. Planet
Sushi offers one of the better arrays of sets weve seen, and
the Philadelphia roll was pure salmony goodness. If your mind
hasnt been completely blown at this point then order the
dessert sushi - sweet rice wrapped around fresh fruit with a
coconut cream sauce. Sushi in a mall! QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (50-69z). PTAUGBSW
Sushi To E-3, Al. Jerozolimskie 109, tel. (+48) 22
625 66 03, www.sushito.pl. Yes, sushi is right there in
the name, and youll find plenty of creative sets to choose
from and some of the best nigiri weve had, but our favourite
parts of the Sushi To menu dont come in roll form. The salad
with fresh pineapple and fried shrimp is a standout, and the
same can be said for the shrimp tempura. But if sushi is what
youre after hit up lunch, where you can choose from three
sizes (small, medium, large) of specials that set you back just
22-32zl. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00. (19-44z). PAVGSW
Tomo Sushi C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. (+48) 22 434
23 44, www.tomo.pl. Many claim you wont find better sushi
in Warsaw, and who are we to argue with the masses. Tomos
reputation is well earned, and as such dont be surprised to
be knocking elbows with sushi snobs showing off deft chop-
stick moves. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00,
Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (45-95z). PTA6UGBSW
Become a fan of Warsaw In Your
Pocket on
52
RESTAURANTS
Kosher
Rambam Kosher Cafe & Restaurant A-3, ul. Grzy-
bowska 4, tel. (+48) 22 243 26 93, www.rambamres-
taurant.pl. Make no mistake about it, Rambam is certified
kosher; in fact, they post their certificate (courtesy of Rabbi
Osher Yaakov Westheim of Manchester, United Kingdom)
right on the door. Inside youll find a menu that skews Middle
Eastern, with flavourful dishes like grilled eggplant and tahini
offered as a starter and mains like spicy beef taj jiin with
couscous. The only drawback to Rambam, which has some
of the most attentive waiters weve encountered, is that your
tasty plates cant be accompanied by alcoholic beverages as
they have yet to land a liquor license. Note that Friday hours
are 11:00 to two hours before sunset. QOpen 11:30 - 23:00.
Closed Sat. (39-79z). PTAUGBSW
Lebanese
Le Cedre 84 A-3, Al. Solidarnoci 84, tel. (+48) 22
618 89 99, www.lecedre.pl. This popular Middle Eastern
staple hops across the river to a more accessible location
at the intersection of Jana Pawa and al. Solidarnoci and
thankfully brings all their reliably exotic flavours along too.
The interior is a magenta masterpiece and sets the scene
for you and your Scheherazade to explore the hefty menu.
Our recommendation: though were fans of the entrees like
shawarma your best bet is to mix and match hot and cold
starters, of which theres a dazzling array (stuffed grape
leaves and grilled halloumi top our list). QOpen 11:00 -
23:00. (32-59z). PTAUGBSW
Mediterranean
Olive Garden A-3, ul. Pereca 2, tel. (+48) 22 624
01 91, www.restauracjaolivegarden.com. No need to
squirm, this isnt the bland Olive Garden chain youre familiar
with. Rather, this Olive Garden brings a decidedly exotic
brand of dishes to Warsaw in the form of Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern cuisine like homemade pita bread,
makloubeh and sweet kunafeh. For 20zl you can nab a lunch
special of an appetizer (we suggest the house-made hum-
mus), entree and dessert, all delivered in lightning speed to
the hungry be-suited crowds. The available summer garden
and sheesha pipes means Olive Garden is also a promis-
ing post-work spot to unwind. Q Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat
10:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. From September open
07:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. (20-
50z). PTAGBSW
Paros B-3, ul. Jasna 14/16A, tel. (+48) 22 828 10 67,
www.paros-restauracja.pl. Paros is the first and last place
in Warsaw where a waiter pulled out our chair and helped
us with our coat colour us charmed by the gallantry. That
attention carried over to the meal, with Greek staples like
hefty salads and bite-sized spanakopitas as well as hybrid
Greek burgers for the carnivores, all imparting the taste of
the Mediterranean. The restaurant itself is so large it can be
half filled with customers and still seem spacious, even with
a packed white wraparound bar in the middle of the room.
QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. (32-86z).
PTAUEGBSW
Mongolian
Cesarski Paac (Tsinghis Chan) B-2, ul. Senatorska
27, tel. (+48) 22 827 97 07, www.cesarski-palac.com.
pl. A basement grill where diners line up at food stations, pile
ingredients into a bowl before handing it over for a Mongolian
chef to cook - either in a wok or on a Hibachi grill. Theres
Butchery & Wine B-4, ul. urawia 22, tel. (+48) 22
502 31 18, www.butcheryandwine.pl. A wonderful addi-
tion to the Warsaw dining scene winning points for originality
and simplicity. Try to put the image of mass slaughter over a
glass of Cabernet Sauvignon out of your mind and instead
visit to be met by a polite and well-drilled staff in pin-striped
butchers aprons inside a bright, modern, relaxed venue with
an open kitchen and enough wine on display to float a battle-
ship. The menu features a range of real steaks prepared
exactly to order and served on wooden boards with additional
sauce and side options. While it doesnt have to be steak
(the rest of menu looked mouth-watering) we cant imagine
ever daring to order anything but such was the enjoyment we
took from eating one. Recommended. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00.
Closed Sun. (28-220z). PTAGW
Downtown Restaurant & Steakhouse A-4, ul.
Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental Hotel), tel. (+48) 22
328 87 45, www.downtown.com.pl. Considering these
are the same folks who bust out one of Warsaws most lavish
Sunday buffet each week, its no surprise that the Intercon-
tinentals Downtown restaurant holds nothing back on their
extravagant steak menu. The meaty choices are global, with
selections ranging from a cut of U.S. Longhorn from Iowa to a
tender hunk of Charolais beef from Frances Burgundy region.
Steaks can be paired with one of five sauces and seven sides,
and all you need to provide is the post-meal belt-loosening.
Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 23:00, Sat
06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 16:00, 18:00 - 23:00, Sun 06:30 -
10:30, 12:30 - 16:00. (39-185z). PTAUEGW
Steak
53
RESTAURANTS
An exceptional restaurant in the
most beautiful place in Warsaw
Belvedere Restaurant
in Te Royal azienki Park
ul. Agrykoli 1, 00-460 Warsaw
Free car-park from Parkowa street
tel.: +48 22 55 86 700, +48 606 102 002
restauracja@belvedere.com.pl
www.belvedere.com.pl
plenty to choose from, and in the best traditions of East Asian
cooking the cuts of meat are lean, mean with not a slither of
fat to be seen. Perhaps thats why its rare to spot a Polish
diner. Fifty five zloty gets you all you can eat, which sounds
a pretty fair deal to us. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:30 -
23:00, Sun 12:30 - 22:00. (29-65z). PTAGBSW
Polish
There are basically three ways you can experience the Polish
dining experience. The cheapest is at one of the surprisingly
large number of surviving communist era Milk Bars, which
you can read about elsewhere. Then there are the chains of
country cottage style places which turn out Polish staples
of rye soup, stuffed dumplings and heaps of meat and veg
in gut-busting portions. The third form is still a relatively new
one and involves a growing number of young, world-class
chefs using their talents to bring Polish cuisine into the 21st
century. We can happily recommend all three forms depend-
ing on the occasion. Take a look at the places listed here to
give you an idea of which is which.
99 Restaurant & Bar A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II 23, tel.
(+48) 22 620 19 99, www.restaurant99.com. A fixture
on the Warsaw dining scene for over ten years and still going
strong in the local corporate lunch trade. An updated design
which is space age white and rather dashing compliments
a highly-recommended, global menu which includes whats
possibly the best steak in Warsaw. Located within a stones
throw of some of the citys finest hotels, this is one of the
most reliable places in town from breakfast through to supper
whether youre socialising, doing business or a bit of both.
QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Fri 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 15:00 - 24:00,
Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (37-124z). PTAUBXSW
Amber Room G-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 13, tel. (+48) 22
523 66 64, www.kprb.pl. Set inside the Sobaski Palace
what was (and indeed still is) the domain of the Polish Busi-
ness Round Table Club has now opened its doors to the
paying public. From the outside it looks the sort of place
youd see Prince Charles walking around shaking hands,
though inside, and in spite of the marble and chandeliers,
its a well designed area with more than a nod to modernist
touches. The seasonal menu includes such must-haves as
saddle of rabbit with pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, broad bean
pure and asparagus. Has Polish cuisine ever sounded so
exciting? Of course, such pleasures arent cheap, but then
neither are they in the astronomic zone youd be likely to
presume. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (69-
89z). PTAGBSW
Atelier Amaro G-4, ul. Agrykola 1, tel. (+48) 22 628
57 47, www.atelieramaro.pl. Its not hyperbole to call
Atelier Amaro one of Polands most modern restaurants,
with famed chef Wojciech Modest Amaro describing the
cuisine as where nature meets science. That science is
molecular gastronomy, which means almost nothing is as it
seems: an amuse-bouche arrives on the table with a flour-
ish of dry ice fog, revealing caviar atop a surprisingly citrusy
foam. Meals can be 3, 5 or 8 moments (what us regular
folks call courses) and employ traditional Polish plants like
nettles and beetroot in unexpected, highly creative dishes
- like juniper ice cream hugging a miniature chocolate cake
with chestnuts (with dishes changing almost daily, your menu
will undoubtedly be different). Count us as impressed that
Amaro himself can be seen serving many of the dishes in
this intimate restaurant just inside azienki Park. An absolute
must for diehard foodies. Q Open from August 16 12:00 -
14:30, 18:00 - 22:30, Sat 15:00 - 22:30, Mon 18:00 - 22:30.
Closed Sun. (145-280z). PAUGBW
54
RESTAURANTS
heart of the city. The menu is similarly forward-thinking,
wi th pre-war Polish cuisine wi th marinated herring in
truffle oil and a crisp pear and walnut salad. And while the
atmosphere (and the regular jazz performances) suggest
an upscale experience, dont be afraid to order the more
pedestrian Bistro burger, which comes complete with a
paper cone of french fries. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (28-
43z). PTA6GBSW
Chopskie Jado F- 4, Pl. Konstytucji 1 (entrance
from ul. Waryskiego), tel. (+48) 22 339 17 17, www.
chlopskiejadlo.pl. I f youve been dying to try Polands tra-
ditional lard spread called smalec then this is your place.
A nationwide chain devoted to serving rustic Polish food
from the countryside, Chopskie Jado dishes up heaping
portions of meat and pierogis on wooden slabs, with a dish
of smalec and wedges of bread complimentary. The dcor
is country farm kitsch, with strings of hams and ancient
machinery dangling from the walls. Slide onto a wooden
bench (avoiding the decorative rusty saw) and start with
local soups served inside a loaf of bread before loosening
the belt and working through homemade dumplings and
shanks of meat served by staff that appears as i f theyve
just finished milking cows. A winning intro to Polish food.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (18-50z).
PTA6UGBS
Delicja Polska F-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
45, tel. (+48) 22 826 47 70, www.delicjapolska.pl.
One of the top eats around, set to a swish country manor
background of chintz, flowers and candles. Enjoy roast goose
with red cabbage and Silesian dumplings while aproned staff
cater to your whim and fancy in what is set to be one of the
premier dining experiences on the royal route. QOpen 12:00
- 24:00. (39-76z). PTAGBSW
Belvedere G- 5, ul. Agrykoli 1 (New Orangery in
azienki Park (enter from ul. Parkowa), tel. (+48) 22
558 67 00, www.belvedere.com.pl. Nestl ed i nsi de
azienki Park, Belvedere is a romantic orangery filled with
foliage and a smattering of well-dressed tables both inside
and out. Although the landscaping is undergoing renovation,
Belvedere is still a dramatic venue with peacocks wander-
ing the grounds and multiple waiters offering first class
service. The food lives up to the atmosphere, and diners
can choose between a Polish or international menu that
includes beef cheeks with jus sauce and vegetables.(a top
recommendation) and exotic desserts like zabaglione. Few
places in Warsaw are this classy or this expensive, and dare
we say women are right to assume a booking here means
something big is in order. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (49-108z).
PTAEGBSW
Bistro Pita wiartka B-2, Pl. Zamkowy 4, tel. (+48)
22 355 56 85, www.kregliccy.pl/piataCwiartka.php.
Adding a touch of class to the Old Town dining experience
is Pita wiartka, a sublime looking hall with vaulted brick
ceilings and arched glass windows. The castle location just
screams tourist trap, and while it cant be doubted theyre
chasing the museum crowd, it must be said that tourist
food has never tasted this good before. Opt for dishes like
the calf in fig and brandy sauce, but beware of the opening
times - themselves structured around the castle hours.
QOpen 12:00 - 21:30. (32-45z). PTAUGBSW
Bistro Warszawa B-2, ul. Jezuicka 1/3, tel. (+48)
22 635 37 69, www.bistrowarszawa.pl. Proof that
not every restaurant on the Old Town square has to be
a kitschy Polish throwback comes in the form of stylish
Bistro Warszawa, where soothing whites and greys and
not a knick-knack in site offer a modern oasis in the
55
RESTAURANTS
Dom Polski H-3, ul. Francuska 11, tel. (+48) 22 616
24 32, www.restauracjadompolski.pl. Much ink has
been spilt over the virtues of Dom Polski, some of it in these
pages, but there is no getting away from the fact that this
is a good restaurant. Found in a discreet villa on Warsaws
millionaires row you can expect Rolls Royce service from
the minute you walk in. The food is equally good, chosen
from a menu which is mercifully short, with just a couple of
starters and several main courses to choose from; how it
should be, in other words. We went for the urek followed by
the potato pancakes with smoked salmon and red caviar,
and couldnt fault a thing. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (35-98z).
PTAUGBSW
Folk Gospoda E-2, ul. Walicw 13, tel. (+48) 22
890 16 05, www.folkgospoda.pl. Far from promising on
the outside, Folk Gospoda unravels on entry as a glorious
slice of traditional Poland. Its inside a rugged interior of
stout furnishings and ceramic pots youll find boys and
girls in peasant attire rushing around carrying plates of
forti fying Polish food (think heaps of duck). Indeed, the
Polish highlands meet the city inside Gospoda, and thats
never more so than when the band strikes up to hoot and
holler over the sound of busy diners. I f youre lucky enough
to have a friend, then order the meat platter for two, a
death by eating affair that will have your shirt buttons
pinging off in no time. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (26-69z).
PTAUGBSW
Halka restauracja po polsku E-3, ul. Paska 85,
tel. (+48) 22 652 81 02, www.restauracjahalka.pl.
Named after one of Polands best loved operas Halka takes
its name seriously; interiors here have been painstakingly
designed to mimic a 19th century country manor, a clear
nod to Stanisaw Moniuszkos popular script. Dripping with
elegance and lordly touches this is upmarket Polish food at its
best. And despite what the well-done interior might suggest,
they even have a childrens corner. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00.
(16-62z). PTAUGBSW
Kaprys C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. (+48) 22 578 22
32, www.restauracjakaprys.pl. In a word: swank. Dont
believe us? You can spot a Bentley dealership from your
table. Kaprys draws a clientele of nearby businessmen
who know the importance of a well-cut suit, yet the service
is universally attentive even if youre, say, a scruffy writer.
Captains of industry cut deals during the lunch special, which
spans three courses but doesnt dent the wallet you can
easily still put in your payment on that Bentley. The decor is
modern sparse which can read as cold, but dive into the menu
and you wont be sorry. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (32-110z).
PTA6BXSW
Kresowa Hawira B-3, ul. Szkolna 2/4, tel. (+48) 22
828 10 60, www.kresowahawira.pl. Beautifully decorated
with floral tablecloths and cottage accoutrements Kresowa
looks set to shine at a time when Warsaws enters its annual
gloom. Consisting of traditional recipes from Polands eastern
borderlands the menu here is dynamite, and includes roast
duck with apple and cranberry and an interesting feast of
various grilled meats that is meant for two diners and in-
cludes noodles, sauces and salad. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00.
(42-80z). PTAEGBSW
Literatka B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 87/89
(second entrance - ul. Senatorska 3), tel. (+48) 22 827
30 54, www.literatka.com.pl. Located in the shadow
of Zygmunts column on the Warsaws poshest street,
Literatka is a traditional Polish restaurant with a cosy feel
and an impressive range of Polski and international dishes.
Old Town Square tel.: +48 (22) 635 37 69
ul. Jezuicka 1/3 mob.: +48 501 438 007
00-281 Warszawa www.bistrowarszawa.pl
The old new Warsaw
56
RESTAURANTS
Pierogi, pork and duck all make an appearance as well as a
more than acceptable sirloin steak before finishing with what
the menu describes as apples in a bathrobe with strawberry
mousse. Its not bad at all and a suitable way to finish a day
ploughing the tourist trail in the adjacent old town. QOpen
10:00 - 24:00. (30-70z). PTA6EBXSW
NEW
LOKAL.BISTRO B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
64. Lokal Bistros ni che is el evating the burger to an
art form, with chef Aleksander Baron using only locally
sourced products Polish beef and local veggies to
create some of the citys juiciest sandwiches. The burger
doused in Polish-made camembert is a standout, though
be warned that these monstrous stacks are a messy
affair. The venue itsel f, in the bustling heart Krakowskie
Przedmiecie, looks too chic for such sloppy servings even
though all the furniture is made of utilitarian particle board.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 01:00. (26z).
TA6UGBSW
NEW
Masz Gulasz F-4, ul. Pikna 15, tel. (+48) 22 370 25
50. We thought it was a risk of celebrity chef Magda Gessler
to open a new restaurant so close to her most recent venture,
the wonderful and innovative Sony. And while diners have
yet to embrace this homey spot specializing in piping hot
goulashes like they have Sony, Gessler doesnt disappoint
with her take on this popular Polish specialty. Traditional op-
tions like pork and sauerkraut pack a filling punch, while the
chicken, dried tomato and spinach version actually makes
the dish feel surprisingly light not something youd normally
say about a stew. Though the interior feels a little trite ( jars
of grains and pickled sundries as decor has been done to
death) it thankfully doesnt impede ingestion. Heres hoping
some of Sonys luck rubs off on Masz Gulasz. QOpen 11:00
- 22:00. Closed Sun. (10-42z). PTA6UGBSW
Na Brackiej C-4, ul. Bracka 18, tel. (+48) 22 827 02
52, www.nabrackiej.com.pl. The arrival of the swank
dom mody VITKAC shopping complex on ul. Bracka was
sure to elevate the address, and Na Brackiej just across the
street proves the fashionable influence has already begun.
Diners can order indelicate dishes like the popular Polish
pork knuckle or half a roast duck with apples in a modern
atmosphere (yes, those are real Birch trees) that doesnt
rely on the usual country cabin decor when offering a classic
menu. Lunch might be the best way to experience Na Brackiej,
as their menu changes weekly and we snagged goose with
caramelized cherries for 16zl. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat
11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (16-39z). AGBSW
Obera Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem (Under the
Red Hog) E-2, ul. elazna 68, tel. (+48) 22 850 31
44, www.czerwonywieprz.pl. The story heres a good un.
In 2006 workers uncovered a secret underground eatery
frequented by all the communist bad boys youd ever think of;
Mao, Lenin, Castro and Brezhnev to name a few. Unearthed
were a stack of medals, manuscripts, menus and uniforms.
This being capitalist Poland a plan was hatched to make a
mint from resurrecting the restaurant and opening it to all.
Thats the story anyhow. Its actually claptrap, designed to
fool tourists and the occasional half-witted magazine. Still,
this place forms an intrinsic part of any commie inspired tour
you may be doing of Warsaw, and a jolly good place to dine
on Tito Boar, PRL-owski Smalec Luksusowy (The Peoples
Republic Luxury Lard) and Red Hog ribs (for two, of course).
In the background lots of sashes, portraits and pretty young
girls dressed for a May Day parade. QOpen 12:00 - 23:30.
(29-55z). PTAUGBSW
Those wanting to take a quick foxtrot through the world
of the Polish kitchen should consider putting the follow-
ing to the test:
Smalec: Fried lard, often served complimentary before
a meal with hunks of homemade bread. It sounds evil,
but it works like a miracle any day, especiall y an arctic
one. Ideally partnered with a mug of local beer. Any Polish
restaurant worth its sal t should give you lashings of this
prior to your meal. You onl y need ask.
Soup: Keep your eyes peeled for Polands two signature
soups; urek (sour rye soup with sausages and potatoes
floating in it) and barszcz (beetroot, occasionally with dump-
lings thrown in). Table manners go out of the window when
eating these two, so feel free to dunk bread rolls in them.
Bigos: Youll either love it or vomit. Bigos, a.k.a hunters
stew, is made using meat, cabbage, onion and sauerkraut
before being left to simmer for a few days. If you have
second helpings then consider yourself a Pole by defaul t.
Gobki: Boiled cabbage leaves stuffed with beef, onion
and rice before being baked in a tomato sauce. Urban
myth claims Polands King Kazimierz fed his army gobki
before his victory outside Malbork in a battle against the
Teutonic Order. The unlikel y victory was attributed to the
hearty meal his troops had enjoyed before hand.
Kiebasa: Sausages, and in Poland youll find several variet-
ies made primarily with pork, but sometimes using turkey,
horse, lamb and even bison. Few varieties to watch for includ-
ing Krakowska, a Krakw specialty which uses pepper and
garlic, kabanosy which is a thin, dry sausage flavoured with
carraway seed and wiejska; a monster-looking u-shaped
sausage. Kiebasa was also the nickname of one of Polands
most notorious gangland figures of the 90s.
Pierogi: Pockets of dough traditionall y filled with meat,
cabbage or cheese, though you will also occasionall y
find maverick fillings such as chocolate or strawberries.
Placki: Nothing more than potato pancakes, often paired
wi th lashings of sour cream. Again, all your tradi tional
folksy Polish restaurants will have these on the menu, if
not you have every right to raise a few questions in the
direction of the kitchen.
Zapiekanki: Also known as Polish pizza. Take a stale
baguette, pour mel ted cheese on it and then cover it
wi th mushrooms and ketchup from a squeezy bottle.
Best eaten when absolutel y plastered. Where to buy it:
various fast food cabins dotted around the city centre.
Dessert: Few things in life get a Pole more animated than
a good dessert. Sernik (a kind of cheesecake) being a
must if you want to even attempt to convince a Pole you
have visited their country.
Kaszanka: This is the Polish variation of blood sausage,
in this case pigs blood mixed with groats, and is generally
served fried with onions. Unlike in other countries it is not
served in the form of a sausage. A variation on the blood dish
is Czernina, a soup made of ducks blood mixed with poultry
broth. An interesting tale is attached to this dish as it was the
dish served by the parents of young women to her suitors
as a sign that their proposal of marriage was not accepted.
Polish Food
A passion for cooking is one
of the greatest talents that people
can bring to the world.
It is from this passion that our
restaurant can bring visitors to the
fragrant lemongrass and coconut milk
of Thailand...to the star anise and
cinnamon of China...to the spicy,
fragrant lime of South America... to the
cream and garlic of France... or to the
lively freshness and simplicity of Japan.
All of these taste we have gathered in
one place.
Chef Tomasz apiski takes you
on an engaging and sophisticated
journey to almost all continents.
We would like your every whim
fulflled and the pleased look on your
face will be the best reward. Remember
that you are only limited by your
imagination .....
58
RESTAURANTS
Gessl er is most commonl y associated wi th, and here
theres pl enty of that to choose from. Find your usual
assortment of Polish deli caci es, made using the finest
l ocall y sourced produce. In added boon the pri ces are
kind on the eye as well. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (24-66z).
PTAGS
Radio Caf B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 56, tel. (+48) 22 625
27 84, www.radiocafe.pl. Penetrate the curtains to enter a
legend, a venue with shady connections to the underground
broadcasts of Radio Free Europe. Attesting to this past are
photos, cuttings and sketches, as well as an ageing clientele
all too familiar with the bad old days. You wouldnt define this
venue as progressive, yet its an immensely enjoyable way to
glimpse pre-sushi Warsaw and enjoy lively chat in an almost
historic atmosphere. The foods good as well, with central
European standards that do far more than just keep the
cold at bay. QOpen 07:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:00.
(20-48z). TAGBS
Restauracja Rana G- 5, ul. Chocimska 7, tel.
(+48) 22 848 12 25, www.restauracj arozana.
com.pl. A two fl oor pre-war vi l l a ful l of chi chi touches,
fl owers and crockery. Very pretty, but youl l soon l earn
they attract return custom on account of the cooki ng,
not the i nteri ors. The setti ng mi ght l ook hi gh end but
the pri ces are cer tai nl y not, and youl l fi nd Rana
recogni zed across the ci ty as one of the best di nner
deal s around. The veal l i ver wi th oni ons and cherr y
sauce i s di vi ne. Pl enty cl ai m to open ti l l the l ast cus-
tomer but onl y these guys are the real deal - i f theres
peopl e di ni ng then the ki tchen wi l l stay open, and that
doesn t matter i f i ts mi dni ght or daybreak. Gi ve a qui ck
cal l ahead to check. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (30-70z).
PTAEBXSW
The most authentic cuisine from the borderlands
Tasty, reasonably priced dishes are made to traditional recipes and
served to the sounds of a live band
Live music | Lunches | Traditional border land cuisine
Sunday family dinners - attractions for the children
Ul. Szkolna 2/4
Warszawa
www.kresowahawira.pl
RESERVATIONS:
(+48) 22 828 10 60
kontakt@kresowahawira.pl
Pierrogeria B-1, ul. Krzywe Koo 30, tel. (+48) 604
17 90 02, www.pierrogeria.pl. I f too many more top
notch, great value places like this open in Ol d Town, the
area is in serious danger of l osing i ts tourist trap moni -
ker. This di vine li ttl e pi erogi stop keeps i t simpl e, keeps
i t cheap and does so in a gorgeous setting. The tabl es
all get indi vi dual lamps, and i f you can bag one by the
window at lunchtime then you shoul d settl e in for a very
l ong afternoon. Also at (F-4) Pl. Konstytucj i 2. QOpen
11:00 - 23:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00. (22-39z).
TAGBSW
Podwale 5 B-2, ul. Podwale 5, tel. (+48) 22 828 77
00, www.podwale5.pl. Possibly the cheapest lunch in
Old Town, and with beer at 5.50z a pop, its possibly the
cheapest beer too. Soups, urek, pierogi and students
can all be found here, alongside business types, tourists
and locals: it really is the kind of place where everyone
feels at home and where sharing tables is part of the fun.
The dcor is a confusing mix of grandmas old furniture
and posters of dead celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and
Audrey Hepburn, but after your first Ukrainian beer youll
be tapping your foot to Michael Jacksons Billie Jean, em-
bracing the time warp. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (12-29z).
PA6UGSW
Pol ka, Magda Gessl er po prostu B- 2, ul .
witojaska 2, tel. (+48) 22 635 35 35, www.
restauracjapolka.pl. No other restaurateur dominates
the Warsaw scene l i ke Magda Gessl er, and Pol ka i s
one of her Polish of ferings to Warsaws growing band
of gastronauts. Like her other ventures Polka has a fai -
rytal e desi gn that makes use of fl oral prints and country
clutter, and the interiors here are a fancy muddl e of frou
frou chambers. But i ts wi th good food that the name
59
RESTAURANTS
ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 87/89, Warsaw
Tel. +48 22 497 57 72
Tel./fax. +48 22 827 30 54
e-mail: biuro@literatka.com.pl
www.literatka.com.pl
Restaurant Literatka
is pleased to invite you for delicious
dishes of traditional Polish and
international cuisine.
Sony G-4, ul. Pikna 11 (entrance from ul. Krucza),
tel. (+48) 22 629 03 64, www.slony.pl. Magda Gessler
strikes again, but not with the usual overdecorated sit-down
restaurant weve come to expect; this time the celebrity
restaurateur has created a grown-up snack bar thats a com-
plete knockout. A glass case in the middle of the restaurant
houses a variety of canaps to choose from - wouldnt the
French die to see smalec and pickles on a canap? - and
the menu is populated with small meaty dishes primarily in
the 6-12zl range (can we call it Polish tapas?). The simple
homemade white sausage with onion jam is on our city-wide
best-of list, and with one entire wall utilised for wine storage
you can sip and snack your way to pure bliss. QOpen 09:00
- 23:00, Fri 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:00 -
23:00. (4-39z). PA6GSW
Strauss Restaurant B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 45 (Po-
lonia Palace Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 318 28 34, www.
strauss.pl. A classy restaurant serving Polish/Austrian
cuisine inside the elegant confines of the Polonia Palace.
Check their Friday night deal where 105z buys a Polish buffet
accompanied by live music. Q Open from September 06:30 -
10:00, 11:00 - 16:00, 18:00 - 22:30, Sat, Sun 06:30 - 10:30,
18:00 - 22:30. (34-99z). PTAUGW
U Barssa B-1, Rynek Starego Miasta 14, tel. (+48)
22 635 24 76, www.ubarssa.pl. Old Town is packed with
standard places to eat, but has traditionally been something
of a desert when it comes to great places to eat. Times are
a-changing. As you walk into the elegant dining room you will
discover a world of luxury, craft and privilege (oh yes, best
save up before coming). Veal escalopes with dill sauce and
the signature duck a la Barssa (baked with apples and served
with cranberries and plum sauce and accompanied by baked
potatoes and beet konfiture) are just a few of the treats you
can expect, and we have yet to mention the wine list. QOpen
10:00 - 24:00. (59-88z). PTAEGBSW
U Fukiera B-2, Rynek Starego Miasta 27, tel. (+48) 22
831 10 13, www.ufukiera.pl. The most famous restau-
rant in town with a guestbook that speaks for itself; Naomi
Campbell, Henry Kissinger and Sarah Ferguson are a few of
the names whove taken a seat here. The interior is a work
of art, crowded with paintings and antiques, its hard not to
feel a part of history when dining here. The food is the perfect
indulgence with perfectly presented game dishes. Your bill is
a different matter, and may present a double Dutch situation.
QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (41-105z). PTJAGBSW
U Kucharzy B-2, ul. Ossoliskich 7, tel. (+48) 22 826
79 36, www.gessler.pl. Cooking becomes theatre inside U
Kucharzy, a restaurant where chefs toil next to diners inside
what once served as the kitchen of the Europejski Hotel.
Black and white tiles, hams hanging from ceilings and florid-
faced chefs cursing over the din; eating here is like being
on the set of Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares. The food is no
nightmare, however, rather a collection of top priced game
dishes and other posh alternatives. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00.
(39-79z). TAEGBS
Zapiecek C-4, ul. Nowy wiat 64, tel. (+48) 22 826
74 84, www.zapiecek.eu. Packed through all hours this
pierogi kitchen assumes the Grandmothers country cottage
look, with pots and pans hanging from every shelf, and lots
of hard timber touches. Much talked about, their deliciously
light dough pockets come with all the fillings you can imagine.
If you dont fancy a sit down then check their street-level take
away window for lunch-on-the-run. Also at Al. Jerozolimskie
28 (C-4). QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00. (19-
36z). PTAGBS
60
RESTAURANTS
Russian
Babooshka C-3, ul. Obona 9 lok. 102, tel. (+48) 22
406 33 66, www.babooshka.pl. A smart little place, i f
youre a peasant, otherwise be prepared for benches, beer
and borscht. Russian cuisine isnt for the faint hearted, and
the Babooshka chain excels at serving large portions of
vein clotting meats and veg in return for a matter of coins.
Also at (C-4) ul. Krucza 41/43 and (E-4) ul. Grjecka 18/20
QOpen 10:00 - 21:30. (15-25z). PTYAUGSW
Seafood
Osteria F-3, ul. Koszykowa 54 (entrance from ul.
Poznaska), tel. (+48) 22 621 16 46, www.osteria.pl. Some
of the best seafood in Warsaw, with a menu featuring fresh oysters,
langoustines, parrotfish (yes, really) and some very good octopus.
The modern interior includes hardwood and porthole finishes, as
well as aquariums from which African fish look on in alarm as their
colleagues meet a sticky end in the open kitchen. QOpen 12:00
- 23:00, Sun 14:00 - 22:00. (59-285z). PTAGBSW
Top Fish C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 54/56, tel. (+48) 22
556 85 60, www.topfishbistro.pl. Top Fishs authenticity
smacks you in the nose as soon as you walk in take a nice
long whiff of the sea and then peruse the well-stocked glass
cases. Top Fish caters to people who like their seafood so fresh
it still has a face, and you can select cuts of halibut or sturgeon
to take home or have it sliced, cooked and served to you at
one of the waiting tables. Top Fish also specialises in vegetar-
ian selections - though if the fish doesnt bother you, youre
probably a pescetarian. Were partial to two of the soups: the
potato cream with salmon and the unique Croatian soup thats
packed to the gills with seafood. QOpen 11:00 - 22:30, Thu,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00. (19-40z). TAGBSW
Spanish
Ole Tapas Steak Restaurant C-4, ul. Bracka 2, tel.
(+48) 519 87 57 67, www.ole-restaurant.pl. The steak
trend in Warsaw shows no sign of losing steam as Ole adds to
the stiff competition amongst flesh slingers, but with a Spanish
twist. That theme is clear as soon as you step inside the small,
modern restaurant which uses images of Flamenco dancers to
line the mezzanine staircase. Weve seen diners swoon while
consuming the fresh tuna, and the Spanish tortilla packed
with zucchini makes an ideal light lunch when you dont want
a slab of beef weighing you down. Oh, but when you do, Ole
spoils diners for choice with Basque, Kobe, Galician and even
Sirloin with foie gras. Ask your server what he recommends,
as ours was liberal with solid recommendations. QOpen
12:00 - 22:00. (60-250z). PTAGSW
Tex-Mex
Blue Cactus G-5, ul. Zajczkowska 11, tel. (+48) 22
851 23 23, www.bluecactus.pl. Warsaw would be a lot
poorer without the Blue Cactus, an old timer thats every
bit as good as it was on day one. Burritos and burgers are
outstanding here, and traditionally washed down with jugs
of margaritas. Kids are welcomed here, a negative to some
a positive to others, and the summer terrace is a Sunday
fave. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Sat 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00
- 21:00. (24-86z). TAGBSW
Frida C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 34, tel. (+48) 22 826 42 18,
www.restauracjafrida.pl. Mexican ballads, sombrero shaped
ashtrays and splashy pictures of Frida Kahlo; this place has the
lot. Service is great, flirty even, while the menu gets gongs for
featuring all the right Mexican suspects. Theres a distinct lack
Not everyone has the pleasure of waking to a five star
breakfast, so its good news that there are early bird
eating options that go beyond foraging in bins. First
off, take a look at urawia - Caf 6/12 is a legend,
and their breakfasts cover all bases from bagels to
pancakes to something that isnt too dissimilar to a
British breakfast. Down the road and You & Me also
attempt Brit brekkie as well as numerous continental
options. Not bad, unlike your pl. Trzech Kryy options.
Theres always a crowd in Szpilka but go beyond a
croissant and youll be wishing you hadnt got out of
bed. Subway have a bunch of locations around the city
and you could do a lot worse for something on the run.
Speaking of fast food, the ubiquitous McBreakfast
is on sale from very early at the easiest location to
get to, that being the one in the underground part of
Warszawa Centralna railway station. Irish breakfast
is available from in Bradleys though for a true power
breakfast head to 99.
99 Restaurant & Bar A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II 23,
tel. (+48) 22 620 19 99, www.restaurant99.com.
Four types of breakfast on offer served from Monday
to Friday - from simple French (pancakes, croissants
and cakes, 17z) to a Polish option (26zl) that includes
scrambled eggs with extras, cottage cheese and a sau-
sage and cheese platter. Q Breakfast served Mon - Fri,
08:00 - 11:00. PTAUBXSW
Caf 6/12 C- 4, ul. urawia 6/12, tel. (+48)
22 622 53 33, www.612.pl. Around 40 breakfast
opti ons, i ncl udi ng pancakes, bagel s, sandwi ches
and ciabattas as well as a not bad attempt at English
breakfast (eggs, home-made sausages, cocktai l
tomatoes, bread). Found close to the centre, the out-
door terrace on Warsaws main media agency street,
is a great place to sit in warmer months. Q Break-
fast served 08:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:00.
PTA6GBSW
Hard Rock Cafe B-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00, www.hardrockcafe.pl.
Special breakfast menu featuring omelettes, pancakes,
eggs, juices, coffee etc. Prices starts from 9z. Q Break-
fast served 09:00 - 12:00. PTAUGBSW
McDonalds A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie/ Jana Pawa II,
pawilon 64, WPP (Warszawa Centralna), tel. (+48)
694 49 60 18, www.mcdonalds.pl. When only the Egg
McMuffin will do or its really early in the morning. Find
it in the tunnels under Warsaw Central Train Station. Q
Breakfast served 05:30 - 10:30, Sat, Sun 05:30 - 11:00.
PAGSW
Subway C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 24, tel. (+48) 22 828
40 25, www.swiezo.pl. A fast breakfast option (think
handy egg sandwiches) when only on-the-go will do. Q
Breakfast served 08:00-11:00, Sat, Sun 10:00-11:00.
PAUGSW
You & Me C-4, ul. urawia 6/12, tel. (+48) 22 379
03 79, www.youandmebar.pl. A range of breakfast
priced at 21z featuring traditional French and English
selections or lighter fare like muesli and yoghurt, all with
free coffee. Q Breakfast served 08:30 - 11:30, Sat, Sun
12:00 - 16:00. PTABXSW
Breakfast
61
RESTAURANTS
of dynamite to the salsa, but all in all this is a decent addition
to Warsaws Mex offerings, and a definite alternative to your
more tried Nowy Swiat venues. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat
11:00 - 02:00. (22-69z). PTA6UEGBS
The Mexican (B-3/4), ul. Zgoda 6, tel. (+48) 22 826
00 09, www.mexican.pl. Unclog your system and get your
guts gargling by attending The Mexican, a venue with shocking
burritos that come served under a slurry of cabbage and florid
sauce. A lot of effort has been put into the venue itself, and
many a passerby will be wooed by the scantily clad flamenco-
inspired attire of the waitresses; If only they focused half as
much attention on the food. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat
12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (20-30). TAGBSW
Warsaw Tortilla Factory F-3, ul. Wilcza 46, tel. (+48)
22 621 86 22, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl. In a country
that considers ketchup spicy were always trepidacious when
restaurants boast of any sort of heat factor. Fortunately,
the Warsaw Tortilla Factory isnt kidding when they call their
habanero mango salsa explosive. The rest of the Tex-Mex
menu also lives up to expectations, with outsized burritos few
adults can finish and a cheesy Philly taco thats so wrong its
right. And dont forget chicken wings for 1zl on Tuesdays. Heck
wed probably lick the guacamole off the floor and wash it down
with a Corona. We doubt anyone at the WTF would blink if we
did since the mixed crowd of locals and ex-pats is equally as
focused on their salsa-laden plates. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. (18-60z). PTA6EBXSW
Thai
Little Thai Gallery B-3, Pl. Dbrowskiego 2/4, tel. (+48)
22 827 44 10, www.littlethaigallery.pl. Often having a good
Thai meal in Warsaw means trading atmosphere for authentic-
ity. Thankfully youll have to make no such compromises at Little
Thai Gallery, where the food is every bit as good as the lush
surroundings. The 22zl lunch special is a steal, with soup (we
liked the soy noodle with pork) tea and an entree like fresh veggie
spring rolls leaving you happily stuffed. Practically any dish has
the option of being ramped up to spicy hot, and the interiors will
leave you as breathless as the peppers; the giant painting of a
praying monk that dominates the south wall is almost as big as
the restaurant itself. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat 13:00 - 22:00,
Sun 13:00 - 21:00. (25-55z). PA6UGS
Natara A-2, Al. Solidarnoci 129/131, tel. (+48) 666
10 15 00, www.natara.pl. Natara has one of the strangest
dining spaces weve encountered: five tables are squeezed
into a cramped, low-ceilinged second floor thats so stuffy
we saw a diner apply deodorant mid-meal. But you know
what youre going to do? Put up with it, because the food is
excellent. The pad Thai is the best weve had in Poland, and
the stir-fried rice with cocktail shrimps, pork and pineapple
is a steaming pile of excellence. The menu comes in two
giant tomes and has plenty of curries, vegetarian dishes
and noodles to hold you over until your next trip to Thailand.
QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (20-48z). PAGBS
Sunanta C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. (+48) 22 434 22
16, www.sunanta.pl. More people seem to be discovering
Sunanta as our forays to snag crispy fried tofu and spicy
stir-fried duck require working around the busy lunch crowd.
Find a table amongst the suit-heavy patrons and dive into a
menu that covers so many options (and offers many of them
nice and hot) that even the pickiest groups will be pleased.
The interiors are pleasant and intimate, with dark woods and
bamboo bits, and smokers are shuttled outside if they require
a pre-meal puff. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00,
Sun 13:00 - 21:00. (24-81z). PTAGS
7KH2OG7RZQ6TXDUH
LWFRXOGQWEHWDVWLHU
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1 Frcia Si. Tcl. 22 831 61 90
13 wiiojasla Si. Tcl. 22 635 61 09
18 Frcia Si. Tcl. 22 635 79 59
1 Podwalc Si. Tcl. 663 564 293
64 Nowy wiai Si. Tcl. 22 692 41 35
62
RESTAURANTS
Vegetarian
Biosfeera F-6, Al. Niepolegoci 80, tel. (+48) 22 898
01 55, www.biosfeera.com. An ultra-funky interior full of
hanging canvas lamps, orange dashes and shining wood fin-
ishes generates the hip atmosphere normally lacking in Polish
vegetarian haunts. The Koza Italiana is a fantastic way to prime
yourself for the meatless main courses that come with names
like Szpinakolada and Tortilla Kama Sutra. Freshly squeezed
juices and fruit cocktails come as refreshment, and expect
the thousand-yard stare if you ask for a beer and an ashtray.
QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (29-39z). TA6UGBSW
Green Bar B-3, ul. Szpitalna 6, tel. (+48) 22 625 00
55. An oasis of veggie goodness in the meaty heart of
this carnivorous city, Green Cafe keeps it simple - soup,
quiches, light meals and the like - but does so very well
indeed, and keeps prices low, ensuring it a steady stream
of customers - at lunchtime especially. Just about your only
veggie option this close to the city centre, we say get here
while you can. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00.
(11-15z). PAGBS
Vietnamese
Nam Sajgon C-4, ul. Bracka 18, tel. (+48) 880 63 39
85. This Vietnamese gem has upgraded from its origins as
a stall in the National Stadium to a two-level spot on Bracka,
but the lines havent changed. Thats because you cant beat
the fresh spring rolls or the large vermicelli salads, which will
easily provide tomorrows lunch too. The steaming bowls
of Pho are one of the most popular options thanks to the
delicious meaty broth, and the list of teas and Vietnamese
coffee are equally impressive. QOpen 10:00 - 21:30, Sun
10:00 - 20:30. (10-19z). GS
The best steaks in town
Turkish
Maho Al . Krakowska 240/242 (W ochy), tel .
(+48) 22 609 15 48, www.maho.com.pl. Wel l out
i n the sti cks, and probabl y beyond the i nvesti gati ve
tal ents of al l but the establ i shed expat. But thats
a great shame, because what l ooks l i ke a gl ori fi ed
kebab shop turns out to be so much more. Set i n a
l ow-l evel modern bui l di ng - the ki nd youd see i n a retai l
park - Maho touts a modern l ooki ng desi gn of dark,
sl eek woods, as wel l a menu that real l y gi ves a boost
to the fl aggi ng reputati on of Turki sh food; l ets face
i t, the kebab shops of Warsaw have done no favours
to thi s nobl e cui si ne. To fi nd such decent skewered
meats i s a rari ty, and Maho al so si del i ne as an ex-
oti c del i catessen. QOpen 11: 00 - 22: 00. (22-42z).
PTAUBXSW
Ukrainian
Kamanda Lwowska C- 3, ul. Foksal 10, tel. (+48)
22 828 10 31, www.kamandalwowska.pl. Heres a
restaurant that gets back to basi cs, of fering up a cav-
al cade of dishes that have been otherwise del eted from
modern Warsaw. Featuring peasant pi ctures and bri ck
ceilings this isn t the experiment in vani ty you expect of
ul. Foksal, choosing instead to hark to the times when
Ukrainian Lvi v was actuall y Polish Lww. The emphasis
is firml y on the good ol d days - before moustached dicta-
tors started di ctating Polands borders - and the desi gn
is a pl easing j umbl e of craftwork and clutter. The menu,
too, has been pai nstaki ngl y per fected, and i ncl udes
such masterstrokes as cheesecake cooked to a secret
grandparents recipe . QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (35-89z).
PTAEGBSW
63
RESTAURANTS
When it comes to trends, Poland is often late to adopt
what other countries would now consider routine. So it
goes with the green, eco-friendly fad, which has reached
a fevered pitch in many major cities while Warsaw is
just beginning to embrace the idea. A group of new (and
already popular) venues are using their green status as
a major lure for customers in effort we expect will soon
be duplicated all over the city.
Caf 6/12 C-4, ul. urawia 6/12, tel. (+48) 22 622
53 33, www.612.pl. A prominent Warsaw caf, and one
popular with ad execs and scenesters. Making good use
of the high ceilings and socialist granite touches 6/12
features trance like music and subdued lighting, adding
a chilled out element to this long-living establishment.
However, this place is so much more than a caf, and
a thumb through the menu confirms so; the smoothies,
and theres millions to choose from, are hands down
the best in the city, while food choices include a range
of light gourmet bites youd imagine a Kate Moss char-
acter stabbing her fork at. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Sat,
Sun 10:00 - 23:00. (25-67z). PTA6GBSW
Green Patio B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 47a, tel. (+48)
22 628 21 04, www.greenpatio.pl. Feeling like all the
heavy Polish food is throwing your colon out of wack? Green
Patios wildly healthy tome of a menu has just the thing for
you. All of their offerings are clearly labelled with hints such
as high in fiber to help right your digestive track, like the
grilled tuna (vitamins and heart) or the chicken breast
with rocket salad (good for pregnant women). All can be
had in the quaint outdoor garden or inside the impressive
modern green interior - yep, theres a tree growing inside.
Sit beneath its shade and enjoy a smoothie designed
specifically to improve your health. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (28-44z). PTAUGBSW
Green Peas Eco bar & coffee B-3, ul. Szpitalna 5, tel.
(+48) 228261985, www.greenpeas.pl. If the mossy
paint color didnt tip you off, then the menu at Green Peas Eco
Bar and Coffee will: these folks are seriously green. Everything
is made from organic products free from genetic modifica-
tions and chemicals, theres no microwave on the premises,
nothing is deep-fried and dates are typically substituted for
sugar to maintain their quest for natural cooking. The menu
was designed with the environment in mind, which can sound
boring on paper but is delicious on the plate. Salads are just
14zl and combine impressively fresh greens with homemade
dressing, and tofu is a word youll see often. Even the cola
is organic! QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 21:00.
(12-22z). PTA6VGBSW
Klubokawiarnia Resort B-2, ul. Bielaska 1, tel.
(+48) 507 17 99 35. What looks like a normal caf
at first glance is anything but: old bathtubs have been
turned into couches, metal shopping carts now serve
as seats, and the bar is made from colourful stacks of
old books (its worth a visit to their Facebook page to
see how they created this unique bar). Even cardboard
tubes have been reinvented as chairs. While the dcor is
decidedly reused, the food and drinks are true originals.
Cocktails are made with fresh fruit, while stomachs
can be lined with whatver tasty concoctions the chef
comes up with on a regular basis. Fortunately, you can
drink your bottled beer or Argentine cola without any
guilt since Resort makes recycling a part of its mission.
QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 06:00. (8-15z).
PAEBXSW
Healthy eating
64
CAFS
Batida F-4, ul. Marszakowska 53, tel. (+48) 22 621
53 15, www.batida.com.pl. There are a few Batidas
around the city, but for the full Viennese coffee house
experience you need to get yoursel f to the flagship on
Marszakowska. Grab a seat by the huge windows in the
elegant, high-ceiling dining room and feast on a good, brief
menu featuring - amongst other things - excellent salads (the
duck breast salad is a treat). The cake selection is out of this
world, and prices are not as high as you might think. Also at
(C-4) Pl. Trzech Krzyy 18. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun
09:00 - 20:00. TAGSW
Blikle Caf C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 33, tel. (+48) 22 826
64 50, www.blikle.pl. A part of Warsaw folklore. This is
where Charles De Gaulle used to come for his donuts back in
his Warsaw days, and Blikle still sell a chocolate and marzipan
cake honouring their famous guest. A classy, august venue,
with a menu available until midnight that includes a range
of breakfasts, lunches, ice creams and a dessert selection
that will have you in heaven. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Sun
10:00 - 24:00. PTAGBSW
Bubbleology B-3, ul. Chmielna 26, www.bubbleology.
pl. Few things have gotten us more excited than the arrival
(finally!) of bubble tea in Poland. Bubbleology is a UK chain
that offers milk and fruit teas that can be mixed in any num-
ber of combinations just ask one of the lab coat-wearing
bubbleologists behind the counter for their most creative
recommendations; passionfruit and vanilla? Taro and kum-
quat? Its just tea and tables here, but thats all you need
to enjoy this tall, cold refreshment. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00.
PAGBS
Cafe Baguette B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
69. Confronted with Cafe Baguettes impressive wall of
loaves and pastries its fair to question whether you took
a wrong turn on K-P and somehow ended up in a cosy
Pari sian boul angeri e. I n a ci ty where good bread can
be harder to find than happy stories Cafe Baguette is a
welcome (and already popular) addition. Salads, quiches
and thi ck sandwi ches fil l up thei r di spl ay case, whil e
baskets of croissants and desserty goodness surround
the register. The outdoor seats provide a great spot for
people watching while diving into sticky pastries. Q Open
24 hrs. TA6UGBSW
Cafe Prna B-3, ul. Prna 12, tel. (+48) 22 620
32 57, www.cafeprozna.pl. Making a stir with Warsaws
intellectuals is Cafe Prna, a cracking cafe set inside a
shattered building that looks ready to keel over. Youll be
lucky to find a seat inside this narrow venue, even more
so i f theres a lecture or reading going on. Decorated with
pre-war photographs, Prna comes with a pile of well-
thumbed history books in the entrance, tiny tea candles
and a basement level to soak up any overflow of custom-
ers. The onl y disappointment here are the smoothies;
nowhere near as good as the venue deserves. QOpen
10:00 - 23:00, Mon, Sun 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 -
24:00. 6GBSW
Caf Vincent C- 3, ul. Nowy wiat 64, tel. (+48)
22 828 01 15. This place is a great French bakery and
coffee shop doing a huge range of authentic pastries and
bread. This is rather unfortunate as the large queue and
tiny shop space move quickly while you dither, and you also
risk being smacked by a baguette i f you turn around too
quickly, but its worth it as a coffee and croissant will set
you back less than 20zl. Also at ul. Jana Pawa II 82 (D-1,
Arkadia). QOpen 06:30 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 06:30 - 01:00.
PAGBSW
Chodna 25 E-2, ul. elazna 75a (entrance from ul.
Chodna), tel. (+48) 22 620 24 13, chlodna25.blog.pl.
The unofficial home of Warsaw counter-culture, and some-
thing of a community centre for wacko art types; theyre all
here, from expat hacks typing up tomorrows copy, to drama
queers committing theatre scripts to memory. Distracting
them from the duty at hand are jazzy tunes, poetry slams
and the occasional dog going woof. Chairs of varying style
and condition, board games, beer-by-the-bottle and batty
artwork all add to the atmosphere, making C25 every bit
as appealing as it is curious. Dont miss it. QOpen 08:00
- 23:00, Fri 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 -
23:00. P6EGBSW
Coffeeheaven C-4, ul. urawia 1a, tel. (+48) 22 622
51 75, www.coffeeheaven.pl. Polands definitive coffee
chain, and not unlike something youre used to experiencing
back home. Generic surroundings show little imagination but
the coffee, served in paper cups, is ideal for your caffeine
fix. Made-on-the-day sandwiches and smoothies are equally
impressive and Coffeeheaven have handy locations across
town, including the train station, a must-visit for anyone
looking to stock up before taking their chances on Polands
rail network. QOpen 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 20:00.
PAGBSW
Coffee Karma F-4, Pl. Zbawiciela 3/5, tel. (+48) 22
875 87 09, www.coffeekarma.eu. Earnest looking intel-
lectuals read Hesse while taking languid sips of hand-roasted
coffee. Huge windows afford views of Pl. Zbawiciela, and the
staff are also adept at fixing exotic smoothies. Ten out of
ten. QOpen 07:30 - 23:00, Sat 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 -
23:00. TA6GBSW
Green Caf f e Nero (G- 5), ul . Tadeusza Boj a-
eleskiego 2, tel. (+48) 22 118 25 20, www.green-
coffee.pl. Its the perfect caffeinated marriage: Polands
popular Green Coffee joins forces with the UK-based Caffe
Nero to create this first-of-its-kind joint venture. In this case
everyone wins Caffe Nero provides their Italian blends
while Green Coffee offers house-made sandwiches to the
hungry PC-users that swarm the fluffy couches and wood
slab tables. The cafe itsel f is on Pl. Unii Lubelskiej, one
stop down on the tram from the too-cool-for-school Pl.
Zbawiciela, which means you wont be fighting underfed
hipsters for a seat. Theres still some growing pains to work
out (the musics too loud, the bathroom has windows that
allow you to wave at neighbors from the seat) but overall its
a match made in espresso heaven. QOpen 07:00 - 23:00.
PA6UBXSW
Keks B-2, Rynek Starego Miasta 1/3, www.kawiar-
niakeks-staremiasto.ebiznes.fm. Keks is one of the most
popular cakes in Poland (a bit like an Old English fruitcake),
and you can expect to find a very good slice of the stuff
waiting for you here. You should also expect a top Old Town
square location, but one which comes without the usual pre-
miums. No, no rip-off prices here, just a gorgeous, eccentric
little cafe of the old school, the kind of place you want to hug
and take home to your mother. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sat,
Sun 10:00 - 23:00. A6GBSW
Mi ni sterstwo Kawy F- 4, ul . Marsza kowska
27/35, tel. (+48) 503 080 906, www.ministerstwo-
kawy.pl. Another caf at Plac Zbawi ci ela? Just when we
thought i t had reached cri ti cal mass (Charl otte, Cof fee
Karma and Kawiarnia Funky are all mere steps away)
Ministerstwo Kawy throws open i ts doors and proves
that all you trul y need for a successful cof fee shop is
an espresso machine, a few chairs and reliabl e Wi -Fi.
65
CAFS
Oh, and bathrooms. Students have claimed this place
as their own, and the tabl es are consistentl y fill ed wi th
backpacks and hal f-eaten bowls of soup. Our favouri te
spot for pulling l ong laptop sessions wi th no hassl e or
hipsters. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00.
PA6UGBSW
NEW
Petit Appetit C- 3, ul. Nowy wiat 27, tel. (+48)
22 826 44 61, www.petitappetit.pl. The sprawling
street of Nowy wiat/Krakowskie Przedmiecie is now
bookended with boulangeries: on the northern end theres
Cafe Baguette, and on the southern Petit Appetit. This
French newcomer already impresses by offering fantastic
homemade crepes and fluffy omelettes along with authentic
crusty bread that patrons can watch being baked via a large
glass window on the kitchen. The usual pain au chocolates
and creme brulees line the bakery case along with a mind-
boggling array of loaves that beg to be taken on the go (in
your bicycle basket no less). Our only complaint? The cof-
fee cups lack useable handles! Yet its a price were willing
to pay for a little taste of Paris. QOpen 06:30 - 23:00.
PA6UGBSW
Sodki Sony G- 4, ul. Mokotowska 45, tel. (+48)
22 622 49 34, www.slodkislony.pl. Exceedi ngl y or-
nate i nteri ors announce the arri val of one more Magda
Gessl er venture, thi s one wi th a heavy emphasi s on
cakes, pastri es and chocol ate. Theres guil ty pl easures
apl enty i n thi s pl ace, and al l packaged i nsi de a desi gn
thats hal f Mar tha Stewar t and hal f Engl i sh countr y
house. QOpen 10: 00 - 24: 00, Mon 11: 00 - 24: 00.
PA6GSW
Specja y Regionalne C- 3, ul. Nowy wiat 44,
tel. (+48) 662 25 42 15, www.specjalwiejski.pl.
Thi s i s a great l i ttl e caf and del i servi ng out meat and
potatoes i n al l thei r varyi ng Pol i sh forms, but i n smal l
enough porti ons to not come away i n pai n. Thi nk Pol i sh
tapas - i ts a great place to go and sampl e the full range
of Pol i sh sausage meat and ham, especi al l y when the
pri ces are so smal l. As an extra bonus, i f you real l y
l i ke what you have you can order some more from the
del i to take home for l ater. Furthermore, the owner i s
somethi ng of a mead fanati c and they have a great hot
and col d sel ecti on. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 -
24:00. PAGBSW
Starbucks Coffee C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 62, tel. (+48)
71 386 19 53, www.starbucks.pl. Anti-globalists weep.
After years of threatening so the agents of Satan, Starbucks,
have opened shop in Warsaw, and in the most obvious loca-
tion of all - bang on Nowy wiat. And its everything youd
expect - big, comfortable, popular, and with very good coffee
combos to keep the people coming over and over again. Also
on (A-2) Al. Solidarnoci 68a, (A-2), Al. Solidarnoci 82, (A-3)
ul. Emilii Plater 53 and (B-4) Al. Jerozolimskie 63. QOpen
07:30 - 21:30, Fri, Sat 07:30 - 23:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:30.
PAUGBSW
To Lubi B-1, ul. Freta 10, tel. (+48) 22 635 90 23,
www.tolubie.pl. Divine. Coffee, cakes, pies, breakfast,
cof fee and appl e or plum crumbl e at 12zl a slice (not
necessarily in that order). Opposite the church on a street
that is best known as being tourist-trap central, this is the
kind of place you can get all twee and generally Krakow for
a moment. Old/New Town should be full of places like is.
I like this is what the name means and we do. Q Open
09:30 - 23:00. From September open 10:00 - 22:00.
PTA6GBS
I f theres one uni versal truth about Pol es i ts that
they l ove their dessert. What mi ght be consi dered
a special treat or i ndul gence i n your country i s a
standard part of the meal, a stapl e not to be l eft out.
A lap past any i ce cream parl our or bakery typi call y
reveals l ong lines and hefty purchases (yet still the
Pol es stay impressi vel y skinny. Unfair). Evi dence of
this sugary fanati cism can be found in the l ong tradi -
tion of chocolate l ounges, cafes that are devoted
to the cocoa-dri ven nectar in a way you thought onl y
Hansel and Gretel coul d imagine.
Mount Blanc Pijalnia Czekolady i Kawy B- 4,
ul. Chmielna 27/31, tel. (+48) 22 826 70 80,
www.mountblanc.pl. The l one i nterl oper among
the chocol ate l ounges i n Warsaw i s newcomer
Mount Blanc, whi ch boasts Bel gian chocolates (140
to choose from) and desserts for those who want
an i nternati onal spi n on thei r addi cti on. Choosi ng
among the vari ous truf fl es - some shaped l i ke a
dogs head and corncobs - requires onl y the point
of a finger before the gl oved hand of a Mount Blanc
empl oyee snaps up your sel ecti on. An array of
i ce cream dishes, hot chocolate and desserts are
on hand, but the go-to choi ce for regulars are the
ganache truf fl es. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 24:00. PAGBSW
Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel B-3, ul. Szpitalna 8,
tel. (+48) 22 827 29 16, www.wedelpijalnie.pl.
The reason everyone at Czekolady Wedel looks like
theyre in a daze is because this is the mothership of
chocolate cafes, ground zero for all things dark, milk
and achingly sweet. Wedel is the countrys longest
established chocolate manufacturer and one of the
best known brands i n Pol and. Thi s cl assy venue,
featuring comfortable seating in room after room of
tables, is located in what was once the factory and
cafe of the Wedel business. Youll still be able to taste
the original chocolate creations of its founders which
were so popular that Karol Wedel had to introduce
a factory seal carrying his signature to combat the
number of forged Wedel products that were filling
the market in the 1860s. The menu here is impressive
in both its size and scope, covering every variety of
chocolate drink, dessert, truffle and ice cream dish
imaginable. Chocolate comas are inevitable. QOpen
08:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00.
PTAGBSW
Wawel B-3, ul. Krlewska 2, tel. (+48) 22 828 14
99, www.wawel.com.pl. Yes it sounds awfully similar
to Wedel, and their histories are equally alike. Confec-
tioner Adam Piasecki founded the company in 1898 in
Krakow and, making it through World War II, become
a recognizable Polish brand for sweets. Their Warsaw
chocolate lounge is located on swank Krakowskie Przed-
miescie, and though it is nowhere near as vast as the
Wedel lounge nor as daunting in menu choices, chocohol-
ics can still indulge in a ridiculous array of truffles and
treats. The hot chocolates impressively diverse for the
adventurous, with Cherry Crush and Cinnamon Islands
recommended for those who like to compliment their
chocolate with additional flavors. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00,
Fri 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00.
PA6GBSW
Chocolate Lounges
66
NIGHTLIFE
Bars & Pubs
Warsaw has a thriving bar scene, and hitting up one of
the many venues listed here offers the chance to sample
Polands national beverage - vodka - long with plenty of
local beers. Youll be offered beer ei ther in 0.3 or 0.5
litre sizes, and prices depend greatly on how swank your
establishment; expect to pay 7-10zl for a large beer for
the most part.
Bar Tektura B- 4, ul. Poznaska 12, tel. (+48) 602
72 96 97, www.bartektura.pl. Bar Tektura appears
to be nei ghbouri ng Bei ruts more l ow-key si bl i ng: the
space itsel f is the same, but the music is more subdued,
the lights are brighter and the decor more architectural.
Cardboard is unexpectedly used as a key design element,
and customers are encouraged to scribble on the scrolls
of provided paper. Theres an array of snacks and a small
menu (written on cardboard of course) and bottles of Polish
beers to spill on your drawings. QOpen 16:00 - 01:00.
PAUGBW
Beirut Hummus & Music Bar B-4, ul. Poznaska
12. Our favorite new addition to Warsaws bar scene, Beirut
is pure atmosphere - the bar itself is made with sandbags,
after all - and offers traditional Lebanese snacks like olive oil-
soaked hummus and falafel to pair with your beer. While the
weather is nice the front is open to the street, letting pass-
ersby marvel at the sound system and the unique hairstyles
of the hip staff. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. PAUGBW
Bierhalle C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 64, tel. (+48) 609 67
77 65, www.bierhalle.pl. Warsaws best beer served in
a bi-level space filled with chunky woods, bare bricks and
industrial flourishes. The menu, presented by girls dressed
in countryside apparel, features big photographs of what you
can expect, including life-size pics of the beer - order a big
one here and youll be left getting to grips with clunky two pint
steins that are ideal for showing off your bicep flexes. Also
at Al. Jana Pawa II 82 (D-1, Arkadia). QOpen 12:00 - 23:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. PAGW
British Bulldog Pub C-4, ul. Krucza 51, tel. (+48)
22 827 00 20, www.bbpub.pl. Found in the venue that
for many, many years housed the uninviting London Steak
House, the British Bulldog pub aims to fill the expat pub hole
left after the changes at Bradleys. And when you consider
all the ingredients, this has all the makings of becoming
one of the citys top bars: an excellent city centre location;
a completely revamped interior; a wide selection of imported
beers (including Spitfire, Bishops Finger and Guinness); a
great menu including bangers and mash with onion gravy
and fish and chips; lots of screens showing sport courtesy
of Sky TV; a VIP room and a new year-round terrace with its
own bar. We expect it to go head to head with the Warsaw
Tortilla Factory for the expat zloty. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00.
P1AUBXW
NEW
Bufet Centralny B-4, ul. urawia 32/34, tel. (+48)
532 74 91 60, www.bufetcentralny.pl. Houndstooth and
concrete dont sound like the recipe for Warsaws hippest
bar, and when you throw in the view from the large patio a
hulking parking garage it sounds even more grim. But Bufet
Centralny is painfully cool, with its stark space populated
by drinkers that sport at minimum 3 tattoos apieces. We
cant put our finger on exactly why theyve become the it
bar (its definitely not the service) but weekends this place is
tighter than a hipsters jeans. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat
12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (25-35z). PAGBS
A thriving capital city it might
be, but Warsaw still lags behind
other European hotspots when
it comes to hedonistic capers.
There is no area truly set aside
for nightlife, and hailing taxis to
get from Bar A to Club B is a
tediously frequent occurrence.
The area around pl. Pilsudskiego and pl. Teatralny has
become a firm favourite with a dressy crowd of new money
Poles, somewhat replacing the more established territories
of Nowy Swiat, pl. Trzech Krzyzy and ul. Sienkiewicza. If
dressing to the nines is firmly out of the question then con-
sider heading across the river to the artsy bars cropping up
in the Praga district. In a worrying development many clubs
have now assumed the thinking that the clothes maketh
the man, and youll find most places now operating a velvet
rope door policy to ensure only those kitted in their Saturday
finery make it as far as the dance floor. Open hours listed
should only be treated as rough approximation; in practice
many bars and clubs will open way beyond the call of duty
if the need arises, but by the same benchmark will happily
bolt the doors if business is slow.
Here are a few recommendations depending on what
you are looking for.
Local
Bierhalle is a large microbrewery on Nowy Swiat that
churns out respectable vats of beer in a central location.
Newcomer Bufet Centralny is one of Warsaws most
popular at the moment and features plenty of outdoor
seating. And if you dont mind herring and 5zl vodka shots
explore the 24 hour zakaskas bars like Warszawska and
Pijalnia Wdki i Piwa to drink like a local.
Cheap
It has to be The Secret Garden, a ramshackle collec-
tion of dive bars in the courtyard behind Nowy Swiat
that offers Warsaw drinking in its rawest form. And on
the student trail hit up Plan B for a mix of cheap drinks
and youthful debauchery.
Lads
For Sky Sports and grub then take your pick from The
British Bulldog, Warsaw Tortilla Factory, Legends and
Someplace Else. If youve cleaned up and are ready to
impress hit up Foksal street for clubs like Sketch and
Foksal XVIII, which boast A-list clientele. But if your re-
quirements are a little more carnal read up on our adult
section and then proceed wisely.
Couples
If you like to swill custom cocktails try newcomer Pies
Czy Suka, but if you prefer your drinks in one of two
colors - white or red - then try Vinoteka 13. And if you
like people watching and the occasional slow dance you
cant beat Skwer, where the stage often doubles as a
spot for impromptu dance lessons for moony couples.
Splurge
Paparazzis cocktails are worth the dip into your wallet,
as are the drinks at the Marriotts Panorama bar, which
offers views from the 40th floor that will cost you. If youre
dressed to impress hit up Capitol for the chance to drink
like a champagne-loving oligarch.
Night at a glance
67
NIGHTLIFE
Cafe Kulturalna (Culture Caf) B- 4, Pl. Defilad
1 (PKiN), tel. (+48) 22 656 62 81, www.kultur-
al na.pl. Cafe, bar and cl ub, Cafe Kul tural na i s an
amazi ng space, and unmi ssabl e i f you appreci ate a
venue wi th character. Decorated wi th vi nyl armchai rs,
artwork and tastel ess 50s chandel i ers thi s i s a magnet
for the student i ntel l i gentsi a. DJs, fi l m screeni ngs,
readi ngs and assor ted ar tsy tosh regul arl y hel d. Fi nd
i t i n the Pal ace of Cul ture on the Marsza kowska si de
of the bui l di ng next to the theatre i n the south-east
corner. QOpen 12: 00 - 24: 00, Fri , Sat 12: 00 - 04: 00.
AUEGBW
Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant B- 4, Al.
Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. (+48)
22 630 51 19, www.champions.pl. A classi c sports
bar fill ed wi th gli ttering trophi es, si gned shirts and other
sporting detritus. Some 30 screens and projectors beam
out action from across the worl d, whil e those wishing
to exercise more than their eyes can choose from pool
tabl es, playstations and dart machines that beep and
whi r duri ng moments of par ti cul ar drama. Q Open
12:00 - 23:00. From September open 11:00 - 24:00.
PAUXW
Cud nad Wis C-2, Wybrzee Kociuszkowskie
(between l sko- Dbrowski and wi tokrzyski
bridges), tel. (+48) 533 64 95 61, www.cudnad-
wisla.com. Thi s seasonal bar - whi ch transl ates to
Mi racl e on the Vistula - is defi ni tel y doi ng i ts part to
perk up a Warsaw summer. After a rough winter trapped
indoors, we embrace the chance to soak up the sun on
a stack of pill ows, or watch the choppy Vistula beneath
twinkling lights in the evening. Students are drawn to the
reasonabl e beer pri ces as much as the uni que l ocation,
and a small stage means musi c is another attraction. A
must-visi t ni ghtspot wi th an expiration date. Q Hours
are heavil y weather-dependent; i f sunny they open at
10:00 and cl ose late at ni ght. AEW
Hard Rock Cafe B- 4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00, www.hardrockcaf e.pl.
Sure you don t need to see Freddi e Mercur ys red
l eather pants to enj oy a ni ght out, but i t cer tai nl y
doesn t hurt. The Hard Rock Cafes l arge downstai rs
bar area i s j umpi ng at ni ght even when l i ve rock shows
aren t on the agenda. The endl ess bar mi xes up a l ong
l i st of col our ful cocktai l s for a heavi l y ex-pat crowd
taki ng i n paraphernal i a l i ke a wel l -worn Bee Gees
gui tar and a bl ack l eather out fi t that formerl y cl ung to
Madonnas earl y 90s frame. When musi c i s on tap the
crowd becomes more vari ed (and youthful) but j ust as
devoted to the strum of a Fender. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00.
PAUEGBW
Hydrozagadka ul. 11 Listopada 22 (Praga), tel.
(+48) 502 07 09 16, www.hydrozagadka.waw.pl.
You will not find a more unkempt bar than Hydrozagadka;
this place looks like its been ransacked by students, and
i ts almost advisabl e to check yoursel f for fl eas when
l eaving. Decorations aren t so much limi ted as virtuall y
non-existent, and you won t find much more than bri ck
walls and a coll ection of seats that appear to have been
rescued from the rubbish. But whil e i t l ooks scruf fy this
has emerged as one of the best places in town, wi th
of f-beat per formances enj oyed by a crowd that doesn t
get out of bed till way after noon. QOpen 19:00 - 05:00,
Thu 19:00 - 02:00. Cl osed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. Open
duri ng the week when special events are bei ng hel d.
PAUEXW
Bar Warszawa B-2, ul. Miodowa 2, tel. (+48) 517
74 09 29, www.barwarszawa.pl. Bar Warszawas
popularity has been so explosive theyve created a
satellite location, Bar Warszawa Deluxe, to handle the
late-night overflow. While the original of this recipe at ul.
Miodowa 2 which combines ridiculously cheap Polish
food and booze with nerdily dressed employees only
services customers until 04:00, the Deluxe version is
open 24 hours slinging 9zl snacks like herring and 5zl
vodka shots. There is truly no better hangover cure than
their steaming flaczki and an unpasteurized local beer,
whatever the hour. Q Open 12:00 - 04:00. UGB
Meta na Foksal C-3, ul. Foksal 21, tel. (+48) 22
826 45 13, www.metanafoksal.pl. Decorated with old
vinyl, newspaper clippings and propaganda posters this
eat-on-the-run venue unites Capitalist Warsaw with the PRL
pig of the past. Put simply this place is Przekski Zakski
taken to the next level, a very high one at that. Also at ul.
Mazowiecka 11 (B-3). QOpen 11:00 - 06:00. PAGB
Pijalnia Wdki i Piwa C-4, ul. Nowy wiat 19, tel.
(+48) 796 11 00 00. When the vaunted New York
Times came to Warsaw to do a story on the growing trend
of old-school zakaskas bars - watering holes with cheap
4zl vodka and beer and piles of pork jelly - they headed
straight for the experts at Pijalnia Wodki i Piwa, the current
kings of the 24 hour Soviet-era drinking dens that have
seen a resurgence lately. Whether youre pregaming or
trying to prevent a hangover Pijalnia should be a necessary
stop on your night out. Q Open 24hrs PUG
Przekski Zakski B-2, ul. Ossoliskich 7 (entrance
from ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie), tel. (+48) 22 826
79 36, www.gessler.pl. Located on the ground floor of
what was once the Europejski Hotel the impossibly named
Przekski Zakski offers round-the-clock bites to a loud line
of boys and girls making their way home from the pubs and
clubs. Food is consumed promptly and standing up, and tra-
ditionally topped off with a shot of vodka. Q Open 24hrs. G
NEW
Warszawska F- 4, Pl. Zbawiciela 5, tel. (+48)
600 12 12 40. If zakaskas bars are all the rage, then
Warszawska is currently top of the heap for the see-and-
be-seen set. Its location at the hipster epicenter of Pl.
Zbawiciela guarantees large late night crowds; a recent
Friday night saw numbers in the hundreds pouring out of
the tiny bar, sipping cheap beers while lazing on the torn
up tram tracks on ul. Marszakowska. Q Open 24hrs. G
Late Night Eats
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NIGHTLIFE
Jimmy Bradleys E-3, ul. Sienna 39, tel. (+48) 22 654
66 56, www.jimmybradleys.pl. Jimmy Bradleys is (as
was its predecessor Cork Irish Pub) something of a legend
on the Warsaw expat scene due in the main to the landlord
Kevin Bradley a committed publican who was often caught
conducting stringent quality checks with regulars and visitors
alike. But it appears that Kevin is no more (weve no idea why)
and with him is likely to have gone the heart and soul of the
place. A good pub is always the work of a conscientious and
professional landlord so well be fascinated to see if Bradleys
can live up to its reputation as one of the best places in town
to get an Irish breakfast, a decent pint of Guinness and live
sports beamed from around the world. We fear that its not
just the name that is likely to change in the very near future.
QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri 10:00 - 03:00, Sat 12:00 -
03:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. PAUEGBW
JPs Bar A-3, Al. Jana Pawa II 21 (The Westin Hotel), tel.
(+48) 22 450 86 30, www.westin.pl/en. An airy hotel bar
whose name is actually a reference to the bars designer, not
the wildly popular Pope John Paul II. Light coloured furnishings
come interspersed by a smattering of house plants which look
on as a well-dressed yet casual crowd enjoys expertly poured
premium drinks in the finest of settings. QOpen 08:00 - 01:00,
Sat, Sun 09:00 - 01:00. PAUGW
Kafefajka C-3, ul. Obona 9 lok. 101, www.kafefajka.
com. Duck inside Kafefajka and youll be rewarded with a
bar that simulates a Turkish tent complete with jangly music
and sweeping fabric hanging from the ceiling (and if youre
lucky, a belly dancer or two). The draw here is water pipes
with unusual flavours; were partial to the melon, but apple-
mint and banana sound intriguing. The large space and open
booths are ideal for groups that like to pass the pipe and
indulge in Carlsberg or Okocim for less than 10z. Also at
(C-4), ul. Nowy wiat 26/28 pav. 20. QOpen 12:00 - 03:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 15:00 - 03:00. PABXW
Klaps C- 4, ul. Nowy wiat 22/28 (Pavilion 12a).
Peculiarities abound in the drinking maze known as The
Secret Garden, but none come close to matching Klaps in
the weirdness stakes. Theres dildos for beer taps and a wall
of plastic boobs, and like everywhere in this area, you wont
find beer costing more than 9z. Finding it is a challenge in
itself - its close to the passage that connects the courtyard
to Smolna. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Mon 15:00 - 01:00, Fri,
Sat 17:00 - 04:00, Sun 17:00 - 01:00. PAX
Kwadrat F-4, ul. Poznaska 7 (entrance from ul. Wil-
cza), tel. (+48) 608 64 99 41, www.kwadrat.waw.pl.
One of our favourite finds this year, Kwadrat is a tiny little
place thats not unlike popping round a mates house - pro-
vided your mate had seven tables and a fridge full of beer. And
wow, what a fridge it is. Hiding inside it find some of the great
beers of Poland and Ukraine, including Ciechan and Obolon:
superb brews that do a lot to redress the damage caused by
the megabrand beers. Theres not much more to this place,
just a friendly welcome, cheap prices, chilled out tracks and
a hip 20s crowd usually engrossed in some board game or
other. Highly recommended, even more so if you just want
a good night with select friends. QOpen 16:00 - 22:00, Fri
16:00 - 24:00, Sat 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. PAGW
Plater 25, tel. (+48) 22 622 46 40, www.legendsbar.pl.
British owned and run, not 150 metres from the Marriott, this
is a resto-pub with a bright, clean look, four flatscreen tvs on
which you can watch SKY and Canal +, real dart boards and
a cracking menu of British-style grub to soak up the Polish
beer, British ales and rarely-seen spirits like Captain Morgan
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NIGHTLIFE
dark rum. This is also one of the places that has built a new
indoor smoking room. To add that extra sports feel walls
come decorated with pictures depicting all the games the
British have invented for the rest of the world to beat them at.
QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00,
Sun 12:00 - 22:00. PABXW
Lokal Uytkowy B-1, ul. Brzozowa 27/29, tel. (+48)
22 831 85 67, www.lokaluzytkowy.org. If you need a
reason to visit old town then Lokal Uytkowy is it. Theres
an air of theatre chic to this bar, a super venue where
stripey scarves and an intellectual scowl are a must to fit
in. Populated by artists and wannabes this is by no means
the second-hand flea market venue youd assume, rather
a neat looking space decked with framed posters and red,
swivelly seats. But the real clincher is the beer, supplied by
Ciechan, practically the best Polish lager around. Note that
Lokal Uzytkowy will be closed for the first three weeks of
August. Q Open Fri, Sat 18:30-23:00 and during events.
Check their website for schedule. AUEGW
Lolek E-5, ul. Rokitnicka 20, tel. (+48) 22 825 62 02,
www.publolek.pl. No Warsaw summer is complete without a
visit to Lolek, a rotund bar in the thick of the Pole Mokotowskie
Park. If the sun is on form then join the others, stretched on the
grass with lager in hand while frisbee players lark around in the
distance. At other times head indoors where Lolek assumes
the look of a Munich beer hall: lots of good humoured drunks
clanking glasses on wood bench seats. Stave off the hangover
with soakage from the open grill. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Mon,
Tue 11:00 - 01:00. AEBXW
Mae Piwo F-4, ul. Oleandrw 4, tel. (+48) 509 78
36 05. Let the drunken masses have the popular bars
around Plac Zbawiciela; well take Mae Piwo any day. Sure,
you practically need a shoehorn to get inside this tiny place
(hence the name, which means small beer) but its well
worth the wedge. Though their premises are small the beer
list is vast and skews towards the obscure, with bottles from
Polish breweries like Browar Na Jurze and Browar Kormoran.
Dangling jars light the few tables, and a chalkboard behind
the bar tells you all you need to know about whats on offer.
Weve used more words to describe this place than they
have square metres, so go see for yourself. QOpen 11:00
- 24:00. PUGW
Panorama Bar & Lounge B- 4, Al. Jerozolimskie
65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 630 74 34,
www.panoramabar.pl. Warsaws highest bar - and indeed
Polands - sits on the 40th floor of the Marriott with prices to
match the top tier location. The views of Warsaw glimmering
below are outstanding, and theyre no longer the only reason
to visit. Gone is the JR Ewing glitz and chrome, replaced in-
stead by a tasteful interior consisting of flock print wallpaper,
violet seating and clever lighting. Theres no better place for
Sleepless In Seattle seduction, or a corporate chinwag. Q
Open 20:00 - 02:00. From September open 18:00 - 02:00.
PAUEXW
Paparazzi B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. (+48) 22 828
42 19, www.paparazzi.com.pl. Not everyones cup of tea
perhaps, but every time we come here we always think to
ourselves they get little wrong and a lot right. Serves good
food - and the kitchen is open nearly as late as the bar most
nights (until 01:00) - good cocktails and a decent pint. And,
whisper it, but you can smoke here: in fact, it is business as
usual on the smoking front, as the whole place is a smoking
zone, apart from two small tables at the entrance. Thats
why its full when all around is empty. Top marks. QOpen
18:00 - 03:00. PAXW
Centuries of hardcore Catholicism matched with provin-
cial attitudes have conspired to create an atmosphere
where homosexuality is still regarded as morally incor-
rect by much of the population. Warsaw does however
offer far more tolerance and understanding; 2010 saw
several thousand people march in Warsaw in the first
EuroPride event to be held in Central or Eastern Europe.
That said, the local government received a petition with
over 50,000 signatures demanding the parade itsel f
be cancelled.
In the past both the former prime minister, Jarosaw
Kaczyski, and his late twin, President Lech Kaczynski,
stirred discontent; the latter by proclaiming homo-
sexuali ty as unnatural and the former for stating
homosexuals should be banned from teaching posts.
Harsh sentiments, but not nearly as malignant as the
ones voi ced by LPR poli ti cian Woj ci ech Wi erzej ski,
whose memorable rants reasoned gays should be
bludgeoned they are all paedophiles and members
of the mafia.
Yet i nroads i nto bi gotry are bei ng made. I n 2004
Poland had i ts first gay wedding (not of fi ciall y rec-
ogni zed), and the fol l owi ng year Warsaws publ i c
transport body became the first company to officiall y
acknowl edge homosexual rel ati onshi ps by gi vi ng
gay empl oyees and their partners the ri ght to free
transport. Al though Warsaw, as yet, offers no natural
centre for the gay communi ty this can t be taken as
a si gn of something more sinister - even the strai ght
scene struggl es to boast any area that can be re-
garded as a true ni ghtli fe hub such as Barcel onas
Las Ramblas.
While public demonstrations of affection are at best
tolerated, at worst dangerous, the city offers numerous
gay friendly venues; whether they be the trendy Midzy
Nami caf (C-4, ul. Bracka 20), the expat Tex-Mex favou-
rite the Warsaw Tortilla Factory (B-4, ul. Wilcza 46) or full
on techno hangouts like Luztro (C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie
6). For gays in Poland the road ahead remains a long
one, but for a country that still listed homosexuality as
a disease up until 1991 the nation has already started
cautiously edging forward. For further info on gay li fe
in Poland click to the English-language website www.
gayguide.net.
Fant om C- 4, ul . Br acka 20a (ent r ance
thr ough the cour tyar d), tel . (+48) 22 828
54 09, www.f antomwarsaw.com. The ol dest
exi sti ng gay venue i n Warsaw can be found down a
dark cour tyard on Bracka occupyi ng the basement
of a pre-war pal ace. Ri ng the buzzer on the ri ght
hand entrance and descend the stai rs to access
thei r sauna. On entr y youl l be handed a pai r of
nast y fl i p- fl ops and a threadbare towel . I nsi de
fi nd a bar area, and a l ong corri dor that l eads to
a scummy l ooki ng j acuzzi , dark room and sauna.
I t mi ght be murky, but thi s i s defi ni tel y the choi ce
of sauna for many of the capi tal s queers. The l ef t
hand entrance l eads to a more ful l y- cl othed area
wi th a popul ar bar, a coupl e of ci nema screens
and a l abyri nth. QOpen 14: 00 - 02: 00, Fri 14: 00
- 05: 00, Sat 18: 00 - 05: 00, Sun 18: 00 - 02: 00.
PADXW
Gay Warsaw
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NIGHTLIFE
Patricks Irish Pub B- 4, ul. Nowogrodzka 31, tel.
(+48) 22 628 93 71, www.patrickspub.pl. A grotty
bar that draws i n sports fans and vi si ti ng stag parti es
i n equal measure. The ai r i s thi ck wi th testosterone,
the bar stool s are tree trunks covered i n ani mal hi des,
theres nar y a peep of dayl i ght and the toi l ets are
sti l l i n a sorry state. Al l appeal i ng for men, but l adi es
beware. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 03:00.
PAEGBW
Pies Czy Suka/Pure Bar B- 3, ul. Szpitalna 8A,
tel. (+48) 22 881 83 73, www.piesczysuka.com.
Pi es Czy Suka (Dog or Bi tch) i s a hi gh-end desi gn
bouti que that opened a craft cocktai l bar wi th stunni ng
resul ts. The space i tsel f i s what youd expect when
desi gn fol k are i n charge: touchscreen menus and l ots
and l ots of whi te. Yet the i magi nati ve dri nks are they
mai n focus, and though they don t arri ve qui ckl y, but
they do come wi th a free show; creati ng mol ecul ar
foam and j ui ci ng fi gs takes some el bow grease, and
conversati ons are punctuated by the l oud, rhythmi c
thwack of i ce agai nst the cocktai l shaker. The reci pes
requi re the ki nd of precisi on normall y reserved for brai n
surgery, and unexpected i ngredi ents l i ke dry i ce and
cranberry cavi ar can often mean your dri nk requi res
a spoon. Expensi ve, but worth every zl oty - try the Gi n
Basi l Smash or Warsaw Ghetto Sour. QOpen 11:00 -
23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. PAGBW
Plan B F-4, Al. Wyzwolenia 18, tel. (+48) 503 11 61 54,
www.planbe.pl. Walk up a curving stairwell to enter Plan
B, a venue where the ceilings are high and the windows are
low - so low youll have to crouch for views of pl. Zbawiciela.
Plan B has seen minimal investment, with a design that must
have set the owner back the price of a packet of sausages;
decor is limited to little more than tatty posters, white tiles
and sofas with springs practically sticking out of them. But
this place has become astonishingly popular, especially with
students and other sorts who look like theyve just finished
band practice. Dont be surprised to find the party spilling
outside, with gangs of drinkers chucking frisbees and shar-
ing sneaky puffs on Moroccan cigarettes. Drunkenness is
rife and encouraged, and its only fair to note this place has
become a bit of a magnet for expat lads looking to tap up
impressionable Polish girls. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat
11:00 - 04:00, Sun 13:00 - 02:00. ABXW
Saturator ul. 11 listopada 22 (Praga), tel. (+48) 515
46 42 09, www.saturator.art.pl. See your social standing
rocket by confessing knowledge of Saturator, a scruffy triple
floored artsy hangout in the battered buildings of Praga.
Do not come here if your idea of a good time is talking golf
tournaments and embassy junkets. If, however, youre the
sort of person with hangover stubble and a second hand
wardrobe then youll fit right in. Especially if you have a hat.
Nights in this wacky venue are symbolic of Pragas arthouse
renaissance, and last long into the night once DJs enter and
attempt to mix unmixable genres. QOpen 19:00 - 24:00, Fri,
Sat 19:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon. PAEBX
Sheesha Lounge B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 3, tel. (+48)
22 828 25 25, www.sheesha.pl. Not your average War-
saw hangout, Sheesha forgoes the mainstream dance hits
favoured by the competition to bring a slice of the orient
to your doorstep. The DJs play jangly rhythms as an oc-
casional belly dancer floats past tables filled with sheesha-
smoking Varsovians. The crowd, which seems to span all age
groups, is reliably fun and relaxed. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00,
Fri 12:00 - 03:00, Sat 16:00 - 03:00, Sun 16:00 - 01:00.
PAEBXW
Jung & Lecker B-4, ul. Emilii Plater 14, tel. (+48) 22
866 67 49, www.jungilecker.pl. We loved the back garden
here, a cool courtyard space festooned with paintings and
plantlife. Good thing the rest of it isnt bad either as the garden
is closed out of season. A simple, chic design that doesnt
go overboard, a wine list which is exhaustive, knowledgeable
service and an increasingly trendy location all win it points.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. PAGBW
Mielyski D-1, ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. (+48) 22
636 87 09, www.mielzynski.pl. Some claim this to
be Warsaws best wine bar, and they might well be onto
something. Expert service guarantees to identi fy the
wine that suits you, and the selection is utterly exhaus-
tive. An absorbing venue, with a decent menu of light
bites to compliment the drinking. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00,
Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:45 - 18:00. PAUGBW
Vinoteka 13 & WINE BAR C-3, ul. Krakowskie
Przedmiecie 16/18, tel. (+48) 22 492 74 07, www.
likusconceptstore.pl. A beautiful wine bar tucked in
the basement of the Concept Restaurant. Distinctly high
class, the Vinoteka cellar houses wines from all corners
of the globe, with drinking conducted on low leather seats
scattered amid crates and casks. QOpen 12:00 - 21:00.
Closed Sun. PAGBW
Wine
We know that sometimes theres a match and you just
have to see it. Where to go? Most bars with a screen will
subscribe to Canal + Sport, a channel that not only has
intensive coverage of the local sides, but also shows
English Premiership games each Saturday and Sunday.
The only downside is the droll Polish commentary rat-
tling on in the background. If you demand Sky Sports
then Warsaw has a number of decent options. All of
the following also relay the American version of football.
Plater 25, tel. (+48) 22 622 46 40, www.legends-
bar.pl. Found 150 metres from the Marriott is a British
bar, run by a Brit and with Sky and Canal+ available. Add
in a British food and ale menu and you should be sorted.
QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 -
02:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. PABXW
SomePlace Else C- 4, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton
warszawa.someplace-else.pl. Located in the Shera-
ton, SPE has flat screens stationed around an upmarket
industrial space - even during the Sunday brunch televi-
sions did double duty showing ski races and tennis. A
great menu of American classics like burgers and steaks
along with an extravagant selection of drinks. QOpen
12:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00.
PAUEGBW
Warsaw Tortilla Factory F-3, ul. Wilcza 46, tel.
(+48) 22 621 86 22, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl.
With Dubliner Niall in charge WTF have a set of screens
located around the bar, beer taps on tables, a killer
Tex-Mex menu and a separate smoking room. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. PAEBXW
Sport on TV
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NIGHTLIFE
Sketch C- 3, ul. Foksal 19, tel. (+48) 602 76 27
64, www.sketch.pl. Sketch is somethi ng of a Warsaw
cl assi c. Set i n a steri l e whi te hal l the bars maj or l ure
i s the beer, namel y the best sel ecti on youl l fi nd i n the
ci ty. There are about 130 to pi ck from, and these range
from gourmet Bel gi an to banana stuf f from Ghana. The
heavy i mport duty has been di rectl y handed down to
the customer, wi th some bottl es sel l i ng for a wi nci ng
25z, though youl l fi nd these pri ces of fset by cal mi ng
l ounge sounds and soothi ng l i ghts that gl ow from verti -
cal col umns. A smashi ng ni ght, and one whi ch doesn t
end unti l youre exactl y that. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00.
PAEGBW
Skwer - f ilia Centrum Artystycznego Fab-
ryka Trzciny B- 2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
60a, tel. (+48) 508 36 58 49, www.f abrykatrzci -
ny.pl. An of fshoot of Fabr yka Trzci ny, though a darn
si ght easi er to get to than i ts daddy bar/cl ub. Si tu-
ated i nsi de a wei rd concrete bungl e thi s constructi on
l ooks more l i ke a car park than bar, but don t l et that
stop you from fur ther i nvesti gati ons. Concer ts are
frequent, and frequentl y excel l ent, whi l e the l oca-
ti on spl at i n the mi ddl e of Krakowski e Przedmi eci e
means theres no shor tage of l ookers to trai n your
eyes on. QOpen 10: 00 - 23: 00, Fri, Sat 10: 00 - 24: 00.
PAUEGBW
SomePl ace El se C- 4, ul . Prusa 2 (Sheraton
warszawa.someplace- else.pl. Somepl ace El se i s an
expat l egend, and the comfortabl e open-pl an space
and i ndustri al bar are a great setti ng for the mi x of
l i ve sports and musi c that can be found here al most
every ni ght of the week. Sti l l boasti ng one of the best
bar menus i n the ci ty - were fans of the Ori ent Express
burger - i ts easy to come for di nner and stay i nto the
ni ght to sampl e from the l ong l i st of extravagant cock-
tai l s ( fl ami ng Lamborghi ni , anyone?). QOpen 12: 00
- 01: 00, Fri, Sat 12: 00 - 02: 00, Sun 12: 00 - 24: 00.
PAUEGBW
The Pictures art bar caf e B- 4, ul. Chmielna
26, tel. (+48) 22 826 17 83, www.thepicturesbar.
com. Central , shi ny and new i t i s currentl y a l i t tl e
bi t hi t and mi ss here: some ni ghts i ts packed wi th
cocktai l -si ppi ng trendi es, at other ti mes i t can feel
l i ke doi ng sol i tar y. We l i ke i t though, not l east due
to the smar t ser vi ce, craf ty cocktai l l i st, si mpl e but
good and wel l pri ced food, and the ori gi nal ar t on the
wal l s (no reproducti ons here). Par ti cul arl y pl easant as
a cafe duri ng the day. QOpen 11: 00 - 24: 00, Fri , Sat
11: 00 - 02: 00. PAGBW
Warsaw Tortilla Factory F- 3, ul. Wilcza 46, tel.
(+48) 22 621 86 22, www.warsawtortillaf actory.
pl. Thi s l ong-establ i shed Tex-Mex bar i s one of the
go-to hangouts for ex-pats, thanks i n par t to the I ri sh
owner Ni al l , though di scerni ng the vari ous accents
becomes harder wi th ever y margari ta and Corona that
goes mi ssi ng. Once youre i nsi de theres somethi ng for
ever yone: Sky Spor ts on the TV, l i ve musi c on week-
ends, a decent pi nt of Murphys and 10zl tacos i f youre
l ucky enough to show up on a Thursday. The gl obal
crowd i s easy to mi x wi th and accepti ng of outsi ders,
especi al l y when they buy the tequi l a shots. Added
bonus: the separate smoki ng room wi l l save you a tri p
outsi de. QOpen 12: 00 - 24: 00, Fri, Sat 12: 00 - 02: 00.
PAEBXW
Metro Jazz Bar & Bistro F-3, ul. Marszakowska
99a (Metropol Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 325 31 06,
www.hotelmetropol.com.pl. Bathed in a soothing for-
est green glow this is a classic jazz bar where aesthetic
shortcomings are brushed over with a pot of atmosphere.
Take to one of the swivelly barside stools to knock back
the barmans creations while taking in nightly jazz perfor-
mances that fluctuate hugely in both style and volume.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. PAUEGW
Pikna Bistro G-4, ul. Pikna 20, tel. (+48) 22 627
41 51, www.jazzzone.pl. Bright, modern, airy. Pikna
Bistro is everything you dont expect of a jazz bar, with a
smart-casual set of customers picking at food inside an
attractive interior that could have come from a catalogue.
The live performances are excellent, and better still, never
loud enough to completely sink conversation. QOpen
10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. PAUEGW
Tygmont B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 6/8, tel. (+48) 22
828 34 09, www.tygmont.com.pl. Live music venues
are thin on the ground in Warsaw, so the existence of
Tygmont isnt just good news, its great. That it proves a
bit of a revelation is even better. Touting the atmosphere
of a prohibition speakeasy Tygmont has a dark, smoky
look, and a musical menu that extends way beyond just
mainstream jazz. Be aware that disco and pop dance
nights rule the roost when there isnt a scheduled jazz
show (Mondays are guaranteed jazz nights), however.
QOpen 19:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00. Closed
Sun. From September open 20:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 19:00
- 01:00. Closed Sun. PAEGW
Jazz
72
NIGHTLIFE
Warszawa Powile G-2, ul. Kruczkowskiego 3b,
tel. (+48) 22 474 40 84, www.powisle.blog.pl. Set
i n a former ti cket hal l thi s PRL-era concrete rotunda
proved one of the hi ts of l ast summer, and a bi t of a
gatheri ng ground for those enj oyi ng post-Luztro fi x-me-
ups. I nteri ors here are al l cheap and chi pboard - tabl es
i ncl uded - and whi l e i t l ooks tatty and torn i ts become
a HQ of sorts for hardcore cl ubbers hi di ng thei r horror
behi nd refl ecti ve specs. How to fi nd i t? Wal k down the
pl at form on Powi l e Stati on, then hang a ri ght down the
stai rs. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00.
PAUGBW
W Oparach Absurdu (In The Mists of Absur-
dity) H-1, ul. Zbkowska 6, tel. (+48) 660 78 03 19,
www.oparyabsurdu.pl. Practi call y across the street
from fell ow Praga bar Po Drugi ej Stroni e Lustra, the two
distinct l ocations coul d have a weird-of f and easil y end
in a draw. Both favour twinkl e li ghts, fl ea market kni ck-
knacks and crap furniture, though Absurdu has embraced
col our, and bri ght mural s, to set i t apart. Absurdu i s
spread over numerous ri ckety l evels and populated by
l ocal bohemians who crave li ve musi c and strong drinks.
A small menu of snacks and Polish staples (yep, pierogis)
are available to line your stomach. QOpen 12:00 - 03:00.
PAUEXW
Znajomi Znajomych C- 4, ul. Wilcza 58a, tel.
(+48) 22 628 20 61, www. znaj omi znaj omych.
waw.pl. Wi th two l evel s and a strange arrangement of
rooms newcomer Zna Zna can feel as i f youre wandering
through an M.C. Escher drawi ng. Heres a pri mer: the
fi rst fl oor features a l arge smoki ng room and several
adj acent rooms wi th seati ng, and the mai n fl oor has a
bar wi th DJ/dance fl oor - we saw a keytar bei ng pl ayed
- and more l abyri nthi ne seati ng areas. The pi l e of taxi s
outsi de shoul d tell you this is currentl y one of Warsaws
favouri te pl aces, wi th huddl es of hi psters and i nterpre-
ti ve dancers shari ng space and spilli ng dri nks together.
Theres even a respectabl e menu of pasta and pi zza
thats avai l abl e i nto the weekend wee hours to soak up
the booze. Recommended. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri
12:00 - 04:00, Sat 16:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 24:00.
PAEBXW
Beer gardens
Having to spend a few months every year buried under a
ton of frozen gunk, its no surprise that the moment Mr.
Sun appears out the natives take their clothes off and
retire to the nearest beer garden. Warsaws got millions
of them, whether they be one ri ckety tabl e standi ng
outside a bar with bullet holes in the walls, or tranquil
gardens where all thats missing is a unicorn jumping over
a rainbow. Weve picked out our favourites, now all you
have to do is follow us.
La Playa C-1, ul. Wybrzee Helskie 1/5, tel. (+48) 22
331 49 75, www.laplaya.pl. Despite having a mighty river
cutting through its centre Warsaw takes little advantage
of its vast waterfront. Which is why were always excited
when the seasonal La Playa opens, as this Vistula-hugging
beer garden features a canvas-roofed wooden cabin with
the heady atmosphere of a Hawaiian beach bar right on
the water (the views of the Old Town are pricesless). Dur-
ing the day an arti ficial beach plays host to volleyball and
badminton and as night settles youll often find DJs playing
their stuff under the stars. Q Open 12:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat
12:00 - 06:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. Closed from September
16. AGBW
Proven masters of make-do with the potato as their
primary resource, the Poles have been producing and
drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling
their skill into some of the best vodka blends available
in the world, many of which date back centuries. The
two most highly regarded clear Polish vodka brands
must be Belvedere and Chopin, both of which youll
find in any alcohol shop.
While clear vodkas are generally reserved for giving
away at weddings and mixing in cocktails, the real fun
of Polish vodka sampling is the flavoured vodkas. Un-
like beer with juice (regarded as highly emasculating),
flavoured vodkas are embraced by both sexes and
imbibed copiously. Most bartenders should be able to
provide you with a couple of these Polish specialities
Krupnik Popular in Poland and Lithuania, Krupnik
is a sweet vodka made from honey and a multitude of
herbs. Buy a bottle for Mum drinking vodka doesnt
get any easier than this. In winter, hot krupnik is a
popular personal defroster with hot water, lemon and
mulling spices added. You will often see it set on fire
with coffee beans floating in it. Beware
Mead This drink preceded beers arrival in Poland
and has remained a favouri te since. Distill ed from
honey, the drink comes in three strengths with Poltorak
(the kings preference) being the strongest.
Nalewka Barrel aged vodka flavoured with fruits,
herbs and spices. A national speciality, most Polish
drinkers will push this on you at some point, and it
makes a nice change from downing the straight stuff.
Podpiwek This is the Polish kvass, a light yeasty
drink whi ch is wi del y availabl e though you may be
mocked for ordering it. Best for the lightweights as
its name translates as sub-beer.
Wcieky Pies Translated as Mad Dog, this is a
shot made up of vodka, raspberry syrup, Tabasco
and favoured by students and all those wishing to go
home on all fours.
Winiwka
Undoubtedl y the most common fl avoured vodka,
winiwka is a cheap, dangerously easy to drink, cherry
flavoured variety. Youll see students and pensioners
alike buying trays of it at the bar, as well as toothless
tramps sharing a bottle in corners of tenement court-
yards. A splash of grapefruit juice is often added to
cut the sweetness of this bright red monogamy cure.
odkowa Gorzka
Due to its very name, which translates to something
like Bitter Stomach Vodka, odkowa Gorzka gives
even the most infirm of heal th an excuse to drink
under the guise of its medicinal properties. An aged,
amber-coloured vodka flavoured with herbs and spices,
odkowa has a unique aroma and sweet spiced taste
unlike anything youre likely to have tried before. Incred-
ibly palatable, its best enjoyed when sipped on ice.
Zubrowka One of Polands most popular overseas
vodka expor ts, ubrwka has been produced i n
Eastern Poland since the 16th century. Flavoured with
a type of grass speci fic to the primeval Biaowiea
Forest that straddles the border (a blade of which ap-
pears in each bottle), ubrwka is faint yellow in colour,
with a mild fragrance of mown hay and a subtle taste
which has been described as floral or having traces
of almond or vanilla. Delightfully smooth as it is on
its own, ubrwka is most commonl y combined with
apple juice a refreshing concoction called a tatanka.
Polish Alcohol
73
NIGHTLIFE
Clubs
1500m2 do wynajcia H-3, ul. Solec 18/20, tel.
(+48) 22 628 84 12, www.1500m2.com. Enormous,
as in 1,500 square metres enormous, though stri ctl y
speaking still very much the whispered meeting point of
those In The Know. Theres plenty of abandoned industrial
space in Warsaw, and places like this are finally utilizing it.
Its hard to define 1500m2, and depending on the event
youll fi nd i t functi oni ng as ei ther a bar, cl ub, concert
venue or gallery - sometimes all four. The interiors have
seen it all, from a Valentines Fetish Ball to the Prodigy
Afterparty; this warehouse style thing has hosted some
of the edgiest nights in town, so no wonder then some
scene people are touting it as the hippest haunt in the city.
A newly added restaurant called Bistro sto900 offers a
place to refuel as well. Visitors in August should note the
club is unsure of exactly when it will be open this month;
call ahead or check their website. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Open during the week
when special events are being held. Check Facebook for
details. AEBXW
Bank Club B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 14, tel. (+48) 22
468 85 10, www.bankclub.pl. Oh yes. A hit from day one
this is Warsaws latest bar and club of choice. We are no
experts in running a club (if we were we would own a chain
of them) but we know that whatever that certain something
is which clubs have to posses to be good, then Bank has
it in abundance. Smooth sounds, tastefully elegant decor
and refreshingly little kitsch. It is also a lovely building. With
a well-aired smoking section and drinks at a reasonable
price its not only for bankers, either. Q Open Fri, Sat only
22:00 - 05:00. From September open Thu, Fri, Sat only
22:00 - 02:00. PAUXW
Bollywood Lounge B-3, ul. Przeskok 2, tel. (+48) 22
827 02 83, www.bollywoodlounge.pl. A weird and horrid
location, youll find Bollywood sitting inside a nasty pre-fab
building overlooking kebab shops and potholed roads but
dont be put off because while it promises little it delivers
plenty. Growing in popularity as the night moves on, its all
sequinned eastern drapes, scented water pipes, low-slung
armchairs and projection screens beaming out Indian cinema
hits. The staff with a few exceptions are Indian, friendly and
clearly know how to throw a party and the mix of crowd
sees Sikhs partying away alongside Polish blondies to the
sounds of Bhangra and disco. Poland is often perceived to
be not particularly cosmopolitan and rather conservative.
Bollywood kicks that perception right out of the park. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Thu 12:00 - 01:00, Fri 12:00 - 04:00, Sat
14:00 - 04:00. PABXW
Club Capitol B-2, ul. Marszakowska 115, tel.
(+48) 608 08 96 71, www.clubcapitol.pl. Gl obal
recession you say? Nobody tol d the chaps at Capi tol, a
jaw dropper of a venue whose opening confirms north
Warsaws status as the of fi cial party part of the ci ty.
Fill ed wi th post-socialist bling this venue is immense,
and has seen the contents of an oli garchs deposi t box
thrown i nto i mpressi ve i nteri ors. A pneumati c set of
breasts shoul d be enough to guarantee femal e entry,
whil e boys shoul d consi der adding an arrogant l ope to
their step and some designer horses to their clothes. And
the promoters havent been slouches either, having so far
secured the appearance of several club circui t l egends.
Theres no set opening hours, though i ts safe enough
to assume that i f i ts a weekend i ts open. Q Open Sat
onl y 22:00 - 05:00. From September open Fri, Sat onl y
22:00 - 05:00. PAXW
R E S T A U R A N T
&
C L U B
www.bollywoodlounge.pl
Best Oriental
club in Warsaw
facebook.com/bollywoodloungepl
BOLLYWOOD LOUNGE
Przeskok 2, 00-032 Warsaw
+48 22 827 02 83
+48 666 145 001
74
NIGHTLIFE
Club Mirage B- 4, Pl. Def ilad 1 (entrance from
ul. Emilii Plater), tel. (+48) 22 620 14 54, www.
clubmirage.pl. A total l y uni que experi ence, thi s i s a
cl ub l i ke no other i n Warsaw. Not because i ts anythi ng
parti cul arl y speci al, but because i t i s set i n the bow-
el s of the monstrous Pal ace of Cul ture. Descend the
stai rs through the entrance faci ng the central rai l way
stati on i nto a mass of wri thi ng young bodi es getti ng
down around the centrepi ece fountai n. Once youre
done there, retreat to the l ong bar and l ounge area
to rel ax before headi ng back out i nto the surpri si ngl y
unpretenti ous party crowd. The coat check l ooked after
by moustachi oed men i n thei r 50s gi ves a smal l hi nt of
the days when thi s pl ace must have been frequented by
the great and not so good of communist Poland. QOpen
21:00 - 05:00, Wed, Thu 21:00 - 03:00. Cl osed Mon,
Tue, Sun. PAEBX
Dekada E- 4, ul. Grjecka 19/25, tel. (+48) 22
823 55 58, www.dekada.pl. Adventures and amorous
encounters come guaranteed i n thi s sl i ce of Warsaw
fol kl ore, a di rect resul t of the peopl e found i nsi de.
Here i ts al l 007 Barbi e bombshel l s soaki ng up atten-
ti on of f expats twi ce thei r age, an i nteresti ng mi x that
combi nes for col our ful ni ghts. Watch the pantomi me
whi l e si tti ng i nsi de a 1950s tram, or el se take your
chances on a dance fl oor that packs out most ni ghts -
the musi cal menu changes dail y, wi th weekends tending
to err towards di sco and chart sounds. QOpen 21:00
- 03:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00. Cl osed Mon, Tue, Sun.
PAEX
de lite club C- 4, ul. Marii Konopnickiej 6, www.
deliteclub.com. Hot-pi nk newcomer De Li te al ready
has a crush of vi si tors wedgi ng themsel ves on the
dance fl oor and around the backl i t bar. A gi ant screen
proj ects i mages on the wal l of the dance fl oor as DJs
spi n, whi l e the el i te can retreat to a pl ush VI P area
fi l l ed wi th couches and pi l l ows for wi ndi ng down away
from the masses. And yes, thats an umbrel l a i n your
cocktail. The qui ntessential cl ub experi ence i n Warsaw.
QOpen 22: 00 - 07: 00. Cl osed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu,
Sun. PAXW
Fabryka Trzciny ul. Otwocka 14 (Praga Pnoc),
tel. (+48) 22 619 05 13, www.fabrykatrzciny.pl.
Housed in a battered factory buil ding this spot has the
scummy charisma of mi d-90s Berlin. Bri ck walls, dials
and pipes have been left exposed, with leather sofas and
red emergency lamps sprinkled at random intervals. Edgy
artwork and experimental sounds compl ete the concoc-
tion. Not open dail y, but youll usuall y find special events
going of f each weekend and this has emerged as one
of the most popular haunts for pri vate fuctions, catwalk
shows and launch parti es. Q Open during events onl y.
PAUEGBW
NEW
Foksal XVIII C-3, ul. Foksal 18, tel. (+48) 885 17 08
85. The star-studded summer opening was our first clue
that Foksal XVIII aims to take the Warsaw club scene by
storm. The interior mixes swank (chandeliers) with urban
(exposed brick) with the inexplicable (cardboard animal
mounts!) i n this large basement space. DJs keep the
dance floor - accented with a massive disco ball - packed
for a crowd that is both classier and better dressed than
your typical booty-shaking slopfest. So visi tors should
take note: To mingle with the A-list youll need to bring
your A game. QOpen 22:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue,
Wed, Thu, Sun. PAX
Whether you call it Poland is Not
Yet Lost, Song of the Polish Le-
gions of Italy or Dbrowskis Ma-
zurka, they all describe the same
thing: Polands national anthem.
Despite the various sombre titles
the anthem is composed in the
cheerful style of a Polish mazurka,
which is lively Polish folk music
that utilises a triple meter, and is
played at major sporting events and national holidays.
The song was originally penned by Jzef Wybicki in Italy,
where General Jan Henryk Dbrowski and his troops
were helping Napoleon conquer Italy at the end of the
18th century, shortly after the Third Partition of Poland
effectively erased Poland from the map (hence the line
March, March Dbrowski, from Italian lands to Pol-
ish marsz, marsz Dbrowski, z ziemi woskiej do
Polski in Polish). Neighbours Prussia, Russia and Austria
dissolved the once-powerful empire, forcing the Poles to
turn to France as an ally in regaining Polish independence.
General Henryk Dbrowski organised soldiers to fight with
Napoleon against the Austrians, with the hope of pushing
that fight into the homeland for a national uprising.
Wybickis tune was created to boost the morale of those
soldiers and proved to be an instant hit far beyond the
front lines thanks to its uplifting lyrics, which start with
this stanza:
Poland has not perished yet
So long as we still live
What foreign force has taken from us
We shall take back with the sabre.
The anthem contains a reference
to Napoleon with whose armies
the Poles hope to cross the Vistula
and Warta (rivers) .... Bonaparte
has shown us the roads to victory.
Unfortunately, as with most Polish
tales, things did not end well for
Dbrowski and his soldiers. The
French turned out to be less than
useful allies, exploiting the Polish
soldiers and decimating their ranks
via war and disease, effectively kill-
ing any chance of recapturing the homeland. But when
Poland once again became a free nation at the end of
WWI the song was revived and declared the countrys
official anthem in 1926.
One of the most famous performances of Poland is Not
Yet Lost came in 1945, when famed Polish pianist Artur
Rubinstein performed at the opening concert at the inau-
guration of the United Nations. Upset that Poland had no
delegation, Rubinstein played a loud, slow version of the
anthem, repeating the final section loudly. This display of pa-
triotism resulted in Rubinstein receiving a standing ovation.
The composer Jzef Wybicki called Polands Kashubia re-
gion home, and today diehards can visit the manor house
he lived in, which is now home of the rather unusual Na-
tional Anthem Museum. To hear the anthem click on the
link at president.pl/en/about-poland/national-symbols
National Anthem
75
NIGHTLIFE
Opera B-2, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. (+48) 22 828 70
75, www.operaclub.pl. A no-expense spared desi gn
masterpi ece found i n the basement of the Nati onal
Opera. Descend the curving stairwell and all youll see
is boys wi th atti tude, dressed in popped collared pol o
shirts, and a heart-stopping spread of gazell e-like girls.
I f you were wonderi ng where the good l ookers went,
youve found the answer. Tread down wood boards and
through vaul ted tunnels to reach the main arena, check-
ing out the numerous si de rooms on the way; this place
was formerl y known as Bedroom, and thats because of
the al coves found shooting of f in every direction. Each
comes decorated wi th poufs, l oungers and Persi an
drapes, and serve as a great spot to enj oy illi ci t acti vi -
ti es. QOpen 22:00 - 06:00. Cl osed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu,
Sun. PAEXW
Platinium Club B-2, ul. Fredry 6, tel. (+48) 22 596
46 66, www.platiniumclub.pl. Status is everythi ng
in Warsaw, and youll be awarded plenty of it i f you can
wheedle past the gatekeepers at Platinium. Door policy
is stringent here, mercilessly culling the beasts from the
beauti ful, thus ensuring everyone inside is either rich or
beauti ful - sometimes both. Regarded as Warsaws fin-
est club this place, set inside a historic former bank, has
seen plenty of money spent, with a design that includes
marble columns, chandeliers and glowing floors. This is
champagne living Warsaw-style, meaning hot sounds from
the DJ decks and a riotous party that goes way, way late.
QOpen 20:00 - 06:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 - 08:00. Closed
Mon, Tue, Sun. PAUEX
Powikszenie G-2, ul. Nowy wiat 27, tel. (+48)
22 826 00 69, www.klubpowiekszenie.pl. Run by the
same folks who operate popular Plan B, Powi kszeni e
di f ferentiates i tsel f by functioning as a cafe during the
day and mi xing in film screenings, bands and CD rel ease
parti es to ensure no ni ght is ever the same. The space
recentl y underwent an overhaul that invol ved sprucing
up the fl oors, decluttering the furni ture and painting the
walls a stark whi te on the main fl oor, whil e the base-
ment club is still a smoky black dungeon for gyration.
Note that entrance fees appl y when theres a special
event. Q Open Thu, Fri, Sat onl y 15:00 - 24:00. From
September 16 (though this is subj ect to change) open
11:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 06:00, Sun 19:00 - 03:00.
PAEBXW
The Eve Music Club B- 3, Pl. Pisudskiego 9, tel.
(+48) 604 14 54 62, www.theeve.pl. Run by the
same team behi nd Plati ni um, so expect a stri ct door
cull to separate the peasants from the players. Aimed
at the ri ch and mi ghty this desi gn masterstroke scores
points for a vari ed musi c poli cy, and l ooks like flavour
of the month among a pl ayboy set convi nced theyre
destined for cel ebri ty - the VI P room is like a scene from
Cali gula, wi th gl eeful expats shooting champagne over
each other. QOpen 20:00 - 06:00. Cl osed Mon, Tue,
Sun. PAUEBXW
NEW
Utopia B-3, ul. Kredytowa 9, tel. (+48) 22 826 58 35,
00-056. Utopia has been revived after closing its old spot on
Jasna, and this time its more inclusive than ever: hen parties
mix with the rainbow flag set, all in the name of hip-popping,
locking and twerking. A popular local favorite, Utopia also
has a patio opening in August for those who prefer daylight,
but if youve been to their DJ-laden dance parties we doubt
thats you. QOpen 13:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 22:00 - 08:00.
PABXW
Pl enty of upgrades and
new additions have come
to Warsaw i n cour tesy
of the recent Euro 2012
tournament check out
that shi ny new stadi um
across the river but one
of the most i nteresti ng
i mpr ovement s can be
found at Warsaw Central
St at i on. The st at i on s
reliably skuzzy communist-
era bathrooms have been
stunni ngl y repl aced wi th
modern toilets and urinals that inexplicably offer walls
with images like wrinkly puppies or the White House for
the men, and shelves of books or sun-soaked terraces
for women. There is also an in-bathroom shop filled with
drinks and snacks in case youve worked up an appetite
in the stall. Dutch company 2theloo created the new
restrooms as part of the 48 million zloty overhaul the
station is currently undergoing, but fortunately it will
only cost you 2z for the pleasure to use them. There are
large 2theloo signs directing you to the three locations,
or you can head to Pasaz Polnocny on level -1, with the
entrance from Zote Tarasy for the 24 hour location.
Another location, which is open from 06:00-22:00, is on
level 0 with the entrance on the side the Marriott Hotel is
located (access from outside the station). The last option
is in the hallway in the lower level of the station that leads
to the northern end of the tram tracks.
A new kind of loo
76
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
Those who vi si ted Warsaw i n the ni neti es and around
the turn of the century may have l i ngeri ng memori es
of a seri ousl y mucky ci ty. Wi th an esti mated 1,500
brothels in operati on the ci ty established a reputati on
as a desti nati on for hai r pal med perverts. Then al ong
came the l ate Lech Kaczynski as Mayor of Warsaw
who became an one man anti -sl eaze machi ne dri ven
by a zeal ous desi re to restore Warsaws l ost i nno-
cence. Whi l e he never ful l y succeeded i n cl eansi ng
Warsaw of the brothel s and the fl yers Kaczynskis
crusade had a stri ki ng i mpact.
One of the resul ts of thi s campai gn i s that Warsaw
now of fers a col l ecti on of seemi ngl y l egi ti mate and
on the whol e, fai rl y presentabl e Gentl emens Cl ubs.
Brothel s sti l l exi st but not i n the huge numbers
that they once di d. Al though there i s no speci fi c
red l i ght di stri ct youl l fi nd a smal l concentrati on of
brothel s around al. Jerozol i mski e, ul. Wi l cza and ul.
Nowogrodzka. Theyre si mpl e enough to fi nd, j ust l ook
for the fl yers pinned to car windscreens or cl ogging up
the gutters. Don t expect Engl i sh to be spoken, and
don t reckon on bei ng greeted by the si rens pi ctured
on the aforementi oned fl yers.
Now, i n the ol d days wed use thi s poi nt to fi re some
recommendati ons your way. Legal factors now make
that a fool hardy path to pursue, so i nstead we advi se
prospecti ve punters to vi si t the Pol i sh forums on
www.i nternati onal sexgui de.com, where the message
boards are al i ve wi th the l atest despatches from the
frontline, as well as pics and maps from the more com-
mi tted posters. For i ndependent gi rl s check websi tes
such as www.odl oty.pl and www.sexatl as.pl, where
youll find a choi ce of li terall y hundreds upon hundreds
of fei sty Pol i sh gi rl s promi si ng a l i vel y ti me. Your thi rd
choi ce i s to si mpl y put your fai th i n a taxi dri ver. More
often than not thi s wi l l i nvol ve bei ng dri ven to the
suburbs and to whi chever brothel i s gi vi ng the cabbi e
a ki ckback. Pri ces i n these hi gh end establ i shments
will tend to start at 200zl, though don t be tri cked i nto
buyi ng champers for the l ady unl ess youre sure you
can af ford i t. Si mil arl y, greenhorns shoul d watch thei r
wal l et i n stri p cl ubs - bi l l s easi l y spi ral, even more so
when the dri nks start bei ng poured.
Scumbag, fl y-by-ni ght brothel s sti l l exi st; STDs are a
fact of the trade, and don t thi nk for one j i f fy youre
beyond reproach. Do not assume ei ther that the
Barbi e of your choi ce i s on the game because she
enj oys rol l i ng around wi th agi ng bal di es. Pol and
has an appal l i ng record where human traf fi cki ng i s
concerned, and i ts safe to assume a fai r few l adi es
staf fi ng such venues have been coerced i nto thei r
career. Fi nal l y, the venues l i sted here are general l y
central and establ i shed but pl ease be warned that i n
recent months weve had a report of 8,000zl bei ng
spent wi l l i ngl y i n one cl ub l i sted here and another of
8,000 sterl i ng bei ng spent unwi l l i ngl y i n one whi ch i s
not l i sted here. I n the second case hal f of the money
was retri eved from the bank because of payment
i rregul ari ti es but be on your guard.
Vice advice
77
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
Coyote Bar & Night Club B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 6/8,
tel. (+48) 505 46 90 56, www.coyotebar.eu. On the new
Street of Sin that is ul. Mazowiecka, Coyote Club is an adult
entertainment establishment of the girls in their underwear
which leaves little to the imagination will dance for you variety.
Drinks (the beers at least) are not as outrageously priced as
in other similar places and we have to say that the girls we
bumped into when we popped in for a quick one were sirens.
QOpen 20:00 - 04:00, Sun 20:00 - 03:00. PAUBXW
Kokomo B- 4, Al. Jerozolimskie 53 (entrance from
ul.Pankiewicza 4), tel. (+48) 22 356 20 16, www.
kokomo.com.pl. One of the most central strip bars in
Warsaw, though dont let that stop you taking advantage
of the Kokomo limo service. From there on in its your eyes
that will be doing all the work as they pinball around their
sockets focusing on the troupe of pin-up bunnies. Two rooms
to choose from, as well as a well-stocked drink bar serving
all the concoctions necessary to complete your preview of
heaven. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. PAG
Libido Gentlemans Club B-3, ul. Kredytowa 9, tel.
(+48) 22 828 23 07, www.libidoklub.pl. Newcomer Libido
was designed with the customer in mind: the large onyx bar
doubles as a runway for strippers, who sashay past gaping
customers (watch your drinks!) on their way to one of three
mid-bar poles. Head to the basement if you prefer your dances
more intimate, where closed-off booths let the dancers get up
close and personal for 50zl. Everything from the coat check to
the bathrooms is above board, a nice change for those who
like their entertainment without the usual seedy undertones.
Q Open 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. PAUX
New Orleans Gentlemens Club B-3, ul. Zgoda 11,
tel. (+48) 22 826 48 31, www.neworleans.pl. From Mon-
day to Thursday youll find the girls kitted out in evening dress,
with a higher-class of punter choosing the girl of his dreams
before sitting down to a good, intelligent natter. Of course,
this being a strip club, the removal of the aforementioned
evening dress is also an available option. At weekends youll
find New Orleans reverting to the more standard formula,
with girls tottering around in next to nothing, and offering the
usual hip-grinding action. Now added, a night restaurant
with an erotic menu featuring oysters, lobster and Argie
steak. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. PAUXW
Sofia F-4, ul. Polna 13, tel. (+48) 22 224 25 24, www.
klubsofia.pl. A legend in nineties and noughties Warsaw,
there was a time no self-respecting male could leave Warsaw
without having first visited Sofia. Those days may have gone
and so it seemed had Sofia. But it appears not with the open-
ing of this place, three years after the original closed, just
down from Pl. Zbawiciela which boasts a modern spacious
club area and a host of minimally dressed women. In the wild
days of nineties Warsaw this was known in local parlance as
The Bulgarian Embassy. Itll be interesting to see if it lives
up to the reputation it built then. Q Open 20:00 - 05:00.
Closed Sun. PAUX
Vegas Gentlemens Club B-4, ul. Hoa 35, tel. (+48)
22 696 82 06, www.vegasclub.pl. One of Warsaws new-
est strip clubs and, according to some, its best. Its certainly
the most exclusive. Guests tread down a red carpet before
slipping past a face check that isnt keen on drunken oafs.
One armed bandits, Roman pillars, pink seats and splashes
of neon add the Vegas effect, but the real reason youre here
are the girls - ten out of ten, frankly. Its 50 zoty to get in,
then 100z for each dance, and if you really want to impress
then why not shell out on their premium champagne: a snip
at 28,000z. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00. PAXW
78
HISTORY
Earl y for ti fi ed settl ements
are believed to have existed
in what is now the district of
Brodo as far back as the 9
th

century, and while historians
st r uggl e t o concl usi vel y
agree as to exactl y when
Warsaw was founded most
appear to accept that the
first recorded mention of the
ci ty can be traced to 1313.
Things started looking up for
the ci ty i n 1413, when the
ruling Dukes decided to shi ft
the capital of Mazovia from Czersk to Warsaw. Over the next
century it gathered importance as a trading point, and was
incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1526. The town
was expanding in both status and stature, though nothing was
to prepare it for the bombshell that arrived in 1569. The Union
of Lublin amalgamated Poland with Lithuania, and as such the
decision was taken to centralize parliament and move it from
Krakw to Warsaw. Twenty seven years later, in 1596, King
Zygmunt III Vasa decided to follow suit and shifted his Royal
Court north as well, thereby making Warsaw capital of this
newly-formed commonwealth. Of course, Warsaw then was
a different creature to the Warsaw of now. The old town area,
secured by its walls, consisted of 169 houses, while another
204 homes stood just outside this protective boundary. In total
just 14,000 people lived in the newborn capital.
Testing times lay ahead. Between 1665 and 1668 Warsaw
was ransacked three times, and if it the natives thought
that was bad you should have seen their faces in 1700; the
Great Northern War kicked off when an anti-Swedish alliance
comprising of Russia, Poland and Denmark launched the
opening attack. The Swedes werent having any of it, and by
1702 their counter-attack had landed them at the gates of
Warsaw. Over the next few years Warsaw was passed back
and forth like a bag of sweets, sustaining heavy economic
and physical damage in the process. The war, a right epic
scrap if ever there was, drew to a close in 1721 and Warsaw
was finally left to pick up the pieces and move forward.
The Collegium Nobilium, a posh boarding school for the
landed classes, was opened in 1740, and this was promptly
followed by Polands first library seven years later. This age
of enlightenment promised much for Poland, a fact not lost
on her three neighbours: Prussia, Russia and Austria. Little
Poland was clearly getting too big for her boots, so the three
acted swiftly by imposing the First Petition of Poland in 1772,
a move which essentially robbed the country of a third of
its territory and population. Nonetheless, her three bullying
neighbours clearly hadnt counted on Stanisaw August
Poniatowski, the countrys last king, and arguably her finest.
It was under his leadership the Constitution of May 3
rd
was
ratified in 1791. This landmark code was the first of its kind
in Europe (and only second in the world after the USA), with
reforms focused on handing more power and freedom to
the general populace. Poniatowski was hailed as almost
visionary in his outlook, however his ideas once more stirred
his neighbours into action. This time round both Prussia and
Russia moved to weaken Poland in The Second Partition of
Poland (1793), snatching away 308,000 sq/km of territory,
and reducing her to just 223,000 sq/m.
Provoked by this latest aggression the Poles fought back
launching The Peasant Uprising of 1794. Led by Tadeusz
Kociuszko the insurgents scored a notable victory at
Racawicka, but eventually superior numbers told and the
rebellion ended in surrender. The following year Russia,
Prussia and Austria joined together to carve what remained
of Poland between them.
Napoleon offered the capital brief respite, and when his
armies marched eastwards in 1807 he created a semi-
independent Duchy of Warsaw. His failings on the battlefields
of Russia led to defeat, and within eight years Russian forces
had pushed the Frenchman back and regained Warsaw as
their own; Poland had effectively been wiped off the map.
Discontent with Russian rule was to come to a boil twice in the
following decades: first in the form of the November Insurrection
of 1831, and then again with the January Uprising of 1863. Both
rebellions were brutally crushed, and saw more patriots packed
off to serve penance in Siberia. Strangely, however, it was these
dark years that saw Warsaw blossom. Under the auspice of
Russian-born Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz the city developed
at lightning pace, and by the time of his death in 1902 the town
had acquired a modern sewage system, street-lighting, paved
streets and over 2,500 newly planted trees.
Still, resentment over foreign rule continued to linger, and it
was only the outbreak of World War One that promised hope.
The collapse of the Eastern Front saw the last Russian troops
leave in 1915, though these were immediately replaced
with German uni forms. Only when Germany signed the
armistice in 1918 was Poland finally freed from the shackles
of occupation. Arriving overnight in a sealed wagon, Jsef
Pisudski, a patriot who had been imprisoned in Magdeburg,
reached Warsaw on November 11 to assume leadership of
the nation. By the time of his death in 1935 this national
hero witnessed the introduction of the zoty, a failed coup
and the assassination of President Narutowicz. Even allowing
for these, nothing came close to the defeat of the Red Army
during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921, a triumph which
not just guaranteed Polands short-term future, but Europes.
The twenti es and thirti es saw Warsaw fl ourish i nto a
confident, successful city, alas, we all know what was to come.
September 1 saw Nazi Germany start WWII with their attack
on the Westerplatte Peninsula in north Poland. By morning
Luftwaffe squadrons were firebombing Warsaw, and in spite
of dogged resistance the capital finally fell on September 30
th
.
The fate of the Jewish population, and the Warsaw Uprising, is
documented in detail elsewhere in the guide, so fast forward
instead to January 17, 1945. Liberation of sorts had arrived,
unfortunately for the Poles it meant spending much of the
following five decades under Soviet hegemony. In the wave
of Stalinist terror that followed businesses found themselves
nationalized, and political and religious leaders imprisoned.
Stalin died in 1953, but his legacy didnt. The Warsaw Pact, a
military treaty between eight communist states, was signed
in 1955 the same year Stalins parting gift to the city the
Palace of Culture was completed. A year on Pozan exploded
like a powder keg in what turned out to be the first street
demonstrations against communism. The communists
reacted in time honoured fashion, with their fists, and the
final score stood at 76 dead (unofficial estimates suggest
far, far more) and a city defeated.
In a bid to appease the people several hardliners were
dismissed and Wadysaw Gomuka was appointed as Polands
premier. Limited social reforms and a small-scale lifting of
press censorship followed, and a political thaw set in. This
veneer of social happiness was shattered in 1970 when new
protests broke out, this time in Gdask. Forty four died when
79
HISTORY
the army suppressed the demonstrations, and for a while
things appeared to settle down. Edward Gierek came in to
replace Gomuka as First Secretary, and he set about turning
the country round. Living standards increased, and for a time
Gierek carried the tag of miracle worker. He wasnt. Gierek had
built a house of cards, propping up the Polish economy with
half-mad policies based on acquiring mountains of foreign
debt. The oil crisis of 1973 saw the creditors come calling and
by 1976 price increases were in the pipeline. A fresh batch of
riots broke out across the nation, and military might was once
more relied upon to bring the people to heel.
The public was starting to get restless, but their protests
needed focus and direction. That came in 1978 when Karol
Wojtya, born in Wadowice close to Krakw, was appointed
Pope in 1978. Wojtya, who had adopted the name John Paul
II, returned to Poland the following year, and his whirlwind tour
of the country is seen by many as the pivotal moment when
the nation gathered courage to defy the system. Do not be
afraid, spoke the pontiff to the masses, change the image
of the land this land. It was a veiled message, but a clear
one, and from there on the fuse was lit.
In the form of Pope John Paul II the Poles had found a spiritual
direction, what was lacking was a physical one. That came
in the surprising shape of Lech Wasa, an unemployed
electrician with an extravagant moustache and a podgy look.
Within the space of a second he went from no-one to someone
and bulldozed Polish politics into the 21
st
century. The year
was 1980 and workers in the Lenin Shipyards in Gdask were
fuming at the dismissal of a female crane operator. Talk and
promise of strike was rife, and the atmosphere heated. On the
spur of the moment Wasa climbed a gate and addressed
those below. Inadvertently he had made himself the public
face of Solidarno (Solidarity), a trade union that would
prove the slingshot that felled communism. This time round
the protestors had learned from their bloody mistakes and
rather than confronting the tanks simply locked themselves
in the shipyards. Leaders representing workers from across
the country joined, and hammered out a list of 21 demands
including the legalisation of trade unions. Days of tension
followed, with tanks and militia standing menacingly outside,
and for a moment Poland stood on a precipice.
Amazingly it was the government that backed down, on
August 31 it signed an agreement meeting the workers
demands. The first peaceful victory over communism had
been won.
This wasnt to last Solidarity continued to press for further
reform, and with the Soviet Union looking likely to invade the
Polish President General Jaruzelski declared Martial Law
on December 13, 1981. Though Solidarity was officially
dissolved, and its leaders imprisoned, it continued to operate
underground. When Father Jerzy Popieluszko, Solidaritys
chaplain, was abducted and murdered by the secret police
over a million people attended his funeral.
Renewed labour strikes and a faltering economy forced
Jaruzelski into initiating talks with opposition figures in 1988,
and the following year Solidarity was once again granted
legal status. Soviet leader Gorbachev had made it clear he
wouldnt intervene in Polish politics, and when Jaruzelski was
pressured into holding partly free elections Solidarity swept
the board with Wasa leading from the front. The regime
collapsed and in 1990 Wasa was elected the first president
of post-communist Poland. Shock capitalist tactics were used
to rotate Poland into a free market economy, and while this
left several losers the nation emerged stronger than before.
Acceptance into the European Union in 2004 was proof of
this, and Polands rise illustrated by the decision to award it
co-responsibility for the Euro 2012 Football Championships.
Today Poland, with Warsaw as its figurehead, stands as
an exemplary member of the EU, and notably was the one
European nation to avoid recession in the recent global crisis.
1313: First written mention of Warsaw
1413: The regional capital of Mazovia is moved from
Czersk to Warsaw
1596: King Zygmunt III Vasa moves the Royal Court from
Krakw to Warsaw
1665-1668: The old town comes repeatedly under
siege, only just about surviving
1700: The Swedes invade Poland, capturing Warsaw
two years later and installing Stanisaw Leszczyski as
a puppet king in 1704.
1764: Stanisaw August Poniatowski is crowned King
1772: Poland is partitioned for the first time
1791: The historic May 3 Constitution is signed, inadvertently
prompting the second partition of Poland two years later
1795: Third Partition of Poland
1807: A semi-independent Duchy of Warsaw is created
by Napoleon. Its dissolved eight years later following
Frances military disasters and Warsaw falls once more
under Russian control.
1830: The November Uprising breaks out
1863: One more anti-Russian rising breaks out, this one
know as the January Uprising
1915: The Russians leave Warsaw in disarray but are
immediately replaced with Germans. Independence
takes another three years
1920: The Red Army is defeated at the gates of Warsaw,
saving post-war Europe from communism
1939: Nazi Germany invades Poland.
1943: Jews remaining in the Ghetto rise against the
Nazis. Their insurgency is crushed
1944: The peopl e of Warsaw launch the Warsaw
Uprising, but are defeated following 63 days of resistance
1945: The Red Army liberates Warsaw but Poland is
forced to kowtow to Moscow for the next few decades
1989: The communist regime crumbles
2004: Poland enters the European Union
2010: Poland is plunged into national mourning after a
plane carrying President Lech Kaczyski and all on board
crashed while on its way to a memorial service in Katy.
Warsaws Historical Timeline
80
ESSENTIAL WARSAW
Sightseeing and Warsaw
dont usually go together,
and the blame for that falls
on her citizens. While some
cities may have been happy
to wait out Nazi occupa-
tion, the Warsaw locals
were having none of that.
The ensuing uprising which
took place in 1944 would
become both the most glo-
rious and tragic episode in
the citys history. Doomed
from the outset the Warsaw
Uprising enraged Hitler, and
his retribution proved swift
and brutal. Warsaw was to
be wiped from the face of the map, and his cronies set about
their orders with a zealous fury. While Red Army tanks stood
stoically stationed across the river the Nazis set about blasting
western Warsaw from the map. Anything deemed of cultural
importance was dynamited, and whole districts were set on
fire. By the time liberation arrived, over 90% of the city lay in
total ruin. I have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere
have I been faced with such destruction, commented a visibly
moved Eisenhower on a later visit to the city. That the city still
stands at all is tribute enough to the indefatigable spirit of the
Polish capital.
Nowhere bore the brunt of the Nazi malice more than the Old
Town, and its here that most tourists will choose to start
their tour of Warsaw. Using paintings and photographs as an
architectural blueprint the Old Town was painstakingly rebuilt,
the reconstruction of the historic centre only completed as late
as 1962. The areas inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage
List speaks volumes for the effort involved, and nothing is more
striking than the colourful, wonky-looking burgher houses that
frame the Old Town Square (B1/2, Rynek Starego Miasto).
The historic centre is also home to numerous churches, in-
cluding the striking St Johns Cathedral (B-2, ul. wietojaska
8) whose details number the gothic artworks of Wit Stwosz
as well as the tombs of knights, regents and eminent citizens.
Marking the edge of old town is the Royal Castle (B-2, pl.
Zamkowy 4), reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incred-
ible cost between 1971 and 1984. The prescribed tour will
take you through the Kings apartments and chambers,
heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments.
Although youll find plenty of photographic opportunities in
and amongst the tight cobbled alleyways save a few shots for
the viewing platform at the top of St Annes Church (B-2, ul.
Krakowskie Przedmieie), and dont leave the area without
first exploring the lesser known delights of the New Town.
There is far more to Warsaw than i ts ol d town however,
and one museum that demands to be vi si ted i s the
Warsaw Uprising Museum (D-3, ul. Przyokopowa 28). I ts
here, inside Polands best museum, that youll learn about
the ci tys doomed rebellion against the Nazis in 1944.
Packed wi th i nteracti ve di spl ays, photographs, vi deo
footage and miscellaneous exhibi ts this is guaranteed to
l eave a deep mark on all visi tors, and will go a l ong way
in explaining why Warsaw is far from the archi tectural
pearl i t once was.
Al though the Nazis flat-
tened the Jewish Ghetto
af ter a heroi c upri si ng
i n 1943 there are sti l l
traces of Warsaws Jewish
past, including a remain-
ing piece of the Ghetto
wall (E-3, ul. Sienna 55),
a memori al where the
loading ramp to Treblinka
once stood ( E-1, Um-
schl agpl atz) as wel l as
one of the largest Jewish
cemeteries in Europe (D-1,
ul. Okopowa 49/51). Most
recently, a trail marking the Ghetto boundaries has been
unveiled, its course interspersed with 21 dual-language
plaques at sights of specific interest.
The citys defining landmark however has to be the fearsome
Palace of Culture and Science (B-4, pl. Defilad 1). Looking
like something youd see in Ghostbusters the building tow-
ers at just over 231 metres in height - making it the tallest
and largest structure in Poland. Commissioned by Stalin as
a gift from the Soviet people, it was completed in 1955,
and built using an estimated 40 million bricks the crowning
glory is the viewing platform on the 30th floor. While its
the most obvious, its not the only example of the Socialist
Realist style, and visitors have plenty to marvel at from the
everyman residential units of Muranow and pl. Konsytucji,
to the stern looking block that once housed Communist HQ
(ul. Nowy Swiat 6).
Across the river the Praga suburb is undergoing a long due
revival, and its growing reputation as an artistic haven is
evident in the cafes that have sprung up along the pre-war
Zabkowska street. But while the Praga area is breathing
once more, it still looks shabby. For a glimpse of Warsaws
Imperial beauty head instead to her palaces, in particular
azienki Park and Palace (G-4, ul. Agrykola 1) and Wilanw
Palace - dubbed The Polish Versailles - (ul. Stanisawa
Kostki-Potockiego 10/16).
Joanna Kortas
Paul Kowalow wikipedia.pl
81
WHAT TO SEE
Churches
Many Poles still see a direct connection between the church
and patriotism, explained much by the fact that during cen-
turies of oppression by neighbouring powers, the church
helped the nation of Poland to survive by giving Poles an
identity. Although on the wane in post-communist Poland,
the church still plays an important role in many peoples
lives and churches reflect the importance of religion in the
history of the Polish nation.
Holy Cross Church (Koci w. Krzya) C-3, ul.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 3, tel. (+48) 22 826 89 10,
www.swkrzyz.pl. No Chopinologist can leave Warsaw with-
out first visiting the final resting place of his heart. Added to
the church in 1882 his heart was sealed in an urn and then
placed behind a tablet bearing his likeness specially carved
by Leonardo Marconi.
Although this serves as the churchs key draw theres sev-
eral other features of note to tempt the visitor inside this
astonishing Baroque creation. The churchs history origi-
nally dates from the 15th century when a small wooden
chapel stood on the site. Destroyed during the Swedish
Deluge of the 1650s, the church was rebuil t in 1682,
with the cornerstone being ceremoniously laid by Prince
Jakub, son of King Jan III Sobieski. Designed by the royal
architect, Jakub Bellotti, it was completed in 1696 though
over time would see numerous additions to its shape.
The most notable of these would come in the following
century when Jzef Fontana added two Baroque crowns
to the square-cut twin towers. His son Jakub would later
extensively refurbish the faade with Jan Jerzy Plersch
adding elaborate decorative touches to the interior.
Throughout history the church has played its role in Warsaws
glories and calamities. It was here that the last Polish King
forged the Order of the Knights of St Stanislaus, and it was
directly outside in 1861 that Russian troops brutally sup-
pressed a patriotic protest. It was this bloodbath that lit the
touchpaper for the January Uprising of that year. Devastated
during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 the church was painstak-
ingly rebuilt at the end of the war and is today a feast for the
heart, eyes and soul. The organ (built in Salzburg in 1925) is
the largest in Warsaw, and other points of note include an
urn with the remains of Nobel Prize winning author Wadysaw
Reymont, and tablets honouring various Polish icons includ-
ing poet Juliusz Sowacki and WWII hero Wadysaw Sikorski.
QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Sun 14:00 - 16:00. No visiting during
mass please.
Jesui t Church (Koci Jezui tw) B- 2, ul .
witojaska 10, tel. (+48) 22 831 16 75, www.
laskawa.pl. Built at the behest of King Zygmunt III Wazas
confessor, Pi otr Skarga, this l ovel y li ttl e Renaissance
church was constructed between 1609 and 1626 for
the citys Jesuit community. Having had something of a
varied and colourful history to say the least, it suffered
at the hands of the Swedes in the latter hal f of the 17th
century, who looted it of its entire contents, and it even
spent time as a storehouse during the Partitions. Also
known as the Holy Mother of Grace Church after the citys
patron saint, the church was returned to the Jesuits at the
end of WWI only to be destroyed by the Germans in 1944.
Rebuilt between 1948 and 1957, the church has a few
remaining original interior parts - of particular interest is
the 17th-century picture of the Holy Mother hersel f. The
crypt, not open to visitors, contains the remains of Prince
Karol Ferdynand Waza and Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski
(1595-1640), the Jesuit priest, poet and court preacher
to King Wadysaw IV. QOpen 09:30 - 21:00. No visiting
during mass please.
Adventure Warsaw ul. Miska 25 (Praga Poudnie),
tel. (+48) 606 22 55 25, www.adventurewarsaw.
com. Tours of Warsaw including the popular off the
beaten path tour which delves into Socialism, commu-
nism and of course vodka, all while cruising in a vintage
Nysa 522. Group, private and walking tours also available
from this crew of young, enthusiastic local guides, who will
even take you out your stag party or host a pub crawl.
City Sightseeing Warsaw, tel. (+48) 793 97
33 56, www.city-sightseeing.pl. Tours by way of a
familiar red, double-decker bus let you take in sights such
as the Palace of Culture, the Royal Castle, azienki Park
and the Wybrzee Gdaskie. Buy one ticket and hop on
and off the bus as you please. The bus departs from the
Palace of Culture on the Emilii Plater side every hour be-
tween 10:00 and 17:00 seven days a week. Commentary
available in a multitude of languages including English,
Polish and Japanese. See their website for tour details,
routes and timetables. Q Tickets 24hr 60z, 48hr 80z.
Eastern Station Warsaw, tel. (+48) 513 60 55
18, www.easternstation.eu. Warsaws first bike tour
company gets it right with six different 3 hour unique
routes. The Wild Vistula trip gets you up close to the river
that splits the city while the Cold War HQ trip will have you
climbing through a three story underground Atomic Com-
mand Headquarters. Trips depart daily at 11:00 and 15:00
in front of Wygodny Rower Cafe at Al. Jerozolimskie 4 (and
include 100zl bike rental). Those who prefer a walking tour
can meet at King Sigismunds Column daily at 11:00 for a
2-hour wander through Old Town (free, but be sure to tip).
Get To Know Warsaw, tel. (+48) 605 27 82 89,
www.gwarsaw.com. Get to Know Warsaw uses local
guides for three types of trips: pubbing (visit local watering
holes and sample popular spirits); driving (travel the city
by car to lesser-known locations like communist Praga);
and walking (wander the city on foot and enjoy a snack
at the end). Tours cost 119-169zl and take 2-4 hours.
Segway City Tours, tel. (+48) 600 31 03 20, www.
segwaycitytours.pl. Consider it the next generation of
Warsaw tours: visitors are propelled 10km around town
on Segway Personal Transporters (helmets provided!) and
shown a vast swath of the city in around 3 hours. Tours
depart daily Pl. Zamkowy and cost 349zl per person.
Warsaw4u, tel. (+48) 602 53 74 95, www.war-
saw4u.com. Well regarded Warsaw4U features seven
different walking tours for individuals run by professional
guides ranging from Jewish Warsaw to Alternative War-
saw to a special Chopin tour. Prices depend on time and
the number of participants.
Warsaw City-Tour, tel. (+48) 500 03 34 14, www.
city-tour.com.pl. Bus tours of Warsaw on a yellow
double-decker bus. The tours start from ul. Krolewska
(B-3) just along from the Sofitel Hotel from 09:50 - 17:50
(every hour except 10:50) in August and at 9:50, 11:50,
13:50 and 17:50 in September. You can hop on and off
around the route if you like and there are audioguides
available in 12 different languages. The route takes about
1.5 hours to cover and covers all the major sites in the
city including Old Town, Jewish Warsaw, WWII, Palace of
Culture and Lazienki Park. Q Single journey ticket 40/34z.
One day ticket 60/54 z. Two day ticket 80/72z. Family
tickets (2 adults and 2 children) 205zl/day, 274zl/2days;
130zl single journey; (2 adults and 3 children 254zl/day,
340zl 2 days; 160zl single journey). One and two day
tickets offer hop on/hop off option.
Tours
82
WHAT TO SEE
Military Cathedral (Katedra Polowa Wojska
Polskiego) B-2, ul. Duga 13/15, tel. (+48) 22 687
77 02, www.katedrapolowa.pl. Comprised of both the St.
Francis of Assisi Church and monastery and built between
1662 and 1663 by the Piarist friars, the extraordinary
Military Cathedral, also known as the Church of Our Lady
Queen of the Polish Crown, is the capitals main garrison
church. Having spent time as an Orthodox Church, prison,
orphanage and a depot for German soldiers during WWI the
church was reconstructed based on original 17th-century
drawings after independence in 1918 and became the seat
of the field bishop of the Polish Army. Again rebuilt after its
destruction during WWII, the church is now decorated with
a peculiar mix of religious and military artefacts, including a
number of large oil paintings depicting the most well known
of Polands battles and uprisings. Q No visiting during
mass please. Open by prior arrangement and for groups
only. Alternatively view the interior through the bars or get
in before the mass at 18:00.
St. Annes Church (Koci w. Anny) B-2, ul.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 68, tel. (+48) 22 826 89
91, www.swanna.waw.pl. St Annes survived the war
with a few token scratches and a collapsed roof, but what
the Nazis failed to destroy was very nearly demolished by a
team of incompetent builders - by 1949 the whole church
threatened to come crashing to the ground. The thought-
less construction of the nearby Trasa W-Z tunnel had led to
several landslides, resulting in huge cracks appearing in the
floor of the church. It took a team of 400 people two weeks
of tireless work to stabilise the undersoil and shore up the
foundations. Intriguingly, this wasnt the first time St Annes
had survived vicious conflict to find disaster around the
corner. It escaped destruction during the war with Sweden
(1650-1655) only to be gutted by fire two years later, appar-
ently the victim of an arson attack. The classicist faade
dates from 1788 and is the design of the royal architect Piotr
Aigner. The interior holds even more classicist and rococo
details. The viewing tower is one of the best in Warsaw and
worth the 147-step climb.
One other point of interest concerns a simple wooden cross
you will see there. These two planks of wood became the
focus of a battle that threatened to divide the country in
the summer of 2010. To read the story behind that see our
piece on the presidential cross. Q Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sun
08:00 - 22:00. No visiting during mass.
St. Bennos Church (Koci w. Benona) B-1,
ul. Piesza 1, tel. (+48) 22 578 70 10, www.swbenon.
redemptorysci.eu. Bennos has a wacky history. King Sigis-
mund III was a devotee of St. Benno and invited peer priests
from Bavaria to Warsaw in the 17th century. Their main aim
was to support Germans living outside their home country.
Ironically, in 1944, the chapel was blown to smithereens by
you-know-who. Rebuilt by the Poles in 1958, it now has an
interesting interior dating from 1977. Q Open during mass
and by prior arrangement.
St. Casimirs Church (Koci Benedyktynek
- Sakramentek) B-1, Rynek Nowego Miasta 2, tel.
(+48) 22 831 49 62, www.sakramentki.opoka.org.pl.
Founded by Mary Sobieski, wife of King Jan III Sobieski, to
commemorate her husbands victory over the Turkish army
at the Gates of Vienna. The baroque-style church was de-
signed by Tylman van Gameren and was completed in 1692.
In 1944 it served as a Polish field hospital, and received
a direct hit from a German bomb, killing more than 1,000
civilians, priests, nuns and soldiers who were inside. Today
it has been fully restored and has a charred wooden cross
as tribute to those who died. Q Open by prior arrangement.
Visits to Polands most prestigious street, Krakowskie
Przedmiecie, start by the Royal Castle, next to the
sabre rattling statue of King Sigismund. A popular
meeti ng poi nt wi th l overs and buskers al i ke wed
suggest you start your tour by taking the Socialist
Realist era escalator. From there head to St Annes a
neo-classical effort that survived the war but came
wi thi n a whisker of coll apse when work began on
the W-Z tunnel running beneath it. The 1949 tunnel
project caused several landslides and it took a team
of 400 workers two weeks to shore the foundations
and stabilise the soil. But the real hero of the hour
was Romauld Cebertowicz, a professor who invented
a way of solidi fying the soil by way of directing elec-
tric currents into it. The interiors of St Annes house
numerous intricate details, but the real reason for
visiting is the taras widokowy, a viewing platform on
top of the next door tower.
Next, make a beeline for the Mickiewicz monument
that honours Polands best loved bard. This statue was
erected in 1898, the centenary of his birth. Unveiled
at a ti me of I mperial Russian repressi on the very
creation of his likeness was regarded as something of
a bombshell, and over 12,000 patriotic Poles turned
up to cheer the ribbon cutting. Standing just behind
is one of the Warsaws biggest mysteries. Everyone
knows the pi nk buil di ng wi th that great bi g chunk
missing from its facade, but what the devil is it? Built
in 1784 to serve as a travellers inn this mysterious
structure is actually student digs, as well as home
to a branch of the WBK bank and a music shop. The
17th century Camelite Church next door is one of the
original examples of the classicist style to be found
in Poland, and comes topped off with a sea green orb
representing the world.
Next up its the Presidential Palace, that fenced-off
building guarded by stone lions and stern soldiers.
Construction on it started in 1643 at the behest of
Stanislaw Koniecpolski, though was only completed
after his death. It passed into the hands various aris-
tocratic families and in the 18th century became the
famed venue for lavish society banquets. None were
more celebrated than the party held to celebrate the
coronation of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski in 1789;
over two million zloty was spent on entertaining 4,000
guests, a sum which must have been unheard of in
those days. But it was money well spent; Poniatowski
would prove to be one of Polands finest monarchs, and
the constitution of May 3, 1791, signed on these very
grounds, is recognized as Europes first.
When Pol and regai ned i ndependence i n 1918 the
reconstructed building was commandeered to serve
as home to the Pri me Mi nister and his Council of
Ministers. When Herman Goering visited in 1937 he
spent so much time pottering around admiring the
architectural details he was late for his meeting with
the Polish Foreign Minister. It saw more momentous
events in 1955, this time when the Warsaw pact the
Soviet Unions answer to NATO was rati fied within
its walls. In 1989 round table talks between the com-
munists and opposition were held here, paving the way
for political freedom, and in 1994 it was appointed as
the official home of the Polish president.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie...
83
WHAT TO SEE
St. Franics Seraph Church (Koci stygmatw
w. Franciszka Serafickiego) B-1, ul. Zakroczymska
1, tel. (+48) 22 831 20 31, www.warszawa.francisz-
kanie.pl. Completed in 1733 this baroque masterpiece holds
the remains of St Vitalis; see the glass coffin for yourself by
visiting the chapel to your left. Many of the religious relics
found scattered around were donated by Pope Benedict XIV
in 1754, and this church is also entered in the history books as
holding the first free mass in Warsaw following the flight of the
Nazis. Q Open 06:00 - 20:00. No visiting during mass please.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral (Bazylika Archikat-
edralna w. Jana Chrzciciela) B-2, ul. wietojaska 8,
tel. (+48) 22 831 02 89, www.katedra.mkw.pl. Originally built
in the 14th century, St. Johns is steeped in history. The last king of
Poland, Stanisaw August Poniatowski, was crowned and eventu-
ally buried here, and in 1791 he also declared the Constitution of
May 3 inside the building. The crypt holds the bodies of Henryk
Sienkiewicz (writer), Gabriel Narutowicz (Polands first president)
and various Mazovian knights, but its currently off-limits due to
renovations. Other interesting details to look for include the covered
walkway that links the Cathedral with the Royal Castle. It was added
in 1620 as a security measure following a failed assassination
attempt on King Sigismund III. As with most major landmarks, it
was the scene of heavy fighting during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
and was subsequently left in a heap of ruins before being rebuilt
in pseudo-gothic style. On the external wall by the main entrance
are fragments of a Goliath - a remote-controlled tank used by the
German army. A 17th century bell made by artisan Daniel Tym (who
also made the statue of King Sigismund III atop the famed column)
can now be found in the centre of ul. Kanonia (B-2). The bell itself
never rang at the cathedral, but it has developed its own legend:
touch the top of the bell and walk its circumference and your wish
will come true. Q Open 10:00-17:30, Sun 15:00-17:30. No visiting
during mass please.
St. Marys Church (Koci Nawiedzenia NMP) B-1,
ul. Przyrynek 2, tel. (+48) 22 831 24 73, www.przyrynek.
pl. Scan the horizon of the New Town and chances are youll
find your eyes settling on the Gothic shape of the Church of the
Visitation of St Mary. Built in the 15th century on the whim of a
Mazovian princess this brick beauty allegedly stands on the site
of an ancient pagan place of worship. Extensively remodelled
over the centuries it was rebuilt true to its original form after
WWII. Q Open half an hour before and during mass only.
Monuments
Adam Mickiewicz Monument (Pomnik Adama
Mickiewicza) B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 5.
Patriot, poet and the man who inspired Romanticism in Poland,
Mickiewicz stands out as Polands greatest literary figure - as
well as a figure of hope during a bleak age of Russian oppres-
sion. His involvement in politics saw him exiled east in 1824 by
the ruling Russians, before finally heading to western Europe in
1829. A bid to return to his homeland in 1830 was thwarted at
the border, and he never saw his native Poland again.
Much mystery surrounds his life; his role as a national cultural
icon meaning that much of the seamier side of his life has been
covered up, including his involvement in strange cults and al-
leged womanising. To this day, even his birthplace remains a hot
source of argument. Some say Nowogrdek (Lithuania), others
say the nearby Zaosie. A champion of freedom, he died during
a cholera outbreak in Turkey, 1855, while recruiting a Polish
legion to fight the Russians in the Crimea. Originally buried in
Paris, Mickiewiczs body now lies in Wawel Cathedral, Krakw.
His defining masterpiece, Pan Tadeusz, is a beautifully written
epic portraying Polish society in the 19th century. His statue
dominates ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie, and traces of bullet
holes dating from WWII are still visible on the monument.
84
WHAT TO SEE
Charles de Gaulle Monu-
ment (Pomnik Charlesa
de Gaullea) C-4, Rondo de
Gaullea. Charles de Gaulle is
the subject of one of Warsaws
newer monuments. Stri ding
away from what was once the
Commie party HQ, the monu-
ment is a gift from the French
government and can be found
on (C-4) Rondo de Gaull ea.
A resident of Warsaw in the
1920s, de Gaulle is a bit of a
hero in these parts for the role
he played in The Battle of Warsaw in 1920. With Europe in
turmoil following the aftermath of WWI the Red Army launched
a huge military strike, aimed at enslaving the rest of Europe.
The Bolsheviks expected an easy march to Paris, but the
Poles has other ideas. With the Red Army just 23km from
Warsaw Marshal Pisudski launched a deft action to split the
Bolshevik forces in two and encircle them. The battle raged
from August 13-August 25, 1920, with the Poles claiming a
historic victory in what Woodrow Wilson went on to describe
as the seventh most important battle in history. The Bol-
shevik forces were decimated, and Europe saved. De Gaulle
fought with distinction and was awarded the highest military
honour in the country, the Virtuti Militari.
Cr oss- monument Pl .
Pisudskiego. Nine metres
high and made of white gran-
i te June 6, 2009 saw the
unveiling of giant cross on pl.
Pilsudskiego. It was here that
Pope John Paul II returned to
Warsaw for the first time after
being made pope, and it was
also on this spot a candlelit
vigil was held when news first
broke of his death. The inscrip-
tion is taken from his sermon
and reads: Let your spirit come
down and renew the face of earth, this earth. Unveiled by
Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz and Archbishop
Kazimierz Nycz, the towering monument was designed by
Jerzy Mierzwiaka, Marek Kuciski and Natalia Wilczak.
Ignacy Paderewski G- 4,
Park Ujazdowski. Born i n
Kurywka in 1860 Paderewski
is fondly remembered as a politi-
can, patriot and musician. Having
entered the Warsaw Conservato-
rium at the age of 12 he worked
as a piano tutor after graduation.
The death of his wife, just a year
after they married, spurred him
to commit his life to music and in
1887 he made his public debut
in Vienna. His talent was obvious
and his growing popularity saw
him storm both Europe and the
States, not just as a pianist, but
a masterful composer as well. He was based in Paris during WWI
and it was during this time he became actively involved in politics,
becoming spokesman for the Polish National Committee. With
the end of the war he sought a return to his homeland where,
having played a key role in the Wielkopolska Uprising (which saw
Pozna merged into the newly reformed Polish state), he was
elected Polands third ever prime minister. It was he who signed
Next door its the Le Meridien Bristol Hotel, long re-
garded as one of Warsaws most exclusive hotels. Tread
through the marble lobby and youll learn why; etched
in brass by reception youll find the names of dozens
of celebrities whove stayed here, including Picasso,
Nixon and Dietrich. An even more interesting story
can be found opposite, namely inside ul. Krakowskie
Przedmiecie 13. A superb bygone creation the Hotel
Europejski closed its doors in 2006 following nearly 130
years of service. Built on the site of a guesthouse called
the Gerlach the Europejski was funded by publisher
Aleksander Przezdziecki, and inspired by the designs he
had seen on his world travels. Touched up by architects
like Henryk Marconi it came to be known as Warsaws
first modern hotel. The hotel, which once greeted The
Rolling Stones, Robert Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich and
Indira Ghandi might have closed, but its current owners
have big plans. The lower floors are already occupied by
trendy spots like U Kucharzy, and theres plans afoot to
develop the upper floors into luxury apartments, offices
and a prestigious hotel. Heading back on yoursel f dont
miss a quick look in at ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
15. Now home to the Ministry of Culture and Art this is
where Napoleon met his paramour Marie Walewska at
a ball held in his honour.
One thing that wont have escaped your notice at this
stage is the preponderance of young people, some of
them carrying books, others staggering out of bars. Yep,
youve guessed it, the university is here, its main campus
lying behind the grand gateway at number 26/28. Dating
from the 17th century the main building, known as Villa
Regia, was remodelled and renovated several times,
before finally being earmarked as the home of Warsaws
new university. Established in 1819 and opened for class
a couple of years later the uni had a tough time under
Russian rule. Closed in retaliation for the 1830 - 31 Up-
rising the university continued to operate underground,
though by 1859 the Tsar had been placated enough to
the extent he rubber stamped the creation of a School
of Medicine. Today, with some 57,000 students on the
roll call the university stands out as the largest in Poland,
as well as one of the best - a title hotly contested with
Krakws Jagiellonian Uni. Notable alumni include former
Israeli premier Yitzhak Shamir, writer Witold Gombrowicz,
award-winning hack Ryszard Kapusciski, the late presi-
dent Lech Kaczyski and poet Julian Tuwim.
Having failed in your attempt to get a few phone numbers
from the student body cross the street making a line for
the Church of the Holy Cross. Much has been written
about this place, so we wont add anything other than
make sure you put it on your list of unmissables. Finally,
at the end of KP, its Copernicus himself and his statue
has also played its part in Warsaws recent history.
...Krakowskie Przedmiecie
Urbanlegend
Alina Zienowicz/
Wikipedia
Warszawa13/Wikipedia
85
WHAT TO SEE
King Sigismunds Col-
umn (Kolumna Krla
Zygmunt a) B- 2, Pl .
Zamkowy. Built in honour
of the man who made War-
saw the capital of Poland,
the col umn was erected
back in 1664 and stands
twenty two metres hi gh.
During the war the column
collapsed under bombard-
ment and the original now
lies close to the Royal Castle
(and is considered lucky to
touch). The figure of Sigis-
mund survived and the new column was proudly re-erected
in 1949.
for Polands part in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, though his fall
from grace was just around the corner. Many thought he had
sold Poland short and in the face of growing public discontent he
resigned from office in December 1919. A short stint as Polands
representative in the League of Nations followed before he opted
to resume his musical career. Aside from being a skilled musician,
the mop haired Paderewski was also a popular public speaker,
known for his devastating wit. One anecdote recalls him being
introduced to a polo player with the words: You are both leaders
in your spheres, though the spheres are very different. Not one to
miss a beat Paderewski deadpanned Not so very different, you
are a dear soul who plays polo, and I am a poor Pole who plays
solo. During WWII he became an eminent figure in the London
based exiled Polish Parliament, though died in 1941 with the
country of his birth still under occupation.
Jan Kiliski Monument (Pomnik Jana Kiliskiego)
B-2, ul. Podwale. A huge monument honouring Jan Kiliski,
a Warsaw cobbler who became the unlikely hero of the 1794
Kociuszko Uprising. Despite being wounded twice, Kiliski and
his troop of peasants captured the Russian Ambassadors War-
saw residence; an action that ultimately led to his imprisonment
in St. Petersburg. Said to embody the Polish virtues of bravery
and patriotism, his statue was erected in 1936 and originally
located on pl. Krasiskich. In reprisal for an attack on the Co-
pernicus Monument, Nazi troops hid Kiliski inside the vaults
of the National Museum. Within days, boy scouts had daubed
the museum with the graffiti People of Warsaw! I am here, Jan
Kiliski. After the war the cobbler was returned to his rightful
place, before being finally relocated to ul. Podwale in 1959.
Jzef Pi sudski Monu-
ment (Pomni k Jzef a
Pi sudski ego) F- 2, Pl .
Pisudskiego. Casting a steely
gaze over the square named in
his honour is a gloomy looking
Field Marshal Pisudski, a man
many Poles hold responsible
for winning the country its in-
dependence in 1918. Regarded
as a political and military hero
this man did more than most to
free Poland from the shackles
of Russian control; his earl y
years saw him imprisoned in Siberia after being wrongfully
convicted of plotting to assassinate the Tsar, though his
finest hour undoubtedly came in 1920 when he beat off
the Bolshevik hordes at the gates of Warsaw, inadvertently
saving a battered post-war Europe from being flooded by the
rampant Soviets. Unveiled in 1995 this particular monumen
is the work of Tadeusz odziany, and Pisudski fans can view
another such monument to the man on ul. Belweder.
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86
WHAT TO SEE
Ni chol as Coperni cus
Monument (Pomni k
Mikoaja Kopernika) C-3,
ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie.
The founder of modern as-
tronomy. A sheltered academic,
he made his observations a
century before the invention
of the telescope and without
help or guidance. His book De
Revolutionibus (1543) posited
that the earth rotated on its axis
once a day, travelled around the
sun once a year, and that mans
place in the cosmos was peripheral. This may seem obvious
today, but it was an utterly radical idea at the time.
Although astronomers who propagated his ideas were burnt
at the stake and the Catholic church placed De Revolu-
tionibus on its list of banned books (as late as 1835), there
was no turning back progress. The modern cosmological
view - that our galaxy is one of billions in a vast universe - is
this mans legacy.
The statue itself was built in 1830 and has seen its fair share
of adventure. During WWII the Nazis placed a bronze plaque
insinuating that the great man was in fact - gasp - a German. In
1942, a boy scout called Alek Dawidowski ducked the guards
and removed the plaque. Boiling with fury, the Nazis removed the
statue, hid it in Silesia and dynamited a few other surrounding
monuments for good measure. The statue was recovered in the
years following the war, while Dawidowski has entered Polish
folklore as a result of his bravery. The plaque at the centre of the
storm is currently held in Warsaws History Museum.
Nike B-2, near Pl. Zamkowy (Trasa W-Z scarp). Just before
hitting the WZ tunnel that rumbles below the old town visitors
cant fail but see a giant cast iron statue of Nike: as in the Greek
Goddess of Victory, not the shoe. Standing with sword raised
aloft this noble structure is actually officially named Monument
to the Heroes of Warsaw 1939-1945, and remembers the
thousands of locals who fought against - and died under - Nazi
rule. The statue made its debut in 1964, originally standing on
pl. Teatralny. This was before there was any official memorial
to the Warsaw Uprising, and as such Nike became the favoured
assembly point for Polish veterans, as well as student agitators
in later years. In 1999 Pl. Teatralny underwent a well-deserved
facelift and the fearsome Nike found herself forklifted over to
her current spot where she stands with a watchful eye over the
cars and buses that gasp to-and-fro.
Syrena. The mermaid is the
symbol of Warsaw, and as
such youll find her likeness on
everything from buses to beer
cans. The legend dates to the
time of Prince Kazimierz, who
allegedly got lost while on a
hunting expedition in the area
that is now Warsaw. Behold, a
mermaid transpired from the
marshland, and gui ded the
hapless prince to safety by
firing burning arrows. Firmly
established as an icon of Warsaw youll find three mermaid
statues in Warsaw, specifically on (C-1), Old Town Square,
(D-2), witokrzyski Bridge and on (C-2/3), ul. Karowa. The
original mermaid - or syrena in local parlance - stands in
the Historical Museum, and was crafted from bronze by the
expert hand of Ludwika Nitschowa. Modelling for her was
actress Krystyna Krahelska, who was mortally injured on
the first day of the Uprising while working as a field nurse.
Tadeusz Kociuszko Monument A/B-3, Pl. Za
elazn Bram. History produces few men like Tadeusz
Kociuszko (1746-1817). Kociuszkos highest ideal was
freedom, and he used his own to try and secure it for all
those less fortunate. In one country - Poland - he failed and
is remembered as the greatest hero who ever walked the
land. In another country - America - he succeeded, and yet
has been almost completely forgotten. A monument to the
man was unveiled in November 2010 in the presence of
the Polish President and the US Ambassador. The monu-
ment is an exact copy of one in Washington by sculptor
Antoni Popiel given to Americans on behalf of the Polish
nation. At its unveiling outside of the White House in 1910
the promise was made to erect a copy in Poland if ever
the country regained its independence.
The man himself was educated in Warsaw and Paris dur-
ing which time Poland was partitioned for the first time in
1772. Kociuszko found himself attracted to the American
fight for independence and arrived in Philadelphia aged 30.
Upon arrival he read the Declaration of Independence and
found himself so inspired and in concert with its ideology
that he determined to meet the man who wrote it, Thomas
Jefferson. The two men later began a lifelong friendship
which became so binding that Kociuszko made Jefferson
the executor of his will. Jefferson was to call Kociuszko
the purest son of liberty among you all that I have ever
known, and of that liberty which is to go to all, not to the
few or the rich alone.
It was as a colonel in the engineering corps that Kociuszko
distinguished himself and it was his choice of Bemis Heights
as the place to engage the British that was to become the
decisive turning point of the northern campaign - the Battle
of Saratoga in October 1777. The victory at Saratoga won
the northern campaign and the alliance of the French as
Louis XVI officially recognised America as an independent
country. Kosciuszko was then charged with forti fying
West Point, New York, where he built an impenetrable
fortress that would later become Americas premier military
academy. Rewarded with citizenship, the rank of Brigadier
General and land near Columbus, Ohio, at the end of
hostilities, Kociuszko found himself instead drawn back
to Poland whose aggressive neighbours continued to
threaten its sovereignty.
Having first freed the serfs on his own estate back in
Poland, Kociuszko once again returned to the military.
On May 3, 1791 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
created the first constitution in modern Europe (second
in the world after America), which enacted widespread
reforms and four days later the Russian army crossed
the border triggering the Polish-Russian War of 1792.
Kociuszko again distinguished himsel f in battle and
became regarded as Polands leading military strategist
having never been defeated. However the neighbouring
powers further reduced the power and size of Poland
through the Second Partition of Poland (January 21,
1793) leaving Kociuszko to resolve that the Poles were
going to have to drive their oppressors out and to regain
their independence.
What followed came to be known as the Kociuszko Up-
rising. Kociuszko, using his experience of the American
war of Independence, led his ill-equipped peasant army
to victory over the Russian army at Racawice. The
ultimate defeat of Poland resulted in the Third Partition
of Poland (October 24th, 1795) and Poland disappeared
from the map of Europe for the next 123 years. Read
more about the man in our feature online.
Kociuszko Monument
87
WHAT TO SEE
Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier (Grb Niezna-
nego onierza) B-3, Pl.
Pisudskiego. The only surviv-
ing part of the destroyed Saxon
Palace. The palace was con-
structed during the 17th century
though the tomb was not added
to the complex until 1925. Eerily,
the tomb was the only part of
the structure to survive being
dynamited by the Nazis. The
ashes of unknown soldiers from WWII have been fittingly added.
To those deported and murdered in the East (Pom-
nik Polegym i Pomordowanym na Wschodzie)
E-1, intersection of Bonifraterska, Andersa and Mura-
nowska. Dating from 1995, and designed by Maksymilian
Biskupski, this monument remembers the victims of Soviet
aggression and all those deported to the wastes of Siberia.
Museums
Warsaw now has an ever more impressive selection of muse-
ums dotted around and even older ones are getting facelifts to
bring the visitor experience into the 21st century. There are still
instances of poor or no English language explanations but these
are becoming less common. Without doubt the big three places
on your list should be the Uprising Museum which charts the
defining period in the history of modern Warsaw; the Copernicus
Science Centre which is the citys most interactive and visitor
friendly museum and the Chopin Museum which is both interest-
ing and Warsaws best example of a modern museum experience.
Most museums listed present a cycle of temporary exhibitions,
details of which can be found in our culture and events section.
Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature (Muzeum
Literatury im. Adama Mickiewicza) B-1, Rynek
Starego Miasta 20, tel. (+48) 22 831 76 91, www.
muzeumliteratury.pl. Find out about the smart Alec who
inspired Romanticism in Poland. As well as having a number of
manuscripts and historical artefacts connected with Mickiewicz,
the museum also has exhibits connected with other leading
Polish writers. Q Open 10:00 - 16:00, Wed, Thu 11:00 - 18:00,
Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat and every last Sun of the month.
Admission 6/5z, Sun free for permanent exhibit only. Y
Gallery of Paintings, Sculpture and the Decorative
Arts (Galeria Malarstwa, Rzeby i Sztuki Zdobnic-
zej) B-2, Pl. Zamkowy 4 (Royal Castle), tel. (+48) 22 355
51 70, www.zamek-krolewski.pl. The east wing of the Royal
Castles main floor is now home to a permanent exhibition of
various works of art that had formerly been spread throughout
the property, including two works by Rembrandt: The Girl in a
Picture Frame and The Scholar at the Lectern. Both paintings
were part of a major donation of 37 works of art given by
Countess Karolina Lanckoronska, a Polish resistance fighter
and concentration camp survivor who, upon Polands return to
independence in 1989, bequeathed her familys art collection
to the nation. The Castle has done an impressive job of staging
the artworks, with muted walls and focused lighting keeping all
the attention on the various portraits of 16th and 17th century
royalty like Marie Antoinette and still life paintings of flower-filled
bounties. Theres also a room devoted to porcelain, tapestries
and glassware from the era. The Castles free admission on
Sundays have seen the new gallery overrun with visitors, so
serious art lovers will want to pay for the chance to wander at
a less harried pace. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Last entrance 1 hour before closing. Admission 20/15z, family
ticket 10z per person. Sun free.
The wonder full y named
Stanisaw II August Pon-
i atowski ( bor n Count
Stanisaw Antoni Poni -
atowski ) was the l ast
Ki ng and Grand Duke
of t he Pol i sh- Li t hua-
ni an Commonweal t h
(1764-95). Hi s of fi ci al
ti tl e was, memorabl y,
Stanisaw August, by
the grace of God and
the will of the people
King of Poland, Grand
Duke of Lithuania and
Duke of Rutheni a,
Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Kiev, Volhynia,
Podolia, Podlasie, Livonia, Smolensk, Severia
and Chernihiv.
Born in Wolcyn (which today is in Belarus) in 1732,
Poniatowski first rose to prominence as an orator in the
nascent Polish parliament, the Sejm. Appointed ambas-
sador of Saxony to the court of Catherine the Great in
St. Petersburg in 1755, the tall, dashing Poniatowski
quickly became a regular lover of the insatiable Russian
Empress. When the Polish King August II died in 1763, it
was with Russian support that Poniatowski was elected
king, at the age of 32.
Opposed from the start by large numbers of the Pol-
ish nobility, on first appearances Poniatowskis three
decades on the throne do not look all that impressive.
He was powerless to prevent the first partition of the
Commonwealth in 1772 and relied heavily for much of
his reign on Russian patronage.
Yet he is remembered most for his championing of the
1791 Polish-Lithuanian Constitution: Europes first and
the worlds second (the United States had enacted the
first, in 1788) codified constitution. It greatly reduced the
power of the nobility, and introduced the idea of equality
amongst all citizens of the Commonwealth: noblemen,
townsfolk and peasants. Alas, the Commonwealth was
about to crumble, and the constitution came far too
late to save it.
Appall ed, the Polish nobili ty, under the flag of the
Targowi ca Federation and allied wi th Russian nobl es
keen to prevent similar i deas of equali ty infil trating
into Russia, launched a full scal e war (known, some-
what incorrectly, as the Polish-Russian War of 1791-2)
on Poniatowski. Betrayed by Prussia (whi ch had until
then been a keen all y), Poniatowski was defeated in
1792 and the consti tution expunged from the statue
book. The status quo ante-bellum was restored, and
Poniatowski managed to cling on as King until 1795
when the final parti tion of the Commonweal th forced
hi m to abdi cate. He fl ed to St. Petersburg, where
he li ved at the grace of Catheri ne until he di ed i n
1798. He was first buri ed at the Catholi c Church of
St. Catherine in St. Petersburg, his remains being
transferred to a church at Woczyn in 1938. In 1995,
in belated recogni tion of his rol e in creating the 1791
consti tution, he was formall y reburi ed at St. Johns
Cathedral in Warsaw.
Stanislaw Poniatowski
88
WHAT TO SEE
Historical Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum History-
czne Miasta Warszawy) B-1, Rynek Starego Miasta
28-42, tel. (+48) 22 635 16 25, www.mhw.pl. One of
our favourite museums, The Historical Museum of Warsaw
has been offline for several issues now but is easing into a
return after months of renovations. What can you see so far?
Just the main floor, which houses an excellent permanent
exhibition about the history of Warsaw through the 17th
century and plenty of archaeological materials to keep In-
diana Jones enthused for hours. Two temporary exhibitions
are also open and are dedicated to two great Poles: writer
Boleslaw Prus and WWII hero Janusz Korczak. One aspect
not to be missed is the film Warsaw Will Remember in the
museums cinema. The film addresses the war years from
1939-1945 and the rebuilding of the city. The film is shown
Tue-Fri at 10:00 and 12:00, Sat and Sun at 12:00 and 14:00,
and lasts 20 minutes (in French, Italian German and Spanish
by request). Tickets are 10/5z, and the entrance for the film
is from Rynek Starego Miasta 40. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00,
Tue 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon.
Admission 5z.
Krlikarnia G-7, ul. Puawska 113a, tel. (+48) 22
843 15 86, www.krolikarnia.mnw.art.pl. Krlikarnia,
which translates as the rabbit house, is a lavish palace
in Mokotw named for its role as King Augustus II the
Strongs rabbit warren for hunting. Built between 1782
and 1786, the palace has been home to a number of
interesting residents including insurrection leader Tadeusz
Kociuszko and Charles Thomatis, a man many believe
acted as a pimp for King Stanisaw August Poniatowski.
Like much of Warsaw, the palace was obliterated during
the war but meticulously rebuilt in 1964 and now operates
as an art museum that features the works of famed Polish
sculptor and Auschwitz survivor Xawery Dunikowski on the
verdant park grounds (you can keep an eye out for The
Soul Escaping the Body, a sculpture that is replicated on
Dunikowskis tombstone). Visitors can end their museum
visi t wi th a meal courtesy of the caf whi ch prepares
picnics and offers blankets for outdoor dining, a must
considering its location on an escarpment overlooking
the Vistula. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admis-
sion 8/4z, Thu free.
Mu s e u m o f I n d e p e n d e n c e ( Mu z e u m
Niepodlegoci) B-2, Al. Solidarnoci 62, tel.
(+48) 22 826 90 91, www.muzeumniepodleglosci.
art.pl. Rather ironically, the museum that charts Polands
struggl e for freedom was home to the Lenin Museum
duri ng communi st rul e. Cel ebrati ng Polish patri otism,
the museum covers all the key dates of Polish history,
including the 1794 Kociuszko Uprising, the 19th century
Gestapo HQ (Mauzoleum Walki i Mczestwa)
G-4, Al. Szucha 25, tel. (+48) 22 629 49 19, www.
muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl. Every bit as disturbing
as Pawiak is the former Gestapo HQ, found on Al. Szucha
25. Built between 1927 and 1930, the buildings original
purpose was to serve as a centre for religious beliefs.
In 1939 it came under control of the Nazi regime, and
for the next five years became one of the most feared
addresses in Poland operating, among other capacities,
as a brutal interrogation centre. The imposing building,
currently housing the Ministry of Education, was left
untouched by the carnage of war and now also holds a
small but sobering museum within its bowels. Cells, where
prisoners were held prior to interrogation, have been left
largely as they were. Known as trams, Poles would be
sat on wooden benches facing the wall as they awaited
their fate. Forbidden to eat or sleep, they were compelled
to sit motionless in darkness, sometimes for days on end.
Failure to do so would lead to almost certain death. The
bullet marks scarring the walls tell their own harrowing
story. Although the torture cells have long since been
blocked off, the English language tape that the curator
plays paints a vivid and repulsive picture. Prisoners were
subjected to savage beatings, attacked with dogs and
electrocuted. Those who didnt co-operate would, in some
cases, be forced to watch their own families being tortured.
The office where prisoners would have been checked in
also remains, complete with a faded portrait of Hitler and
battered issues of Wehrmacht magazine lying around.
Manacles, bullwhips and other sinister instruments can
also be seen stacked on the bookshelf. QOpen 10:00 -
16:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Last entrance
30 minutes before closing. Admission 6/4z, Sun free,
ticket also admits you to Pawiak Prison (ul. Dzielna 24/26).
Gestapo HQ
The Citadel (Cytadela) F-1, ul. Skazacw 25
(entrance from ul. Wybrzee Gdyskie), tel. (+48)
22 839 12 68, www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl.
First off a tip. The entrance to the Citadel is on Wybrzeze
Gdyskie and is not that easy to find. Once you get there
you discover a complex built in the wake of the 1830 No-
vember Insurrection, and commissioned by Tsar Nicholas
I to serve as a fortress for the occupying Russian garrison
- and as a political prison and execution ground. Housing
as many as 16,000 troops, the main purpose of the citadel
was to deter and quash any patriotic movement within the
city. Of the 40,000 prisoners who have passed through its
gates, familiar names include national hero Jzef Pisudski,
communist agitator Red Rosa Luxembourg and Feliks
Dzieryski - the monster who would progress to become
head of the Russian secret police. As well as being a su-
preme example of 19th century fortress architecture, the
36 hectare site has several points of interest. The labyrinth
of tunnels and prison cells have been well preserved and
contain numerous exhibits, including paintings, prison
relics and firearms. Outside find a Nazi bunker dating from
1940, a symbolic cemetery, and The Gate of Execution.
Its here on the nearby southern hillsides of the Citadel
that Polish heroes like Traugutt were executed in front
of a crowd of 30,000 in 1864. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00.
Closed Mon, Tue. Last entrance 30 minutes before clos-
ing. Admission 6/4z, Sun free.
The Citadel
89
WHAT TO SEE
insurrections, Pi sudskis return to Poland, WWII and the
ri se of Soli dari ty (though thi s l ast exhi bi t i s currentl y
unavai l abl e). Among the 48,000 exhi bi ts are obj ects
recovered from WWII concentration camps, and some
wonder ful displays of Socialist Realist artwork. QOpen
10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Cl osed Mon.
Last entrance 30 mi nutes before cl osi ng. Admi ssi on
6/4z. Sun free. Y
Museum of Pol i sh Peopl es Movement
(Muzeum Historii Polskiego Ruchu Ludowego)
Al. Wilanowska 204 (Mokotw), tel. (+48) 22 843
38 76, www.mhprl.pl. Set in a neo-Renaissance villa
designed by Italian-born Mary Lanci the Museum of the
Polish Peoples Movement is an absolute must for museum
diehards - just try to find any other English-speaker whose
been here (though recently the museum has added some
English brochures to help non-Polish visitors). As the title
suggests, everything here is focused on Polish people/
peasants, with the oldest exhibit being a 17th century
manuscript approved by King Jan III Sobieski granting
serfs a tax reduction. Most of these scrolls, documents
and papers will be lost on the foreign visitor; making more
sense are the printed materials, which include election
posters from the interwar years, as well as decrees,
rati on cards and purchase vouchers suppl i ed by the
occupying Nazis during WWII. Times under communism
are particularly well represented, and visitors will see a
number of stirring Soviet chic posters encouraging hard
work and high production. Very Socialist Paradise indeed.
Patriotism plays a large part in understanding this oddity,
and art fans will be pl eased to find a seri es of paintings
depi cti ng peasants i n ful l battl e, i ncl udi ng of course
Tadeusz Kociuszko doing his bi t against the Russki es.
Stamps, fl ags, medal s and cari catures, theyre al l
here, as well as a great li ttl e war-themed section whi ch
presents bayonets, armbands worn by peasant fi ghters
during WWII, first ai d ki ts and a typewri ter and printing
contrapti on used in the creati on of subversi ve press.
Q Open 08:30 - 15:30, Sat, Sun by prior arrangement.
Admission 2/1z. Thu free. Y
Museum of Priest Jerzy Popieuszko (Muzeum
Bogosawionego Ks. Jerzego Popeuszki) ul.
Kardynaa Stanisawa Hozjusza 2 (oliborz), tel. (+48)
22 561 00 56, www.popieluszko.net.pl. Youd probably
think a museum honouring a priest doesnt sound like much
fun, and indeed this place really isnt. However, it is a very de-
cent detour if you happen to be in the oliborz area, and thats
because Father Jerzy was no ordinary priest. Popieuszko
came to national attention in the early1980s for his fierce
anti-communist rhetoric, and with close ties to Radio Free
Europe and Solidarity it wasnt long till he ran afoul of the
internal security services. In 1984, with Poland in political
chaos, they decided to get rid of him altogether. A car accident
was set up for this purpose, though Popieuszko somehow
survived unscathed. Six days later he was abducted, beaten
and murdered, his corpse dumped in a reservoir. His funeral
drew a crowd of 250,000 mourners and made headlines
the world over. Today the basement of his former parish
church has been turned into a museum to remember not
just his life, but the whole struggle for post-war freedom.
Newssheets printed by the underground, banners from the
Solidarity strikes and pictures of the funeral are among the
many items on display, as are the clothes he was wearing
when he was kidnapped. Particularly poignant is a curved
wall, its bricks inscribed with the names of martyrs dealt
with by security services between 1981 and 1989. QOpen
10:00 - 16:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue.
Donations welcome.
Presi denti al Pal ace C- 2, ul . Krakowski e
Przedmiecie 46/48. If pre-war Warsaw was considered
the Paris of the East then Krakowskie Przedmieie would
have been its Champs Elysees, its importance recognized
by the number of palaces, institutions, monuments and
churches that line it. Of those none are more important than
the Presidential Palace at number 46/48, that mysterious
fenced-off building guarded by stone lions and stern looking
soldiers. Construction on it started in 1643 at the behest of
Stanislaw Koniecpolski, though was only completed after
his death. It passed into the hands of various aristocratic
families and in the 18th century became famed for its ban-
quets - the most extravagant being held to commemorate
the coronation of Stanisaw II August Poniatowski in 1789;
over two million zoty was spent entertaining the 4,000
guests. Poniatowski was to prove one of the nations finest
monarchs and the Constitution of May 3, 1791, signed on
these very grounds, is recognized as Europes first - and
only the second in the world. A statue of Poniatowskis
brother, himself a military hero, was added to in 1965. Of its
residents none were more eccentric than General Zajczek,
a one legged Duke who was carried around in his armchair
by a team of simpering servants. His wife, an ageless look-
ing maiden, attributed her eternal youth to a strict diet that
banned any hot meals, and a rigorous set of guidelines that
included having pots of ice placed under her bed and freezing
cold baths. After 1818 it became the seat of the Viceroy of
the Polish Kingdom, and its halls entertained many a visiting
Tsar. In 1852 calamity struck and the palace was burned to
the ground. Reconstructed by Alfons Kropiwnicki the rebuilt
structure served as a home to the Agricultural Society, and
in 1879 Jan Matejkos epic painting The Battle of Grunwald
was put on display to an appreciative Warsaw public. Exten-
sively remodelled throughout the course of history one of its
biggest revamps came at the beginning of the 20th century
when one wing was demolished to make way for the Hotel
Bristol. When Poland regained its independence in 1918 it
was commandeered to serve as home of the Prime Minister
and his Council of Ministers. When Herman Goering visited
in 1937 he spent so much time pottering around admiring
the architectural details he was late for his appointment with
the Polish Foreign Minister. Amazingly it survived both the
1939 Siege of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising five years
later, though that did little to stop the authorities employing
Antoni Brusche and Antoni Jawornicki to give it a further
facelift. It saw more momentous events in 1955, this time
when the Warsaw Pact - the Soviet Unions answer to NATO
- was ratified within its walls. Since 1994 it has served as
the official home of the Polish president, which is exactly
why youll find streams of limos heading in and out, and
square jawed soldiers pointing their weapons at anyone who
strays too close. Interestingly enough, however, is the fact
that current president Bronisaw Komorowski does not live
there; instead he has chosen to reside at Belweder Palace
next to Lazienki Park.
Presidential Palace
90
WHAT TO SEE
Museum of Sports and Touri sm (Muzeum
Sportu i Turystyki) ul. Wybrzee Gdyski e 4
(oliborz), tel. (+48) 22 560 37 80, www.muzeum-
sportu.waw.pl. Not l ong back museums in Poland were
l argel y dusty af fai rs wi th stupi d hours and hawk-l i ke
curators ensuring fingers and noses were kept well away
from the gl ass. Wel l heres the new face of si ghtsee-
i ng, a spanki ng new gl ass bui l di ng that coul d wel l have
been sent down from space. Cyni cs mi ght say a seven
fl oor Ol ympi c Centre i s l argel y wasted on the Pol es, a
nati on whi ch hasn t exactl y domi nated the pl anet i n the
fi el d of sport. Thi s pl ace i s here to prove the naysayers
wrong, wi th over 47,000 exhi bi ts testi fyi ng to Pol ands
contri buti on to recreati on.
The exhibi tion starts off wi th a passing glance at Ancient
Greece, wi th Greco busts and mural s cel ebrati ng the
earl y pioneers of games, before moving of f in a more
patrioti c direction and l eaning towards the more Polski
si de of things. Included are ol d penny farthing bi cycl es
as well as trophi es and memorabilia from the Warsaw
Rowing Association, apparentl y the ol dest sports orga-
nization in town.
Split into various zones (inter-war years, 70s glory years,
Salt Lake City etc), this is more than just a thorough look
at Polish sport, its the final word. Film reels and sound
effects complement often hilarious pictures (mustachioed
supermen from bygone times triumphantly li fting dumb-
bells). However this is no circus sideshow, and it soon
becomes clear that the Poles have a proud and distin-
guished history across all fields, something apparent in
the Olympic Hall of Fame which features scores of medals.
Heroes such as ex Man City legend Kazimierz Deyna and
ski champ Adam Maysz are all celebrated, and the vast
collection even has room for a kayak once used by Pope
John Paul II to row around the Mazurian Lakes. QOpen
09:15 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Last
entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/6z.
Sat free.
National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) C-4, Al.
Jerozolimskie 3, tel. (+48) 22 621 10 31, www.mnw.
art.pl. Located inside a huge and decidedly bizarre inter-war
building, Warsaws National Museum has thankfully just re-
opened after a long renovation that has seen many changes
including the renovation of the museums main courtyard,
a major rearrangement of the permanent galleries and an
impressive upcoming schedule of temporary exhibits - with
Those Elevated Ones: From Pharaoh to Lady Gaga (running
through September 23) being our favorite so far. Considering
the new overhaul this museum is a must for anyone visiting
the city. Dating from 1862 and operating under its current
name since 1916, theres a huge array of permanent exhibi-
tions and antiquities. Visitors will find a wealth of delightful
15th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings and several gal-
leries of Polish art from the 16th century onwards, including
some of the best work by the countrys leading names in art
- Malczewski, Chemoski and Matejko. Also on display are
some fine examples of furniture and decorative arts inside
the Gallery of Polish Decorative Art. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00,
Thu 10:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Ticket prices: permanent
exhibitions 15/10z, entire museum 20/15z. Last tickets
sold 45 minutes before closing. Tue free for permanent
exhibition. Family ticket: 40z permanent exhibits, 50z
entire museum. Y
azienki Park &
Palace (azienki
Krlewskie) G- 4,
ul. Agrykoli 1, tel.
(+48) 22 506 01
01, www.lazienki -
krolewskie.pl. The
park and palace com-
plex where half of War-
saw descends on a Sunday to take the traditional family
stroll. Notable features amid the landscaped gardens in-
clude the art-deco Chopin monument (1926), the palace
on the water (remodelled in 1792), an old orangery and a
classicist amphitheatre loosely inspired by Herculaneum.
The 74 hectare site originally served as the residence of
Stanisaw August Poniatowski - Polands last monarch.
In spite of sporadic damage, much of the dynamite laid
by Nazi troops failed to destroy the buildings. QOpen
09:00 - 18:00, Mon 11:00 - 16:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 09:00
- 20:00. Park open from dawn till dusk. Guided tours
please book 3 days in advance. Admission 15/10z, Thu
free. Guides 100z per group up to 25 people. To book
call 22 506 01 70.
Mokotowskie Field (Pole Mokotowskie) E-5.
Penned in by the districts of Mokotw, Ochota and
rdmiecie this park represents prime real estate, and
right now much of the land is subject to sky-high bods
from nasty real estate developers. Hands off we say,
and not just because drinking in Pole Mokotowskies
countless bars is one of the highlights of summer. Prior
to WWII it was used as a military parade ground, and then
from 1910 as one of Europes first airports. It was here
that the Polish aviators wirko and Wigura began many
of their aerial adventures, and by 1921 passenger flights
linking Warsaw with Paris (via Prague and Strasbourg)
were commonplace. The opening of Okcie Airport in
1933 sounded the death knell for the airport, and today
it serves as a popular summer spot for suburbanites,
as well the venue for public events such as the annual
Earth Festival.
The Saxon Garden (Ogrd Saski) B-2/3, be-
tween ul. Marszakowska and ul. Krlewska. Opened
to the public in 1727 Saski Park ranks as one of the oldest
public parks in the world, and was originally designed in
a French style, before being changed to follow English
aesthetics in the 19th century. Originally part of the Saski
Palace complex the parks highlights include a sundial
dating from 1863 and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
(the only surviving part of the Palace). Although wrecked
by Nazi miscreants in 1944 many of trees in the park
survived, and its possible to find ones dating from a
quarter of a millennium ago. An empire style fountain
designed by Marconi in 1855 stands close to the bottom
corner of the park, and other points of interest include a
memorial honouring Warsaw residents killed during WWII,
and a statue of Stefan Starzyski, the citys mayor at
the outbreak of WWII who was later to become another
statistic of Dachau concentration camp.
Ujazdowski Park G-4. Not as grand as the nearby
azienki, its still a pleasant place to walk the dog and
get up to other typical Sunday pastimes. It stands under
the imposing shadow of Ujazdowski Castle which was
rebuilt in the 1970s.
Parks
91
WHAT TO SEE
Polish Army Museum (Muzeum Wojska Pol-
skiego) C- 4, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, tel. (+48) 22 629
52 71, www.muzeumwp.pl. The chronological history
of the Polish army is presented in a series of gl oomy
rooms. Sui ts of armour, crossbows, muskets, medals
and paintings pack this museum, though the scarcity of
English-language explanations mean youll need to hire an
English-speaking guide to get the most out of the place.
The room at the end is dedicated to Polands role in WWII,
with speci fic emphasis on the Warsaw Uprising. Curiously,
the best part of the museum is actually free of charge:
the outdoor collection of 20th century weaponry includes
an array of tanks, missiles, aircraft and rocket launchers.
Note that on Wed., Sat. and Sun. from 10:00-15:00 visitors
can see the Transport Aircraft AN26 for a 2zl fee. QOpen
10:00 - 16:00, Wed 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Last
entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/5z,
groups over 10 people 4z per person, Sun free. Tours
with audioguide 17/10z.
Ujazdowski) G- 4, ul. Jazdw 2, tel. (+48) 22 628
64 08, www.csw.art.pl. Compl eted i n a baroque styl e
i n 1730, Uj azdowski was gutted by fi re duri ng WWI I .
Though the ori gi nal wal l s and foundati ons remai ned
structural l y sound the communi st authori ti es deci ded
to tear down the shel l of the bui l di ng wi th the i nten-
ti on of bui l di ng a mi l i tary theatre on the si te. Common
sense prevai l ed and the 1970s saw Uj azdowski rebui l t
fol l owi ng i ts ori gi nal styl e. Used as a mil i tary hospi tal i n
the years l eadi ng up to the war, i t now has three l arge
exhi bi ti on hal l s dedi cated to showcasi ng the very best
of contemporary art; fi nd a wi l d mi x of the good, the
bad and the ugl y, featuri ng the work of Pol ands l eadi ng
contemporary arti sts. Worthy and undoubtedl y neces-
sary, the gal l ery al so houses a very good bookshop
and a caf. QOpen 12:00 - 19:00, Fri 12:00 - 20:00.
Cl osed Mon. Last entrance 30 mi nutes before cl osi ng.
Admi ssi on 12/6z, Thu free.
Places of interest
Fotoplastikon F- 3, Al . Jerozol i mski e 51, tel .
(+48) 22 629 60 78, www.f otoplastikonwarsza-
wski.pl. Now, you may hear some peopl e cl ai mi ng thi s
to be the onl y fotopl asti kon i n Europe. Thi s i s cl earl y a
l i e - theres one across the road i n the Pal ace of Cul -
ture, for a star t. Nonethel ess, don t l et that stop your
vi si t. Hi dden away i n a darkened pre-war tenement a
vi si t here real l y i s a tri p back i n ti me. So what the devi l
i s a fotopl asti kon? I nvented i n Germany i n the second
hal f of the 19th centur y theyre basi cal l y a 3D peep
show (no, not the saucy ki nd) set i nsi de a great bi g
drum-l i ke contrapti on. Presenti ng vi vi d i mages from
across the worl d these groovy machi nes became an
absol ute sensati on and at any oneti me there were
an esti mated 250 i n Europe. Warsaw apparentl y got
i ts fi rst i n 1901, and the one on show here i s thought
to be from 1905. Al though fotopl asti kons were made
obsol ete by i mproved camera and fi l m technol ogy thi s
one conti nued to open for the publ i c, and duri ng the
war apparentl y served as a contact poi nt for the Pol i sh
underground. I ts rol e as a meeti ng poi nt for academ-
i cs and i ntel l ectual s conti nued wel l i nto communi sm,
and today thi s fami l y run operati on al l ows vi si tors to
gl i mpse Warsaw and other gl obal l andmarks i n thei r
pre-war gl or y. The show l asts 20 mi nutes and comes
hi ghl y recommended. QOpen 10: 00 - 18: 00. Cl osed
Mon. Admi ssi on 4/2z. Sun free.
Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery (Cmentarz
ewangelicko-augsburski) D-2, ul. Mynarska
54/56/58. Designed by Szymon Bogumi Zug in 1792
this treasure contains the elaborate tombs of countless
movers and shakers. Those interred include Samuel
Bogumi Linde - author of Polands first dictionary - and
Polands version of the Willie Wonka family: the Wedels.
Highlights include a cast iron chapel dating from 1821.
Calvinist Reformed Cemetery (Cmentarz
ewangelicko-reformowany) D-2, ul. ytnia 42,
tel. (+48) 22 632 03 30. As well as containing the
remains of writer Stefan eromski, this cemetery is also
the resting place of the youngest victim of Pawiak Prison
and the then Gestapo regime, Kaj Silversjold aged six
months. Be sure to check out the Teutonic style inscrip-
tions on some of the graves. Looming over it all is the
Kronenburg mausoleum, a striking necropolis built for
one of Warsaws most famed industrialists. QOpen
08:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 18:00.
Italian Military Cemetery (Cmentarz onierzy
Woskich) ul. Marymoncka (Bielany). Originally es-
tablished in 1926 the Italian cemetery holds the bodies of
868 soldiers killed on Polish territory during WWI, and a
further 1,415 killed during the course of WWII. Maintained
by the Italian Embassy the cemetery features an entry
gate complete with legionnaire shields, and a central
avenue leading to a grandiose monument.
Northern Cemetery (Cmentarz Komunalny
Pnocny) ul. Wycickiego 14 (Bielany), tel. (+48)
22 834 48 08. One of Europes largest cemeteries, and
a relatively new addition to the city. Created in 1973 this
vast graveyard contains over 135,000 graves, including
those of poet Edward Stachura, German WWII casual-
ties, and the bodies of those killed in Polands biggest
air disaster - the 1980 LOT plane crash just outside the
city limits. Q Open from 07:00 till dusk.
Powzki Catholic Cemetery (Cmentarz
Powzki) D-1, ul. Powzkowska 14, tel. (+48) 22
838 55 25. Warsaws biggest, oldest and most beauti-
ful cemetery. Famous corpses include the poet Leopold
Staff, aviators wirko and Wigura, and Nobel prize
winner Wadysaw Reymont. It also contains the grave
of Stefan Starzyski, the mayor of Warsaw at the time
of the German invasion. His body was never recovered
after he was detained by the Gestapo. Vast areas of
the cemetery are taken up by Home Army soldiers killed
during the Uprising. QOpen 07:00 - 20:00.
Soviet War Cemetery (Cmentarz Mauzoleum
onierzy Radzieckich) E-6, Al. wirki i Wigury
10. Dominated by a huge needle-like monument this
is one of the first Warsaw landmarks seen on the way
from the airport. The towering monument features some
interesting socialist reliefs depicting Red Army troops
liberating Polish civilians, and the inscription reads To
the memory of the soldiers lost in the liberation of Poland
1944-1945. Mass graves containing the remains of
20,000 soldiers flank each side of the memorial.
Warsaw Upri si ng Cemetery (Cmentarz
Powstacw Warszawy) ul. Wolska 174/176
(Wola). Approximately 40,000 participants in the 44
Uprising are buried here, their resting places marked with
wood graves and red and white sashes.
Cemeteries
92
WHAT TO SEE
Invisible Exhibition (Niewidzialna Wystawa) A-4,
Al. Jerozolimskie 123a, tel. (+48) 504 32 44 44, www.
niewidzialna.pl. Would you pay good money for an exhibi-
tion you cant see? Thats the idea behind Niedwidzialna
Wystawa (The Invisible Exhibition), which takes visitors
into the world of the sightless. The roughly hour-long tours
(which we recommend you book in advance to avoid waiting)
are helmed by guides who know of what they speak: all are
partially or completely blind themselves. Tours begin with
several stations that help get you acclimated to the chal-
lenges blind people face daily. Youll get to tap on a Braille
typewriter, test out gadgets that help the sightless do tasks
in the kitchen, and try to solve simple puzzles while wearing
a blindfold. Once youre sufficiently awed by your inability to
do even minor tasks the guide leads the group into the main
portion of the exhibition: a pitch-black series of rooms that
force you to rely on your other senses to get by (were not
kidding about the darkness level; be prepared). Youll visit an
art gallery, a bar and take a walk outside while the guides
ask questions about what youre encountering - youll be
listening for the swoosh of cars before crossing the street,
or feeling a sculpture to discern what kind of art it is. If you
bring along change the guide will even serve you a drink in
the completely dark bar. An eye-opening experience that will
have you thinking heavily about what you take for granted.
QOpen 12:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Last entrance
75 minutes before closing. Admission 21-25/16-22z, family
ticket 57-66z.
Tourist Information (Stoeczne Biuro Turysty-
ki) ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. (+48) 22 194
31, www.warsawtour.pl. Located in the arrivals hall of
the new part of the airport, the point is small but has all
the necessary guides and maps you might need including
In Your Pockets. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00.
Tourist Information B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie
15/17 (Kordegarda), tel. (+48) 22 194 31, www.war-
sawtour.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon.
Tourist Information (Stoeczne Biuro Tu-
rystyki) A/B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 54 (Warszawa
Centralna Train Station), tel. (+48) 22 194 31,
www.warsawtour.pl. Tourism information along with
plenty of brochures and maps to get new arrivals at
Centralna oriented to the city found inside the Service
Point in the main hall. Note that conflicts with the railway
mean this TI point may potentially close come Septem-
ber. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00.
Tourist Information (Stoeczne Biuro Turystyki)
B-4, Palace of Culture, Pl. Defilad 1 (entrance from ul.
Emilii Plater), tel. (+48) 22 194 31, www.warsawtour.
pl. This central tourist information office is inside the Palace
of Culture (if you exit central station on the Zote Tarasy
shopping complex side and cross over the road youll see
it). Inside you can choose from a series of guides as well as
buy some souvenir books and gifts. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00.
Tourist Information (Stoeczne Biuro Tu-
rystyki) B-2, Rynek Starego Miasta 19/21/21a,
tel. (+48) 22 194 31, www.warsawtour.pl. Find
this point on the Market Square of Old Town where you
can pick up maps, guides, book tours and buy gifts and
souvenirs. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00.
Tourist information
Palmiry - The National Memorial Museum
(Muzeum - Miejsce Pamici Palmiry) Palmiry,
tel. (+48) 22 720 81 14, www.palmiry.mhw.pl. This
brand new and highly recommended museum in the
forest outside Warsaw significantly ups the standard
for how a small exhibit can pack a huge punch. A little
history: during World War II the forests of Palmiry and
Kampinos became a refuge for those fleeing the destruc-
tion in Warsaw (many Home Army soldiers regrouped
in the woods). It also became the site for 21 separate
mass executions performed by German soldiers against
1,700 Poles and Jews, many of whom were academic and
cultural figures. Inside this well-organized modern block
visitors will see how the Poles used the forest for train-
ing and hiding weapons, and how the Germans turned
their refuge into a killing field. Information boards clearly
explain what happened in the forest (these are some of
the best English translations weve seen) and displays
include exhumed items like documents and photos, even
sections of trees with ammunition still buried in their
bark. A video re-enacts how German soldiers system-
atically marched civilians to their deaths, and the tour
ends with an endless audio loop that reads the names
of the victims. Outside visitors will see a giant cemetery
of marked and unmarked crosses (the museum also
describes the exhumation process that took place in
the forest) dedicated to the victims. While the museum
is mainly dedicated to what happened in the forests
during World War II it also makes note of the fact that
Poles have taken to these woods during the Kosciuszko
Uprising in 1794, the November Uprising in 1831 and the
January Uprising in 1863. Getting to the museum from
Warsaw involves a subway trip that connects to a slightly
stomach-churning 45-minute bus ride on the 800 bus.
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed
Mon. Admission free. Guided tours in English are 100zl,
please book in advance.
Palmiry
93
WHAT TO SEE
Multimedia Fountain Park (Multimedialny Park
Fontann) B-1, Skwer im. I Dywizji Pancernej. This
new tourist attraction was opened in May 2011 as part
of the city of Warsaws ongoing attempt to increase the
citys number of cultural and tourist attractions and has
been met with widespread acclaim and approval. Located
in the Podzamcze district a short walk to the north of the
old town, the Multimedia Fountain Park as it is known is
a visual delight combining music, light and, as the name
suggests, fountains.
Built on the site of a derelict concrete pond, the fountain is
part of a plan to revitalize this central Warsaw district by
attracting visitors from the tourist trail close by and cost
over 11 million PLN to create. Featuring 367 nozzles which
are capable of firing water 800 cubic metres of water 25m
into the air over the rebuilt, 3,000 square metre pond, the
stunning visual show is provided by the synchronisation of
295 LED RGB lights combined with a laser projector with
the fountain. Shows last about 30 minutes and include
sets where the fountains are lit in a myriad of colours or
where lasers create visual effects such as the Warsaw
symbol of Syrena (the Mermaid) moving through the water.
By far the most impressive part of the show is where a
series of films and images are projected onto a wall of
water created by the spray from the fountai ns. Youll
see films foll owing themes such as Chopins Warsaw,
Modern Warsaw or Legends of Warsaw proj ected with
remarkable clarity onto this wall of water while pieces of
music ranging from Chopin to Lady Gaga blast from the
surrounding speakers.
The shows have proved so popul ar that vi si tors are
warned to take up a posi tion as earl y as possi bl e on
the banked vi ewi ng terraces i n order to get the best
views and earl y demand resul ted in the number of shows
being increased to satisfy the large numbers of l ocals
and forei gn tourists wanting to experi ence the show. We
thoroughl y recommend i t and why i t is hardl y the Bellagio
show from Vegas it is definitely an enjoyable way to spend
time after dining in the ol d town or as a starting point to
the evening ahead.
The shows take place every Friday and Saturday at 21:30 and
last 30 minutes. In September show times move to 21:00.
Find it between ul. Bole and ul. Kocielna (B-1)
Saski Park & Palace. One piece of lost Warsaw that is
set to rise again is the Saski Palace, formerly located in the
grounds of Saski Park (B-2). Originally the residence of the
Morsztyn family the building was purchased by King Augustus
II and substantially enlarged and used by both him and his
successor, Augustus III. Off-topic, but nevertheless worth air-
ing, amateur historians will delight in learning that Augustus
II sired 12 children by different women, while his successor
managed to match the number, only this time staying loyal
to his wife in the process.
Royal Castle (Zamek Krlewski) B-2, Pl.
Zamkowy 4, tel. (+48) 22 355 51 70, www.
zamek-krolewski.pl. More a palace than a castl e,
this buil ding is the pri de of Warsaw, reconstructed
from a pil e of rubbl e at incredibl e cost between 1971
and 1984. Much of the furni ture was donated by now
deceased commi e buddi es such as the GDR and
USSR, and much of the money for rebuil ding came
from generous donations from exil ed Pol es. Dating
back to the 14th century, the castl e has been the
resi dence of Polish kings, then of the presi dent and
then the seat of parl i ament. The prescri bed tour
wi l l take you through the Ki ngs apar tments and
chambers, heavil y adorned wi th paintings of famous
Polish moments. Maps on the wall refl ect Polands
greatest days, when i t stretched from the Bal ti c to
the Black Sea. The apartments of Jozef Poniatowski
have recentl y been opened to the publ i c, though
unfortunatel y none of the accompany descriptions
are in English. The rooms are still a worthwhil e part
of the tour, i f for no other reason than to see the
Pri nces surprisi ngl y cerul ean bedroom and grand
collection of paintings. Some of the halls are reputed
to be i ntermi ttentl y haunted by a whi te lady. Ac-
cording to l egend her appearance si gnals imminent
disaster. The nearby chapel boasts an urn containing
the heart of Polish hero and freedom fi ghter Tadeusz
Kocuiszko. Next on the tour, the Houses of Parlia-
ment. Last but not least, the opulent Great Assembl y
Hall has so much gol d stuck to the walls i ts hard to
resist the temptation to scratch some of f - j ust a
bi t, they woul dn t noti ce. Behave or get accosted by
vi gilant wardens and enj oy the views across the ri ver
to the Praga distri ct instead. For those interested in
the Castl es reconstruction the basement exhi bi tion
From Destructi on to Reconstructi on detai l s the
buil dings resurrection after Worl d War II rendered
the place a pil e of rubbl e. Note that this exhi bi tion is
free, so those not willing to spring for a ti cket for the
entire tour can still visi t this section of the Castl e.
QOpen 10: 00 - 18: 00, Thu 10: 00 - 20: 00, Sun
11:00 - 18:00. Last entrance 1 hour before cl osing.
Admission 22/15z, family ticket 14z per person. Sun
free. Poniatowski apartments 14/7zl, famil y ti cket
6zl per person. Sun free. Gui des i n English 110z,
audiogui des 17/12z. Y
Royal Castle
94
WHAT TO SEE
failed to find any undetonated devices, builders have since
come across over 10,000 rare archaeological finds including
baroque sculptures, secret tunnels, ancient wells, German
helmets and wine glasses bearing August IIIs monogram. The
one problem being that no provision was made for discoveries
of this scale, meaning that many of the treasures recovered
have since corroded after being incorrectly stored. For the
time being work appears to have stopped completely, with
even the fences taken down - when itll resume is anyones
guess, though we could be in for a bit of a wait.
The Eastern Wall. Reeling
from near total annihilation the
post-war years saw Warsaw
emerge as Europes bi ggest
brickyard as it struggled to rebuild
itself from the ashes. Initially the
buzzword for archi tects in the
regi on was Socialist Realism,
a severe styl e foll owing stri ct
guidelines from a Soviet master-
plan. The death of Stalin in 1953
changed all that and architects
looked to the west for inspiration,
a disastrous move that saw all manner of brutalist monstrosi-
ties rise from the ruins. The competition in Warsaw is fierce,
but probably nastiest of the lot is the development dubbed
the Eastern Wall (ciana Wschodnia), a collection of build-
ings and tower block running from Rondo Dmowskiego (B-4)
to ul. witokrzyska (B-3). Architect Zbigniew Karpiski - the
guy who also designed the bunker-like US Embassy on ul.
Pikna - won the competition to rebuild the area and set
about remodelling the centre of Warsaw with the zealous
glee of a complete nutter. Construction kicked off in 1962
and was completed seven years later, the result being four
department stores, the Rotunda bank building, a blockish
office building behind it, a cinema, and even a nightclub.
Towering over it all were three residential blocks situated on
Switokrzyska (85 metres), Zgoda (87 metres) and Chmielna
(81 metres). Originally hailed a work of genius the Eastern
Wall soon became a bit of a rusty elephant, crippled and
blackened with age and neglect. The collapse of communism
breathed new life into the complex - Polands first McDon-
alds was opened at the witokrzyska end of the complex,
while the office block behind the Rotunda temporarily held
the title for having the largest billboard in the world. More
recently steps have been taken to polish up the area with
shining glass frontages added to the department stores,
and granite floored pedestrian walkways and modern tubular
lighting added to the section behind the Jerozolimskie end.
But snoop behind the area around McDs and youll find a
glorious blast to the past, with smashed pavements, useless
bare-lit supermarkets and a couple of cafes selling ersatz
coffee to hunched old men smoking cigarettes by the fistful.
Back on track, when Augustus III passed away (shagged out
most likely) the building fell into disuse before being rented
out for accommodation. Between 1806-1816 the Prussians
established Warsaw Lyceum on the premises, and conflicting
evidence suggests that Chopin either lived there for a time,
or that his father taught French in one of the outbuildings.
Extensively remodelled in 1842 the Palace finally assumed
its best known shape in 1925 when the Tomb of the Un-
known soldier was added to the series of colonnades used
to link the two wings together. Serving as the seat of the
Polish General Staff after WWI it was here that the German
Enigma Code was first cracked by local science boffins.
WWII signalled the end of the Palace and it was flattened by
retreating Nazi troops, with only the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier surviving the blasts.
But the story continues. In a rare act of foresight the city of
Warsaw has decided to cover the 201 million zoty cost of
rebuilding Saski Palace. Budimex Dromex have been awarded
the tender to undertake the work and the faade, thanks to
blueprints made available by the Central Military Archive, will
look just like it did in 1939. Its not known what will occupy
the space, with ideas ranging from a Museum of Polish His-
tory to an institute dedicated to the thoughts of Pope John
Paul II. Completion was originally set for 2010, though so far
building work has not entirely gone to plan. Although sappers
Ronald Reagan Monu-
ment (Pomnik Ron-
alda Reagana) C- 4,
Al. Ujazdowskie. A large
bronze statue of U.S. Presi-
dent Ronald Reagan now
calls Warsaw home after
an unveiling in November
2011 that included former
Polish President and Soli-
darity leader Lech Wasa.
The large 3.5-metre monu-
ment portrays Reagan, who
was the 40th president of
the United States and held
of fi ce from 1981-1989,
when he stood at a podium
at Berlins Brandenburg gate and declared, Mr. Gor-
bachev, tear down this wall, back in 1987.
So why are the Poles using their valuable bronze on the
Gipper? In Poland Reagan is considered one of the 20th
centurys most important leaders thanks to his long-
standing opposition to communism. During Reagans
Christmas address in 1981 he cited the persecution of
the Solidarity trade union by the countrys communist
government as evidence that the regime was waging
war against i ts own people. That holiday season
candles were put in the windows of the White House to
show Reagans support of the Solidarity movement and
the Polish people.
Reagans continued poli cy of vi gorousl y promoting
democracy and condemning communism is credited
as hastening the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and
along with Pope John Paul II he was a strong supporter
of Wasas campaign for presidency in 1990. During the
unveiling ceremony Wasa noted his belief that without
Reagan Poland wouldnt be a free nation today. The
statue, which was created by Polish sculptor Wadysaw
Dudek, can be found across the street from the United
States embassy.
Ronald Reagan Monument
Courtesy of U.S. Embassy
in Warsaw
95
PKIN
Follow POLANDIYP on
Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) (Paac
Kultury i Nauki) B-4, Pl. Defilad 1, tel. (+48) 22 656
76 00, www.pkin.pl. Dont let the name fool you - this is not
the cultural hub of Warsaw. That said, however long youre in
the city for this is a must-see to experience Soviet Warsaw.
For all the aggressive westernisation that has overcome
Warsaw, the four decades of communism have yet to be
completely erased from the face of Warsaw.. You couldnt
miss this hulking giant of a landmark if you tried. Soaring 231
metres into the sky the building remains the tallest in Poland,
in spite of recent competition from its highrise neighbours.
Originally commissioned by Stalin as a gift from the Soviet
people the structure actually takes its inspiration from the
capitalist world, namely the Empire State Building, but, be-
lieve it or not, was specifically designed to include influences
from all of Polands architectural styles. Stalin had sent a
secret delegation to New York to learn both about the building
and American construction methods, though the outbreak
of WWII meant that it wasnt until 1952 that his architects
were able to commence putting their knowledge into prac-
tice. Lev Rudynev, the brains behind the equally monstrous
Lomonosov University in Moscow, was put in charge of the
design and set about making the building into one of the most
notorious examples of Socialist Realist architecture in the
world. Over 5,000 workers were ferried in from the Soviet
states and housed in a purpose-built village in Jelonki, west
Warsaw, where they were effectively cut off from the outside
world. Working around the clock, it took them just three years
to complete the Palace. In all 16 died during the construction,
though despite the Olympian efforts of the labourers Stalin
never lived to see his pet project completed.
Built using an estimated 40 million bricks and housing 3,288
rooms the Palaces purpose was to serve as not just party
headquarters but also the peoples castle, with invitations
to the annual New Years Eve Ball issued to the best workers
in socialist Poland. Regardless of this the building became an
object of hatred and a stain on the skyline; like the imperialist
Nevsky Cathedral that once stood on pl. Pisudskiego, the palace
was seen as no more than a symbol of Russian hegemony.
Viewed from a distance - apparently it can be spotted from
30km away - the palace appears a faceless monolith. Viewed
closely several intricate details appear in focus. Under Stalins
orders architects travelled around Polands key cultural sights,
from Wawel to Zamo, observing Polish architectural tradi-
tions, hence the numerous crenulations, courtyards and motifs.
Once inside the ground floor becomes a maze of halls and
corridors, with chambers named after Eastern icons - Yuri
Gagarin, Marie Skodowska-Curie (a famous communist
sympathiser), etc. Brass chandeliers hang over clacking
parquet flooring, secret lifts lie hidden around and allegorical
socialist reliefs take inspiration from ancient mythology - its
easy to imagine Bond snooping around planting listening de-
vices. Several conference rooms still hold original translator
booths, complete with huge dials and buttons. The crowning
glory of the ground floor is the Sala Kongresowa, a decadent
red theatre space apparently inspired by La Scala. Holding
2,880 its original use was to host party conferences, though
through the years it became better known as a concert venue
- hosting acts as diverse as the Rolling Stones in 1967 and
the Chippendales in 2006.
Given that the building boasts over 3,300 rooms there is
not a lot to see, unless youre into conference facilities, so
visitors are best directed to the terrace on the 30th floor.
To get there youll need to buy a ticket for 20z, after which
youll be shepherded into an old-style lift complete with a
lovely lift attendant who has probably been doing the job
since the building opened. Q Open 09:00 - 20:00. From
September 15 open 09:00 - 18:00. Admission for the view-
ing level is 20/15z. Group ticket for more than 10 people
12z per person.
Museum of Technology (Muzeum Techniki) B-4,
Pl. Defilad 1 (PKiN), tel. (+48) 22 656 67 47, www.
muzeum-techniki.waw.pl. A vast collection dedicated to
the history of everything technological inside the equally
enormous Palace of Culture & Science, this museum is only
missing a map. Truly huge, and clearly laid out by somebody
with a sadistic sense of humour, the scores of rooms are
scattered willy nilly and organised with what appears to be
a contemptuous disregard for reason and logic. Highlights
include a cavalcade of impossible-looking motorbikes and
aeroplanes, a room packed with 19th century musical boxes,
historical cars like a 1936 Lux-Sport limousine chassis and
a small exhibition celebrating space exploration that could
do with some serious updating. Decorated with lace curtains
and staffed by an army of sinister-looking old ladies, this mu-
seum guarantees that you wont learn a thing no matter how
hard you try, but its a strangely rewarding experience that
really has to be seen to be believed. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00,
Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Note that Mondays in
August the museum may be open - call ahead to confirm.
Admission 12/6z. Guided tours for up to 25 people 50z.
96
Old Town (Stare Miasto) B-1/2. The Old Town is a
labyrinth of winding streets and squares full of olde worlde
charm. While it was entirely rebuilt after the Warsaw upris-
ing of 1944, it is well worth a visit to get lost amongst the
cobbles and tastefully recreated facades. Souvenirs ranging
from the tasteless - baseball hats and fridge magnets, paint-
ings of coquettish horses - to the tasteful - amber, lace and
ceramics - are best found here, though at premium tourist
prices. The best thing about the Old Town, however, is the
tangible sense of Polish pride in their city and if nothing else,
its a great place to relax with a beer and indulge in an hour
or two of nun spotting.
When US General Dwi ght Ei senhower vi si ted Warsaw
immediately after the war he was moved to comment, I
have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere have
I been faced with such destruction. Buri ed under
twenty million cubic metres of rubble the city resembled
a shattered shell; over hal f the population had been killed,
and 85% of the city razed to the ground. The Old Town had
been hit with particular Nazi efficiency, and by the time
the Red Army rolled across the river it was little more than
a smouldering heap of bricks. To their credit the Capital
Reconstruction Bureau chose to rebuild the historic centre,
a painstaking process that would last until 1962. Using
pre-war sketches, paintings and photographs the Ol d
Town was carefully rebuilt, though only at the considerable
expense of Polands recovered territories. Szczecin, for
instance, was coerced into demolishing many of its historic
buildings in order to donate an estimated 27 million bricks
to the Warsaw rebuilding program. So too Wrocaw, which
at one stage was sending a staggering one million bricks
to Warsaw per day; He who loves Wrocaw, loves Warsaw
as well pined a propaganda tune of the era. But forget the
other cities, look at the results in front of you. Although
its barely hal f a century old Warsaws historic quarter is
an architectural miracle, and a breathing tribute to a city
that refused to die.
Most visits to the Old Town begin on plac Zamkowy (B-2),
and i f youre Polish then right under the statue of Zygmunt.
There isnt a more popular meeting spot in the city, and
theres not a minute of the day when the steps to the
statue arent besieged by dating couples or banjo playing
irritants. Erected in 1644 by Zygmunt IIIs son, Wadysaw
IV, the twenty two metre column was originally designed by
Italian architects Augustyn Locci and Constantino Tencalla,
and the figure of Zygmunt ranks as Polands second oldest
monument - beaten into runners up spot by the Neptun
Fountain in Gdask. Local legend asserts that Zygmunt
rattles his sabre whenever Warsaw is in trouble, an occur-
rence that was first reported during the 1794 Kociuszko
Uprising and again during WWII. One fact that cant be
disputed is his good fortune. With the Warsaw Uprising in
full swing the column took a direct hit from a tank shell and
came crashing down. Amazingly Zygmunt survived, losing
only his sword, and he was returned to a new perch in 1949.
The column he fell off is still knocking around as well, and
you can find it lying on its side within spitting distance of
the Royal Castle.
Moving forward head down witojaska to run a gaunt-
let of buskers, ice cream queues and shoe shine boys.
Somewhere amid the melee youll spot the Cathedral (see
Churches), well worth popping into, not least to check out
the Baruczkowski Crucifix - a 16th century cross renowned
for its mysterious powers. Famed in particular for its crypt
this neo-Gothic masterpiece also contains stunning works
of art, as well as tank tracks on the exterior wall recovered
from a remote-controlled German tank used to attack the
cathedral in 1944. The overall effect is quite something, so
its no surprise many people bypass the Jesuit Church right
next door, a super renaissance building described in detail
in our Churches section.
Its hard to believe that by the end of 1944 all before you
was just a skeletal set of ruins, but thats exactly what it
was. Evidence of this can be viewed on ul. Zapiecka where
some black and white photographs show aerial views of the
war time devastation. The Old Towns subsequent inclusion
on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980 is remembered
in the form of some cobbled stones set into the ground. As
tempting as it is to make a beeline for the main square, the
Rynek, save yourself for now. Head instead down ul. Piwna,
or Beer Street as it translates. Although theres no evidence
of the 15th century breweries that once thrived here you will
find a couple of half decent hostelries, though the real reason
many visit this street is for a glimpse of St. Martins Church
on ul. Piwna 9/11. This place was utterly annihilated during
the war, and the only fragment to survive was a half-burned
figure of Jesus. Since its inception the church has always
been linked with theological and political dissent, and this
was never more true than in the period of Martial Law, when
Solidarity supporters would convene here for both worship
and secret meetings. As with the rest of Old Town, the real
beauty of Piwna lies in the details - check out the elaborate
paintings and gargoyles that peer from the facades, and
dont miss the portal at number 6. Known locally as Pod
Gobiami (under the pigeons) and housing a restaurant
called Karmnik, this place acquired its name after the war
when a batty old woman settled in the ruins and made it her
calling to look after the flocks of pigeons that stalked around
the post-war debris.
OLD TOWN
97
Back outside take stock of one of Polands finest town
squares. In the 15th century this was occupied by a town
hall, though this was pulled down in 1817 and never re-
placed. Instead, today youll find a couple of water pumps
dating from the 19th century, as well as Warsaws best
loved monument - Syrenka. Cast in 1855 this mermaids
form graces every bus, tram and coat of arms youll find in
the capital. Youre also liable to run into a platoon of street
artists. Most famous of the lot is Piotr Bol, a weird, cloaked
little man who plays one of Europes last music boxes with
a parrot alongside him. But for real comedy gold check out
the mime artists who stand in frozen posture - a few years
back one such chap, dressed as a monk, collapsed after
a marathon booze binge leaving his giant genitals exposed
to the world.
Leaving the square head down ul. Kamienne Schodki.
Not only is this the longest stairwell in Old Town, its also
where Napoleon stood in 1806, pensively staring east-
ward on the eve of his campaign on the plains of Russia.
From here walk south down ul. Brzozowa until you reach
the grassy bank that offers sweeping views of the River
Wisa. Known as Gnojna Gra (Compost Hill), this small
knoll once served as the town rubbish dump, and at one
stage was also renowned for its healing properties - this is
where the stupid rich would come to be buried up to their
necks in rubbish in a supposed cure for syphilis. Doesnt
work, weve tried.
Head back towards the Old Town by walking towards ul.
Dawna, whose trademark blue archway is one of the most
picturesque sights in the city. Finally, conclude your epic
walking tour by swerving onto ul. Kanonia. Once a grave-
yard, this small little square features a cracked cathedral
bell (that promises good luck i f you touch the top and
circle it) as well as what is touted as the worlds narrowest
house at number 20/22 (though a new narrow home being
constructed in the crack between 22 Chodna St. and 74
elazna St. that measures just 72 cm at its smallest point
may just top it). Close by note the covered walkway linking
the cathedral to the castle. This was built after a failed
assassination attempt on Zygmunt III. The King escaped
unmolested, but the hapless hitman, Michal Piekarski,
found himsel f skinned alive, stretched by four horses and
then chopped into pieces with an axe. And on that happy
note, consider your tour at an end.
OLD TOWN
Stay on the left flank of the Old Town to check out the area
around ul. Piekarska and ul. Rycerska. This area was for-
merly home to a small square used primarily for executions.
Nicknamed Piekarka this is where witches and other neer do
wells would be burned at the stake, hung or have their heads
lopped off. Marking the end of Piekarska, just outside the old
city walls, check out the sword waving figure of Jan Kiliski
(see Monuments), a legendary Polish patriot and a hero of the
1794 Kociuszko Uprising. The man who gave his name to
that Uprising, Tadeusz Kociuszko (the same lad who would
fight with distinction in the American War of Independence,
and would later have Australias highest peak named after
him), lived at Szeroki Dunaj 5. This wide street was formerly
home to Warsaws fish market, while the street running at a
90 degree angle, Wski Dunaj, was the towns original Jewish
Quarter back in medieval times. Directly behind the wall, and
onto Podwale, youll find one of Warsaws most photographed
landmarks; The Monument to the Little Insurgent. Depicting
a boy weighed down by a machine gun and outsized helmet
the monument honours the memory of the child soldiers who
fought and died in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, and its not
rare to find the bronze statue surrounded by school groups
on their day out to the capital.
Foll ow Podwal e as i t curves northwards, and i f youre
feeling peckish at this stage search the radar for signs
of Podwale Kompania Piwna at number 25 (see Where to
Eat). Resembling a typical European beer hall this place
is an absolute legend, with servings of meat and cabbage
practically forklifted onto tables. At this stage its fair to say
youll probably be feeling like a python who swallowed a pig,
so waddle with great care and attention to the Barbakan
building, making sure to avoid those annoying street dudes
wholl try and lead you to their executioners block to have
your pic snapped. Crowning the set of defensive walls which
once protected the city is the Barbakan, a fearsome rotund
structure that dates from 1548 and was apparently the work
of a Venetian architect. Today it serves as a bridge between
Old and New Town, and is also the hangout of choice for
teenagers drinking super-strength lager. In summer tours of
the interior are available, and well worth the look if you dont
have an aversion to confined spaces. Interestingly, the moat
that pins the Old Town in is another relatively recent addition
to Warsaw. The original ditch was filled in back in the 18th
century when the defences became obsolete, and the walls
were incorporated into the dense tangle of townhouses
that mushroomed up around. Fragments of these forgotten
defences were unearthed in 1937, and a decade later, with
Warsaw in ruins, architects took the decision to restore and
expose these ancient walls.
Its at this point youll find your nose pointing straight down
ul. Nowomiejska, a street revered for Warsaws best ice
cream. Continue forward to reach the Old Town Square
(Rynek). No matter how often you see it, it cant fail to leave
you breathless. The burgher houses that line the square
are particularly striking, with many boasting intricate details
on the facades. Measuring 90 metres by 73 this square is
Warsaws defining highlight, and presents unlimited ways
to squander your money - tourist junk stores and crappy
restaurants populated with stuffed animals come to mind.
One place that is worth popping into, even if its just to steal
the cutlery, is U Fukiera at number 27. The culinary tradition
here dates from 1810 when the Fukier family turned this
place into Warsaws top winery. Today the restaurant is
in the hands of the Gesslers, and their guest list reads as
something of a Whos Who of stage and screen. Close by is
the Historical Museum of Warsaw, which has been closed
for renovations but reopens in May be one of the first to
see this excellent museums overhaul.
98
PRAGA
Gritty. Bo-ho. Up-and-coming. There are a lot of terms be-
ing tossed around to describe Praga, the eastern district of
Warsaw that hugs the Vistula River, and theyre all fairly apt.
Praga has long been regarded as off-limits to Western visitors
thanks to its criminal underclass and imposing tower blocks,
but a revival of sorts now makes this section of town worthy
of emphasising - especially if you prefer to see the citys
artsy underbelly and get away from the well-trodden tourist
path in Old Town. The area is still at least five years away
from being hipster-soaked Brooklyn or boho Montmartre, but
thats exactly why now is the time to go: a visit will mean you
can say you saw the evolution in progress.
In practice and geographically Praga has always been set
apart from Warsaw proper. Until 1791 the district was its own
separate town and the inability to build a permanent bridge
between Praga and Warsaw until the mid-18th century surely
proved a factor in the separatism (ferries in the summer
and a stroll across the iced-over Vistula in the winter were
the main option for transit in the pre-bridge days). Finally
in 1791 King Stanislaw August Poniatowski attached the
district officially to Warsaw, dissolving it of its independence
(at least on paper).
Praga wasnt given much time to enjoy its new status as
part of Warsaw thanks to the The Battle of Praga in 1794,
which saw an aggressive invasion by the Russian army. Fol-
lowing the quick but devastating battle the Russians burned
the entire district and massacred the 20,000 Poles living
there. During World War II Praga wasnt quite as devastated
as Warsaw proper (which isnt really saying much if youve
seen the condition Warsaw was left in). The Russians, again,
arrived in Praga in July 1944 and stopped at the Vistula,
famously leaving the Polish Home Army dangling during the
Warsaw Uprising.
Today working-class Praga is the standard-bearer for cool,
especially among those who find the tourist-heavy Old Town
too Disneyfied and the sterile clubs of Warsaw proper as
distasteful. Folks here prefer their bars dark and their fun
improvised, and visitors can easily spend a day checking
out the sights and an evening enjoying the often impressive
beer selection.
Agnieszka Osiecka Monument (Pomnik Ag-
nieszki Osieckiej) H-2, ul. Francuska. Agnieszka
Osiecka (1936 - 1997) was a Polish poet and journalist,
and the author of over 2,000 songs, many of which were
turned into pop hits. Shes also known for a particularly
grisly connection to the Swinging Sixties; her first marriage
ended in tragedy when her husband, Wojciech Frykowski,
became one of those slain by Charles Mansons family of
weirdos in what would turn out to be one of the crimes of
the century. The statue is located in Praga Poudnie, a more
modern section of Praga (note the surrounding embas-
sies) than Stara Praga. To round out your visit check out
Osieckas favourite caf, Maska, which stands around the
corner from her monument.
Bears C-1, Praski Park (from al. Solidarnoci), tel.
(+48) 22 619 40 41. Strangely enough, bears have been
living on the concrete island in Praski Park since 1949; over
400 have been reared here before being packed off to zoos,
safari parks and circuses around the globe. Although the
bears look rather sleepy they can still pack a punch. Several
years ago a drunken idiot was savaged after jumping into
the enclosure. The two current well-rested residents are
called Tatra and Turnia.
Buildings. Although in a sorry state of disrepair, much
of Praga survived the war. Nowadays, to walk around the
bullet-scarred tenement houses found by the riverside is
to immerse yourself in pre-war Praga. The oldest surviving
residential building in the district can be found on (H-1) ul.
Targowa 50/52. Built in 1819, it once housed a Jewish el-
ementary school and bears a Hebrew inscription dating from
1934. The Praskie Biuro Przewodnickie (Praski Guide Office)
offers a brochure about the buildings history that is unfortu-
nately only in Polish, however the staff is happy to interpret.
Kapela Podwrkowa Monument G-1, corner of ul.
Floriaska and ul. Kopotowskiego. The tradition of cloth-
capped buskers goes back a long way in Warsaw, and the
best loved of the lot have been commemorated in the heart
of Praga. The pre-war Kapela Podwrkowa (The Courtyard
Band) are a bit of a local legend in these parts, and now the
five piece band have been honoured with a noisy monument
By Public Transport:
From Centralna the 160 bus will take you across the
river and drop you at the Park Praski stop, a great place
to begin your tour of Praga (you can nod at the bears
as you disembark). If youre in the Old Town simply walk
down the steps near the Royal Castle to Al. Solidarnosci
and the Stare Miasto tram stop and every tram heading
over the river (23, 26) stops at Park Praski as well. These
same trams will return you to the Stare Miasto as well.
By taxi:
You can also take a taxi which should cost around
20-30z and should take you from the centre area to
Zbkowska in less than 20 minutes. Please remember
that the price and time depends on the traffic, so your
journey may be longer during rush hours.
Getting there
99
PRAGA
sculpted by Andrzej Renes. Send a text (SMS) message to tel.
7141 with the text KAPELA, then pick a number between 1
and 100 (the list of 100 songs to choose from is on the side
of the brass drum); thats the signal for hidden speakers to
burst forth with pre-war and patriotic classics made famous
by these local heroes. However, recent visits to the statue
have shown the buskers to be temperamental, and texts did
not always result in a song being played.
Koci us z kowcw Monument (Pomni k
Kociuszkowcw) G-1, ul. Wybrzee Szczeciskie,
Near Port Praski. A formidable monument erected in 1985
to act as a memorial for those who fought in the First Polish
Infantry Division. Formed in Russia, the division attempted
to cross the Wisa river several times without success, in a
bid to support the 1944 Uprising.
Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Cerkiew
w. Marii Magdaleny) G-1, Al. Solidarnoci 52, tel.
(+48) 22 619 84 67. Constructed between 1867 and 1869
to a design by Mikoaj Syczew, St. Mary Magdalenes was
originally built for the large congregation of Russians living
around Jagielloska as well as people arriving from the
East at the nearby Wileska train station. Now belonging to
the independent Polish Autocephaly Orthodox Church, this
stunning, five-domed building features a breathtaking golden
interior and some unusually cheerful abstract designs.
One of only two Orthodox churches to survive a demolition
campaign in the 1920s, its easily the best-smelling church
in Praga thanks to the heavy burning of rich incense. QOpen
11:00 - 16:00.
Rycki Bazaar (Bazar Ryckiego) H-1, ul.
Targowa 54, tel. (+48) 22 619 44 06, www.bazarro-
zyckiego.pl. Once regarded as Warsaws premier bazaar,
the rambling Bazar Ryckiego has seen its popularity wane
since 1989. Black market trade once thrived under Nazi
and communist governments, but nowadays the historic
102-year-old market is a ghostly image of its former self.
Once considered the place for cardigans, firearms and
spurious goods, its now a mildly depressing look into work-
ing class Warsaw life. Visitors could easily outfit an entire
polyester wedding thanks to the heaps of vendors selling
cheap wedding dresses, tacky kiddie tuxes and chintzy
mother-of-the-bride gowns. QOpen 07:00 - 18:00, Sat
07:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Soviet War Memorial (Pomnik Braterstwa Broni)
G-1, Pl. Wileski. Dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who died
during the liberation of Warsaw, this monument has been
removed due to the construction of a new Metro station
and will spend some time being restored before relocating
80 metres down the road on Pl. Wileski (towards ul. Cyryla
i Metodego). Erected in the immediate aftermath of WWII,
the rusting edi fice is the citys least loved memorial and
is often littered with graffiti (though the clean-up should
temporarily take care of this). Its Praga location is quite
apt - this was where the Red Army halted their advance in
1944, while Nazi troops put down the Warsaw Uprising and
then demolished the city.
Sts. Michael & Florian
Cathedral (Katedra w.
Michaa Archanioa i
w. Floriana) G- 1, ul.
Floriaska 3, tel. (+48) 22
619 09 60, www.katedra-
floriana.home.pl/cms/. This
giant gothic cathedral view-
able from across the Vistula
in Warsaw proper was built
in reaction to the building of
an Orthodox Church and a
number of other structures on
the Tsars orders in the latter
hal f of the 19th century. A
certain Pole by the name of Father Ignacy Dutkiewicz decided
to hit back with the construction of a huge new Catholic
church, which was consecrated in 1901. Unsurprisingly this
vast Gothic beast was blown to pieces by the Germans in
September 1944 and is now almost exclusively the work of
ongoing reconstruction between 1947 and 1970. Featuring
a pair of steel-tipped 75-metre steeples, the church, which
includes a photograph of what remained of it after the Nazis
dynamited it on the left wall as you enter, has a rather plain
interior though the vaulted ceilings are well worth a look at if
youre in the area. Q Open by prior arrangement.
Zbkowska. Nowhere is Pragas revival better illustrated
than ulica Zbkowska, the natural gravitational point for all
the Boho and artistic types who have recently materialized
to upgrade the district. Originally lined with timber frame
houses, Zbkowska experienced a fierce blaze in 1868 that
led to wooden lodgings being replaced with tall tenements, all
but one surviving WWII. Post-war neglect hit the street hard,
with Zbkowska allowed to fall into such disrepair that plans
for wholesale demolition were seriously considered. However
it survived, and today restoration work has seen many of
buildings returned to their former glory, streets repaved and
galleries opened. For some the very name Zbkowska is syn-
onymous with lively bars filled with student revolutionaries.
Zoo C-1, ul. Ratuszowa 1/3, tel. (+48) 22 619 40
41, www.zoo.waw.pl. If the bears piqued your interest in
animals then head to the nearby Warsaw Zoo, which was
opened in 1928 and covers an area of 40 hectares. More
than 5,000 species call it home and that includes all the
biggies youd expect: lions, gorillas, giraffes and elephants to
name a few. As with every major Warsaw landmark, the zoo
has plenty of war stories. It was bombed at the beginning of
the conflict and by 1945 all the animals had either been killed,
deported to the Third Reich, eaten by locals or escaped into
the wild. Zoo director, Jan abiski, became something of a
hero; wounded during the 1944 Uprising, abiski helped
save countless lives by sheltering Jewish orphans inside
the grounds of the zoo. The zoo officially re-opened in 1949.
Q Open 09:00-18:00. Last entrance 1 hour before closing.
Admission 18/13z. Children under 3 years free.
Where to drink
Hydrozagadka ul. 11 Listopada 22. See Nightlife.
Saturator ul. 11 listopada 22. See Nightlife.
W Oparach Absurdu H-1, ul. Zbkowska 6. See
Nightlife.
Where to eat
DeCoteria H-1, ul. Zbkowska 16. See Restaurants.
to tu - Praskie Biuro Przewodnickie H-1, ul.
Zbkowska 36, tel. (+48) 22 670 01 56, www.
totu.travel.pl. Info on the local area and guided tours
in English and Polish. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Sat, Sun
11:00 - 17:00.
Tourist information
100
against them, the Poles continued the fight on two fronts,
with segments of Chopin aired every 30 seconds by radio
to let the outside world know that Warsaw was still Polish.
However the human cost was starting to mount; the merci-
less bombardment had claimed the lives of over 50,000
Varsovians, the Royal Castle lay in ruins, and supplies of
food, power and water had reached critical levels. With Allied
aid not forthcoming, and a humanitarian disaster looming
large, the capital finally raised the white flag on September
28th. To bring the Polish heroics into perspective, Paris,
defended by the largest standing army in the world, took
just nine days to fall.
Occupation
Hitler arrived in Warsaw for his one and only visit to the
Polish capital on October 5th, inspecting a victory parade
on (C-4) Al. Ujazdowskie before scuttling off for a reception
at the Belvedere Palace. If his pre-war rants hadnt been
ominous enough, the Polish public were about to learn just
what a nutcase this man really was. The Fuhrers verdict on
the Poles is damning, wrote Goebbels shortly after Hitlers
stopover. More like animals than human beings, completely
primitive, stupid and amorphous.
Hitler carved Poland into pieces - parts were annexed into
the Reich, other areas - Warsaw included - found themselves
under the General Government of Hans Frank, an expert chess
player and fanatical Nazi: If I had to put up a poster for every
seven Poles I shot, the forests of Poland would not be sufficient
to manufacture the paper, he is said to have bragged. His rule
was textbook despot, both brutal and bloody, and it was under
his suggestion that Ludwig Fischer was appointed governor of
Warsaw, a post he would hold right until 1945. Fischer was
more bureaucrat than butcher, yet nonetheless it was under
his authority that Warsaw became a city of blood.
The racial politics of the Reich were pursued with active
intent, with whole swathes of the city set aside for Ger-
mans only. The largest Ghetto the world has ever seen was
constructed to the north, and Warsaw was marginalized in
importance and earmarked as a town whose true purpose
would be to soak up refugees expelled from Aryan territories
to the west. Chopin disappeared from his plinth, Copernicus
and his statue were awarded German identity, and the Polish
community alienated from their own city. Daily rations were
set to 669 calories (184 for Jews), and its estimated that a
quarter of the population were only saved from starvation
by the appearance of emergency soup kitchens. But worse
was to follow; from 1943 the Gestapo were granted carte
blanche to shoot people on mere suspicion of wrongdoing,
and street roundups and public executions became a daily
occurrence. This wasnt so much a city under occupation as
a city under tyranny.
WARSAW UPRISING
August 1, 1944. Warsaw, subject to five years of fascist
hegemony, rose up in popular rebellion in what would go on
to be recorded as the largest ever uprising in the German
occupied territories. With German morale in ribbons, a retreat
from Warsaw in full swing, and the Red Army already on the
east bank of the Wisa, no time seemed better than the pres-
ent. Following close contact with the Polish government-in-
exile, and assurances of Allied aid, the Home Army (Polands
wartime military movement a.k.a the Armii Krajowy or AK)
launched a military strike with the aim of liberating Warsaw
and installing an independent government.
During the event the Red Army made no concerted attempt
to help the Poles, while promises of Allied support proved
largely empty. As for the Nazi hierarchy, they reacted with
blind rage to this stroke of Polish insolence, and what ensued
was an epic 63 day struggle during which the Home Army
faced the full wrath of Hitler. The most notorious chapter of
Warsaws history was about to be written.
Outbreak of War
At 4:45am on September 1, 1939, shots were fired from Ger-
man gun emplacements positioned inside the lighthouse
at Danzig Neufahrwasser, found in what was then known as
the Free City of Danzig (today Gdansk). The object of the
aggression was the military garrison stationed on the Polish
controlled Westerplatte Peninsula, and within minutes the
German battleship Schleswig Holstein joined the bombard-
ment, inadvertently kicking off a conflict that would last six
years and cost 55 million lives.
Approximately an hour after Westerplatte the capital itself
came under aerial bombardment; waves of Stuka dive bomb-
ers swooped on the capital in what can only be described
as one of the worlds first ever terror bombings - hospitals,
schools and market places were all deemed legitimate
targets, while columns of fleeing refugees were strafed from
the air. Within a week German land forces had reached the
city limits, though any thoughts of a swift lightning victory
were quickly rebuffed. An opening tank assault on Ochota
was fended off, with the Germans losing 80 tanks from an
attacking force of 220. Spurred on by the stirring broadcasts
of Warsaw Mayor Stefan Starzynski the defenders dug in for
siege, fighting street by street and inch for inch. A German
demand for surrender on September 14th was rejected,
and in spite of claims of triumph in the German press the
city fought on, civilians and military alike joining together in
a desperate attempt to ward off the invaders.
Warsaws fate, and indeed Polands, was sealed days
later on the 17th of September when the Soviets invaded
from the east thereby fulfilling their part in the Nazi/Soviet
Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Even so, with the odds stacked
Insurgents charge into battle
Into captivity
101
WARSAW UPRISING
The Uprising
With such a malignant machine in force its little surprise
Poland gave birth to Europes largest resistance move-
ment. Even still, with the war moving towards its closing
stages it was far from obvious that the resistance would
abandon its partisan tactics and launch a bona fide mili-
tary assault on the Nazis. By July 1944 the Red Army
led by Marshal Rokossovsky had reached the Wisla, and
on July 22 a panicked Fischer ordered the evacuation of
German civilians from Warsaw; sensitive papers were
torched and destroyed, trains screeched westwards to
Berlin and all the signs suggested liberation was but days
away. German intelligence was aware that an uprising
was possibl e, yet nothing seemed cl ear cut. Fischers
appeal s for 100,000 Pol es to present themsel ves to
work on anti-tank defences were ignored, as were broad-
casts reminding the Poles of their heroic battle against
Bolshevism in 1923. Tensions increased with Red Army
leaflet drops urging Varsovians to arms, and were further
exacerbated on July 30th with a Soviet radio announce-
ment declaring, People of the capital! To arms! Strike at
the Germans! May your million strong population become
a million soldiers, who will drive out the German invaders
and win freedom. Still, like boxers prowling the ring, each
side appeared locked in a waiting game, so much so that
German military despatches on the afternoon of August
1, 1944 concluded with, Warschau ist kalm. Warsaw
was anything but.
On orders from General Tadeusz Bor Komorowski 5pm
si gnall ed W-Hour ( Wybuch standing for outbreak), the
precise time when some 40,000 members of the Home
Army would attack key German positions. Warsaw at the
time was held by a garrison of 15,000 Germans, though any
numerical supremacy the Poles could count on was offset
by a chronic lack of arms, and a complete dearth of heavy
armour. Nonetheless the element of surprise caught the
Germans off guard, and in spite of heavy losses the Poles
captured a string of strategic targets, including the old town,
Prudential Tower (then the tallest building in Poland), and
the post office. The first day had cost the lives of 2,000
Poles, yet for the first time since occupation the Polish flag
fluttered once more over the capital.
Yet in spite of these initial successes their remained sev-
eral concerns. Polish battle groups were spread across
the city, and many had failed to link up as planned. More
worryingly, several objectives had been met with disas-
ter - the police district around (G-4) Al. Szucha remained
firmly in German hands, even more importantly, so did the
airport. Hitler, meanwhile, was roused out of his torpor,
screaming for No prisoners to be taken, and Every
inhabitant to be shot.
Within days German reinforcements started pouring in,
and on August 5th and 6th Nazi troops rampaged through
the western Wola district, massacring over 40,000 men,
women and children in what would become one of the most
savage episodes of the Uprising. Indeed, it was to prove a
mixed first week for the Poles. In liberated areas, behind
the barricades, cultural life thrived - over 130 newspapers
sprang up, religious services were celebrated and a scout
run postal service introduced. Better still, the first allied air
drops hinted at the support of the west. As it turned out,
this was just papering over the cracks. The Germans, under
the command of the Erich von dem Bach, replied with heavy
artillery, aerial attacks, armoured trains and tanks. Even
worse, the practice of using Polish women as human shields
was quickly introduced.
The insurgents were a mixed bag, featuring over 4,000
women in their ranks, a unit of Slovaks, scores of Jews
liberated from a Warsaw concentration camp, a platoon
of deaf and dumb volunteers led by an officer called Yo
Yo, and an escaped English prisoner of war called John.
Fantastically ill-equipped, the one thing on their side was
an almost suicidal fanaticism and belief. Casualties were
almost 20 times as high as those inflicted on the Germans,
yet the Poles carried on the fight with stoic sel f-assurance.
Air drops were vital i f the uprising was to succeed, though
hopes were scuppered with Stalins refusal to allow Allied
planes landing rights in Soviet-held airports. Instead the
RAF set up a new route running from the Italian town of
Brindisi to Warsaw, though casualty rates proved high with
over 16% of aircraft lost, and the drops often inaccurate
- one such mission concluding with 960 canisters out of
a 1,000 falling into German hands. All hopes, it seemed,
rested on the Russians.
After six weeks of inaction Rokossovsky finally gave the go
ahead for a Polish force under General Berling to cross the
river and relieve the insurgents. The operation was a debacle,
and with heavy casualties and no headway made the assault
was called off. For the Russians, this single attempt at cross-
ing the Wisla was enough; Warsaw was on its own. Already
by this time the situation in Warsaws old town, defended by
8,000 Poles, had become untenable, and a daring escape
route was hatched through the sewers running under the
city. The Germans were now free to focus on wiping out
the remaining outposts of resistance, a task undertaken
with glee and armour. Six hundred millimetre shells were
landing on the centre every eight minutes, and casualties
were rising to alarming rates. Surrender negotiations were
initiated in early September, though it wasnt till the end of
the month - by which time all hope had been exhausted - that
they took a concrete shape. Abandoned by her allies the
Poles were forced to capitulate once more, some 63 days
after they had taken on the Reich. The battle is finished,
wrote a eulogy in the final edition of the Information Bulletin.
From the blood that has been shed, from the common toil
and misery, from the pains of our bodies and souls, a new
Poland will arise - free.
Luftwaffe v Warsaw
102
WARSAW UPRISING
Aftermath
Having deposited their weaponry at pre-designated sites,
11,668 Polish soldiers marched into German captivity,
defeated but proud. The battle had cost up to 200,000
civilian lives, while military casualties between Germans
and Poles would add a further 40,000 to the figure. Hitler
was ecstatic; with the Uprising out of the way his plan to
raze Warsaw could finally be realized. Remaining inhabit-
ants were exiled (though around 2,000 are believed to
have seen the liberation by hiding in the ruins), and the
Germans set about obliterating what was left of the city.
No stone can remain standing, warned Himmler, and what
happened next can only be described as the methodical
and calculated murder of a city. Buildings were numbered
according to their importance to Polish culture before being
dynamited by teams of engineers, while less historic areas
were simply burned to the ground. Nothing was spared
the iconoclasm, not even trees. I have seen many towns
destroyed, exclaimed General Eisenhower after the war,
But nowhere have I been faced with such destruction.
Modern studi es esti mate the cost of damage at around
fi fty four bi l l i on dol l ars. I n human terms Pol and l ost
much more. Wi th the Upri si ng di ed a gol den generati on,
the very foundati on a new post-war Pol and coul d bui l d
on. Those veterans who sur vi ved were treated wi th
suspi ci on and disdai n by the newl y i nstall ed communist
government, others were persecuted for percei ved
wester n sympat hi es. Post- war Sovi et show t ri al s
convi cted 13 l eaders of the Upri si ng for anti -Sovi et
acti ons, and thereafter the Upri si ng was condemned
as a fol l y to serve the bourgeoi s ends of the Pol i sh
government-i n-exi l e. Today, fi nal l y, the event that has
come to defi ne the spi ri t of Warsaw, has been awarded
the recogni ti on i t deserves.
Freedom came out against slavery. The flame of the
Uprising remained in peoples hearts and souls. It was
passed on by the baton of the generations. The spirit
proved indestructible and immortal. Soldiers of the
Rising. You did not die in vain.
Lech Walesa, 1994
Berling Statue H-3, Wa Miedzeszyski. Zygmunt
Berling is best remembered as the commander of the 1st
Polish Army during WWII, a role that saw him honoured with
his own statue in 1985. Designed by Kazimierz Danilewicz
his white marble monument frequentl y falls foul of the
vandals, and its not uncommon to see Berlings hands
daubed with blood red paint. Thats on account of Berlings
associations with the USSR; the 1st Polish Army was little
more than a puppet wing of Stalins forces, and Berlings
perceived inaction during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising still
rankles a great many Poles.
Bielaski Bank B-2, ul. Bielaska 10. Few remnants
of the Uprising are more conspicuous than the hulking
shell on ul. Bielaska. Its got quite a history. The site was
originally home to a mint, but that found itsel f demolished
to make way for the Warsaw division of the Imperial Bank
of Russia. Designed by Leontij Nikoajewicz Benois, a rec-
tor of the Fine Arts Academy in St Petersburg, construction
began in 1907 and went on for a further four years. Within
another four years the Russians had left, the collapse
of the Empire seeing all Tsarist subjects head back east
with their tails between their legs. The Poles took over
the building, first employing it as the National Treasury,
then establishing it as the headquarters of Bank Polski in
1926. The structure became a key strategic target during
the Warsaw Uprising, and on capture served as a base for
Polish insurgents. Smashed to pieces by German bombs
the building was left to rot in the decades that followed.
Originally slated to house the Warsaw Uprising Museum,
the bank was subject to legal wrangles that saw that idea
bite the dust. Now Belgian property developer Ghelamco is
redeveloping the site as an office complex that will open
in mid-2012. According to plans the six-floor building will
expose parts of the walls of the ancient mint.
Execution Sites. The fal l of communi sm brought
wi th i t a huge desi re to commemorate the Upri si ng,
whi ch had hi ther to been l argel y erased from Pol i sh
hi stor y by anti -nati onal i st communi st censors. Now
memori al pl aques and tabl ets abound around Warsaw
and though they tend to be i n Pol i sh onl y, i t doesn t
take l ong to get the hang of them; on the whol e theyl l
di spl ay the date and number of peopl e executed by
the Nazi s.
Monument to the Warsaw Uprising (Pom-
ni k Powst ani a War szawski ego) B- 2, Pl .
Krasiskich. I t was onl y wi th the regi me cl ose to
col l apse that thi s unconventi onal, not to say contro-
versi al monument was unvei l ed. Compl eted i n 1989
and desi gned by Wi ncent Kucma, i t depi cts a group
of i nsurgents i n battl e, and another facti on retreati ng
i nto the sewers.
Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powsta-
nia Warszawskiego) D-3, ul. Grzybowska 79, tel.
(+48) 22 539 79 33, www.1944.pl. Opened in 2004,
this remains one of Polands best museums. Packed with
interactive displays, photographs, video footage and
miscellaneous exhibits its a museum thats guaranteed
to leave a mark on all visitors. Occupying a former tram
power station the 2,000m2 space is split over several
levels, leading visitors through the chronological story of
the Uprising (provided they dont make any wrong turns,
alas, a common mistake).
Start off by learning about life under Nazi rule, your tour
accompanied by the background rattle of machine guns,
dive bombers and a thumping heartbeat. Different halls
focus on the many aspects of the Uprising; walk through
a replica radio station, or a covert printing press.
The mezzanine level features film detailing the first month
of battle, before which visitors get to clamber through a
mock sewer. The final sections are devoted to the cre-
ation of a Soviet puppet state, a hall of remembrance,
and a particularly poignant display about the destruction
of the city; take time to watch the black and white before
and after shots of important Warsaw landmarks being
systematically obliterated by the Nazis as punishment.
Near the exit check out the film City of Ruins, a silence-
inducing 5 minute 3-D aerial film which took 2 years
to make and used old pictures and new technology to
recreate a picture of the desolation of liberated Warsaw
in March 1945.
There is also an exact replica of a B24 Allied plane once
used to make supply drops over the besieged city. A
viewing platform and peace garden wrap up this high
impact experience Q Open 10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 -
20:00. Closed Tue. From September open 08:00 - 18:00,
Thu 08:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Tue.
Admission 14/10z (children under 7 free). Sun free. Audio
guides for 10z per person. Film costs 2z per person. Y
Uprising Museum
103
Skaryszewski Park H-2. While the allied air lift to aid the
Uprising proved a disaster, the heroism of the Commonwealth
and Polish pilots who flew missions to relieve Warsaw cannot
be called into question. Standing in Skaryszewski Park on
Warsaws east bank is a memorial to commemorate these air-
men. It was here that a Liberator plane crash landed in 1944,
killing all but one of the seven crew on board. The sole survivor,
Henry Lloyd Lyne, unveiled the monument in 1988, and today
it is the sight of the British Embassys annual Remembrance
service. In 2000 Lloyd Lyne, a retired farmer, was presented
with a recovered piece of the plane by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Little Insurgent Monument (Pomnik Maego
Powstaca) B-2, ul. Podwale. The communist authori-
ties continually thwarted efforts to commemorate the Up-
rising, though by the early 80s cracks in their resolve were
beginning to show. On October 1, 1983, the most poignant
of all Uprising monuments was unveiled by the walls of the
Barbakan. Designed by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz and funded by
collections undertaken by scouts, the bronze installation
shows the figure of a boy soldier clutching a Sten gun and
weighed down by an adult-sized helmet. Commemorating the
children who served as messengers and frontline troops, the
figure is inspired by the story of 13 year old corporal Antek,
himself killed in action close to the scene on August 8, 1944.
Wol a Massacre Statue (Pomni k Pami ci
Ludnoci Woli Wymordowanej w Czasie Powsta-
nia 1944) D-2, Pl. Solidarnoci. No other event captures
the brutality of the Uprising better than the Wola Massacre.
Between August 5 and August 6 the Nazis embarked on a
savage bloodletting in an attempt to batter the Poles into
submission. Led by Heinz Reinfarth and Oskar Dirlewanger, a
despicable man with a history of sex crimes against minors,
German units executed approximately 40,000 civilians in
the Wola area of Warsaw. The massacre only came to a
halt when Hitler himself intervened and declared all civilians
be sent to concentration camps instead. While Dirlewanger
was beaten to death by Poles after the war, Reinfarth and
countless others evaded justice. The senseless slaughter
is commemorated by an impressive monument dating from
2006, designed by Ryszard Stryjecki and found practically
opposite the Ibis hotel on Solidarnoci.
WARSAW UPRISING
Pasta B-3, ul. Zielna 37, www.pastadlamiasta.pl. A real
city landmark, and unmistakable thanks to the great big red
and white P attached to its roof. That P was a favoured sign
of the insurgents, and the buildings importance to the Rising
should not be underestimated. Built between 1904 and 1910
this weird tower like structure - ramparts et al - operated as a
telecommunications centre, a function it continued to serve
under the Nazis. Heavily defended by bunkers and guard
posts it was besieged for twenty two days by the Kilinski
battalion of the Home Army before finally surrendering on the
22nd. In 2000 Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek handed steward-
ship of the building to a combatants association, and today,
among numerous other functions, the ground floors are home
to the recommended Na Zielnej restaurant.
Prudential Tower B-3, ul. witokrzyska. The first build-
ing in Warsaw to surpass fifteen floors. Built using 1,250,000
bricks Warsaws first true skyscraper became a major point
of attack on opening day of the Rising, the symbolic meaning
of a Polish flag on Polands tallest structure not lost on the
insurgents. The Nazis shelled it heavily, and though it was
gutted its prototype steel skeleton refused to topple. After the
war the tower was given a thinner look, and for decades oper-
ated as the Hotel Warszawa. Closed in 2003, and currently in
various stages of reconstruction courtesy of the Likus Group,
the tower is due to be given a refit and new lease on life as
both a hotel and top-class apartment block.
Ruins of the Rising. Between 1939 and 1944 over 84
percent of Warsaw was completely destroyed, with the city
centre bearing the brunt of the damage. In spite of the Herculean
rebuilding work that has since taken place, bullet scarred walls
on pre-war tenements can still be found in relative abundance
round the few parts of the centre that escaped total destruc-
tion. Perhaps most obvious of all is the building on ul. Walicw,
featuring shell-pocked facades and a wall half-tumbling down.
Sapper Monument (Pomnik Chwaa Saperom)
H-3, Park Marszaka Edwarda migego-Rydza. De-
signed by Stanisaw Kulon and unveiled on May 8th, 1975,
the monument to the sappers is a typically formidable
piece of 70s brutalism. Designed to evoke the explosive
blast of a landmine this seventeen metre high monstrosity
commemorates the sappers who died defusing mines and
booby traps in the years after the war. Free Warsaw will
never forget those who, with their pain and blood, started
the work on her reconstruction reads the accompanying
plaque. The names and units of the sappers who died are
listed on the pylons, as well as Polish-language descriptions
of the hazardous work they undertook.
Old Town Square, 1945
Warsaw Uprising: Aug 1 - October 3
104
JEWISH WARSAW
At the time Hitler chose to expand Germanys territories
under the odious excuse of providing living space for the
German people, Warsaws Jewish population numbered
350,000 and growing. Neither pogroms nor the occasional
boycott of Jewish businesses deterred Jews from settling
in the Polish capital and only New York could boast a larger
Jewish community. Yet within six years Warsaws thriving
Jewish scene was all but wiped from the map, with over
90 percent perishing either in the Ghetto that or the gas
chambers of Treblinka.
Although anti-Semitism was by no means rare Poland was
seen as a relative safe haven, and it drew settlers forced
into flight by more discriminatory regimes elsewhere. By the
inter-war years the Jewish population had made significant
contributions to the social, political and cultural fabric of
Poland, a contribution that would eventually be extinguished
by the monstrous racial policies of the Nazis. When Warsaw
fell following a brief yet brutal siege the citys ancient Jewish
population was damned to destruction. By 1940 Jews were
forcibly penned into an area that already housed most of
the Jewish population. On March 27, 1940, the Judenrat, a
Jewish council answerable to the Nazis whims, was ordered
to build a wall around the ghetto and a resettlement deadline
of October 15 was handed to the citys Jews. Failure to move
into the assigned area was punishable by death. Spanning
18 kilometres and enclosing 73 of Warsaws 1,800 streets,
the area was carved into a small and large ghetto, the two
linked by a wooden bridge standing over ul. Chodna (E-2).
Today an installation titled Footbridge of Memory stands at
this spot, with optical fibers illuminating the former handrails
over the street at night.
From the beginning conditions in the city were harsh; recov-
ered Nazi files show that while ethnic Germans were granted
a food allowance totalling 2,613 calories per day, Jews and
other groups deemed sub-human were expected to survive
on 184 calories. Unsurprisingly a black market supported by
a smuggling network ran rife, with some 80 percent of the
food in the ghetto supplied through illegal means. Still it was
not enough and as the noose tightened starvation became
the principal enemy. In 1941 over 100,000 died in this way,
their bodies often left to rot in the streets. Of the 800 ghettos
scattered around the Third Reich Warsaw was the largest
and also the deadliest. At its zenith approximately 380,000
residents found themselves squashed into the ghetto, with
an average of eight people to a room. Yet amid this sea of
suffering a remarkable social scene flourished, as proved
by the meticulous ghetto diaries kept by Emanuel Ringel-
blum. Although murdered by the Nazis in 1944 Ringelblum,
an intellectual and social activist, kept volumes of notes
documenting the day-to-day life of ghetto inhabitants. It is
from his painstaking notes we learn of the soup kitchens and
charities that existed, of the musical concerts and cabarets
and the fifty or so underground newspapers that circulated
amongst the masses.
The illusion of a self-contained cruel but surviving parallel
world was shattered in 1942 when the Wansee Conference
rubber-stamped plans for the final solution to the Jewish
question and the first deportations to death camps began
in July. Over the next few weeks around 265,000 Jews were
harried to a waiting area known as Umschlagplatz, from
which they were loaded into cattle wagons destined for the
Treblinka gas chambers. A year later a new action to thin
the ghetto was launched, and by April 1943 a final push
to completely liquidate the biggest ghetto began. For too
long the Jews had been limited to passive resistance, but
now with rumours circulating about death camps a band of
ill-equipped insurgents faced up to the full weight of the Nazi
military machine. Led by Mordechaj Anielewicz, the Jewish
Fighting Organization (OB) launched the Ghetto Uprising on
April 19, 1943. Numbering a few hundred the Jewish fighters
continued their dogged resistance, but faced with heavy artil-
lery and even Stuka Dive Bombers it was a doomed struggle.
Vicious street-to-street, house-to-house battles ensued, with
insurgents often burnt out of their boltholes by flamethrowers
and gas. On May 8 German forces surrounded the principal
command post of the rebels on ul. Mia 18 and rather than
face capture Anielewicz and his cabal opted for mass suicide.
By May 16 the Uprising was over, with German commander
Jurgen Stroop announcing, The former Jewish quarter of
Warsaw is no longer in existence. With the fighting over the
rest of the ghetto was levelled, and its inmates either sent
to Treblinka or assigned to Gsiwka (ul. Gsia), a small
concentration camp. It is estimated that some 15,000 Jews
survived the war hiding out on the Aryan side, but with the
war over and the vitriolic anti-Zionist policies of the post-war
government the majority sought a new life in Israel. Today
Warsaws Jewish population is estimated to stand at 2,000
and efforts are underway to gradually reintroduce the citys
hollowed out Jewish culture.
Collection of Shalom Foundation by Goda Tencer - Szurmiej
Collection of Shalom Foundation by Goda Tencer -
Szurmiej
105
JEWISH WARSAW
Heroes in Horror
Sometimes it takes tragedy to create heroes. This is never truer
than with the Holocaust, a black time where Nazi terror was an-
swered with dignity and courage. Anti-Semitism was common in
pre-war Poland (in fact so clear was this divide that the inter-war
years saw seated segregation in such grand institutions as the
local university) and under Nazi occupation collaboration was
commonplace - denouncing Jews and revealing hiding places
brought considerable financial reward. Worse still, there were
several instances of Poles actively taking part in pogroms
and Jew hunts, the most notorious occurring in the town of
Jedwabne in 1941. It was here on the 10th of July that a mob of
Poles rounded up nearly 400 Jews and marching them to a barn
which was subsequently torched. Its a shameful episode in Polish
history, and one immortalized in Jan Grosss book Neighbours.
Nevertheless, such events should be offset by stories of those
who risked life and limb to help the persecuted. Poland was at the
forefront of Nazi terror, and the punishment for sheltering Jews
was death. The policy was unique in the occupied territories,
and ruthlessly enforced. Even so, it is estimated that over three
million Poles actively helped Jews to survive and Yad Vashem
has recognized over 6,000 Poles as being Righteous Among
Nations - more than in any other country.
In Rozwadow Dr.Eugeniusz Lazowski, a graduate of Warsaw
University, is credited with saving approximately 8,000 Jews after
putting his medical knowledge to use. Having injected the towns
Jews with a benign form of typhus he then informed the Nazis
that an epidemic was at large. Terrified that it would spread, the
Nazis quarantined the town and left it to its own devices. Known
as the Polish Schindler, Lazowski saved 12 ghetto communi-
ties in this crafty manner. I was not able to fight with a gun or
a sword, Lazowski said. But I was able to find a way to scare
the Germans. In Krakow a gentile pharmacist named Tadeusz
Pankiewicz was given special dispensation to remain in the ghetto
and exploited this to lend aid to the Jews. Medicine and vaccines
were distributed for free, and his pharmacy - now a museum -
came to double as a centre of underground activity. Regarded
as a hero, Pankiewiczs role in the Holocaust is remembered in
Thomas Kenneallys epic Schindlers List.
Another doctor, Irena Sendler, is credited with rescuing over
2,500 Jews from the Warsaw ghetto. Born in 1910, Sendler
had a long history of sympathising with the plight of the Jews
and was suspended for three years from Warsaw Univer-
sity after voicing her vociferous opposition to segregated
benches and was active in the underground the moment the
war broke out. Aided by her colleagues she forged over 3,000
documents to help Jewish families, and later headed the
childrens section of Zegota - a secret organization that was
a Council to Aid Jews. Using the fierce-looking court building
on Solidarnosci as her bridge from the ghetto to freedom she
smuggled countless children inside parcels and boxes. The
children were then sent to live in convents and rectories, but
not before she recorded their identities in a glass jar she
kept buried at home. Her actions aroused the attention of
the Gestapo, and in 1943 she was arrested, tortured and
sentenced to death. A bribe from Zegota saved her life, but
nonetheless she was left unconscious in a forest, with both
her arms and legs broken. She was officially declared dead
by the Germans, and spent the rest of the war in hiding. But
even peace brought no respite; she was persecuted by the
communist authorities on account of her wartime relations
with the exiled government, and faced constant harassment.
In 2003 Pope John Paul II sent her a letter praising her for
courage, and later that year she was awarded the Order of the
White Eagle - Polands highest civilian decoration. She died in
2008, though even now remains a target of hate for some; in
July 2010 her grave was vandalized with the words Jews Out.
Finally, Jan Karski is remembered in the history books as the man
who tried to stop the Holocaust. Born in Lodz in 1914, Karskis
photographic memory and fluent command of foreign languages
caught the attention of the Polish diplomatic services, landing him
prestigious posts abroad. With Europe gearing up for war Karski
joined the horse artillery, with his unit captured by the Red Army.
Karski avoided death in the forests of Katyn when he escaped
from a train transporting him to a POW camp and headed to
Warsaw to join the Polish underground. Realizing the value of his
remarkable memory his superiors employed Karski as a courier, a
perilous position that involved crossing frontlines in order to swap
information with allies. One such foray saw him captured by the
Gestapo while crossing the Slovakian Tatra Mountains. He slit
his wrists following an intense bout of torture, and was locked in
a closely guarded hospital in Nowy Sacz. Determined not to lose
their star courier a crack team of Polish troops broke him out and
Karski resumed his duties. In 1942 he was chosen to undertake
a daring mission to meet Wladyslaw Sikorski - Prime Minister of
Polands government-in-exile - in London, the purpose being to
reveal the extent of German atrocities in occupied Poland. To
gather information he was smuggled into the Warsaw ghetto
and given a graphic tour of the hunger and horror manifesting
behind the walls. The experience proved so powerful that Karski
later found himself questioning his own memory and decided a
second visit was in order to convince him that what he had seen
was real. This time, disguised as a Ukrainian guard, he infiltrated
a transit camp in Izbica and witnessed random brutalities as well
as cattle wagon transports leading Jews to the gas chambers. He
successfully made it to England and was granted an audience with
foreign secretary Antony Eden as well as Sikorski and the leader
of the Jewish Bun. Maddeningly, his testimonies fell on deaf ears.
In the following decades his attempt to stop the Holocaust was
allowed to gather dust, and only came to public attention with
the release of the 1978 epic film Shoah. He died in 2000, eight
years after his Jewish/Polish wife, herself a Holocaust survivor,
committed suicide.
I can still see their faces (I cigle widz ich
twarze) B-3, ul. Prna. The Holocaust and the sub-
sequent destruction of Warsaw in WWII erased virtually
all remnants of the bustling pre-war Jewish communitys
presence in the city, but there is one place where it is
still possible to sense this lost age. There are two rows
of dilapidated tenement houses dating from 1880-1900
on ul. Prna (B-3) showing what Warsaw must have
looked like, and adding to this is a series of giant posters
hanging outside the buildings that depict members of the
disappeared Jewish community. These photos are there
thanks to a project called I cigle widz ich twarze (I can
still see their faces) which was created by Goda Tencer, a
Polish actress with Jewish origins who is the founder and
director of the Shalom Foundation. In 1994 she appealed
to people to send in photographs of Polish Jews so that
an exhibition could be created commemorating those
who died. The incredible response netted over 9,000
photographs, some from survivors and their families,
some from Polish neighbours or friends of those killed.
Then in 2008 the I can still see their faces exhibition was
mounted in ul. Prna as part of the commemorations of
the 65th anniversary of the Ghetto Uprising. The effect is
quite stunning, particularly when you consider this street
was once bustling with life, full of traders, stores and
Jewish families. Located in the heart of a now modern
city, this really is a place worth a moment of your time,
especially since the tenements are set to be demolished
soon as part of major renovations to the street.
I can still see their faces
106
JEWISH WARSAW
What to See
A Footbridge of Memory D-2, Intersection of Ul.
Chlodna and ul. Zelazna. One of the most recognisable
images of the Warsaw Ghetto is that of the footbridge
constructed over ul. Chodna to connect the large and small
ghettos. To commemorate that spot is one of Warsaws
newest memorials: a pair of metal poles connected via
optical fibers which, after the sun sets, project the shape of
the footbridge over the road via light. Designed by Tomasz
Tusch-Lec and installed in September 2011, the memorial
also has viewing windows inside the poles where visitors can
flip through images of life in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Jewish Cemetery (Cmentarz ydowski) D-1, ul.
Okopowa 49/51, tel. (+48) 22 838 26 22, www.beisol-
am.jewish.org.pl. A beautiful and poignant place to visit.
The cemetery was originally founded in 1806 and currently
houses around 250,000 tombs. Amongst those buried here
are Ludwik Zamenhof, inventor of the international language
Esperanto. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Fri 09:00 - 13:00, Sun
09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat. Admission 8z.
Jewish Historical Institute (ydowski Instytut
Historyczny im. Emanuela Ringelbluma) B-2, ul.
Tomackie 3/5, tel. (+48) 22 827 92 21, www.jhi.pl.
A chilling recollection of Polish Jewry and the only institution
in Poland focusing entirely on the study of the history and
culture of the Polish Jews. This amazing building houses
permanent and temporary exhibits relating to secular and
religious Jewish life in the country from its beginnings to the
annihilation during WWII and beyond. As well as an excellent
bookshop, the institutes museum, opened in 1948, features
a large interactive display in the entrance hall that allows its
users to find out about Jewish life in any part of the country,
an extraordinary Warsaw Ghetto exhibition, religious trea-
sures, an archive and a small cinema. Particularly poignant
is the collection of photographs taken in the Warsaw Ghetto
by Heinz Jost, a German innkeeper who served in the German
army and whose photographs speak volumes about the era.
Essential visiting. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00.
Closed Sat. Last entrance 1 hour before closing. Admission
10/5z. Y
Monument to the Ghetto Heroes (Pomnik Bohat-
erw Getta) A-1, ul. Zamenhofa. Designed by Natan
Rappaport, the monument pays tribute to the heroes of the
Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Found between (E-1) ul. Anielewicza,
Zamenhofa, Lewartowskiego and Karmelicka it is here that
the heaviest fighting took place. In an ironic quirk, the stone
cladding on the monument was originally ordered from
Sweden by Hitler for a victory arch.
Noyk Synagogue (Synagoga Noykw) E-3, ul.
Twarda 6, tel. (+48) 22 620 43 24, www.warszawa.
jewish.org.pl. Built between 1898 and 1902 in a neo-
Romanesque style, this was the only Warsaw synagogue to
survive the ravages of war. It was fully restored between 1977
and 1983. Now open for worship. Q Open 09:00 - 19:00,
Fri 09:00 - 14:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat. No visiting
during services. Groups of more than ten should reserve in
advance. Admission 6z.
Traces of the Ghetto. Following the Ghetto Uprising the
whole area was levelled so few traces remain. If you duck into
the courtyard at (E-3) ul. Sienna 55 you will see a remaining
part of the ghetto wall complete with a commemorative
plaque. Somewhat impressively, the local government have
decided to honour Warsaws Holocaust history by introducing
a ghetto trail. Developed with the help of the Jewish Histori-
cal Institute the route has seen the boundary of the former
Ghetto outlined on pavements, as well as the appearance
of 21 dual language information boards positioned in places
of particular interest.
Umschlagplatz E-1. Found on ul. Stawki (E-1), close to
the intersection with ul. Dzika, Umschlagplatz is a bleak,
slightly disappointing monument marking the spot where
around 300,000 Jews were loaded on cattle wagons bound
for Treblinka. The Nazi commandant in charge of the deporta-
tions lived directly opposite on ul. Stawki 5/7. Lying between
Umschlagplatz and the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes lies
the legendary monument labelled Mia 18 (note: this is not
the address where you can find the monument). Essentially
no more than a symbolic grassy knoll, it marks the spot from
where the Ghetto Uprising was directed.
Willy Brandt Statue A-2, Skwer Willy Brandta. On
December 7, 1970 images were flashed across the world
of German Chancellor Willy Brandt knelt in pensive apol-
ogy in front of Warsaws Monument to the Ghetto Heroes.
Popularly known as the kniefall the spontaneous gesture
was to become a symbol of reconciliation between east
and west, with Brandt later confessing, Under the weight
of German history, and carrying the burden of the millions
who were murdered, I did what people do when words fail
them. A monument commemorating his landmark act was
unveiled 30 years later in the north east corner of the park
that houses the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes. Made
of brick, and featuring a brass relief designed by Wiktoria
Czechowska Antoniewska, the monument was unveiled
by a delegation that included Brandts widow, Danzig-born
author Gunter Grass, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and
Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. The square in which it
is located has also since been named in honour of Brandt.
107
TREBLINKA
For the overwhelming majority of Warsaws wartime Jews
their journey was destined to end in one place, a hitherto
unknown village called Treblinka. Set 100 kilometres north
west of Warsaw this small rural community would find itself
unwittingly thrust into the eye of the Holocaust, its name
forever etched in mankinds roll of shame.
Getting There
Treblinka remains a backwater town, and as such travellers
are going struggle to reach it. Put simply, either hire a car
and fire up the GPS, or contact one of the Warsaw-based
tour companies listed in the Sightseeing section who will be
happy to tailor a visit for you. Alternatively, hire a six person
minibus for 250z - call 604 89 63 97 for further details.
History
Split into two separate sections, Treblinka I and Treblinka II,
Treblinka I was originally established in the summer of 1941
and functioned as a Polish slave labour camp. Treblinka II,
the death camp, opened the following year, receiving its
first human cargo on July 22, 1942. It was designed for the
sole purpose of murder, a function it fulfilled well. Measuring
400 by 600 metres and surrounded with barbed wire fences
and watchtowers, the camp was carefully blended into the
heavily wooded landscape in an effort to mask its existence.
Consisting of a barracks, an armoury and storage areas, the
camp also had a fenced off living area housing 1,000 Jews
employed to clear bodies, hammer out teeth and shave
hair. It was also home to the reception area, where cattle
wagons loaded with Jews would screech to a halt. Built to
resemble a legitimate train station, it was decorated with
clocks, timetables, posters and even an infirmary replete
with a Red Cross banner. In actual fact the infirmary was
no more than a sinister faade to an execution pit, used to
murder prisoners too weak to march to the gas chambers.
Having been stripped naked, arrivals at Treblinka I were
then herded up the tube, a fenced off path leading to the
shower block. It was here that prisoners were ushered into
gas chambers disguised as bathhouses. Carbon monoxide
would then be piped through showerheads, taking as long
as half an hour to asphyxiate those locked inside. At the
height of the killing process up to 20 railway carriages could
be processed within a period of one to two hours. At first
bodies were simply buried in mass graves but by 1943, in
an attempt to conceal all traces of genocide, corpses were
cremated on massive pyres.
Several escape attempts were launched by the permanent
staff of Jewish prisoners, with the biggest coming on August
2, 1943. Having obtained a key to the armoury, a core of
around 70 prisoners aimed to storm the Nazi barricades,
liberate the other prisoners and flee to the forests. The plan
was disrupted when an SS officer, Kurt Kuttner, noticed the
rebels raiding the munitions store. He was killed on the spot,
but the shots alerted the other guards who launched a swift
counter-action. In the brief but fierce gun battle that followed
many buildings were torched, but only a handful of prisoners
succeeded in escaping.
Following the uprising, and a similar one at Sobibor, Him-
mler took the decision to close down the Aktion Reinhard
death camps. By October 4, 1943 Treblinka was levelled,
reforested and a family of Ukrainian peasants re-settled
on the adjacent farmland. Al though i t is impossible to
place an accurate figure on the number of people slaugh-
tered, conservative estimates suggest that anything from
700,000 to 900,000 people were murdered during the
camps existence. Of the number of Jews who passed
through its gates it is thought that fewer than 100 lived to
see the end of the war.
Following the war several German and Ukrainian guards
were charged with crimes relating to their time at Treblinka.
Most escaped with light sentences ranging from three to
twelve years. The camp commander, Franz Stangl, fled to
Syria and from there to Brazil, until he was finally extradited
to face justice in 1970. He died in prison the following year,
apparently unrepentant.
What to See
What is there to see? Well, not much. The Nazis did a deft
job of erasing their crimes, and visitors will require a vivid
imagination so as to picture what was. Nevertheless, with
some prior knowledge your bumpy journey will be ultimately
rewarded; what Treblinka lacks in physical sites it makes up
for with sheer skin-prickling menace, and a trip out here is
sure to leave you pondering for some time.
Stock up on literature at the car park hut before making your
way to the small exhibition house. Set across two rooms
visitors will find a series of items recovered from the site -
torah scrolls, cutlery, coins and other keepsakes - as well
as a few period photographs illustrating li fe at the camp.
However, the real pull here is the scale model, an intricate
work which really brings the grounds to li fe - details here
include a zoo built for the enjoyment of the SS, a Disney-
styl e stone tower and the neatl y trimmed flower beds
past which Jews would have filed on their way to the gas
chambers. Its a fascinating work, and one which provides
plenty of pause for thought.
Back outside, a trail of symbolic train tracks show the
route trains from Warsaw woul d have foll owed before
finall y terminating at Treblinka platform. For the Jews
crammed inside the cattle wagons this represented the
last stop in their persecution. Then, directly up ahead,
comes the climax of the camp - marking the execution
grounds lie hundreds of jagged memorial stones, each
one inscribed wi th the name of a l ost communi ty. I ts
among these - to the left of your approach - youll find
the only stone dedicated to a person. That man is Janusz
Korczak, a pedagogue and author who famously turned
down safe passage from the ghetto in order to stay with
the orphaned chil dren entrusted in his care. His most
famous work is the childrens tale King Matt the First (Krl
Maciu Pierwszy), the adventure story of a young king.
As well as telling the story of how the young king deals
with the challenges of power in a bygone age, it is also a
thinly veiled representation of historical events in Poland
and describes a number of the social reforms the young
king introduces, many targeting children and many of which
Korczak himsel f introduced at his orphanage. While some
of the language might be considered politically incorrect
90 years on it is a fascinating book and one that children
today can still enjoy immensely.
Marking the site of the gas chamber stands an overpowering
monument designed by Franciszek Duszenki, a message in
front of it simply stating: Never Again. Its an eerie experi-
ence, and the sense of evil palpable. However, there is also
more. Unknown to many, a second camp also functioned
at Treblinka, a labour camp primarily populated by Poles.
Continuing through the route cut through the forest, a stony
path leads past a concrete guard bunker before culminating
at the vast gravel pit where up to 2,000 Poles were forced into
back breaking work. In the field further on concrete flooring
and some foundations mark the outline of former prisoner
barracks, while a number of crosses denote what was once
the execution grounds. Ultimately haunting, Treblinka is a
must see for anyone with a passing interest in modern his-
tory - absent are the endless exhibits of Auschwitz, yet even
without these this place has a high impact factor which will
leave visitors silent.
108
AZIENKI
Anyone who still thinks that Warsaw is a city of concrete and
cement has clearly never been to the citys lung, the incom-
parable azienki Park (G-4). Quite simply, this glorious, 17th
century park, spread over 74 hectares, is one of the jewels
in Polands crown, which might explain why half of Warsaw
chooses to spend its summer Sundays here. Fear not though,
for so big is azienki that it never gives the impression of be-
ing crowded, and even on the busiest of days you will always
be able to find a quiet, shady corner somewhere.
Belvedere Palace (Belweder) G-5, ul. Belwederska
56. Head next for the Belvedere Palace residence of the
Polish President from 1918 to 1995 (Presidents Aleksander
Kwani ewski and Lech Kaczyski opting to li ve in the
Presidential Palace on ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie) this is
once again the Warsaw residence of the Polish president
(now Bronisaw Komorowski). Built in 1694 but thoroughly
remodelled in 1818, the building is predictably off limits. For
the best views of the palace and some outstanding photo
opportunities you should look at it from Al. Ujazdowskie: it is
a wonder of Neo-Classical design, complete with tympanium
and oversized Corinthian columns
Botanical Garden (Ogrd Botaniczny) G- 4, Al.
Ujazdowskie 4, tel. (+48) 22 553 05 11, www.ogrod.
uw.edu.pl. Part of the University of Warsaw the gardens
have the usual collection of greenhouses with exotic, weird
and wonderful species from all over the world, but what brings
in the crowds during the summer are the stunning rose gar-
dens just behind the main entrance. A riot of colour when in
full bloom the gardens are the preferred subject matter of the
students from the nearby art college who set up their easels
and paints early and stay until the guards kick them out at
sunset. Indeed, given such cracking scenery it is tempting to
find a bench and do the same. Q Open 09:00 - 20:00, Sat,
Sun 10:00 - 20:00. From September open 10:00 - 19:00.
Last entrance one hour before closing. Glass houses only
open on Sun 10:00 - 17:00, admission is 8/4z. Closed from
September 17. Admission 6/3z.
Chopin Monument & Temple of Sibyl (Pomnik
Chopina i witynia Diany) G-4. On entering the park
proper, make your first port of call the Chopin Monument,
sculpted by Witold Szymanowski and unveiled in 1926. It
depicts Chopin sitting right here in azienki, next to a willow
tree. The original sculpture was destroyed during WWII,
and the one we admire today went up in 1958. During the
summer impressive concerts take place around the statue
almost every Sunday (though note that from August the
concerts will move to the Theatre on the Island within the
park because of revitalization work near the monument).
Almost hidden in the trees a few metres from Chopin is the
astonishing Temple of the Sibyl (closed to the public), an
1820s replica Greek Temple built entirely of wood. Look
out too for a gaggle of other little buildings here such as the
Hermitage, the Egyptian Temple and the Water Tower.
None are currently open to the public.
azienki Park (Park azienkowski) G-4, ul. Agrykoli
1, tel. (+48) 22 506 01 01, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl.
The name azienki means baths and is derived from the parks
centrepiece and best-known attraction, the Palace on the
Island. The palace was originally built in the 17th century as a
private bathhouse for Stanisaw Herakliusz Lubomirski, owner
of the adjacent Ujazdw Castle and much of the surrounding
land (and much of Poland, come to mention it). The bathhouse
was bought by the last king of Poland, Stanisaw August Poni-
atowski, in 1772 and converted into a private residence (and
taking the name Palace on the Island). It was at this time that
the grounds were formally laid out as a private garden, most of
the landscaping being carried out to the designs of Karol Ludwig
Agricola and Karol Schultz. Today dotted with many palaces
(big and small), summer houses, pavilions, mansions, cafes,
restaurants, lakes and theatres, azienki offers much to see and
to make the best of it you should plan to spend a full day here.
One word of warning however before you pack a picnic and
the cricket set: azienki, for all its charms, is further evidence
of the fact that many Central Europeans have never quite
Any number of buses stop in front of the parks three
main entrances, on Al. Ujazdowskie, including Nos.
116, 166, 180 and 195. From the city centre however
perhaps the easiest way of reaching azienki is to take
a tram from Centrum to Pl. Unii Lubelskiej, and walk 100
metres along Bagatela to the parks southern entrance,
in front of the Belvedere Palace. Orientation around the
park is relatively easy given the prominent placement of
maps and signs - in Polish and English - in key locations.
There is also a very good azienki complex map (again,
in Polish and English) which can be picked up for free from
the Palace on the Water or any of the museums in the
park. If you enter the park via any of the entrances on
Al. Ujazdowskie, chances are you will end up, willingly or
not, via some surprisingly hilly paths set with tall trees,
at the vast artificial lake in the parks centre, straddled
by the magni ficent Palace on the Island. In doing so
however, you risk missing out on a few treasures, so try
to circumnavigate the park instead.
While you can buy tickets for each azienki attraction
individually, you can also purchase a one-day ticket or
two-days combined ticket which offers single-access to
all of the parks palaces and museums. A one-day ticket
20/10z, two-days tickets 25/15z .
Getting there
Mariokol, pl.wikipedia.org
109
AZIENKI
grasped the idea of what parks are actually for. With superbly
kept grass at every turn, perfect for picnics, pick up games of
cricket, softball, football or whatever else it is people get up
to in parks in the western world, azienki takes a very stern
look but dont touch attitude when it comes to its lawns. If
you dont believe us, try sitting on a azienki lawn and see
what happens Q Open from dawn till dusk.
Museum of Hunting and Horsemanship (Muzeum
owiectwa i Jedziectwa) H-4, ul. Szwoleerw 9,
tel. (+48) 22 522 66 30, www.muzeum.warszawa.pl.
North of the Palace on the Island, the Museum of Hunting &
Horsemanship is worth a quick visit. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00,
Sat, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 30
minutes before closing. Admission 3-8/2-5z. Thu free. Y
Mylewicki Palace (Paac Mylewicki) H-4, ul.
Agrykoli 1, tel. (+48) 22 506 01 01, www.lazienki-
krolewskie.pl. Make sure you have time too for a guided
tour of the magnificent, semi-circular and recently restored
Mylewicki Palace. The residence of the kings nephew, Jzef
Poniatowski, the palace is very much as was complete with
original murals, furniture and art. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Mon
11:00 - 16:00. Admission 6/4z. Thu free.
Palace on the Island (Paac na Wyspie) G-4, ul.
Agrykoli 1, tel. (+48) 22 506 01 01, www.lazienki-
krolewskie.pl. The Palace on the Island is azienkis raison
detre. The palace - completed in 1683 to designs by Tylman
Gamerski - was originally a bathhouse, converted into a
residence in the late 1700s (after being bought by Stanisaw
August Poniatowski). The palace is built on an artificial island
that divides the lake into two parts, and is connected to the
surrounding park by two colonnaded bridges. The faades
are unified by giant Corinthian pilasters that link its two floors
and are crowned by a balustrade that bears statues of mytho-
logical figures. The northern faade is relieved by a striking
central portico, while the southern faades deep central
recess lies behind a screen of Corinthian columns. Today a
museum, almost all of the palace can be visited, including
the main reception room, Solomons Hall, decorated in the
most extravagant of Baroque styles with a series of paintings
depicting the History of Solomon. They were executed for
King Stanisaw Augustus in 1791-93 by Marcello Bacciarelli
and depicted the monarch himself as the biblical king. Many
of the kings personal rooms are also open to the public, set
in their original context. To get the best out of the palace we
recommend taking one of the excellent (though pricey) guided
tours (usually available in English twice a day by prior arrange-
ment). QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Mon 11:00 - 16:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
09:00 - 20:00. Admission 15/10z. Thu free. Guides 100z per
group up to 25 people. To arrange guide call 22 50 60 170.
Theatre on the Island (Amfiteatr) G-4. Crossing the
tail of the serpentine lake, follow the path that leads along the
embankment until you hit the Amphitheatre, also known as
the Theatre on the Island. Built to resemble the amphitheatre
at Herculaneum, the theatre hosts productions throughout
the summer, though unless you fancy seeing Henry V in Polish
these will hold little interest for foreign visitors. (There are
exceptions: ballet and contemporary dance sometimes get
put on here). It is enough just to admire the setting before
heading for one of the kitsch (one features an enormous
swan) but irresistible gondolas that ferry up and down the
lake during the warmer days beginning in April (weather
permitting). A short trip costs 8/6z per person, and trips
depart throughout the day - you may have to wait for the boat
to fill up before the gondolier sets off however.
Ujazdowski) G-4, ul. Jazdw 2, tel. (+48) 22 628 64
08, www.csw.art.pl. A castle of some description has
been on found on this site since the time of the Masovian
Dukes (1300s), but the Ujazdowski Castle we see today
was completed in a baroque style in 1730 for Stanisaw
Herakliusz Lubomirski (i t was his bathhouse that later
became the Palace on the Island and gave azienki park
its name). Ujazdowski survived two centuries before being
gutted by fire during WWII, and was indeed lucky to escape
total destruction: the retreating Nazis actually tried to blow
it to pieces, as they did a number of azienkis finest build-
ings. But - as is so often the case - what the Nazis couldnt
do the communists could, and though the original walls
and foundations remained structurally sound in the 1950s
Polands communist authorities decided to tear down the
shell of the building and place a military theatre on the site.
Common sense prevailed however, and the 1970s saw
Ujazdowski rebuilt to its original plans. It today plays host to
three large exhibition halls dedicated to showcasing the very
best of contemporary art inside; find a wild mix of the good,
the bad and the ugly, featuring the work of Polands leading
contemporary artists here. Worthy and undoubtedly neces-
sary, the gallery also houses a very good bookshop and the
caf, Qchnia Artystyczna, which has a terrace whose views
over the park, Warsaw and what appears to be half of Poland
are jaw dropping. One not to miss. QOpen 12:00 - 19:00,
Fri 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 30 minutes
before closing. Admission 12/6z, Thu free.
White House & Orangery (Biay Dom i Stara
Pomaraczarnia) G-4, ul. Agrykoli 1, tel. (+48) 22
506 01 01, www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Not quite as
grand as the Belvedere but equally impressive is the little
White House a gorgeous summer house built in 1774 for
the kings sisters, and now open to the public, displaying
a fine collection of period furniture and decorations. A few
steps away is the impressive Old Orangery, one of very
few surviving court theatres in the world. It dates from 1774
and is still used today to host chamber concerts, as well as
being a popular wedding venue for Warsaws wealthy. Part of
the building houses a museum of sculpture. From here head
back past the White House, resist the temptation to head
straight for the Palace on the Island and instead head south,
towards the New Orangery. Built in cast iron and glass it was
designed by Jzef Orowski and opened in 1861. It is home to
the upmarket Belvedere restaurant. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00,
Mon 11:00 - 16:00. Admission 10/5z. Thu free.
Where to eat
Belvedere G- 5, ul. Agrykoli 1 (New Orangery in
azienki Park, enter from ul. Parkowa). See Restaurants.
110
WILANW
It is very easy to visit Warsaw and imagine its history
stretches no further back than the communist post-war
era and that of WWII when the city was effectively wiped
from the map of Europe. But that would be to only under-
stand a small part of this citys and countrys history. The
nations capital has been in Warsaw since the late 16th
century and at one time was the centre of the burgeoning
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a union which lasted over
200 years and whose territory at once stretched from the
Baltic to the Black Sea (incorporating much of modern day
Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic States). With so
much of pre-war Warsaw destroyed there are few places
to experience what this must have been like more than at
Wilanows palace and gardens.
The Polish Versailles is just one of the many fitting monikers
applied to this splendid late 17th-century Palace which can
be found in the Warsaw district of Wilanw, 10 kilometres
south of the city centre. Essential visiting for all who come to
soak up the capitals lavish culture and wish to understand
a little more about ancient Poland, Wilanw is more than
just a Palace - it represents an era from which much has
been lost. The palace, park and surrounding ensemble of
buildings represent the height of Polish Baroque and this is
one of Polands greatest national treasures.The sprawling
45-hectare setting is also full of things to do, from visiting
the superb Poster Museum next door to renting a rowing
boat on the Palaces lake. If the weathers good and youve
got time to spare, its easy to spend an entire and thoroughly
rewarding day here.
History
Wilanw gets its name from the Warsaw borough in which
Wilanw Palace is located. First mentioned in the 13th
century as Milanw, the then tiny village changed hands
several times before being bought in the 17th century by
the family of Stanisaw Leszczyski. Leszczyski began
building a Palace here, but the project was halted by the
Deluge and the subsequent capture and plundering of the
region by the Swedes. In 1676 the abandoned Milanw was
bought by King Jan III Sobieski looking for a country retreat
away from Warsaw, and he ordered a new Palace to be built
on the site. Originally called Villa Nova (New Village), the
name was soon polonised to the one its known by today.
A brick manor house was built in 1680, expanding in two
stages into a palace during the years 1681-1696 under
the supervision of Agostino Locci to his own design. It is
within the central part of the palace where you will see the
living quarters of King Jan III Sobieski and his French queen
consort, Marie (or Marysieka as she was affectionately
called by Sobieski and still is by Poles today) in what is the
original part of the palace.
After Jan III Sobieskis death in 1696, his widow returned
to France and the palace through their sons became the
property of Elzbieta Sieniawska. She continued to develop
the palace most notably the two wings which were built in the
years 1720-1729. Sieniawska, like many of the subsequent
owners, honoured Sobieski by conserving much of the palace
in memory of the victorious king. It was to become a royal resi-
dence again in the early 1730s during the reign of August II the
Strong. Over the next two hundred years the palace became
the property of a succession of the most important Polish
families including the Czartoryskis, Lubomirskis, Potockis
and Branickis and each left their mark as they expanded and
developed the property. One of its most enlightened residents
was Stanislaw Kostka Potocki who in the early 19th century,
at a time when Poland as a country ceased to exist because
of the Russian/Prussian/Austrian partition, made his collec-
tion of art and access to the royal apartments of King Jan III
Sobieski available to the public. Keep an eye out for the words
Cunctis patet ingressus on the palace floor signifying that
the palace and its collection were open to all.
The palace avoided the fate of the city of Warsaw and sur-
vived the war virtually intact although its collections were
seriously looted. Confiscated by Polands post-war Com-
munist government, Wilanw became part of the National
Museum in Warsaw and was painstakingly renovated during
the 1950s and early 1960s, opening its doors to the public
again in 1962. Today it is the subject of a 32 million zloty
revitalisation program which is overseeing conservation work
in the royal apartments, archaeological research of the area
and restoring the gardens to the splendor they enjoyed during
Jan III Sobieskis time.
The Wilanw Palace Museum, author: Magdalena Kulpa
The Palace and Gardens at Wilanow can be reached best
of all by bus or taxi directly from the city centre. The citys
metro system does run to a stop called Wilanowska but
this is about 5km from the palace and will involve taking
a bus from outside of the station.
By bus. From Old Town:
From (B-2) pl. Zamkowy take buses 116 or 180 Mon-Fri.
Journey takes about 30 minutes.
From Pl. Trzech Krzyy:
From (C-4) Pl. Trzech Krzyy take buses 116, 180 or
E-2. Journey takes about 25 minutes. The bus stops
can be found at the southern end of the square on Al.
Ujazdowskie.
From the centre:
From (B-4) outside the Cepelia store on Marszalkowska
take bus 519.
From Warszawa Centralna train station:
Take bus 130, 519 or 700 from the southbound stop on
(A-4) ul. Chaubiskiego. Journey takes about 30 minutes.
All buses stop directly outside the palace gates.
By Taxi. At around 50-55z wi th a recommended
company such as Sawa Taxi (tel. 22 644 44 44), a taxi
ride to Wilanw is something of a false economy, taking
more or less the same time as the bus to get there. If
you prefer the comfort and privacy of your own car then
also look for ELE taxis parked around the city, including
outside the (A/B-4) main train station.
Getting there
111
WILANW
The Wilanw Palace Museum (Paac w
Wilanowie) ul. S.K. Potockiego 10/16, tel. (+48) 22
842 81 01, www.wilanow-palac.pl. The first museum at
Wilanw was opened in 1805 by the palaces owner at the
time, Stanisaw Kostka Potocki. His aim was to help educate
society and protect national identity and knowledge at a
time when Poland had ceased to exist. This tradition was
maintained by his son August and over two hundred years
on these values are still key to the museums role.
The current museum, which takes up a substantial portion
of the Palaces interior, comes in two parts. Having bought
your ticket in the ticket office near the gate, enter the wing
on the right and descend the stairs. There you will have to
deposit your coat and place shoe covers on your shoes. It
is recommended that you pick up an audio guide, which is
available in a number of languages as well as English, as
there is very little description throughout the museum -
particularly in the Polish portrait gallery. Heading through
a small room containing some old royal coaches, head up
the stairs into the first part of the museum - The Polish
Portrait Gallery - featuring portraits from the 16th to 19th
century. Wander through room after room of portraits of
the rich and the powerful including some fascinating Polish
coffin portraits of important figures. If portraits are your
thing you will find this very interesting although the lack
of description and in some cases even the name of the
people portrayed is rather frustrating.
The tour leads you around the top of the house and then down-
stairs once more where you will find yourself in the residence of
the palace. Featuring suits of armour, Etruscan vases, a room
featuring magnificent frescoes uncovered during restoration
work after the war, residential rooms, an exceedingly rare
18th-century glass grandfather clock and even a private cha-
pel there is a lot to admire. There are English language cards
available in most rooms which give you a basic description of
what to look for. The central part of the lower floor is the most
impressive. It is here that you will find the private apartments
of King Jan III Sobieski and his wife while the wings house the
apartments of the subsequent owners of the palace. There are
some lavish touches to be seen throughout the lower level and
it may be of interest that the leadership of communist Poland
would often use the palace to accommodate foreign dignitar-
ies. Jimmy Carter once stayed here, while one of the beds
had to be especially adapted to sleep the rather tall Charles
de Gaulle when he visited. It is quite easy to spend a couple
of hours wandering around the palace but be warned that it
tends to fill with schoolchildren during the week and tourists at
the weekends so theres not really a best time to visit. Q Open
09:30 - 16:00, Mon, Sat 09:30 - 18:00, Wed 09:30 - 20:00,
Sun 10:30 - 18:00. From September 19 open 09:30 - 16:00,
Sun 10:30 - 16:00. Closed Tue. Last entrance 1 hour before
closing. Admission 20/15z, Sun free. Audioguide 12z.
The Wilanw Palace Museum
Lake & Island. Theres also a natural lake found behind
the Palace, where gondolas complete with gondoliers and
rowing boats can be hired for leisurely trips on the water be-
ginning in May (weather permitting). A trip here will reward you
with a glimpse of Enrico Marconis strange, Gothic-inspired
pump room, and an adventure to the Parks island reveals a
monument to the Polish soldier, Captain Ksawery Burski, who
served in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and who gave his
life at Wilanw fighting the Austrians at the Battle of Raszyn
in 1809. Q Boat hire open from 11:00 - 19:00. 7/5 z for a
place in a gondola; 20z per boat per hour.
Park & Gardens. The 45 hectares that make up Wilanw
Park grew over the centuries according to the particular
fancies of its owners. The Parks present form dates from
the extensive and mostly faithful renovations made during
the 1950s, overseen by the architect and historian Profes-
sor Gerard Cioek (1909-1966). Made up of a series of
individual gardens, the Park includes a two-level Baroque
garden, a Neo-Renaissance rose garden, a classical English
landscaped park and the so called English-Chinese land-
scape park. The nearby Orangery and its garden serves as
a splendid venue for outdoor classical music concerts during
the summer season. The park near the Orangery, East, North
and Rose gardens and their associated architecture were
recently the subject of a major revitalisation program and
during work on the Baroque garden a series of archaeological
digs discovered several artefacts, including ceramics dating
from the 12th century. Now the gardens have been restored
to their appearance during the time of King Jan III Sobieski.
Revitalization to the front gardens continues today. Q Park
open 09:00 till dusk. Admission 5/3z, Thu free.
Poster Museum (Muzeum Plakatu) ul. S. K. Potock-
iego 10/16, tel. (+48) 22 842 48 48, www.postermuse-
um.pl. Housed inside the Palaces former indoor riding area,
the Poster Museum features two large halls full of wonderful
posters from all over the world. At over 55,000 pieces, this is
reportedly the largest poster collection to be found anywhere.
The Wilanw Palace Museum,
author: Zbigniew Reszka
112
WILANW
The museum focuses on the artistic merits of the posters
rather than their documentary value and plays host to a
cycle of temporary events and exhibitions. As a contrast
to the historic palace and collection of paintings next door,
this makes for interesting additional place to visit while in
Wilanw. You can also find many of the best examples of
the posters reproduced into postcards which can be bought
from the museum shop along with books and catalogues on
the various prints and exhibits. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Mon
12:00 - 16:00, Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Last entrance
30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/7z, Mon free.
Potocki Mausoleum (Mauzoleum Potockich)
Wilanw Park. A tomb dedicated to Stanisaw Kostka Potocki
and his wife Aleksandra (nee Lubomirska) Potocka by their son
Aleksander. Designed in 1834 by Henryk Marconi and built
between 1834-1836 by Jakub Tatarkiewicz and Konstanty
Hegl, the mausoleum is made entirely of sandstone. It is
located in the park leading to Wilanw Palace and consists
of a Neo-Gothic canopy with lions holding shields bearing the
crests of the Potocki and Lubomirski families in each corner. On
the sarcophagus are the figures of the deceased and around
the sides symbols of their virtues and interests are displayed.
SD Gallery (Galeria SD) ul. S. K. Potockiego 22,
tel. (+48) 783 40 77 70, www.galeriasd.pl. This small
collection of modern Polish art close to St. Annes Church
includes paintings and sculptures by many of the countrys
leading contemporary artists. Featuring some truly impres-
sive pieces of art, most of the work on display is available
for sale. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00. Admission free.
St. Annes Church (Koci w. Anny) ul. Kolegi-
acka 1, tel. (+48) 22 842 18 01, www.parafiawilanow.
pl. A church on this site dates back to the 14th century when
the wooden church of St. Leonard was built here. This was
replaced by a Gothic wooden construction and graveyard
in the 16th century and it wasnt replaced with a brick one
until well after the time of Jan III Sobieski in 1772. The new
church was called St. Annes and was founded by Prince
August Adam Czartoryski to a design by Jan Kotelnicki.
Czartoryskis grand-daughter, Al eksandra Lubormirska
Potocka, decorated the church with art in the period 1799-
1831, the most precious of which is the Annunciation to the
Virgin Mary in the main altar.
Between 1857 and 1870, Aleksandras son August and his
wife extend the church to a design by Henri Marconi. The
church gets a Neo-Renaissance look and the marvellous
dome is added. In the gardens surrounding the church build-
ing you will find terracotta shrines marking the fourteen Sta-
tions of the Cross while within the church, in the crypt under
the chapel, are the tombs of the Potocki family.
The church suffered damage during both world wars and was
even used as an internment camp by the Nazis, who also
looted and damaged it. The church bells dating from 1723
and 1777 survived thanks to the bravery of the local people
who hid them and these are now housed in the newly built
Third Millenium Tower.
The church is a particularly beautiful one to visit nowadays
thanks in no small part to the work of the parish priest
Bogusaw Bijak and it is protected as part of a complex of
parks, buildings and original roads running into the centre
of the city as a national Historic Memorial. QOpen 06:30 -
19:00, Sun 06:30 - 21:00. No visiting during mass please.
Where to eat
China Garden ul. Kazachska 1. See Restaurants.
Restauracja Wilanw ul. S. K. Potockiego 27. See
Restaurants.
Jan Sobieski was born in
Olesko near Lwow (now
Ukrainian Lvi v) in 1629.
His father was a Polish-
Lithuanian nobleman who
ensured young Jan and
his brother received a first
class education and they
both went onto study at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow
before Jan travelled abroad. He studied military history and
tactics including significantly as it would turn out in Turkey
(as an envoy of King Jan II Casimir) where he learned the
Tartar language in the 1650s. Sobieski also spoke French,
German and Italian and during this time met major European
political figures including Louis II deBourbon, William of
Orange and Charles II, where it is clear that he learnt the
value of diplomacy as well as military might.
Jan Sobieski would have a lifelong love of France thanks
in part to his French wife Marie (or Marysienka as he
fondly named her) whom he married in 1665 and fathered
14 children with (of whom 8 survived).
Having returned to Poland Sobieski went on to serve with
distinction in the Battle of Warsaw (1656), where he led a
Tartar cavalry regiment, and the Polish Swedish wars (1655-
1660) among others. In 1666 he sided with the king Micha
Korybut Winiowiecki during the Lubormirski rebellion and
added another major victory to his list by defeating the Turks
at the Battle of Chocim in 1673. It was this victory allied to
his reputation as a strong leader, astute military tactician
and a canny political knack that would result in him being
elected as Polish King the following year, in 1674.
Sobieski inherited a nation virtually penniless from 50
years of continuous war and set about stabilising the
countrys borders through treaties and strategic battles.
It is for this combination of wisdom and bravery that he
is well remembered today.
Sobieskis greatest moment, however, was to come in
1683. Having marched through most of the Balkans a
vast Turkish army was massed on the outskirts of Vienna
threatening to overwhelm the Christian world. Led by
King Jan III Sobieski a joint Polish/German/Austrian army
scored a magnificent victory in a daylong battle on 12
September 1683 vanquishing the Turks. Sobieski led a
charge of Polish hussars breaking the opposition lines
and sending the Turks into disarray. Sobieski entered
the abandoned tent of the Turkish commander Kara
Mustapha in the early evening signifying victory and parts
of that tent are today on display within Wilanow Palace.
The Turks were to name Sobieski The Lion of Lechistan
(Lechistan being an ancient name of Poland) while
Danzig astronomer Johannes Hevelius would name a
newly discovered constellation Scutum Sobiescianum
(Sobieskis Shield) after him, quite an accolade for a still
living, non-astronomer as was Sobieski.
The victory not only saved Christendom (Sobieski was
described as the saviour of European Christendom by
the Pope) but also made a lasting impact on European
food culture. According to urban legend pastries were cre-
ated baked in a shape designed to resemble Sobieskis
stirrups (beugel in Austrian), which supposedly evolved
to become the bagels we enjoy today.
Jan III Sobieski
113
CHOPIN
2010 saw the country toast Chopi n wi th champagne;
Polands greatest composer, and Warsaws favourite son,
a man whose lent his name to everything from vodka to
airports (and even an asteroid). For 2010 marked the 200th
anniversary of Fryderyk Chopins birth and saw the city
celebrate his life with amongst other things the opening of
a fabulous new museum.
Chopin - Life & Times
And what a life it was. Of course, in the spirit of all the greats
theres a considerable element of mystery surrounding the
man. Say it very, very quietly, but theres even dispute as
to his birthday and parentage. Most sources agree he was
born on February 22, 1810, yet some claim his family could
be found celebrating his birth on March 1. At the time of his
death only Jane Stirling, his Scottish benefactor, claimed to
know the truth, and this she wrote on a piece of paper before
burying it with him. Furthermore, while most accept he was
the son of a French expatriate some experts argue he was
the bastard child of an unnamed aristocrat. The truth has
been lost to time.
One thing we can be certain of, and thats his birthplace -
the town of elazowa Wola fifty kilometres west of Warsaw.
However, he stayed there for just a year, with the family
moving to Warsaw in 1811 after his father, a man whod
fought the Russians in the Napoleonic Wars, found a job as
a French tutor.
By all accounts he was a prodigy from the offing. The young
Frederic started learning piano at the age of four, and by the
age of eight had already performed at what is now the Presi-
dential Palace. Yet in spite of his obvious talents applications
for a state grant were repeatedly refused. Nevertheless, his
childhood was happy, and the gingerbread eating Frederic
received gushing reviews in local columns and press.
A diligent student he was educated at home for the first 13
years, before attending Warsaws Lyceum, and then the Warsaw
Music Conservatory. He continued to blossom under its director,
the Polish composer Joseph Elsner, who was wowed by Chopins
musical mastery. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1829,
the same year he was to meet Konstancha Gadkowska, and his
unrequited love for her inspired many of his early compositions.
Within three weeks of graduation he made a sparkling foreign
debut in Vienna, before returning to Poland to perform the
premier of his Piano Concerto in F minor. Already recognised
as an amazing talent, Chopin started showing the signs of
illness that would continue to blight the rest of his life. A keen
traveller (on record is a tour of Europe undertaken in 1826 dur-
ing which he visited Dresden, Krakw, Prague and numerous
other places as a tourist), Chopin set off to play in Vienna in
November 1830, following a farewell party in a Wola tavern.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, that was to be his last taste
of Warsaw. By the end of the month Poland had risen in rebel-
lion against the ruling Russians. Dissuaded from joining the
uprising himself Chopin drew inspiration from events to write
his masterpiece, Revolution. Passages of his Stuttgart diary
record his torment: Oh God, do you exist? Or are you yourself a
Muscovite! Choosing to stay in exile Chopin settled in playboy
Paris where he was welcomed by Polish migrs, as well as
upcoming composers and high society. His friends numbered
Berlioz, Bellini (who he is buried next to) and Mendelssohn, as
well as high profile Poles like the uncrowned King, Prince Adam
Czartoryski and bard Adam Mickiewicz, while his dapper dress
and natural charms attracted a string of adoring females.
Drawing on his Polish upbringing the 1830s saw Chopin enjoy an
impressively productive spell, composing a series of acclaimed
polonaises and mazurkas. Ill health followed him however, so
much so that when he was taken ill on a trip to meet his parents
in 1835 some Polish scandal sheets reported him dead.
He wasnt, and the defining point of his life was to occur two
years later when he met the controversial author George
Sand (yes, thats a woman). His first impression is recorded
as being surprisingly acid: what an unpleasant woman, he is
known to have commented. Already secretly engaged to a 17
year old Polish girl, how Chopins life would have evolved if he
had never seen Sand again is open to speculation. Instead he
embarked on a torrid nine year affair with this classic scarlet
woman, with one stage of their rocky relationship marked by
a stint in an abandoned monastery on the island of Mallorca.
Racked with chronic lung problems and a near permanent
cough, the faltering affair span out of control when Sand, a
loose-moraled man-killer, serialised the novel Lucretia Floriani
in a Paris newspaper in 1846. The boorish, asexual antihero is
commonly recognized as being a parody of Chopin. Broke, ill and
now broken-hearted, Chopin led an increasingly miserable and
secluded life. He finally passed away in his Paris apartment aged
just 39 - though just like his birth, his death is equally conten-
tious; some believe tuberculosis as the cause of death, others
a malady such as emphysema or cystic fibrosis. If you believe
the stories he carried a lock of Sands hair till the day he died
(though by the same token he is also alleged to have carried an
urn of Polish soil). Buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, on
his insistence his body was cut open (he was petrified of being
buried alive) and his heart later interned in a pillar of Warsaws
Koci witego Krzya. His funeral was as weird as his life,
delayed for two weeks while church authorities debated whether
to grant his wish and allow Mozarts Requiem to be sung at his
funeral (the point of contention being the presence of female
singers). Regarded as the pinnacle of the Romantic style his
music and legend survive to this day.
114
CHOPIN
What to See
The Chopin Family Drawing Room C-3, ul. Kra-
kowskie Przedmiecie 5, tel. (+48) 22 320 02 75, www.
chopin.museum. The young Chopin hopped around three
separate residences in Warsaw, though only one will be of
use to visitors. Saski Palace - where his father worked as a
tutor - was in the process of being rebuilt (work now halted
and temporarily abandoned), while Kazimierzowski Palace is
closed off to visitors as part of Warsaw University - a plaque
on the right wing commemorates his fleeting presence.
Instead pay a visit to Czapski Palace (formerly Krasiski
Palace) on Krakowskie Przedmiecie, a place Chopin himself
described as his refuge. Reconstructed in 1960 and opened
to the public in 1969 none of the original furnishings survived
the war, though the period furniture on display has been
faithfully assembled to recreate his drawing room as seen
in an Antoni Kolberg painting made in 1832. Chopin lived
and entertained here from 1827 until his last day in Poland,
and today some of the antiques on display include a writing
desk owned by his elder sister and a pianoforte dating from
1830, as well as paintings of his mother, sister and tutor.
Another pianoforte on show was once allegedly used by
Franz Liszt. Thats not the only famous connection - poet
Cyprian Norwid attended school in this building. Q Open
10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Last entrance 30 minutes
before closing. Admission 3/2z, Wed free. Y
Holy Cross Church (Koci w. Krzya) C-3, ul.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 3, tel. (+48) 22 826 89 10,
www.swkrzyz.pl. No Chopinologist can leave Warsaw
without first visiting the final resting place of his heart (the
rest of him being in Paris famous Pre Lachaise cemetery).
Added to the church in 1882 his heart was sealed in an urn
and then placed behind a tablet bearing his likeness specially
carved by Leonardo Marconi. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Sun
14:00 - 16:00. No visiting during mass please.
azienki Park. Our youthful cherry-cheeked hero fre-
quently gave concerts in the Belvedere Palace (G-5, ul.
Belwederska 52), then the stamping ground of the Russian
aristocracy. It was here he played for the Tsars brother, Great
Prince Konstanty, whose numerous duties included being the
commander-in-chief of the Polish Army. So taken was he by
Chopins skills that he persuaded him to pen a march to be
played during military parades.
Elsewhere in azienki dont dare miss a visit to the art nou-
veau Chopin Monument (G-4) next to the Botanical Garden.
Set in the midst of a rose garden it was erected in 1926,
the work of acclaimed sculptor Wacaw Szymankowski. As
part of the Nazi brutalization of Warsaw it was dynamited by
German busybodies on May 31, 1940. The following day an
unknown patriot had placed a placard on the smouldering
ruin declaring: I dont know who destroyed me, but I know
why; so I dont play the funeral march for your leader. A
plaster-cast of the original model allowed the statue to be
rebuilt and a faithful reconstruction was unveiled in 1958.
An identical replica can be found at Japans Hamamatsu
Academy of Music.
Since 1959 live Chopin recitals have been held here from May
until September each Sunday at midday and 16:00. This is
deckchair and ice-cream paradise, and summer Warsaw at
its best -dont miss it.
Augsburg Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity
(Koci w. Trjcy) B-3, Pl. Maachowskiego 1, tel.
(+48) 22 556 46 60, www.trojca.waw.pl. In 1825 Chopin
once more performed for the Russians, this time for the Tsar
himself who in return presented Chopin with a diamond ring.
Q Open by prior arrangement.
Fryderyk Chopin Museum (Muzeum Fryderyka
Chopina) C-3, ul. Oklnik 1, tel. (+48) 22 441 62
51, www.chopin.museum. The most anti cipated
museum opening in Poland since the 2004 launch of
the Uprising Museum, the Fryderyk Chopin Museum is
a jaw-dropping venue if youve had previous experience
of Polish museums.
Touted as one of the most high tech in Europe the mu-
seum officially opened in the spring of 2010 to help mark
the 200th anniversary of one of Polands most famous
sons. Over 81 million zlotys were siphoned from council
coffers to see this project realized, and the result is an
amazing space designed by Grzegory and Partnerzy
and fitted out by Migliore&Servetto of Milan. Taking up
four floors the museum features an interactive style and
shares in the life of Chopin from start to finish leaving
absolutely no detail out. Among the 5,000 exhibits are
a lock of hair, his school exercise books, a sweet box,
a gold watch presented to the ten year old Frederic by
an admiring Italian singer and the passport he used to
enter England. So comprehensive is the collection it even
features the last letter he wrote to his family and dried
flowers from his deathbed. Also, of course, are several
paintings and sculptures (including his death mask),
and a recreation of his Paris drawing room and even an
intriguing section on the women who made the man. And
while theres one small room of the museum aimed at
children, the other 95 percent of this epic exhibition will
probably have them whining to leave.
However, what really revolutionizes this museum is the
way your route is conducted. Aside from an avalanche of
e-books, audio-visuals, music games and touchscreen
options, the museum allows visitors to adapt their trip
to their particular circumstances. Put simply those enter-
ing can choose exactly what they want to see, and how
much they want to know about it. Even better are the
micro-chipped tickets that can be swiped along different
interactive exhibits to allow the visitor to hear music,
stories or watch a film. One area that was particularly
popular is the musical Twister game, which had normally
stoic middle-aged tourists leaping from spot to spot as
music played. Mr Chopin, welcome to the 21st century.
As for the building, thats worth getting to know as well.
Located in the Ostrogoski Palace the structure housing
the museum is something of a Warsaw landmark, and
was originally designed by Tylman van Gameren. In the
past its been home to everything from a Napoleonic
military hospital to the riotous Morgans Pub, and its
catacombs are said to be home of the legendary Golden
Duck; a princess charmed by the devil before being
transformed into a beaked amphibian. QOpen 11:00
- 20:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 60 minutes before
closing. Admission 22/13z, family ticket 62z, Tue free.
Number of visitors is restricted, so it is advisable to
reserve tickets in advance online.
Fryderyk Chopin Museum
115
CHOPIN
Church of the Nuns of the Visitation C- 3, ul.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 34, tel. (+48) 22 826 65
85, www.wizytki.waw.pl. Visit the church that Chopin
attended in his youth by popping into this baroque beauty.
Pride of place goes to the original organ which our man
himself played during a part time stint as a school organist.
A plaque outside confirms the Chopin connection: In honour
of Fryderyk Chopin, who played on the organ in this church as
a pupil of the Warsaw Lyceum in the years 1825-1826. Q
Open 09:00-18:00. No visiting during mass please.
Chopin Monument (Pomnik Chopina) G-4, azienki
Park. Dont dare miss a visit to the art nouveau Chopin
Monument (G-4) next to the Botanical Garden. Set in the
midst of a rose garden it was erected in 1926, the work of
acclaimed sculptor Wacaw Szymankowski. As part of the
Nazi brutalization of Warsaw it was dynamited by German
busybodies on May 31, 1940. The following day an unknown
patriot had placed a placard on the smoldering ruin declar-
ing: I dont know who destroyed me, but I know why; so I
dont play the funeral march for your leader. A plaster-cast
of the original model allowed the statue to be rebuilt and a
reconstruction was unveiled in 1958.
Chopin Benches. The good city of Warsaw has devised
one more way to bring Chopin to the people, and thats by way
of fifteen musical benches that have been placed at key sites
connected with his life. Made of cast iron and polished black
stone these benches, designed by Professor Jerzy Porebski,
feature a button which when pressed have been designed
to unleash a thirty second torrent of Chopin. They also come
equipped with a route map as well as brief explanations in Polish
and English as to the sites relevance to Chopin. However, thats
not all. These benches see Chopin go techno: each one comes
inscribed with a special code - take a pic on your phone, then
send it to the instructed number and youll be rewarded to free
access to Chopin melodies, facts, figures and photographs.
And the Rest
It didnt have a Starbucks and it didnt have Coffeeheaven,
but even back in those days Warsaw had a thriving caf
culture. This wasnt lost on Chopin who would frequent now
defunct venues such as Pod Kopciuszkiem and Dziurka on
ul. Miodowa. One venue that has survived is Honoratka
(see Restaurants), named after its proprietor Honorata
Zimerman, and a particular favourite stomping ground of the
composer. He was also an avid reader, confessing to visiting
the Brzezina Bookstore (again, now gone) on Miodowa every
day, as well as stocking up on sheet music in Dal Trozza on
Senatorska. Elsewhere the building on the corner of ul. Kozia
and Trbacka formerly housed the Royal Post Office, and its
here that Chopin forwarded his luggage from before departing
Poland for what would prove to be his last time. Finally theres
Powzki Cemetery, where his parents lie in plot 9-IV-1. Jzef
Elsner, his mentor and teacher, can be found at plot 159-V-1.
Where to eat
Polka, Magda Gessler po prostu elazowa Wola
14, tel. (+48) 46 863 21 68, www.restauracjapolka.
pl. Set in a modern manor house across from Chopins
birthplace is this classy venture by one of the countrys
best known celebrity chefs - Magda Gessler. The setting is
beautiful and features a summer terrace and grill for those
warmer months. The food is Polish with some nice touches
at prices that might surprise those who have eaten in city
centre Gessler restaurants and makes for an excellent end
to an interesting day outside of busy Warsaw. QOpen 12:00
- 21:00. (28-99z). PTAUEGBSW
elazowa Wola - Birthplace elazowa Wola 15, tel.
(+48) 46 863 33 00, www.nifc.pl. True enthusiasts will
want to make the pilgrimage to Chopins place of birth, and
a worthwhile trip it is. So what to expect? Well, although
Chopin only spent the first year of his life here the place
has become a veritable shrine to the man, and youll find it
perpetually filled with foreign fans paying homage.
The Chopin clan left for Warsaw in the autumn of 1810, but
even so elazowa Wola clearly held fond memories for the
family. The Chopins found themselves returning frequently
for their holidays, and we know for a fact the composer
spent Christmas here in 1825 and New Years in 1826. The
ZW manor house which saw the birth of Chopin is thought
to have been built at the tail end of the 18th century, and
came into the ownership of Countess Ludwika Skarbek in
1801. Adam Towiaski, who resided there between 1859
and 1878, was the first to raise the idea of turning the
manor into a place of memory, and he set about restoring
the complex to its Chopin-era glory. A change of ownership
saw the project stall for a decade and it was only in 1891
that work was resumed on building a Chopin museum.
Thwarted by a lack of funds these efforts didnt get much
further than the unveiling of a Chopin monument, and for
the next couple of decades work didnt so much stall as die.
Poland regained her independence in 1918, and the
related surge in national pride saw new efforts to com-
memorate Chopins legacy. The building was granted
historic status and in 1928 the property was purchased
by a Sochaczew-based Chopin society. Restoration on
the buildings was initiated in 1930, as were plans to
landscape the gardens, and buoyed by donations the
curators started amassing a stack of Chopin memora-
bilia, among them a Pleyel piano. Disaster struck in the
familiar form of the German army: the outbreak of war in
1939 saw a German unit billeted here, and the building
was looted and damaged.
By the time the Chopin Institute was awarded trust of the
house in the late 1940s the house was in a sorry state of
rot. Working round the clock elazowa Wola was re-opened
to the public on the centenary of Chopins death in 1949.
Today no original fixtures and fittings remain, and even
the original layout has been altered somewhat. Even so,
the house has been filled with period keepsakes, instru-
ments and paintings, and visitors all attest to the haunting
spirit of Chopin that hangs in the rooms. Displays on view
include portraits of Chopin and 19th century furniture
in the Bierdermier style. However, the bit that most will
enjoy is the mothers room, the actual scene of Chopins
birth. Now a calm white room adorned with a decorative
bouquet this has become a real point of pilgrimage with
a reverential silence observed by all who visit.
Outside the landscaped gardens make for a nice week-
end walk, and feature four Chopin monuments including
one obelisk dating from 1894. While it might get busy,
its Sunday that proves the best time to visit; since 1954
concerts have been held in the garden (weather allowing)
from May through September.
Getting there:
elazowa Wola is 54km west of Warsaw and theres no
longer any direct buses from here to there (shame on
you Warsaw). Employ Plan B: take a train to Sochaczew
( journey time 40 minutes, tickets 13.80z - 17z) and from
there jump on bus number six which terminates at Mokas
after stopping at elazowa Wola. This little adventure
should take a further twenty minutes.
elazowa Wola
116
COPERNICUS SCIENCE CENTRE
Courtesy of Copernicus Science Centre
While the worlds attention was drawn towards the highly-
visible, round-the-clock construction of Warsaws amazing
new stadium on the left bank of the Wisa, work was also
being carried out on the rivers right bank on a building
that might well outshine the stadium once the Euro 2012
hoopla has died down. Built on time and on budget (well,
just about), the Copernicus Science Centre (CSC) which
stands almost directly opposite the stadium along the
river looks set to become Warsaws top tourist attrac-
tion for years to come.
Getting there
The centre can be found in the shadow of the witokrzyski
Bridge on the banks of the Wisa River. A journey to the CSC
from the centre of Warsaw should take around 10 minutes.
Buses 105, 118 and 128 will drop you at the Biblioteka
Uniwersytecka stop, requiring a short walk around the
corner to the unmissable building. Buses 102, 162 and
185 will drop you at the Pomnik Syreny stop with the CSC
clearly in sight. Alternatively visit the About us section of
the English language website www.kopernik.org.pl, where
you can get directions by car, by bus, or by foot by typing
in your address.
Introduction
A rare example of European Union funding being used in
a genuinely visionary way, the CSC is many things, not
least (in the words of Polands Education Minister shortly
before the opening) an attempt to restate the case for
science and research in what can still be an intensel y
and deepl y reli gious country. In that sense, gi ving t he
centre the name of the man who di d so much to end the
churchs monopol y of education in the first place is li ttl e
short of a masterstroke.
Not that Copernicus did it all his own way; in the aftermath of
the tragic death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski in April
2010 the presidents political party, PiS (Law & Justice), lob-
bied heavily to have the CSC renamed for him. The request
was politely, respectfully, refused.
Given the stunning, futuristic sight - all glass and steel that
greets visitors at the 93 million (half of which came from the
EU, half of which came from the Polish taxpayer) CSC today,
its a little ironic that the buildings origins are slightly more
humble. The idea of creating the centre first took shape
at the informal Science Picnics outdoor science, culture
and art events aimed at the general public that have been
held in Warsaws Rynek Nowego Miasta since 1997. The
idea of the picnics (which were organised by Polskie Radio,
strangel y enough) was to bring popular science to the
masses through handson experiments. Each year, as the
numbers of scientists, universities, schools and members
of the general public taking part grew, it became clear that
there was an expanding interest in science in Warsaw, while
the large numbers of foreign visitors who came to the events
suggested that there was an untapped market in the region
for hands-on scientific learning. Construction of the CSC was
the natural next step, though it took a number of years to
secure the site and funding.
Given the ad hoc Science Picnic origins of the CSC, it is no
surprise that the museum (if we can call it that) was opened
in a slightly ad hoc, it-will-be-all-right-eventually fashion. The
opening show, Wielki Wybuch (The Big Bang), directed by
Peter Greenaway and Saskia Boddeke, was a little under-
whelming (and at certain points quite bizarre), while visitors
to the centre in the first couple of weeks were greeted by an
annoyingly large number of this exhibit is temporarily out of
order signs. Yet throughout 2011 as the CSC rolled out sec-
tions of the museum to the public it quickly became clear that
this is unquestionably the very best science centre in Europe,
and today visitors can enjoy a fully completed attraction.
Visiting Today
Arriving at the main doors at the north end of the building,
you will be met by the centres very own Robothespian. A fully
programmable humanoid robot, the Robothespian was de-
veloped in Britain by the Eden Project in Cornwall. He speaks,
interacts, mimics and performs, and visitors can prompt him
to make a number of sounds, speech and movements by the
adjacent control panel. This will keep the kids busy while you
queue at the central ticket desk where you will be given a set
of credit card-style entrance passes. You should keep hold
of these as not only do they allow you to enter and exit the
building throughout the day, but they will also become your
ID card as you move through the exhibitions, many of which
allow you to record your results (which are stored and then
emailed to you afterwards).
Passing through the barriers, the first display you come
to is a huge swinging ball. The ball swings backwards and
forwards, periodically knocking over mallets that strike a
bell as they fall. These bells are lined up around the swinging
ball in a circle and although the ball swings in a straight line
backwards and forwards, the knocking over of the mallets
proves that the earth is constantly, actually rotating.
Having admired this, the interactive exhibitions begin. First of
all, register your card with your name and email address at
one of the terminals so that you will be identified as you prog-
ress through the CSC. You currently have over 350 experi-
ments to visit, spread over two floors and six areas: Roots of
Civilisation, Bzzz! (for preschool children) and RE:generation
117
(for young adults) on the ground floor, and Humans and the
Environment, LightZone and On the Move located upstairs.
Each area demonstrates a range of phenomenon by way of
experiments, button pressing, quizzes and in some cases
physical exertion with the aim of helping you to discover the
secrets of the world around us.
Not only will you learn an awful lot, but the place is great fun,
especially if you are (or are with) a child. Theres a genuine
flying carpet, you can pilot a spaceship, take a picture of your
own eye (and then try to recognise it among the others pho-
tographed that day), discover who or what is living next to us
in a major city, get involved in some crime solving or - and this
was our favourite - try to outdo animals at their own game by
out-hanging an Orangutan or beating a hippo in a race at the
arena. Theres plenty to do and you can easily spend a whole
morning or afternoon there trying everything, particularly if
you stumble on a day free of the ever-present school groups.
Additional hands-on activities geared especially towards
teens can be found in the Re: generation Zone, where visitors
over 14 can experiment with psychology, sociology, econom-
ics or biotechnology through 80 multimedia exhibits - we
swear weve never seen teens more effusive and excited
as they tried to identify a monkeys emotions, or finish lyrics
to popular songs. Theres also four interactive labs dealing
with chemistry, biology, physics and robotics that offer
supervised experiments for kids over 13 (instructions are
in Polish however) and an outdoor Discovery Park filled with
installations lining the Wisa.
The attached Heavens of Copernicus planetarium adds
yet another option for visiting science buffs as it immerses
attendees in 20 million stars thanks to a giant spherical
screen that surrounds the 137 seats on all sides. The seven
different 40-minute films (which require heads ets for English)
COPERNICUS SCIENCE CENTRE
Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki
Kopernik) G-2, ul. Wybrzee Kociuszkowskie 20,
tel. (+48) 22 596 41 00, www.kopernik.org.pl. Q
Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. Closed
Mon. Last entrance 1 hour before closing. Note that the
Planetarium has different opening hours. Open 09:30
- 20:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 09:30 - 21:30. Closed Mon. Admis-
sion 22/13-16z, family ticket 57z. (2adults+2children).
Use of the labs costs an additional 18/14z. Note that
you must buy a separate ticket for the Planetarium.
Admission 18z/11-14z, family ticket 47z.
Getting in
are geared towards different age ranges and interests - tots
will delight in the Sesame Street show One World, One Sky
while teens will prefer the more mysterious Black Holes:
Journey into the Unknown. Before each film is a 20-minute
live show (which is unfortunately only in Polish, though still
interesting due to the impressive venue) about the skies
over Warsaw that changes with the seasons .School groups
dominate the Planetariums seats during daytime hours, and
booking tickets in advance is highly recommended - when
we dropped in only one of the eight daily shows had avail-
able space.
Its easy to declare that the centre is well-worth a few hours of
your time and will impress you with its design and range of ex-
periments. Factor in the main floor cafeteria and the packed
Science Store (potentially the best spot for childrens gifts
in Warsaw) and its a one-stop day of fun. The staff is keen,
very helpful and English-speaking; we saw many interacting
happily with kids and helpfully controlling the chaos. If there
is one gripe we have it would concern the Robotics show,
which can be found inside the Roots of Civilisation section.
The 20-minute show we saw told an embarrassingly bad
story about a robot that wants to become human in order
to marry a princess, and used language that seemed slightly
out of reach for young children. The various accents can also
be baffling (one robot sounds like a drunken Sean Connery)
and the robots themselves are like stiff mannequins that
move back and forth on a small track. Completely skippable.
Considering the size and scope of this operation, one minor
flaw in an otherwise awe-inspiring complex is a feat unseen
in Warsaw. And if truth be told, it would have been very hard
to imagine such a potentially world-class visitor attraction
being built in this city just a few years ago. Yet here it is, which
ought to be worth an exhibit in and of itself about how the
impossible can become possible.
118
LEISURE
Golf
First Warsaw Golf and Country Club ul. Golfowa
44, Jabonna, tel. (+48) 22 782 45 55, www.firstwar-
sawgolf.com. Enjoy a year-round driving range with 36
balls costing 15z, and an 18-hole golf course for 125-250z
(price depending on the day). QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat,
Sun 07:30 - 19:00.
Golf Park Driving Range ul. Vogla 19 (Wilanw),
tel. (+48) 22 424 70 83, www.golfparkspoland.pl. For
25z you get 50 balls for use on the driving range. QOpen
08:00 - 22:00.
Golf Park Jzefw ul. Telimeny 1, Jzefw, tel. (+48)
22 778 30 90, www.holiday.aquila.pl. Opened in 2007
Golf Swing features a six hole course, flood lit driving range,
golf classes and club rental. The course is open outside of
winter while the driving range is open all year round with
45 balls costing 20zl. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun
09:00 - 22:00.
Golf Parks Poland ul. Vogla 19 (Wilanw), tel. (+48)
22 424 70 83, www.golfparkspoland.pl. A driving range
and six-hole course for 30zl per hour. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00.
Horse riding
Anka Rancho Horse Riding ul. Wawrzyniecka 25,
Glinianka, tel. (+48) 602 30 48 61, www.ankaran-
cho.pl. Q Open 09:00 - 13:00, 15:00 - 19:00. From
September open Sat, Sun only 10:00 - 13:00, 14:00 till
dusk. Phone reservation two days in advance. One hour
horse riding 50z.
Wilczeniec Country Club (Klub Wiejski Wilcze-
niec) ul. Kocielna Droga 10, omianki, tel. (+48)
22 751 97 77, www.wilczeniec.pl. English speaking
instruction also available. QOpen 10:00 - 19:00. Closed
Mon. 60z/40 minutes of riding in a closed corral with
assistance, 40z/40 minutes ri ding outsi de the corral
on your own.
Outdoor Attractions & Parks
Playground F-6, ul. Odyca 6, www.ogrodjordanowski.
pl. A huge complex of climbers, slides, sandpits, swings and
more unusual contraptions to keep both very small and not
so small kids busy. Parents drink coffees at the cafe on the
grounds. Keep your eyes open for kiddie events. Q Open
08:00 till dusk. Admission free.
Zoo C-1, ul. Ratuszowa 1/3, tel. (+48) 22 619 40 41,
www.zoo.waw.pl. Opened in 1928, Warsaw Zoo covers
an area of 40 hectares and attracts some 500,000 visi-
tors each year. Four elephants, a family of seals and a lion
cub were added to the current collection of reptiles, birds
and tigers. Conditions have improved dramatically in recent
years, though a visit here will do little to change any opinions
you have on locking animals in cages. As with every major
Warsaw landmark, the zoo has plenty of war stories. It was
bombed at the beginning of the conflict and by 1945 all the
animals had either been killed, deported to the Third Reich,
eaten by locals or escaped into the wild. Zoo director, Jan
abiski, became something of a hero; wounded during
the 1944 Uprising, abiski helped save countless lives by
sheltering Jewish orphans inside the grounds of the zoo. The
zoo officially re-opened in 1949. Q Open 09:00-18:00. Last
entrance 1 hour before closing. Admission 18/13z. Children
under 3 years free.
Adrenaline Sports
Mr. Quad ul. Tysiclecia 59a, Otwock, tel. (+48) 22
788 45 14, www.mrquad.pl. Q Open by prior arrange-
ment. 10 quads, 246z per day (12 hrs) per one quad.
Silt Paintball, tel. (+48) 503 41 41 75, www.paint-
ball.silt.pl. A minimum of ten people in a group generally
required so call in advance. Q 60z per person, equipment
plus 200 shells.
Bike Rental
Wygodny Rower C-3, ul. Smolna 10, tel. (+48) 888 94
99 49, www.wygodnyrower.pl. Choose from two different
styles of bicycles for cruising around the city. A full day will
cost 40z, 24 hours is 50z. Both require a returnable deposit
of 200zl. Also at (C-3) Al. Jerozolimskie 4. QOpen 11:00 -
20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Bowling & Billiards
Arco Bowling Alley D-5, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej
1920r. 19, tel. (+48) 22 668 75 91, www.arco-
bowling.pl. Two fl oors, 32 lanes, restaurant and club.
80-150z per l ane per hour, shoes and i nstructor i n-
cluded. QOpen 16:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun
12:00 - 22:00.
Klub ArenA A-4, ul. Paska 61, tel. (+48) 22 620 47
08, www.bilard.waw.pl. Billiards fans can take advantage
of Klub ArenAs multiple pool tables as well as access to
foosball, darts, a well-stocked bar and plenty of space for
lounging. Q Open 12:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00,
Sun 15:00 - 01:00. From September open 12:00 - 02:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 04:00.
Entertainment centres
Hulakula Leisure Centre C-3, ul. Dobra 56/66 (Uni-
versity Library), tel. (+48) 22 552 74 00, www.hulakula.
com.pl. Includes a bowling alley, club, restaurant, pool hall,
climbing wall and indoor playground for children. QOpen
12:00 - 24:00, Thu 12:00 - 01:00, Fri 12:00 - 03:00, Sat
10:00 - 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00.
Spin City ul. Powstacw lskich 126A (Cinema City,
Bemowo), tel. (+48) 22 560 42 42, www.spincity.pl.
Open 10:00-24:00 Sun-Thurs, 10:00-02:00 Fri, Sat. Admis-
sion for bowling is 40-99zl per hour. Features a bowling alley,
a bar with pool tables and darts and a video games area.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00.
Fitness & Gyms
Pure Health and Fitness A-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote
Tarasy), tel. (+48) 22 379 77 77, www.purepoland.
com. Third floor of Zote Tarasy, with facilties including
gym, jacuzzi, sauna and solarium. QOpen 06:00 - 22:30,
Sat 08:00 - 22:30, Sun 08:00 - 21:00.
Hulakula Bowling Al-
ley C-3, ul. Dobra 56/66
(University Library), tel.
(+48) 22 552 74 00,
www.hul akul a.com.pl .
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Thu
12:00 - 01:00, Fri 12:00 - 03:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00,
Sun 10:00 - 24:00. 50-120z per hour. Shoes included.
119
LEISURE
Racquet Sports
AZS Tennis Club H-2, ul. Zieleniecka 2, tel. (+48) 22
619 15 40. Tennis round the clock. QOpen 07:00 - 24:00.
Admission 35-55z per hour.
City Tennis Club G- 6, ul. Merliniego 2, tel. (+48)
695 83 68 80, www.citytennisclub.pl. Located on ul.
Merlini ego, they of fer tennis courts (30-90z/per hour),
l essons wi th an English-speaking instructor (70-160z/
per hour), equipment rental (by prior arrangement) and
soci al l essons for expats. They al so cooperate wi th
partner courts on: (F-1) ul. Mi dzyparkowa 4, and (H-7)
ul. Inspektowa 1 and (G-6) ul. Piaseczynska 71. QOpen
06:00 - 24:00.
Squash City Al. Jerozolimskie 179 (CH Blue City,
Ochota), tel. (+48) 22 499 64 66, www.squashcity.pl.
Nine air-conditioned courts. QOpen 07:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun
09:00 - 22:00. Admission 30-65z.
Spa & Beauty
Franck Provost C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 58a, tel. (+48)
22 826 81 01, www.franckprovost.pl. French-trained
English-speaking stylists offering unisex hair treatment
and styling from 100z to 350z. Manicure and pedicure
also available as well as cosmetic products by LOreal
and Kerastase. Also at (G-5) ul. Puawska 25a, which has
expanded spa servi ces like massage and mi croderm-
abrasion. QOpen 07:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00, Sun
10:00 - 17:00.
Pardon My French G- 5, ul . Bel wederska 32,
tel . (+48) 22 240 62 90, www.pardonmyf rench.
pl . Upscal e sal on devoted sol el y to nai l care i n al l
i t s f or ms. Fi nd covet ed shel l ac mani cur es, spa
pedi cures, paraf fi n hand massages and much more.
Al so home to practi cal l y ever y OPI col our ever cre-
ated. QOpen 09: 00 - 20: 00, Sat 09: 00 - 17: 00.
Cl osed Sun.
Swimming
Aquapark Wesolandia ul. Wsplna 4 (Wesoa),
tel . (+48) 22 773 91 91, www.wesol andi a.pl .
I ncl udes a j uni or swi mmi ng pool, Jacuzzi, sl i de, fi tness
centre. Length 25m, depth 1.1-1. 8m. Note that they
wi l l be cl osed from September 3-11. Q Open 07:00
- 22:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. 12-17z per hour. Al l
day ti ckets 19-25z.
Polna F-4, ul. Polna 7a, tel. (+48) 22 825 71 34, www.
osir-polna.pl. Includes a kids pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and water
slide. Length 25m, depth 1.25-1.8m. QOpen 06:30 - 21:30.
Admission 15/10z per hour.
Sungate Beauty & Spa B-3, Pl.
Powstacw Warszawy 2, tel. (+48)
517 01 28 80, www.spasungate.
pl. The menu of services available at
Sungate is staggering: from facials
and every imaginable type of massage
(shea butter to aromatherapy) to wax-
ing and nailcare they have you covered
from head to foot. Package for couples, women and
just regular folks who like to indulge are also available.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00.
b e a u t y & s p a
120
d may l ook l i ke i ts pro-
nounced Lodz, but it most cer-
tainly isnt. Think of it as Woodge,
and three hundred years ago a
visit here would have produced
the sight of little more than one
man and his dog. In terms of
age d is one of the young-
est cities in the country, and a
direct product of the Industrial
Revolution. And while d can-
not boast the twee charisma of
Prague and Krakw a scratch
of the surface rewards the intrepid traveller with a city
stuffed with wacky stories, dark history and some of the
countries finest after-dark venues youll find them all
inside our 13th issue of d In Your Pocket; Polands
first comprehensive English-language guide to the city.
d In Your Pocket
Getting there
Lodz lies 140km south west of Warsaw and is easily ac-
cessed by train. When modernization finishes Lodz will be
within an hours reach of Warsaw, but for the time being
journey time is around one hour and forty minutes, while they
continue to work on the new high speed link. If youre travelling
from the capital youll need to book a ticket running to d
Fabryczna train station. The city centre is directly across the
road from the main entrance: take the underpass and carry
on walking west and youll find yourself on the main street,
ulica Piotrkowska, within ten minutes. For longer journeys
taxis stand directly outside the main entrance, though travel-
lers should only use cabs that are clearly marked.
Some basics
d first appeared in written records in 1332 under the
name of odzia and remained little more than a rural back-
water for the following centuries, with a population numbering
just 800 as late as the 16th century.
The birth of modern d as we know it can be traced to 1820,
when statesman, philosopher and writer Stanisaw Staszic be-
gan a campaign to turn the Russian-controlled city into a centre
of manufacturing. The first cotton mill was opened in 1825
and by 1839 the first steam-powered factory in Poland and
Russia was officially christened. A massive influx of workers
from as far afield as Portugal, England and France flooded the
city, though the mainstay of the towns population remained
Poles, Germans and Jews. Within a matter of decades d
had grown into the biggest textile production centre in the
Russian Empire, during which time vast fortunes were made
and lost by the major industrialist families.
By the outbreak of WWI the town stood out as one of the
most densely populated cities on the planet with a popula-
tion of approximately 13,000 people per square kilometre.
But hard times were around the corner; the inter-war years
signaled an end to the towns Golden Age, and the loss of
Russian and German economic markets led to strikes and
civil unrest that were to become a feature of inter-war d.
Things were about to get worse: the outbreak of WWII saw
the city annexed into The Third Reich.
The following six years of occupation left the population
decimated with 120,000 Poles killed, and an estimated
300,000 Jews perishing in what was to become known as
the Litzmannstadt ghetto. Following the war, and with much
of Warsaw in ruins, d was used as Polands temporary
capital until 1948. The wholesale war-time destruction of
Warsaw also saw many of Polands eminent artists and
cultural institutes decamp to the nearest big city; that city
was d, and today the town can boast a rich cultural
heritage, with Polands leading film school, one of the most
important modern art galleries in Europe, and an exciting
underground culture.
Today d is a city slowly rediscovering itself, growing in
confidence and coming to terms with its patchy history.
Overlooked by many visitors to Poland, this is a city full of
hidden charms: from the awesome palaces that belonged to
the hyper-rich industrialists who made the city, to Europes
l ongest pedestrian street (Piotrkowksa) to the largest
municipal park in Europe. Youll find everything you need to
know about the city in our print guide to d, as well as our
full content online at www.inyourpocket.com.
Manufaktura
How many times have you heard a shopping centre call itself
More than a shopping centre? In the case of Manufaktura, for
once the hyperbole is entirely justified. For this is indeed more
than a shopping centre. In fact, we really shouldnt be calling
it a shopping centre at all. Covering a space of 150,000m
2

Manufaktura does of course feature a mall with endless
shopping opportunities, but that would not tell the full story.
Manufaktura today i s the resul t of Pol ands l argest
renovation project since the reconstruction of Warsaws
Old Town in the 1950s. Originally a series of factories that
were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century the
restoration of the old factories quite simply has to be seen to
be believed. Enter through the Poznaski gate, where workers
used to file through everyday on their way to the mills, and
youll arrive at the projects ground zero: the 30,000m
2
Rynek
(main square). Featuring Europes longest fountain the square
is the cultural hub, with restaurants, fitness club and IMAX
cinema crowded around it. A full program of events is planned
to keep things lively, including pop concerts, beer festival and
big screen showings of sports events.
Manufaktura is visited by close on 20 million visitors a year and
has become the new heart of the city. For the more languorous
character two electric tramlines have also been added to ferry
visitors from one end of the complex to the other. And in spite
all of this Manufaktura remains very much a work in progress
with new additions and changes happening all the time. The
complex can boast a state of the art 4-star Andels hotel, a
Museum of Art as well as the History of Lodz museum set in
the palace of the former mill owner Izrael Poznanski.
heteIs kestaurants Cafs kightIife 5ightseeing vents Maps
L00Z
May - August zezz
N19 - 5z| (W lyr 8 vAT)
|odz.|ryourpoc|el.cor
l33N 189-119
0anieI
Libeskind
From local boy to world-
renowned architect
jewish Ledz
Follow our historic
walking tour
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122
SHOPPING
Alcohol
Of course you didnt come to Poland just for the booze,
but while youre here itd be rude not to check out what the
country has to offer. Primarily that means vodka, with the two
most highly regarded clear Polish vodkas being Belvedere
and Chopin. Find them in any alcohol store. Others to watch
for include ubrwka - thats the one with the blade of bison
grass inside - krupnik, a sweet honey vodka, and winiwka,
a sickly sweet cherry drink usually consumed after meals.
Finally, check Goldwasser, a unique elixir characterized by the
22 karat gold flakes floating in it. Bottle shops are numerous
in Poland, as common as cabbage, though the ones we list
come guaranteed to have no tramps or underage teens.
Chopin Luxury A-4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel.
(+48) 22 222 01 03, www.chopinvodka.com. More than
an off-license, more like everything youve ever wished for
before embarking on a Leaving Las Vegas session. Expect
cream-of-the-crop alcohols of every name and origin, not just
Polish. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00.
Ekskluzywne Alkohole M&P E-3, ul. Paska 81/83,
tel. (+48) 22 652 85 22, www.wina-mp.pl. Wines and
assorted alcohol from Poland and across the world. QOpen
08:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun.
Vinoteka La Bodega C-4, ul. Nowy wiat 6/12, tel.
(+48) 22 745 46 10, www.vinoteka.pl. A smart outlet
located in the building that used to serve as the home to the
Polish Communist party. Alongside a very good restaurant
find a retail outlet offering a wide range of wines from around
the world as well as high-end spirits and wine accessories.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 24:00.
Amber & Jewellery
Vodka isnt the only golden nectar popular in Poland; the
country is renowned for its amber and the craftsmen who
handsomely shape the fossilised resin into unique and cov-
eted pieces of jewellery. Come back from PL without bringing
baby some Baltic Gold and youve booked yourself a stint
in the doghouse. The best place to begin your search is the
Old Town, which is filled with purveyors of amber baubles.
Frey Wille C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 37, tel. (+48) 22 827
55 03, www.frey-wille.com. Fine jewellery and fashion ac-
cessories inspired by masters like Klimt and Mucha. QOpen
10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Galeria Artystycznego Rzemiosa B-2, ul. witojaska
23/25, tel. (+48) 22 831 94 23. Old Town store filled with
all measure of amber options as well as glassware, all housed
immaculately behind glass cases. One of the only shops where
prices are clearly displayed on all of the pieces, which gets our
thumbs up. QOpen 12:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 19:00.
Kelly Melu Al. Jerozolimskie 42, tel. (+48) 22 827 33
74, www.kellymelu.pl. The number of young men jostling
to make purchases for their sweethearts should tell you all
you need to know about Kelly Melu jewellery: its popular, its
stylish and its affordable. The brightly-coloured bracelets
with charms appear to be the current must-have. QOpen
11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun.
Mokobelle G-3, ul. Wilcza 3 (entrance at Mokotowska
54), tel. +48 607 07 37 15, www.mokobelle.pl. Modern
jewellery from Polish and other European designers and
friendly staff thats eager to let you try it on. QOpen 11:00
- 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Its not Dubai, its not Hong
Kong, its not Milan and its
not London. Warsaw has a
long way to go before its re-
garded as a shopping mecca,
but the city is seeing true
growth in the array of shops
available and the number of
big-name labels that are opening storefronts. Whether
its western style malls, designer boutiques, dusty family
stores or antique markets a day spent shopping can result
in both bargains and treasures, and theres presents to be
had for everyone on your list (including yourself).
Wife or girlfriend
When we think of what the ladies would like, one word
comes to mind: amber. Poland is well known as the
best place to find handsomely shaped fossilised resin,
and you can easily nab a piece that will please at the
appropriately named World of Amber or famed Polish
jeweller W. Kruk.
Husband or boyfriend
One word: vodka. Another word: lard. Take home Polands
famous nectar and a container of smalec (spreadable
lard) and youll make any man happy. Krakowski Kre-
dens carries tubs of the greasy stuff, while youll find
popular Polish vodka brands like ubrwka and Belvedere
at Chopin Luxury and M&P.
Brother
Euro 2012 may be over, but football is always popular in
Poland and Intersport at Zlote Tarasy carries all the
gear to get fully kitted out. Grab your brother an official
national team jersey in bright red and white and hell feel
like his sporting best.
Sister
If sis is a stylish gal head to Morka+in Saska Kepa for
the fashion-forward pieces created by Polish designer
Ewa Morka. For high-end options the new domMody
VITKAC is filled with name brands like Gucci and Alex-
ander McQueen, and the Likus Concept Store is one
of our fashion favourites.
Child
If youre looking for souvenir-y staples like bright red
Polska onesies and dolls dressed in traditional Polish
garb, look no further than Cepelia. For something on the
educational end of the spectrum we recommend you raid
the Science Store at the Copernicus Science Centre;
games, experiments and books for all ages await.
Mom
Give mom some monk-like zen with soaps and lotions
from Produkty Benedyktyskie, which carries a variety
of products created by the brothers at Tyniec Abbey in
Krakow. If she skews towards sweets then snag a box
Polish truffles at Pijalnie Czekolady Wedel.
Dad
If your dad is anything like ours he can lose hours of his
life in interesting vintage bookshops. Warsaw is packed
with them, and Antykwariat Lamus is one of the best
for old postcards, unique prints, old books and yellowing
maps from last century.
Shopping at a Glance
123
SHOPPING
W.Kruk C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 11/19, tel. (+48) 661 98
05 74, www.wkruk.pl. Polish jewellery, amber and watches
from various international brand names including Emporio
Armani, Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, Maurice Lacroix, Longines,
Anne Klein. Watches only available at these locations: (C-4) Pl.
Trzech Krzyy 8, ul. Okopowa 58/72 (D-1, Klif) and Pl. Konstytucji
6 (F-4). QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
World of Amber B-2, ul. witojaska 11, tel. (+48)
22 831 16 00, www.worldofamber.pl. This is truth in ad-
vertising at its best. World of Amber is, literally, a world filled
with all things amber. Interested in a three-masted pirate ship
made of amber? How about a goblet trimmed in amber? A
glasses case? Beyond these unusual trinkets World of Amber
also has the usual beads, rings, neck-breaking pendants and
bracelets that are a must-have souvenir. The shop has a large
number of knowledgeable staff, which means youre never
left lingering over a glass case waiting in vain for service.
Which we like even more than the chess set made entirely of
amber. We swear. Also at (B-2) ul. witojaska 14, (B-2) ul.
Piwna 12/14 and (B-2) ul. Piwna 26. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00.
Antiques & Art Galleries
A walk through the streets of old and new town is usually
enough to fulfil antiquarian designs, as will a short mooch
along Mokotowska. However, anybody whose anybody will
tell you the real treasures are found elsewhere, namely the
excellent Bazar Na Kole, an open-air market where haggling
and bargaining are considered de rigeur. For full details on
that check Markets. If youre planning on taking an artwork
out of the country, and it was produced prior to 1945, you
will need authorisation to permit you to do so. Most shops
will be able to provide you with this straight off the bat, but
do check beforehand.
, budyoo| WOLl kACKA, u|. toc|o 9, Wotszowo
Anytkwariat Lamus B-1, ul. Nowomiejska 7, tel.
(+48) 22 831 63 21, www.lamus.pl. On first glance youll
spot the shelves packed with old books and encyclopaedias
and want to thumb your nose, but a further peek inside
Lamus reveals bins of prints waiting to be sifted through.
Old Warsaw cityscapes, drawings of Polish flora and fauna
and even the off bit of vintage erotica can be found by those
intrepid enough to dig, and the walls are hung with old maps
that are also for sale. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 -
15:00. Closed Sun.
Desa Modern F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 2, tel. (+48) 664 98
14 60, www.desamodern.pl. Modern art courtesy of some
of the biggest names in Polish contemporary art circles.
Galeria aBo Art B-2, ul. Piwna 12/14, tel. (+48)
604 78 18 81, www.aboart.eu. Miniscule Old Town
art gallery that sells only works by Polish artists. Water-
colours of Old Town landmarks, metal art, painted silks,
gl assware and j ewell ery all j umbl ed together for your
perusal. A unique local offering. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00,
Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Lapidarium B-1, ul. Nowomiejska 15/17, tel. (+48)
509 60 18 94, www.lapidarium.pl. We can (and probably
have) spend hours at Lapidarium wandering the cluttered
rooms filled with all manner of junk and we say that with
love. Old uniforms, reproduction propaganda posters, busts
of Lenin, ancient record players and even old farm equipment
fights for your attention here. Give yourself time to wander
and accumulate a weird selection for purchase. How to
spot this place? Look for the antique bicycle and spindle
sitting outside the entrance. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun
13:00 - 19:00.
124
SHOPPING
NEW
Van Den Berg Galeria Sztuki ul. Emilii Plater 12
lok. 1, tel. (+48) 512 57 62 01, www.galeriaberg.
com. Whats a South Afri can doing in Warsaw? Selling
art, of course. And not j ust any art customers wi l l
find the work of Sal vador Dali mingling wi th that of the
owners father Riaan Van Den Berg and Polish artists
l i ke Andrzej Krawczak. Owner Adri aan Van Den Berg
ami abl y gui des vi si tors through the col l ecti on, whi ch
includes biographi es of all the artists. A must-visi t for
devoted art coll ectors. QOpen 12:00 - 15:00, Thu, Fri,
Sat, Sun 12:00 - 19:00.
Books, Music & Films
Good luck finding your morning paper, despite the millions
of flights that land each morning at Okcie most English
language dailys dont hit the shops until the afternoon,
sometimes not till the next day. The most comprehensive
source of foreign press can be found at EMPiK, though
Traffic and Relay (main hall of central train station) also
stock a smattering of titles. Also try the newsagents found
in five star hotels. As far as magazines are concerned,
EMPiK blows the competition out of the water, though you
can expect to pay a hefty mark-up for your mag of choice.
For books check out one of the American Bookstores scat-
tered around the city.
EMPiK C-4, ul. Nowy wiat 15/17, tel. (+48) 22 627
06 50, www.empik.com. A hefty selection of international
magazines and newspapers as well as music, video games
and movies. Theres also an EMPiK megastore nearby at
ul. Marszakowska 116/122 QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun
11:00 - 19:00.
Traffic Club C- 4, ul. Bracka 25, tel. (+48) 22 692
14 50, www.traffic-club.pl. Vast multi-level store selling
English-language books, DVDs, CDs and foreign language
press. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00.
Fashion & Accessories
The stylish denizens of Warsaws streets are an easy indi-
cator that fashion is important in the capital city. Trot out
anything less than your best and it wont go unnoticed, we
promise you. With the opening of dom mody VITKAC the city
has seen the arrival of major labels like Gucci and Lanvin,
and the Likus Concept Store is a reliable go-to for the latest
designer offerings. But you dont have to stick to the big
fashion houses here. Polish stores like Tatuum and Morka+
offer distinct style at reasonable prices, so kit yourself out
accordingly. For lots of options in one location check out
Warsaws shopping centers like Zlote Tarasy and Arkadia.
Blind Concept Store C-4, ul. Mokotowska 63/100,
tel. (+48) 501 77 06 61. The word quirky was invented
for shops like this one, which sells everything from neon-
coloured rubber flats to tote bags covered in skulls. Eclectic
j ewell ery and bi zarre kni ckknacks (cupcake-fl avoured
lipgloss, anyone?) round out the experience. QOpen 11:00
- 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Carolina Herrera C-4, ul. Mysia 5, tel. (+48) 22 412 36
00, www.carolinaherrera.com. The eponymous high-end
designer opens her first Warsaw store for women loyal to great
style. Find clothing, accessories and fragrances inside this
elegant showroom. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00.
Likus Concept Store C-3, ul. Bracka 9, tel. (+48) 22
310 73 13, www.likusconceptstore.pl. The Likus Con-
cept Stores are one of the leading designer brand retailers in
Poland and Warsaws version is now housed at the high-end
dom mody VITKAC shopping centre, where it rubs shoulders
with labels like Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. Which
should tell you straight away that Likus is no slouch when
it comes to fashion: the new store is well stocked with all
the Lanvin, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent you could
ask for. The decor of washed grey walls and shelves of old
books - and dont miss the antler chandelier near the dress-
ing rooms - make it look like the most stylish library on earth.
QOpen 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Moliera 2 B-2, ul. Moliera 2, tel. (+48) 22 827 70 99,
www.moliera2.com. Exclusive two level boutique featuring
collections by Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo and Ralph Lau-
ren. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Morka + ul. Jana Styki 1 (entrance from ul. Zwycizcw,
Saska Kpa), tel. (+48) 505 82 75 50, www.morkaplus.
com. This postage stamp-sized Saska Kepa boutique is filled
with the simple styles of local Polish designer Ewa Morka.
Designs cover casual and dress attire, and accessories like
handbags and jewelry are also on display. Browsing in this
mini-boutique will take minutes; its deciding how to spread
out your budget to cover all your wants that takes times.
Odzieowe Pole G-3, ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. (+48) 696
04 95 68. With no sign out front at this new location theres a
good chance youll trot right past Odzieowe Pole and not realise
what youre missing. Dont. Modern city fashion calls this funky
boutique home, and theres even a coffee bar offering lattes
while you browse. Find everything from work attire to cocktail
dresses on offer, including a stylish selection of accessories.
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 47/51
Mon-Fri 11.00-19.00, Sat 11.00-17.00
THE BEST GIFT SHOP IN WARSAW!
seashells, minerals and fossils
silver and amber jewellery
semiprecious stone necklaces
African and Asian handcraft
decorative stone products
125
SHOPPING
TFH Tymczasowy Butik B-4, ul. Szpitalna 8a, tel. (+48)
509 74 17 89. The nature of pop-up shops means you never
know where and when the citys hottest fashions will appear.
TFH plays up that temporality at its new boutique, created inside
Traffic Club, by using discarded materials like cardboard boxes
and cardboard drums to display its stock of stylish t-shirts,
handbags and hoodies. The wares of over 20 of Polands young
fashion designers can be found inside, including Rozwadowska
Bags, Alicja Saar and Odio Tees, and the stock includes acces-
sories and large pictorial books about what else? fashion.
QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00.
Food & Sweets
Food-wise Poland has plenty of edible delights that will
tempt (or shock) your friends, from delicious sausages and
preserves to jars of smalec (yep, thats spreadable lard for
your bread). Dine in true Polish style long after youve leapt
the border by bringing home traditional staples or any number
of the hearty sweets that end every Polish meal.
Delikatesy Blikle C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 35, tel. (+48) 22
828 63 25, www.blikle.pl. Aside from homemade cakes
and eclairs Polands most famous confectioner can boast
killer donuts, once enjoyed by a certain Charles de Gaulle.
QOpen 10:00 - 19:30, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Closed
on Sundays in August, but that may change in September.
Krakowski Kredens C-3, ul. Nowy wiat 22, tel. (+48)
696 49 00 11, www.krakowskikredens.pl. Upmarket Pol-
ish delicatessen selling jams, compotes, hams and cheeses.
Also on ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy). Open 09:00 - 22:00, Sun
09:00 - 21:00. QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00,
Sun 11:00 - 14:00.
Pl. Trzech Krzyy 3/4 F-4, ul. Hoa 1, tel. (+48) 22
622 14 16, www.plactrzechkrzyzy.com. Label-conscious
shoppers will delight in the mix of designers like Ralph
Lauren, Moncler, Salvatore Ferragamo and TODs that are
spread across mens and womens apparel and accessories.
Displays of pristinely-folded sweaters are immaculate, and
the staff is eager to search for any size - and have an ency-
clopaedic knowledge of which celebrities are sporting which
style. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Secret Life (of things) F-4, ul. Polna 18/20, tel. (+48)
22 412 48 11, www.secretlife.pl. Its hard to know how
to classify Secret Life since their bright, airy shop is home to
so many different things: theres a case of unique jewellery,
a room devoted to clothes and shoes, a pile of handbags,
and then a scattering of funky home decor items and knick-
knacks that demand your attention. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00,
Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.
Non-EU residents are entitled to claim
a VAT refund when the purchased
goods are exported in an unused
condition outside the EU in personal
luggage. Shop wherever you see the
Global Blue logo. The minimum total
purchase value with VAT per Tax Free
Form is 200pln. Keep the Tax Free
Form, have it stamped when leaving
the final point of departure from the EU and reclaim
your money. For full details check www.global-blue.com.
TAX FREE SHOPPING - GLOBAL BLUE
2 STAMP IT
3 REFUND
1 GET IT
Once youve found that perfect item, remember to ask the shop
staff for a Tax Free Form when youre paying for it.
Tax Free Shopping

For more details contact:
Global Blue Polska Sp. z o. o.
Phone: +48 22 500 18 51
e-mail: taxfree.pl@global-blue.com
www.global-blue.com
As a traveler residing in a
non-EU country you are entitled
to claim back the VAT on your
purchases when you bring them
home.
You will find Global Blue Tax
Free Shopping service in the
major shops of Poland.
Spend a minimum of 200PLN,
and save up to 12% of the
purchase price.
When youre leaving the country to head home
or to continue your journey, take your
purchases, receipt and passport to the customs
desk to get your Tax Free Form stamped. If
youre travelling on to another EU country, get
the stamp on your Tax Free Form at your final
point of departure from the EU.
Finally, show your stamped Tax Free Form and
passport to our staff at Global Blue Customer
Services or one of our partner refund points and
theyll issue your refund immediately.
126
SHOPPING
NEW
Manufaktura Cukierkw C- 3, ul. Nowy wiat
21, tel. (+48) 692 88 87 51, www.manufaktura-
cukierkow.pl. More an experi ence than a shoppi ng
venue, Manufaktura Cuki erkw puts candymaki ng on
di spl ay wi th a l arge open space that l ets customers
watch as the candy i s bei ng art ful l y created i n front
of thei r eyes. Chi l dren are understandabl y the shops
bi ggest draw as they stand dazzl ed by the producti on
process. The fi nal product i sn t bad ei ther, wi th fl avors
l i ke l emon honey and col a poppi ng of f your tongue.
QOpen 10:00 - 21:00.
Marks & Spencer F-3, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 06 50, www.marks-and-spencer.
com. Not exactly the food hall M&S are famous for back in
the UK, but nonetheless, situated at the back of the Marks
& Sparks clothing racks is a cracking little selection of hard-
to-find foods including lemon curd, own brand tomato soup,
Worcester sauce crisps, steak pie, chicken Kiev, tinned and
frozen curries and traditional lemonade. Also at: ul. Jana
Pawa II 82 (A-1, Arkadia), ul. Gbocka 15 (Targwek), ul.
Woloska 12 (E-7,Galeria Mokotw). QOpen 09:00 - 22:00,
Sun 09:00 - 21:00.
Pijalnie Czekolady Wedel B-3, ul. Szpitalna 8, tel.
(+48) 22 827 29 16, www.wedelpijalnie.pl. A Pol -
ish legend thats been operating since Karol Wedel first
opened a chocolate factory in 1851. Check the handmade
pralines. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun
10:00 - 21:00.
Produkty Benedyktyskie A-2, Al. Jana Pawa II
43a/35, tel. (+48) 22 838 21 02, www.benedicite.
pl. This shop, set up by the Benedi ctine monks of Tyniec
Abbey, sel l s such an astoundi ng vari ety of products
- cheese, j am, wi ne, beer, honey, tea, herbs, syrups,
meats - i t raises two eyebrows over how they find the
time. All the products are compl etel y natural, wi thout
pi gment, and unilaterall y excell ent and make excell ent
gi fts and can even be purchased through their (Polish
onl y) websi te. QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00.
Cl osed Sun.
Gifts & Souvenirs
Polish glass and amber are highly thought of, though i f
you want something clutz-proof then Polish linen, lace
and woodwork all look lovely on someone elses mantle.
Folk art is an easily recognizable symbol of Poland, as is a
magnet of the countrys favorite hero and saint-in-waiting
Pope John Paul II. For the lads, pick up a Polski football shirt
or scarf off any of the stalls that spring up unannounced
around central station.
Artis Galeria Sztuki Uytkowej F-3, ul. Emilii Plater
47, tel. (+48) 22 620 59 30, www.artisgaleria.pl. Folkish
souvenirs including religious icons, angels, dolls, tapestries
and carvings. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 14:00.
Closed Sun.
Art Manus G-4, ul. Mokotowska 41, tel. (+48) 22 627
21 04. Top quality Polish made linen on a street renowned
for its boutique elegance. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00
- 16:00. Closed Sun.
Bolesawiec Pottery A-4, ul. Prosta 2/14, tel. (+48)
22 624 84 08, www.ceramicboleslawiec.com.pl.
Brightly patterned hand-finished ceramics and tableware.
Cepelia B-4, ul. Marszakowska 99/101, tel. (+48)
22 628 77 57, www.cepelia.pl. Your first stop for tacky
souveniers. Amongst the tat also find traditional Polish handi-
crafts: table cloths, ceramics, glass etc. Also at ul. Krucza
23 (C-4) and ul. Chmielna 8 (C-3). QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat
11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun.
Intersport A- 4, ul. Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy), tel.
(+48) 12 444 88 88, www.intersport.pl. I f youre
a fan of the Polish nati onal football team this is your
HQ for all the of fi cial gear, from j erseys to shorts to the
balls themsel ves. Also a great spot for general sports
apparel shoul d you require i t. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00,
Sun 09:00 - 20:00.
Neptunea B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiecie 47/51,
tel. (+48) 22 827 97 05, www.neptunea.pl. A weird little
find selling decorative sea shells, minerals, fossils, silver
jewellery, oriental furniture and exotic crafts. An absolute
treasure, and a must visit if youre looking for a something
a little unique. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00.
Closed Sun.
Rock Shop B- 4, ul .
Zota 59 (Zote Tarasy),
tel. (+48) 22 222 07 00,
www. har dr ockcaf e. pl .
You know a ci ty has made
i t when i t gets a Hard Rock
Cafe and i s there anythi ng
whi ch says Ive been there
mor e t han a Har d Rock
Cafe t-shi r t? Ahem. Pi ck up the Warsaw one to add
to your col l ecti on at the shop i nsi de the HRC i n the
Zote Tarasy devel opment opposi te the trai n stati on.
Cl assi c t-shi r ts cost 99z, al l others run 105z. QOpen
09: 00 - 24: 00.
Markets
Cheapskates rejoice, while the closure of The Russian
Market hit bargain hunters hard Warsaw still has a very
decent spread of bazaars. While rumours of pickpockets are
at times exaggerated, do nonetheless exercise a degree of
vigilance while perusing the swag on show.
Koo Bazar D-2, ul. Obozowa 99, tel. (+48) 22 836
23 51. Quality flea market held each weekend from dawn
till dusk. Attracting buyers and sellers from across the
country this is exactly the place i f youve ever wanted to
own a Prussian helmet or set of palace doors from India
(yours for 16,000z). What else can you find? Weve spot-
ted pre-war posters advertising Polish toothpaste, early
19th century postcards, prewar bathroom fixtures and
grandfather clocks. Vinyl records go for as little as 1z.
Youll even find the occasional celeb looking for something
wacky to fill their top-floor penthouse with. The traders
themselves are a set of curious characters, and watching
these veterans at work is one reason alone to visit. While
early morning is the best time to snap up the rare finds,
1pm on the closing Sunday is the time to hit to try and
get the last minute bargains. The golden rule is to haggle
at all times. Paying the asking price means overpaying.
QOpen 06:00 - 18:00.
Photography Market F-5, ul. Batorego 10 (Stodoa
Club). Discount camera equipment inside the Stodoa
nightclub. Lenses, lamps, filters, negatives etc. Highly recom-
mended for those who take their photography seriously and
know what they are looking for. Q Open Sun 10:00-14:00.
127
SHOPPING
Arkadi a D- 1, Al .
Jana Pawa II 82, tel.
(+48) 22 323 67 67,
www.arkadia.com.
pl. If you cant find it in
Arkadia, you probably
never will. Covering a
total area of 287 000
m2 Arkadia stands out
as the biggest shopping mall in Central Europe. The five
floor leviathan contains everything you need to survive
Warsaw, so its little wonder we know of people who
spend their lives stalking around its corridors; approxi-
mately 45,000 - 70,000 people visit each day. It took
three years of work to complete, and now houses fashion
stores include Lacoste, Peek & Cloppenburg and Tommy
Hilfiger, as well as ubiquitous high street chains like Zara,
Esprit and Kappahl. A giant Saturn store takes care of
all your electronic needs: from DVDs to sound systems.
Carrefour takes a large chunk of the ground floor, though
most expats are making a beeline for the first Mark &
Spencers food department in the country. If you cant find
what youre after in there then head to Kuchnie wiata.
The shop is tiny but is home to everything from Marmite
and Pirri Pirri sauce to Weetabix, Cadburys Chocolate
and Dr Pepper. English language books are available
from American Bookstore, and foreign press from EM-
PiK. Entertainment comes in the form of a 15 screen
multiplex. Alongside some very decent dining options
is the microbrewery Bierhalle. Serving homemade beer
and plates of sausages, this is exactly the place to leave
the other half where he will be delightfully happy for a few
hours. Connected by 10 tram lines, 15 bus routes and
with space for 4,000 vehicles. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Sun 10:00 - 21:00.
FACTORY Outl et Pl .
Czerwca 1976r. 6 (Ursus),
tel. (+48) 22 478 22 70,
www.factory.pl. This outlet
centre is preoccupied with
fashion, offering top brand
names at 30-70% discounts
over other shopping malls. Recognisable names among
the brands include Pepe Jeans, Wrangler, Wittchen and
more. One of the only such outlet centres in Europe, you
can access it by taking the SKM train from rdmiecie
and getting off at SKM Ursus, or by catching bus 127 at
Dworzec Centralny and switching to bus 194 or 716 at
PKP Wlochy. Your final destination will be Ursus-Ratusz.
QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
dom handlowy VITKAC C-4, ul. Bracka 9, tel.
(+48) 22 310 73 13, www.vitkac.com. The giant
glowing Gucci sign will be your first hint that this isnt
your typical shopping centre, and the heavy security is
the second. Shoppers can find the popular Likus Concept
Store on the main level of the sprawling structure while
abels like Givenchy, Dsquared2, Alexander McQueen and
Yves Saint Laurent are spread over the remaining four
levels of shopping space, with roughly three employees
available for every browsing customer. The atmosphere
is more museum than mall, but if youre looking to splurge
on designer names then this is your headquarters. If
maxing out your credit card works up an appetite be
sure to head to Restauracja Concept 13, which offers
sweeping city views in a modern, open-concept space.
QOpen 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00.
Shopping malls
Z ote Tarasy A- 4, ul .
Zota 59, tel. (+48) 22 222
22 00, www.zlotetarasy.
pl. Warsaws monstrous train
station now has a new neigh-
bour - the sparkl i ng Zote
Tarasy compl ex. Of fi ci al l y
opened on February 7, 2007
by Warsaw mayor, Hanna
Gronkiewicz Waltz, the first
afternoon alone saw 64,000
people file through the doors.
The 250 million Euro project
includes 225,000m2 of office, retail and entertainment
space, with underground parking for 1,600 cars. Draw-
ing more than million visitors each month the complex
signals a bold shi ft away from the out-of-town malls
found in Warsaw, and familiar stores include Marks &
Spencers, Aldo, Polands first Body Shop, Hugo Boss,
Van Graf clothes store and EMPiK. For leisure, visitors
can not only visit Polands first Hard Rock Caf which
is split over 2 levels, but also a multiplex cinema and
more than 20 restaurants and bars spread over 5 levels,
including a Burger King. Designed by Jerde Partnership
International (whose founder, Jon Adams Jerde, designed
the Olympic Village for LA 1984), the central showpiece is
a 10,000m glass dome, fitted with a special mechanism
to both filter sunrays and to stop snow from building up.
Q Open 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00.
Kl i f D- 1, ul . Okopowa
58/72, tel. (+48) 22 531
45 00, www.kli f.pl. The
nati onwi de Kl i f chai n have
long been present in Warsaw,
though if you think youve seen
it all before then think again.
These chaps have rebranded
and re-launched with October
2008 refit resulting in the addi-
tion of new floors, an updated
design and a thorough facelift.
But as with all shopping centres the proof comes in the
pudding, ie the tenants. Now on show are top tags from
MaxMara to PennyBlack, as well outlets for casual faves
like Paul & Shark. For the juniors watch for Casper and
Mothercare. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00.
128
DIRECTORY
Germany G-4, ul. Jazdw 12, tel. (+48) 22 584 17 00,
www.warszawa.diplo.de.
Ireland C-4, ul. Mysia 5, tel. (+48) 22 849 66 33, www.
embassyofireland.pl.
Israel F-4, ul. Krzywickiego 24, tel. (+48) 22 597 05
00, www.israel.pl.
Italy F-2, Pl. Dbrowskiego 6, tel. (+48) 22 826 34 71,
www.ambvarsavia.esteri.it.
Lithuania G-3, Al. Ujazdowskie 14, tel. (+48) 22 625
33 68, pl.mfa.lt.
Netherlands H-4, ul. Kawalerii 10, tel. (+48) 22 559
12 00, www.nlembassy.pl.
Norway G-4, ul. Chopina 2a, tel. (+48) 22 696 40 30,
www.amb-norwegia.pl.
Russia G-5, ul. Belwederska 49, tel. (+48) 22 621 34
53, www.rusemb.pl.
Spain G-4, ul. Myliwiecka 4, tel. (+48) 22 583 40 00.
Sweden G-5, ul. Bagatela 3, tel. (+48) 22 640 89 00,
www.swedenabroad.com/warsaw.
United Kingdom G-4, ul. Kawalerii 12, tel. (+48) 22
311 00 00, www.ukinpoland.fco.gov.uk.
USA G-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31, tel. (+48) 22 504 20
00, poland.usembassy.gov.
Dentists
CCS Ludna G-3, ul. Ludna 10a, tel. (+48) 22 625 01
02, www.ccsludna.pl.
DentaLux D-6, ul. Racawicka 131, tel. (+48) 22 823
72 22, www.dentalux.pl.
Emergency Rooms
Centralny Szpital Kliniczny MSWiA E-6, ul. Wooska
137, tel. (+48) 22 508 15 10.
Szpital Kliniczny Dziecitka Jezus A-4, ul. Lindleya
4, tel. (+48) 22 502 15 25, www.szpital-clo.med.pl.
Ex-Pat Organizations
Alcoholics Anonymous B-4, ul. Radna 14 flat 3, www.
warsawaa.org. Meetings on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 18:30, Fri
20:30 and Sat at 11:00. Meetings at ul. Poznanska 38 on Wed
at 12:00 and Sun at 13:30. For more info visit the website.
Fantasy Role-Playing Group, tel. (+48) 504 34 64
06, creativecowboy@yahoo.com. English-language players
welcome for game that constructs collective story narratives
using high-level language communication and a few simple
rules. Wholesome fun, with newcomers always welcome and
encouraged. Contact R.A. for dates, times and locations.
International Womens Group of Warsaw, www.
iwgwarsaw.eu. Meetings are held twice a month on the
second Monday at the Sofitel between 10:30 and 12:30,
and on the fourth Monday of the month at Zolta Kaczka in
Zote Tarasy (A-4, ul. Zota 59) between 10:00 and 11:00.
For more information see www.iwgwarsaw.eu or contact
iwgwarsaw@yahoo.com
Genealogy
National Archive B-1, ul. Krzywe Koo 7, tel. (+48) 22
635 92 68, www.warszawa.ap.gov.pl.
Registry Office E-1, ul. Andersa 5, tel. (+48) 22 443
12 30, www.um.warszawa.pl.
International schools
American School of Warsaw ul. Warszawska 202,
Konstancin-Jeziorna, tel. (+48) 22 702 85 00, www.
aswarsaw.org.
Changing money is increasingly less fretful to do, but
as with most international destinations it is still worth
keeping checking rates particularly at entry points such
as airports or in major tourist areas. We check rates of a
selection of money exchange offices (kantors) every two
months. Here were their buying rates (how many zloty
you would get for one unit of foreign currency) for the
20.07.12 compared to the following National Bank of
Poland (NBP) published rates for that morning of Euro 1
= 4,1159z, US$ 1 = 3,36194z, GBP 1 = 5,2772z.
Aurex C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 33, tel. (+48) 22 626
92 60, www.aurex.biz.
1 Euro = 4.10zl,
1 Dollar = 3.34zl,
1 Pound = 5.26zl,
No commission.
Kantor A-4, Zote Tarasy, ul. Zota 59 (level 0), tel.
(+48) 22 222 12 34.
1 Euro = 4.08zl,
1 Dollar = 3.32zl,
1 Pound = 5.20zl,
No commission.
Pekao SA ul. wirki i Wigury 1 (Warsaw Frederick
Chopin Airport), tel. (+48) 22 650 45 34, www.
pekao.com.pl.
1 Euro = 4.04z,
1 Dollar = 3.29z,
1 Pound = 5.17z,
5% commission for euro and pound, 3% for dollars.
Currency exchange
24-hour pharmacies
Apteka G-5, ul. Puawska 39, tel. (+48) 22 849 37 57,
www.apteka.jollymed.pl.
Apteka Beata E-2, Al. Solidarnoci 149, tel. (+48)
22 620 08 18.
Business associations
American Chamber of Commerce F-3, Warsaw
Financial Centre, ul. Emilii Plater 53, tel. (+48) 22 520
59 99, www.amcham.pl.
British Polish Chamber of Commerce F-3, ul.
Nowogrodzka 12/3, tel. (+48) 22 622 20 56, www.
bpcc.org.pl.
Computer repair
iSource C-2, ul. Dobra 56/66 (University Library), tel.
(+48) 22 550 86 86, www.isource.pl. Authorized Apple
products service point. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00
- 14:00. Closed Sun.
Consulates & Embassies
Australia B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 11, tel. (+48) 22 521
34 44, www.australia.pl.
Austria H-5, ul. Gagarina 34, tel. (+48) 22 841 00 81,
www.ambasadaaustrii.pl.
Canada C-4, ul. Matejki 1/5, tel. (+48) 22 584 31
00, www.canada.pl.
France G-4, ul. Pikna 1, tel. (+48) 22 529 30 00,
www.ambafrance-pl.org.
129
DIRECTORY
Ecole Antoine de Saint- Exupry ul. Nobla 16
(Praga Poudnie), tel. (+48) 22 616 14 99, www.
saint-exupery.pl.
International American School ul. Dembego 18
(Ursynw), tel. (+48) 22 649 14 40, www.ias.edu.pl.
International European School ul. Wiertnicza
140 (Wilanw), tel. (+48) 22 842 44 48, www.ies-
warsaw.pl.
The British School ul. Limanowskiego 15 (Mokotw),
tel. (+48) 22 842 32 81, www.thebritishschool.pl.
Language schools
Edu&More B- 4, ul. Marszakowska 87 lok.81, tel.
(+48) 22 622 14 41, www.polishonlinenow.com.
Go from seeing Polish as a pile of consonants to fluency
with the fast and effective tutors at Edu & More, the 2011
Entrepreneurship Leader of the Year winners in the field
of innovations in teaching Polish. Individual and group les-
sons are tailor made to your capabilities, learn business
Polish to help with your job and busy students can opt for
online lessons. Bonus: your initial meeting with a tutor is
free of charge.
Private clinics
Damian Hospital G-3, ul. Foksal 3/5, tel. (+48) 22
566 22 22, www.damian.pl. English-speaking doctors
available at Foksal 07:30 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 18:00,
closed Sun. Also available at ul. Wabrzyska 46 (Suew)
07:00 - 21:00, Sat 07:00 - 20:00, Sun 08:00 - 16:00; at
Al. KEN 85 (Galeria Metro Bis, Ursynw) 08:00 -20:00, Sat
08:00 - 15:00, closed Sun.
LIM Medical Center A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79
(Marriott Hotel), tel. (+48) 22 33 22 888, www.cmlim.
pl. Also on ul. Domaniewska 41a, ul. 17 Stycznia 49, Al. Jana
Pawa II 78 (E-1), ul. Bobrowiecka 1 (H-6) and ul. Wooska 7.
Real estate
Knight Frank C-3, ul. Mokotowska 49, tel. (+48) 22
596 50 50, www.knightfrank.com.pl.
Ober - Haus Real Estate Advi sor s F- 2, ul .
Marszakowska 111, tel. (+48) 22 528 54 54, www.
ober-haus.pl. Long established experts in residential, office,
logistics and retail real estate, both in Poland and the Baltics.
Founded in 1994 the database includes all types of large
and small flats, luxury suites, houses and villas.
Religious Services
St Pauls English Speaking Catholic Parish C-3, ul.
Radna 14, tel. (+48) 600 38 49 16, www.warsawcatho-
lics.pl. English-language mass held each Sunday at 11:30.
Relocation companies
AGS Worldwide Movers ul. Julianowska 37, Piasec-
zno, tel. (+48) 22 702 10 72, www.agsmovers.com.
Take the stress out of an international move with reliable
AGS, who offer a range of independent services to comple-
ment their turnkey removals solutions. Free quotes can be
requested via their website.
Move One Relocations F-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79,
tel. (+48) 22 630 81 69, www.moveoneinc.com.
Translators & Interpreters
Komputekst ul. Midzyborska 82 (Praga-Poudnie),
tel. (+48) 22 825 40 50, www.komputekst.pl.
ARK^p]QYSXQYX
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I
t took fve seconds to transform Po-
land from a country bustling with
confdence into one wracked with
grief on a scale not seen since the Second
World War.
At some point on a nondescript Saturday
morning on April 10, the aircraf carrying
the president, his wife and 94 others
clipped a tree with its lef wing as it
approached Smolensk airport in western
Russia. Five seconds later, now devoid of
one wing, it barrel rolled anti-clockwise,
before slamming roof frst into the ground.
As news of the accident broke in Poland,
and one by one television channels
interrupted their regular services, news
readers struggled to contain their emotions
as they realised the devastating blow the
Smolensk disaster had dealt the country.
Along with President Kaczynski, and
Maria his wife, the casualty list read like a
whos who of the Polish elite.
Te head of the national bank, the
chief of the armed forces, the heads of the
navy and air force, two ministers, leading
politicians and dozens of others. Many
household names in Poland; now all dead.
Te irony that the Tupolev Tu-154
crashed at it was carrying a delegation
to mark the 70th-anniversary of the
Katyn massacre, when Stalins henchman
slaughtered Polands best, was not lost.
Te Soviets killed Polish elites in Katyn
70 years ago. Today, the Polish elite died
there while getting ready to pay homage to
the Poles killed there, said Lech Walesa.
Aleksander Kwasniewski, another
former president, described Katyn as a
cursed place, and of horrible symbolism.
As Poles absorbed what Donald Tusk
called the most tragic event in Polands
post-war history thousands began to
make their way to the presidential palace
in central Warsaw, which was to become
the focal point of national mourning.
A small patch of fowers and candles
lef by mourners expanded and grew,
carpeting the pavement and the road in
a tribute to those who had died. Political
diferences vanquished by grief, thousands
upon thousands of people made their way
to the palace to pay their respects in quiet
dignity.
The outpouring of sympathy for the
victims spoke volumes for the shock
and sadness that had touched Poles; it
also spoke volumes for the decency of
Poland.
At noon on Sunday across the nation two
minutes silence was observed in memory
of the people that died in the air crash in
Smolensk. Te silence was then pierced by
the claxons and sirens of local authority
warning systems and police vehicles. To
this mournful orchestra of wails, the Pol-
ish nation stood to attention and refected
on their loss in the forests near Katyn.
Te parents of the pilot in charge of fying
the presidential plane have begged the world
not to blame their son for the crash.
Captain Arkadiusz Protasiuka was the
man responsible for landing the Polish
Air Force Tu-154M safely in Russia on
Saturday 10th April, but, for reason still
unknown, he was unable to successfully
carry out his task.
Te tragic death of the head of the
National Bank of Poland Slawomir
Skrzypek in Saturdays plane crash leaves
questions open about who will replace
him, and how his loss will afect monetary
policy and other issues.
Te succession issue is a major one, since
both the parliament and the president
must make the choice jointly.
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Issue 15 ()
Warsaws Presidential Palace has become the focal point of the nations grief
Tast e pol i sh t r adi t i on
U Fukiera, Warszawa, Rynek Starego Miasta 27,
tel. 022 831 10 13, tel./fax 022 831 58 08
www.ufukiera.pl
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asta 27,
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an i nvi t at i on f r om
Boutique
1 - ul. Nowomiejska
2 - ul. Piesza
3 - ul. Fandaminskiego
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136
STREET REGISTER
1 Sierpnia D-6/7
29 Listopada H-4
Aleje Ujazdowskie C-4, (G-3/5)
Andersa, gen. A-1/2 (E-1/2)
Anielewicza A-2 (D/E-1/2)
Archiwalna D-5
Armii Ludowej, al. F/H-4
Bagatela G-4/5
Bagno B-3
Banachago D/E-5
Bankowy, pl. A-2 (F-2)
Barbary, w. B-4, (F-3)
Barokowa B-2
Barona D-2
Batorego E/F-5
Bednarska B/C-2
Bellottiego D-2
Belwederska G-5/6
Biaa A-3 (E-2)
Biaobrzeska D-4/5
Bielaska B-2 (F-2)
Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. D-4/5
Bobrowskiego D-5
Boduena B-3
Bohaterw Getta A-2 (E/F-1)
Bohdanowicza D-6
Bole B-1
Boni fraterska A/B-1
Bracka C-4
Browarna C-2/3 (G-2)
Brylowska D-3
Brzeska H-1
Brzozowa B-1
Bugaj B-1/2
Bytnara F-6/7
Canaletta B-2
Celna B-1/2
Chaubiskiego A/B-4 (F-3/4)
Chemska H-6
Chodna A-3 (D/E-2)
Chmielna A-4, B/C-3/4, (E-3, F-3)
Chocimska G-5
Chodkiewicza E-5/6
Chopina G-4
Ciasna B-1
Ciepa A-3 (E-2)
Cicha C-3
Corazziego B-2
Czackiego B-3 (F-2)
Czerniakowska G/H-3
Czerska H-5/6
Czeska H-2
Dbrowskiego, pl. B-3 (F/G-6)
Dawna B-1/2
Defilad, pl. B-4 (F-3)
Dickensa D-5
Duga A/B-1/2 (F-1)
Dugosza D-2
Dobra C-2/3 (G-1/2)
Dobrzaskiego A-3
Dolna G-6
Drewniana C-3
Dubois A-1 (E-1)
Dzielna A-2 (D/E-1/2)
Dzika D/E-1
Elektoralna A-2/3 (E-2)
Emilii Plater A/B-3/4 (F-3)
Esperanto E-1/2
Etiudy Rewolucyjnej E-7
Filtrowa E-4
Floriaska G-1
Foksal C-3 (G-3)
Franciszkaska A/B-1
Francuska H-2
Frascati C-4
Fredry B-2 (F-2)
Freta B-1 (F-1)
Furmaska C-2 (F/G-2)
Gagarina G-5
Gaczyskiego C-3
Gamerskiego B-2
Geodetw D-5
Gsta C-2
Gibalskiego D-2
Grnolska H-3
Grska H-5/6
Grskiego B/C-3
Goszczyskiego F/G-6
Goworka G-5
Graniczna B-3
Grodzka C-2
Grjecka D/E-4/6
Grzybowska A-3 (E/F-2/3)
Grzybowski, pl. A/B-3
Grzymay D-4
Hoa B/C-4 (F/G-3)
Hynka D-7
Idzikowskiego G/H-6/7
Inflancka A-1
Iwicka H-5
Jaktorowska D-3
Jana Pawa II, al.
A-2/4, (D/E-1/3)
Jana Sobieskiego G/H-5/6
Jasielska D-6
Jasna B-3, (F-2/3)
Jazdw G-4
Jerozolimskie, Al.
A/C-3/4, (D/G-2/4)
Joliot-Curie F-7
Kacza D-2
Kaliska D-4
Kanonia B-2
Kapitulna B-2
Karasia C-3
Karmelicka A-2 (E-1/2)
Karolkowa D-2/3
Karowa C-2 (F/G-2)
Kasprzaka D-3
Kazimierzowska F-5
Kpna H-1
Kiliskiego B-1/2
Klonowa G-5
Kopotowskiego G-1
Kolberga F-7
Kolejowa D/E-3/4
Konduktorska G-6
Konopnickiej C-4
Konstytucji, pl. F-4
Konwiktorska A/B-1
Kopernika C-3
Kopiska D-4
Korotyskiego D-6
Kocielna B-1 (E/F-1)
Koszykowa E/G-4
Kotlarska D/E-2/3
Kozia B-2
Kola B-1 (F-1)
Krakowskie Przedmiecie
B/C-2/3, (F-2)
Krasickiego F/G-7
Krasiskich, pl. B-2 (F-1)
Krasnocka H-5
Kredytowa B-3 (F-2)
Krochmalna A-3 (E-2)
Krlewska B-3 (F-2)
Krucza C-4 (F/G-3)
Kruczkowskiego C-3 (G-2)
Krywulta C-3
Krzywe Koo B-1
Krzywickiego E-4
Ksica C-4 (G-3)
Kubusia Puchatka C-3
Kusociskiego G/H-4
Kwiatowa F-5
Ldowa G-5
Lechicka D-7
Lenartowicza F/G-6/7
Lennona G-4
Leszczyska C-3
Leszno D-2
Leszowa E/F-4/5
Lewartowskiego A-1/2 (E-1)
Lindleya A-4 (E-3/4)
Lipowa C-2
Litewska G-4
Lubelska H-1
Ludna G/H-3
Ludowa G-6
Lwowska F-4
azienkowska H-4
ucka A-3 (E-3)
Madaliskiego F/G-5/6
Majewskiego D-5
Maachowskiego, pl. B-3
Malczewskiego F/G-6
Mariaska A-3
Mariensztat C-2
Markowska H-1
Marszakowska B-2/4 (F-2/4)
Matejki C-4
Mazowiecka B-3 (F-2)
Miczyska E-6/7
Miedziana A-4 (E-3)
Mia A-1 (D/E-1)
Miobdzka E-6
Miodowa B-2 (F-1)
Mireckiego D-2
Mirowski, pl. A-3 (E-2)
Mynarska D-2
Mokotowska C-4 (G-3/4)
Modawska D-6
Moliera B-2 (F-2)
Moniuszki B-3
Mostowa B-1 (F-1)
Muranowska A-1 (E-1)
Mysia C-4
Myliwiecka G/H-4
Na Rozdrou, pl. G-4
Na Skarpie, al. G-3
Nabielaka G-5
Nalewki A-1/2
Narbutta F/G-5
Narutowicza, pl. D-4
Nehru H-5
Niecaa B-2, (F-2)
Niemcewicza D/E-4
Niepodlegoci, al. F/G-4
Niska A-1, (D/E-1)
Niska D/E-1
Niyskiego Pasa B-3
Nowiniarska B-1
Nowogrodzka A/C-4 (E/F-3)
Nowolipie A-2 (E-2)
Nowolipki A-2 (D/E-1/2)
Nowowiejska E/G-4
Nowy wiat C-3/4 (G-2/3)
Obona C-3
Obozowa D-2
Oczki E/F-3/4
Odolaska F/G-6
Odyca F/G-6
Ogrodowa A-3 (E-2)
Oklnik C-3
Okopowa 1/2-D
Okrg G/H-3
Okrzei G-1
Oleandrw F/G-4
Olimpijska E-6
Olkuska G-6
Olszewska G-5
Olszowa G-1
Ondraszka E-4/5
Opolski, pl. D-2
Ordynacka C-3 (G-2)
Orla A-2/3 (E-2)
Orowicza G-3
Ossoliskich B-2
Padewska G-6
Panieska G-1
Paska A-3/4 (E-3)
Parkowa G-5
Pasteura D-4/5
Paszyna D-1
Pawia A-2 (D/E-2, E-1)
Pawiskiego D-5/6
Pereca A-3 (E-3)
Piaseczyska G-6
Piekarska B-2
Pikna F/G-4
Pisudskiego, marsz. pl. B-3 (F-2)
Piwarskiego G/H-6
Piwna B-2
Patowcowa E-6
Platynowa E-3
Podchorych G/H-5
Podwale B-1/2 (F-1)
Pokorna A-1
Polna F/G-4
Poniatowskiego, ks. Al. H-2
Powzkowska D-1
Powstacw Warszawy, pl. B-3
Poznaska B-4 (F-3)
Promenada G-5/6
Prosta A-4 (D/E-3)
Prna B-3
Prusa C-4
Pruszkowska D-6
Przechodnia A-2/3
Przemyska D-5
Przyokopowa D-3
Przyrynek B-1
Ptasia A/B-3 (F-2)
Puawska G-5/7
Puku Baszta F-7
Pytlasiskiego G-6
Racawicka D/E-6
Radna C-3
Rajcw B-1
Rakowiecka E/G-5
Raszyska E-4
Rejtana G-5
Rokitnicka E-5
Rostafiskich E-5
R, al. G-4
Rana F/G-5/6
Rozbrat G-3
Rycerska B-2
Rynek Nowego Miasta B-1 (F-1)
Rynek Starego Miasta B-1/2
Rysia B-3
Sandomierska G-5
Sanguszki B-1
Sanocka D-5/6
Sapieyska A/B-1
Sasanki D-7
Senatorska B-2 (F-1/2)
Schillera B-2 (F-1)
Siedmiogrodzka D-3
Sielecka H-5/6
Siemieskiego D-5
Sienkiewicza B-3
Sienna A-4 (E-3)
Skaryszewska H-1
Skaryskiego D-5
Skierniewicka D-3
Skorochd D-5/6
Sawiska D-3/4
Soneczna G-5
Supecka D-4
Smocza D/E-1/2
Smolna C-3/4
Sokola G/H-1/2
Solec G/H-2/3
Solidarnoci, al.
A/C-1/3, (D/G-1/2)
Sosnowa A-4
Spacerowa G-5
Spartaska E-7
Spiska D/E-4
Srebrna F-3
Stara B-1
Starociska F/G-5
Starynkiewicza, pl. E-3
Staszica D-2
Stawki A-1 (D/E-1)
Stefana Batorego E/F-5
Stpiska H-5/6
Sulkiewicza G-5
Szara G-3
Szarych Szeregw D-3
Szczliwicka D-4
Szczygla C-3
Szkolna B-3
Szpitalna B-3/4
Szucha, al. G-4
Szwoleerw H-4
liska A-4
witojaska B-2
witojerska A/B-1/2 (E/F-1)
witokrzyska B/C-3 (E/G-2/3)
Tagorea F-6
Tamka C-3 (G-2)
Targowa G/H-1
Teatralny, pl. B-2 (F-2)
Tomackie A/B-2
Tokarzewskiego-Karaszewicza
B-2/3
Topiel C-3
Towarowa D/E-2/3
Traugutta B/C-3
Trbacka B-2
Trojdena, ks. D/E-5
Trzech Krzyy, pl. C-4 (G-3)
Tuwima C-3
Twarda A-3/4 (E-3)
Tyniecka G-6/7
Unii Lubelskiej, pl. G-4/5
Ursynowska F/G-6
Wa Miedzeszyski H-2/3
Walecznych H-2
Walicw A-3 (E-2/3)
Waowa A-1/2 (E-1)
Warecka B/C-3 (F-2)
Waryskiego F/G-4/5
Wski Dunaj B-2
Wawelska D/F-4
Widok B-4
Wiecha Pasa B-3/4
Wiejska C-4 (G-3)
Wierzbowa B-2 (F-2)
Wiktorska F/G-6
Wilanowska H-3
Wilcza B/C-4 (F/G-3/4)
Wileski pl. G-1
Willowa G-5
Winnicka D-5
Wiolarska H-3
Wilana C-2
Wilicka D-5/6
Winiowa F/G-5, F/G-6
Witosa, al. H-6/7
Wodna B-1
Wjtowska B-1
Wolno D-2
Wooska E/F-6/7
Wolska D-3
Woronicza E/G-7
Wronia E-2/3
Wsplna A/C-4 (F-3)
Wybrzee Gdaskie
B/C-1/2, (F-1)
Wybrzee Helskie C-1 (G-1)
Wybrzee Kociuszkowskie
C-2, (G-1/2)
Wybrzee Szczeciskie
C-1/2, (G-1/2)
Zbkowska H-1
Zajcza C-3 (G-2)
Zakroczymska B-1
Zamenhofa A-1/2 (E-1)
Zamkowy, pl. B-2 (F-1)
Zamoyskiego H-1
Zapiecek B-2
Zawiszy, pl. E-3
Zbawiciela, pl. F-4
Zbierska G/H-5/6
Zgoda B-3/4
Zieleniecka, al. H-1/2
Zielna B-3
Zimna A-3
Zota B-3, A/B-4 (E/F-3)
Zoli G-4
Zwycizcw H-3
elazna A-3/4 (E-2/3)
elaznej Bramy, pl. A/B-3 (F-2)
urawia B/C-4 (F/G-3)
wirki i Wigury D/E-4/7
ytnia D-2
137
Belwederski 31
Boutique Bed & Breakfast
31
Camera 35
Campanile 31
Castle Inn 31
Courtyard by Marriott
Warsaw Airport 33
Golden Tulip Warsaw
Centre 32
Gromada - Dom Chopa 32
Harenda 32
Hetman 32
Hilton Warsaw Hotel &
Convention Centre 30
Hit 33
Holiday Inn Express
Warsaw Airport 33
Holiday Inn Warszawa 30
Hyatt Regency Warsaw 28
Chmielna Guest House 31
Ibis Budget Warszawa
Centrum 33
Ibis Ostrobramska 32
Ibis Stare Miasto 32
Ibis Warszawa Centrum 32
InterContinental 28
InterContinental 34
Le Mridien Bristol 28
Mamaison Hotel Le Regina
Warsaw 28
Mamaison Residence
Diana Warsaw 34
Maria 32
Marriott 28
Mazowiecki 33
MDM 32
Mercure Warszawa Grand
30
Metropol 33
Moon 35
Noclegi Okcie 34
Novotel Warszawa Airport
33
Novotel Warszawa
Centrum 30
Oki Doki 35
P&O Apartments 34
Polonia Palace Hotel 30
Premiere Classe 34
Puawska Residence 33
Radisson Blu Centrum
Hotel 29
Radisson Blu Sobieski
Hotel 31
Residence 1898 34
Residence St. Andrew's
Palace 35
Reytan 33
Rialto 29
Sheraton Warsaw Hotel 29
Sleepwell Apartments 33
Sofitel Warsaw Victoria 29
Start Hotel Aramis 34
Start Hotel Atos 34
Team Hostel 35
The Westin Warsaw Hotel
29
Adler 40
Amber Room 53
Atelier Amaro 53
Babooshka 60
Bagno Food & Wine 42
Bar Gruziski Argo 40
Bar Mleczny Familijny 47
Bar Salad Story 50
Belvedere 54
Besuto 50
Bierhalle 42
Biosfeera 62
Bistro Pita wiartka 54
Bistro Warszawa 54
Blue Cactus 60
Bollywood Lounge 41
Bombaj Masala 41
Bonsai 50
Browar de Brasil 38
BrowArmia 42
Burger Bar 36
Burger King 50
Butchery & Wine 52
C.K. Obera 40
Caf 6/12 60
Caf 6/12 63
Cesarski Paac 38
Cesarski Paac (Tsinghis
Chan) 52
Concept 43
DeCoteria 43
Delicja Polska 54
Dom Polski 55
Downtown Restaurant &
Steakhouse 52
El Greco 40
Festa Italiana Ristorante
49
Five 44
Flow 44
Folk Gospoda 55
Frida 60
Fusion 39
Galeria Freta 44
Ganesh 41
Gastronomia Rozrywkowa
44
Grand Kredens 44
Green Bar 62
Green Patio 63
Green Peas Eco bar &
coffee 63
Groole 50
Gwiazdeczka Jazz Zone 44
Halka restauracja po
polsku 55
Hard Rock Cafe 36
Hard Rock Cafe 60
Charlotte. Chleb i Wino 39
China Garden 38
Chopskie Jado 54
Il Patio 49
Inaba 50
Kamanda Lwowska 62
Kaprys 55
Kaya Sushi 51
KFC 50
Kiku Japanese Dining
Gallery 51
Klubokawiarnia Resort 63
Kresowa Hawira 55
La Rotisserie 39
La Tomatina 49
Le Cedre 84 52
Legends British Bar &
Restaurant 38
Leniwa Gospodyni 47
Literatka 55
Little Thai Gallery 61
LOKAL.BISTRO 56
Maho 62
Masz Gulasz 56
McDonald's 50
McDonald's 60
MG Eat Magda Gessler 50
Mleczarnia Jerozolimska 47
Na Brackiej 56
Na Zielnej 45
Nam Sajgon 62
Natara 61
Obera Pod Czerwonym
Wieprzem 56
Ole Tapas Steak
Restaurant 60
Olive Garden 52
Osteria 60
OTO!SUSHI 51
Papaya 40
Paros 52
Piekna 56 45
Pierrogeria 58
Pizza Hut 50
Planet Sushi 51
Podwale - Kompania
Piwna 45
Podwale 5 58
Polka, Magda Gessler po
prostu 58
Prosta Historia 45
Radio Caf 58
Rambam Kosher Cafe &
Restaurant 52
Restauracja Kultura 45
Restauracja Rana 58
Restauracja Wilanw 46
Restaurant @Ferdy's 46
Restro 46
Roma 49
Roma Bukieteria 49
Room Service 50
Royal Menu 50
Saffron Spices 42
Saint Jacques 39
SAM Restaurant & Bakery
47
Sioux 36
Skwer - filia Centrum
Artystycznego Fabryka
Trzciny 47
Sony 59
Socjal 47
SomePlace Else 36
Soul Kitchen 47
STO900 47
Strauss Restaurant 59
Subway 50
Subway 60
Sunanta 61
Sushi To 51
T.G.I. Friday's 36
LISTINGS INDEX
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
O Casino H Conference facilities
T Child friendl y U Facilities for the disabled
R Internet L Guarded parking
F Fitness centre G No smoking
K Restaurant X Smoking room available
D Sauna C Swimming pool
E Live music W Wi-Fi
6 Animal friendl y S Take away
I Fireplace J Old Town location
Y Tourist Card accepted V Home delivery
Symbol Key
WHERE TO STAY
RESTAURANTS
138
LISTINGS INDEX
Tamka 43 48
The Mexican 61
The Oriental 38
Theatro 40
Tomo Sushi 51
Top Fish 60
Trattoria Rucola 50
U Barssa 59
U Fukiera 59
U Kucharzy 59
U Szwejka 38
Villa Foksal 48
Vinoteka La Bodega 48
Warsaw Tortilla Factory 61
Wiking 47
You & Me 48
You & Me 60
Zapiecek 59
Batida 64
Blikle Caf 64
Bubbleology 64
Cafe Baguette 64
Cafe Prna 64
Caf Vincent 64
Chodna 25 64
Coffeeheaven 64
Coffee Karma 64
Green Caffe Nero 64
Keks 64
Ministerstwo Kawy 64
Mount Blanc Pijalnia
Czekolady i Kawy 65
Petit Appetit 65
Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel
65
Sodki Sony 65
Specjay Regionalne 65
Starbucks Coffee 65
To Lubi 65
Wawel 65
Bank Club 73
Bar Tektura 66
Bar Warszawa 67
Beirut Hummus & Music
Bar 66
Bierhalle 66
Bollywood Lounge 73
British Bulldog Pub 66
Bufet Centralny 66
Cafe Kulturalna 67
Club Capitol 73
Club Mirage 74
Coyote Bar & Night Club 77
Cud nad Wis 67
de lite club 74
Dekada 74
Fabryka Trzciny 74
Fantom 69
Foksal XVIII 74
Hard Rock Cafe 67
Hydrozagadka 67
Champions Sports Bar &
Restaurant 67
Jimmy Bradley's 68
JP's Bar 68
Jung & Lecker 70
Kafefajka 68
Klaps 68
Kokomo 77
Kwadrat 68
La Playa 72
Restaurant 68
Restaurant 70
Libido Gentleman's Club 77
Lokal Uytkowy 69
Lolek 69
Mae Piwo 69
Meta na Foksal 67
Metro Jazz Bar & Bistro 71
Mielyski 70
New Orleans Gentlemen's
Club 77
Opera 75
Panorama Bar & Lounge
69
Paparazzi 69
Patrick's Irish Pub 70
Pikna Bistro 71
Pies Czy Suka/Pure Bar 70
Pijalnia Wdki i Piwa 67
Plan B 70
Platinium Club 75
Powikszenie 75
Przekski Zakski 67
Saturator 70
Sheesha Lounge 70
Sketch 71
Skwer - filia Centrum
Artystycznego Fabryka
Trzciny 71
Sofia 77
SomePlace Else 70
SomePlace Else 71
The Eve Music Club 75
The Pictures art bar cafe
71
Tygmont 71
Utopia 75
Vegas Gentlemen's Club 77
Vinoteka 13 & WINE BAR
70
W Oparach Absurdu 72
Warszawa Powile 72
Warszawska 67
Znajomi Znajomych 72
A new kind of loo 75
Ask your Concierge 30
Breakfast 60
Cemeteries 91
Climate 23
Currency exchange 128
Disaster at Smolensk 29
Eating at a glance 36
Facts & Figures 17
Fast Food & Delivery 50
Gay Warsaw 69
Gestapo HQ 88
Have Your Say 43
Healthy Eating 63
Chocolate Lounges 65
Jan III Sobieski 112
Jazz 71
Kociuszko Monument 86
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 1 82
Krakowskie Przedmiecie 1 84
Language Smarts 19
Late Night Eats 67
Lodgings at a glance 28
Maria Skodowska Curie 8
Market Values 18
Milk Bars 47
National Anthem 74
National Holidays 19
Night at a glance 66
Palmiry 92
Parks 90
Polish Alcohol 72
Polish Army Day 41
Polish Food 56
Polish Friends of Beer Party 48
Presidential Palace 89
Quick Currency Convertor 18
Ronald Reagan Monument 94
Rosa Luxemburg 34
Royal Castle 93
Shopping at a Glance 122
Smoking 38
Stanislaw Poniatowski 87
Steak 52
Street Signs 13
The Citadel 88
The Incomes House 46
The Korczak Orphanage 32
Vice Advice 76
Warsaw Central Station 16
Warsaw Historical Timeline 79
Warsaw University Gardens 49
Zlota 44 31
Features index
CAFS
NIGHTLIFE
TOMO
ul. Krucza 16/22, 00-562 Warszawa
tel. (22) 434-23-44
tel. 508-12-22-12
www.tomo.pl
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