A dynamic European metropolis whose showcase - apart from its rich history and extraordinary monuments - are its open-minded inhabitants, the Vistula River and unique cuisine. The Polish capital city is constantly changing and with each subsequent visit it can be discovered anew.
There is no better place to start getting to know Warsaw than its 700-year-old Old Town, which was reconstructed after World War II (including on the basis of Canaletto's paintings) in such detail that it was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, the Old Town delights with its intimacy, unique atmosphere and architectural details, and it looks exceptionally charming after dark. The central place of the Old Town is the Market Square, which in summer is filled with café gardens and walkers, becoming one of the most popular places in the capital city. In its center there is a monument to the Warsaw Mermaid, which is the symbol of the city. Eleven tenement houses around the Market Square are occupied by the Museum of Warsaw, which tells the history of the city and its inhabitants using historical artifacts.
For centuries, Warsaw has been the seat of Polish rulers. This is evidenced by the impressive historic buildings located along the Royal Route: the Presidential Palace (Pałac Prezydencki), the Ministry of Culture and Art (Ministerstwo Kultury i Sztuki), the Academy of Fine Arts (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych), the University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski) and the elegant residences of kings. One of them is the Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski), the seat of Polish rulers from the 16th century, where you can see royal insignia and thrones or paintings by famous painters, incl. Rembrandt, Canaletto and Matejko. In its vicinity there is the Sigismund's Column (Kolumna Zygmunta), which is the most famous monument in Poland - it is the meeting venue for Warsaw residents and tourists. Another royal residence on the Route is the Palace on the Isle located in the Royal Łazienki Park. Inside, it is worth seeing paintings from the collection of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland.
In the very center of Warsaw, there is the socialist realist Palace of Culture and Science, which is a contemporary icon of the city. The building - visible from almost every corner of the capital city - houses theaters, cinemas, museums, cafes and the main Tourist Information Point. From the observation deck on 30th floor, you can see the panorama of Warsaw, including spectacular skyscrapers and both banks of the Vistula River. After World War II, also monuments, buildings of public institutions, and even whole blocks of streets were built in Poland in the socialist-realism style, such as MDM covering the area of the Constitution Square (Plac Konstytucji) and the Muranów housing estate, which was built on the rubble of the ghetto.
A tourist trail runs through the area of the former Jewish district, including multimedia POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich POLIN), Umschlagplatz (the site of the non-existent railway ramp, from where the Germans transported Warsaw Jews to Treblinka), a fragment of the wall separating the ghetto from the "Aryan side" and plaques marking its boundaries embedded in the pavement.
The interactive Warsaw Uprising Museum also tells the rich and dramatic history of the city. It documents the 63-day heroic struggle of the inhabitants against the occupiers during World War II. The tragic events of 1944 changed the capital city forever and affected its contemporary nature.
At the Vistula River, you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. The clean and well-kept beaches attract sports enthusiasts and lazy relaxation fans, while the Vistula boulevards with bicycle paths, viewing terraces, a mini-beach and river harbors - invites residents and tourists of all ages. On summer weekends, spectacular laser shows inspired by Warsaw legends are organized in the Vistula Multimedia Fountain Park: about Wars and Sawa, The Basilisk and the Warsaw Mermaid.
