Żoliborz

Warsaw

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One of Warsaw's most pleasant residential areas, Żoliborz derives its name from joli bord, French for 'beautiful embankment'. During Russian Imperial rule, the Warsaw Citadel was built here, while later in the early 20th century, estates of neoclassical and modernist houses and apartment blocks sprung up for the city's intelligentsia and elites.

The area is a delightful one to explore on foot or bicycle and can easily be accessed by metro to Plac Wilsona, named after US President Woodrow Wilson (it's also one of the city's most impressively designed metro stations).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Wilanow Palace, summer residence of King John III Sobieski (17th century), Wilanow, Warsaw, Poland

    Wilanów Palace

    8.41 MILES

    Warsaw’s top palace, 10km south of the city centre, was commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski in 1677. It has changed hands several times over the…

  • Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

    Palace of Culture & Science

    2.69 MILES

    For over 60 years this socialist realist palace has dominated central Warsaw. A ‘gift of friendship’ from the Soviet Union, it was completed in 1955 and…

  • Castle Square in Warsaw

    Royal Castle

    1.88 MILES

    This remarkable copy of the original castle blown up by the Germans in WWII is filled with authentic period furniture and original works of art…

  • Memorial, Warsaw Uprising.

    Warsaw Rising Museum

    2.52 MILES

    This exceptional museum, housed in a former tram power station and its surrounding grounds, traces the history of the city's heroic but doomed uprising…

  • Copernicus Science Centre

    Copernicus Science Centre

    2.56 MILES

    The fully interactive, push-the-buttons-and-see-what-happens Copernicus Science Centre pulls off that tricky feat of being both hugely fun and educational…

  • Monument of Frederick Chopin

    Łazienki Park

    4.12 MILES

    Pronounced wah-zhen-kee, this beautiful park includes manicured gardens, an ornamental lake, wooded glades and strutting peacocks. Once a hunting ground,…

  • Muzeum Fryderika Chopin

    Fryderyk Chopin Museum

    2.72 MILES

    This multimedia museum within the baroque Ostrogski Palace showcases the work of Poland’s most famous composer. You’re encouraged to take your time…

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Nearby Warsaw attractions

1. Park Żeromskiego

0.11 MILES

This prettily landscaped park includes a good children's playground; Sokolnicki FORT Arts Center (https://fortevent.com), an events space based in a 19th…

2. David Bowie Mural

0.47 MILES

Following the singer's death in 2016, cultural organisation Stacja Muranów crowdfunded for the creation of this fab mural of Bowie, depicted in his iconic…

4. Warsaw Citadel

0.71 MILES

Following the November Uprising of 1830, imperial Russia built this pentagonal brick fortress to enforce its power over Warsaw. It covers 36 hectares and,…

5. Brama Straceń

0.72 MILES

This huge gate was used by the Russians as the public execution spot for political prisoners in the late 19th century. In 1933, over a 100 stone crosses…

6. Katyn Museum

0.91 MILES

This sombre museum is devoted not only to the massacre of Polish military officers in the forests of Katyn in 1940, but also all Polish victims of Soviet…

7. MIŁO CIĘ WIDZIEĆ Neon

1.09 MILES

This neon sign meaning 'It's Nice to See You', by Mariusz Lewczyk and decorating the south side of the Gdański Bridge, was the winner of a 2013…

8. St Charles Borromeo Church

1.15 MILES

This late-18th-century church was designed by Domenico Merlini and stands beside the main entrance to Powązki Cemetery.