Warsaw Sights

  1. Al Jerozolimskie

    Al Jerozolimskie is a big, ugly thoroughfare that creates a physical east-west border through the city. The area to its south was ear-marked by the communists for post-WWII development, and some of the city's boldest socialist-realist architecture can be found here. Ul Marszałkowska, a broad avenue running south from near the financial district, contains the most impressive examples.

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  2. Archaeological Museum

    The north end of Plac Bankowy (Bank Square) is a busy intersection overlooked by the former Arsenal, a massive 17th-century building that now houses the Archaeological Museum. Its permanent exhibition on the prehistory of Poland is periodically enlivened by temporary displays.

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  3. Barbican

    Heading north out of the Old Town along Ul Nowomiejska you'll soon see the redbrick Barbican, a semicircular defensive tower topped with a decorative Renaissance parapet. It was partially dismantled in the 19th century, but reconstructed after WWII, and is now a popular spot for buskers and art sellers.

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  4. Belvedere Palace

    Besides the palace and amphitheatre, other buildings are scattered throughout Łazienki Park, the most architecturally intriguing of which is the 18th-century Belvedere Palace at the southern limit of Al Ujazdowskie. It served as the official residence of Marshal Józef Piłsudski (from 1926 to 1935) and Polish presidents from 1945 to 1952 and 1989 to 1994, and now houses an upmarket restaurant.

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  5. Botanical Gardens

    Immediately to the south of Ujazdów Castle are the Botanical Gardens, established in 1818.

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  6. Carmelite Church

    The former Carmelite Church escaped the ravages of war and, like nearby St Anne's Church, has 18th-century fittings, including the high altar designed by Tylman van Gameren.

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  7. Castle Square

    A natural spot from which to start exploring the Old Town is triangular Castle Square. Attracting snap-happy tourists by the hundreds each day is the square's centrepiece, the Sigismund III Vasa Column (Kolumna Zygmunta III Wazy; M0560).

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  8. Chopin Museum

    Inside the Ostrogski Palace is a small Chopin Museum with static displays related to the great musician's life; there are a few interesting pieces, such as Chopin's last piano and death mask, but it's really only for fans. Guides are available for around zl100 (English guides must be booked in advance).

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  9. Church of the Nuns of the Holy Sacrament

    Even by Polish standards, there are a lot of churches in the New Town area. Of the six, the Church of the Nuns of the Holy Sacrament is the most intriguing; the work of prominent architect Tylman van Gameren, it has a fine Baroque exterior and clean white interior.

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  10. Citadel

    Continuing north of the New Town you'll soon see the Citadel, a massive 19th-century fortress overlooking the Vistula. Built by the Russian tsar to intimidate Warsaw following the November Insurrection of 1830, it served as a notorious political prison for years and nowadays is used by the military. The huge gate overlooking the river is known as Brama Straceń (Gate of Execution; M056E), a spot where political prisoners were executed all too frequently after the 1863 uprising.

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  11. Ethnographic Museum

    The top floor of the Ethnographic Museum provides for a good introduction into the country's rural heart, with a small but fine assembly of Polish folk art and crafts, but it's the portrait shots of indigenous people from across the globe that steals the show.

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  12. Evangelical Church

    The circular dome of the 18th-century Evangelical Church proudly overlooks a busy junction. The dome is in fact the largest in Warsaw, and the church is renowned for its excellent acoustics and is the venue for a variety of musical events.

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  13. Fabryka Trzciny

    In the up-and-coming Praga neighbourhood is Fabryka Trzciny, a former marmalade factory that's become one of the city's leading art centres, hosting a broad range of events plus a gallery and restaurant. Note that Praga is not safe to wander at night; it's best to travel from A to B by taxi.

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  14. Former Jewish District

    The vast area of the Mirów and Muranów districts was once predominantly inhabited by Jewish Poles. During WWII the Nazis established a Jewish ghetto in the area, but razed it to the ground after crushing the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in April 1943. A walking tour of Jewish sites is detailed in the free pamphlet, Jewish Warsaw , available from tourist offices.

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  15. Former Jewish Ghetto

    Before WWII, much of Warsaw's thriving Jewish community lived in Mirów and Muranów, two districts to the west of Al Jana Pawła II. It was here that the Nazis created the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940, which was razed after the 1943 Ghetto Uprising. Today the area is characterised by cheap, communist-era apartment buildings, but a few remnants of Jewish Warsaw still survive in the former Jewish Ghetto. It is a large area to cover on foot, but fortunately the main sights are clustered together in the northern part.

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  16. Fotoplastikon

    Photo and film buffs will be intrigued by the Fotoplastikon, a late 19th-century forerunner of the cinema. It's reputedly the last working example of its kind in Europe, and consists of a large rotating drum set with individual eyepieces displaying stereoscopic 3D photos, some of them in colour. Each session consists of 48 pictures and takes about 20 minutes.

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  17. Ghetto Heroes Monument

    About 200m north of Pawiak Prison Museum, on the corner of ul Anielewicza and ul Zamenhofa, is a tree-lined park, which in summer is dotted with sunbathers. It's an incongruously peaceful setting for the Ghetto Heroes Monument, a memorial to the thousands who lost their lives in the ill-fated Ghetto Uprising of 1943. The grey stone tower is built of Swedish granite, originally imported by the Nazis to build their own victory monument.

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  18. Historical Museum of Warsaw

    On the northern side of the Old Town Square is the Historical Museum of Warsaw . It's a worthwhile introduction to the city, capturing seminal moments in Warsaw's history through photographs and documents. Its film covering the reconstruction of the city, screened several times daily (the English version is at noon), is fascinating.

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  19. Holy Cross Church

    Because it's so close to Warsaw University, the Holy Cross Church has witnessed more student demonstrations and tear gas than any other church in Poland. During the Warsaw Rising, it was the site of heavy fighting between the insurgents and the Nazis. It was seriously damaged, but some original Baroque altarpieces have survived and adorn its interior. Note the epitaph to Frédéric Chopin on the second pillar on the left-hand side of the nave. It covers an urn containing the composer's heart, brought from Paris after Chopin's death and placed here in accordance with his will.

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  20. Island Amphitheatre

    Near the Palace on the Water in Łazienki Park is the Island Amphitheatre, built in 1790 and based on the appearance of the Roman theatre at Herculaneum. It is set on an islet in the lake, allowing part of the action to take place on the water.

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  21. Jabłonowski Palace

    The neoclassical Jabłonowski Palace, opposite the Teatr Wielki on Plac Teatralny, served as the town hall from 1817 until WWII, when it was dismantled due to damage sustained. It was completely rebuilt in 1997.

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  22. Jewish Cemetery

    The Jewish Cemetery, founded in 1806, suffered little during the war and still boasts more than 150,000 tombstones, the largest collection of its kind in Europe. Large parts are, however, neglected and very overgrown, making it a forlorn place. A notice near the entrance lists the graves of many eminent Polish Jews, including Ludwik Zamenhof, creator of the international artificial language Esperanto.

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  23. Jewish Historical Institute

    The Jewish Historical Institute houses a library and paintings, sculptures, and old religious objects related to Jewish culture. However it's the exhibition on the Warsaw Ghetto that sticks with you when you leave. Black-and-white photos and 40 minutes of original film footage from the Ghetto hit home - images of the atrocious conditions Jews were forced to endure, with starvation and death part of everyday life, tell a disturbing tale.

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  24. John Paul II Collection

    On Plac Bankowy (Bank Square), the former stock exchange and Bank of Poland building - a grand neoclassical building designed by Antonio Corazzi in the 1820s - houses the John Paul II Collection, an art collection donated to the Catholic Church by the Carrol-Porczyński family. It's quite a surprise to find the likes of Dali, Van Gogh, Constable, Rubens, Goya and Renoir gracing the walls of a fairly non-descript museum, and to normally have them all to yourself. Polish artists are also represented, including Warsaw-born Wojciech Gerson (1831-1901), whose massive Baptism of Lithuania (1889), which beautifully captures Lithuania's conversion to Christianity, is highly expressive despite lacking colour.

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  25. Klimy Bocheńskiej

    In the up-and-coming Praga neighbourhood is the disused redbrick Koneser Vodka Factory, dating from the early 20th century. It houses two progressive galleries including Klimy Bocheńskiej, specialising contemporary art from a wide range of media.

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