Warszawa

• 3.2m
• 291 000
• 1126 €
• 2258 h
• Warsaw Chopin Airport / 8 km

The Copernicus Science Centre (Centrum Nauki Kopernik) is an innovative science museum completed on the waterfront in 2011. It drew 200,000 visitors in its first three months.

Once considered a distant, slightly embarrassing relative, Warszawa (Warsaw) is now on the fast track to becoming first in line to inherit Berlin’s mantle as Europe’s coolest city. With glowing reviews from enthusiastic visitors, word-of-mouth is spreading fast. People flock to Poland’s capital in search of culture, nightlife, and that elusive buzz that seems to be growing ever stronger.

Legend has it a young fisherman named Wars was casting his nets one night when he came upon a mermaid. He was so taken by the sight and the voice of the creature, he proposed to her. His love for her caused her tail to turn into legs, and she took on the human name Sawa. Wars and Sawa lived happily ever after on the shores of the Wisła (Vistula), and the settlement they founded bore their joint names. At first sight, there is little romance to be found along the Wisła’s banks now. Varsovians are fiercely proud of their city, but newcomers may not immediately appreciate the city’s charms.

Entering Warsaw from the East, each bridge – be it the century-old Poniatowski or the latest addition, the Świętokrzyski – ensures a picturesque view, a skyline dotted with church spires, tower blocks and skyscrapers. But once you get to the city, it takes a good guidebook or an informed local to reveal the best the city has to offer. It can be found inside hard-edged public buildings, such as the Palace of Culture and Science or the National Opera, in private apartments turned galleries, in secret gardens, hip bars and specialist shops. The city may seem a different place on every visit. It changes rapidly and it takes on a different appearance each season. In the summer it’s a relaxed city of cyclists zooming through the parks, in September and May – a cultural capital buzzing with festivals, concerts and exhibition openings.

	Warsaw University Library (BUW) offers a spectacular view of the skyline and the river from its one hectare rooftop garden, composed entirely of plants that are native to Central Europe.

In winter, it turns inward. All but erased in the Second World War, Warsaw was gradually rebuilt from the rubble and reached the pre-war population of 1.2m around 1970. Tourists marvel at the quaint Old Town, but their awe turns to astonishment on learning that the medieval-looking buildings date back to the 1940s and ‘50s. Another popular attraction is the gift from the USSR and the tallest building in Poland – the Palace of Culture and Science. Completed in 1955, a bizarre hybrid of Manhattanism and Stalinism peppered with loose references to Polish historical architecture. Until recently, the city has tried to ignore its presence, many have campaigned to get rid of it altogether.

But to the new generation, the Palace is as much a symbol of Warsaw as the Mermaid, and its communist connotations have ceased to be significant. The edifice – itself home to several cultural institutions – is finally being reintegrated into the fabric of the city. Behind it loom the towers of Warsaw’s new business centre – a living monument to Poland’s economic power and the confidence of its private sector. At their base is another communist-era landmark that is just now returning to favor: the Central Station, hastily completed for Leonid Brezhnev’s visit, it was considered an irredeemable eyesore for decades, until a quick scrub proved that under the grime lay hidden a modernist masterpiece. This feeling of reinvigoration extends to Krakowskie Przedmieście, part of the Royal Route connecting the Old Town to former royal residences in the south. Come summer, the partly pedestrianised boulevard, which has undergone major renovation work in the past few years, teems with people; significantly, not all of them are tourists. Cafes, bars and restaurant gardens line the pavement, along with granite benches that each play a different Chopin tune – erected there in 2010 as part of the composer’s bicentenary celebrations.

Fryderyk Chopin, widely considered to be the world’s most famous Varsovian, also lends his name to Warsaw’s airport. The proximity of the terminal to the city is its greatest asset, soon to be strengthened by the opening of a rail link that will cut the commute to the city (and the trip from your home country) to mere 15 minutes. Another reason to finally discover the Central European metropolis for yourself.

Don’t believe your eyes – Warsaw’s Old Town is in fact very, very new. The houses along the Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) were rebuilt in the early fifties.

Mikołaj Długosz

Artist, photography collector, lives and works north of the centre

There are many museums and galleries in Warsaw devoted to the most important aspects of contemporary art.  Museum of Modern Art (ul. Pańska 3, mon – sat: 12 pm – 8 pm, free) is temporarily housed in an ordinary block of flats, just around the corner from the InterContinental tower – until the completion of the new museum building designed by Christian Kerez. Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle (ul. Jazdów 3, tue – sun: 12 pm – 7 pm; fri: 12 pm – 9 pm, normal 12 PLN, reduced 6 PLN; thu: free entry). The latter is housed in a reconstructed Baroque castle situated near Warsaw’s most beautiful historic park – Łazienki Królewskie (Royal Baths). Another important contemporary art institution is Zachęta National Gallery of Art pl. Małachowskiego 3, tue – sun: 12 pm – 8 pm, normal 15 PLN, reduced 10 PLN, thu: free entry) established over 150 years ago. The gallery building was constructed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibitions present the latest art by the most interesting Polish and international artists.
When in search of the local flavour, head to Magazyn Praga (ul. Ząbkowska 27/31, tue – fri 11 am – 7 pm, sat – sun: 12 pm – 4 pm), that sells innovative, modern pieces by Polish and foreign designers. On the other side of the river, there are many cool shops on Mokotowska street: boutiques of the best Polish fashion designers, cafes and unique restaurants. A Warsaw night club crawl can start from the bar Warszawa Powiśle (ul. Kruczkowskiego 3B, daily from 10 am). This is quite an unusual place – the bar’s modernist interior has been adapted from the former, tiny, Warszawa Powiśle railway station. There is a lot going on there: cultural events, concerts, lectures and great musical events. Straight from the bar, hop on a train that will take you over the Wisła to the district of old Praga, on the east bank of the river. 11 Listopada Street is the hub of decadent alternative clubs. A walk along the Wisła riverfront is the perfect way to relax on the following morning. The banks of this partly untamed river running through the very heart of the city offer wonderful wild beaches, often frequented by Varsovians on sunny days.
If you are up for a longer excursion visit the vast Zegrzyński Reservoir, Kampinos Forest or Kamieniecka Forest. Wilderness still abounds here despite the proximity to the large urban agglomeration.

Agata Michalak

Editor-in-chief of Aktivist, a free culture and lifestyle magazine

The part of Warsaw that should definitely be explored is Praga, my home district, which for various reasons I consider to be more authentic than the more elegant city centre on the opposite bank. I like Ząbkowska street a lot – not only its recently renovated segment with a distinct pavement, but also the hidden, unrestored part of the street lined with tenement- houses and the intriguing architecture of the Koneser vodka distillery. This area is slowly filling up with cosy cafes. The 19th-century building on the corner of Ząbkowska and Targowa, which is Praga’s main street, houses a milk bar Ząbkowski Bar Mleczny (ul. Ząbkowska 2, mon – fri: 7 am – 7 pm, sat: 7 am – 6 pm, sun: 9 am – 6 pm), a place worth dropping by in to immerse oneself in the aura of the bygone (communist) times. Ząbkowska, along with the nearby Inżynierska and 11 Listopada streets make for a route I am happy to show my guests as a living testament to the history of Warsaw and the multifarious contrasts that currently characterise the city. A number of places in the area serve delicious coffee and tasty snacks. I recommend Łysy Pingwin (ul. Ząbkowska 11, sun – thu: 3 pm – 12 am, fri&sat: 3 pm – 2 am) and Sen Pszczoły club (ul. Inżynierska 3, second courtyard behind the white gateway, tue – sun: 6 pm – until the last customer) that hosts concerts of various indie artists. Another cool place is the club-cum-cafe Winowajca (Inżynierska 1, daily: 6 pm – until the last customer).
For shopping opportunities one should head for the centre and Powiśle – a district near the Wisła river. I recommend a visit in Love & Trade boutique (ul. Solec 18/20, mon – fri: 6 pm – 7pm, sat: 11pm – 7 pm), situated in 1500 m2 do wynajęcia / 1500 square meters for rent club. The place was created by a group of young artists and fashion designers who aim at promoting various Polish fashion brands. I also like to drop by Blind Concept Store on Mokotowska street (ul. Mokotowska 63/100, 11pm – 7 pm). They offer very original jewellery and various gadgets that make for great presents.
A new and very exciting annual event in the city’s calendar is the Warsaw Music Week (in May). The festival promotes Warsaw’s independent music scene, presenting everything that is interesting and important in different clubs, along with independent acts from all over Europe.

Blind Concept Store

Mariusz Szczygieł

Reporter for the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, expert on Czech culture, his book Gottland won the European Book Prize in Brussels as the best European book of 2009

Skład Modernista

Ania Kuczyńska

One of the most recognisable names in fashion – here and abroad. Graduate of the prestigious Accademia Koefia in Rome and Esmod in Paris