Warsaw - Must sees & Restaurant recs

[GilliC]

Our "mystery" weekend city break is coming up, and I've done absolutely zero planning. We will have 2 days (most of Saturday and all of Sunday) in Warsaw in early September.

Unfortunately, both our flights are very early, so we'll probably be too tired for a late night on Saturday, and can't have a late night Sunday.

I'd like to see a few things, eat some great affordable food, and take it a bit easier than normal.

ETA - Unfortunately, we're not staying terribly close to the city center (the hotel is near Park Zachodnia), so we'll probably take the tram in to the center.

(Pinging people who've been: 315 anna7602 klingklang77 akrobat mrsstreet bettyfinn tktravels)

[anna7602]

I was there so long ago that if I remembered any restaurant names, I doubt they would be relevant. But enjoy it! The people were all so very, very nice and I had great experiences at all the bars/restaurants we went to. Seeing an American walking around was still a bit of a novelty at the time, but I'm sure the people are still just as friendly.

[klingklang77]

I don't remember tons about Warsaw as I went over 10 years ago. I did visit a museum that was interesting and I went to the main town square with the mermaid (rebuilt after the war- still amazing to see the before pic in the museum). I don't recall any special foods because I thought Krakow had better food.

It apparently has an excellent party scene / nightlife. I didn't get to experience that. I just don't have good memories of Warsaw, but I think circumstances surround that (couldn't get a train out of there, etc.).

Being poor students, our accommodation was awful. I did find the communist architecture very interesting. DH went there a few years ago and said it has improved a lot, so maybe someone has better suggestions.

[anna7602]

Aug 20, 2015 10:08:43 GMT -5 klingklang77 said:

Being poor students, our accommodation was awful. 

Yes, we stayed in the dorm where DH was given a room for his Warsaw internship. Not exactly fancy. 

I do remember the Sirenka, though (the mermaid). And how devastatingly ugly and perfectly communist the architecture of the Palace of Culture was. 

[bettyfinn]

I loved Warsaw but not for the food. Not that it was bad, it just wasn't particularly memorable. We ate mostly at places along Krakowskie Przedmieściea and Nowy Swiat because it was convenient to our hotel and a pretty part of town. I would spend time wandering around Old Town and New Town; both were reconstructed after the war. If you haven't spent much time in the former communist bloc, you may enjoy seeing typical Soviet-style architecture that surrounds the Palace of Culture and Science, which is a typical Soviet style skyscraper. Also, as a warning, it seemed to me like Warsaw had a mosquito problem. I am a Floridian and used to mosquitoes but I found that Warsaw had more mosquitoes and they were larger and more aggressive than those in Florida. And I wasn't even visiting during the summer.

[mrsstreet]

I would have to look through the my things to find my notes on my trip. I went with a group of American teachers so we had most of our trip planned for us.

I do remember visiting Wilanow palace and the Warsaw Rising museum. I really enjoyed the Warsaw Rising museum. There was also an exhibit on the European Union but I think it may have been temporary.

As far as food, I loved pierogi so and its pretty easy to find everywhere.