Welcome to Warsaw! This is one of two cities in Poland I have wanted to visit since my grandparents are from this country. For me, it was a place to reflect on who my grandparents might have been as they were growing up in Poland. I found Warsaw to be everything I thought it would be and much more.
Here are five of my reasons for visiting it if you ever find yourself here.
1. Royal Castle
I didn’t get the chance to go inside the castle since I was in Warsaw during one of their holidays; Constitution Day. Many places were closed on this day so I assumed it would be the same for the castle. Still, I would recommend going inside the castle if you are visiting Warsaw when it is open.
2. Castle Square
Though I didn’t go inside the castle, I did walk around the square. The first thing I noticed and something you can’t miss is the column in front of the square. Later, I found out the column had a name and it was Sigismund’s Column. It was named after King Sigismund III Vasa who it turns out moved the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw.
By Paul Kowalow (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
3. Stare Miasto, also known as Old Town
I loved walking around the Old Town the night I was there since someone was playing the trumpet. It was great listening to the music being played as I walked around the area. If you love to shop and take a break at one of the cafes then this is the place for you.
4. Ujazdowski Park
I found the park by accident and only wish I had more time to walk through the entirety of it. I did find the statue of the man sitting on a concrete chair with the grounds behind him. I used this statue as my focal point while I was there so I wouldn’t get lost. I walked around the edge of the park while I kept the statue in sight. As I left the park, I found a street vendor just outside the entrance to the park selling polish sausage. Walking around Ujazdowski Park was a great way to spend the day.
By Adrian Grycuk (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 pl], via Wikimedia Commons
By Darwinek (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
5. St. Anne’s Church
You can’t miss St. Anne’s Church since it is adjacent to Castle Square and in the historic center of Warsaw.
By Arnold Paul (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
I would love to hear your thoughts on Warsaw if you’ve ever visited this city or if you ever decide to plan a trip here.
Looks and sounds like a beautiful city! Poland is creeping up my must visit list for all of its history, natural beauty and charming cities! Thanks for sharing!
It is definitely worth visiting. I want to go back again because there is still so much to see that I didn’t get to see when I was there.