5 places to visit in Warsaw
All I knew when booking my flight to Warsaw, Poland was that I was going to visit Warsaw zoo. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't know where I would eat, bathe or sleep but mateee I knew that I going to the zoo. Surprisingly though, Warsaw gave me so much more.
If you like art, culture and history Warsaw should definitely be on your list of places to go. I’m filling you in on places that will give you some wildlife, a high concentration of museums, an electrifying amount of experiment and then I'm topping it off with some art.
Warsaw Zoo
The zoo is really big. It used to be the biggest in Europe and has all types of animals. I'm talking hippos, giraffes, lions, elephants and more. (I keep thinking about the film 'Madagascar', wondering if the animals link up at night when staff go home.) I'll throw it out there though, I'm not a big fan of zoos and I felt very uncomfortable at times. When I saw polar bears in the zoo I felt really emotional and decided to leave. If the zoo is your thing you could easily spend 4-5 hours immersed in the zoo.
2. Warsaw Uprising Museum
The museum details the experiences of those who lived and fought during the 1943 uprising for an independent Poland and to stop people being deported to camps. The uprising didn't end well for the people of Warsaw and there are screenings showing you from a sky view, what very little was left of the city after the war. The experience was really overwhelming but at the same time very humbling. In just under a month around 7,000 were killed and the survivors, around 50,000 people, were sent to extermination or labour camps. I'd advise you to put your phone and camera away and immerse yourself in this experience. You can't go to Warsaw without visiting this museum, honestly.
3. POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
The location of this museum falls into what used to be the Warsaw Ghetto, where Jews were forced to live when Germany occupied Poland. It was a considerable amount of people living in a restricted area with no way out. I skipped the Holocaust section of this museum, I had limited time and I still felt emotionally charged after the Uprising and it ended up being a good call as my cousin left the museum looking and feeling deflated. It was important for me to be able to learn things about Polish Jews that were not restricted to the Holocaust. It annoys me when I see communities being defined solely by a period of time like it becomes their sole identity.
4. Copernicus Science Centre
I had so much fun at this Science centre. Even writing this is making my face hurt because I'm smiling so much remembering how happy being there made me feel. Everything in there was super interactive, and nothing like any other science museum I have ever visited. I nearly missed out on this because when I originally visited my back hurt and I was super hungry so I only made it to the canteen. I literally ate then went back to my hotel to sleep. I'm pleased to inform you the food banged (was real real nice).
Science has always been my weakest subject at school, so when I hear the word science I usually switch off but I was turnt all the way up in this centre like I had a real good music playlist on!
FYI - On book guides and online it says Copernicus, as well as many museums, are closed on Monday's. That's not the case anymore.
5. Museum of Modern Art
Raar, they love museums in Warsaw, don't they! The subheading gives it away this museum is super artistic. I stumbled across the venue by chance, I was taking a picture of street art and it just happened to be the outside of the museum. The exhibition named 'Fears' is the work of Daniel Rycharski and explores the intersection between rural Poland, queer culture and communities of faith. This particular exhibition ends on the 22nd of April. I'm a big fan of contemporary art, the art of today really reflects society and creates open-ended discussions.
Check out my Poland vlog to find out where else I went to in Warsaw.
Frizzy
A Frizzy Weekend In... Warsaw
It needs to be said, Poland is proper underrated. When I told people I was going to Poland, people looked at me sideways and said either one or both of the below.
“Black people don’t go Poland, I’ve heard they are mad racist out there!”
“Out of all places to visit in Europe, Poland! Really?”
People have a way of throwing their bias and ‘chinese whispers’ on to others. My deflect game was so strong though oh my! I’m not going to front and pretend that Poland was on my bucket list of places to visit because it wasn't. But after reading 'The Zookeepers Wife' I decided that I had to visit Warsaw. The book is non-fiction and tells the story of Jan and Antonina Żabiński who rescued hundreds of Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw zoo during World War II.
First impressions
The first thing I noticed was how clean the streets were. I'm talking no rubbish at all on the floor.
"Oh, it's cold!" I knew it would be cold, but you know when the cold just hits you... yeah.
The buildings surprised me. I don't know what I expected but in my mind, I didn't see them looking how they did. In some parts of the city, I saw skyscraper sleek buildings and then I'd turn into a street and see the aftermath of WW2 so clearly.
What I got up to
I initially regretted booking a 4-day getaway because I didn't think there would be enough to do, but it turns out Warsaw is popping and the city doesn't sleep. No, seriously it doesn't! They have sirens wailing at all hours of the night. I always knew that I was going to visit Warsaw Zoo, but other than being madly excited to see the villa in the Zookeepers wife, I wasn’t head over heels with the actual zoo. (If you want to go inside the zookeepers villa you need to pre-book.)
The main thing I did was bounce (or Uber) around Warsaw trying out different museums. When I first heard museums, I thought “yay great” (in the most sarcastic tone ever). Turns out the museums in Warsaw are actually really good. The first museum I visited was Warsaw Uprising, which was a real eye-opener into a key moment in Warsaw and I spent half a day there. I had to dose up on food and good vibes after though because it was a real heavy one. Hmm the vodka museum I thought would be mad exciting and I’d love it but yeah I went and it was plain and simply BORING. Check out my Instagram vlog to get the down-low on that one.
As usual, I stumbled across gems, and whilst attempting a photoshoot, I came across an exhibition called Daniel Rycharski: Fears in the Museum of Modern Art that blew my mind. Where art and culture meets is where I fast myself to go.
Part of the ghetto wall
Seahorse at Warsaw Zoo
Daniel Rycharski: Fears exhibition
Buildings in the Old Town
Warsaw Rising Museum
Vodka Museum
I wandered around the old town taking in all of the beautiful architecture and detail on the buildings. I also bought the most expensive dinner in Poland at one of the restaurants there. And the area has a busy nightlife with lots of bars. How do I know? I drove past them whilst my granny self was in my Uber going back to the hotel to sleep.
Food
The P in Poland stands for pastries and pierogi. Poland is pastry galore - they taste so good and the bread there is amazing. Pierogi are basically dumplings and a staple dish, that has so many variations. I ate veal pierogi, duck pierogi, spinach pierogi and cabbage pierogi. You can't go to Poland and not try Pierogi. Pork is a popular choice when it comes to polish meals. Even though I don't eat pork I didn't find myself limited with meal options when eating out in restaurants. One thing to be aware of though is meals like spaghetti bolognese, that typically in the UK uses minced beef are not the same in Poland. So always double-check what meat is being used before you order. Food in Poland tastes nice and it's definitely a plus that the food is not expensive. You can get a hearty main dish for about 46 Polish Zlotys/£9.20 I think my most expensive dinner cost about 70 Zlotys/£14, and that was in the Old Town. Oh yeah, don't be alarmed like I was when you find random bits of fruit coming with your meal... Just roll with it, it tastes nice.
3 food spots I recommend
Momu - The buttery zander with black lentils.
Panorama Sky Bar (In the Marriott hotel) - Wasabi Ice cream, ginger & chocolate tart.
Grand Kredens - For traditional polish food. Duck with an apple on the side.
Transport
Uber is mad cheap out in Warsaw. A 15-20 minute journey costs about 13 Polish Zlotys, which is just over £2.60. If you want the scenic route get the metro that's about 3 Zlotys / £0.60 per journey. The metro is speedy and comes every 2-3 minutes, plus the metro stations have cool arty designs in them. The metro stops always seemed to be a 10+ minutes walk from wherever I wanted to go, so I got uber.
Wrap Up
The Polish people that I came across were nothing but friendly, especially when they heard my frantic attempts to speak their language. (Jeen-doh-bree) Good day. (Proo-shee) Please (Jeen-koo-yahh) Thank you. When in Rome, do as the Romans and all that. Was I a minority in Warsaw being black, certainly. But, I was not stared at or made to feel uncomfortable at any moment. Warsaw was a vibe, it's an ideal long weekend getaway. I left the city with positive memories and can see myself returning to Poland to visit the city of Krakow in the near future.
Have you been to Warsaw? And if not, can you see yourself visiting? Check out my Instagram vlog to bring my weekend in Warsaw to life.
