Old Town
By the end of World War II, roughly 85% of the city lay in ruins and most of the population had fled, been killed, deported or sent to concentration camps. The Old Town (Stare Miasto) was ruined during World War II and completely rebuilt shortly thereafter. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the impressive Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski).

Royal Castle www.zamek-krolewski.com.pl

Warsaw Uprising Museum
This is a must-see museum for those with any interest in history and tales of bravery. It was opened in 2004 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the doomed Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The Uprising is tragic and largely unknown chapter of World War II. In order to get a taste of what life in Warsaw must have been like for all Poles during the Second World War, this new and thoroughly comprehensive museum shows examples of how residents resisted the German forces through film footage, photographs, recorded interviews, life-size dioramas, soundscapes and informative plaques, written in both Polish and English. The Museum uses the newest audiovisual techniques to enhance interactive participation in the viewing of exhibition articles.

www.1944.pl

Jewish Ghetto
Before war Warsaw had a Jewish population second only to New York. After the Nazi invasion, some 400,000 Jews were rounded up and forced to stay in the Jewish ghetto. A 3m-high (10ft) wall encircled the area, from the Palace of Culture and Science to the Umschlagplatz monument, corner of Stawki and Dzika. The ghetto comprised an area of 307 hectares (slightly greater than a square mile). Into it were crammed, not only the city’s Jews, but large numbers of Jewish ‘refugees’ sent there by the Nazis from the surrounding areas, so that the total number of people in the ghetto numbered about 450,000. The Nazi Major General Jürgen Stroop estimated that, at its creation, the ghetto contained 27,000 apartments with an average of 2 ½ rooms each – an average of six persons per room. The centre of the ghetto is marked by the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, Zamenhofa, which was erected on a sea of ruins in 1948. Only three sections of the actual ghetto wall remain.

www.jewishinstitute.org.pl 

Łazienki Park
In addition to a number of palaces, Lazienki Park contains the Chopin Monument – where the annual Chopin Festival is held each summer (free concert recitals in the park twice on Sunday from June – August) – and the Orangerie, set within extensive 18th-century gardens. Palac Na Wyspie (Palace on the Island) is best viewed from near the monument to Jan Sobiewski, on the bridge where ulica Agrykola crosses the water. The 1764 Palac Belweder (Belvedere Palace) was the residence of King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski and later of Poland’s 20th-century presidents. On warm summer days, rowing boats offer short cruises around the park’s lake.

www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl 

Russian Market
For something completely different take a trip across the river to 'the Russian Market'; Europe's largest open air bazaar, and the home of thousands of traders hawking everything from counterfeit clothes to WWII rifles. This flea market (in the Praga district next to the Poniatowskiego Bridge) runs the entire circumference of Dziesieciolecia Stadium (the former national stadium). The variety of goods on offer is enormous, ranging from air guns and fur coats to (illegal) CDs, leather goods and trinkets from the former Soviet Union. It is worth visiting for the experience as much as for the goods on sale. Petty crime is rampant at the market, so care should be taken with all possessions and ostentatious displays of wealth avoided. The market opens at approximately 0600 daily (for the best buys, it is advisable for bargain hunters to arrive early) and begins to wind down at noon.

As the saying goes: variety is the spice of life and Warsaw's eateries certainly have plenty of all three. You name the nationality and Warsaw will provide you with an abundance of restaurants to suit anyone's pocket.

It's almost obligatory to sample the local cuisine if you're away from home and Polish grub won't disappoint. Famed for its soups, they're always the best way to start any meal: beetroot, gherkin, rye - if you can name it, guaranteed, a Polish chef can make a sumptuous soup from it. There's even a cold cucumber soup called 'chłodnik' (literally translated - 'the cooler'). Served during the summer, it's an ingenious antidote to a hot summer's day. A Polish chef's genius doesn't stop there, I mean, anyone who can turn a humble cabbage into haute cuisine must be doing something right. Let's move onto the restaurants themselves serving indigenous grub.

If it's ballast for a night-out, you're staying in a youth hostel, or a story of bravery to regale your friends with when get back home then a state-subsidised milk bar is the place for you. Here, you'll find good old Polish scram at bargain prices you wouldn't think possible and a clientele spectrum ranging from apparent vagrants to thrifty bankers on their lunch-break. No real directions needed - you're never more than a stone's throw away from one, just look for the sign "Bar Mleczny".

A plethora of mid-range eateries can be found scattered around Warsaw's old and new town, the majority of which are located in the main market square and Freta Street. They provide a high standard of food and reasonably sized portions. Of particular note are Pod Sansonem, opposite Marie Curie's house on Ulica Freta and Restauracja Przy Zamku Plac Zamkowy 15.

If you're looking to have a tete-a-tete with the rich and famous there are Dom Polski - close to the east bank of the Vistula and Bellevedere - located in the grounds of the parliament and presidential palace. These places really are top-notch so bring your camera for a couple snaps of you with the PM or First Lady and be prepared to give your credit card a biblical pillaging. Dishes of note include Bellvedere's sturgeon and Dom Polski's sheep brain. Although they do provide other aristocratic delicacies for the slightly squeamish.

Cafe Blikle on Nowy Swiat (picture below), first opened in 1869, with its restored Art Nouveau decor and delicious ice-creams and pastries, is uncharacteristically pricey but worth it for the atmosphere.

Warsaw Tortilla Factory, ul. Wilcza 46 – great Mexican food at reasonable prices, good music too.
Le Cedre, al. Solidarno¶ci 61 ,(Lebanese), great food - belly dancer on Friday evenings!
Blue Cactus, 11A Zaj±czkowska st., Best Mexican food in town.
Restaurant 99, 23 Jana Pawła II Ave , Top class international dishes.
Folk Gospoda – ulica Walicow 13, a rustic-themed eaterie with live folk music from 7.30pm.

In order to reach further parts of the city it is reasonable to use public transport. The tourist ccircular bus route 100 links some of the most interesting tourist attractions and is often served by a double-decker. Get in at Castle Square for the best seat. If you decide to use public transport, it is economical to buy a term ticket, valid through one day or a number of days. A daily travel card, which is valid for 24 hours since first activated, costs 7.20 zł , a travel card for three consecutive days costs 12.00 zł

Tickets can be bought in kiosks, for buses and trams, the tickets can also be bought onboard from the driver, but you need to have the exact amount due (no change). Remember to validate your ticket immediately after boarding the bus or tram. Travel cards however only need to be activated on your first journey.

We recommend checking the fare before you get in the taxi to avoid being ripped off! The prices below apply only to officially registered taxis; others (non-taxi carriers) may charge you whatever they feel like, so they are best avoided.

In any case, the most you should pay is 2.00 zł per kilometer in the daytime plus an initial fee of no more than 6 zł. You are entitled to a receipt (which must specify the route used) on request. There is no obligation or custom of tipping the taxi drivers.

MPT 9191
ELE taxi 228111111
WAWA 9644

After political transformation in 1989 shopping in Warsaw is booming and more international chain stores are opening up. The main shopping streets are the restored ulica Chmielna, elegant Nowy Swiat, ulica Marszalkowska and Aleje Jerozolimskie. Shopping arcades, both in and outside of the city centre, have become very popular, including the newest and biggest shopping oasis in Warsaw Arkadia www.arkadia.com.pl 

Poland has a temperate climate characterized by moderately cold winters and warm summers – its best weather being between May - October. In spring temperatures vary from 0 - 16°C. In summer it is hotter inland, with July temperatures in Warsaw averaging 19°C. However, summer temperatures can jump up to 30°C.

In the fall the temperature drops to around 10°C. The weather is still nice but rainy until November, which comes with a wave of cold, fog and snow. Winters become increasingly severe, January and February are the coldest months and temperatures can drop as low as -30°C but average winter temperature is -5°C. It may also snow heavily.

Rain can be expected throughout the year as the yearly rainfall averages 541mm (21”). Most of the rain falls during summer, so frequent showers and thundershowers can be expected.

Poland`s national currency is zloty (PLN). One zloty equals 100 groszy.

£1 = 5.9 PLN

We recommend to get your money direct from a cash machine. Do not use back street moneychangers. You won’t get a better rate - the only thing guaranteed is that you will get ripped off and this is the last thing you want on your stag weekend.
Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron and Maestro as well as some other obscure cards are widely accepted and if they're not then there's usually a plenty of cash dispensers around (Polish: bankomat). Amex and Diners' Club are less popular. There may be a minimal purchase value for card payments, usually 10.00 zł or so in shops but can be 20.00 zł or even 50.00 zł in bars.

What Your Money Gets You

Tipping Advice

Although tipping is not obligatory, it is common to round a bill up to the nearest PLN. If you receive good service, by all means feel free to tip at your own discretion.

As Poland is a member of the European Union (E.U.), most tourists do not require a visa. A valid passport is necessary for the length of the visit - the passport must not expire before you leave Poland.

Poland country code +48
Warsaw city code 22

In emergency:

• Police: 997
• Firefighters: 998
• Ambulance: 999
• The common European emergency number 112 works too.

Polish is a West Slavic language, related to Czech and Slovak. The following are the Polish characters and their nearest English equivalent: a–u, aj–i (as in bike), c–ts, cz–ch, dz–ds or j, ej–a (as in bake), h–ch (as in loch), j–y, l (with a slash through it)–w, sz–sh, u–oo, w–v, rz–s (as in pleasure). The second-last syllable of a word is always the one stressed. Although the National language spoken is Polish, English is widely understood. Also other languages are spoken: German, French, Russian, etc.

Basic Polish phrases

• Tak =Yes

• Nie = No

• Dziękuję = Thank you

• Proszę = Please

• Przepraszam = Excuse me

• Dzień dobry = Hello

• Do widzenia = Goodbye

• Dobry wieczór = Good evening

• Bardzo mi się podobasz = You're very attractive

• Twoje oczy s± jak dwa księżyce = Your eyes are like the moon

• Kocham Cię = I love you

• Wyjdziesz za mnie? = Will you marry me?

• Mam chłopaka = I have a boyfriend

• Mam dziewczynę = I have a girlfriend

• Nie rozumiem = I do not understand

• Mówisz po angielsku? = Do you speak English?

• Jak masz na imię? = What is your name?

• Jak się masz ? =How are you?

• Ile masz lat? = How old are you?

• Jeden bilet proszę =Can I have a ticket?

• Dobrze = Good

• ¬le =Bad

• Ile to kosztuje? = How much does this cost?

• Co to jest? = What is this?

• Herbata = Tea

• Woda = Water

• Piwo = Beer

• Która godzina? = What time is it?