Warsaw

The flights through Warsaw were cheaper than through many other cities in the area. That was probably the main reason. Also, Warsaw seems to have more WW2 history than many other cities.

There are tons of resources and walking maps on the official tourism website:
https://warsawtour.pl/en/main-page/

Also, get an "In Your Pocket" Guide for Warsaw:
https://www.inyourpocket.com/warsaw

Your hostel should also have plenty of info. Restaurants are a bargain given the quality of the food, so it just depends on your tastes and budget.

Warsaw is pretty compact and walkable (much smaller than most European Capital cities), you can get everywhere by tram, on foot, or via metro. Don't miss the Uprising Museum, Lazienki Park, and Old Town. There are many other attractions as well, those are just a few.

I don't consider it a mistake to visit Warsaw. We were surprised how cheap and honest was the cab ride from the airport. There's a Warsaw section in this Report:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/four-cities-in-poland-2019

If you head east from the hostel, you will be in the pretty embassy area of town. Then walk north up the very pretty Royal Way (it has multiple names, which is partly pedestrian only, and lined with shops, restaurants, churches etc. Then it takes you to the restored Old Town area with more to see. All walkable. If you share your interests, we can point out more.

Seconding Agnes' recommendation for the In Your Pocket Guide to Warsaw. Very helpful. So is the RS Warsaw snapshot guide.

I had resesarched city tours for my planned 2020 trip to Warsaw and had made note of these:

https://warsawcitytours.info/tours/morning-warsaw-city-tour
• 3 hour morning bus tour
• 1 Person(s) - 35.00 € - English / Person

https://freewalkingtour.com/warsaw/

https://freewalkingtour.com/warsaw/tours/free/historic-centre-old-town-warsaw/
• Everyday at 10:30 and more times

https://freewalkingtour.com/warsaw/tours/free/communist-warsaw/

I did not take any of these tours, as my trip was (obviously) cancelled. Prices and descriptions were current at the time, but may well have changed.

All,
I am so thankful for all of your awesome suggestions, links and information. I am really looking forward to visiting Warsaw. I visited Krakow in 2017 so I think this will be another great historical trip.

In Your Pocket is a good resource.

Both the Rising Museum and POLIN (Jewish history in Poland) are excellent, modern and time-consuming. There are multiple other museums falling in the historical category--a lot of WWII and Cold War places. Warsaw also has (or at least it did pre-COVID) a quirky neon museum and a museum showing fabulous Polish poster art. There's tons to see in the city.

I think this video about modern Warsaw is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUuECxpaAnc

Have to ask, what takes you to Warsaw and I only ask that, because the city didn't move me like so many of the other cities in Poland did

Warsaw beats Krakow hands down for food, beer and nightlife. Krakow may be more attractive but Warsaw has drawn me back more times than Krakow.

Thanks so much for the Warsaw video and all the links and help with my post. I think this is going to be an awesome trip! Looking forward to going back to Poland for the first time since 2017 but that was in Krakow in January. Very cold winter that year. I stayed in Kazimierz which was great but I'm hoping Warsaw is great too. Based on the information you all sent, it is an amazing city with a rich history and culture.

I did a day tour that went up over to Praga (the other side of the river) in a communist-era van. They did other tours but I wanted to see another part if the city. It was fun, even though the visit was made complicated by our VP visiting and messing up traffic, and the vodka tasting room over there was closed that day. Still interesting!

You’re not too far from Lazienki Park. There are free Chopin concerts on Sunday (or were pretty-covid- assume they’d still happen but verify). Bring a picnic and enjoy a free show. The park itself is a beautiful place to walk around, and there are a few museums there. (Also just saw you won’t be there Sunday but it’s still a nice walk). If you like contemporary art, then check out Ujazdow Castle at the north side. It’s a modern art museum now. There was also a light show somewhere along the river that I didn’t get to but it was on the list for something to do at night.

Transit is so good there, it’s not too hard to get around. Check the cost of a weekly transit pass and you’ll be set between the buses, tram, and subway.

It certainly moved us knowing what it came back from, WWII and Communism. Just sitting there and wondering how in the world did these people find it in their hearts and mind to rebuilt something that would remind them daily, of a lost city and lost relatives and loved ones. But they did.

I loved Warsaw when I visited Poland last year and actually wished I spent a day or two more there. I definitely recommend you take a day to explore Łazienki Park and the University Botanical Gardens in the same area. Pack a picnic and just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and even animals near the palace. Your hostel isn’t far from Hala Koszyki which is a trendy little food hall with really good food. You’re also not far from a few milk bars. I highly recommend trying one out for some really cheap authentic polish food. And although the University Library Gardens are a bit far from your hostel, it is definitely worth the trek. The most unique blend of architecture and landscaping and a beautiful view of the city.