✍️Warsaw Travel Guide: History, Old Town & Hidden Stories in Poland’s Capital

Welcome back everyone!

It feels like ages since my last post, but in reality it’s only been 4 or 5 weeks. Time flies when you’re on the move.

This one is a slightly shorter (yes, really) and more general post—less focus on the 101st Airborne and leadership, and more on the destination itself. As always, feel free to leave comments or reach out—I appreciate the feedback.

✈️ Flying to Warsaw & Getting into the City

This trip was a quick 3-day visit to Warsaw, Poland, as part of my ongoing mission to visit at least two new countries each year.

I booked via Expedia and flew from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport with British Airways.

The flight itself was…eventful:

• 45-minute delay on the tarmac searching for a missing passenger
• A mid-flight medical situation
• And the usual “is there a doctor on board?” announcement

Despite all that, we arrived safely.

Key travel details:

• Flight time: ~2.5 hours from the UK
• Airport: Warsaw Chopin (modern, efficient, easy to navigate)

Tip:
Avoid budget airlines if possible—they often fly into Modlin Airport, which is much further from the city.

🚆 Getting from Warsaw Airport to the City Centre

The train station is conveniently located within the airport.

There are three main lines:

• RL
• S2 (does NOT stop at Central Station)
• S3

I took the RL line, which got me to Warsaw Centralna in about 18 minutes.

From there, a quick taxi (~20 PLN) took me to the Old Town.

🏰 Warsaw Old Town: Rebuilt but Remarkable

First impressions of Warsaw’s Old Town were incredibly positive.

What makes it even more impressive is the fact that around 87% of the city was destroyed during World War II.

Walking through the Old Market Square, you get a real sense of what the city must have looked like before the war—beautifully reconstructed and full of character.

Nearby is the Royal Castle, another rebuilt but still magnificent landmark, surrounded by sections of the original city walls and historic municipal buildings.

⚔️ Warsaw Uprising Memorial & Historical Significance

A short walk (~500m) west from the Old Town brings you to the Warsaw Uprising Memorial (1944).

This is a deeply important site, commemorating the resistance and sacrifice of the Polish people during the uprising.

The 1st of August remains a significant national day of remembrance.

☕ Exploring the City on Foot

After a full first day of walking (and a well-earned coffee stop), I headed back to the hotel having covered a surprising amount of ground.

Warsaw is a very walkable city, and it rewards exploration.

🕍 Jewish History in Warsaw: Synagogue & Pawiak Prison

The following morning, I headed north along Al. Jana Pawła II.

My first stop was the Nożyk Synagogue, the only synagogue in Warsaw to survive the war.

It’s a sobering experience when you consider:

• Over 30% of Warsaw’s population was Jewish before WWII
• There were more than 100 synagogues in the city
• Only one survived

Continuing north (~1.5 km), I reached Pawiak Prison, now a memorial site.

This was once a detention centre where tens of thousands of Poles were imprisoned, many of whom lost their lives. Today, only remnants and memorials remain—but they are powerful.

It’s a sobering experience when you consider:

• Over 30% of Warsaw’s population was Jewish before WWII
• There were more than 100 synagogues in the city
• Only one survived

Continuing north (~1.5 km), I reached Pawiak Prison, now a memorial site.

This was once a detention centre where tens of thousands of Poles were imprisoned, many of whom lost their lives. Today, only remnants and memorials remain—but they are powerful.

I passed this really nice market on the way back to the hotel. If I had more time then would have bought some fruit to take back to the room...missed an opportunity I think.  :-(

🚐 Warsaw City Tour (Viator Experience)

After already walking about five miles before breakfast (impressive, even by my standards), it was time for a guided tour.

I joined a Viator tour in a vintage Nysa van, dating back to the Soviet era.

🚐 Warsaw City Tour (Viator Experience)

After already walking about five miles before breakfast (impressive, even by my standards), it was time for a guided tour.

I joined a Viator tour in a vintage Nysa van, dating back to the Soviet era.

The tour covered:

• Major historical landmarks
• Lesser-known streets and courtyards
• Insight into Warsaw’s layered history

Highlights included:

• Streets showing different ruling periods
• Traditional courtyards once used by horse-drawn carts
• The Palace of Culture and Science (a Soviet-era architectural landmark, opened in 1955)

Poland’s strong Catholic identity is also visible throughout the city, with numerous shrines to the Virgin Mary tucked into courtyards.

One of the original streets with signs covering the different periods where different countries governed Warsaw.

...View along the same street.

...A peek into the entrance of an old house where carts using to pass.

Yours truly outside of the Palace of culture and science. Built by the Russians and opened in 1955 and example of architecture found in most Eastern Bloc countries.

There are many shrines to the Virgin Mary in many courtyards, Poland is still a mainly Catholic country.

🍽️ Food & Drink in Warsaw

No tour is complete without sampling the local culture.

This one included:

• Vodka tasting (unsurprisingly!)
• A traditional lunch of pierogi (Polish dumplings)

🕯️ Warsaw Ghetto & Holocaust Memorials

Over the next day, I continued exploring on foot (22 miles over 3 days in total).

Key sites included:

• Umschlagplatz – where deportations from the Ghetto began
• Ghetto Heroes Monument (Bohaterów Getta)
• The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

I also located one of the last remaining sections of the Warsaw Ghetto Wall.

Standing there, it’s impossible not to reflect on the scale of loss and suffering that occurred within those boundaries.

It's also worth remembering that the city was devastated during the war and, if you look closely, you can see some reminders of the war.

Later, I found a great little café—Sofra on E. Plater—serving a mix of Turkish, Greek, and Polish cuisine. Highly recommended.

🔫 A Different Kind of Experience: Shooting Range Visit

To round off the trip, I visited PM Shooter, a local shooting range.

It’s one of those activities that’s legal and accessible in parts of Eastern Europe, and something I like to try when travelling.

 PM Shooter

I had the chance to handle:

• SWT-40 (a WWII-era rifle)
• Steyr M9
• AK-47
• PM-06 Grot

The SWT-40, in particular, stands out given its historical connection to WWII.

Me with the SWT40...

Update: I went back to Warsaw in September 2025 to shoot at PM Shooter. They have a new, bigger, range! Definitely a place to visit if you are in Warsaw.

🌍 Final Thoughts on Warsaw

All in all, this was a fantastic short trip.

Warsaw offers:

• Deep, complex history
• A beautifully rebuilt Old Town
• Important WWII and Holocaust sites
• Great food and value for money

It’s a city that might not always top travel lists—but absolutely should.

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🤔 Final Question for Readers

Would you visit Warsaw primarily for its history, or would you treat it as a gateway to exploring more of Poland?