Jeremy and I are bopping around Europe for 6 weeks. So far we’ve spent 2 nights in Milan, 3 nights in Budapest, 1 night in Gyor, 2 nights in Bratislava, 3 nights in Vienna, 3 nights in Prague, 2 nights in Wroclaw, and 3 nights in Krakow. Next stop… Warsaw!
Initial Impressions of Warsaw
Young face, old soul. That’s how I’d describe Warsaw.
Nearly all the city was razed to the ground in WWII, and it has since been totally rebuilt. Some sections were built with the intention of preserving the past– namely the Old Town. But other sections reflect Poland’s thriving present. There are trendy food halls, ultra modern malls, and plenty of shops and cafes with unique aesthetics that require double takes. Even the buildings with detailings that scream “I was built in the 17th century!!!” are no older than 80.
Despite the dramatic facelift, the soul of Warsaw feels old. You can almost hear the “when I was your age….” stories echoing down the streets. But they aren’t stories about walking 3 miles to school each day, (uphill both ways of course.) They are the type of stories that make you question humanity. The type that make you yourself wonder what you could be pushed to do.
Young face, old soul. I can relate.
Where We Stayed During Our 3 Nights in Warsaw
Once again, AirBnBs were cheaper than hotels. We found a spot that was around a mile out from the Old Town, and more or less within walking distance of everywhere we wanted to see. It came equipped with a kitchen, coffee maker, and washing machine. Everything we needed to a nice stay.
What We Did in Warsaw… and What You Should Do Too!
Check Out the Warsaw Uprising Monument
The Warsaw Uprising Monument commemorates the struggle and lives lost during the Warsaw Uprising. It was a brutal, 3 month conflict between the Poles and German army. The damage done in a relatively short time is staggering.
Check out the stats on the plaque pictured below at the monument:
Once the Poles lost, the Germans expelled all the citizens and spent the next 3 months looting and destroying the city. Meanwhile, the Soviets sat outside Warsaw, refusing to provide help or aid. Stalin’s armies swooped in once the Germans left in January 1945.
I’ve seen a lot of war monuments, but this one easily makes my top 3. The statues of Polish soldiers rising up from the ground, advancing forward with weapons is incredibly impactful.
(Learn more about Warsaw Uprising HERE and HERE.)
Tip: There’s a Warsaw Uprising Museum that you can visit to learn more. We didn’t have time, but I think it’d be fascinating.
Walk Around the Jewish Ghetto
Remains of the Nazi-made Jewish Ghetto are near the Warsaw Uprising Monument.
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Europe. It was created in 1940, and by 1941 there were an estimated 460,000 inhabitants crammed in. The population density was 146,000 people per square kilometer, and conditions were horrible. Nearly 100,000 people died from starvation and disease. But things got worse when the Nazi’s began “Gross-Aktion Warsaw” in 1942. Hundreds of thousands of people were sent to the Treblinka death camp, and it’s estimated that 300,000 people were killed in the gas chambers in just two months.
(Information from THIS source.)
A piece of the ghetto wall remains, and there are statues and plaques sprinkled about in honor of the lives lost.
Visit the Old Town
The original Warsaw old town dates back to the 13th century. However, as mentioned earlier, it was nearly totally destroyed in WWII. Reconstruction lasted from 1945-1951, which is why it looks so pristine and beautiful today. It has colorful buildings, plenty of eateries, and a fantastic main square.
What makes the Warsaw Old Town stick out to me is the city wall. It’s 8.5 m tall and 1.2 meters thick, and you can just imagine enemies looking at it wondering, “Hmmm…. what do we do now…”
(Get more facts on the walls HERE.)
Walk Around the University of Warsaw Campus
The University of Warsaw has beautiful gardens that can’t be missed. There are botanical gardens as well as an epic roof top garden on the library. I foolishly didn’t snap any good photos, above you’ll see some Google images!
What We Ate During Our 3 Nights in Warsaw
Zurek and Potato Cakes from Pyzy, flaki gorące!
Pyzy, flaki gorące! is just outside the Old Town, and it serves up traditional dishes at very reasonable prices. We started with Zurek, a Polish soup that’s made with a fermented rye bread starter, different types of sausages, spices, and horseradish. And we also got the potato cakes (not to be confused with potato pancakes.) They had a crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside texture that paired perfectly with the dill, bacon, and sour cream.
Potato Pancakes and Hunters Stew from Radio Cafe
Radio Cafe is a cozy joint with traditional Polish dishes near the Palace of Culture and Science. It began as a meeting place for Radio Free Europe— an underground station that provided unfiltered global information during a time of heavily restricted speech. Now, it remains “a meeting place for people committed to the ideas of freedom, solidarity, democracy, and love…”
We tried Polish potato pancakes as well as Hunter’s Stew. Polish potato pancakes, Placki Ziemniaczane, are made with grated potatoes, egg, and flour. A simple, yet delicious dish. Hunter’s Stew is a traditional Polish stew that’s made with pork, sausage, and loads of sauerkraut. It’s warm and hearty with that “stick to your ribs” sort of feel.
Pierogi from Wałek Warszawski
Wałek Warszawski is a no-frill pierogi restaurant serving up all types of this popular Polish dumpling for reasonable pries. We got a mixed platter with meat, lentil, and potato and cheese pierogi. The dough was mega fresh and the filings were tasty.
Polish Meringue Cake (tort bezowy)
I had no idea tort bezowy was a thing until traveling around Poland. It’s a layered meringue cake that’s filled with cream and all types of add-ins ranging from fresh raspberries to thick caramel. It’s like a pavlova sandwich— pavlova just so happens to be one of Jeremy’s favorite desserts, so we may have had a couple servings….
Total Cost of Our 3 Nights in Warsaw
Hotel: $170.35USD
Bus Ride from Krakow: $19.95
Food: $65 USD (Ish)
Groceries: $28.l8
Attractions: None
Transport: $22
Total: $284.11 USD
I thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights in Warsaw!
We got the perfect taste of the city’s past and present, and had some delicious bites along the way.
Now, it’s time to say goodbye to Poland.
Next stop… the UK!
