15 Great Ways to Make the Most of 48 Hours in Warsaw

Come along on a 48 hour summer weekend city break in Warsaw, Poland. Find out things to do on a weekend in Warsaw.

We recently spent 48 hours in Warsaw exploring all the things that Poland's capital has to offer. 

About a two and a half hour flight from Dublin, a weekend in Warsaw makes for an ideal and relatively inexpensive Poland city break. 

Here are my recommendations on how to spend a packed 2-days in Warsaw meeting famous residents and steeping in the history of this fascinating Polish city.

1. Stare in Awe at Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science

We arrived in central Warsaw late on Friday afternoon on the Modlin bus (Ryanair flies into Warsaw's Modlin airport, about 45 minutes from the city). The bus parked in the shadow of the Palace of Culture and Science. 

As I disembarked, I looked up in awe at the imposing Art Deco inspired skyscraper built by a Soviet architect in 1955. Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science stands out on the skyline and is a great landmark by which to orient yourself when exploring Warsaw for a weekend or more.

2. Learn About Warsaw's Favorite Pianist at the Chopin Museum

Not long after we arrived, we met Warsaw's first famous resident, Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin). Warsaw's Chopin Museum sits in a charming building surrounded by more modern looking (and less elaborate) neighbors.

Inside, the Chopin museum, we learned about the life and music of this world famous pianist. We learned three major things about Chopin: 

1. Sadly, he was generally sickly and ultimately died rather young.
2. Despite this, Chopin was very popular with the ladies. Many of the exhibits explore his relationships and trysts in detail.
3. Chopin left Warsaw to pursue his musical career in the sitting rooms of Paris but his homeland was always in his heart. He even composed a type of music, the polonaise, as a tribute to Poland.

We also learned that you can experience Chopin all around Warsaw via musical park benches. Just sit and press the button and 15 seconds of Chopin's music will wash over you as modern city life goes on around you. 

3. Admire Warsaw's Street Art

We were also very impressed with Warsaw's street art on our weekend visit. A number of buildings close to the Chopin Museum were entirely covered in colorful creations.

We loved this giant blue hand perched on a balcony at a local school in Warsaw.

4. Stroll Warsaw's Nowy Świat Street and Meet Copernicus

We found two things that lit up the sky on Nowy Świat, one of Warsaw's main arteries. The first was a beautiful series of street lights with ornate iron work.

The second was another of Poland's famous sons, Copernicus, who lit up the sky figuratively with his controversial views (for the era) which suggested that the earth revolves around the sun. Copernicus' statue sits in a prominent place along Nowy Świat, not far from the University of Warsaw to celebrate his scientific legacy. 

5. Slip Inside the Gates of the University of Warsaw After Dark

As we were walking on Nowy Świat, we encountered a pair of bright white gates. Intrigued, we walked inside and found ourselves on the University of Warsaw campus. 

All the bright white buildings were brilliantly lit for the evening, making for an impressive stroll. Definitely a highlight of our 2-days in Warsaw.

6. Explore Warsaw's New Old Town with a Free Walking Tour

The next morning we got up bright and early for Warsaw's Free Walking Tour. Volunteers met us at Sigimund's Column in Old Town Warsaw (Stare Miasto) and the tour kicked off promptly at 10:30 am.

Przemysław, our guide, introduced himself ("Call me Pse, since non-Poles can't pronounce my full name") and we were on our way.

Before embarking on the walking tour of Warsaw, it's critical to know that more than 85% of the capital was destroyed in World War II and over 95% of Old Town Warsaw was destroyed. 

Nearly everything we would see on the tour was a faithful reconstruction. Warsaw's Stare Miasto has a very special feel. It feels old but looks fairly new and shiny.

After seeing a picture of the massive destruction of war, we were brought face to face with reality. Pse told us a legend about how bad times would befall Warsaw if the cross of Sigismund's Column were ever to touch the ground. 

The photo below is the original column so needless to saw, the statue touched the ground, an omen of the great and tragic destruction that would befall the city.

We marveled at the tales of the reconstruction of Warsaw after the war as we stood in the Old Town Market Place. Each building was completely reconstructed by the hands of everyday Polish citizens.

Those that escaped Poland during the war, lent a figurative hand by sending funds to contribute to the reconstruction.

Warsaw's Old Town Market Square is also home to another of the city's famous residents: the Warsaw mermaid. Legend has it that the mermaid was swimming in the river and came ashore to rest. 

She fell in love with the city and decided to remain. The local fishermen in turn fell in love with her. To this day, armed with a sword and shield, the Warsaw mermaid stands ready to defend her adopted land.

7. Make a Wish on Your Weekend in Warsaw

Just behind Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Łaskawej church sits a large bell, a wishing bell in fact. If you put your hand on top and jump around the bell on one leg (once for a small wish, three times for a big one), your wish will come true. I most definitely gave it a go. I'll let you know in a subsequent post if my wish comes true!

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Looking for ideas of other cities to visit in Eastern Europe? I recommend spending at least one day in Brno in the Czech Republic. You'll find interesting history, an underground labyrinth plus great wine and craft beer.

8. Walk Warsaw's Walls

Warsaw's Old Town is surrounded by a Medieval wall used to fortify the city. The town walls consist of an inner and outer wall for added protection. 

It's possible to walk both on the wall or between the walls. On our 2-day visit to Warsaw, we took time to climb the walls to get an elevated view of Warsaw's Old Town around us.

9. Step Inside Warsaw's Jewish Ghetto

Warsaw also features a far more sinister wall. Warsaw's Jewish Ghetto Wall is commemorated around the city by a strip running through the sidewalk where the wall originally passed. 

One side of the wall represented freedom, the other side represented persecution by the Nazis and almost certain death to the Jews and other non-desirables rounded up by the Nazis and placed inside. The memorial to the wall is a sobering reminder of a darker time in Warsaw's history.

A small remnant of the actual wall still remains behind an unassuming apartment block not far from the Palace of Culture and Science in Central Warsaw. 

With just 48 hours in Warsaw, you may think that you don't have time for this. However, a visit to the wall is worth a detour to remember and pay respects to those that died too soon.

10. See Warsaw Old Town's Only Original Church

I mentioned previously that 95% of Old Town Warsaw was destroyed during World War II. Pse, our Free Walking Tour guide, pointed out Kościół Akademicki św. Anny (St. Anne's Church), an imposing Catholic church near Sigismund's column and plac Zamkowy. St. Anne's is the only original building we saw on our tour.

Touring the sumptuous interior, it saddened me to think of how many other historic interiors like this were lost during World War II.

11. Meet Madame Curie, Another Local Hero, on Your Weekend in Warsaw

Exploring further on our 2-day trip to Warsaw, we transitioned from history to science to meet another of Warsaw's famous residents. Marie Curie, the double Nobel Prize winner and inspiration for women studying science and engineering worldwide (myself included) was born in Warsaw. 

A small museum remembers her life and inspiring achievements. You will also find monuments to Madam Curie dotted around Warsaw.

12. Explore POLIN Museum of History of Polish Jews

We spent nearly half a day of our 2-days in Warsaw exploring the new award-winning Museum of History of Polish Jews. The exhibits span over 1000 years of history and represent a more comprehensive view beyond the tragedies of World War II. We even got to see a stunning reproduction of a Medieval temple.

Of course, there is plenty of heart wrenching coverage of the Holocaust and the profound impact of it on Polish Jews as well at POLIN. 

13. Take the Tram to Łazienki Park on a Sunday in Warsaw

Łazienki Park is a short tram ride away from Warsaw's city center and is worth exploring on a Sunday morning. When we visited, Colorful red lanterns hung along the path.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: A visit to Warsaw is a great introduction to Poland but there is so much more to see. Consider visiting Gdansk and Tricity where the first shots of World War II were fired; Wroclaw in winter for a bit of gnome hunting; Krakow for its rich history; or get off the beaten path with a Ryanair city break in Bydgoszcz and Poznan.

Classical sculptures and water features added tremendous atmosphere to our stroll.

Also, keep an eye out for red squirrels in Łazienki Park. They are fearless and will come right up to you expecting to be fed. We saw a squirrel eating out of a little girl's hand on our weekend trip to Warsaw.

14. Listen to Chopin in the Park During Summer in Warsaw

Our main reason for making the trek to Łazienki Park was for Chopin. A colleague who lived in Warsaw for a time gave me a heads-up that Warsaw puts on Chopin concerts every Sunday in the park from May through September. When we visited, Mika Okumura was visiting from Japan and gave the recital.

It was amazing to watch and listen to Chopin's beautiful music in the country of his birth under his very own watchful eye (an imposing statue of Chopin sits right next to the stage). 

Definitely add the Chopin concerts to your weekend Warsaw itinerary if you're visting during the Spring or Summer.

15. Get Above it All and Survey the Ground You've Covered in Just 48 Hours in Warsaw 

We finished our whirlwind 2-day visit to Warsaw back where we started, at the Palace of Culture and Science. This time, we bought a ticket and ascended to the viewing platform for a birds-eye view of modern Warsaw.

If the weather is nice, it's definitely worth getting above it all for a different perspective on the city.

Where to Stay in Warsaw

Wondering Where to Stay in Warsaw? We stayed at the Radisson Blu Collection Hotel. The hotel runs about 175 EUR per night on weekends. The Radisson is centrally located and is just a 10 minute walk from the Palace of Arts and Culture in Warsaw.

Is Warsaw Worth Visiting?

Is a weekend in Warsaw worth considering as a European city break? Most definitely! Warsaw is frequently rated one of the best places to visit in Poland. 

There is plenty to see and do, plus Warsaw's food is top notch. You can definitely keep yourself busy for at least 48 hours in Poland's capital.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Looking for other city break ideas for a trip to Central Europe? Why not consider: spending a fascinating (and delicious!) 2 days in Budapest? exploring Bavaria with 2 days in Munich in the Spring and a possible day trip from Munich to Augsburg? Can't get enough of Germany? You could visit Frankfurt for a weekend and perhaps adding on a day trip to explore the cool things to do in Mainz. Head even further north for one day in Dusseldorf or 2 days in Berlin. heading to Austria and making the most of your city break with an Innsbruck Card or Salzburg Card?

Useful Links for Planning a Weekend Itinerary in Warsaw

WarsawTour FREE Walking Tour Warsaw POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews Chopin in the Park Chopin Museum Marie Curie Museum

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