Warsaw City Break
Welcome to my latest Brume & Daisy travel series, featuring a Warsaw City Break! This is part of my most recent backpacking Europe series. From Wrocław, it was on to Warsaw for us. We arrived by train to the Warsaw Central Station and it was just a short walk through the city center to our AirBnb.
Warsaw is the largest city in Poland. It has a beautiful Old Town, but throughout the city there is a jumble of architecture that tells the layered history of Warsaw — from WWII, to its communist era, to being rebuilt. The Vistula River runs along what used to be the border of Warsaw and Praga — once a separate city, these days Praga is now considered Warsaw’s arty east bank. We’ll get to all that and more in this Warsaw city break guide!
Where to Stay in Warsaw
We stayed close to the city center, near Foksal and Chmielna Streets, in a pedestrian area in the city center where there are lots of shops and restaurants.
We’re big into walking, so we hoofed it all around Warsaw, even when we went across the river to Praga. But there are tons of public transit options from the metro to trams to buses. Bikes and scooters are also very popular, but I was a bit chicken to try biking because some areas were a bit high traffic.
Where to Eat & Drink in Warsaw
Need a snack while you’re getting your bearings in central Warsaw? We did. We stopped at Okienko, which was a Belgian street fries style place with homemade sauces. I’ve eaten fries all across Europe, so I can account for these — they were hot and delish!
For dinner and drinks, it’s on to Hala Koszyki. Hala Koszyki is much more than your typical market bazaar. This is a new development in Warsaw, and the only place of its kind in Poland. It has eighteen different restaurant stalls, several artisan grocers, and a couple of bars. It feels very much like the public markets in the States — very hip. You can get just about anything there, but we ate at Kiełba w Gębie, which had kielbasa and Polish craft beer.
Central Warsaw now has a Mikkeller, which we first encountered on its home turf in Copenhagen. But it’s a fantastic craft beer place that’s spreading all over Europe these days. The Warsaw brew pub touts 20 taps and over 500 different bottles — craft beer lovers shouldn’t miss.
We ended the night at Drugie Dno, a multi-tap brewpub with Polish and foreign craft beer, plus ciders and wines. The food looked good, too! It’s a big place, and we enjoyed sitting outside.
As you know, I’m on a mission to find you the best plant-filled cafes all across Europe, so I’m pleased to saw Warsaw’s Cafe STOR did not disappoint! They’ve got lovely large windows, good music, and cozy seating. They serve great coffee (a variety of different ways), a selection of craft beers, and tasty sweets. Definitely worth a visit.
You should definitely spend a day exploring Warsaw’s artsy east district, Praga. Once considered unsafe and a bit grunge in the 1990s, Praga experienced a huge hipsterization and is super cool these days.
Where to Eat & Drink in the Praga district:
Vegan Ramen Shop is exactly what it says on the tin, a vegan ramen cafe serving up amazing bowls. Check out their Instagram and you’ll instantly get hungry.
Skamiejka is a great little cafe where you can get traditional Russian food. It’s got quite a foodie reputation, but also has that living room feel — local art on the walls, family-style tables, living room furniture throughout where they host readings and concerts. Try to get in for lunch or tea; it’s almost always packed, but worth it.
There’s a Google for Startups Campus surrounding the old Konesar Vodka Factory (and museum!) and it’s a central hub for a lot of cafes and bars. We stopped in to explore some art galleries and grab a beer when it got hot in the middle of the day.
And finally, a bit of a cult favorite that well sums up the Praga neighborhood, we visited W Oparach Absurdu. There we had several plates of pierogis and other Polish treats, and tried a couple beers — they’ve got 50 different craft bottles on offer. This place just has to be seen, it’s got a ton of vintage decor, rugs everywhere, and the most eclectic decor.
Walk and Wander in Warsaw
In central Warsaw the two main areas to walk and explore are Foksal Street and Plac Zbawiciela. Both are pedestrian areas (at least in the summer they were) full of cafes and restaurants.
We walked the pedestrian bridge across the Vistula River to get to Praga. There’s a walking trail that takes you along the Poniatówka Beach, through a bit of forest, and straight up into Praga. There were people camping, making bonfires and partying all along this route.
Once in Praga, the area around the vodka factory and the Google for Startups Campus has lots of nice little shops and galleries. Being a devoted plant lady, I really enjoyed a wander through Zielona łodyga, which sold so many beautiful houseplants. Unbelievable prices too, compared to the States– wish I could have taken it home with me!
Ul. Zabkowice is right in the heart of Praga and it’s closed to traffic on weekends for live music and flea markets. Even if you don’t do any shopping, it’s definitely a lively scene to be a part of.
We really enjoyed our time in Warsaw, and would highly encourage a Warsaw city break as your next adventure!
That’s all for now!
Until next time — let’s chat on Instagram or Twitter, where I’m @brumeanddaisy.
Want more of this backpacking tour? We also visited Berlin, Germany; Wrocław, Poland; Ostrava, Czech Republic, Kosice, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary. Plus I have loads more guides and travel content here!
