The main street adjacent to Syrena Irena is called Nowy Swiat, which translates to New World Street. It is a gastronomic haven of open air cafes, bars and restaurants, and wonderful neoclassical buildings. Furthermore, every Saturday and Sunday during the summer, the street becomes a promenade, just for pedestrians and cyclists, This enables locals and tourists to feel the vibes of the area at ground level. It is important to note that crossing the road at non-intersections is illegal in Poland and does attract on the spot fines, so be sure to cross the road in a compliant manner! For those looking for the epicentre of Warsaw Nightlife, you will find the Pavilion Zone, where the sound of uplifting Techno music is very common.

A walk through the Powiśle neighbourhood showcases a fascinating blend of botanical gardens with a backdrop of Soviet style buildings. One standout representation of this architecture is known as the 'Hammer Building'. Whilst grey and dated in appearance, the architecture leaves one stopping in their paths to observe and hear the history behind its inception back in the communist era. It was once a glamorous venue that had a cafe and rooftop bar. Since then it has been converted into a block of apartments with balconies that have lasted the course of time, but are in need of a spot of paint.

The botanical gardens immersed in Powiśle district are very lush and interestingly parts of it are out of bounds to the public, as the Nuns wish to preserve them as much as possible. Nearby, the Warsaw University is very popular for foreign students, particularly those wishing to study medicine. Within the confines of the University is a musical bench dedicated to the famous Polish Composer & Pianist, Frédéric Chopin. The bench has a play button which sounds out one of the the many melodious instrumental tunes of his time. One will find 15 of such benches across Warsaw's Royal Route, where the city's history and culture meet at a crossroads.

The Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist contains very unique internal architecture, whereby on the naked eye it appears as copper, but in actual fact it is wood, that is so marvellously and intricately painted. In the Old Town, there is an intriguing history behind the backdrop of buildings. The number of windows per building (two, three or four) signified tax wealth. Furthermore, the writing descriptions resonate with three elements: Things, People, Ghosts.

The evening took me to Bursztynowa Bistro – an elegant looking café with a very regional array of dishes. I started off with Cheese Soup with Baked Potatoes. The addition of grapes and nuts increased the divine taste. For the main course, it was Tagliatelle with Asparagus & Shrimps and the meal rounded off with a Tart complemented by Halva Cream and Strawberries. Overall, the dishes were sumptuous and sizzling with local flavours. 

A stonethrow away is the Bristol Hotel which has witnessed many a storied person frequent their premises. To illustrate this, they have used Fibonacci depictions with each copper circular piece having the name engraved of the attendee. The famaous names range from Al Gore to Leonardo Di Caprio.  

Day Two

After a thoroughly delightful breakfast of waffles with fruit toppings, it was time to explore the Downtown area of Warsaw known as Śródmieście. Enroute, one passes what appears on the naked eye to be the most splendid and standout Palm Tree in the middle of the junction Nowy Świat and Al. Jerozolimskie. Its only upon hearing its history that it becomes evident that its actually a steel construction designed by Polish Artist, Joanna Rajkowska. She had visited Israel and viewed the tropical plant as a 'sign of life'.

Upon reaching Śródmieście, there are numerous fascinating buildings with big cage looking structures forming the entrance to the apartment blocks. One particular block had a small prayer area in the communal exterior that was very neatly decorated. Elsewhere, you will find messages on glass boards commemorating the Free Speech Memorial, which honours the Polish Underground Publishing movement between 1976 and 1989 that played significant contributions to the fall of communism. 

As the walking tour continued, we stopped at a local cafe called Na Bank Speciality Coffee where they redefined and reimagined how glorious a Pistachio Cake can look and taste!

As the walking tour continued, we arrived at The Royal Castle Museum grounds which are very vast in appearance. The history is immediately striking by the presence of a clock placed in the centre of the exterior walkways. The clock consists of four copper dials and gold-plated numbers, with the time of 11:15 AM displayed. This indicates the time at which the Castle was bombed in 1939 during World War Two and subsequently the clock stopped. To remember this occasion, they play what is known as the Bugle of Warsaw music everyday at 11:15 AM, which was written by Zbigniew Bagiński. The Castle and the Clock were both rebuilt post-war, with the Clock chiming back to life at 11:15 AM on 19th July 1974.

In the confines of the Royal Castle Museum, one will find many a portrait depicting past Kings and Rulers of Poland, as well as distinctive crockery, in particular a two handles mug.

​To complement the move away from Communism, the Neon Museum located in what was Soho Factory, houses many of the Neon Lights Advertising Signs that were preserved after World War Two. There are approximately 100 signs present in the Museum of varying illustrations and meaning. When observing many of the Neon Lights Signs, one feels very liberated that these have stood the test of time and businesses can now advertise openly and explicitly without fear of backlash.  

​Situated in the upmarket district of Praga along the Vistula River is a newly opened bridge as recently as April 2024. At 452 metres long, it looks like a Mercedes Benz sign from an aerial view, and enables pedestrians and cyclists to co-exist easily along the same path. Here, you will also find great vantage points to view Warsaw's National Stadium. Along the River Bank are many Open Air Bars and Music shows to keep the vibe of summer going.

Dinner that evening was at the National Warsaw Museum in the Restauracja Muzealna that can be found on the Lower Ground Floor. Here, a wide range of Polish dishes were on offer. This ranged from sausages with caramelised onions to Fish in Cream Sauce. Furthermore, a gargantuan Polish Carpathian Mountain Vanilla Cream Cake was the dessert of the day!

Day 3

The Royal Łazienki Gardens was the venue for the midday Frédéric Chopin pianist performance. Indeed, masses gathered in the park grounds, happily sunbathing or finding any vantage point to hear the melodious and therapeutic sounds of the great composer. The atmosphere and expectation was building quickly in the basking sunshine. The full schedule is available here for the remainder of  the summer. On this occasion Michelle Candotti from Italy was the pianist leading proceedings at 12:00. There is also a further performance at 16:00 each day.

Lunch took us to very panoramic views at Qchnia Artystyczna restaurant of Marta Gessler. One can see far into the distance of Warsaw's green landscape when seated on the terrace. The dishes were equally complementary of the setting, such as the rich asparagus with smoked chicken. Furthermore, there were big birthday bashes taking place for the younger beings in their teens. It is customary for such age groups here to have marked celebrations and receive birthday gifts that at times can be in the form of four figures!

Post lunch, it was time to pay a visit to Open Jazdown, a community of Finnish houses that were built at World War Two. Nowadays, more than 20 NGOs work in the community to assist refugees, promoting local culture and work on green initiatives. The architecture is strikingly Scandinavian with the wooden exteriors. There was also one house that had a sprightly chicken farm serving as the back garden and teachings about Palestinian history. Indeed, diversity is at the forefront of this community. Elsewhere there was decorative street art with polite but firm messages, such as 'you have to clean your windows', to ensure a pristine environment prevailed. 

​Thereafter, a sobering and insightful trip to the POLIN Museum walks you through the entire history of Jews in Poland to present day. It dates back 1,000 years and the museum was awarded The European Museum of the Year in 2016. It is important to note that to truly appreciate all the history, one must spend at least four to six hours going through the timelines. Strikingly, there was a ornamented replica of the vault of a 17^th Century Synagogue which had wonderfully intricate architecture and colour. There is strong emphasis on the uprising from the Jewish ghetto during 1943, a period where tragically approximately 90% of Jews residing in Poland lost their lives as a result of German occupation. Consequently, the population of Jews in Poland went from 3.3 million to just 380,000. The exterior of the building has carvings to illustrate the suffering and uprising of the Jewish community in Poland during World War Two, and visitors have a vast space to position themselves in to view and absorb what the museum and its surroundings represent.

In the evening it was time to visit the bustling Nocny Night Market located in the area of the former Warsaw Central Railway station. The volume of cars parked at any angle possible on the road leading up to it is a sign of its popularity. Inside, you can find a cuisines from all corners of the globe. In the backdrop is the sounds of techno music to add further atmosphere to the surroundings. 

Day 4

There was a fitting end to the trip by a visit to the Palace of Culture and Science, specifically the 30^th floor 360 degree viewing terrace. The panoramic views represent both the historical and modern Warsaw Skyline.

In summary, whilst Warsaw is a city that has a sombre past, this has not hindered the current day progress it has made. Indeed, it stands shoulder to shoulder with any modern European city, given its cultural establishments, culinary scene and vibrant nightlife. 

For further information and to plan your trip to Warsaw, please reach out to the Polish Tourism Organisation