Things to do in Warsaw

Considering Warsaw was almost entirely brought to the ground some 65 years ago, it is now doing pretty well. To understand more of old Warsaw pay a visit to the former Jewish Ghetto – the largest in the whole of Nazi-occupied Europe. The Warsaw Ghetto was once home to a third of the city’s population and the scene of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Most of these Jews were killed or deported to nearby concentration camps. Little is left of this part of the city, except the Nożyk Synagogue. You can also drop by the Jewish Cemetery to pay your respects.

Sadly the original Old Town in all its Baroque glory was razed to the ground by the German army following the Warsaw Uprising. However, the Poles did an admirable job in rebuilding this part of the city, meticulously piecing some of the original materials back together using the original architectural design. At the Warsaw Historical Museum you can view before and after footage of Warsaw, which highlights the destruction that unravelled in Poland’s recent history.

One of Warsaw’s most splendid places is Wilanów Palace, not least because it has gone unscathed since its completion in the seventeenth century. The complex is home to an appealing mix of Chinese, English and Italian designs, both on the interior and throughout the glorious gardens stretching around the main building. The palace is home to one Of Poland’s most impressive collection of sixteenth- to nineteenth-century paintings. During the summer there are a variety of music events held within the picturesque gardens.