//
Warsaw, Poland
Photo: (WT-shared) Andrew Haggard based on work by Marcin Floryan, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The area to the west of Warsaw/Śródmieście, consisting of the districts of Wola, Ochota and Żoliborz, contains many parts of the historic core of Warsaw, Poland. While not as densely packed with touristic points of interest as Śródmieście, it is still full of interesting places to visit and discover.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego
Enormously fascinating, The Warsaw Rising Museum is a moving experience that anyone to Warsaw must visit. This museum will almost certainly not bore anyone, especially with the museum's superb use of multimedia. The museum has bilingual displays in Polish and English. The museum does a good job of explaining the perceived history of the insurgents and the Uprising in the years following the Second World War. You can also take an elevator to the rooftop to see the surroundings of Wola district. If you go on Sunday, they have chapel services at 12:30.
Warsaw Gasworks Museum
A museum dedicated to the history of gasworks and provision of municipal gas, aptly located in Warsaw's old gasworks.
Station Museum, Muzeum Kolejnictwa, Railway Museum
The railway museum in the former Warszawa Główna (Warsaw Main) train station, a boon for railway buffs.
Cmentarz Rzymskokatolicki
Contains the St Charles Borromeo Church (Kościół Św. Karola Boromeusza). Famous tombs: Jan Kiepura, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Stanisław Moniuszko, Bolesław Prus, Władysław Reymont.
Cmentarz Żydowski
Famous tombs: Estera Rachela Kamińska, Isaac Loeb Peretz, Ludwig Zamenhof (the creator of Esperanto). Also contains a symbolic monument to Janusz Korczak (he died in a concentration camp).
Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany
Contains Halperts' Chapel (Kaplica Halpertów). Famous tombs: Wojciech Gerson, Tadeusz Stefan Jaroszewski, Emil Wedel, Szymon Bogumił Zug.
Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Augsburski Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany
Famous tombs: Anna German, Leopold Kronenberg, Józef Simmler, Stefan Żeromski.
Cmentarz Komunalny - Powązki), previously: Military Cemetery (Cmentarz Wojskowy)
Contains the Avenue of the Meritorious (Aleja Zasłużonych), as well as mass graves of the participants of the November Uprising (1830–1831), January Uprising (1863–1864), World War I (1914–1918), Polish-Bolshevik War (1920–1922), World War II (1939–1945) and Warsaw Uprising (1944).
The streets that radiate from here are worth seeing.
Warsaw Waterworks
Occasional tours are organized.
X Pawilon Cytadeli Warszawskiej
Built during the Russian occupation in the 19th century to keep control over Warsaw. Many participants of the January Uprising, including its leader Romuald Traugutt, were executed there.
Residential district built in the 1920s, renowned for its architecture. Some of the highest housing prices in Warsaw.
Renowned because of the sermons of Jerzy Popiełuszko, the priest who was later assassinated by the communist regime.
Has an interesting history. It was built in the 1600s for Queen Marysieńka, then was converted into a hunting residence by King August II the Strong, and turned into a chapel in 1816 and again into a church in the 20th century.
swimming pool
tennis courts
sports hall
American-style restaurant with the stereotypical road sign novelties posted on the wall. The food is decent, especially for a cuisine that many Polish restaurants fail miserably at cooking. Huge breakfasts are served daily till 10:00 (13:00 at the weekends) for just 10.90 zł.
A nice retreat for anyone wanting a restaurant experience that's a bit more American than at other restaurants. It's a tad bit pricey, though, and there are no free refills.
Chicago's is a Route 66-themed eatery that cooks up typical American fare. Upon first entering the restaurant you'll be greeted by no one and you'll need to impose yourself upon an inattentive staff to be able to order. Although the staff is apathetic and somewhat rude, when they are attending to customers, the kitchen is rather quick and makes basic, but good food. The bar has a fair selection of alcohol to choose from, if the bartender will even greet you. If you want more of an Americanized eatery, but demand decent service head over to T.G.I. Fridays, or, for even better service, go to the Hard Rock Cafe.
Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem
This restaurant seems as though it might cater to out of towners, given its ex-Soviet kitschy atmosphere (complete with Communist era-inspired menu), but one can usually find it populated with locals having a get-together on weekend evenings. In those days, the site of the restaurant was an inn which housed many notorious communist dignitaries and other notables. The menu itself is printed in the style of a newspaper (cheaper items under the heading "Proletariat" and higher-priced items "For Dignitaries and Bourgeoisie").
Good looking interior and tasty coffee
Club 70 is a really well done club – the music is a decent mix of 1970s and 80s music, bouncers aren't as hardcore as bouncers at other clubs, and the dedication of the management to fun clubbing makes Club 70 one of the best clubs in Warsaw. If you call Monday - Friday between 10:00-18:00, you can make reservations.
music club pCV
Bar, art gallery, live music. Beers, wines, very tasty coffee, yerba mate, WiFi internet, air condition.
Karolkowa Youth Hostel
An Hostelling International recognized hostel. Like other HI hostels in Poland there is a curfew 00:00-06:00, so don't plan on going out.
The budget Premiere Classe is in the same building as its Groupe du Louvre sister-branded hotels, Campanile and Golden Tulip (see below). Website and booking in several languages, but not in English.
Campanile is Groupe du Louvre's two-star brand, popular with travellers on a budget.
The former Kyriad Prestige, sharing its building with the Campanile and Premiere Classe, was rebranded to Golden Tulip as per Groupe du Louvre strategy. With three stars, it offers a fitness centre and conference rooms.
The oldest Ibis in Warsaw is in a slightly inattractive location, but reasonably close to the city centre and many attractions and easily accessible by public transport and by car.
A regular "red pillow" Ibis built in 2012 according to the chain's new standards. In a not very touristy location and not close to anything, but manageable with public transport and conveniently accessible by car. There are three other ibis hotels in Warsaw plus two ibis budget hotels, so make sure you do not mistake them.
The super-simple "blue pillow" Ibis budget is next to its "red pillow" sister. It offers the absolutely bare necessities, provides no loyalty points and is only bookable via the Accor and Ibis websites (you will not find it in most directories and booking websites).
Although it's in Wola, the hotel is very close to the downtown area of Warsaw. A 10- to 15-minute walk will take you to the Centralna train station.
Another centrally located hotel, a few minutes from the Warszawa Centalna station.
Reviled for its pretentious and garish architecture and style, the Sobieski is a short tram ride from the Central train station and at the end of the road to the airport. The very favorable location with regard to transit is offset by an uninteresting, dull and noisy area it is in.
A small shopping mall with upscale pretences close to Powązki cemetery, but not easily accessible unless you're driving or have received precise directions
Shopping mall.
Car-centred shopping mall in a more remote part of Wola.
A large, but somewhat bland mall. Its major advantage against other Warsaw malls is that it is not so crowded.
Shopping mall, adjacent to Blue City. Free hot-spot.
On foot
For the areas closer to the city centre, walking is a reasonable choice and the sights along the way are worth it (especially if you are heading into Chłodna from Plac Bankowy, or walking along…
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Warsaw · International · WAW
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Western Centre and Poland.
Travel tipsDiscover the cheapest countries to visit in Europe in 2026. Compare daily budgets for Albania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Portugal with real costs.
8 min read
Culture & historyThe Wooden tserkvas of the Carpathian region in Poland and Ukraine is a world heritage site made up of 16 wooden churches in these countries.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsIf travelling between major cities in Poland, you don't have to drive, but to visit places off the beaten path, having a car can be a good idea.
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsTrains are a convenient mode of short, medium and long distance travel across Europe, and often the fastest option. Western and Central Europe in particular have a dense and widely used railway network.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.