Things To Do in Warsaw

Warsaw is a large city, so plan your exploration to utilize trams or taxis to move between areas. A good place to start a walking tour of the city is the Old Town (Stare Miasto) and the adjacent New Town (Nowe Miasto). Just as the Old Town isn't old (but reconstructed), the New Town isn't new but a settlement dating back to the 15th century. Aside from churches and museums, the New Town has scores of lovely cafes and restaurants. In the same itinerary, you can also bundle in part of the Royal Route. As you stroll along the swanky, cafe-lined streets of Krakowskie Przedmiescie and Nowy Swiat, bear in mind that these streets once saw intense fighting during World War II and were rebuilt from rubble after the war. Much of Krakowskie Przedmiescie is dominated by Warsaw University, and the streets are often filled with students. Set aside half a day for tracing the remnants of Jewish Warsaw. And if time permits, the streets of Praga are definitely worth half a day's time, as well.

There are small museums to suit every interest, including one dedicated to Polish Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz (Rynek Starego Miasta 20; tel. 22/831-40-61; www.muzeumliteratury.pl); one to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Maria Skodowksa-Curie (Freta 16; tel. 22/831-80-92; http://muzeum.if.pw.edu.pl); and one to the horrific Katyn massacre, in which an entire generation of Polish army officers -- some 20,000 in all -- were shot and killed by the Soviet Red Army in the Katyn woods (Powsinska 13; tel. 22/687-72-44; www.muzeumwp.pl). The newly open riverfront Copernicus Science Center (Wybrzeze Kosciuszkowskie 20; tel. 22/596-41-00; www.kopernik.org.pl) is an interactive museum with plenty of hands-on fun for kids and adults.

Live in the Park

Music spills out from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music (Okólnik 2; tel. 22/827-72-41, ext. 235; www.chopin.edu.pl) into the park at the rear of the building. Join locals who sit on the benches to enjoy pieces played by visiting international pianists rehearsing for competitions or students delivering their practical exams. Every Sunday at 5pm, the university hosts free (indoor) concerts.

Socialist Realism

In the postwar years, Poland was cut off from Marshall Plan aid, and the bulk of the reconstruction funds initially came from the Soviet Union. With 85% of the city in ruins, the Soviet-inspired planners could start from scratch. They knocked down prewar tenement houses that had survived the war to make way for the wide avenues you see today, and then stacked the roads with drab Socialist-Realist-style offices and apartment blocks. To be fair, some of these buildings aren't so awful. The unmissable Palace of Culture and Science is the granddaddy of them all. Pl. Konstytucji, the focal point of the MDM (Marszakowska Housing Estate), has impressive Socialist reliefs of miners, farmhands, and the women's workforce. The KFC at the northeast corner gives an ironic juxtaposition of Socialism vs. Capitalism. From the square, stretching along Marszakowska Street all the way south to pl. Unii Lubelskiej, are some handsome postwar buildings. Make a detour to the Ministry of Agriculture (Wspólna 30) to witness how classic Greek colonnades were incorporated into the extravagance of workers' power. At the crossing of al. Jerozolimskie and Nowy Swiat is the former headquarters of the Communist Party. After the fall of Communism, it housed the Warsaw Stock Exchange from 1991 to 2000. Now, you'll find luxury boutiques occupying the ground level.

Warsaw is not an obvious shopping haven, but it has a blend of familiar malls, quirky old-style bazaars, and plenty of creative local crafts to sate your shopping appetite. Those looking for global heavyweights like Boss, Escada, and Trussardi will find them in the trendy enclave of Plac Trzech Krzyzy and the malls around the city. Along nearby Mokotowska Street, there are interesting small boutiques. In the past, Nowy Swiat and Chmielna streets were the places for luxury goods; today, there are several antiques and design shops here, but cafes and restaurants have taken up most of the floor space.

Most shops in the city are open Monday through Friday 11am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm. Malls are open Monday through Saturday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm.

Shopping Malls

The hippest mall in town is the new Zote Tarasy (Zota 59; tel. 22/222-22-00; www.zlotetarasy.pl). It's also well stocked with restaurants -- including a branch of the Hard Rock Café -- and cafes. Even if you're not after retail therapy, pop in to see the perspective of the city from beneath the wavy, glass domes. Arkadia (Jana Pawa II 82; tel. 22/323-67-67; www.arkadia.com.pl) and Galeria Mokotów (Wooska 12; tel. 022/541-41-41; www.galeriamokotow.com.pl) are two larger malls outside the city center.

Outdoor & Street Markets

For time-traveling to the past, hop across the eastern bank to the legendary 105-year-old Russian Bazaar (Bazar Rózyckiego; entrances from Targowa and Zabkowska sts.; tel. 22/619-86-42; www.br.waw.pl) in Praga. During the Communist days, the rows of wooden stalls were the prime source for foreign goods such as Coca-Cola, jeans, and radios. It is a shadow of its former self but still musters up some life on Saturdays. Don't confuse this bazaar with the Russian Market (Dziesieciolecia Stadium) -- the outdoor market infamous for counterfeit Tommy Hilfiger, pirated DVDs, and pick-pockets -- which has been shut down to make room for the new National Stadium.

Antiques & Art

To take art objects (including jewelry) out of Poland, you'll need legal paperwork for items that are older than 55 years or produced by an artist who is no longer living.