Warsaw Palace hits you fast. At the Central Station you think you’re in the right place—until you realize your train leaves 300 meters away, from another station called Śródmieście.
That’s how I ended up lost in the maze of corridors, searching for a ticket counter but finding only shops and glowing LCD screens. Fifteen minutes later—finally, a cashier.
Station Lesson in Warsaw
– “Two tickets for three days, please,” I say, showing two fingers.
– “Trzy bilety?”
– “Nie, dwa bilety na trzy dni!” I improvise in Slovak-Polish.
– “Dwa czy trzy? Dokąd pan jedzie?”
– “Warsaw!”
– “Ale jesteś w Warszawie.”
– “Kurwa!” I snap. “Two tickets for 72 hours. S1, Warsaw.”
Her face lights up: – “Aha, kurwa! Miejski. There’s a ticket machine around the corner.”
And so I learned my first Polish word. A universal one.
Warsaw Palace of Culture – Stalin’s Fridge
Dragging our backpacks and scooters outside, the monumental Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science rose before us. For decades, locals called it “Stalin’s fridge” – just as in Prague, where the gigantic Stalin monument was mockingly named the “meat queue.”
The Soviets wanted a whole “City of Friendship,” a mini-Moscow in Warsaw. Luckily, only one palace was built. Architect Lev Rudnev added details from Kraków and Lublin to make it look more “Polish.” But Varsovians still shortened it to PKiN – and half-jokingly: Palace of Culture and Misfortune.
Today, at 237 meters, it’s no longer the tallest (the Varso Tower beats it at 310), but it remains Warsaw’s most iconic building. Inside you’ll find theatres, museums, congress halls, a cinema – and even a neon museum glowing with 1950s nostalgia.
Warsaw’s New Skyline
Where once only the Palace and station stood, now modern skyscrapers define the panorama – Varso Tower, Warsaw Spire, Warsaw Unit with its “dragon skin.”
The new skyline of glass and steel turns Warsaw into a proper Central European metropolis: dynamic, ambitious, and no longer haunted by its past.
Warsaw Ghetto Walls
Between towers and side streets, fragments of the Warsaw ghetto walls still survive. Many are hidden in new buildings, barely noticeable. We searched for them on scooters – and honestly, missed more than we found.
Pickles and Polish Language Lessons
Johny is famous for his politeness. Too polite, sometimes. We saw it at our landlady’s, a retired doctor.
He had just finished strong antibiotics and felt uneasy in his stomach. He tried to ask for advice.
– “I have some strange, uncertain stolica,” Johny whispered.
– “Uncertain capital? What’s happening in your country? Some politics?” she asked.
– “No, no… loose stolica,” Johny insisted, pointing at his belly.
She laughed, then nodded:
– “Ah, you mean sraki! You need probiotics. Eat kiszone ogórki – pickles. That will help.”
So we found ourselves at a small market in a side street – cheese, ribs, jams, and of course, pickles. Whether Johny’s stomach healed, he never admitted. But the word sraki stuck forever.
Probably yes – because a few streets later, in Hala Koszyki (Warsaw Food Market), we devoured Lisbon’s pasteis de nata, Indian curry, and ice cream for dessert.
Warsaw Nightlife
We ended the day by the Vistula, two Żabka beers in hand, watching the hypnotic rhythm of runners’ leggings.
In Warsaw, a Kostka scooter with good bearings is worth more than gold. Without it, you’d never see half the city – or the jealous looks of exhausted tourists.
Behind us was Mazowiecka Street, vibrating with bars and clubs. Around the corner, Nowy Świat with its buzzing Pawilony (hidden behind gate 22/28) – a hive of 20 tiny bars that reminded us of legendary 100cznia in Gdańsk. We ran through it all – Johny judged the beer prices, I the aesthetics.
And yet, something else won. After palaces, markets, bars, and clubs – the best was still a quiet garden in Otwock, with beer and peace.
Because that’s Warsaw: loud and quiet, provocative and ordinary. First it throws you off balance, then it gives you a place to breathe again.
Top Things to See and Do in Warsaw
- 🏛 Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) – Stalin’s “fridge,” today a cultural hub with theatres, museums, and city views.
- 🌆 Varso Tower & modern skyline – the tallest skyscraper in the EU (310 m), plus Warsaw Spire and Warsaw Unit with its “dragon skin” facade.
- 🧱 Warsaw ghetto walls – hidden fragments of history, tucked between modern buildings.
- 🥒 Local markets & pickles (kiszone ogórki) – discover Poland’s probiotic secret and authentic street flavors.
- 🍴 Hala Koszyki (Warsaw Food Market) – trendy food hall with everything from Portuguese custard tarts to Indian curries.
- 🍻 Warsaw nightlife – Mazowiecka Street for clubs and cocktails, Nowy Świat’s Pawilony for underground vibes, or a quiet Żabka beer by the Vistula.
- 🚲 Explore by scooter or bike – the best way to see half the city and feel like a local.
