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A Budget Traveler's Guide to Warsaw, Poland

Overview

Warsaw is the capital of Poland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. A perfect stop between the east and west, Warsaw is a city you want to visit. The sprawling metropolis is modern, much more than you would imagine, and really embodies the spirit of the Polish past and present. It has one of the world’s fastest and cleanest metro systems, beautiful architecture and the Polish spirit you just have to appreciate.


Walking below glass-windowed skyscrapers and along the grand boulevards rivals what many idealize about Poland. This eastern European country is no longer lost in the obscurity of the eastern bloc, but is a hub for European art, tech and innovation with Warsaw at its center.


It is no surprise that Warsaw is extremely modern today, as much of its older buildings were unfortunately destroyed during World War 2. Through the turmoil of its past, Warsaw was still able to preserve its fortified old town speckled with brightly colored buildings, cobblestone walkways and horse drawn carriages. With churches, castles and shops to explore, why not make Warsaw your next destination?


Is it Cheap?

Yes, compared to Western Europe. While being a bit more pricy than Polands smaller cities, the capital is still certainly reasonable with the average hostel night costing 20-25 Euros and food around 8-12. Remember that Poland uses the Zloty, so if the prices look high, don’t believe them!


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Old Town Square


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Church of St. Casimir


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Palace of Culture and Science


What to Do

Warsaw as we have said before is a really big city, meaning that you will have tons of things to do during your stay in the city. Whether its touring palaces, walking around in parks or taking a boat tour down the river, you really can’t go wrong!


Play Basketball in front of the Palace of Culture and Science

The Palace of Culture and Science is right in the heart of the new modern quarter of Warsaw that features highrises, expensive cafes and the hustle and bustle of big city life. Around the palace is a nice park with an extraordinary fountain, very much like Central Park in New York City but much, much smaller. Right in front of the Palace is a set of basketball courts that serve as possibly the coolest place to play a game of pick-up basketball you will find anywhere.


Enjoy the Old Town

The old town is ornate and architecturally diverse. The building painted every color of the rainbow and the vibe simply delightful. Make sure to check out the Barbican just on the outskirts of the the old that served as fortifications against invaders during the middle ages.


Reflect at the Warsaw Ghetto and Holocaust Memorial

Warsaw before World War 2 used to have the largest population of Jewish people in the whole of Europe. Since then, the city has been reduced to one synagauge and a lasting imprint of what was. Pay your respects while walking around the old Jewish ghetto and finish your trip by the Jewish Holocaust Memorial, a powerful monument comemorating the not only the people lost, but all of the Poles that helped during this time of struggle.


Strut Down Nowy Swiat

This is the main shopping street in Warsaw and a great place to check out Polish fashion trends and try Polish restaurants.


Take a Walk a Lazienki

The largest park in Warsaw and also the royal gardens, Lazienki is a quiet escape from the traffic and noise of the fast-paced Warsaw streets.


What to Eat and Drink

Polish food is awesome. Almost like the hybrid of Russian and German cuisines, its heavily influenced by meat products and potatoes. Hearty and delicious, the delicacies of Poland will fill your stomach without breaking the bank.


Pierogies: Polish style dumplings stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink. Try the bacon and cheese for a meal and the blueberry for a nice sweet treat.


Bigos: Also called hunter’s stew, bigos is a cabbage and sausage stew featuring onions and tomatoes. Its rich, hearty and generally served in a bread bowl!


Klobasa; The king of all sausages in Poland, the Klobasa is a spiced smoked pork sausage often served with strong mustard and stewed cabbage.


Bison Grass Vodka: Did you know that Poland is home to the most Bison in all of Europe? Neither did we. The Polish take the grass that keep these mighty beasts happy and infuse it into their vodka to keep it nice and healthy. We are joking, but the grass does give the vodka a woody flavor and tints it a very light green.


Tyskie Beer: Traditional Pilsner style beer brewed in Poland. It’s good.


Transportation

Warsaw is a big city. That means that during your stay, you are going to have to use public transportation. The taxis are pretty fair price, with a standard ride costing around 10 Euros per trip. Warsaw, as mentioned above, has one of the newest and cleanest metros you can find anywhere in the world and for around 1.5 euro per ride, it is a steal of a deal. They only have a few lines, but each stop will take you exactly where you need to go.


Warsaw also has a large network of buses and trams at your disposal, if you want to see more of the city during your duration.


Clubbing and Nightlife

As it turns out, Warsaw is an awesome place to spend a night out. There are tons of bars and clubs to choose from, many of which are linked to the cities close ties to Berlin.

Obviously, Beer is a big deal in Poland and the best place to try it all is at a spot called PiwPaw in the old town area. They have tons of local and imported tap beer to choose from for a reasonable price.


If you want to go out and have a few drinks in a stress free and easily entered club/bar head to Jim Bean’s near Nowy Swiat. There is also a great and cheap club next to it called Sketch. Expect to wait in line and have cash ready at the door!


My Travel Essentials For A European Backpacking Trip

Below you'll find a list of my must bring backpacking items. I have gotten this list down to my essentials through trial and error over 4 years of living in a backpack. I hope you'll find these items helpful on your journey!


►Main Backpacking Backpack: https://amzn.to/3vUHdik [Amazon]

►Great Front Facing Duffle-bag : https://amzn.to/3SjK6Ra [Amazon]

►Quick Dry Towel : https://amzn.to/3uarxH8 [Amazon]

►Multi Country Charger Adapter : https://amzn.to/3Ul37p0 [Amazon]

►Refillable Water Bottle : https://amzn.to/48SnG0n [Amazon]

►Padlock : https://amzn.to/3SdyYp7 [Amazon]

►Earplugs : https://amzn.to/498xTpl [Amazon]

►Power Bank : https://amzn.to/3SyXP8e [Amazon]


Travel Photography & Video Favorites

If you're interested in creating your own video content on your trip, these are some of my favorite items I've had. They work, they're effective and besides the Sony Aa7C, they aren't going to break the bank either!


►On the Go Video | Go Pro Hero 12 : https://amzn.to/3u38oHh [Amazon]

►Photography | Sony A7C : https://amzn.to/3u1Y6ap [Amazon]

►Portable Tripod | https://amzn.to/42ojHqc [Amazon]

►Lavalier Microphone | https://amzn.to/3SbL41U [Amazon]

►Drone | https://amzn.to/47TCwSY [Amazon]

►Portable Monitor | https://amzn.to/3Hzv2dg [Amazon]


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