The Old Town is the place we spent the most time during our visit to Warsaw. Situated 15-20 minutes away via tram from our accommodation, it truly is the place you must not miss!
We will start with a little story about the start of our trip. We missed the ‘Vieille Ville’ stop, and ended up on the wrong side of the bridge, thinking the Old Town was at the end of the line.
The Old Town is made up of small, brightly-coloured houses (some with the traditional wooden panels) and surrounded by Warsaw’s Barbican. This is a structure of red-brick fortifications which were built to defend the town. It is pleasant walking through the town – the buildings are especially beautiful. The fronts of the buildings make visitors feel like they are travelling back in time; a nostalgia for the past. The Old Town seduces its visitors with the meandering alleyways and numerous statues which reveal Warsaw’s extensive history. Make sure to visit the mermaid sculpture in the Old Town Square: this figure, along with her sword and shield, is Warsaw’s primary symbol.
As it was Easter, people were flocking to the churches with flowers. However, as Poland is a very catholic country, visiting churches is not always simple. Often they are closed or even full with locals, particularly during these Christian celebrations.
We were able to visit a couple, however, which really impressed us. For example, Saint Anne’s Church is magnificent, build in a baroque style with gold gilding which illuminates the walls. The Holy Cross Church is also beautiful and overlooks one of the city’s central squares. Whilst here we ended up on a film set which allowed us to take some photos with old cars that they were using for filming. Lastly, there is Saint John’s Anticathedral, its architecture of red bricks and crow-stepped gable (‘stepped’ roof) a perfect representation of the rest of the town’s style. Each church, cathedral and basilica is worth a visit, both for their interiors and exteriors.
The main square, Plac Zamkowy, is majestic, especially its obelisk and pink castle. We visited this castle (Warsaw Castle) mid-way through our trip. Having read that the first visitors on a Thursday were entitled to free entry, we got up extra early to visit it. However we realised we must in future properly research these places, as after arriving early we discovered the castle with neither open nor free. Instead, we took this opportunity to try and tour Saint Florian’s cathedral, situated a few tram stops away on the other side of the river. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit inside due to the Easter celebrations, yet we were able to enjoy a breakfast of rose filled Paczki (doughnut).
Warsaw Castle is the quintessential architectural emblem of the Old Town. It has survived the destruction instigated by the Nazis during WWII, although defects left by German soldiers remain. The rooms inside are luxurious and display royal artefacts, notably many porcelain pieces. Porcelain was important for Poland, evident in the castle as it makes up the heaters in a number of the rooms. Additionally, during our visit the ground floor of the castle had a number of Rembrandt paintings on display.
For when you become hungry, it is easy to find a wide range of food in the Old Town – waffles (1 euro), restaurants (6-7 euros), Carrefour Express…
We decided to try some local delicacies at Gosciniec Polskie Pierogi. This chain boasts two restaurants in the Old Town (the menus are also available in Spanish). It is very affordable, around 5 euros for one-flavour Pierogi, which are Polish dumplings. It is possible to create your own mix of fillings, and the dishes served are very tasty – a great first experience of Polish food. We also tried Kürtösch, a Hungarian specialty which is available in many shops. This pastry is a proper treat!
Official Sites
Warsaw Castle : https://www.zamek-krolewski.pl/en
Gosciniec Polskie Pierogi Restaurant (vous pouvez visualiser la carte en ligne) : http://gosciniec.waw.pl/en/how-to-make-the-dough-for-dumplings/
Translation by Emily Tucker
2 Steps Abroad 
The Old Town in Warsaw is really nice! We had such a good time just walking around although it was winter so we tried to go inside stores as much as possible to keep warm.
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Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We went in April and were expecting a bad weather but it was actually very nice and sunny.
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