WarsawCapital
Poland · Country profile
Warsaw is the capital of Poland, a city that was systematically destroyed in the war and rebuilt with a stubborn, heroic completeness, and its old town, faithfully reconstructed stone by stone from the paintings and the photographs, stands as a world heritage monument to that resilience. The royal route runs from the Royal Castle through the old and the new towns to the green park of the Lazienki, and the modern city spreads the bold, glass skyline, the museums of the uprising and the vibrant energy of a capital that has become one of the most dynamic in Europe. The Vistula river splits the city, and the parks, the palaces and the broad boulevards give it an airy, elegant scale. Rebuilt, forward-looking and fiercely alive, Warsaw rewards a second look.
About Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital of Poland. The city's documented population is around 1,861,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Polish Złoty (PLN) and Polish is spoken; the dialling code is +48. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Warsaw Chopin Airport.
The Old Town Rebuilt, the Royal Route and the Vistula
Warsaw is a grand, rebuilding, deeply resilient capital whose old town was rebuilt from the rubble after its near-total destruction, and that story of survival is the great thread of the whole visit. The royal route and the palaces hold the classic sites, the museums of the uprising and the ghetto tell the harder history, and the modern city spreads the skyscrapers, the parks and the lively districts of the new century. It is a flat, walkable, tree-lined city crossed by the Vistula, with a metro, a proper cafe culture and a restaurant scene that has come into its own. More than a stopover, Warsaw is the best place to understand the stubborn soul of Poland.
The Uprising Museums, the Tickets and the Seasons of the Capital
The summer is warm and busy, the winter is cold, golden and full of the Christmas markets, and the spring and the autumn are the mild, manageable sweet spots. The old town and the royal route are walkable, and the museum of the uprising, the ghetto and the palace of the culture need the careful scheduling and the tickets ahead. The currency is the zloty, cards are universal and the metro and the trams make the longer crossings easy. The city is safe, orderly and increasingly tourist-ready, and the English is widely spoken among the young. The Vistula riverfront and the park of the Lazienki are the great green lungs of the city, at their best in the long summer evenings.
The Parks, the Riverbanks and the Cafes of the Evenings
The old town, the rebuilt heart of the city, is the essential walk, and the castle, the cathedral and the bell tower of the old square give the views over the Vistula and the skyline. The Lazienki park, with its palace on the water and its Sunday concerts, is the finest green space of the city. The brave Warsaw rises, the skyline of the glass and the steel that the Palace of Culture still anchors, and the museum of the second world war and the uprising hold the full story of the city’s destruction and rebirth. The riverbanks, with their beaches and their bars of the summer, are the newest and the most relaxed face of the city. It is a capital of the reinvention, and nothing about it is a mere stopover.
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- Country
- Poland
- Population
- 1,861,000
- Coordinates
- 52.1657, 20.9671
- Capital
- Warsaw
- Region
- Europe
- Currency
- Polish Złoty (PLN)
- Languages
- Polish
- Calling code
- +48
- Country code
- PL
Entry requirements for Poland
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Poland for tourism.
Getting to Warsaw
Airports we list for Warsaw:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in Poland
Other cities we cover in Poland:
Frequently asked questions
Is Warsaw the capital of Poland?
Yes — Warsaw is the capital of Poland.
What currency do I need in Warsaw?
The local currency is the Polish Złoty (PLN). Languages spoken in Poland include Polish.
What is the dialling code for Poland?
The international dialling code for Poland is +48.
Which airport should I fly into for Warsaw?
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) is the airport we list for Warsaw.
How far is Warsaw from the nearest airport?
Warsaw is about 246 km from Kraków John Paul II International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit Poland?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda and Argentina currently enter Poland visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of Warsaw? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.