LONG TIME DEAD

A fun-packed solo trip to the Polish capital. November 2024.

I’ve got lots of places I’d like to visit and there are only so many trips my mates, my partner Paula and my kids want to do.  I therefore need to get down with solo excursions and I am viewing this trip as both an experiment and a confidence booster.

My home for five nights is the Praga district of Warsaw, on the right bank of Vistula. This is classic rough district turned good. It still retains plenty of edginess and is exactly the sort of neighbourhood I love. I am staying at the Moxy Hotel in the Koneser development – a huge former vodka factory that has been re-utilised.  

Day 1 starts bright and early with some city viewpoints to help get my bearings. First up is the impressive rooftop garden of the University Library in Powisle, another regenerated neighbourhood immediately across the river from Praga. The garden is one of the largest roof gardens in Europe. Then I go to the Palace of Culture & Science which is the single most significant building in Warsaw. This is the place that was a post-WWII present from Stalin to the Polish and dominates the skyline. It conjures up mixed reactions locally. The older generation see it as an imposed and unwanted “gift”, whilst younger Varsovians seem more relaxed about it.          

After lunch at a Milk Bar (more on Milk Bars later) I head south on the tram to the Wodny Park Leisure Complex. This is a superb facility with a 50m Olympic pool and a whole suite of saunas and an icy plunge pool. After a decent swim I head to the sauna area, working my way through the rooms to the hottest – the Finnish room. The 2pm Aufguss session generates insane heat. Pretty much everyone except me is wearing little cloth caps to protect their heads. I’m the one in most need of protection, and yet I have to grin and bear it.      

My first day is rounded out with an early evening group tour at the Polish Vodka Museum that also includes tastings. Our guide Martha was a star and the group was good fun. Dinner is in a Praga locals place – Na Wilenskiej – that I spotted on a YouTube vlog before I departed. It was excellent and I also found a great taproom on the same street – White Crow.

Day 2 is Friday and it turns out it is All Saints Day – a bank holiday and a major day of remembrance in Poland. I decide to go with the flow and head to the two biggest cemeteries in Warsaw – one Catholic and one Jewish – and a couple of churches. Everywhere is very atmospheric and very moving.

On Friday afternoon I visit Praga South, and in particular the Soho area. This is an up and coming residential area that also contains the excellent Neon Museum  I found a top neighbourhood restaurant here – Sour Deli Bar – and treated myself to a mid-afternoon pumpkin tiramisu. Best 22 PLN (£4.25) ever spent.

Friday evening I am in the Wola district and the Voodoo Club – a bastion of alternative music in Warsaw and that night hosting UK act Linea Aspera. It was a fab dingy place and the music was spot on (kind of dark synth-pop).     

Saturday is a perfect crisp November day with vivid blue skies. First up is a group walking tour on Alternative Warsaw via Walkative. The walk is focused on the Praga district and very informative. The guide impresses us with both stories of the district and some decent tips. 

In the afternoon I went to the Royal Lazienki Park for a mooch and then the brand-new Museum of Modern Art (MSN). Read this very recent Guardian article for more on MSN. I finish up back in Praga early evening on Brzeska St which someone told me was once officially the toughest street in Warsaw. Anyway all is good on my visit and I had a great time in the homespun Bar Mistyk chatting with owner Chris. He turns out to be a nomadic musician originally from Idaho US, who decided to settle in Warsaw a few years ago and open a bar.

Day 4 is Sunday. In the morning I went to the Warsaw Rising Museum which is a brilliant exposition of how the Polish underground resistance sought to liberate Warsaw from German occupation in WWII. In the afternoon I did another Walkative tour, this time on Life under Communism in Warsaw. I really enjoyed this one and our guide was super entertaining.   

Sunday evening was one of my highlights, a trip to see Legia Warsaw in the Polish Ekstraklasa league. The atmosphere was everything I was expecting given the reputation of the local fans, and Legia won with a late goal. Tickets are about £16. I’d recommend blocks 200, 201 or 104. No pyro, no party.       

Day 5 I have time for a quick morning excursion and then lunch before I head to the airport. I use the time to go to the small but excellent Museum of Life Under Communism on Plac Konstytucji and do some people watching in two cool cafes – Byc Moze and then Ministerstwo Kawy. This area around Plac Konstytucji /Plac Zbawiciela has developed a bit of a hipster reputation and is a good place to hang out. Apparently it all started here with a bar called Plan B. Plan B is still going and looks fab but I didn’t have chance to visit.      

I mentioned earlier the Warsaw Milk Bars. I had three milk bar meals – one at the historic Bar Bambino and two at the newer Jakby Luksusowo Bar. They are a great concept. Food like your nan cooked in the 70s and subsidised by the state. The prices mean that you get to see a proper slice of the local community having an everyday meal.      

A final point on graffiti and street art in Warsaw. It is seemingly everywhere, and really good. Rather than me write about it check out these brilliant photo blogs on street art in Warsaw – Cultura Obscura Street Art Warsaw and Gallop Around the Globe – Street Art in Praga.

Post Trip Reflections:

I loved Warsaw. It delivered a great mix of history and all the trappings of a big city (population is 1.9 million). I intentionally sought out the edgier sides. There is a nice touristy old town if you prefer that, with a very interesting back story. It is in fact a 1950s replica of 17^th/18^th Century Warsaw.        

Turns out I really enjoyed solo travel and will probably factor in a trip of this type each year. The trick for me is to build in a lot of group activities. I met loads of people, both locals and visitors, to chat to and have a laugh with.    

Warsaw public transport puts the UK to shame, replicating my experience in many places I visit. £5.90 for a three-day pass that covered all forms of tram, train and bus in a capital city is top value. Especially when you consider the quality of the service and seamless integration across modes.

As you can see from my photos, I enjoyed what I consider fantastic November weather. Cold, dry and sunny across the whole five days. It was perfect for a winter city break. Maybe I just got lucky, or maybe my default is set to Manchester and everywhere seems good by comparison. I also think Warsaw in the summer heat would be great.