Things to see and do Warsaw

Built in the ^13th century, this castle was home to the kings of Poland from the ^16th century onwards. In 1944, it was dynamited by the Nazis and remained in ruins until 1971, when the decision was taken to rebuild it identically. The work was financed by a fund-raising campaign, which was very popular in the country. The work was completed in 1984, and since then the castle has been open to the public, allowing them to discover its superbly decorated interiors and the works of great artists.

Built between 1952 and 1955, this Socialist Realism-style edifice, although purportedly not inspired by New York's Empire State Building (in fact, the similarity is striking), is one of the tallest in Poland. It was donated by Stalin when Poland joined the Soviet Union. It hosts cultural events, concerts and fairs. With its theaters, cinema and panoramic terrace on the thirtieth floor, it is a place of leisure and culture.

This museum occupies an important place in the Polish "ecosystem". Very modern, it has innovated in its presentation and is highly interactive, making it a model that all major museums today tend to follow as they renovate. It continues to create a sensation and is one of the city's most exciting museums. It tells the story of the 1944 uprising and the activities of the Polish underground state during the Second World War, which are often little-known in the West. Even if you're not keen on historical tours, you'll enjoy wandering through this eye-catching exhibition. The museum was opened in 2004 to mark the ^60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, which began at 5 p.m. on August¹, 1944 and lasted 66 days. The museum is housed in the city's former tramway power station. A true place of national remembrance, dear to the Kaczyński brothers, this museum glorifies the national heroes who tried in vain to liberate their city from the Nazis. The museum is based on an interactive concept, whose patriotic and sentimental aspect may annoy you. However, a visit is a must if you want to understand how contemporary Poles relate to history, nation and religion.

Numerous multimedia documents are collected and arranged with dramatic music and the sound of tanks, in a nightmarish atmosphere that seeks to emotionally recreate the darkness of the period. Some of the panels are not classic museum objects, but rather places of worship, such as the list of the killed, before which Polish visitors come to meditate. If you're a history buff looking to understand the chronology of events, this museum will help. However, it can be easy to get lost in the details presented, as well as in the message the museum wants to deliver, so be sure to concentrate if your aim is to assimilate every detail of this historic event. In fact, if that's your goal, it's a good idea to read up on the insurrection before your visit. This will help you understand the museum's perspective. We recommend Debacle in the camp of the victors - Polish military action 1939-1945 by Wojciech Roszkowski; The Capital of Freedom by Andrzej Kunert, V - symbol of victory; Symbols, signs and patriotic manifestations of fighting Europe 1939-1945 by Tomasz Szarota.

The facts: In 1944, Polish underground authorities decided to launch an uprising in Warsaw against the German occupiers, known as the Warsaw Uprising. Following the uprising, a Polish state operated for 2 months in the capital. The ensuing struggles cost the lives of around 18,000 insurgents and 180,000 civilians. Around 80% of the capital's buildings were razed to the ground by the Germans, both during the uprising and in the subsequent campaign to destroy the city. For a long time, the Communist authorities denied the legitimacy of the uprising and the very existence of the Polish underground state. With democracy established in 1989, the Warsaw Uprising took its place in official memory. That's why one of the main aims of this museum is to promote information about the uprising and to recall its historical reality, long obscured by the Communists.

This magnificent red-brick wall was built in 1548, then dismantled in the 19th century before being rebuilt along with the old town after the Second World War. This complex surrounds almost half of the historic center. Walking west along the walls from the castle, a statue of a little boy dressed as a soldier, with an oversized German helmet (Pomnik Małego Powstańca z 1944 r.), pays tribute to the young insurgents.

Łazienki Park reveals itself as an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the capital. In summer, the park and botanical garden offer superb scenery. The park's key attractions include: the Palace on the Water, a jewel on an island in the middle of a lake and its adjoining Military School; the Myslewicki Palace, the king's summer residence; the Orangery; the Court Theater; the White House, a royal residence that recalls the exile of Louis XVIII; and the Belvedere Palace.

Symbolically located in the heart of the old Jewish quarter, the museum is comparable in size and historical and cultural importance to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Its inauguration, in October 2014, by the Polish and Israeli presidents, was a colossal event for Poland, which is thus reconnecting with an important page in its history: that tracing the links between Poles and Jews, from the Middle Ages to the tragedy of the Shoah. Designed by Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamaki, the building is one of Warsaw's finest. It features several symbolic elements, including a large breach evoking the passage of the Jews through the Red Sea. Its facade is covered with glass plates featuring Hebrew and Latin letters forming the word Polin, which in Hebrew means "Poland", but also "You will rest here" Persecuted throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, the Jews who arrived in these lands interpreted this word as a good omen, prompting them to settle here. From the ^16th to the end of the ^18th century, Poland was an exceptional haven of tolerance, welcoming up to 80% of the world's Jewish population. The permanent exhibition is extraordinarily rich. Covering an area of over 4,200^m2 and featuring an interactive approach, it tells the story of what was once the world's largest Jewish community, from the year 1000 to the present day, including its most dramatic aspects, such as the anti-Semitism of Polish society, the pogroms and the Shoah. Touch screens, films, reproductions, photographs, archive documents, testimonials and spectacular reconstructions, such as the polychrome dome of the Gwozdziec synagogue, make the chronological narrative dynamic, captivating and utterly moving. Organized into 8 sections, the tour retraces the settlement and flourishing of Jews in medieval Poland, thanks to legislation guaranteeing freedom of worship and autonomy. It then looks at Jewish life in the country from the 16th^{to the 18th} century, as well as the rise of anti-Semitism which, from 1772 to 1914, was amplified under Russian domination. We then discover the immense richness of Jewish culture in Warsaw at the beginning of the ^20th century, erased by the Nazis (who exterminated 3 million Polish Jews) and by the post-war Communist regime. The museum organizes temporary exhibitions, lectures and workshops, and boasts a superb restaurant.

Built between 1677 and 1679 for King Jan III, at the beginning as Italian style Country Villa. His name comes from Villa Nuova. Then many owners impose many changes on it. It remains one of the most beautiful buildings of Polish Baroque architecture and one of Poland's oldest museums. The interiors, where three large architectural styles coexist: Baroque, th century or th century, with splendid decorations, King and queen apartments and a superb collection of portraits.

This is the heart of the old town. The surrounding houses, rebuilt in their Baroque style, have superb facades that ensure the homogeneity of the square. These colorful houses contrast with the Communist architecture of the new town. The north side is considered the most beautiful part of the square, with its marble-framed houses, fittings and niches. Today, its center is occupied by the statue of the Mermaid, the symbol of Warsaw, erected in 1855.

Built at the end of the 19th century, this park has a lake, the sculpture of gladiator P. Weloński and the monument of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a pianist and nationalist composer who contributed to the construction of the Polish independent State of inter-war period.

Located next to the National Museum, in the same building, this museum traces the history of the Polish army from its origins to the Second World War, with a display of uniforms and weapons. In the garden, you'll find an impressive collection of heavy equipment: tanks, armored vehicles and even aircraft, all in a state of near-abandonment. It's an opportunity to discover life-size war vehicles. Admission to the open-air exhibition is free.

In the north of the old town, this neighbourhood was founded in the th century outside the ramparts. Poorer than Warsaw, this city had its own municipal structure, which made it an independent municipality. It goes through barbacane.

The Cité des Sciences is one of Europe's most modern institutions. On the program: educational experiments, and one of the interactive devices. Highlights include a fire tornado, an earthquake simulator and a magic carpet! On the roof you'll find a panoramic garden, in the park an art gallery and a climbing wall. There's also a planetarium on site.

This museum engages visitors in an immersive experience, with recordings, videos, installations and thematic rooms. It presents a rich and detailed account of Chopin's life. In the basement, a listening room with digital books allows visitors to discover wonderful recordings of the master's work. The museum, located a stone's throw from Nowy Swiat, is housed in the superb Ostrogski Palace, which in the ^19th-20th centuries was the seat of the Conservatory.

This square is steeped in history, thanks to the various elements that take pride of place here. First and foremost, there's the statue of Charles de Gaulle, symbolizing the general's commitment to training Polish soldiers during the Second World War. Near the statue, an artificial palm tree (an artistic device) highlights the Jewish community's past. Finally, the Warsaw Stock Exchange, housed in the former headquarters of the Polish Communist Party, completes the space.

Built in the ^mid-17th century and remodeled in the early ^19th, it is Warsaw's largest palace. It has long served public functions. In 1955, the Warsaw Pact was signed in its halls, and in 1989 the famous "round table" was held between Communist and Solidarność leaders. Since 1994, it has become Poland's Elysée Palace, and although it's not open to visitors, you can still go up to the front and take a look at the building.

The park presents itself as an Italian baroque garden on two levels, situated between the palace and the lake. Following the French-style gardens in the south, a romantic English-style park includes beautiful buildings, sarcophagi, columns and obelisks. It was created in the th century. In these parks you will find charming details of kitsch architecture, such as the waterfall over the Roman Bridge in the English garden, the solar dial, work of the great Polish astronomer Jan Heweliusz, inventor of the telescope, and the sculptures "love" in the French park. The latter symbolize the four stages of love: firstly, fear during the meeting; then the first kiss; secondly, indifference (represented by the two figures who do not look); finally, the first dispute.

The monument to Marshal Józef Piłsudski is an impressive statue dedicated to one of Poland's greatest leaders. Erected on Piłsudski Square, this bronze monument symbolizes the strength and determination of the Marshal, a truly historic figure for the country. It is an important place of national remembrance and celebration: a reminder of Marshal Józef Piłsudski's essential role in the struggle for Polish independence and freedom.

Tucked away in a courtyard, the Fotoplastikon is a good introduction to your discovery of Warsaw. Sitting on wooden stools in front of small binoculars, you watch images of the city since 1901 scroll by, to a background of classical music with the crackle of a phonograph. All this adds to the magic of the place. Entirely period and miraculously spared by the wars, it is one of the last stereoscopes of Europe in activity. An original and playful museum that offers a beautiful 20-minute journey in the Warsaw of the beginning of the century.

This statue, which proudly rises in the park Łazienki side Aleje Ujazdowskie, pays tribute to the great Polish composer. Near the very romantic statue of the composer hair, take free outdoor concerts during the summer months on Sunday. The statue is high in 1926, according to the W. Szymanowski project. Klokot in 1940 by the Germans, it was rebuilt in the same way in May 1958. It is located at one of the park entrances from Ujazdowskie Avenue, a little before the Belvedere.