Well hello and welcome to Warsaw.
This week we are exploring the Polish capital.
We've already been here a few days and it has been amazing.
It has been such a pleasant surprise and unlike any part of Europe we've traveled in so far.
So yeah, this week we're going to be highlighting 25 things to do around the city and we're
excited to show you what it is all about.
This was our first trip to Poland and we dove into the capital headfirst.
While our travels may have started in the charming Old Town, it wasn't long before we
discovered that Warsaw has a cool artsy side.
We visited bright neon museums in the art district, shopped in boutiques selling soviet-chic
apparel, and got to experience the capital's legendary nightlife.
It many ways it was a whirlwind visit, but it was also a fun introduction that made us
curious to discover more of Poland in our future travels.
The following video will highlight 25 things to do in Warsaw and give you a glimpse into
this up and coming capital.
Right now we're visiting Castle Square - a very popular area for both tourists and locals
alike.
Last night we visited and it was absolutely packed.
And this morning there is not as many people so it is really cool to get the two different
contrasts.
Walking around the Old Town is a fascinating experience because almost all of what you
see is new even if it looks authentic.
Most of the city was razed to the ground after the Second World War, and that makes for a
rather surreal visit.
So up next we're about to enter Warszawa's Royal Castle which used to be home to the
Polish Monarchy.
Of course Poland hasn't had a monarchy for a really long time but this still remains
a historical building.
So we're going to go in and take a look.
So it is our first full day here in Poland.
This week we are visiting Warsaw and that means we have to try some traditional Polish
food.
Today we are going for the National Dish.
We're going to be eating Pierogies for lunch.
So we've placed our order and now we're waiting for it to arrive.
So if you've never tried Perogies before, they're a stuffed dumpling, typically they
are steamed and then they're fried.
And they come in a variety of different flavors.
We've ordered meat and cheese ones but you can also get dessert pierogi as well.
When we first ordered our pierogi we were surprised that restaurants only served 5 or
6 a plate - it seemed like a small meal at first glance, but we soon learned that looks
can be deceiving and that pierogi are incredibly filling!
The Neon Museum is located in Soho Factory Praga and it is the place to learn about Cold
War Neon.
It's definitely one of the most interesting museums we've ever set foot in.
During our trip we joined Adventure Warsaw for a historical tour of the city.
Our ride was a bubblegum pink Nysa van from the Soviet days and together with our guide
we cruised the city in style while uncovering a bit of the past and learning how it has
shaped the present day city.
Milk bars are a bit of misnomer because you don’t go there to drink milk, nor do you
go there to drink alcohol.
You can however try dairy based Polish dishes in a cafeteria-like setting, including pink
beetroot soup.
So today seems like a great day to be out on the water.
The sun is out, the weather is great so we're going to take a little boat cruise down the
Vistula River.
The water levels were particularly low when we visited during the summer months, so our
leisurely boat ride required a little bit of punting.
The boat trip was a fun way to see Warsaw's riverside beaches and gaze at the Old Town
off in the distance.
Alright, so the sun is going down and that means we are going to go out and experience
Warsaw's nightlife.
We've actually signed up to do a pub crawl.
So we'll see how that goes.
We've had our nap.
We have energy.
Let's go check it out.
I'm the new guy.
We fired you.
Woo!
Pub crawl!
So if there is one building that dominates the skyline here in Warszawa it is the Palace
of Culture and Science.
Which you can see right here behind me.
This was built in the 1950's and it was a gift from the Soviet Union.
And we're going to go inside because apparently on the 30th floor there is an observation
deck and you get some great views of the city.
The sentiment towards the Palace of Culture and Science is very mixed.
There are those who see beauty in this historical landmark and others who despise the Soviet
regime that it once stood for.
If you are interested in visiting this structure, there are tours that take you behind closed
doors, before going up to observation deck for views of the city below.
The Chopin Museum is another museum to consider visiting.
It holds an extensive collection of manuscripts, letters and paintings that document the composer's
life.
When we weren't sampling Polish food in restaurants, we were learning to make Pierogi by hand.
We ended up taking a cooking class with 'Polish Your Cooking' where we learned to make pierogi
with various fillings including: ground beef and onions, cheese and potatoes, and strawberries
for dessert.
It took us about 3 hours to prepare all the food and then we devoured it in a matter of
minutes.
Łazienki Park is the largest park in Warsaw and the name means ‘Baths’ thanks to the
bathing pavilion that was located on these very grounds.
The park is also part of the Royal Route, which was a communication route that ran southward
from the Old Town back in the days when snail mail was the only way to get urgent messages
across.
The museum sits on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto and it documents the history
of Polish Jews in a chronological timeline.
The exhibit starts out with the traveling merchants that came to Poland during the medieval
period and it spans several hundred years through to the Holocaust and the Post War
Years.
So it is lunchtime over here and we are in Warsaw's Old Town.
Today we are going to be sampling something called Bigos.
Which is a traditional Polish dish.
And it consists of different meats and cabbage.
So we've just ordered our food and now we're waiting for it to get here.
Alright, so my lunch has arrived.
Low and behold here is my bigos.
And this may look like a small portion but that is just because I ordered it as an appetizer.
And you can normally get it in a bread bowl or you can get it with a side of potatoes.
I got some sliced bread here in the basket so I'm going to be trying that.
And also I've learned that no two Bigos recipes are the same.
It is basically just a mix of different cuts of meat.
And you can have beef, veal, pork, venison, rabbit.
Whatever you want to throw in there it works.
This is the type of dish you'd eat during the winter months, but if you look hard enough
you'll be able to find it on some restaurant menus year round.
Another cool museum to visit is the Life Under Communism Museum.
It may be small, but the way it's been set up will make you feel like you've travelled
back through time.
Not only will you visit rooms styled the way the average home would have looked during
Soviet period, but they also have posters, board games, music, and fashion from the same
era.
For a look at a very unique garden, you can swing by the rooftop gardens at the Warsaw’s
University Library.
It's a beautiful place and we noticed more than one student napping there.
So right now we are standing in front of St. Anne's Church which is located here in the
historic centre of Warsaw.
And it looks like a pretty happening place.
We were here earlier in the morning when they were having mass.
Now we're seeing a whole bunch of people in really fancy outfits so it looks like there
maybe a wedding taking place.
And they also hold concerts during the noon hour.
The Barbican is a red-brick fortification that once encircled Warsaw.
These days the city has expanded well beyond the fortification's limits, but it still remains
one of the city's top attractions.
You'll find lots of artists and buskers along the main gates, and you can also enjoy some
scenic views of the city by walking along the length of the wall.
Just a short walk from Castle Square you'll find the Presidential Palace, which we couldn't
go into but looked pretty nice from the outside.
Alright, so it is time for dessert.
And next up we've ordered some Rurki which apparently is a Torpedo dessert.
And now when I was reading about these online it said that it is supposed to be a buttery
flaky pastry that is filled with cream.
But as you can see this is more like a wafer.
It looks a bit harder to me.
So yeah, we're going to try it.
I'm going to try it.
It's crumbling.
Oh yeah.
It's almost like an ice cream cone that has been filled with cream.
And also the cream isn't sweet.
Um, they either forgot to add sugar or they just like their cream very natural.
So it is a whipped cream but not sweet at all.
It must be healthy for you.
Healthy dessert.
Woah!
The Warsaw Uprising Museum is dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 led by the Polish
resistance army.
The museum chronicles the 63 days of the uprising as Poles fought against Germans.
The Copernicus Science Centre is an interactive learning centre where you can discover science
through experiments.
While we were probably a little too old for the exhibits, we can see how this would be
a fun place for children.
If you're in town during the summer months and over the weekend, I would also suggest
checking out the Old Town at night.
There is live music, people are out enjoying a cool evening stroll, and the restaurants
are packed.
It's a really fun atmosphere.
For the football lovers, there's the option of catching a match at the National Stadium.
Or perhaps a concert if it's not football season.
Well, well what do you have there?
So we're at the airport but we couldn't leave without having this one last Polish sweet
treat.
This is Pączki and it is basically like a donut but it apparently has some kind of jam
inside.
This is my first time to try it so I'm quite excited.
Oh yeah, that is sweet.
It is actually seeping out onto my finger here.
What kind of filing do you think that is?
Kind of like a maybe a strawberry type of jam sort of.
It tastes like that.
That looks good and it is covered in icing with little almonds on top.
That looks delicious.
We came to Warsaw with little to no expectations and the city completely surprised us.
Our week in the capital was spent sampling Polish cuisine, learning about the city's
past through museums and historical tours, and also dabbling in a bit of the nightlife.
Warsaw is quickly rising through the ranks and we think it won't be long before travellers
are flocking en masse.
So if you're planning a trip to Poland, don't skip over the capital because there is more
to Warsaw than meets the eye.