Sightseeing and Warsaw don’t usually go together, and the reason, if not the blame, for that falls on her citizens. While some cities may have been happy to wait out Nazi occupation, the Warsaw locals were having none of that. The ensuing uprising which took place in 1944 would become both the most glorious and tragic episode in the city’s history. Warsaw is among the greenest metropolises on the continent, with the Europe’s wildest river gushing through the centre of the city. During World War II Warsaw was reduced to rubble, nonetheless she was brought back to life and continues flourishing. There are many ways to fully comprehend Warsaw, get to it better, and many more are waiting to be defined and shared with others. Everyone will find amusing or entertaining ways to spend time in Warsaw, which should help with understanding this multitude of contrasts and variations that define this spectacular city. Paradoxically Warsaw’s Old Town is only fifty years old. After World War II it was proudly and laboriously reconstructed to its present form. In 1980 it was placed on the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Monumental and lapidarian Socialist realism neighbours the subtle and ethereal Art Nouveau, and modern-glass skyscrapers tower over the apartment buildings. Modern office building designed by the famous architect beautifully blends in with its neighbouring Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was constructed as the arcade of Saxon Palace. 
Monumental district Praga, which for decades was in the shadows of cultural life, is enduring meticulous revitalization, and it is becoming a promised land for the artists and the oasis for the creative undertakings. There is an absolutely, one hundred percent authentic orchard on the roof of the largest University Library in the city. There is Hip-hop and all-pervading Fryderyk Chopin whose music you can listen to within ancient walls of the Łazienki Park – where the composer himself used to play. It is an interesting contrast.
Łazienki Park
Anyone who still thinks that Warsaw is a city of concrete and cement has clearly never been to the city’s lung, the incomparable Łazienki Park. Quite simply, this glorious, 17th century park, spread over 74 hectares, is one of the jewels in Poland’s crown, which might explain why half of Warsaw chooses to spend its summer Sundays here. Fear not though, for so big is Łazienki that it never gives the impression of being crowded, and even on the busiest of days you will always be able to find a quiet, shady corner somewhere.
Royal Castle
A castle, built as a residence for the King of Poland, Sigmund III, who descending from the Swedish Vasa dynasty, had a pretence to rule Sweden, therefore moved the capital north from Krakow, the traditional capital of Poland. Italian architects built the castle. Until today, this mixture of Polish grand gesture, Italian style and Swedish soberness, despite all the contradictions in terms, is clearly visible in the castle’s structure. During the WWII, Germans have methodically destroyed the Royal Castle. The Castle has been rebuilt in the years 1971-1988 as a national monument of Polish history and culture. Interiors were meticulously restored using the preserved ruin fragments and the old documents as examples of the original state. Now the castle is fully rebuilt with an effort of many Poles in the country and abroad.
Copernicus Science Centre
While the world’s attention was drawn towards the highly-visible, round-the-clock construction of Warsaw’s amazing new stadium on the right bank of the Wisła, work was being carried out on the river’s left bank on a building that might well outshine the stadium once the Euro 2012 bunting has been taken down. Built on time and on budget (well, just about), the Copernicus Science Centre (CSC) - which stands almost directly opposite the stadium, looks set to become Warsaw’s top visitor attraction for years to come.
Holy Cross Church
No Chopinologist can leave Warsaw without first visiting the final resting place of his heart. Although this serves as the church's key draw there’s several other features of note to tempt the visitor inside this astonishing Baroque creation. Throughout history the church has played its role in Warsaw’s glories and calamities. Devastated during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 the church was painstakingly rebuilt at the end of the war and is today a feast for the heart, eyes and soul.
The Old Town
The Stare Miasto or Old Town is the main attraction. An historical area where one can stroll along cobblestone streets, relax in open aired cafés and soak up the unique & inspiring surroundings. There are many charming buildings & monuments, interesting museums and some of the most beautiful squares in Europe, all in a localized area that can easily be discovered on foot. What’s fascinating about Warsaw’s Old Town, is in fact, that it is not that old at all, as the Old Town was completely destroyed during WWII and later was painstakingly rebuilt, literally brick by brick, to look like the original. Without a city guide to tell you these things, one would never guess that the Old Town is a complete reconstruction. 
The Stare Miasto will be the highlight to your city break stay in Poland and will be a memory you’ll cherish forever. Warsaw’s Old Town is truly a beautiful scene and quite an inspirational place, to think that despite all the odds, the ancient town rose again from the devastation of the Nazis. Today, the Old Town is an asset of World Culture listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1980 and is the capitals prime city break attraction, throughout the year. Day or night the old town welcomes visitors to explore its cobbled paths, defensive walls, romantic alleys and green summer gardens.
Palace of Culture and Science
Don’t let the name fool you – this is not the cultural hub of Warsaw. That said, however long you’re in the city for this is a must-see to experience Soviet Warsaw. You couldn’t miss this hulking giant of a landmark if you tried. Soaring 231 metres into the sky the building remains the tallest in Poland, in spite of recent competition from its high-rise neighbours. City with the highest 4-faced clock tower in the world. Its four faces are each 6 m in diameter, making this the largest clock of its kind in Europe. It is positioned on one of the youngest, yet one of this most prominent symbols of Socialist architecture – The Palace of Culture and Science.
Wilanow Palace
The baroque-style Wilanow Palace was designed by many famous artists including Michelangelo. The palace is remarkable for its original architecture, a blend of the European art with the Old-Polish building tradition, with spectacular interior wall paintings and carvings that convey a great sense of royal grandeur and triumph. The Wilanow Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital and has been a major Poland holiday focal point since it turned into an open museum in 1962. Don’t miss this on your Warsaw breaks, its one of the main points of interest for all guests to enjoy. It’s well preserved 43 hectare park is the other major attraction to the palace, where people can roam and find many different types of garden designs, from Baroque, English, neo-classical and Chinese. The palace and its surrounding parks are without a doubt one of the finest places to visit.
The Citadel
The Citadel is a 19th century fortification by the Vistula River and is another main Polish historical site to be visited on a weekend breaks to Warsaw. The fortress is a pentagon-shaped brick structure with high outer walls, enclosing an area of 36 hectares. Today the fortress is home to the fantastic Independence museum, which allows visitors to explore underground tunnels and prison cells. The citadel is one of the best-preserved objects of 19th century fortification and defensive architecture and is a fantastic Poland city break attraction that must be visited.
Chopin Museum
The Frederick Chopin Museum is situated within the Ostrogski castle built in the 17th century and contains thousands of original Chopin artefacts, manuscripts, handwritten annotations to music scores, autographs and personal letters & mementos. Chopin is perhaps still Warsaw's most famous son and his memory & music is regularly celebrated with music concerts at the castle. Don’t miss the opportunity in seeing a classical concert.
The National Museum
The National Museum includes 780,000 items displayed in numerous temporary & permanent galleries. This is without a doubt Warsaw’s most important museum, which exhibits a complete range of subjects, from medieval & ancient Egyptian art to European furniture and Polish paintings. For travellers with a keen interest in history and Polish culture, then don’t miss the opportunity to visit the National Museum.
The Tomb of Unknown Soldier
On a vast square, named after Marshal Pilsudski, is the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, a very important place indeed, dedicated to the sacrifices made by Polish men who fought for their freedom and independence. The Tomb was constructed in 1925 beneath the arcades of the 17th-century Saxon Palace. When the Nazis blew up the palace in 1944, amazingly, the only part of the building to survive was the fragment standing directly over the tomb. Today, two smartly uniformed soldiers guard it day and night, 365 days a year. After visiting this important tourism site, take a walk through the Saxon Gardens, which are found at the back of the Tomb.
Gestapo HQ
The former Gestapo HQ was one of the most feared addresses in Poland, used as a brutal interrogation centre during the war. Today, there is a museum which re-lives the horror that went on in the building and although a shocking place to discover, it is well worth visiting here (Free entry). In the museum, you’ll discover; bullet marked scarred walls, torture methods, terrible stories of how prisoners were subjected to long drawn out torture and executions. It might be shocking but it’s a fascinating place to visit.
Jewish Ghetto
During the Nazi occupation, a Jewish Ghetto (Getto Zydowskie) was constructed and some 400,000 Jewish people were forced to live there in the confines of an enclosed area (Muranow, in the north west of the city). From here hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent to the Treblinka concentration camp, where most were executed on mass in the gas chambers. Today, there are a number of landmarks of great importance to remind people of the suffering and hardship the Jewish community had experienced. The historic Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street has been in continuous use since late in the 18th century and contains an estimated 250,000 individual graves as well as mass graves of thousands of residents of the Ghetto.
Praga District
It is certainly one of the most interesting and lively districts in Warsaw. It is also one of the oldest, set up at the end of the 18th century. It is one of very few districts in the city where pre-war architecture and climate preserved, including the traditional folklore of the city. However, over time Praga was neglected and therefore considered “bad” and “dangerous”. It is only recently that it was rediscovered and appreciated by numerous artists and city activists. It is becoming a lively and fashionable place, full of art galleries, underground clubs, cafés and ateliers, situated in old brick houses or deserted factories. It is also full of different tourist attractions, such as the only Orthodox Church in Warsaw, a Zoo and Koneser - a historical Vodka Distillery which now became a cultural centre of the district.
One can discover Warsaw’s gems, popularly known as tourist attractions, in several different ways. On foot, on the bike, following ancient sites, or Chopin trail, as well as following concerts and festivals contemporary music, club-hopping or pursuing other ambitious artistic events. There are many more place to visit. The churches and monuments are too many to mention here. Every day Varsovians walk by the multitude of commemoration sites, and after work they relax in abundant parks and gardens. Warsaw is a city with the enchanted soul in locations that don’t exist anymore, and the ambiance produced by fantastic combination of modern urban development and historical architecture. Palaces, churches and architectural clusters are interwoven with the wide open space of squares, parks and city gardens.
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