Before setting off on a sightseeing tour, it might be useful to put the city and its sites in a historical context. One of the best ways to do this is to visit the Warsaw Historical Museum and see the film that depicts the destruction of Warsaw during World War II. Following that, you can walk through Stare Miasto (Old Town) and Nowe Miasto (New Town) and appreciate the reconstructed quarters in a different light. A must-see in Stare Miasto is Zamek Krolewski (the Royal Palace), rebuilt in the 1970s and '80s. In both Old Town and New Town you'll find a
rynek (central marketplace or square), as well as several churches.
The heart of Warsaw is Centrum (also known as Srodmiescie). That's where you'll find most of the city's museums, churches and palaces. The Royal Way, which runs from the Royal Palace to Wilanow Palace, is lined with many of these sites. A few blocks west of the Royal Way are the Ogrod Saski (Saxon Gardens) and, farther to the south, the imposing Stalinist-style Palace of Culture and Science. A wide array of art is displayed in Muzeum Narodowe (National Museum). Another good art museum is the Center for Contemporary Art, which is near Lazienki Park, a beautiful green oasis dotted with palaces. Farther south, in another lovely park, is Wilanow Palace, King Jan III Sobieski's beautiful baroque retreat.
Little remains of the original Jewish ghetto, but you can contact the Zydowskie Instytut Historyczny (Jewish Historical Institute), which documents the history of Polish Jews before, during and after World War II. (The ghetto was west of Centrum.) Three other places related to World War II are the Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Uprising, the Warsaw Rising Museum and the Pawiak Prison Museum. Also planned is the History of the Polish Jews Museum to be built opposite the Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Prior to 1939, the area was the center of the Jewish community.
You can easily see Warsaw on your own, but organized tours provide more perspective and can clear up questions about Poland's complex history. Another option is Bus No. 180—it passes many of the main sites along the Royal Way.
