Warsaw is nirvana for museum lovers, with its often enormous institutions deep-diving into many aspects of the city’s past.
The POLIN Museum that looks at 1,000 years of Polish Jewish history, and the Warsaw Uprising Museum are the two big hitters, but the Museum of Life Under Communism and the entirely unique Neon Museum are smaller but no less intriguing exhibitions.
That said, Warsaw isn’t exclusively about museums. Intersperse other activities between these repositories of the Polish past with visits to royal sites and its viewing points old and new – all are commendably worthwhile attractions.
All our recommendations have been hand selected and tested by our destination expert to help you discover the best things to do in Warsaw. Find out more below, or for more Warsaw inspiration, see our guides to the city’s best hotels, restaurants and bars.
POLIN (Museum of the History of Polish Jews)Learn about a millennium of Jewish history
The POLIN, one of the country’s best museums, traces the thousand-year history of the Jewish population of Poland in an impressive, purpose-built wedge of 21st-century architecture. The excellent audio guide takes you through the extensive exhibition in around two hours, starting with the arrival of the Jewish people in the Polish kingdom and ending with a film about Jewish identity in today’s Poland. The various sections examine everything from medieval privileges to the Holocaust.
Insider tip: This is a huge, exhaustive museum, but the good news is that halfway round, you can take a deserved break at the museum bistro.
Website: polin.pl
Nearest tram stop: Muranów
Price: ££