Lovely Fall Colors in Łazienki Park in Warsaw

Same park, same season, but different photos.

This is my second year walking through Łazienki Park (Łazienki Królewskie in Polish) in Warsaw during the autumn season. I recently spent a few hours here with a group of girlfriends so we could capture the fall beauty in photos. Even though I was here last year at the same time, the photos I captured this year are definitely different.

This is where we enjoyed the summer Chopin concerts on Sundays. 

Maybe my perspective has changed. Maybe different things caught my eye this time. Maybe I can blame it on the warmer weather effecting the trees this year.

Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy walking through Łazienki Park in its full fall beauty with me.

Which photo is your favorite?

The Palace on the Water (Pałac na Wodzie).

The Chinese Embassy in Warsaw sponsored the building of a new Chinese garden and pagoda area in Łazienki Park.

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Welcome to October in Warsaw!

I’m taking a break from our road trip in France to talk about my second favorite season in Warsaw!

Fall has arrived in full force, bringing its colorful leaves and patterns throughout the city. Even if the skies are slightly overcast or gray, you can’t help but notice the city’s golden yellows, crimson reds, pumpkin-like oranges all around you. And when you get a sunny day like yesterday, the city looks really beautiful!

Warsaw has dozens and dozens of parks. If you remember, I’ve mentioned before that these plentiful parks are just one of my Top 10 Reasons to Love Living in Warsaw. This past week, I wandered through a few of them to capture the autumnal beauty.

Pretty trees in Pole Mokotowskie Park. 

Nearly every Thursday morning, I power walk through Łazienki Park with a group of expat women. This park, with its central location, is one of my favorites and easy to access by public transportation and by bike. The park also is simply splendid during our short fall season.

Then, earlier this week, I ended up down in the Ursynow neighborhood for a doctor’s appointment and decided to kill some time strolling through the nearby Dolina Sluzewiecka Park. I couldn’t find any information about this park, but I can tell you it’s BIG and has a nice stream running through it, walking and bike trails as well as a couple of ponds – currently home to many ducks and a few fishermen.

I always love discovering a new part of Warsaw so this park was a pleasant surprise, especially by the Służewski Dom Kultury w Dzielnicy Mokotów, a community center, I think. I found a wonderful plank walkway and a well-paved path behind the wooden buildings and garden area. When I discover random gems like this, I wish I spoke better Polish so I learn more about these places.

It's not very often that I see a stray cat in Warsaw!

So these 10 photos give you an early snapshot of what fall is like in Warsaw. I’m sure I’ll be sharing more fall photos soon!

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7 Summery (Free) Activities to Do in Warsaw

Summertime in Warsaw is very different from winter here!

The city buzzes with activity. There’s a free concert, movie in the park or some kind of activity every night and a festival every weekend! I cannot even keep up with everything that’s going on….though I do try! And it has been a pretty awesome summer in Warsaw!

If you’re visiting Poland’s capital city or even if you live here, you might wonder what activities you can do for FREE or at very little cost. Well, I’ve finally compiled a list of my favorite summery activities to do in Warsaw (in no particular order) and am sharing those ideas with you. I hope you enjoy exploring Warsaw as much as I have!

7 Summery (Free) Activities to Do in Warsaw

7. Jazz Concerts in Old Town

On Saturday nights in July and August in the Old Town Square, the city hosts free jazz concerts starting at 7 p.m. This year marks the 20^th year for the International Jazz at The Old Town Square Festival. The square provides a picturesque surrounding to listen to jazz musicians from all over the world. However, the square gets packed!

Your best bet is to book a table in one of the restaurants overlooking the square and treat yourself to some excellent live music with your meal. Or you can hang with the locals on the sidewalk and grab a cold can beer from the nearest sklep.

6. Fountain Light Show along the River

On Friday and Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m. in August (and 9 p.m. in September), head to the Podzamcze Multimedia Fountain Park near New Town for a colorful music and light show.

The 30-minute show features 350+ nozzles which are capable of firing water 25 meters into the air over the 3,000-square-meter pond accompanied with fancy flashing lights and stunning visual effects. I swear we saw Luke Skywalker in the fountain one time!

If you plan it right, you can go straight from the jazz concert to the fountain show so you can find a place to sit in advance. The fountain show is definitely an enjoyable way to end the night after dining in Old Town. TIP: bring some bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes!

5. Sunset and BYOB at Temat Rzeka

A few weekends ago, we found ourselves in what is perhaps the most hip place to be along the Wisła River at night, especially at sunset. We joined several hundred other youngsters at Temat Rzeka and caught the tail end of the sun setting over Warsaw. We brought our own picnic blanket, hubby brought his own Polish beer in a plastic bag and I bought a glass of white wine with ice cubes from the nearest beach bar. Totally classy!

The sun was rapidly setting as we walked across the Poniatowski Bridge near Temat Rzeka.

Temat Rzeka, covers an area of 23,000 square meters, is a popular beach area by the Poniatowski Bridge on the Praga side of the Wisła. This summer, the space was even selected as one of the top 25 finalists for the 2014 European Prize for Urban Public Space.

Temat Rzeka has such a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
Maybe it's because everyone is BYOB-ing. 

If you want to party, the bars and beach stay open till 5 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It was nearly midnight when we left, but young(er) girls were still crossing the bridge in their party dresses and heading to the beach!

4. Chopin Concerts in Łazienki Park

Until September 28^th this year, Polish and international pianists will perform classical Chopin pieces in front of thousands of people in Łazienki Park. All for FREE! This year marks the 55^th season, as the concerts started as a cultural tradition in 1959. The Fryderyk Chopin Society contracts pianists for the whole season.

Every Sunday, there are two concerts with the first one at noon and the second at 4 p.m. in front of the Fryderyk Chopin monument. As many as 4,000 people attend the concerts. I’d recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early if you want to secure a good seat.

Location: Royal Łazienki Park, ul. Agrikoli 1

3. “Secret Garden” at Warsaw University Biblioteka

On top of a strange-looking, oxidized, green building is one of Warsaw’s best-kept secrets, and what I like to call the “secret garden.” The Warsaw University Library is covered with a two-tiered rooftop garden filled with bridges, a small stream, plants and sculptures. I love taking our visitors here!

 

The 14-year-old garden was designed by Polish artist Irena Bajerska and offers panoramic views of lower Warsaw along the river, the Copernicus Centre and across the city to Centrum. It’s a wonderful place to explore or take a break in like you’ll see all the students doing when school is back in session.

View of Centrum and the Palace of Culture from the Warsaw University Biblioteka's garden.

Location: ul. Dobra 56/66

2. Free Ferryboat to La Playa

Until mid-September, if you want to pretend you are at a beach, head to LaPlaya, another popular beach and music night club on the Praga side of the Wisła. 2014 marked this tropical-style club’s 10th year. There’s no cover charge to access the beach club, simply pay for your drinks.

What we liked best is that we could access this fun beach by taking a free, city-provided water ferry. Look for the ferry boat named Wilga along the river near the Podzamcze Multimedia Fountain Park. The free ferries run until August 31 and include 4 crossings across the Wisła River: from the Czerniakowski Cypel, Poniatowski Bridge, Nowodwory and Podzamcze – Fontanny (at Sanguszki Street). Here’s the ZTM Ferry Boat Schedule.

Location: La Playa, ul. Wybrzeże Helskie 1/5

1. Almost Free Rental Bikes

In order to get to those free Sunday concerts mentioned above, we often ride bikes thanks to the city’s convenient rent-a-bike system by NextBike. After paying an initial 10zl annual fee, we can rent bikes from more than 50 stations around the city. Rentals for less than 20 minutes are free, and 1 hour only costs 1zl. Warsaw has numerous bike trails and wide sidewalks that are perfect for long bike rides or quick trips down to the river.

I’ve been using these convenient bikes more often this summer because my main tram line on Al. Jana Pawla is under construction. It’s often quicker for me to ride a bike 15-20 minutes rather than wait for a (never-on-time) bus or a different tram that gets me kinda close to where I want to be.

My only complaint is that pedestrians and drivers do NOT pay attention to cyclists, so you must always be alert on the road and the sidewalk!

Do you have any other recommendations for free activities to do in Warsaw? 

For more activity ideas, you can subscribe to a weekly email events list (in English) from the Warsaw Tourism Office. That’s how I stay up-to-date!

No matter what time of day, it's always busy at Temat Rzeka with the National Stadium in the background.

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Sunday Chopin Concerts in Warsaw

On Sundays in Warsaw, THE place to be is in front of the Fryderyk Chopin monument in Łazienki Park.

From mid-May til September 28 this year, pianists from Poland and all over the world perform classical Chopin pieces in front of thousands of people in the park. All for FREE!

This year marks the 55^th season, as the concerts started as a cultural tradition in 1959. The Fryderyk Chopin Society contracts pianists for the whole season.

Last summer, we discovered this wonderful tradition and often rode our bikes down to Łazienki Park on Sundays, followed by beer and kielbasa at Pub Lolek across the way. We brought a picnic blanket, secured a location and simply laid back to listen to the lovely classical music playing in the park. This year, we’ve attended two of the concerts so far and even introduced our grandparents to the tradition.

When it gets hot, you might want an umbrella or to sit farther back by the trees for some shade.

Jason with his grandparents after the concert.

Every Sunday, there are two concerts with the first one and noon and the second at 4 p.m. As many as 4,000 people attend the concerts. I’d recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early if you want to secure a good seat.

Join other Warsavians this summer and partake in this wonderful tradition!

Location:

Royal Łazienki Park

Ul. Agrikoli 1

Warsaw, Poland

More info: http://www.estrada.com.pl

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May’s Beautiful Blooms in Warsaw

So far in the year we’ve been living in Warsaw, I’d say that May is my favorite month.

The city seems to have burst out of its cocoon this month and is fluttering with life just like a butterfly. I see vibrant green parks and blooming flowers everywhere, and the city is simply bustling with activity. Every weekend, there’s a concert or festival happening.

Every Sunday at noon and 4 p.m. from May-September, you can enjoy an hour-long (and most importantly, free) concert featuring classic Chopin music at Łazienki Park.

While the early months of spring are marked by the golden blossoms of forsynthia, May is signaled by the sweet scent of lavender lilacs, which remind me of my mother’s garden. I even bought two lilac bushes and planted them on our balcony this spring.

You’ll also find several colorful tulips lingering from the end of April.

Purple lilacs and tulips in bloom in early May at Łazienki Park.

Other May flowers include the virginal white Bridal’s Wreath and Lilies of the Valley, which happen to be my birth month flower. I was shocked to find bouquets of Lilies of the Valley being sold on the street for merely 3pln each (about $1). Back in NYC, I probably would have paid at least $15 for the same bouquet.

I was just chatting with my husband about how I don’t remember any of these lovely flowers from the same time last year. However, we had only been living in Warsaw for about a month or so at this time, and I was still adjusting to our move. Now, I have the time to enjoy the city’s parks and landscapes.

Spring pansies blooming at Ogród Saski, another pretty park, about a 20-minute walk from our apartment.

Perhaps if we had moved to Warsaw in May instead of an awful April snowstorm, I would’ve have fall instantly in love with it. Instead, I’ve taken my time getting to know the city, and I must say I continue to be surprised by its beauty. Warsaw’s beauty isn’t always in your face like some cities, but it is there if you are willing to search for it.

Purple allium bloom in front of Kościół pw. Wszystkich Świętych, (Church of All Saints), at Plac Grzybowski, one of my favorite squares in Warsaw.

But this month, you don’t have to search too far to find Warsaw’s beauty. One of the city’s most popular and largest parks, Łazienki Park, is teeming full of beautiful flowers and greenery. I recently spent a Sunday here and took over 100 photos, so I have plenty for another blog post.

Pretty pink and red rhododendron blooming near the Royal Łazienki Palace.

One of the park’s blooming trees I had never seen before in my life. The Common Laburnum, Golden Chain or Golden Rain, produces the most fragrant, yellow blossoms that almost remind me of Sweet Peas. This tree is apparently native to Central and Southern Europe and typically blooms in May.

These beautiful Laburnum blooms also remind me of golden Chinese lanterns hanging from the branches.

As you can see, May is the perfect month to visit or live in Warsaw!

Upclose photo of Bridal’s Wreath.

More pansies blooming at Ogród Saski.

Bright tulips blooming in late April in one of Warsaw's many parks.

Inexpensive spring flower bouquets at Hala Mirowska in Warsaw.

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