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{Continued from Episode 1 of 36 Hours in Warsaw}
I’m not ashamed to admit that I slept really early that first night in Warsaw. Which probably led me to wake up even earlier. But Sundays in Europe… get started late, if at all. And even the milk bars wouldn’t open until 11 am. And what time did I wake up? 6 am. My breakfast choices were either Starbucks (across the street) or at the hotel. So I chose to eat at the hotel.
Now before the judgments start flying in, bagels originated from the Jewish communities in Poland. So there. Still eating local foods!
Table of Contents
1. Warsaw Rising (Uprising) Museum
After I packed and checked out, I walked over to the Warsaw Rising (or Uprising) Museum, which is free on Sundays! This is by far one of the most interesting museums I’ve ever been to. It collected thousands of artifacts from the Polish Resistance during WWII, had interesting items on exhibit, and shared lots of individual stories of people who fought in the resistance. I will say it was somewhat of a maze to get through, and I have a suspicion that I didn’t actually see all of it. (For example, I went around in circles following a sign to get to the observation tower, which I never figured out…) They also took great care to shield the more graphic photographs and videos from younger audiences, via sections sealed off with a heavy velvet curtains and a warning sign, or something like a well, where adults can look down into it and see some photos (but children are too short to see), etc.
Really awesome museum visit and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to understand Warsaw during WWII.
2. Neon Muzeum
After the Uprising Museum, I took a tram to the artsy neighborhood of Praga, to visit the Neon Muzeum. Housed in an old warehouse, the Neon Muzeum is dedicated to Soviet-era neon signs, although I’m not really sure why only Soviet / cold war era signs. But I digress. It’s a small space, with a good collection. But not all of the signs were lit up, which was kind of disappointing.
Here are some of my favorites.
3. Old Town Warsaw
From the Neon Muzeum, I finally went into Old Town. And it was as quaint and colorful as I wanted it to be. I keep mentioning in my Instagram posts that the Old Town Warsaw was completely destroyed in WWII. But just as a gentle reminder, they rebuilt everything as it was before the war. That’s no small feat.
While walking around Old Town, I finally managed to find Zapiecek, AND IT WAS OPEN. (recall from my previous Warsaw post that I passed by 2 stores only to have one with a line out the door and the other closed for a few weeks). So I ordered the Pierogie Tasting Menu… and winter tea (tea with ginger and oranges, and so delicious).
It was so amazing as my last Polish meal, and the best way to top off a cold but adventurous weekend! From there, it was a 45 minute brisk walk, with the Hamilton soundtrack blasting in my ears, and me singing along, roaming the streets of Warsaw. And then back to the hotel and off to the airport!
If you didn’t catch the beginning of my 36 hour trip to Warsaw, read about it here!
Day 2 Recap*:
- 6 AM: breakfast and laziness at Warsaw Marriott | map
- 10 AM: a dose of history at theย Warsaw Rising Museum | map
- 12 PM: bright lights at theย Neon Muzeum | map
- 1:30 PM: Old Town and lunch at Zapiecekย | map
- 3 PM: Long walk back to the Warsaw Marriott
- 4:30 PM: Leave for Chopin Airport! (using Uber, from the Marriott, was 28 zlotys | $8 USD)
*To view Day 2โs walk, click on the icon in the upper left corner of the map, and uncheck Day 1 from the menu, and then click the icon again to close the menu.
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Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.ย She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!ย She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.
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