{"id":841,"date":"2013-12-19T16:42:02","date_gmt":"2013-12-19T16:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/?p=841"},"modified":"2025-04-20T17:47:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T17:47:19","slug":"warsaw-is-not-that-boring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/warsaw-is-not-that-boring\/","title":{"rendered":"Warsaw is not that boring…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warsaw: Europe’s Third Most Boring City? I Beg to Differ.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Warsaw? Why are you going to Warsaw? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so boring! Go to Krakow instead!<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

That was the general reaction when I shared my plans. According to a 2008 TripAdvisor poll, Warsaw was crowned Europe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s third<\/em> most boring city. (First place? Brussels. Sorry, Belgium.)<\/p>\n

Naturally, I ignored the wisdom of self-proclaimed travel connoisseurs and booked a \u00e2\u201a\u00ac20 return flight to Warsaw. Poland, here we come.<\/p>\n

My friend and I packed for what we hoped<\/em> would be sunny winter strolls. Instead, we landed in a snowstorm with -7\u00c2\u00b0C temperatures. Not ideal city trip conditions. But armed with thermals, mittens, and a sense of humor, we ventured out.<\/p>\n

\"cold<\/a>
cold and gloomy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First impressions? Not boring.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The city surprised me with its young, dynamic vibe. This is a city on the rise \u00e2\u20ac\u201d full of character, creative energy, and quirky little spots to discover. We stumbled into cosy caf\u00c3\u00a9s, stylish restaurants, and artsy shops that were far from dull. And the food? Not a bland boiled potato, fatty sausage or clich\u00c3\u00a9 cabbage in sight. Instead, we found well-seasoned, hearty dishes that warmed us to the core.<\/p>\n

\"Polish<\/a>
plate of delicious Polish treats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, sure, Krakow may be the more popular pick. But Warsaw held its own. Though we did<\/em> wonder where all the people were \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the main shopping street was eerily quiet for a Saturday afternoon. I blame the icy wind chill that cut through our layers like a knife.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Walking, learning, freezing<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We joined the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153“orange umbrella” free walking tour<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/em>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and were genuinely intrigued by Warsaw\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s history. The city was almost completely flattened during WWII, and its historic centre was rebuilt using old paintings and photographs. Walking those reconstructed streets somehow made the past feel even more poignant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"the<\/a>
the old town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"colourful<\/a>
colourful reconstructed facades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final 15 minutes of the tour, however, were… brutal. Our fingers and toes had officially turned to ice. We obviously<\/em> had no other choice but to dive into the nearest bar.
“Vodka will do the trick,” our spirited guide assured us.
He was right. Vodka at 1 PM? In Poland, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s practically medicinal.<\/p>\n

\"vodka<\/a>
vodka at 1 pm in Karmnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The rest of our time was a mix of frosty strolls and caf\u00c3\u00a9-hopping. Warsaw\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coffee scene is on point \u00e2\u20ac\u201d hip, cosy, and full of life. The city might not scream excitement, but it whispers charm<\/em> in the nicest possible way.<\/p>\n

\"meandering\"<\/a>
meandering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"tea<\/a>
tea time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Warming up the Warsaw way<\/strong><\/p>\n

We visited the famous Uprising Museum<\/strong>, and I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recommend it enough \u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially if your history knowledge is a bit rusty. The place is packed with immersive displays, video loops, and raw footage from the war. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s deeply moving and brilliantly curated. But take my advice: don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/strong> show up 40 minutes before closing like we did. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll need at least<\/em> a couple of hours. Bonus tip: entrance is free on Sundays.<\/p>\n

\"Warsaw\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Polish vodka etiquette 101<\/strong><\/p>\n

One night, our fun-loving Warsaw local host decided it was time we learned the real<\/em> Polish tradition: vodka etiquette<\/strong>. We headed to one of the cheapest bars in town for a crash course in cultural drinking. Somehow, I remember the rules very<\/em> clearly…<\/p>\n

Lesson 1:<\/strong> never drink vodka alone \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a social affair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesson 2:<\/strong> never refuse a drink unless you’re pregnant or on antibiotics<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesson 3:<\/strong> preferably drink in public<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesson 4:<\/strong> only drink your vodka straight. Diluted versions and cocktails are for losers. Flavoured vodka is OK.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"flavored<\/a>
flavoured vodka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lesson 5:<\/strong> down it in one gulp, no matter the glass size (usually 50ml)<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesson 6:<\/strong> make a toast before you drink. “Na zdrowie” [nazdrovje], meaning health, will do just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"bottoms<\/a>
bottoms up!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lesson 7:<\/strong> glasses are refilled immediately<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesson 8:<\/strong> eat Polish snacks between rounds. Pickled things. Sausages. Anything greasy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"raw<\/a>
raw minced meat and egg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"perfect<\/a>
perfect drinking snack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lesson 9:<\/strong> -one I had to learn on my own- unless you’re Russian, don’t to try to keep up with a Pole<\/span><\/p>\n

No pressure, just pleasure<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the best things about Warsaw as a city trip, is that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no checklist of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153must-sees\u00e2\u20ac\u009d breathing down your neck. No FOMO-inducing monuments or legendary nightlife to cram into a weekend. That leaves more space for slow strolls, good conversations, and genuinely soaking in the city\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s rhythm.<\/p>\n

We spent four days there. Not once did we feel bored. Warsaw might not top your bucket list, but it’s got soul, spunk, and a quiet kind of cool. A pleasant and fun capital city to visit, maybe in warmer weather.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_2196\"<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Have you been to Warsaw? Did you find it boring? Have you been surprised by a place recently?<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The post “Warsaw is not that boring…<\/a>” first appeared on Travel Cake<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Warsaw: Europe’s Third Most Boring City? I Beg to Differ. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Warsaw? Why are you going to Warsaw? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so boring! Go to Krakow instead!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d That was the general reaction when I shared my plans. According to a 2008 TripAdvisor poll, Warsaw was crowned Europe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s third most boring city. (First place? Brussels. Sorry, Belgium.) Naturally, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[109,60],"tags":[11,130,64],"country":[253],"class_list":["post-841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-poland","tag-europe","tag-poland","tag-short-getaway","post_format-post-format-image","country-poland"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phrKJj-dz","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/feqt-Copy.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&quality=89&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=841"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4507,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841\/revisions\/4507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=841"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}