Autumn in Warsaw

Autumn is the perfect time of year to visit Warsaw. It’s a time when restaurants serve special dishes inspired by seasonal ingredients. Visit the Polish capital at this time of year and discover the richness of Polish traditions. Check out what’s waiting for you in Warsaw this autumn.

When you’re in Warsaw, go for a walk in Royal Łazienki Park – one of the most beautiful park and palace complexes in Europe, or in the Saxon Garden – the oldest public park in the capital, or maybe in Skaryszewski Park in the Praga district. This is a time when Warsaw’s parks and streets glitter with the colours of falling leaves: gold, copper, red, orange and purple. Don’t forget to take a camera with you – at this time of year Warsaw is extremely photogenic. Tag your best photo with the hashtag #DiscoverWarsaw and share it on Instagram.

During the whole month of November you can visit three royal residences in Warsaw totally free of charge. Enjoy paintings from the collection of the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, in the Palace on the Island, and if you visit the baroque Palace of King Jan III Sobieski in Wilanów, you’ll find out why it’s called the Polish Versailles. In the Royal Castle in the Old Town you will see royal thrones and paintings of the famous painters: Rembrandt, Canaletto and Matejko. At royal residences, you can take part in lots of additional events, such as concerts, film screenings and temporary exhibitions.

Special atmosphere of Warsaw’s cemeteries

 

In early November, according to tradition, Poles visit the graves of loved ones. They clean and decorate them with flowers and light candles, which are an expression of memory of those who have passed away. Visit and experience the amazing atmosphere in Warsaw’s cemeteries, for example Stare Powązki. It is hard to find another Polish cemetery where so many well-known and distinguished people are buried. You will see the graves of soldiers of national uprisings, independence activists, politicians and artists, including the writer and Nobel prize winner Władysław Reymont, composer Witold Lutosławski, director Krzysztof Kieślowski, the World War II courier Jan Nowak Jeziorański and Irena Sendler, who saved 2,500 Jewish children from extermination.
In the evenings, the cemeteries take on a special mood. Thousands of lights glowing in the dark create an unusual, magical vista.

On an autumn day, get off the beaten track by visiting one of Warsaw’s districts, for example Saska Kępa on the banks of Praga. In the 18th century, King Augustus III Sas organised hunts there, and today it is one of the most popular parts of the city. It flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, when its modernist buildings were built. The heart of Saska Kępa is Francuska street – full of charming cafes and restaurants with dishes from around the world. In the evening, try a mulled wine with spices, which will warm you up and give you an energy boost to explore Warsaw.

In Warsaw in the autumn, you have a chance to try typical Warsaw dishes perfect for colder days, such as mushroom soup, pea soup, tripe or filling dumplings. You can also try Polish delicacies such as pumpkin cream, roast goose and duck blood soup. If you prefer vegetarian dishes, try tasty pancakes and a wide variety of dumplings. You’ll find them all in one of Warsaw’s milk bars.
For dessert, go for a famous Warsaw donut filled with rose or plum jam. Or try the wuzetka, a square-shaped pastry made of chocolate sponge cake filled with whipped cream and covered with chocolate icing. How it got its name remains uncertain, but one version maintains it came from Warsaw’s East-West thoroughfare running beneath Warsaw’s Old Town. Polish Wschód-Zachód (East-West) is abbreviated to W-Z and pronounced wu-zet (voo-zet), hence wuzetka.