Go to the beach on the Vistula

There are loads of places to relax in Warsaw and new ones are still being created, but the Vistula’s natural beaches are the most popular. Recognised by National Geographic as some of the most beautiful city beaches in the world, they tempt with soft sand and lush greenery. In July and August, the most popular beaches offer sun loungers and sports equipment for rent. Choose the one you want to enjoy the sun, play badminton or just have a good time with friends.

Poniatówka beach

Located under the historic Prince Józef Poniatowski Bridge near the PGE National Stadium, this is the most popular beach in Warsaw. Go there if you like a relaxed atmosphere and evening parties under the open sky.

• relax not just on the sand, but also on the wooden terrace

• cook on ready-made barbeques

• rent sun loungers and badminton rackets 

• nearby is an educational playground and a natural riparian forest. Running through it is a cycling and recreational path over 20 km long.

• take a free ferry to the other side of the Vistula, from where you can go on a river cruise aboard a traditional wooden craft or a motorboat.

Rusałka beach

This beach with a view of the Old Town is located near Warsaw Zoo. Go there if you like sports or dancing.

• cook out in the open at specially prepared barbeques

• play beach volleyball

• at the local beach clubs have a drink, try ice-cream cocktails, and in the evening go crazy on the dance floor

• children will definitely enjoy the rope park, the playground with a mini water park, wicker gazebos or a trip to the nearby zoo

• take a wooden gondola cruise on the Vistula

• depending on the water level of the river, you can cross the river on a free ferry to the other side

Saska beach

It stretches out near Łazienkowski Bridge in a place that was once an island, and is now part of Saska Kępa, one of the most beautiful districts of Warsaw. Arrive on foot, or by ferry if you love wild nature and peace.

• rent badminton rackets or sun loungers

• you can kayak down the Vistula from here at certain times (you need to book online in advance)

• when you get bored of the silence, visit the nearby Plażówka Saska – where you can relax on the sand or the terrace, have a pizza or watch a stand-up show. There is a water play area and a huge sandpit for children. A long forest path will lead you there – under the Łazienkowski Bridge, past an elegant restaurant and you will be there.

• A few hundred meters down the river you will find two outdoor pools

• at weekends, there is a club café behind the swimming pools in a real circus tent, as well as a boxing ring and ping-pong table

• the free Słonka ferry will take you to the Czerniakowski Promontory

Beach near Płyta Desantu (the Assault Plate)

The small beach at the entrance to Czerniakowski Port which provides shelter to vessels on the Vistula. A narrow strait separates it from the bustling Czerniakowski Promontory, which you can get to by a cycle and foot bridge over the port gate.

• visit one of the nearby gastrobars, eat something tasty or have a drink

• from here you can go on a Vistula cruise. On board a barge, a motorboat or a punt, eat dinner and watch the Warsaw skyline at sunset. In the port you can also rent a small motorboat.

• in the back of the promontory 10 professional beach volleyball courts with full facilities, a restaurant, a bar and a sauna

• a free ferry will take you across to the peaceful, cosy Saska beach

• you can also take a walk along the 5 kilometres of boulevards. There, you will find numerous cafés, restaurants on moored barges, a place to play pétanque, an outdoor gym as well as playgrounds. At weekend, there are concerts, performances and other outdoor events.

Żoliborz beach

The beach can be found in a secluded place at the end of the Vistula boulevards, 10 minutes away from the Gdański Bridge. Surrounded by spreading trees, it provides a lot of shade on sunny days and overlooks the natural bank of the Vistula. During the day, it is ideal for a family picnic, while in the evening it becomes a place for entertainment.

• children will enjoy the playground with swings and a slide

• at the local beach bar you can try burgers or shrimp dishes and sip fruit cocktails, and in the evenings you can warm up with dance music or a live concert

• in the sports club nearby you can play tennis or hit some balls at the golf range

• you can watch a film in an open-air cinema

Mini-beaches on General Smith Patton Boulevard

This is a place for those who want to relax on a sun lounger while visiting the attractions on the Vistula. The mini-beaches are in the central section of the boulevards next to restaurants and the starting point of river cruises, and they offer views of the wild side of the river. If you want to work on your tan or show off your new beach outfit, this is the place for you.

• you can rent sun loungers there and use the showers

• you can see open-air exhibitions about the Vistula, and the nearby Museum on the Vistula offers exhibitions of Polish contemporary art and movies in the summer cinema

• children will jump to their heart’s content on nearby trampolines

• eat in one of the nearby restaurants offering dishes from as far away as California

• under the Świętokrzyskie bridge, you will find a professional outdoor gym and a mini skate park

• at the double-decker barge anchored nearby you can order a cruise on a motorboat or a traditional boat. On the barge, enjoy Spanish tapas, and in the evening go crazy on the dance floor.

Other barges offering river cruises, snacks and drinks are also permanently anchored at the boulevards. In the evenings, they turn into lively night spots.

Other beaches on the Vistula

Further from the centre are 2 beaches, between which a free ferry operates on weekends

• From the Romantic beach in the Wawer district you can take a canoe for free down the river

• At Zawady beach in Wilanów you can easily see wild birds from the nearby reserve, and if you look carefully you can find the shells of freshwater mussels

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