Winter in Warsaw
The days are becoming increasingly shorter and the weather is far from encouraging – so it’s time to recharge the batteries and face the winter with energy. Come to Warsaw, even a short break here will get you out of your routine and the Polish capital in winter will surprise you.
Although Christmas falls at the end of December, people in Warsaw start preparing for Christmas a few weeks earlier. The aromas of traditional dishes, the sounds of beautiful Polish Christmas carols and colourful nativity scenes in churches create a unique atmosphere.
In winter, the city has plenty of attractions to offer for every budget – Christmas fairs, ice rinks and beautifully illuminated streets and squares. It’s much more enjoyable now to visit museums and galleries and much easier to find a free table in a good restaurant or a free hotel room.
Christmas illuminations
In December, the streets and squares of Warsaw take on a special charm. Decorated with colourful decorations and fairy-tale figures, in the evenings they shine with thousands of lights. The people of Warsaw – big and small alike – wait impatiently each year for the moment the lights are switched on.
See how beautiful the city looks; take a walk along the Royal Route, see the 30-metre high Christmas tree on Castle Square and the light decorations above the streets of the Old Town. A cup of hot chocolate at Wedel is the perfect way to end the evening.
Royal Garden of Light
Visit Wilanów in the winter – one of the most beautiful gardens in Poland – and cross the border between reality and a fairy tale and feel like a child again. Travel through time, straight to the court of King Jan III, and see the three-dimensional displays of light, image and sound displayed on the facade of the palace – the former royal residence.
Stroll through the gardens and encounter beautiful figures from the distant past, animals and plants with fanciful shapes. The night is illuminated by thousands of lights that during special shows dance to the rhythm of classical music. Spend the evening here and it will remain in your memory for a long time.
Christmas fairs
Christmas shopping is a real pleasure, if you don’t have to do it in a hurry. Christmas fairs are an ideal place to find original gifts – including handmade Christmas decorations, warm sweaters and hats, local gingerbread and chocolate specialities. Small wooden houses decorated with colourful lights are located in several places in Warsaw. The traditional Christmas Market stretches along the defensive walls of the Old Town.
Ice rinks
This is a great way to beat the winter blues. Put your skates on and – more or less smoothly – start dancing on the ice. The first ice rinks in Warsaw open in November. In the winter you will find them at the Palace of Culture and Science, on the Old Town Square and in every district. You can rent skates at almost every rink.
Winter attractions at the PGE Narodowy Stadium
If you love sport, this is the place for you. From November to March, there are lots of things to do: several ice rinks, a curling track, bumper cars and an iceberg to ride down in a dinghy. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the atmosphere heats up at the Ice-skating Disco, an ice‑skating party with energetic music and competitions. If you still want more, take a look at the underground skate park – the largest in the city. Try everything there is to do, and afterwards you won’t even feel the cold.
