Metro Centrum Nauki Kopernika
At this metro station, we land directly on the riverbank, so it’s a perfect point if you want to take a longer walk along the water and look at all the beautiful people lounging around in the summer.
The mermaid is the symbol of Warsaw and comes in many different guises. Here she stands by the Wislav River with the National Football Stadium in the background.
One of the first things you’ll notice is the Little Mermaid, of which there are numerous copies in various guises in Warsaw, the most famous of which is probably on the Rynek in the Old Town.
All Warsaw mermaids are relatively warlike, especially compared to the cute creature that resides on Langelinie in Copenhagen. This was erected in 1939 and modelled on Krystyna Krahelska, who took part in the Warsaw Uprising against the Germans in 1944 and was famous for her song of the title: “Hey boys, mount the bayonets”. However, she only added body (and not face) to the statue.
When you get off the metro, you can go for a run, go cycling, visit a museum or art exhibition, go to a pub or a food hall, listen to lectures at the university, go to the library, observe Warsaw from the roof of the library and much more – you can also just lie down in a hammock and do nothing.
In general, the area is characterised by varied and exciting architecture as well as a lot of small cafés and restaurants. The atmosphere is complemented by the students from the library and a number of nearby lecture halls.
An ideal short trip to see the neighbourhood’s character would also be a walk through Tamka, Zajęcza and Leszczyńska streets.
Centrum Nauki Kopernik
Copernicus (1473-1543) was a Central European astronomer who made the then controversial statement that the Earth revolves around the sun. Copernicus grew up in the German-speaking town of Thorn (Torun), which was part of Poland, but conducted his scientific work in Latin. If you want to tease a Pole, just claim that Copernicus was German… although – perhaps it’s best not to.
In any case, Copernicus is honoured as the epitome of Polish genius, and he has been given this fine experimental centre here in the heart of Warsaw, an excursion that should especially delight the teen members of your family. The site contains workshops, laboratories, theatres and lots of other things, and you can touch just about anything! The Copernicus Centre is a popular destination and often sold out. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance through the Centre’s website.
The garden on the roof of the University Library
Address Stawki 66. (10 minutes from Metro Centrum Nauki Kopernik).
The University Library
From the University complex on Krakowskie Przedmiescie, if you walk down the slope towards the river, you’ll come to the University Library – a fascinating building from 1999 that features glass, bronze and vegetation. But there’s also the metro station if you don’t like cliffs.
The garden is huge and also extends around the library area. Here the stairs up to the roof.
It is one of Europe’s largest rooftop gardens and the idea is to connect culture with nature. The supporting columns spread their branches out like real trees, blending in with the huge rooftop garden. It’s a garden where you want to linger, take a book from the library, and simply sit down and read. Det er en have, hvor man får lyst til at opholde sig, tage en bog fra biblioteket, og simpelt hen sætte sig ned og læse.
A vantage point – here with a view of the Copernicus Centre and the riverbank
The idea of gardens in new builds has caught on in Warsaw, with many apartment blocks providing gardens alongside the large apartments, not just on the ground floor, but also on the first and second floors. The building is a 5-minute walk from the riverside and the Copernicus Centre. The area is also home to some of the most exclusive residential property development in Warsaw. Bygningen befinder sig 5 minutters gang fra flodbredden og Copernicus-centeret. Området lægger også grundareal til noget af det mest eksklusive boligbyggeri i Warszawa.
From the roof garden there is a direct view of the reading room. In summer, it can be half empty.
In addition to the library itself, the library complex houses a number of shops, restaurants and cafés as well as a number of auditoriums. Aside from reading and borrowing books, the area offers recreational activities and is one of the more popular dating sites.
The garden is characterised by its diversity and division into sections with different types of vegetation
On the roof, landscape architect Irene Bajerska has created a lavish garden with over 5,000 square metres of vegetation divided between the roof garden itself and the low-lying garden next to the library. The roof garden is divided into different sections, each with its own distinctive colour composition, smell and shape.
Here you can see the high-rise buildings in Warsaw city centre on parade
Almost as impressive as the garden itself are the views on all sides of Warsaw. You look directly down at the Copernicus Centre, glance over towards the stadium and look up towards the old town. At the same time, there are views along the river on both sides. The garden is open from April to October and admission is free.
Museum of Modern Art (Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej) – Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 22
A branch of the State Museum of Modern Art, called the Museum on the Wisła River. It is located right next to the Copernicus Centre.
Kayaking excursions are popular on the river, where the water level is often too low for larger boats.
In the 1970s, the Wislostrada was built; – the great road that runs along the Wislav River. It is built so high that only once in over twenty years have I seen water approaching the road, but it has never been flooded. However, the Wislostrada is wide, noisy and unfriendly to anything other than cars. This means that the city is not on the river, but rather cut off from it. There are a few exceptions – for example, right here, where the road is located in a tunnel, and where today a vibrant area has emerged with the university library, experimental centre and facilities.
Warsaw’s new bridge has been in place since the summer of 2024
This has created new area for pedestrians and cyclists, and when you stand at the middle of the bridge, you forget that you are in the centre of a big city. The bridge connects the area around the Metro Kopernikus Centre with the Prague side, and a 10-minute walk from the bridge takes you to Metro Wilenski, where the city suddenly has a completely different character. On the bridge itself you find a relaxation area where you can look out over the city, read, sunbathe or kiss. If you like to kiss in private, the wild growing river bank is just below the bridge on the Prague side. Here you can walk close to the river or find a private clearing between the trees.
Along the shore, there are plenty of boats that have been converted into bars and restaurants. A practical measure when river levels rise
Although there are plenty of activities, much of the riverbank is simply open space
In recent years, much has also been done to expand the narrow strip of promenade that runs right down to the river. It is located in an area that is occasionally flooded, so it has been a little neglected for many years, but is currently undergoing a full revitalisation.
Elektrownia Powiśle – food hall on the ground floor plus shopping centre and wellness on the other floors. Address: ul. Dobra 42.
Elektrownia – Warsaw’s new lifestyle centre
The old power station from 1904 has been converted into a lifestyle centre with a food hall on the ground floor. This is one of Warsaw’s newer centres (from 2020) and it’s clear that the focus is more on enjoying life and feeling good than the older centres, which are primarily geared towards selling some goods.
Food in abundance
The power station has stood empty for a number of years, but has now been extensively remodelled and extended to fit into the modern architectural footprint that has emerged on this stretch of river. The food hall itself is an orgy of different kinds of restaurants and beer bars, while the beauty centre on the first floor is a cornucopia of skin treatments, new nails, hairdressers and creams. And finally, of course, there’s the option of going to traditional shops.
Bike ride
Overall, the riverside has one of the most beautiful cycling routes in Warsaw, with a varied landscape leading down to the Bielanski Forest.
If you have installed the city bike app, you can borrow a bike at the metro station. Here, an exciting route is to drive over the bridge (Świętokrzyski Bridge) and continue along the riverside path. There are a large number of beach and relaxation areas. At the next bridge, turn right off the Poniatowski Bridge and you’re back in the city centre, possibly after a detour to the National Stadium.
Hiking in the area
A stroll down Tamka Street will take you into the “Solec” district – a residential area below the Centrum and the Old Town, characterised by a certain Latin atmosphere and local flavour. But it’s well worth wandering around the area and soaking up the atmosphere.
If you continue on Tamka, you’ll pass the Chopin Museum (uphill) and after a slight bend, a 15-20 minute stroll will take you to the Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet metro station.
Please send an email to m@hardenfelt.pl if you would like a English-speaking tour guide to show you the most important places in Warsaw.