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Warsaw, ; la, Varsovia or officially the Capital City of Warsaw, , abbreviation: . is the capital and
largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
of Poland. The metropolis stands on the
River Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in t ...
in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 7th most-populous city in the European Union. The city area measures and comprises 18 districts, while the metropolitan area covers . Warsaw is classified as an
alpha Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...
global city, a major cultural, political and economic hub, and the country's seat of government. It is also capital of the Masovian Voivodeship. Warsaw traces its origins to a small fishing town in Masovia. The city rose to prominence in the late 16th century, when
Sigismund III Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...
decided to move the Polish capital and his royal court from Kraków. Warsaw served as the de facto capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, and subsequently as the seat of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's Duchy of Warsaw. The 19th century and its Industrial Revolution brought a demographic boom which made it one of the largest and most densely populated cities in Europe. Known then for its elegant architecture and boulevards, Warsaw was bombed and besieged at the start of World War II in 1939. Much of the historic city was destroyed and its diverse population decimated by the Ghetto Uprising in 1943, the general Warsaw Uprising in 1944 and systematic razing. Warsaw is served by two international airports, the busiest being Warsaw Chopin as well as the smaller Warsaw Modlin intended for low-cost carriers. Major public transport services operating in the city include the Warsaw Metro,
buses A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
, commuter rail service and an extensive tram network. The city is a significant economic centre for the region, with the Warsaw Stock Exchange being the largest in
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and Eastern Europe. It is the base for Frontex, the European Union agency for external border security, and ODIHR, one of the principal institutions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Warsaw has one of Europe's highest concentration of skyscrapers and the Varso Place is the tallest building in the European Union. The city's primary educational and cultural institutions comprise the University of Warsaw, the Warsaw University of Technology, the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, the
Chopin University of Music The Chopin University of Music ( pl, Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina, UMFC) is a musical conservatorium and academy located in central Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.
, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the
National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax. The orchestra was created ...
, the
National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
, and the Warsaw Grand Theatre, the largest of its kind in the world. The reconstructed Old Town, which represents a variety of European architectural styles, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980. Other landmarks include the Royal Castle,
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The ...
, the
Wilanów Palace Wilanów Palace ( pl, Pałac w Wilanowie, ) is a former royal palace located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, Poland. Wilanów Palace survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish ...
, the Palace on the Isle, St. John's Archcathedral, Main Market Square, and numerous churches and mansions along the Royal Route. Warsaw is a green capital, with around a quarter of the city's area occupied by parks. In sports, the city is home to
Legia Warsaw Legia Warszawa (), commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning record 15 Ekstraklasa champions titles, a ...
football club and hosts the annual
Warsaw Marathon The Warsaw Marathon ( Polish: ''Maraton Warszawski'' pronunced: , also referred to as the PZU Warsaw Marathon) is an annual marathon event which takes place on the streets of Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest annual marathon in Poland, held since 1 ...
.


Toponymy and names

Warsaw's name in the Polish language is . Other previous spellings of the name may have included: , , or . The exact origin and meaning of the name is uncertain and has not been fully determined. Originally, Warszawa was the name of a small fishing settlement on the banks of the Vistula river. One theory states that means "belonging to Warsz", being a shortened form of the masculine Old Polish name Warcisław, which etymologically is linked with Wrocław. However the ending -awa is unusual for a large city; the names of Polish cities derived from personal names usually end in -ów/owo/ew/ewo (e.g. Piotrków, Adamów).
Folk etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
attributes the city name to
Wars and Sawa WarsAnna Marta Zdanowska, Julia Odnous: ''Legendy warszawskie. Antologia.'' Warsaw: Museum of Warsaw, 2016, p. 368. (also known as ''War'Encyklopedia Warszawy''. p. 412. and ''Warsz'')Franciszek Galiński: ''Gawędy o Warszawie''. p. 24. and Saw ...
. There are several versions of the legend with their appearance. According to one version, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula with whom fisherman Wars fell in love. The official city name in full is ("The Capital City of Warsaw"). A native or resident of Warsaw is known as a ''Varsovian'' – in Polish , (male), (female), , and (plural).


History


1300–1800

The first fortified settlements on the site of today's Warsaw were located in
Bródno Bródno is a neighborhood in the Warsaw borough of Targówek, located on the eastern side of the Vistula river. It is inhabited by approximately 100,000 people. Among the most notable landmarks are Bródno Park and the Bródno cemetery, the larges ...
(9th/10th century) and Jazdów (12th/13th century). After Jazdów was raided by nearby clans and dukes, a new fortified settlement was established on the site of a small fishing village called "Warszowa". The Prince of Płock, Bolesław II of Masovia, established the modern-day city in about 1300 and the first historical document attesting to the existence of a
castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...
y dates to 1313. With the completion of
St John's Cathedral :''This list is for St. John the Evangelist Cathedrals. For St. John the Baptist Cathedrals, see St. John the Baptist Cathedral (disambiguation)'' St. John's Cathedral, St. John Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. John, or other variations on the name ...
in 1390, Warsaw became one of the seats of the
Dukes of Masovia Duke of Masovia ( pl, Książę Mazowsza) was a title born by the sons and descendants of the Polish Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth. In accordance with the last will and testament of Bolesław, upon his death his lands were divided into four to five ...
and was officially made capital of the Masovian Duchy in 1413. The economy then predominantly rested on craftsmanship or trade, and the town housed approximately 4,500 people at the time. During the 15th century, the population migrated and spread beyond the northern city wall into a newly formed self-governing precinct called
New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. The existing older settlement became eventually known as the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
. Both possessed their own town charter and independent councils. The aim of establishing a separate district was to accommodate new incomers or "undesirables" who were not permitted to settle in Old Town, particularly Jews. Social and financial disparities between the classes in the two precincts led to a minor revolt in 1525. Following the sudden death of
Janusz III Janusz III of Masovia (pl: ''Janusz III mazowiecki''; ca. 27 September 1502 – 9/10 March 1526), was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast in the Masovian branch. He was a Duke of Czersk, Warsaw, Liw, Zakroczym and Nur during 1503-152 ...
and the extinction of the local ducal line, Masovia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1526.
Bona Sforza Bona Sforza d'Aragona (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund I the Old, and Duchess of Bari and Rossano by her own right. She was a surviving member of ...
, wife of Sigismund I of Poland, was widely accused of poisoning the duke to uphold Polish rule over Warsaw. In 1529, Warsaw for the first time became the seat of a General Sejm and held that privilege permanently from 1569. The city's rising importance encouraged the construction of a new set of defenses, including the landmark
Barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...
. Renowned
Italian architects Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
were brought to Warsaw to reshape the Royal Castle, the streets and the marketplace, resulting in the Old Town's early Italianate appearance. In 1573, the city gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation which formally established religious freedom in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Due to its central location between the capitals of the Commonwealth's two component parts, Poland and Lithuania, which were Kraków and Vilnius respectively, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and the Polish Crown when Sigismund III Vasa transferred his royal court in 1596. In the subsequent years the town significantly expanded to the south and westwards. Several private independent districts (''
jurydyka Jurydyka (plural: jurydyki, improperly: jurydykas), is a legal entity in the Polish legal system from bygone centuries (originating from Latin: ''iurisdictio'', jurisdiction), denoting a privately owned tract of land within a larger municipality, ...
'') were the property of aristocrats and the gentry, which they ruled by their own laws. Between 1655 and 1658 the city was besieged and pillaged by the Swedish, Brandenburgian and Transylvanian forces. The conduct of the Great Northern War (1700–1721) also forced Warsaw to pay heavy tributes to the invading armies. The reign of
Augustus II Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
and Augustus III was a time of great development for Warsaw, which turned into an early-capitalist city. The
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
monarchs employed many German architects, sculptors and engineers, who rebuilt the city in a style similar to Dresden. The year 1727 marked the opening of the Saxon Garden in Warsaw, the first publicly accessible park. The Załuski Library, the first Polish public library and the largest at the time, was founded in 1747. Stanisław II Augustus, who remodelled the interior of the Royal Castle, also made Warsaw a centre of culture and the arts. He extended the
Royal Baths Park Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
and ordered the construction or refurbishment of numerous palaces, mansions and richly-decorated tenements. This earned Warsaw the nickname ''Paris of the North''. Warsaw remained the capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795 when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in the third and final partition of Poland; it subsequently became the capital of the province of South Prussia. During this time, Louis XVIII of France spent his exile in Warsaw under the pseudonym ''Comte de Lille''.


1800–1939

Warsaw was made the capital of a newly created French client state, known as the Duchy of Warsaw, after a portion of Poland's territory was liberated from Prussia, Russia and Austria by
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1806. Following Napoleon's defeat and exile, the 1815 Congress of Vienna assigned Warsaw to
Congress Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
, a constitutional monarchy within the easternmost sector (or partition) under a personal union with
Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
. The Royal University of Warsaw was established in 1816. With the violation of the
Polish constitution The current Constitution of Poland was founded on 2 April 1997. Formally known as the Constitution of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), it replaced the Small Constitution of 1992, the last amended version of ...
, the 1830
November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
broke out against foreign influence. The Polish-Russian war of 1831 ended in the uprising's defeat and in the curtailment of Congress Poland's autonomy. On 27 February 1861, a Warsaw crowd protesting against Russian control over Congress Poland was fired upon by Russian troops. Five people were killed. The Underground Polish National Government resided in Warsaw during the
January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
in 1863–64. Warsaw flourished throughout the 19th century under Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–92), who was appointed by Alexander III. Under Starynkiewicz Warsaw saw its first water and sewer systems designed and built by the English engineer
William Lindley William Lindley (7 September 1808 in London – 22 May 1900 in Blackheath, London), was an English engineer who together with his sons designed water and sewerage systems for over 30 cities across Europe. Life As a young engineer he worked t ...
and his son,
William Heerlein Lindley Sir William Heerlein Lindley (30 January 1853, in Hamburg – 30 December 1917, in London) was a British civil engineer. __NOTOC__ One of three sons of the famous British engineer William Lindley, WH Lindley worked together with his fath ...
, as well as the expansion and modernisation of trams, street lighting, and gas infrastructure. Between 1850 and 1882, the population grew by 134% to 383,000 as a result of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Many migrated from surrounding rural Masovian towns and villages to the city for employment opportunities. The western borough of Wola was transformed from an agricultural periphery occupied mostly by small farms and windmills (mills being the namesake of Wola's central neighbourhood Młynów) to an industrial and manufacturing centre. Metallurgical, textile and glassware factories were commonplace, with chimneys dominating the westernmost skyline. Like London, Warsaw's population was subjected to income segmentation. Gentrification of inner suburbs forced poorer residents to move across the river into Praga or Powiśle and Solec districts, similar to the
East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
and
London Docklands London Docklands is the riverfront and former docks in London. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of London Borough of Southwark, Southwark, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, London Borough of ...
. Poorer religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Jews, settled in the crowded parts of northern Warsaw, in Muranów. The Imperial Census of 1897 recorded 626,000 people living in Warsaw, making it the third-largest city of the Empire after St. Petersburg and Moscow as well as the largest city in the region. Grand architectural complexes and structures were also erected in the city centre, including the Warsaw Philharmonic, the
Church of the Holiest Saviour Church of the Holiest Saviour ( pl, Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw, Poland. It is located on the Saviour Square. History The origins of the church date back to t ...
and tenements along Marszałkowska Street. During World War I, Warsaw was occupied by Germany from 4 August 1915 until November 1918. The Armistice of 11 November 1918 concluded that defeated Germany is to withdraw from all foreign areas, which included Warsaw. Germany did so, and underground leader Józef Piłsudski returned to Warsaw on the same day which marked the beginning of the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
, the first truly sovereign Polish state after 1795. In the course of the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921), the 1920 Battle of Warsaw was fought on the eastern outskirts of the city. Poland successfully defended the capital, stopped the brunt of the Bolshevik Red Army and temporarily halted the " export of the communist revolution" to other parts of Europe. The interwar period (1918–1939) was a time of major development in the city's infrastructure. New modernist housing estates were built in Mokotów to de-clutter the densely populated inner suburbs. In 1921, Warsaw's total area was estimated at only 124.7 km2 with 1 million inhabitants–over 8,000 people/km2 made Warsaw more densely populated than contemporary London. The Średnicowy Bridge was constructed for railway (1921–1931), connecting both parts of the city across the Vistula. Warszawa Główna railway station (1932–1939) was not completed due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Stefan Starzyński was the
Mayor of Warsaw The city mayor of Warsaw, or more literally the ''city president of Warsaw'' (the official title in Polish is ''"prezydent miasta stołecznego Warszawy"'', literal translation ''"president of the capital city of Warsaw"'') is the head of the exec ...
between 1934 and 1939.


Second World War

After the German Invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the Second World War, Warsaw was defended until 27 September. Central Poland, including Warsaw, came under the rule of the
General Government The General Government (german: Generalgouvernement, pl, Generalne Gubernatorstwo, uk, Генеральна губернія), also referred to as the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (german: Generalgouvernement für die be ...
, a German Nazi colonial administration. All higher education institutions were immediately closed and Warsaw's entire Jewish population – several hundred thousand, some 30% of the citywere herded into the Warsaw Ghetto. In July 1942, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto began to be deported en masse to the
Aktion Reinhard Operation Reinhard or Operation Reinhardt (german: Aktion Reinhard or ; also or ) was the codename of the secret Nazi Germany, German plan in World War II to exterminate History of the Jews in Poland, Polish Jews in the General Government distric ...
extermination camps, particularly Treblinka. The city would become the centre of urban resistance to Nazi rule in occupied Europe. When the order came to annihilate the ghetto as part of Hitler's " Final Solution" on 19 April 1943, Jewish fighters launched the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Despite being heavily outgunned and outnumbered, the ghetto held out for almost a month. When the fighting ended, almost all survivors were massacred, with only a few managing to escape or hide. By July 1944, the Red Army was deep into Polish territory and pursuing the Nazis toward Warsaw. The Polish government-in-exile in London gave orders to the underground Home Army (AK) to try to seize control of Warsaw before the Red Army arrived. Thus, on 1 August 1944, as the Red Army was nearing the city, the Warsaw uprising began. The armed struggle, planned to last 48 hours, was partially successful, however, it went on for 63 days. Eventually, the Home Army fighters and civilians assisting them were forced to capitulate. They were transported to
PoW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
camps in Germany, while the entire civilian population was expelled. Polish civilian deaths are estimated at between 150,000 and 200,000. Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground and the library and museum collections taken to Germany or burned. Monuments and government buildings were blown up by special German troops known as ''Verbrennungs- und Vernichtungskommando'' ("Burning and Destruction Detachments"). About 85% of the city was destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle. On 17 January 1945 – after the beginning of the Vistula–Oder Offensive of the Red Army – Soviet troops and Polish troops of the First Polish Army entered the ruins of Warsaw, and liberated Warsaw's suburbs from German occupation. The city was swiftly freed by the Soviet Army, which rapidly advanced towards Łódź, as German forces regrouped at a more westward position.


1945–1989

In 1945, after the bombings, revolts, fighting, and demolition had ended, most of Warsaw lay in ruins. The area of the former ghetto was razed to the ground, with only a sea of rubble remaining. The immense destruction prompted a temporary transfer of the new government and its officials to Łódź, which became the transitional seat of power. Nevertheless, Warsaw officially resumed its role as the capital of Poland and the country's centre of political and economic life. After World War II, the "Bricks for Warsaw" campaign was initiated and large prefabricated housing projects were erected in Warsaw to address the major housing shortage. Plattenbau-styled apartment buildings were seen as a solution to avoid Warsaw's former density problem and to create more green spaces. Some of the buildings from the 19th century that have survived in a reasonably reconstructible form were nonetheless demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, like the Kronenberg Palace. The Śródmieście (central) region's urban system was completely reshaped; former cobblestone streets were asphalted and significantly widened for traffic use. Many notable streets such as Gęsia, Nalewki and Wielka disappeared as a result of these changes and some were split in half due to the construction of Plac Defilad (Parade Square), one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Much of the central district was also designated for future skyscrapers. The 237-metre
Palace of Culture and Science A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
resembling New York's
Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
was built as a gift from the Soviet Union. Warsaw's urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture. Despite wartime destruction and post-war remodelling, many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form. John Paul II's visits to his native country in 1979 and 1983 brought support to the budding "Solidarity" movement and encouraged the growing
anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
fervor there. In 1979, less than a year after becoming pope, John Paul celebrated Mass in Victory Square in Warsaw and ended his sermon with a call to "renew the face" of Poland. These words were meaningful for Varsovians and Poles who understood them as the incentive for liberal-democratic reforms.


1989–present

In 1995, the Warsaw Metro opened with a single line. A second line was opened in March 2015. On 28 September 2022, three new Warsaw metro stations were opened, increasing the number of Warsaw Metro stations to 36 and its length to 38.3 kilometers. In February 2023, Warsaw's mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, announced plans to more than double the size of the city's metro system by 2050. Warsaw is experiencing the large economic boom. The opening fixture of UEFA Euro 2012 took place in Warsaw and the city also hosted the
2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP19 or CMP9 was held in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 23 November 2013. This is the 19th yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Cli ...
and the 2016 NATO Summit. As of August 2022, Warsaw had received around 180,000 refugees from Ukraine, because of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
. The amount means a tenth of the Polish capital's population of 1.8 million — the second-largest single group of Ukrainian refugees.


Geography


Location and topography

Warsaw lies in east-central Poland about from the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
and about from the Baltic Sea, east of Berlin, Germany. The city straddles the Vistula River. It is located in the heartland of the
Masovian Plain The Mazovian Lowland ( pl, Nizina Mazowiecka), also known as the Masovian Plain, is the largest geographical region in central Poland, roughly covering the historical region of Masovia. Sometimes it is also categorized as including Mazovian-Podlasi ...
, and its average elevation is above sea level. The highest point on the left side of the city lies at a height of ("Redutowa" bus depot, district of Wola), on the right side – ("Groszówka" estate, district of Wesoła, by the eastern border). The lowest point lies at a height (at the right bank of the Vistula, by the eastern border of Warsaw). There are some hills (mostly artificial) located within the confines of the city – e.g. Warsaw Uprising Hill () and Szczęśliwice hill ( – the highest point of Warsaw in general). Warsaw is located on two main geomorphologic formations: the plain moraine plateau and the Vistula Valley with its asymmetrical pattern of different terraces. The Vistula River is the specific axis of Warsaw, which divides the city into two parts, left and right. The left one is situated both on the
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
plateau ( above Vistula level) and on the Vistula terraces (max. above Vistula level). The significant element of the relief, in this part of Warsaw, is the edge of moraine plateau called Warsaw Escarpment. It is high in the Old Town and Central district and about in the north and south of Warsaw. It goes through the city and plays an important role as a landmark. The plain moraine plateau has only a few natural and artificial ponds and also groups of
clay pit A clay pit is a quarry or mine for the extraction of clay, which is generally used for manufacturing pottery, bricks or Portland cement. Quarries where clay is mined to make bricks are sometimes called brick pits. A brickyard or brickworks is of ...
s. The pattern of the Vistula terraces is asymmetrical. The left side consists mainly of two levels: the highest one contains former flooded terraces and the lowest one is the floodplain terrace. The contemporary flooded terrace still has visible valleys and ground depressions with water systems coming from the old Vistula – riverbed. They consist of still quite natural streams and lakes as well as the pattern of drainage ditches. The right side of Warsaw has a different pattern of geomorphological forms. There are several levels of the Vistula plain terraces (flooded as well as formerly flooded), and only a small part is a not-so-visible moraine escarpment.
Aeolian Aeolian commonly refers to things related to either of two Greek mythological figures: * Aeolus (son of Hippotes), ruler of the winds * Aeolus (son of Hellen), son of Hellen and eponym of the Aeolians * Aeolians, an ancient Greek tribe thought to ...
sand with a number of dunes parted by peat swamps or small ponds cover the highest terrace. These are mainly forested areas ( pine forest).


Climate

Warsaw experiences an oceanic ( Köppen: ''Cfb)'' or humid continental ( Köppen: ''Dfb)'' climate, depending on the isotherm used; although the city used to be humid continental regardless of isotherm prior to the recent effect of climate change and the city's urban heat island.Alt URL
Meanwhile, by the genetic climate classification of Wincenty Okołowicz, it has a temperate "fusion" climate, with both oceanic and continental features. The city has cold, sometimes snowy, cloudy winters, and warm, relatively sunny but frequently stormy summers. Spring and autumn can be unpredictable, highly prone to sudden weather changes; however, temperatures are usually mild, especially around May and September. The daily average temperature ranges between in January and in July and the mean year temperature is . Temperatures may reach in the summer, although the effects of hot weather are usually offset by relatively low dew points and large diurnal temperature differences. Warsaw is Europe's sixth driest major city (driest in Central Europe), with yearly rainfall averaging , the wettest month being July.


Cityscape


Urbanism and architecture

Warsaw's long and eclectic history left a noticeable mark on its architecture and urban form. Unlike most Polish cities, Warsaw's cityscape is mostly contemporary – modern glass buildings are towering above older historical edifices which is a common feature of
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n metropolises. Warsaw is among the European cities with the highest number of skyscrapers and is home to European Union's tallest building. Skyscrapers are mostly centered around the Śródmieście district, with many located in the commercial district of Wola. A concentric zone pattern emerged within the last decades; the majority of Warsaw's residents live outside the commercial city centre and commute by
metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
, bus or tram. Tenements and apartments in the central neighbourhoods are often reserved for commercial activity or temporary (tourist, student) accommodation. The nearest residential zones are predominantly located on the outskirts of the inner borough, in
Ochota Ochota () is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration. The biggest housing estates of Ochota are: * Kolonia Lubeckiego * Kolonia Staszica * Filtry * Rakowiec * Szosa Krakowska ...
, Mokotów and
Żoliborz Żoliborz () is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of W ...
or along the Vistula in Powiśle. A seat of
Polish monarchs Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
since the end of the 16th century, Warsaw remained a small city with only privately owned palaces, mansions, villas and several streets of townhouses. These displayed a richness of color and architectonic details. The finest German, Italian and Dutch architects were employed, among them
Tylman van Gameren Tylman van Gameren, also ''Tilman'' or ''Tielman'' and Tylman Gamerski, (Utrecht, 3 July 1632 – c. 1706, Warsaw) was a Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer who, at the age of 28, settled in Poland and worked for Queen Marie Casimire, wi ...
, Andreas Schlüter,
Jakub Fontana Jakub Fontana (born 1710 in Szczuczyn, died 13 April 1773 in Warsaw) was a Polish architect of Swiss Italian origin, a practitioner of the Baroque and Neoclassical styles. He was court architect to the Polish king. He was knighted in 1764. Jakub ...
, and Enrico Marconi. The buildings situated in the vicinity of the Warsaw Old Town represent nearly every European architectural style and
historical period Human history, also called world history, is the narrative of humanity's past. It is understood and studied through anthropology, archaeology, genetics, and linguistics. Since the invention of writing, human history has been studied through ...
. Warsaw has excellent examples of architecture from the
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
, Renaissance,
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and Neoclassical periods, all of which are located within walking distance of the centre. This architectural richness has led to Warsaw being described by some commentators as a " Paris of the East". Gothic architecture is represented in the majestic churches but also at the burgher houses and fortifications. The most significant buildings are
St John's Cathedral :''This list is for St. John the Evangelist Cathedrals. For St. John the Baptist Cathedrals, see St. John the Baptist Cathedral (disambiguation)'' St. John's Cathedral, St. John Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. John, or other variations on the name ...
(1390), a typical example of the so-called Masovian
Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...
style; St Mary's Church (1411); the Burbach townhouse (14th century); Gunpowder Tower (after 1379); and Royal Castle's ''Curia Maior'' (1407–1410). The most notable examples of Renaissance architecture in the city are the house of the Baryczko merchant family (1562), a building called "The Negro" (early 17th century), and Salwator tenement (1632), all situated on the Old Market Place. The most interesting examples of Mannerist architecture are the Royal Castle (1596–1619) and the Jesuit Church (1609–1626). Baroque architecture arrived in Warsaw at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries with the artists from the court circle of King Sigismund III Vasa (the early Warsaw Baroque is referred to as Vasa Baroque). Among the first structures of the early Baroque, the most important are St. Hyacinth's Church and
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The ...
, the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. At that time, part of the Royal Castle was rebuilt in this style, the Ujazdów Castle and numerous Baroque palaces on the Vistula escarpment were constructed. In the architecture of Catholic churches, the
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
type became a novelty, exemplified by the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, the
Carmelite Church , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...
and the Holy Cross Church. Warsaw Baroque from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries was characterized by building facades with a predominance of vertical elements close to the wall and numerous
ornaments An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...
. The most important architect working in Warsaw at that time was
Tylman van Gameren Tylman van Gameren, also ''Tilman'' or ''Tielman'' and Tylman Gamerski, (Utrecht, 3 July 1632 – c. 1706, Warsaw) was a Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer who, at the age of 28, settled in Poland and worked for Queen Marie Casimire, wi ...
. His projects include the Krasiński Palace, Palace of the Four Winds,
Ostrogski Palace Ostrogski Palace, or Ostrogski Castle ( pl, Pałac Ostrogskich, or ''Zamek Ostrogskich''), is a fortified mansion in the city center of Warsaw, Poland, on Tamka Street. The castle was originally constructed for the powerful Ostrogski family in the ...
,
Czapski Palace The Czapski Palace ( pl, Pałac Czapskich, ), also called the Krasiński, Sieniawski or Raczyński Palace, is a substantial palace in the center of Warsaw, at 5 Krakowskie Przedmieście. It is considered one of the most distinguished examples of r ...
, Brühl Palace, and
St. Kazimierz Church St. Kazimierz Church ( pl, Kościół św. Kazimierza) is a Roman Catholic church in Warsaw's New Town at '' Rynek Nowego Miasta 2'' (New Town Market Place, no. 2). History St. Casimir Church was originally the Kotowski Palace, residence of the W ...
. The most significant Baroque building of this period is the
Wilanów Palace Wilanów Palace ( pl, Pałac w Wilanowie, ) is a former royal palace located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, Poland. Wilanów Palace survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish ...
, built on the order of King
John III Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...
. The late Baroque era was the epoch of the
Saxon Kings The House of Wessex, also known as the Cerdicings and the West Saxon dynasty, refers to the family, traditionally founded by Cerdic, that ruled Wessex in Southern England from the early 6th century. The house became dominant in southern England aft ...
(1697–1763). During this time, three major spatial projects were realized: the 880-meter Piaseczyński Canal on the axis of Ujazdów Castle, the Ujazdów Calvary and the Saxon Axis. The Visitationist Church also dates from this period. The neoclassical architecture began to be the main style in the capital's architecture in Warsaw in the second half of the 18th century thanks to King
Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...
. It can be described by the simplicity of the geometrical forms teamed with a great inspiration from the Roman period. The best-known architect who worked in Warsaw at the time was
Domenico Merlini Domenico Merlini () (22 February 1730 – 20 February 1797) was an Italian-Polish architect whose work was mostly in the classical style. Life and Style From 1750 till his death, Merlini lived in Poland. In 1768, he became a nobleman and later ...
, who designed the Palace on the Isle. Other significant buildings from this period include
Królikarnia Królikarnia (in English, "The Rabbit House") is a historic classicist palace in Warsaw, Poland; and a neighborhood in the Mokotów district of Warsaw. Since 1965 the palace has housed a museum dedicated to Polish sculptor Xawery Dunikowski. Hi ...
,
Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church may refer to: Albania * Holy Trinity Church (Berat), Berat County * Holy Trinity Church, Lavdar, Opar, Korçë County Armenia * Holy Trinity Church, Yerevan Australia * Garrison Church, Sydney, South Wales, also known as ''H ...
, St. Anne's Church, Warsaw. Also in the first half of the 19th century,
neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
dominated the architecture of Warsaw. Old buildings were rebuilt and new ones were built in this style. The neoclassical revival affected all aspects of architecture; the most notable examples are the Great Theater, buildings located at Bank Square, headquarters of the Warsaw Society of Friends of Sciences (
Staszic Palace Staszic Palace ( pl, Pałac Staszica, ) is an edifice at ulica Nowy Świat 72, Warsaw, Poland. It is the seat of the Polish Academy of Sciences. History Origin The history of the Staszic Palace dates from 1620, when King Sigismund III of Poland ...
), St. Alexander's Church, the Belweder. Many classicist tenement houses were built on Senatorska Street and along Nowy Świat Street. After the outbreak of the
November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
, the
Warsaw Citadel Warsaw Citadel (Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. I ...
was constructed in the north of the city, and the Saxon Palace underwent a complete reconstruction, where the central body of the building was demolished and replaced by a monumental 11-bay colonnade. In the mid-19th century, the industrial revolution reached Warsaw, leading to the mass use of iron as a building material. In 1845, the Warsaw-Vienna Railway Station was opened. Another important aspect of the developing city was ensuring access to water and sewage disposal. The first modern Warsaw water supply system was launched in 1855, designed by one of the most outstanding architects of that period – Enrico Marconi, who designed also
All Saints Church All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to: Albania *All Saints' Church, Himarë Australia * All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * All Saints Anglican Church, Henley Brook, Western Aust ...
. The dynamic development of the railway became a factor that enabled equally dynamic development of Warsaw's industry. Among the establishments built at that time were the Wedel factory and the extensive Municipal Gasworks complex. In the architecture of the 1920s, national historicism and other historical forms were dominant. Art Deco forms also appeared, and towards the end of the decade, avant-garde functionalism emerged. The creation of urban plans for the capital of Poland can be traced back to 1916, when, after the retreat of the Russians from Warsaw and the beginnings of the German occupation, the territories of the surrounding municipalities were annexed to the city. Even before Poland regained its independence, parallel to the creation of the administration of the future state, the first urban visions were emerging. These included, among others, the construction of a representative government district in the southern part of Śródmieście. However, major changes in urban planning and the architectural landscape of the city only began in the mid-1920s. The forming state structures needed headquarters, leading to the construction of many monumental public buildings, including the buildings of the Sejm and the Senate, the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education may refer to: * Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education (Poland) * Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education (Russia) Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collect ...
, the Ministry of Public Works, the
National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
, the State Geological Institute, the State Agricultural Bank, the Domestic Economy Bank, the directorate of the Polish State Railways, the Supreme Audit Office, and the campus of the Warsaw School of Economics. New districts were also established in
Żoliborz Żoliborz () is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of W ...
,
Ochota Ochota () is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration. The biggest housing estates of Ochota are: * Kolonia Lubeckiego * Kolonia Staszica * Filtry * Rakowiec * Szosa Krakowska ...
, and Mokotów, often designed around a central square with radiating streets ( Narutowicz Square,
Wilson Square ''Plac Wilsona'' ("Wilson Square") is the chief square of northern Warsaw's Żoliborz district. It is also one of the Polish capital's main transport hubs, with several bus and streetcars stops (opened to the public June 1, 1934). Wilson Square w ...
). Examples of new large urban projects are the Staszic and Lubecki colonies in
Ochota Ochota () is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration. The biggest housing estates of Ochota are: * Kolonia Lubeckiego * Kolonia Staszica * Filtry * Rakowiec * Szosa Krakowska ...
. Exceptional examples of the
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
architecture of the later periods were not restored by the
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
authorities after the war or were remodelled into a socialist realist style (like Warsaw Philharmonic edifice originally inspired by
Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...
in Paris). Despite that, the Warsaw University of Technology (Polytechnic) building. is the most interesting of the late 19th-century architecture. Some 19th-century industrial and brick workhouse buildings in the Praga district were restored, though many have been poorly maintained or demolished. Notable examples of post-war architecture include the
Palace of Culture and Science A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
, a soc-realist and art deco skyscraper based on the
Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
in New York. The Constitution Square with its monumental socialist realism architecture (MDM estate) was modelled on the grand squares of Paris, London, Moscow and Rome. Italianate tuscan-styled colonnades based on those at Piazza della Repubblica in Rome were also erected on Saviour Square. Contemporary architecture in Warsaw is represented by the Metropolitan Office Building at Pilsudski Square and Varso tower, both by Norman Foster,
Warsaw University Library The University of Warsaw Library ( pl, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, BUW) is a library of the University of Warsaw, Poland. History The library was founded in 1816 as a direct consequence of establishing The Royal Warsaw University. S ...
(BUW) by Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski, featuring a garden on its roof and view of the Vistula River,
Rondo 1 Rondo 1 is an office skyscraper with a total height of 192 m located in Warsaw, Poland at Rondo ONZ. The building was designed by Larry Oltmanns during his time as the Design Director for the London office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Epstei ...
office building by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is an American architectural, urban planning and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel A. Owings, Nathaniel Owings in Chicago, Illinois. In 1939, they were joined by engineer Jo ...
,
Złota 44 Złota 44 is a residential skyscraper (192 meters high, 52 stories) in central Warsaw, Poland. It was designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, in association with Polish architects Architecture. It was developed by US real estate ...
residential skyscraper by
Daniel Libeskind Daniel Libeskind (born May 12, 1946) is a Polish–American architect, artist, professor and set designer. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect. He is known for the design a ...
,
Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews ( pl, Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich) is a museum on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Hebrew word ''Polin'' in the museum's English name means either "Poland" or "rest here" and relates to a ...
by
Rainer Mahlamäki Rainer Mahlamäki (born 12 June 1956) is a Finnish architect, president of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) from 2007 to 2011, Professor of Contemporary Architecture at the University of Oulu, and joint partner with Ilmari Lahdelma o ...
and Golden Terraces, consisting of seven overlapping domes retail and business centre. Jointly with Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rotterdam, Warsaw is one of the cities with the highest number of skyscrapers in Europe.


Landmarks

Although contemporary Warsaw is a fairly young city compared to other European capitals, it has numerous tourist attractions and architectural monuments dating back centuries. Apart from the Warsaw Old Town area, reconstructed after World War II, each borough has something to offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are the Royal Castle,
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The ...
,
Market Square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.Barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...
. Further south is the so-called Royal Route, with many historical churches,
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and Classicist palaces, most notably the Presidential Palace, and the University of Warsaw campus. The former royal residence of King
John III Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...
at Wilanów is notable for its Baroque architecture and eloquent palatial garden. In many places in the city the
Jewish culture Jewish culture is the culture of the Jewish people, from its formation in ancient times until the current age. Judaism itself is not a faith-based religion, but an orthoprax and ethnoreligion, pertaining to deed, practice, and identity. Jewi ...
and history resonates down through time. Among them the most notable are the Jewish theater, the
Nożyk Synagogue The Nożyk Synagogue ( pl, Synagoga Nożyków) is the only surviving prewar Jewish house of prayer in Warsaw, Poland. It was built in 1898-1902 and was restored after World War II. It is still operational and currently houses the Warsaw Jewish Co ...
,
Janusz Korczak Janusz Korczak, the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit (22 July 1878 or 1879 – 7 August 1942), was a Polish Jewish educator, children's author and pedagogue known as ''Pan Doktor'' ("Mr. Doctor") or ''Stary Doktor'' ("Old Doctor"). After spending ma ...
's Orphanage and the picturesque Próżna Street. The tragic pages of Warsaw's history are commemorated in places such as the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, the
Umschlagplatz ''Umschlagplatz'' (german: collection point or reloading point) was the term used during The Holocaust to denote the holding areas adjacent to railway stations in occupied Poland where Jews from ghettos were assembled for deportation to Nazi dea ...
, fragments of the ghetto wall on Sienna Street and a mound in memory of the
Jewish Combat Organization The Jewish Combat Organization ( pl, Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa, ŻOB; yi, ''Yidishe Kamf Organizatsie''; often translated to English as the Jewish Fighting Organization) was a World War II resistance movement in occupied Poland, which wa ...
. Many places commemorate the heroic history of Warsaw such as
Pawiak Pawiak () was a prison built in 1835 in Warsaw, Congress Poland. During the January 1863 Uprising, it served as a transfer camp for Poles sentenced by Imperial Russia to deportation to Siberia. During the World War II German occupation of ...
, a German Gestapo prison now occupied by a
Mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
of Memory of Martyrdom and a museum. The
Warsaw Citadel Warsaw Citadel (Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. I ...
, a 19th-century fortification built after the defeat of the
November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
, was a place of martyrdom for the Poles. Another important monument, the statue of Little Insurrectionist located at the ramparts of the Old Town, commemorates the children who served as messengers and frontline troops in the Warsaw Uprising, while the
Warsaw Uprising Monument Warsaw Uprising Monument ( pl, pomnik Powstania Warszawskiego) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Unveiled in 1989, it was sculpted by Wincenty Kućma and the architect was Jacek Budyn. It is located on t ...
by Wincenty Kućma was erected in memory of the largest insurrection of World War II. In Warsaw there are many places connected with the life and work of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
who was born near the city in Żelazowa Wola. The heart of the Polish composer is sealed inside Warsaw's Holy Cross Church. During the summer time the Chopin Statue in Łazienki Park is a place where pianists give concerts to the park audience. Also many references to Marie Curie, her work and her family can be found in Warsaw; Curie's birthplace at the Warsaw New Town, the working places where she did her first scientific works and the Radium Institute at Wawelska Street for the research and the treatment of which she founded in 1925. File:Castle Square (9632847640).jpg,
Castle Square Castle Square may refer to: *Castle Square, Sheffield, England *Castle Square, Warsaw Castle Square ( pl, plac Zamkowy) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs – located in Wars ...
with the Royal Castle and
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The ...
File:Bazylika Świętego Krzyża w Warszawie 2021.jpg, Inside Holy Cross Church there is an epitaph with Chopin's heart File:Warszawa kościół pokarmelicki.jpg,
Carmelite Church , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...
has an original 18th-century façade. File:2017-05-27 Pałac Krasińskich 2.jpg, Krasiński Palace, a branch of the National Library File:Kościół Akademicki św. Anny.jpg, St. Anne's Church File:Warszawa, ul. Kanonia 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14 20170518 001.jpg, Canon Square (''Kanonia'') with the narrowest townhouse in Europe File:Warszawa, Rynek Nowego Miasta 2 20170516 001.jpg,
St. Kazimierz Church St. Kazimierz Church ( pl, Kościół św. Kazimierza) is a Roman Catholic church in Warsaw's New Town at '' Rynek Nowego Miasta 2'' (New Town Market Place, no. 2). History St. Casimir Church was originally the Kotowski Palace, residence of the W ...
at New Town Market Square File:Ulica Krakowskie Przedmieście w Warszawie 2019c.jpg, Krakowskie Przedmieście File:Pałac Staszica w Warszawie 2021.jpg,
Staszic Palace Staszic Palace ( pl, Pałac Staszica, ) is an edifice at ulica Nowy Świat 72, Warsaw, Poland. It is the seat of the Polish Academy of Sciences. History Origin The history of the Staszic Palace dates from 1620, when King Sigismund III of Poland ...
, the seat of the Polish Academy of Sciences File:Barbakan w Warszawie - 03.jpg,
Barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...
, a remaining relic of historic fortifications File:Pałac Kazimierzowski w Warszawie 2019c.jpg, Casimir Palace housed the
Warsaw Lyceum The Warsaw Lyceum ( pl, Liceum Warszawskie; german: Königlich-Preußisches Lyzäum zu Warschau) was a secondary school that existed in Warsaw, under the Kingdom of Prussia and under the Kingdom of Poland, from 1804 to its closing in 1831 by Imper ...
whose alumni included
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
File:Wilanów JJT16 7968 — 1.jpg,
Wilanów Palace Wilanów Palace ( pl, Pałac w Wilanowie, ) is a former royal palace located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, Poland. Wilanów Palace survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish ...
, once a royal residence File:Pałac Jabłonowskich w Warszawie 2020a.jpg,
Jabłonowski Palace The Jabłonowski Palace ( pl, Pałac Jabłonowskich) is a historic palace on Theatre Square in the Downtown ( Śródmieście) district of Warsaw, Poland. Before World War II, the palace served as the Warsaw city hall. History The Jabłonowski Pa ...
, former city hall File:Zamek Ujazdowski1.jpg, Ujazdów Castle


Cemeteries

The oldest
necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...
in Warsaw is Stare Powązki, established in 1790. It is one of Poland's national necropolises. The cemetery covers an area of 43 ha. On the day of consecration of the Powązki Cemetery, the foundation stone was laid for the construction of the church of Saint Charles Borromeo, designed by the royal architect
Domenico Merlini Domenico Merlini () (22 February 1730 – 20 February 1797) was an Italian-Polish architect whose work was mostly in the classical style. Life and Style From 1750 till his death, Merlini lived in Poland. In 1768, he became a nobleman and later ...
. Catacombs were intended to be a prestigious resting place intended mainly for the nobles, such as Michał Poniatowski, Hugo Kołłątaj, Michał Kazimierz Ogiński. Over a million people are buried at Stare Powązki. In the Avenue of Merit there are the graves of insurgents and soldiers, independence activists, writers, poets, scientists, artists and thinkers. The nearby Powązki Military Cemetery was established in 1912 for soldiers stationed in Warsaw. After World War II, the cemetery became a burial place for people associated with the Polish People's Republic - politicians, officials and military personnel. The complex of non-Roman Catholic cemeteries consists of Evangelical–Augsburg Cemetery, Evangelical Reformed Cemetery,
Jewish Cemetery A Jewish cemetery ( he, בית עלמין ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' ...
, Orthodox Cemetery and Muslim Tatar Cemetery. Other significant Warsaw necropolises are: Bródno Cemetery
Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery The Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery ( pl, Cmentarz Powstańców Warszawy) is located at 174/176 Wolska Street in the Wola district of Warsaw. It was established in 1945 and occupies . It is the largest burial site of victims of the Warsaw Uprisi ...
, Służew Old Cemetery,
Służew New Cemetery The Służew New Cemetery ( pl, Nowy cmentarz na Służewie) is a Roman Catholic cemetery in Warsaw's Mokotów district, Poland. The cemetery is located at Wałbrzyska Street. The cemetery was established in 1900. From 30 June to 10 July 2014, t ...
. There are two large municipal cemeteries in the city –
Northern Communal Cemetery Northern Communal Cemetery ( pl, Cmentarz Komunalny Północny) is one of the largest cemeteries in Poland and Europe, located in Młociny, Warsaw, Młociny and Wólka Węglowa in the Bielany district of Warsaw, Poland. The site for the cemetery w ...
and Southern Communal Cemetery.


Memorials

The city's symbol is the mermaid placed in the capital's coat of arms. There are three mermaid monuments in Warsaw: one on the banks of the Vistula, the second on the
Old Town Square Old Town Square ( cs, Staroměstské náměstí or colloquially ) is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is located between Wenceslas Square and Charles Bridge. Buildings The square fe ...
, and the third in Praga-Południe. The oldest monument in Warsaw is the
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. The ...
. It was built in 1644 according to the design of the Italians: Augustine Locci and Constantin Tencall. The King of Poland Sigismund III Vasa stands on a 22-meter high tower, holding a cross and a sword in his hand. The monument was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Many monuments commemorate heroic and tragic moments in the history of Poland and Warsaw. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located in Piłsudski Square was built on the initiative of General Władysław Sikorski in the arcades of the Saxon Palace. In 1925, the ashes of the unknown soldier who died during the defense of Lviv were placed under the colonnade, then urns with soil from 24 battlefields were buried here. Among the monuments related to the World War II are Nike Monument that commemorates the heroes of Warsaw from 1939 to 1945,
Monument to the Polish Underground State and Home Army The Monument to the Polish Underground State and Home Army is located on Wiejska Street at the intersection with Jana Matejki Street opposite the Sejm, the Polish parliament. History The Polish Underground State and Home Army were never given ...
, Monument to the Little Insurrectionist and
Warsaw Uprising Monument Warsaw Uprising Monument ( pl, pomnik Powstania Warszawskiego) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Unveiled in 1989, it was sculpted by Wincenty Kućma and the architect was Jacek Budyn. It is located on t ...
in front of the Supreme Court building at
Krasiński Square Krasiński Square ( pl, plac Krasińskich) is a square in the central district of Warsaw, Poland. The square itself is adjacent to Warsaw Old Town and features buildings of great historical and national significance. History It was formed at ...
. Monument to the Ghetto Heroes commemorates the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. In 1929, a Frédéric Chopin's monument was constructed in the Royal
Łazienki Park Łazienki Park or Royal Baths Park ( pl, Park Łazienkowski, Łazienki Królewskie) is the largest park in Warsaw, Poland, occupying 76 hectares of the city center. The park-and-palace complex lies in Warsaw's central district ('' Śródmieście ...
. Every summer at its foot classical music concerts featuring world-famous pianists take place. Other important monuments are: Adam Mickiewicz Monument, Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument, Marie Curie Monument, Prince Józef Poniatowski Monument, Nicolaus Copernicus Monument, Stefan Starzyński Monument, Józef Piłsudski Monument, Janusz Korczak Monument.


Flora and fauna

Green space covers almost a quarter of Warsaw's total area. "Warsaw is a green city. Almost a quarter of its area is fields, parks, green squares and lush gardens, making Warsaw a European metropolis that truly offers its visitors a breath of fresh air." These range from small neighborhood parks and green spaces along streets or in courtyards, to tree-lined avenues, large historic parks, nature conservation areas and urban forests at the fringe of the city. There are as many as 82 parks in the city; the oldest ones were once part of representative palaces and include the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
and
Krasiński Krasiński (sometimes spelled Krasinsky, if originally transliterated from Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian) is a surname of Polish, or generally Slavic, origin. In its feminine version, the Polish surname becomes Krasińska, and the Russian or Be ...
Gardens,
Łazienki Park Łazienki Park or Royal Baths Park ( pl, Park Łazienkowski, Łazienki Królewskie) is the largest park in Warsaw, Poland, occupying 76 hectares of the city center. The park-and-palace complex lies in Warsaw's central district ('' Śródmieście ...
(Royal Baths Park) and
Wilanów Palace Wilanów Palace ( pl, Pałac w Wilanowie, ) is a former royal palace located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, Poland. Wilanów Palace survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish ...
Parkland. The Saxon Garden, covering an area of 15.5 ha, formally served as a royal garden to the now nonexistent Saxon Palace. In 1727, it was made into one of the world's first public parks and later remodelled in the forest-like English style. The
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-prof ...
is situated at the east end of the park near the central fountain, on Piłsudski Square. With its benches, flower carpets and a central pond, the Krasiński Palace Garden was once a notable strolling destination for most Varsovians. The Łazienki Park covers an area of 76 ha and its unique character and history is reflected in the
landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
(pavilions, sculptures, bridges, water cascades) and vegetation (domestic and foreign species of trees and shrubs). The presence of peacocks, pheasants and squirrels at Łazienki attracts tourists and locals. The Wilanów Palace Parkland on the outskirts of Warsaw traces it history to the second half of the 17th century and covers an area of 43 ha. Its French-styled alleys corresponds to the ancient, Baroque forms of the palace. The Botanical Garden and the
University Library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic librar ...
rooftop garden host an extensive collection of rare domestic and foreign plants, while a palm house in the New Orangery displays plants of subtropics from all over the world. Mokotów Field (once a racetrack), Ujazdów Park and
Skaryszewski Park Skaryszew Park (pronounced ) is an urban, monumental park located in the Praga-Południe (South Praga) district of Warsaw, Poland. The park was designed and created by Franciszek Szanior in 1906.Praga Południe, Michał Pilich, wyd. Urząd Dzie ...
are also located within the city borders. The oldest park in the Praga borough was established between 1865 and 1871. The flora of Warsaw may be considered very rich in species on city standards. This is mainly due to the location of Warsaw within the border region of several big floral regions comprising substantial proportions of close-to-wilderness areas (natural forests, wetlands along the Vistula) as well as arable land, meadows and forests. The nearby Kampinos Nature Reserve is the last remaining part of the Masovian
Primeval Forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
and is protected by law. The Kabaty Woods are by the southern city border and are visited by the residents of southern boroughs such as Ursynów. There are 13 natural reserves in the vicinity and just from Warsaw, the environment features a perfectly preserved ecosystem with a habitat of animals like the
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
, beavers and hundreds of bird species. There are also several lakes in Warsaw – mainly the
oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
s at Czerniaków and Kamionek. The
Warsaw Zoo The Warsaw Zoological Garden, known simply as the Warsaw Zoo ( pl, Miejski Ogród Zoologiczny w Warszawie ), is a scientific zoo located alongside the Vistula River in Warsaw, Poland. The zoo covers about in central Warsaw, and sees over 700,000 ...
covers an area of . There are about 5,000 animals representing nearly 500 species. Although officially created in 1928, it traces back its roots to 17th century private menageries, often open to the public. File:Palac Lazienki,Warszawa,Polska,UE. - panoramio (5).jpg, Frédéric Chopin's monument in
Łazienki Park Łazienki Park or Royal Baths Park ( pl, Park Łazienkowski, Łazienki Królewskie) is the largest park in Warsaw, Poland, occupying 76 hectares of the city center. The park-and-palace complex lies in Warsaw's central district ('' Śródmieście ...
File:Warszawa-Ogród Saski fontanna.jpg, Saxon Garden with the central fountain Ogród BUW w Warszawie 2019b.jpg, Entrance to botanical garden located on the roof of
University Library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic librar ...
File:Squirrel by mareckr.jpg, A
red squirrel The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...
in one of Warsaw's parks File:2019 Warszawa Pole Mokotowskie, 11.jpg, Mokotów Field File:Ogród Krasińskich w Warszawie BK.JPG, Krasiński Garden File:Warszawa, Park Skaryszewski z góry.jpg,
Skaryszew Park Skaryszew Park (pronounced ) is an urban, monumental park located in the Praga-Południe (South Praga) district of Warsaw, Poland. The park was designed and created by Franciszek Szanior in 1906.Praga Południe, Michał Pilich, wyd. Urząd Dzie ...
in Kamionek File:Rezerwat Olszynka Grochowska, Kanał Kawęczyński, olchy, Warszawa.jpg, Olszynka Grochowska Nature Reserve File:Kanał Sobieskiego, rezerwat przyrody Morysin, Wilanów, Warszawa 10.jpg, Morysin Nature Reserve


Demographics

Demographically Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
, Warsaw was the most diverse city in Poland, with significant numbers of foreign-born residents. In addition to the Polish majority, there was a large and thriving Jewish minority. According to the Imperial Census of 1897, out of the total population of 638,000, Jews constituted 219,000 (equivalent to 34%). Prior to the Second World War, Warsaw hosted the world's second largest Jewish population after
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
– approximately 30 percent of the city's total population in the late 1930s. In 1933, 833,500 out of 1,178,914 people declared
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
as their mother tongue. There was also a notable German community. The ethnic composition of contemporary Warsaw is incomparable to the diversity that existed for nearly 300 years. Most of the modern-day population growth is based on internal migration and urbanisation. In the 2021 census, 98.78% of Warsaw residents identified themselves as
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
, 0.46% as
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
, 0.31% as
Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...
and 0.21% as Jewish. In 1939, approximately 1,300,000 people resided in Warsaw; by 1945 the population had dropped to 420,000. During the first years after the war, the population growth rate was high and the city soon began to suffer from the lack of flats and dwellings to house new incomers. The first remedial measure was the enlargement of Warsaw's total area (1951) – however the city authorities were still forced to introduce limitations; only the spouses and children of permanent residents as well as some persons of public importance (renowned specialists, artists, engineers) were permitted to stay. This negatively affected the image of an average Warsaw citizen, who was perceived as more privileged than those migrating from rural areas, towns or other cities. While all restrictions on residency registration were scrapped in 1990, the negative opinion of Varsovians in some form continues to this day.
Warsaw metropolitan area The Warsaw metropolitan area (known in Polish as: ''aglomeracja warszawska'' or ''Miejski Obszar Funkcjonalny Warszawy'') is the metropolitan area of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The metropolitan area covers ten counties in the Masovian Voivo ...
is an example of the development of a strongly polarized region. The capital, along with its immediate surroundings, concentrates over half of the demographic potential of the Masovian Voivodeship, 2/3 of residents with higher education, and 3/4 of larger economic entities employing more than 50 workers. Current demographic development trends are as follows: * a clear increase in the number of residents after the 1989 transformations, from 1.6 to about 2.0 million inhabitants (including unregistered population), mainly due to positive migration balance. * the highest migration attractiveness in the country for many decades, causing a strong drain of people in the mobile age (18–44 years), including a relatively more frequent influx of women, resulting in high
feminization Feminization most commonly refers to: * Feminization (biology), the hormonally induced development of female sexual characteristics * Feminization (activity), a sexual or lifestyle practice where a person assumes a female role * Feminization (soci ...
* processes of internal deconcentration of population, consisting of centrifugal migration direction (from central districts to external ones, from external districts to suburban areas). Between 1989 and 2017, 213 thousand registered people moved from Warsaw to the suburbs, and in the opposite direction it was only 110 thousand. * a clear aging of the population: at the end of 2017, people aged 60 and over constituted 27.2% of the registered population, and those aged 70 and over – 13.5%, while for example in 2002, it was respectively 21.5 and 11.5% In the coming years, an increase in the city's population is predicted, with migration being the main factor determining the state and structure of Warsaw's population, including mainly internal (national) and external (foreign) influx. Changes in the population are not uniform for the entire Warsaw and in the division into districts, the predicted demographic changes will have a varied course. A decrease in population is forecasted in some central districts ( Praga-Północ, Śródmieście) and an increase in other districts.


Immigrant population

In 2019, it was estimated that 40,000 people living in Warsaw were foreign-born. Of those, Ukrainians, Vietnamese,
Belarusians , native_name_lang = be , pop = 9.5–10 million , image = , caption = , popplace = 7.99 million , region1 = , pop1 = 600,000–768,000 , region2 = , pop2 ...
, and Russians were the most prominent groups. After Russia's aggression against Ukraine, over 1.1 million refugees from Ukraine passed through Warsaw, and at the beginning of March 2022, approximately 40,000 people applied for help every day. According to official data, over 104,000 of Ukrainian citizens who arrived in the first days after the outbreak of the war still reside in the city, including 17,000 young people and children attending urban educational institutions. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the immigrant population has increased significantly to about 340,000.


Religion

Throughout its existence, Warsaw had been a multi-cultural and multi-religious city. According to the 1901 census, out of 711,988 inhabitants 56.2% were Catholics, 35.7% Jews, 5% Greek Orthodox Christians and 2.8% Protestants. Eight years later, in 1909, there were 281,754 Jews (36.9%), 18,189 Protestants (2.4%) and 2,818
Mariavites The Mariavite Church is today one of two independent Christian churches collectively known as Mariavites who first emerged from the religious inspiration of Polish noblewoman and nun, Feliksa Kozłowska (1862-1921) in the late 19th-century. I ...
(0.4%). This led to construction of hundreds of places of religious worship in all parts of the town. Most of them were destroyed in the aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. After the war, the new communist authorities of Poland discouraged church construction and only a small number were rebuilt. The archdiocese of Warsaw and the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga are the two ecclesiastical districts active in the city which serve the large Roman Catholic population of 1.4 million. The
Lutheran Diocese of Warsaw The Lutheran Diocese of Warsaw is one of the six dioceses of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland (Poland's only Lutheran church), covering most of central and eastern Poland. The Lutheran population in the area in 2016 wa ...
is one of six in Poland; its main house of worship is the
Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church may refer to: Albania * Holy Trinity Church (Berat), Berat County * Holy Trinity Church, Lavdar, Opar, Korçë County Armenia * Holy Trinity Church, Yerevan Australia * Garrison Church, Sydney, South Wales, also known as ''H ...
from 1782, one of Warsaw's most important and historic landmarks. The Evangelical Reformed Parish ( Calvinist) is leading the Polish Reformed Church. The main tserkva of the
Orthodox Christians Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...
is Praga's Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene from 1869. The Jewish Commune of Warsaw (''Gmina Wyznaniowa Żydowska'') is one of eight in the country; Chief Rabbi of Poland
Michael Schudrich Michael Joseph Schudrich (born June 15, 1955) is an American rabbi and the current Chief Rabbi of Poland. He is the oldest of four children of Rabbi David Schudrich and Doris Goldfarb Schudrich. Biography Born in New York City, Schudrich lived in ...
resides in the city. There are also 3 active
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s, one of which is the pre-war
Nożyk Synagogue The Nożyk Synagogue ( pl, Synagoga Nożyków) is the only surviving prewar Jewish house of prayer in Warsaw, Poland. It was built in 1898-1902 and was restored after World War II. It is still operational and currently houses the Warsaw Jewish Co ...
designated for
Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Jewish theology, Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Or ...
. An Islamic Cultural Centre in
Ochota Ochota () is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration. The biggest housing estates of Ochota are: * Kolonia Lubeckiego * Kolonia Staszica * Filtry * Rakowiec * Szosa Krakowska ...
and a small mosque in Wilanów serve the Muslims. There are several Marian shrines in the city, including: sanctuary of the Gracious Mother of God with her image crowned in 1651 in the presence of King John Casimir. Another patron of the city is Blessed Władysław of Gielniów, bernardine from the St. Anne's Church. The greatest cult is that of
St. Andrew Bobola Andrew Bobola, Society of Jesus, SJ ( pl, Andrzej Bobola; 1591 – 16 May 1657) was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the Apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls". He was beaten and tortured to death during t ...
, patron of the metropolis of Warsaw, whose
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s are in the sanctuary of St. Andrew Bobola in Mokotów. File:Kościół pw. św. Floriana, Warszawa.jpg,
St. Florian's Cathedral St. Florian's Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr ( pl, Katedra Świętego Michała Archanioła i Świętego Floriana), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated t ...
File:Warszawa, ul. Świętojańska 8 20170516 003.jpg, Archcathedral of St. John File:Warszawa katedra ordynariatu polowego wp.JPG, Field Cathedral of the Polish Army File:Sobór metropolitalny Świętej Równej Apostołom Marii Magdaleny w Warszawie 2016.jpg, Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene File:Ewangelicko-augsburski kościół Świętej Trójcy w Warszawie 2019a.jpg, Lutheran
Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church may refer to: Albania * Holy Trinity Church (Berat), Berat County * Holy Trinity Church, Lavdar, Opar, Korçë County Armenia * Holy Trinity Church, Yerevan Australia * Garrison Church, Sydney, South Wales, also known as ''H ...
File:20190803 112927 Nożyk Synagogue in Warsaw.jpg,
Nożyk Synagogue The Nożyk Synagogue ( pl, Synagoga Nożyków) is the only surviving prewar Jewish house of prayer in Warsaw, Poland. It was built in 1898-1902 and was restored after World War II. It is still operational and currently houses the Warsaw Jewish Co ...
File:Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela w Warszawie 2019c.jpg,
Church of the Holiest Saviour Church of the Holiest Saviour ( pl, Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw, Poland. It is located on the Saviour Square. History The origins of the church date back to t ...
File:Kościół św. Franciszka Serafickiego w Warszawie.jpg, St. Francis' Church in
New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...


Government and politics

As the capital of Poland, Warsaw is the political centre of the country. Almost all central government institutions are located there, including the Chancellery of the President, both houses of the Polish Parliament (the
lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
called Sejm and the upper house called
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
), the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Constitutional Tribunal, the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, and the Supreme Administrative Court. Warsaw is also host to many major international organizations, including Frontex and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (the oldest and principal institution of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). The city is represented in the parliament by 20 members of Sejm (out of 460) and 4
senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
s (out of 100). In addition, Warsaw together with its metropolitan area elects 6
MEPs A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
(Members of the European Parliament) out of 705.


Municipal government

The first city mayor of Warsaw was Jan Andrzej Menich (1695–1696). The municipal self-government existed in Warsaw until World War II and was restored in 1990 (during the communist times, the National City Council – ''Miejska Rada Narodowa'' – governed in Warsaw). Since 1990, the structure of city government has been modified several times. Between 1975 and 1990 the Warsaw city mayors simultaneously led the Warsaw Voivodeship. In the years 1990–1994, the city mayor of Warsaw was elected by the city council. Subsequently, a controversial reform was introduced, transforming the city in the years of 1994–1999 into a loose municipal union of several gminas, dominated by one of them, the gmina Centrum encompassing the entire inner city. During this period, the mayor of gmina Centrum who was elected by its council was automatically designated as the city mayor of Warsaw, in spite of representing only a fraction of the population of the city. The city was becoming increasingly unmanageable, especially after the administrative reform of Poland in 1999 which further complicated the local government structure of Warsaw. In 2002, the new ''Warsaw Act'' of the Polish parliament restored Warsaw as a single urban gmina with the status of a city with powiat rights, led by a unified local government. At the same time, a significant reform was implemented in all Polish municipal governments, introducing direct elections of the wójt/town mayor/city mayor in all Polish gminas. The first city mayor of Warsaw elected according to these rules was Lech Kaczyński, who however resigned ahead of term when he was elected President of Polish Republic in 2005. Warsaw has thereafter remained an
urban gmina The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 4 ...
with the status of a city with powiat rights. Legislative power in Warsaw is vested in a unicameral Warsaw City Council (''Rada Miasta''), which comprises 60 members. Council members are elected directly every five years (since
2018 election The following elections are scheduled to occur in 2018. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. Africa *2018 Djiboutian parliamentary election 23 February 2018 *2018 Sierra Leonean general elect ...
). Like most legislative bodies, the city council divides itself into committees which have the oversight of various functions of the city government. The city mayor exercises the executive power in the city, being the superior of all unelected municipal- or county-level officials and other employees and supervising all subsidiary entities of the city. The incumbent city mayor of Warsaw is Rafał Trzaskowski. The ''Warsaw Act'' imposes a mandatory division into 18 auxiliary units called ''dzielnica'' (district) on the city. In spite of remaining an integral part of the city as an entity, the districts have a degree of autonomy legally guaranteed through a form of an own local self-government exercising some powers devolved by law from the city. They have the duty to assist the city mayor and the City Council in their tasks, such as supervising some municipal companies, city-owned property or schools. Each of the 18 city districts has an own council (''rada dzielnicy'') which elects an executive board (''zarząd dzielnicy'') headed by a district mayor (''burmistrz dzielnicy''), the latter elected by the council among several candidates nominated by the city mayor of Warsaw among the council's members. File:Pałac Prezydencki w Warszawie korpus główny 2019.jpg, The Presidential Palace, official seat of the President File:Belweder (2).JPG,
Belweder Palace Belweder (; from the Italian ''belvedere'', "beautiful view") is a neoclassical palace in Warsaw, Poland. Erected in 1660 and remodelled in the early 1800s, it is one of several official residences used by Polish presidents as well as a state ...
, residential seat of the President File:Gmach Kancelarii Prezesa Rady Ministrów kwiecień 2017.jpg, Chancellery of the Prime Minister File:Sejm RP.jpg, Poland's bicameral parliament, the Sejm and the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
File:Warszawa 9471.jpg, Supreme Court of Poland File:Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny w Warszawie 2020.jpg, Supreme Administrative Court File:Pałac Ministra Skarbu w Warszawie 2018.jpg, The seat of the administration of the Masovian Voivodeship File:Pałac Mostowskich w Warszawie 05.JPG, Mostowski Palace, the seat of Warsaw's police headquarters File:Warszawa, ul. Miodowa 15 20170518 002.jpg, The main gate of the Ministry of Health (Poland), Ministry of Health File:Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi Wspolna.jpg, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland), Ministry of Agriculture File:Gmach Ministerstwa Finansów w Warszawie 2017.jpg, Ministry of Finance (Poland), Ministry of Finance File:Pałac Potockich w Warszawie 2021.jpg, Gates of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Poland), Ministry of Culture and National Heritage housed in Potocki Palace, Warsaw, Potocki Palace


Districts

As a result, Warsaw has thereafter continued as an
urban gmina The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 4 ...
holding status of a city with powiat rights, divided into 18 districts (''dzielnica''), auxiliary municipal units established within the city as an entity as its integral parts, though with some limited powers devolved from the city to their own local self-governments. Each of the districts is customarily subdivided into several neighbourhoods lacking any meaningful legal or administrative powers. The central district of Śródmieście includes the two founding neighbourhoods of the city, called the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
(''Stare Miasto'') and the
New Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
(''Nowe Miasto''). File:Plac Konstytucji Warsaw 2022 aerial.jpg, Śródmieście, the central district of Warsaw, houses the most important state and municipal institutions and most tourist attractions. File:Fabryka Norblina 2022.jpg, Wola, once an industrial district, is now becoming the business center of the capital. The photo shows the revitalized Norblin Factory. File:Fieldorfa Street Wasaw aerial 2023.jpg, Praga-Południe, the most densely populated district of Warsaw (8,839 people/km2), is composed mainly of apartment blocks built during the times of the Polish People's Republic. File:Plac Narutowicza Warsaw 2023 skyline aerial.jpg,
Ochota Ochota () is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration. The biggest housing estates of Ochota are: * Kolonia Lubeckiego * Kolonia Staszica * Filtry * Rakowiec * Szosa Krakowska ...
, a residential district that developed most intensively in the interwar period. The photo shows Narutowicz Square, the central point of the district. File:Aleja Rzeczypospolitej Warsaw 2022 aerial.jpg, Wilanów, the district with the highest rate of natural increase (7.2/1000 inhabitants).


Economy

Warsaw is the leading economic and financial hub of the Visegrád Group and the Three Seas Initiative. In 2021, the city's gross metropolitan product (GDP) was estimated at €100 billion, which places Warsaw List of EU metropolitan areas by GDP, 20th among the metropolitan areas in the European Union with largest GDP. Warsaw generates almost 1/5 of the Economy of Poland, Polish GDP and the country's national income. In 2020, Warsaw was classified as a global city, because Warsaw is a major global city that links economic regions into the world economy. Warsaw's city centre ( Śródmieście) and commercial Wola district are home not only to many national institutions and government agencies, but also to many domestic and international companies. Warsaw's ever-growing business community has been noticed globally, regionally, and nationally. In 2019 Warsaw was one of the top destinations for foreign investors in Europe. The average monthly gross salary in the enterprise sector in the last quarter of 2022 amounted to 8,104 Polish złoty, PLN and was 404 Polish złoty, PLN higher than the average in the Masovian Voivodeship and as much as 1,450 Polish złoty, PLN higher than in Poland. The highest gross salary was received by employees working in the information and communication section (11,701.47 Polish złoty, PLN). There are 525,475 registered business entities in Warsaw, most of them in the districts of Śródmieście, Mokotów, Wola and Praga-Południe, 1.1 million people work in the enterprise sector. Warsaw has a well-developed office base, the office space is 6.27 million m2. The largest office buildings are Varso (63,800 m2), Warsaw Spire (60 000 m2), Forest Tower (51,500 m2) and P180 (32,000 m2), the largest projects under construction are The Bridge (Warsaw), The Bridge (47,000 m2) and Skyliner (Warsaw), Skyliner II (38,000 m2). The space resources of shopping centers in the Warsaw agglomeration in amount to over 1.7 million m2. In October 2019 Warsaw's unemployment rate was 1.3%, the lowest in the country. Shopping and consumerism is an important component of Warsaw's economy. The retail streets in Warsaw are New World Street (''Nowy Świat'') along with Krakowskie Przedmieście. These streets and their neighboring areas host many luxury stores and popular restaurants. However, most retailers choose to operate in the central shopping centres and Shopping mall, malls such as Złote Tarasy, Złote Tarasy-Golden Terraces, Galeria Mokotów and Westfield Arkadia. Luxury goods as well as designer labels can be found in the Vitkac Department Store and around Frascati, Warsaw, Frascati.


Warsaw Stock Exchange

Warsaw's first stock exchange was established in 1817 and continued trading until World War II. It was re-established in April 1991, following the end of a communist planned economy and the reintroduction of a free market, free-market economy. Today, the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) is, according to many indicators, the largest market in the region, with 433 companies listed and total capitalisation of 1 trillion Polish złoty, PLN as of 26 November 2020. From 1991 until 2000, the stock exchange was, ironically, located in the building previously used as the headquarters of the communist Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR).


Industry

The most prominent industries and industrial sectors include high-tech, electrotechnical, chemical, cosmetic, construction, food processing, printing, metallurgy, machinery and clothing. The majority of production plants and facilities are concentrated within the WOP Warsaw Industrial Precinct (''Warszawski Okręg Przemysłowy'') which is situated around the city's peripheral localities such as Praga, Pruszków, Sochaczew, Piaseczno, Marki and Żyrardów. Warsaw has developed a particularly strong Retail, retail market/sector, representing around 13% of the total retail stock in the country. Following World War II, the authorities decided that the city will be transformed into a major centre for heavy industry and manufacturing. As a result, numerous large factories and production facilities were built in and around the city. Among the largest were ''Huta Warszawa'' steel works, now ArcelorMittal, arcelor), the Ursus SA, and the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) car factory. The now-defunct FSO, established in 1951, was once Warsaw's most successful corporation. Notable vehicles assembled there over the decades include the FSO Warszawa, FSO Syrena, Polski Fiat 125p and the FSO Polonez. In 1995, the factory was purchased by the South Korean car manufacturer Daewoo, which assembled its models in Warsaw for the European market.


Tourism

The estimated number of tourist arrivals to Warsaw in 2022 was over 9 million. Most tourists came from the United Kingdom (347,000), Germany (321,000), the United States (206,000) and France (145,000). Additionally, Warsaw was visited by 5.8 million one-day tourists, giving a total of over 14.8 million tourists in 2022. The above data does not include Ukrainians, Ukrainian citizens who came to Warsaw in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The accommodation base consists of 1,010 hotels offering over 56,000 beds. The estimated contribution of the tourism economy to Warsaw's GDP is 12.9 billion PLN, and the tourism industry employs 87,703 people. 144,220 people used Warsaw Tourist Lines in 2022 - almost 14,000 more than previous year. In the summer, Warsaw residents and tourists could use ferries across the Vistula, a ship to Serock, bus and tram lines operated with historic rolling stock, and a narrow-gauge railway. The most popular attraction among tourists was the Palace on the Isle, Royal Łazienki Museum, which was visited by 5,265,110 tourists. Warsaw is an important center for conferences and congresses. The Warsaw Convention Bureau collected information on 9,000 events in 2022, which gathered a total of 1,240,467 participants in Warsaw.


Media and film

Warsaw is the media centre of Poland, and the location of the main headquarters of Telewizja Polska, TVP and other numerous local and national TV and radio broadcasting, radio stations, such as Polskie Radio (Polish Radio), TVN (Poland), TVN, Polsat, TV4 (Poland), TV4, TV Puls, Canal+ Poland, Cyfra+ and MTV Poland. Warsaw also has a sizable movie and television industry. The city houses several movie companies and movie studio, studios. Since May 1661 the first Polish newspaper, the ''Merkuriusz Polski Ordynaryjny, Polish Ordinary Mercury'', was printed in Warsaw. The city is also the printing capital of Poland with a wide variety of domestic and foreign periodicals expressing diverse views, and domestic newspapers are extremely competitive. ''Rzeczpospolita (newspaper), Rzeczpospolita'', and ''Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat'', Poland's large nationwide daily newspapers, have their headquarters in Warsaw. Since World War II, Warsaw has been the most important centre of film production in Poland. Among the movie companies are TOR, Czołówka, Zebra and KADR (studio), Kadr which is behind several international movie productions. The city itself has featured in numerous movies, both Polish and foreign, for example: Kanał (film), ''Kanał'' and ''Korczak (film), Korczak'' by Andrzej Wajda and ''The Decalogue (film), The Decalogue'' by Krzysztof Kieślowski, also including Academy Award, Oscar winner The Pianist (2002 film), ''The Pianist'' by Roman Polanski, Roman Polański. It is also home to the National Film Archive, which, since 1955, has been collecting and preserving Polish film culture.


Education

Warsaw holds some of the finest institutions of higher education in Poland. It is home to four major universities and over 62 smaller schools of higher education. The overall number of students of all grades of education in Warsaw is almost 500,000 (29.2% of the city population; 2002). The number of university students is over 280,000. Most of the reputable universities are public, but in recent years there has also been an upsurge in the number of private universities. The University of Warsaw was established in 1816, when the partitions of Poland separated Warsaw from the oldest and most influential Polish academic center, in Kraków. The university is the largest in the country, and often regarded as one of the most prestigious, with international recognition in mathematics and science. Warsaw University of Technology is the second academic school of technology in the country, and one of the largest in East-Central Europe. Other institutions for higher education include the Medical University of Warsaw, the largest medical school in Poland and one of the most prestigious; the Defense (military), National Defence University, the highest military academic institution in Poland; the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, the oldest and largest music school in Poland and one of the largest in Europe; the Warsaw School of Economics, the oldest and most renowned economic university in the country; the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the largest agricultural university, founded in 1818; and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the first private secular university in the country. Warsaw has numerous libraries, many of which contain vast collections of historic documents. The most important library in terms of historic document collections is the National Library of Poland. The library holds 8.2 million volumes in its collection. Formed in 1928, it sees itself as a successor to the Załuski Library, the biggest in Poland and one of the first and biggest libraries in the world. Another important library – the University Library, founded in 1816, is home to over two million items. The building was designed by architects Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski and opened on 15 December 1999. It is surrounded by green. The University Library garden, designed by Irena Bajerska, was opened on 12 June 2002. It is one of the largest roof gardens in Europe with an area of more than , and plants covering . As the university garden it is open to the public every day. File:Gmach Główny Politechniki Warszawskiej 2018.jpg, Warsaw University of Technology main building File:Pałac Czapskich w Warszawie 2021.jpg, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Academy of Fine Arts File:Akademia Sztuki Wojennej.jpg, War Studies Academy File:Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie 2018.jpg,
Warsaw University Library The University of Warsaw Library ( pl, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, BUW) is a library of the University of Warsaw, Poland. History The library was founded in 1816 as a direct consequence of establishing The Royal Warsaw University. S ...
File:Akademia Teatralna im. Aleksandra Zelwerowicza w Warszawie 2017.jpg, Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art, National Academy of Dramatic Art File:SGH Warsaw 2023 aerial.jpg, Warsaw School of Economics Campus File:Budynek łazienek Teodozji Majewskiej 2020.jpg, Faculty of Journalism, University of Warsaw


Transport

Warsaw is a considerable transport hub linking Western Europe, Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The city has a good Bus transport in Warsaw, network of buses and a continuously expanding perpendicular
metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
running north to south and east to west. The Trams in Warsaw, tram system is one of the biggest in Europe, with a total length of . As a result of increased foreign investment, economic growth and EU funding, the city has undertaken the construction of new roads, Overpass, flyovers and bridges. The supervising body is the City Roads Authority (ZDM – ''Zarząd Dróg Miejskich''). The table presents statistics on public transport in Warsaw. Warsaw lacks a complete ring road system and most traffic goes directly through the city centre, leading to the eleventh highest level of congestion in Europe. The Warsaw ring road has been planned to consist of four Expressways of Poland, express roads: Expressway S2 (Poland), S2 (south), Expressway S8 (Poland), S8 (north-west) and Expressway S17 (Poland), S17 (east). S8, S2 and a small 3 km section of S17 are open. Additionally, the S2 and S8 have a Concurrency (road), concurrency with the Expressway S7 (Poland), S7 and the S2 has a short concurrency with the S8. A second ring road consisting of the A50 autostrada (Poland), A50 motorway (south) and Expressway S50 (Poland), S50 expressway (north) is also planned but it is unknown when construction will start. The A2 autostrada (Poland), A2 motorway opened in June 2012, stretches west from Warsaw and is a direct motorway connection with Łódź, Poznań and ultimately with Berlin. The city has two international airports: Warsaw Chopin Airport, located just from the city centre, and Modlin Airport, Warsaw-Modlin Airport, located to the north, opened in July 2012. With around 100 international and domestic flights a day and with 7,440,056 passengers served in 2021, and it has also been called "the most important and largest airport in Central Europe". Public transport also extends to light rail Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa line, urban railway Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw), Szybka Kolej Miejska, regional rail Koleje Mazowieckie (Mazovian Railways), and bicycle sharing systems (Veturilo). The buses, trams, urban railway and Metro are managed by the Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego w Warszawie, Public Transport Authority and are collectively known as Warsaw Public Transport. Long distance and intercity trains are operated by Polish State Railways (PKP). There are also some suburban bus lines run by private operators. Bus transport in Warsaw, Bus service covers the entire city, with approximately 256 routes totalling above , and with some 1,700 vehicles. The first section of the Warsaw Metro was opened in 1995 initially with a total of 11 stations. As of 2024, it has 39 stations running a distance of approximately . The main railway station is Warszawa Centralna railway station, Warszawa Centralna serving both domestic traffic to almost every major city in Poland, and international connections. There are also five other major railway stations and a number of smaller suburban stations. File:C12 Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet - peron, Otwarcie M2, 2015-03-08.jpg, Warsaw Metro, Metro Line 2, Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet metro station, Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet station File:MANLion'sCityCNG 7204.jpg, Bus transport in Warsaw, Bus File:Pesa 128N "Jazz-Duo", -3607, Tramwaje Warszawskie (32852697973).jpg, Trams in Warsaw, Tram car File:ED250-010.jpg, Pendolino high-speed rail, high-speed trains at Warszawa Centralna File:27WE-007.jpg, Fast Urban Railway (Warsaw), Fast Urban Railway at Warsaw Chopin Airport railway station, Chopin Airport station File:PESA Sundeck & Bombardier, Koleje Mazowieckie (26575134031).jpg, Masovian Railways, Koleje Mazowieckie trains at Warszawa Wschodnia railway station, Warszawa Wschodnia File:Stacja Veturilo Kopernika-Oboźna 2023.jpg, Veturilo bicycle rack at Oboźna Street File:C12 N 18.jpg, Entrance to the metro station


Culture


Music and theatre

Thanks to numerous musical venues, including the Great Theatre, Warsaw, ''Teatr Wielki'', the Polish National Opera, the Chamber opera, Chamber Opera, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Hall and the National Theatre, Warsaw, National Theatre, as well as the Roma and Buffo music theatres and the Congress Hall (Warsaw), Congress Hall in the
Palace of Culture and Science A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
, Warsaw hosts many events and festivals. Among the events worth particular attention are: the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition, the International Contemporary Music Festival Warsaw Autumn, the Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the Mozart Festival, and the Festival of Old Music. Warsaw is also considered one of the European hubs of underground electronic music with a very attractive house and techno music scene. Warsaw is home to over 30 major theatres spread throughout the city, including the National Theatre, Warsaw, National Theatre (founded in 1765) and the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, Grand Theatre (established 1778). Warsaw also attracts many young and off-stream directors and performers who add to the city's theatrical culture. Their productions may be viewed mostly in smaller theatres and ''Houses of Culture'' (''Domy Kultury''), mostly outside '' Śródmieście'' (Central Warsaw). Warsaw hosts the International Theatrical Meetings. From 1833 to the outbreak of World War II, Plac Teatralny ''(Theatre Square (Warsaw), Theatre Square)'' was the country's cultural hub and home to the various theatres. Plac Teatralny and its environs was the venue for numerous parades, celebrations of state holidays, carnival balls and concerts. The main building housed the Great Theatre, Warsaw, Great Theatre from 1833 to 1834, the Rozmaitości Theatre from 1836 to 1924 and then the National Theatre, the Reduta Theatre from 1919 to 1924, and from 1928 to 1939the Nowy Theatre, which staged productions of contemporary poetical drama, including those directed by Leon Schiller. Nearby, in Ogród Saski (the Saxon Garden), the Summer Theatre was in operation from 1870 to 1939, and in the interwar period, inter-war period, the theatre complex also included Momus, Warsaw's first literary cabaret, and Leon Schiller's musical theatre Melodram. The Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre (1922–26) was the best example of "Polish monumental theatre". From the mid-1930s, the Great Theatre building housed the Upati Institute of Dramatic Artsthe first state-run academy of dramatic art, with an acting department and a stage directing department.


Museums and art galleries

There are over 60 museums and galleries in Warsaw which are accessible to the public. Among the positions are the world's first Poster Museum, Wilanów, Museum of Posters boasting one of the largest collections of art posters in the world, and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Among the most prestigious ones are the
National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
with a collection of works whose origin ranges in time from antiquity until the present epoch as well as one of the best collections of paintings in the country including some paintings from Adolf Hitler's private collection, and the Polish Army Museum, Museum of the Polish Army whose set portrays the history of arms. The collections of Łazienki Palace, Łazienki and Wilanów palaces focus on the paintings of the "old masters", as do those of the Royal Castle which displays the Palais Lanckoroński#Lanckoroński Collection, Lanckoroński Collection including two paintings by Rembrandt. The Palace in Natolin, a former rural residence of Duke Czartoryski family, Czartoryski, is another venue with its interiors and park accessible to tourists. The famous Copernicus Science Centre is an interactive science museum containing over 450 exhibits, enabling visitors to carry out experiments and discover the laws of science for themselves. Warsaw does not have a natural history museum. Yet, it hosts small museums of Museum of Evolution of Polish Academy of Sciences, Evolution and Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Earth, which play a similar role. Holding Poland's largest private collection of art, the Museum of John Paul II Collection, Carroll Porczyński Collection Museum displays works from such varied artists as Paris Bordone, Cornelis van Haarlem, José de Ribera, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Vincent van Gogh along with some copies of masterpieces of European painting. A fine tribute to the fall of Warsaw and history of Poland can be found in the Warsaw Uprising Museum and in the Katyn massacre, Katyń Museum which preserves the memory of that crime. The Warsaw Uprising Museum also operates a rare preserved and operating historic stereoscopic theatre, the Warsaw Fotoplastikon. The Museum of Independence preserves patriotic and political objects connected with Poland's struggles for independence. Dating back to 1936 the Museum of Warsaw, Warsaw Historical Museum contains 60 rooms which host a permanent exhibition of the history of Warsaw from its origins until today. The 17th century Royal Ujazdów Castle houses the Centre for Contemporary Art, with some permanent and temporary exhibitions, concerts, shows and creative workshops. The Centre realizes about 500 projects a year. The Zachęta National Gallery of Art, the oldest exhibition site in Warsaw, with a tradition stretching back to the mid-19th century organises exhibitions of modern art by Polish and International Artists and promotes art in many other ways. Since 2011, Warsaw Gallery Weekend is held on the last weekend of September. 28 September 2023 the opening of the new building of the Museum of Polish History located at the Warsaw Citadel took place. The city also possesses some oddities such as the Neon Museum, Warsaw, Neon Museum, the Museum of Caricature, Warsaw, Museum of Caricature, the Museum of John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński, the Legia Warsaw Museum, and a Motorisation Museum in Otrębusy. File:Zachęta - budynek.jpg, Zachęta National Gallery of Art File:Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego 2023.jpg, Warsaw Rising Museum File:Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie - panoramio - Mister No.jpg, Warsaw National Museum File:MHP (drone view) (3).jpg, Museum of Polish History File:2022 Warszawa flagi Ukrainy i Polski, Muzeum Polin, 5.jpg, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews opened in 2013 File:Zamek Ostrogskich w Warszawie 2022.jpg, The 17th-century Ostrogski Palace, Ostrogski Castle houses the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, Chopin Museum. File:Kamienica Łyszkiewicza w Warszawie 2020.jpg, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum, Marie Curie Museum, housed in the tenement house where she was born File:Muzeum Kopernika - panoramio.jpg, Copernicus Science Centre, planetarium


Cuisine and food

Warsaw's culinary tradition was shaped by its once multicultural population; its cuisine is distinct from that of other cities and towns in Poland. Strong Jewish cuisine, Jewish and French cuisine, French influences were cultivated over the years, in particular herring, consommé, bagels, aspic and French meringue-based pastries or cakes. Traditional Varsovian food is hearty and includes a tripe soup for entrée, a Pyzy (dish), pyza dumpling for main and the iconic wuzetka (voo-zetka) chocolate cream pie for dessert. Crayfish and Aspic, fish in gelatin were the classical dishes in Warsaw's restaurants throughout the 1920s and the 1930s. Much like Paris or Vienna, Warsaw once possessed a prominent Parisian café, café culture which dated back to the early 18th century, and the city's cafeterias were a place for socializing. The historic E. Wedel, Wedel Chocolate Lounge on Szpitalna Street remains one of the most renowned spots for social gatherings. Cafeterias, confectioneries and patisseries such as Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee and Starbucks are predominantly found along the Royal Route on New World Street. Thousands of Warsaw's residents also flock annually to the pastry workshops (''pączkarnia'') to buy pączki doughnuts on Fat Thursday. Restaurants offering authentic Polish cuisine are concentrated around the Old Town district. Various spit cakes of Czech Republic, Czech or Hungary, Hungarian origin (kürtőskalács and trdelník) are also sold primarily in the Old Town. Hala Koszyki is a popular meeting place in Warsaw noted for its food hall. In the 20th century, Warsaw was famed for its state-owned milk bars (''bar mleczny'') which offered cheap fast food in the form of home dinners. Examples of dishes popularized by these canteens include tomato soup, schnitzels, frikadeller, mizeria, mizeria salad and many others. Contemporary fast food giants like McDonald's, KFC, Subway (restaurant), Subway and Burger King are the successors to milk bars, though some reemerged in recent years due to widespread nostalgia. Gourmet and haute cuisine establishments are situated in the vicinity of the downtown area or in the Frascati, Warsaw, Frascati neighbourhood. Thirteen Varsovian restaurants were appreciated by the Michelin Guide, with two receiving a michelin star in 2019. In 2021, National Geographic named Warsaw one of the top cities for Veganism, vegans in Europe. Śródmieście Południowe (Southern Downtown) and its "hipster food culture" was singled out as the epicenter.


Events

Several commemorative events take place every year, notably the Orange Warsaw Festival featuring music concerts. One of the more popular events is the procession of the Biblical Magi, Three Wise Men (in Polish known as the Three Kings) on Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany, shortly after the New Year. Paper crowns are usually worn by spectators throughout the day. The event, which runs along the Royal Route, is attended by Warsaw's highest officials and by the Polish president who resides nearby. Gatherings of thousands of people on the banks of the Vistula on Midsummer's Night for a festival called Wianki (Polish for ''Wreaths'') have also become a tradition and a yearly event in the programme of cultural events in Warsaw. The festival traces its roots to a peaceful paganism, pagan ritual where maidens would float their wreaths of herbs on the water to predict when they would be married, and to whom. By the 19th century this tradition had become a festive event, and it continues today. The city council organize concerts and other events. Each Midsummer's Eve, apart from the official floating of wreaths, jumping over fires, and looking for the fern flower, there are musical performances, dignitaries' speeches, fairs and fireworks by the river bank. Warsaw Multimedia Fountain Park is located in an enchanting place, near the Old Town and the Vistula. The 'Water – Light – Sound' multimedia shows take place each Friday and Saturday from May until September at 9.30 pm (May and – 9 October pm). On other weekdays, the shows do not include lasers and sound. The Warsaw Film Festival, Warsaw Film festival, an annual festival that takes place every October. Films are usually screened in their original language with Polish subtitles and participating cinemas include Kinoteka (Palace of Science and Culture), Multikino at Golden Terraces and Kultura. Over 100 films are shown throughout the festival, and awards are given to the best and most popular films.


Warsaw Mermaid

The mermaid (''syrenka'') is Warsaw's symbol and can be found on statues throughout the city and on Coat of arms of Warsaw, the city's coat of arms. This imagery has been in use since at least the mid-14th century. The oldest existing armed seal of Warsaw is from the year 1390, consisting of a round seal bordered with the Latin inscription ''Sigilium Civitatis Varsoviensis'' (Seal of the city of Warsaw). City records as far back as 1609 document the use of a crude form of a sea monster with a female upper body and holding a sword in its claws. In 1653 the poet Zygmunt Laukowski asks the question: The Mermaid Statue stands in the very centre of Old Town Square, surrounded by a fountain. Due to vandalism, the original statue had been moved to the grounds of the Museum of Warsaw – the statue in the square is a copy. This is not the only mermaid in Warsaw. Another is located on the bank of the Vistula River near Świętokrzyski Bridge and another on Karowa Street. The origin of the legendary figure is not fully known. The best-known legend, by Artur Oppman, is that long ago two of Triton (mythology), Triton's daughters set out on a journey through the depths of the oceans and seas. One of them decided to stay on the coast of Denmark and can be seen sitting at the entrance to the port of Copenhagen. The second mermaid reached the mouth of the Vistula River and plunged into its waters. She stopped to rest on a sandy beach by the village of Warszowa, where fishermen came to admire her beauty and listen to her beautiful voice. A greedy merchant also heard her songs; he followed the fishermen and captured the mermaid. Another legend says that a mermaid once swam to Warsaw from the Baltic Sea for the love of the Griffin, the ancient defender of the city, who was killed in a struggle against the Deluge (history), Swedish invasions of the 17th century. The mermaid, wishing to avenge his death, took the position of defender of Warsaw, becoming the symbol of the city. Every member of the Queen's Royal Hussars of the UK's light cavalry wears the ''Maid of Warsaw'', the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress. Members of No. 651 Squadron RAF, 651 Squadron Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom also wear the ''Maid of Warsaw'' on the left sleeve of their No. 2 (Service) Dress.


Sports

On 9 April 2008, the Mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, obtained from the mayor of Stuttgart Wolfgang Schuster a challenge award – a commemorative plaque awarded to Warsaw as the European capital of Sport in 2008. The Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, a 58,580-seat-capacity football (soccer) stadium, replaced Warsaw's recently demolished 10th-Anniversary Stadium. The National Stadium hosted the opening match, two group matches, a quarter-final, and a semi-final of UEFA Euro 2012. There are many sports centres in the city as well. Most of these facilities are swimming pools and sports halls, many of them built by the municipality in the past several years. The main indoor venue is Torwar Hall, Hala Torwar, used for a variety of indoor sports (it was a venue for the 2009 EuroBasket but it is also used as an indoor skating rink). There is also an open-air skating rink (Stegny) and a horse racetrack (Służewiec). The best of the city's swimming centres is at Wodny Park Warszawianka, south of the centre at Merliniego Street, where there's an Olympic-sized pool as well as water slides and children's areas. From the Warsovian football teams, the most famous is
Legia Warsaw Legia Warszawa (), commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning record 15 Ekstraklasa champions titles, a ...
 – the army club with a nationwide following play at the Polish Army Stadium, just southeast of the centre at Łazienkowska Street. Established in 1916, they have won the Ekstraklasa, country's championship fifteen times (most recently in 2021) and won the Polish Cup nineteen times. In the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League season, they reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Greek club Panathinaikos F.C., Panathinaikos. Their local rivals, Polonia Warsaw, have significantly fewer supporters, yet they managed to win the country's championship two times (in 1946 and 2000) and won the cup twice as well. Polonia's home venue is located at Konwiktorska Street, a ten-minute walk north from the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
. Polonia was relegated from the country's top flight in 2013 because of their disastrous financial situation. They are now playing in the first league (2nd tier in Poland). Legia Warszawa (basketball), Legia Warsaw's basketball team was one of the country's best teams in 50s and 60s. They are now participating in Polish Basketball League, PLK, the highest-tier level of the Polish basketball.


Famous people

One of the most famous people born in Warsaw was Marie Curie, Maria Skłodowska-Curie, who achieved international recognition for her research on radioactivity and was the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize. Famous musicians include Władysław Szpilman,
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
and Witold Lutosławski. Though Chopin was born in the village of Żelazowa Wola, about from Warsaw, he moved to the city with his family when he was seven months old. Casimir Pulaski, a Polish general and hero of the American Revolutionary War, was born here in 1745. Other important people, who lived in Warsaw (although were not born here) are also Rosa Luxemburg and Ludwik Zamenhof. Tamara de Lempicka was a famous artist born in Warsaw. She was born Maria Górska in Warsaw to wealthy parents and in 1916 married a Polish lawyer Tadeusz Łempicki. Better than anyone else she represented the art deco style in painting and art. Another notable artist born in the city was Wojciech Fangor. He was associated with Op art and Color field movements and recognized as a key figure in the history of Polish postwar abstract art. Nathan Alterman, the Israeli poet, was born in Warsaw, as was Moshe Vilenski, the Israeli composer, lyricist, and pianist, who studied music at the Warsaw Conservatory. Russia, Russian Jewish poet and essayist Osip Mandelstam, one of the foremost members of the Acmeist poetry, Acmeist school of poetry was born in Warsaw while it was part of the Russian Empire. Other notables include Samuel Goldwyn, the founder of Goldwyn Pictures, mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, physicist Joseph Rotblat, biochemist Casimir Funk, and Moshe Prywes, an Israeli physician who was the first President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Warsaw was the beloved city of Isaac Bashevis Singer, which he described in many of his novels: "Warsaw has just now been destroyed. No one will ever see the Warsaw I knew. Let me just write about it. Let this Warsaw not disappear forever", he wrote. Notable sportspeople born in Warsaw include footballer Robert Lewandowski and tennis player Iga Świątek.


International relations


Twin towns and sister cities

Warsaw is Sister city, twinned with: * Astana, Kazakhstan (2002) * Berlin, Germany (1991) * Chicago, United States (1960) * Düsseldorf, Germany (1989) * Hanoi, Vietnam (2000) * Kyiv, Ukraine (1994) * Riga, Latvia (2002) * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997) * Seoul, South Korea (1996) * Taipei, Taiwan (1995) * Tel Aviv, Israel (1992) * Vilnius, Lithuania (1998) Former twin towns: * Grozny, Russia (1997–2022) * Moscow, Russia (1993–2022)


Partnership and friendship

Warsaw also cooperates with: * Budapest, Hungary (2005) * Buenos Aires, Argentina (1992) * Coventry, United Kingdom (1957) * The Hague, Netherlands (1991) * Hamamatsu, Japan (1990) * Harbin, China (1993) * Île-de-France, France (1990) * Istanbul, Turkey (1991) * Madrid, Spain (1981) * Manila, Philippines (2006) * Oslo, Norway (2006) * Paris, France (1999) * Saint-Étienne, France (1995) * Toronto, Canada (1990) * Vienna, Austria (1991) * Yerevan, Armenia (2013) Former partner cities: * Saint Petersburg, Russia (1997–2022)


See also

* C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group * Destruction of Warsaw * Architecture of Warsaw *
Legia Warsaw Legia Warszawa (), commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning record 15 Ekstraklasa champions titles, a ...
* List of tallest buildings in Warsaw * List of honorary citizens of Warsaw * Street names of Warsaw * Tourism in Poland * Various Battle of Warsaw (disambiguation), battles of Warsaw * Various Treaty of Warsaw (disambiguation), treaties of Warsaw * Warsaw concentration camp * Warsaw subdialect * Warsaw Fire Guard


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *
Official webpage of Warsaw
includes 360° panoramas of th


District Police Headquarters – Warsaw II
(part of Warsaw Metropolitan Police)
Warsaw Guide.
Online City Guide for Warsaw in Poland. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
What to do and see in Warsaw


Further reading


External links

* * {{Authority control Warsaw, Populated places established in the 13th century Capitals in Europe Cities and towns in Masovian Voivodeship City counties of Poland Holocaust locations in Poland Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari World Heritage Sites in Poland