If you like travelling, or if you are planning a trip to Poland, you are in the right place. One of the spots that can’t be missed is Warsaw, Poland’s capital. An amazing city with lots of history and that has had a lot of changes in recent years. Get to know its best spots with my Warsaw photography guide
Getting to Warsaw is pretty easy, as close to the capital there is the largest airport in Poland, Warsaw Chopin Airport. A modern international airport, with connections to almost every European city and some overseas destinations. Moreover, it has a direct railway connection to the Central Station of Warsaw, being a very well connected airport, something that is very important to consider when travelling across Europe, as some major cities have their own airport, but with terrible combinations, or very expensive connections. Yet, Warsaw has none of these problems.
When one first gets to Warsaw and gets to the city centre, it is clear that something happened. There is only a small old city and attached to it, lots of modern buildings and some constructions that evoke the times after the WW2. Everyone with a little bit of knowledge about European history knows that Poland was a country that suffered a lot during the 20th century, being invaded more than once. Nowadays only some buildings from this time remain, like the Palace of Science and Culture. However, Polish society is still trying to recover and move on from those difficult times.
However, Warsaw is a welcoming city, not very expensive and an ideal spot to start one’s adventure through Poland. I would recommend at least spending 2 nights there. Although it may not be the most beautiful city in Poland, it has a lot to offer, and after a long flight, it is always nice to have some rest.
One thing that amused me during my stay in Warsaw was that most of the places I wanted to see were easily accessible by foot. I will be listing my favourite photography spots below here. I think that it is a city worth exploring during day and night, where the modern area of the city gets active. These are my top X spots to visit and photograph:
1 Vistula River shore: Sunset
If you travel across Poland, there will be a name that you will hear more than once, Vistula. This river crosses the country and many important cities, being Warsaw one of them. This is my first recommendation in the Warsaw photography guide. The Vistula River is a place where locals meet during summer evenings to grab a beer, chat or play some sports. It is an ideal place to enjoy the sunset, and I especially liked taking photos of the trains crossing the bridges. I specifically went to the Poniatowski Bridge Beach, but most of the areas around the Vistula Bridge will do the trick. Enjoy the gallery of images I took there!
2 Palace of Culture and Science: Night
I will not enter into the ongoing debate of whether if this building should be in Warsaw or not. This building was built after the soviets took the city, and till this day it is the tallest building in Warsaw. Not for a very long time, as there is a building under construction that once it is finished, it will take the honour of being the tallest building in the city.
However, the area around the Palace of Culture and Science has many photographic opportunities. There are lots of trams, cars and colours, making it ideal for the lovers of street photography. I felt a bit outside my comfort zone, as I usually shot landscape. This is the magic of travelling, getting out of the comfort zone and experimenting with new things. A small gallery of the best shots I took that night.
3 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & gardens
This is a historical stop. My content is usually landscapes and beautiful views. However, when I travel I think it is necessary to learn about a country’s history. I am planning on doing a post about Auschwitz, a place that together with Hiroshima, has been one of the most difficult experiences I have ever had.
In Warsaw, we find the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, together with some really beautiful gardens. As its name indicates, it is a grave dedicated to all Polish soldiers killed during the WWI. Guarded by soldiers, it is a spot that almost every tourist visits. If you have been to Warsaw, you will notice I have not mentioned some famous Warsaw spots, like the Chopin Sculpture, the Lazienki Park or the Royal Castle. There are already lots of very good places where one can find this information. Still, I prefer to focus on photographic spots, as this is part of my Poland Photography Guide
I think it is a place worth visiting, where I could get some interesting images, and not very far away from the city centre. Besides, the tomb is in a beautiful park, ideal to relax for a bit.
4 St. Anne’s church bell tower: sunset
This is the last spot of the Warsaw photography guide. I strongly recommend visiting it during your stay in Warsaw if you are looking for some special views. This tower has a viewing platform from where you can enjoy a different view of the city. Located just next to the Castle, it has a 360 degrees view over the city. To get to the top you have to pay (6PLN when I visited) and climb some stairs. It is just the last few meters when the stairs get a little claustrophobic, but it is really worth it to get up there.
There are three main interest points that can be photographed from this tower. The Castle Square, the city skyline, and the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr. Besides, there is nothing that blocks the view of the sunset. It makess a perfect place to get some clean sunset images. I also did a short portrait session, as the views from the top make a very interesting blurred background.
If you only have one or two days at Warsaw, besides the typical tourist attractions, make sure to take some time, and enjoy taking photos at any of the locations listed above. After Warsaw, I continued my trip across Poland, and I will be covering some of them in special posts (Gdansk and Krakow). Hope you enjoyed my Warsaw photography guide. If you want to stay tuned and be the first to know when I release a new photography guide, make sure to follow me on Instagram!
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