Warsaw - what to see and visit | PolishTrains

At a glance

• Kampinos National Park, established in 1959, contains the best-preserved inland dune complex in Europe
• The park is home to elk and numerous marshes within easy reach of Warsaw
• Trails into Kampinos Forest begin directly at Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki train station
• The WKD Railway Museum in Grodzisk Mazowiecki suits families with a Water Playground nearby
• Warsaw to Warka by train takes approximately one hour, ideal for a countryside day trip
• Most short regional routes from Warsaw do not require advance seat reservations

A walk in the Kampinos Forest

Want a break from the hustle and bustle of the city? Hop on a train and head to the Kampinos Forest. This unique forest complex is located practically on the border of the city. You can easily get here by public transport or by train from the station Warszawa Wschodnia, getting off at the station in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki. The first trails leading into the forest thicket start at the station.

What is worth knowing about the Kampinos Primeval Forest? The area was protected as the Kampinos National Park in 1959, with the aim of protecting a fragment of the Vistula proglacial valley. The trademark of KPN are the dunes, specifically the best preserved inland dune complex in the whole of Europe. In the park, we can also admire the numerous marshes that are home to the Kampinos elk. If you're lucky, you might be able to see them.

While strolling through the forest, it is worth visiting the historic wooden villa - the seat of the forest inspector. Inside there is a small exhibition of the Kampinos National Park Museum, and right next to it is a viewing platform offering beautiful views of the Kampinos. You can explore the park on foot, by bike or on horseback. It is also a real paradise for cross-country skiing enthusiasts. The forest has as many as 12 resting glades where you can have a picnic with friends. Ready for

Warka - by train for a beer!

The train ride from Warsaw to Warka takes less than an hour. The town is famous for its popular beer production. The town's brewing traditions date back to medieval times. A tour of the brewery with a compulsory tasting is a must-see.

It is worth combining a beer outing with a stroll through Warka's historic centre. Noteworthy are the market square with a classicist town hall and a 17th-century palace housing the Casimir Pulaski Museum. The exhibition presents the history of famous owners and Poles of merit to the history of Poland and the United States. **We disembark from the train at Warka railway station.**An alternative to sightseeing can be canoeing down the Pilica River. The river meanders gently between fields and numerous forests. Depending on your time and skills, you can opt for a shorter stretch or embark on a two-day rafting trip with an overnight stay at a water station. There are numerous beaches and bathing areas along the river shore. Looking for an idea for a summer weekend? Indulge in sweet laziness by the water!

Not many people realise that Warka, apart from beer, is also famous for its apples and centuries-old orchard traditions. You can decide to take a bicycle tour of the local crops or drop in at one of the establishments on the Warka Apple Trail. On the menu, you will find such items as borscht made from Grójec apples, apples in pastry, confited duck thigh, bigos with apples and much, much more.

Ethnographic Museum and Open Air Museum in Łowicz

The Łowicz region is a small but very interesting region in central Poland. The local folklore and distinctive patterns of Łowicz have become one of the most important export goods of Polish culture in the world. How to get there by train from Warsaw? The best way is to get off at the Łowicz Główny railway station.

The village's attractions include the Ethnographic Museum, open-air museums, the historic centre and...the local cuisine! Be sure to try the cottage cheese dumplings and the traditional white borscht on sourdough.

The Ethnographic Museum in Łowicz tells the history of the region and presents the most important elements of local culture. Particularly worth seeing is the exhibition depicting the famous cut-outs and spiders and the beautiful, colourful folk costumes. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A normal ticket costs 20 zlotys. Right next to the museum, there is a mini-research museum which presents the oldest residential and farm buildings from the area of the former Duchy of Łowicz. Here you will find colourful cottages characteristic of the region. One of them has been painted a demented sapphire colour. As it turns out, there is a practical reason for this. The blue colour makes the house invisible to insects! Łowicz is also a good base for visiting the larger Ethnographic Park in Maurzyce.

Lowicz is not only about ethnography. Would you like to spend time in a quiet and intimate environment? Be sure to visit the Romantic Park in Arkadia. The green area full of charming buildings, ponds and waterfalls was established in the 18th century by Helena Radziwiłłówna, then owner of the nearby Nieborów Palace. The park includes artificial grottos, the Temple of Pride and the Temple of Diana. The walk should be completed with a visit to the Nieborów Palace. The complex is located 6 km from the centre of Łowicz; you can easily get here on your feet or using the city's bicycles.

Grodzisk Mazowiecki. A trip for the whole family!

At the end of our list, we present a suggestion for a family trip by train from Warsaw. Grodzisk Mazowiecki is only 30 km from the centre of the capital city. You can get here by train in just 20 minutes, depending on the connection.

Why should you go here with your children? There are at least a few reasons! There is the WKD Museum, the only museum dedicated to the history of trains which you can reach by train! In the pavilion you can see what a ticket office or ticket punch used to look like. The main attraction of the museum is the rolling stock park, where, in addition to modern machines, you can admire, among other things, engine carriages from the early 20th century. The rolling stock can be toured inside. A great opportunity for a spontaneous photo shoot with the children!

Only a kilometre away, another attraction awaits. It is the Water Playground, one of the most interesting playgrounds for children in Mazovia. The playground is located in a fenced area adjacent to the Wodnik 2000 swimming pool, making it very easy to find. The attraction is free of charge, but has a monitoring system, so children and parents can feel safe. Numerous fountains, paddling pools, pools and slides await the little ones. Adults, meanwhile, can relax on comfortable benches surrounded by greenery.

At the end of the day, take a stroll through the historic city centre. Among the most interesting buildings are the Renaissance St. Anne's Parish Church from 1687, the 18th-century Skarbek Mansion known for its beautiful polychrome paintings and the atmospheric park surrounding the building, and the historic "Foksal" Villa, considered to be the first railway station in Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

What else to see in the Warsaw area?

Warsaw has excellent rail links to the whole country, making it easy to plan trips without a car. All the more so as the Warsaw area abounds in attractive activities. If you love visiting castles, we definitely recommend the castle in Ciechanów and the castle in Nidzica, which is a bit further away but worth the time to get there. Both are described in the article "The most beautiful castles in Poland, which you can reach by train" - link. Mińsk Mazowiecki is another place that may delight you and allow you to spend a nice day off. We particularly recommend the Museum of the Land of Minsk. If you associate "museum" with mentioning dates, names or battles, the one we recommend in Minsk Mazowiecki will certainly surprise you. Here, the stories are presented in an immersion into the everyday life of the locals, and upon entering you feel the atmosphere of the old houses.