Where to stay

Make Srodmiescie your homebase for your Warsaw stay and be close to everything from historic Old Town, the city's main tourist destination, to riverside Powisle. From landmark palaces and cathedrals, to museums, lively bars and restaurants, and great shopping, this vibrant district has it all. For a quieter stay, look for a room in Wilanow, close enough to downtown to sightsee, and home to the historic Wilanow Palace, or "Polish Versailles." Accommodations in Nowe Miasto (New Town) put you front and center at live music shows, close to car-free Freta Street, and near medieval and baroque masterpieces, including St. Kazimierz Church.

Hotels in Mokotow are an excellent match for travelers with a penchant for gourmet dining. Surrounded by foreign embassies and extravagant private villas, the restaurants here are first-rate. Stay west of the Vistula River in village-like Zoliborz, known for its beautiful architecture, including the Warsaw Citadel, lovely eateries, and a fun weekend Breakfast Market. Also on the west side of the water, Powisle is a fun place to stay for its variety of dining and shopping choices. Middle Eastern restaurants and chic bars line Poznanska Street in Srodmiescie, another excellent choice for hotels for foodies.

Across the Vistula River, hotels in the Praga District celebrate this authentic neighborhood's bohemian vibe. Browse on-trend art galleries in Praga Polnoc's pre-World War II buildings, visit the cool Neon Museum in Praga Poludnie, and admire the leafy Saska Kepa area, similar to Williamsburg in New York City. Alternatively, stay along Oleandrow Street in Srodmiescie, for its collection of small, independent art galleries and boutiques brimming with designer homeware.