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Śródmieście

Śródmieście is the main area of interest for visitors to Warsaw as it includes the central business district, the fashionable shopping of Nowy Swiat, the Old Town and much of the Royal Route. The central business district, commonly known as Centrum, is a rushing hive of activity that shows the eruption of modernity in Warsaw in recent decades. Amid the skyscrapers you can still find history, and the best place to see it all is at the viewing terrace at the top of the Palace of Culture. From there you can see a birds-eye view of the city in its rushing madness below. Marszalkowska Street, built in 1757, meets Jerozolimskie, at what could be called Poland's main crossroads. From there, the opera, theaters, shops and restaurants can all be reached by hopping on one of the many red and yellow trams that criss-cross the busy downtown boulevards. Further to the north, you will find Old Town (Stare Miasto) along the banks of the Vistula River. There you can experience the Warsaw of medieval times as you stroll within the walled city reconstructed according to historical records following its complete destruction in the Second World War. Leading up to the Old Town is the Royal Route, a beautiful stretch of wide avenue lined with villas and the high-end boutiques of Nowy Swiat marking the road the king used to travel to his summer palace in Lazienki Royal Park. Nowadays this park is not only incorporated into the city, but is a favorite spot in Warsaw for residents and tourists alike, as well as a glorious place to spend an entire day.