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For other places with the same name, see Praga (disambiguation).

Praga is the central and historic core of right bank Warsaw.

Formally, Praga is composed of two districts, Praga Północ and Praga Południe,which are separated from each other by the railway tracks. The districts themselves mainly serve administrative purposes, as they are both very heterogeneous and diverse inside.

Within Praga Południe Gocław and Gocławek are relatively new residential areas built in the 1960s and 1970s, Kamionek and Grochów have a history on par with other settlements that then formed Warsaw, like Ujazdów and Mokotów, Saska Kępa is a prestigious mansionesque area that is home to many embassies and Olszynka Grochowska is mostly a forest.

Within Praga Północ, the south centered around Aleja Solidarności contains many historic buildings and is reinventing itself as a trendy home for all kinds artistic undertakings, while the northern part is almost entirely industrial.

Get in

Praga Południe in highlighted in dark red.
Praga Północ in highlighted in dark red.
  • Main streets parallel to Vistula: Jagiellońska, Targowa, ul. Grochowska; Wał Miedzeszyński
  • Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: Aleja Solidarności, ul. Ostrobramska and al. Stanów Zjednoczonych (United States Avenue) - collectively referred to as Trasa Łazienkowska; al. Waszyngtona (Washington Avenue); Trasa Siekierkowska

Get around

See

The zoo – not just a sanctuary for animals

During the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Jan Żabiński, the Warsaw Zoo's director, and his wife, Antonia, saved about 300 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto and Nazi death camps. The Żabiński family turned the zoo into a pig farm, which was to be used so the German forces could be fed. Jan Żabiński befriended a few Nazi officials and was granted access to the Warsaw Ghetto so he could gather left over scraps to feed the pigs, to study the Ghetto's park system, and for any other imaginable reason. His real reason for going to the Ghetto was to smuggle Jews out and safeguard them at the zoo by hiding the Jews in the cages and animal exhibits at the zoo. Diane Ackerman wrote The Zookeeper's Wife, which details the story of the Żabińskis, focusing particularly on Antonia's story.

  • Warsaw Zoo (Warszawskie Zoo), ul. Ratuszowa 1/3, ☏ +48 22 619 40 41, fax: +48 22 619 58 98. Open daily from 9AM until 7PM, Tickets sold until 6PM. A relatively small zoo, but with some interesting species, including a pack of wild and rambunctious monkeys that seem to fascinate every visitor. Other Zoo residents include lemurs, giraffes, elephants, hyraxes (the elephant's strange looking relatives that weigh only 2 - 5 kilograms compared to an elephant's weight of 3,000 - 6,000 kilograms), lions, tigers, zebras, and jaguars that live in a glass enclosure that allows you stand only centimeters away from the beasts. The Warsaw Zoo is a great place to spend time for adults or children. Admission: Adults zł 12, Children zł 6, Children under three years are free. 
Lemurs eating weeds at the Warsaw Zoo.
  • 1 Saint Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church (Cerkiew św. Marii Magdaleny), pl. Wileński (Lies about a block east of Praski Park). One of two Orthodox churches in Warsaw nowadays. 
  • The Memorial of the Brotherhood of Arms at the intersection of al. Solidarności and ul. Targowa, maliciously nicknamed "the four sleeping guys" (czterech śpiących).
  • 19th Century Houses around pl. Weteranów 1863 r., ul. Kłopotowskiego and ul. Okrzei, in particular The Jewish Mikvah built in 1840 at ul. Kłopotowskiego 31. See also the list of all historic buildings in Praga Północ.
  • Praski Park (Park Praski) (Across the street from the Zoo's entrance). A park that's good for a stroll. There's a large sculpture of a giraffe and a playground for children within the park's grounds. Near the entrance to the Warsaw Zoo, there are a few eateries that serve up ice cream. 
  • Skaryszewski Park (Park Skaryszewski or Park im. Ignacego Paderewskiego). Directly across the street from Stadium Narodowy, this park isn't as well known as some of the others, most likely since a palace is absent from it, but that said, it's nonetheless a pleasant park for a stroll or to read a book and comes complete with its own lake. Near park's main entrance, there is a memorial to the September 11th terror attacks. 
  • Barriers of Grochów (Rogatki Grochowskie) ul. Grochowska. Used for collecting the toll for entering the city.
  • Monument to the builders of the Brześć Road ul. Grochowska. Built in 1825, it was the first monument in Poland to honor anonymous workers (instead of famous national heroes).
  • Saska Kępa is a mostly residential neighborhood that is freckled with numerous embassies, but is unique for the cozy cafes and restaurants that line one its most well-known streets, ul. Francuska. In the evening, the neighborhood is an idyllic setting for a stroll, which can be topped off by watching the sunset over the Eastern skyline of Warsaw, dominated by the Palace of Culture and Science, while grilling or drinking by a couple of the city-provided grills on the banks of the Vistula. If you go to grill, be sure to bring some bug spray. This neighborhood is also located immediately next to the National Stadium.
  • The forest in Olszynka Grochowska, which was an important battlefield during the November Uprising .

Do

Museums and galleries

Theatres

Cinemas

Sports

  • Stadion Narodowy (National Stadium), Al. Księcia J. Poniatowskiego 1 (Stadion Narodowy metro station and Warszawa-Stadion station for local trains. From the city centre, all trams heading east will stop at the stadium as well as many buses (111, 117, 507)). The impressive stadium has been built on the site of an earlier communist-era venue right in time for the Euro 2012 championships. It is a multi-level entertainment, exhibition and congress venue, with a busy schedule of events. The grounds around the stadium have been arranged to hold events as well. On the nights of major matches or concerts, traffic in the area can be severely disrupted, but on other days, you may find attractions ranging from publicly-accessible ice skating rink to a fashion fair within the large structure. 

Swimming

Buy

  • CH Promenada, ul. Ostrobramska 75. A multi-level shopping arcade with a mixture of chain stores and upscale outlets. The layout and architecture may be a bit perplexing, and the mall has not aged well. An Alma upscale supermarket and multiplex cinema are located within the shopping centre. 
  • Warszawa Wileńska (Dworzec Wileński), ul. Targowa 72. A shopping mall built over a terminus for local trains heading north-eastwards of Warsaw, directly connected to the namesake metro station as well. A rather wide selection of the usual chain stores, service outlets, gastronomy and a supermarket. 
  • Różyckiego Bazaar (Bazar Różyckiego), ul. Targowa 54. For many years it was the most famous bazaar in Poland, a place where everything could be purchased. In recent years however it has fallen into decline. 

Eat

Mid-range

  • Ristorante Repubblica Italiana, ul. Francsuska 44, ☏ +48 22 465-81-83, . Su.-Th. Noon - 11PM; F.-Sa.: Noon-Midnight. This three-room restaurant, with each of its rooms painted and decorated to correspond with the colors of Italian flag, is one of the few Italian eateries in Warsaw that does Italian right. Each dish is delicious and beautifully prepared, and the portions leave customers feeling satisfied. When the weather is nice, the restaurant's patios are a great place to enjoy your meal while observing passersby. 

Splurge

  • Dom Polski ul. Francuska 11. Polish.
  • Santorini ul. Egipska 7. Greek.

Drink

Cafés, tearooms and bars

Clubs

  • M25, ul. Mińska 25. 
  • ul. 11 Listopada 22 a building filled with bars (and a hostel now)
Skład butelek open on weekends.
Saturator
Zwiąż mnie
  • Fabryka Trzciny, Ul. Otwocka 34. Originally a marmalade factory, now a cultural center with a club, a theater, a restaurant, artist ateliers and an exhibition area. 

Sleep

Budget

  • Hostel Krokodyl, ul. Czapelska 24 (By tram no. 9, 24 or bus no. 523, 188, get off at rondo Wiatraczna), ☏ +48 22 810 11 18. Very nice hostel, with great conditions and a very helpful staff. 45-160 PLN. 

Mid-range

Connect

This district travel guide to Praga is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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