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Wola is a district of Warsaw. It is immediately to the west of Śródmieście and blends seamlessly with it, the border between them being the Jana Pawła II Avenue.

Wola has been rapidly changing from a former industrial area into a prime business district with office buildings, and modern upscale residential highrises as well. For tourists, it is important to know that Wola holds large parts of the area covered by Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War, and many important places of remembrance can be found there. It also hold Warsaw's most important necropolis, the Powązki, and the Warsaw Rising Museum.

The word wola means "will" in Polish, referring to the fact that the royal elections (yes, Poland's noblemen used to ELECT their kings, they were not automatically hereditary) took place there over the vast expanses of open spaces it once encompassed.

Get in

The Wola district in dark red.
Wola
  • Main streets parallel to Vistula: ul. Kasprzaka-ul. Wolska, ul. Leszno-ul. Górczewska
  • Main streets perpendicular to Vistula: ul. Towarowa-ul. Okopowa

Get around

By tram

Trams run along Aleja Solidarności and Aleje Jerozolimskie (at the southern border of the district), and between them through Towarowa. Tram service along Prosta/Kasprzaka is suspended due to Metro construction, the entire street is a big construction site. Trams 8, 22 and 24 will take you from the centre and the Dworzec Centralny (railway station) to the Rising Museum, 22 also to the Powązki cemetery.

Consult those official tram network maps and schemas for up-to-date information and tram stops: [1], [2]

On foot

For the areas closer to the city centre, walking is a reasonable choice and the sights along the way are worth it (especially if you are heading into Chłodna from Plac Bankowy, or walking along Grzybowska). You can even endavour to walk as far as the Warsaw Rising Museum.

Otherwise, Wola becomes a sprawling district with little interest to the tourist beyond specific points of interest. You may walk, but you would be better advised to take advantage of the public transportation.

See

  • The Warsaw Rising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego), ul. Grzybowska 79 (The entrance is on Przyokopowa, which is about two streets west of the Hilton Hotel. Trams: 20, 22, 24, 32, and 45. Buses 106, 155, and 100 will stop near the museum on request), +48 22 539 79 05, fax: +48 (22) 539 79 24, . Hours: M., W., and F.: 8AM - 6PM. Th.: 8AM - 8PM. Sat. and Sun.: 10AM - 6PM, Closed on Tuesday. Enormously fascinating, The Warsaw Risng Museum is a moving experience that anyone to Warsaw must visit. This museum will almost certainly not bore anyone, especially with the museum's superb use of multimedia. The museum has bilingual displays in Polish and English. The museum does a good job of explaining the perceived history of the insurgents and the Uprising in the years following the Second World War. If you go on Sunday, they have chapel services at 12:30PM. Regular: zł 4; Reduced rate: zł 2; Group ticket: zł 1. Free admission on Sundays.
  • Muzeum Gazownictwa, ul. Kasprzaka 25. A museum dedicated to the history of gasworks and provision of municipal gas, aptly located in Warsaw's old gasworks.
  • Muzeum Kolejnictwa, ul. Towarowa 1 (If you're driving, follow Al. Jerozolimskie west to ul Towarowa, then turn right). The railway museum in the former Warszawa Główna (Warsaw Main) train station, a boon for railway buffs.

Powązki Cemetery (Cmentarz Powązkowski)

Roman Catholic Cemetery (Cmentarz Rzymskokatolicki)

  • St Charles Borromeo Church (Kościół Św. Karola Boromeusza)

Jewish Cemetery (Cmentarz Żydowski)

  • A symbolic monument to Janusz Korczak (he died in a concentration camp),

Calvinist Cemetery (Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany)

  • Halperts' Chapel (Kaplica Halpertów)

Lutheran Cemetery (Cmentarz Ewangelicko-AugsburskiCmentarz Ewangelicko-Reformowany)

Powązki Communal Cemetery (Cmentarz Komunalny - Powązki)

Previously: Military Cemetery (Cmentarz Wojskowy)

Do

Cinema

  • Silver Screen, ul. Górczewska 124 (CH Wola Park).

Sports

Buy

  • Klif, ul. Okopowa 58/72. Open M - Sa.: 9AM - 9PM. Su.: 10AM - 8PM. A small shopping mall with upscale pretences close to Powązki cemetery, but not easily accessible unless you're driving or have received precise directions
  • The Arkadia shopping/entertainment complex in Śródmieście is also close to Powązki.
  • 1 Centrum Handlowe Wola Park, ul. Górczewska 124 (Buses 109, 154, 171, 190, 310, 501, 507, and 523 run by Wola Park. Trams 8, 10, 26, and 46 run in the direction, but you'll need to get off at ul. Powstańców Śląskich), +48 22 533 4000. Shopping mall.
  • CH Fort Wola, Ul. Połczyńska 4, +48 22 535 04 80. M-Sa.: 9AM - 9PM. Su.: 9AM - 8PM. Car-centred shopping mall in a more remote part of Wola.

Eat

Budget

Mid-range

  • T.G.I. Fridays, Al. Jana Pawła II 29, +48 22 653 8362, fax: +48 22 653 8363. A nice retreat for anyone wanting an restaurant experience that's a bit more American than at other restaurants. It's a tad bit pricey, though, and there are no free refills.
  • Chicago's, ul. Żelazna 41, +48 22 89 00 999. Chicago's is a Route 66 themed eatery that cooks up typical American fare. Upon first entering the restaurant you'll be greeted by no one and you'll need to impose yourself upon an inattentive staff to be able to order. Although the staff is apathetic and somewhat rude, when they are attending to customers, the kitchen is rather quick and makes basic, but good food. The bar has a fair selection of alcohol to choose from, if the bartender will even greet you. If you want more of an Americanized eatery, but demand decent service head over to T.G.I. Fridays, or, for even better service, go to the Hard Rock Cafe.
  • 1 The Inn under the Red Hog (Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem), Zelazna 68 (Corner of Zelazna and Chlodna streets), +48 22 850 3144. 12:00-24:00. This restaurant seems as though it might cater to out of towners, given it's ex-Soviet kitschy atmosphere (complete with PRI-inspired menu), but one can usually find it populated with locals having a get-together on weekend evenings. In those days, the site of the restaurant was an Inn which housed many notorious communist dignitaries and other notables. The menu itself is printed in the style of a newspaper (cheaper items under the heading "PROLETARIAT" and higher-priced items "FOR DIGNITARIES AND BOURGEOISIE").

Splurge

Drink

Cafes

Clubs

  • Club 70, ul. Waliców 9 (About a block from the Hotel Hyatt, on a side street off of ul. Grzybowska), +48 22 654 71 41. Club 70 is a really well done club – the music is a decent mix of 70's and 80's music, bouncers aren't as hardcore as bouncers at other clubs, and the dedication of the management to fun clubbing makes Club 70 one of the best clubs in Warsaw. If you call Monday - Friday between 10AM - 6PM, you can make reservations. Entrance ranges from free to roughly zł 20 or so. Drinks are a bit on the expensive side with 0.5 liter of beer costing zł 10.

Sleep

You will find many more accommodation options in the neighbouring district of Śródmieście. Accommodations in Ochota are also convenient for visiting Wola.

Budget

  • Rapsodia, ul. Fort Wola 22 (entrance from ul. Wolska 186), +48 22 634 41 65, . A campsite, but hostel rooms are available too. Prices: tent (2 persons) - 30 żł, camping car (electricity connection included) 60 zł.
  • Karolkowa Youth Hostel, ul. Karolkowa 53a (Buses 125 or 522 until DT Wola or trams 13, 20, 23, 24. 26, and 27 until DT Wola), +48 22 632 88 29, fax: +48 22 632 97 46, . n Hostelling International recognized hostel. Like other HI hostels in Poland there is a curfew, which lasts from midnight - 6AM, so don't plan on going out. Prices for a dorm bed begin at 25.20 zł for students with HI membership.

Mid-rage

  • Première Classe, ul. Towarowa 2, +48 22 624 08 00, fax: +48 22 620 26 29, . The budget Premiere Classe is in the same building as its Groupe du Louvre sister-branded hotels, Campanile and Golden Tulip (see below). Website and booking in several languages, but not in English. rack rate - 129 zł.
  • Golden Tulip, ul. Towarowa 2, +48 22 582 75 00, fax: +48 22 582 75 01, . The former Kyriad Prestige, sharing its building with the Campanile and Premiere Classe, was re-branded to Golden Tulip as per Groupe du Louvre strategy. With three stars, it offers a fitness centre and conference rooms. rack rate - 190 zł.
  • 1 Ibis Warszawa Centrum, Al. Solidarnosci 165, +48 22 520 30 00, fax: +48 22 520 30 30. The oldest Ibis in Warsaw is in a slightly unattractive location, but reasonably close to the city centre and many attractions and easily accessible by public transit and by car. starting at PLN 122.

Splurge

  • Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre, Grzybowska 63, +48 22 356 55 55, fax: +48 22 356 55 56. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: Noon. Although located in Wola, the hotel is actually very close to the downtown area of Warsaw. A ten to fifteen minute walk will take you to the Centralna train station.

Connect

Internet

  • Teleskop e-cafe, ul. Krochmalna 2, +48 22 652 25 84. Internet cafe tucked away on the side street near TGI Fridays, and the Atrium International Business Center buildings.
This district travel guide to Wola 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.