Photo diary: a return trip to Warsaw

I always have plans to re-visit a city I've loved  with Berlin and Copenhagen springing to mind, but somehow never seem to do it. But with Warsaw I did. We added in Warsaw to our Poland trip because one of my friend's grandparents has a flat in the city, just a short bus ride from the Old Town. As we had visited five years prior, we took the opportunity to really relax and have a chilled three days without any strict itinerary. We made the effort to venture out of the Old Town and try to see the city more like a local. I loved Warsaw even more the second time around. There's something quite charming about it and I much prefer the Old Town to Krakow. I still can't believe that the city has been more or less completely rebuilt after being over 80% destroyed during the war - something you will never guess when you visit.

Whilst the Old Town is by far my favourite place to mooch, the new town also offers some sights that  shouldn't be missed. The Palace of City and Culture and the fascinating war museum offer an interesting insight into the city's history. If you have time to venture even further afield, the neon museum in the rough diamond district of Praga is worth a visit - make the most of the day and spend it bar hopping.  An easy 25 minute bus journey away is Wilanov Palace. The vibrant yellow palace is now an art gallery but we chose instead to soak up the beautiful gardens. Take advantage of the gorgeous lake and hire a rowing boat. 

Warsaw is unfairly left behind when visitors choose to visit Poland as Krakow is very often the first port of call. But don't give it a miss. I find it less touristy than Krakow and it feels a little bit more 'authentically' Polish. It's a great place to visit if you're a bit short on pennies as budget airline offers very reasonable flights and the cost of food and drink is quite cheap. I've been saying this since I last visit Poland five years ago, this country is one of my favourites and is vastly underrated by people here in the UK.