Moja długo oczekiwana podróż do Warszawy (z dniem w Lublinie i dniem w Łodzi)

I’m not sure if it’s clear how much I love Poland. If it isn’t, I love Poland so much. I feel at home whenever I am here. Everything feels familiar. Everything feels natural.

I have been to Warsaw several times before. You can read about those here, here, here, here.

I have a friend who lives in Cyprus and he was saying that he had never been to Poland and that he wanted to go. I told him I would go with him.

The times he wanted to go I had a trip to Budapest planned already. I was in Poznan at the time when we were messaging about it.

I told him I had the first week of March free and I could go then. He asked if I really wanted to go to Poland so soon after already being here. I told him I would go to Poland every month if I could. I’m not sure he yet fully understands how much I love this country.

We figured out the dates and we each proceeded to book our tickets.

I tried to make it work with Ryanair but I couldn’t get to the airport in Warsaw for the time I needed to come home. I couldn’t stay until the Sunday since I am flying on Monday 10th to Taipei. Ken would have killed me if I did that and then missed the flight back and I couldn’t go.

I found a comparable price (luggage included) with LOT and booked with them. That way I would fly into Warsaw Chopin and not Warsaw Modlin. Chopin is a short train ride to the city. Modlin is a 45-minute coach to the outskirts and then a 30-minute (or possibly more) tram to the centre. I know – cheating on Ryanair. How dare I. Ha!

Once I had gotten home from Poznan I decided to look for cities close to Warsaw on the train and go to one of them also. I decided on Lublin. I looked for the tickets and found some for 19 zł each way. They were also first-class tickets. That’s a first-class return for a huge 38 zł. In Charlie’s money that’s a whopping £7.80ish. I can barely get a cattle class ticket for that price at home. I booked it for the day after I got to Warsaw. Of course, I booked to leave before 8 and get back just after 8. That would give me about 10 hours in Lublin.

I decided I would do Monday to Saturday and then just book 2 days annual leave. That way I could have more time with my friend here and I could show him around Warsaw.

He sent me some stuff to look at for things to do and we decided on a walking tour one day, The Palace of Culture and Science another (probably the same day to be honest since the walking tour is only a couple of hours). We decided on the Friday we will go to Łódź for the day.

I wanted to get the earlier train out there to give us more time but he wanted to go around 9. I have to tell myself not everyone is as crazy as I am and wanting to do everything so early.

The day came to leave for the airport. I had finished work at 6 that morning and got a couple of hours sleep. I had to be up and run a couple of errands before I headed to Heathrow. Today was the only time I had to do them as everything I need would have been closed on Saturday night and Sunday and Ken and I leave early Monday morning for Gatwick.

I checked in for the flight with LOT and bagged myself a window seat in an exit row. I like it there because it’s extra legroom and you are obliged to stow your baggage in the overhead lockers and have priority there.

I read the baggage allowance and it was an 8kg carry on and a 2kg personal item. I was concerned that I would get checked and weighed since LOT are usually strict.

I got to the gate and they said they would check bags free of charge at the gate if anyone wanted to. I didn’t volunteer but decided I would do it if they saw my bag. They let me board without issue.

The flight was a little bumpy on the climb out of London and then pretty uneventful after that. I think I managed to sleep for most of it. I was shattered.

We landed in Warsaw and I got off and handed in an iPad that someone had left on the seat. Hopefully, they got it to them.

I then went to passport control and got through pretty quick. I then headed for the train. I knew where I was going and the stops I needed.

I got off the train in the city and as I left the station and looked around people must have thought I was a moron because of how much I was smiling. I love, Love, LOVE Warsaw. It is an amazing city. You have to go if you haven’t.

I got to the hostel at about 23:15 and checked in. I went to the room they gave me and the only bottom bed was a single bed next to another one. I went back to reception to have it changed. I can’t be sleeping next to a stranger like that – I mean, I need dinner first to even consider it!

I got the room changed and that got everything ready for the next day and then went to bed. I was shattered.

Lublin

Warsaw

Łódź

Day 1 › Lublin

Today was an early start. I got up at 06:00 so I could get ready and then head out for the tram to the station. I wanted enough time to also get something to eat from Żabka – this is my favourite convenience store in Poland. If you go through my bank account, I’m sure it’s up there alongside B&M.
I got to the tram stop and missed 2 trams because the ticket machine wasn’t working properly. It let me select the ticket I wanted and present the payment but the payment wouldn’t go through. In the end, I just got on the tram to the station.
I got my food and went and sat on the platform. The last time I was at the station here I took a first-class ride to Krakow. I loved being on the platform again.
The journey to Lublin was just under 2 hours. I just sat back and watched out as the Polish countryside passed us by. It was nice. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I got to Lublin Główny station and got the obligatory station name picture. The station looked ornate from the platform side of it so I could only imagine how nice it looked outside.
I had to use the bathroom and went there and it was 4zł but I had no złoty so I had to get cash out. Legal thieves they are. They charged me £5 to get out a tenner. I needed to though so I could use the bathroom.
I did what I needed to and then headed out to the centre of the city. The station was quit ornate from outside too.
I then headed in the general direction of the old town. As I was walking as was beginning to think what I had let myself in for as it was really dirty and run down. I was hoping the rest of the city wasn’t like it. I wasn’t hopeful though. On the way towards the old town, I was just thinking to myself it was good to do it as it meant it was somewhere I could rule out visiting again. See, positives.
As I was walking I saw a huge church so I headed towards that. I didn’t get to go in as there was some sort of service going on. I just had a quick look around the grounds and then decided to carry on in the direction I started going.
I crossed the street and saw some church spires ahead and figured this must be the start of the old town. I headed in that direction. I found a hotel so I could use the bathroom and they had the souvenirs here so I just got the magnets and lanyards. I couldn’t find any on the map in the old town.
I then started in earnest towards the old town. I came across the main church in the city: St John the Baptist Cathedral. It was really ornate inside – like I was expecting anything else in Poland. The churches I have been to in this country are all like that.
I left there and then started walking towards the main square. I came across another smaller church. This one was St Peter the Apostle Church. Not as ornate but ornate enough.
I then saw the town hall and headed in that direction. Across the street was Krakow Gate.
On the town hall, the have plaques of cities around the world they are twinned with. 24 from what I could see of the plaques.
I turned left and found the tourist information office and went in for some advice on what to see and do. As I was walking there, I saw some goat statues on the ground. I found out they placed about 14 around the city. The goat is in the coat of arms of the city.
The woman in the information centre gave me a map and told me I should see the castle for the chapel there. It had really old frescos and then go up the tower to see the panoramic views of the city. I decided I would do that as I am a sucker for city views. She also said I should see the I <3 Lublin sign. I’m a sucker for those too. I did that and then saw the portal they have. They have a link with Vilnius. I got to wave at a couple of people there. It was pretty cool.
I found the embassy to have some food. I needed a rest too. My feet were tired. I got my food and then decided I would head in the direction of the castle.
I left the main square and went through Krakow Gate. The area behind that was pretty cool too. The buildings were colourful and decorative.
I carried on down the street and saw the castle. I headed there so I could see the chapel and go up the tower.
It cost 15zł for the chapel and 10zł for the tower. They have permanent exhibitions but I don’t really care for that kind of stuff. I was happy with the chapel and the tower.
I left my bag in the lockers and went upstairs. I was beginning to think I had wasted my money as it seemed to be just about this one artist. It turns out the chapel was at the end.
I went in and it was really cool. So many frescos to see.
I left there and then headed to the tower. I left my bag in the locker since I didn’t want to carry it with me.
The tower has 109 stairs to the top. Some shallow, some deep. The roof is really low at some points so you have to make sure you don’t bang your head.
I got to the top and the views were pretty awesome. There are so many churches in this city. It’s pretty cool to see all the spires across the skyline.
The pictures don’t really do it justice. It is worth a visit for sure.
I was up there for about 15 minutes just walking around and admiring the views.
The castle was used as a communist prisoner-of-war camp. In the basement of the tower, they have the names of those imprisoned there.
I left the castle and then walked a different way back up towards the main square. They had the ghetto grounds marked out in various parts as I was walking. It’s good to see that the cities here keep that memory alive so it isn’t forgotten.
I then decided I would head along the back streets and towards the church I saw this morning – St Michael the Archangel. It was closed sadly. I decided I would just take a slow walk to the train station and just sit there and train spot for about 90 minutes. It was nice to sit down too.
Since I had time to kill I decided I would measure how long the walk was from one end of the platform to the other and back.

It turned out to be about half a mile and 12 minutes.
It came time to get the train and I was glad to be on the train in the warm – though it didn’t feel warm for too long so I had to put my coat on.
I got back to Warsaw and headed to Żabka to get some Prince Polo XXL wafers. They are delicious. I am addicted to them!
I got the tram and then got back to the hostel. The room is full so it should be a night. Hopefully, they are quiet and don’t snore.
All in all though, Lublin was a great visit. My initial impressions were not justified once I got to the old town. It was a great visit and the churches and panoramic views were worth it.
Total steps: 22,692

Total miles: 10.08

Total kilometers: 16.22

Below are some pics from today

Day 2 › Warsaw

Warsaw Tram Rides

Start Time	Route Number	Start	End
10:07	10	Szpital Wolski	Osiedle Górczewska
10:55	28	Osiedle Górczewska	Dworzec Wschodni (Kijowska)
11:59	28	Dworzec Wschodni (Kijowska)	Rondo Starzyńskiego
12:47	1	Rondo Starzyńskiego	Annopol
13:14	1	Annopol	Plac Zawiszy
18:17	9	Plac Zawiszy	Centrum
18:39	4	Centrum	Stare Miasto
20:30	4	Stare Miasto	Centrum
20:39	25	Centrum	Dworzec Centralna
20:44	11	Dworzec Centralna	Szpital Wolski

Today I was back in Warsaw and I didn’t really do a whole lot. I was going to pick my friend up from the airport in the early afternoon. I decided that today I would just tram surf and take some videos. That’s exactly what I did.

I jumped on the tram and just headed to the end of the line. I found my trusty Żabka and got something to drink and a Prince Polo.

Once I got what I needed I then headed back to the tram. I decided I would go on a different route to the end of the line.

The area I was in was under construction when I was here in 2023. They have done some more on it. I believe it is going to be a new metro station. It was crazy to see that it was still under construction.

I got on the tram and we were on our way. On the way to the end of the line, I looked up and knew exactly where I was. I decided I was going to come back to that part of the city so I could take some tram videos. I like what I like. No judgement needed OK!

Once I had got the videos I wanted I jumped on another tram to the end of the line. I then decided I would head to the train station I needed so I could go to the airport.

I was at the airport for about 2 hours. It worked out well as I needed to charge my phone and my power bank was low on juice too. I sat there and charged my phone and then I got a message from S to say he had landed and then again to say there was an issue with passport control and he was sorry for the delay. No apology was needed.

We headed to the train and then to his hotel so he could check-in. We sat there for about an hour just so he could relax a little before we headed out to the Old Town.

We got a couple of trams there and walked around and found some local cuisine. We had some pierogi. He had some żurek and I had chicken noodle soup. They couldn’t do the żurek without the horseradish, unfortunately. S said it wasn’t hot or spicy and he couldn’t taste it. Next time I’ll get that.

I said to him that he picked a good place for us as there were quite a few locals eating there and the price wasn’t too bad either – especially with its location in the touristy area.

We left there and then headed towards the tram stop so we could go to our rooms and get some much-needed sleep.

I agreed to meet him at his hotel tomorrow and then we’ll go and meet the guide for the walking tour we have planned tomorrow.

Today was a great day. Trams, food, meeting friends in person finally.

Total steps: 9,525

Total miles: 4.37

Total kilometers: 7.03

Day 3 › Warsaw

Warsaw Tram Rides

Start Time	Route Number	Start	End
08:43	11	Szpital Wolski	Rondo Daszyńskiego
08:50	1	Rondo Daszyńskiego	Plac Zawiszy
09:17	24	Plac Zawiszy	Centrum
09:27	4	Centrum	Stare Miasto
14:01	16	Plac Bankowy	Metro Świętokrzyska
17:56	1	Plac Zawiszy	Wybrzeże Helskie
18:26	6	Wybrzeże Helskie	Dworzec Wilenski
19:09	23	Inżynierska	Stare Miasto
20:27	4	Stare Miasto	Centrum
20:39	22	Centrum	Plac Zawiszy

Today was the day that S & I decided we would do the walking tour of the Old Town here in Warsaw.

I said last night that I would come to the hotel and meet him and we could travel to the meeting point together.

I got little sleep last night because I had a snorey bitch in the bed next to me. It was some heavy-set dude with bad nasal passages.

I got up and got ready and headed out to the tram to go and meet S. Once I was near his hotel I looked for a Żabka to get something to eat and drink for breakfast. It turns out my sense of direction was totally off because I went the wrong way to find it. Oh well. I knew there was one in the Old Town so I just waited.

We got the trams to the meeting point at Zigismund’s Column. We were about 20 minutes early so S walked around whilst I sat and just enjoyed the sun and the blue sky. I think S was impressed with Warsaw and the Old Town. I hope he was.

We met Gośka and she was our guide for the next 2 hours. She started by asking everyone where they were from and if they had been to Warsaw before. She also said that she could see that I have done numerous walking tours before.

I told her I had been to Warsaw numerous times and she joked about how I could give the group guidance. Ha. Not a chance. I told S that I didn’t want to be that tourist who says he’s been everywhere and answers all the questions. I told him I would take a step back and just listen and walk around.

Gośka spent a lot of time talking about Zigismund. He is the hero king here in Warsaw. He moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw.

She also talked about the city was 85% (or so) destroyed during the second world war and the Warsaw Uprising. They have done a great job of restoring it to its former glory.

We also walked by – and inside – the royal church here. It is called the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. She said that before the city was destroyed it was the main cathedral here in Warsaw. After the war, they rebuilt it but it wasn’t in the same ornate facade but something more modest. She said that it is still used by the Polish president and government officials for special ceremonies.

We left here and carried on walking to the viewing terrace just behind the Old Town. I had never been here before and told her that and she smiled and said I had finally been somewhere in Warsaw that I hadn’t been before. The views were great across the Visła (Vistula) and you could see the Cathedral of St Michael and St Florian and you could also see the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene.

In the picture above, St Michael and St Florian is the one with the 2 spires. St Mary Magdalene is the one where you can see the grey cupola above the trees. This one really is worthy of a visit. It is so ornate inside.

Once we were done here, we carried on to the main square of the Old Town. The buildings were reconstructed in the original style – after a fight from the locals to have that. The government wanted to rebuild them in an unassuming style.

We then went out of the city walls by the Barbican and went to the birthplace of Marie Curie. Gośka also told us about the Bar Młecny places they have here. They are milk bars that serve inexpensive food subsidised by the government. They are really nice to eat in. The food is hearty and really cheap.

We then headed back to the column of Zigismund and Gośka gave us some tips on where to go, what to see and where to eat. She told us of a place that was a chain of milk bars and that we should go there for food. We decided we would.

I asked her to show me on the map where we could find locations that were used in the filming of The Pianist. It was part filmed in the Praga district. It is a hipster/artsy district apparently. She also said you could find the old style posters used in the filming.

We left her and then walked towards the Opera where she said the milk bar would be. We found it and went in and ordered. We ordered way too much food though.

That was more than enough for 2 people and it cost the huge sum of £16. Daylight robbery! The food was good too.

We left here and walked up to the tram to go to the Palace of Culture and Science. I told S that we had to go there on this trip as the views were amazing.

I was starting to not feel so good from the food. I got the potato dumplings against my better judgement.

We went up and I really enjoy the views from up here. I’m not sure how S felt about it though.

We left and then we went to a computer store for him as he is after a new laptop.

As we were waiting for the lift to go down to the exit, there was an American couple behind me trying to figure out where they needed to go. I asked them where they wanted and told them I would point them in the direction of the palm tree so they could go see it. I felt like a local as I knew exactly where they needed to be.

They told me they were from Idaho and she said she was a graduate of the University of Utah. I digress.

S & I looked at the map and the Jakdojade app to figure out where we needed to be. It was 30-45 minutes of sheer frustration now. The app told us to go to the city centre station and we waited and our train never showed up.

I asked at the desk and they said I had to go to the main railway station for the train. We went there and we couldn’t see it. We started walking around trying to find some help and decided we would go to the main hall to see if we could get some help.

On our way there we started to see signs for the WKD station so followed them. They took us to more platforms that looked like they were for the intercity trains. We finally found more signs to the WKD platform and we got there with a couple of minutes to spare before the train left.

We went to the mall and S looked for the laptop but couldn’t find it and they said it wouldn’t be available for collection for about another week. He goes home on Sunday so that was a no deal.

We got back on the train and headed to his hotel so he could pick up his coat and then we could head out. We had decided to go to the Praga district on the advice of Gośka. I said that we should get the tram to the bridge by Most Gdanski so we could see the views of the city from the other side of the river. I liked them but I wasn’t sure what they would be like at night. We got on the tram and it was a 20-minute journey there.

We got off the stop and then admired the views. We had to be careful as it was a cycle path that had the best views of the city. The pedestrian path was on the other side of the bridge. We both said it seems weird that the cyclists would get the best views.

The views didn’t disappoint though and the pictures don’t do it justice.

We went down to the path near the river to see what the views were like but they weren’t as good as they were from the bridge.

We then got back on the tram to go to the Praga district and walk around.

Gośka dropped the ball on this one. Whilst there was some cool graffiti, it really wasn’t the party/hipster place she made it out to be.

We decided to get the tram and head back to the old town to sit in a cafe (or find food) before heading back from the night.

We ended up going to a local Polish place to eat. I didn’t really want to get a lot because of how I was feeling. I got a broth with some dumplings. It was really delicious. Hot and hearty.

We got the tram back to his hotel and I told him I would walk to the next tram stop and get a tram from there. It would save a few stops if I had gotten on at the main railway station.

I ended up just walking back to the hostel. It was about a mile and it was a nice walk.

Today was a really good day and I spent the day thinking of when I could come back to Warsaw. Yep, I’m in Warsaw thinking of when I can come back to Warsaw.

Total steps: 20,202

Total miles: 9.07

Total kilometers: 14.60

Below are some pics from today

Day 4 › Łódź

Łódź Tram Rides

Start Time	Route Number	Start	End
10:51	18	Łódź Fabryczna	Piotrkowska Centrum
15:54	2	Manufaktura	Piotrkowska Centrum
16:08	10B	Piotrkowska Centrum	Przędzalniana
17:35	12	Kilińskiego	Łódź Fabryczna

I didn’t get very much sleep last night because of the fat snorer in the bed next to me. I clapped and banged stuff and it didn’t stop him from snoring. It was really annoying. I knew I needed to get some decent sleep as I had to be up early to meet S for the train to Łódź.

We agreed that we would meet at the main railway station in Warsaw at around 08:45 so that it would give us enough time to get something to eat and drink for the train.

We got what we needed and then went and sat on the seats on the platform waiting for the train.

On the platform here there is a robot that pours you a coffee. The concept is pretty cool. The execution of it not so much.

S got a coffee and it would have been faster to grind the beans himself and make it. Below is a video of how fast (or absolutely not) it was.

We got the train and then just sat there enjoying the views on the way. We both said it would be cool to drive around Poland and see some of the smaller villages and towns the country has to offer.

The trip there was a little over an hour. During it, we had a look at ChatGPT and asked it for suggestions on what to do. We made a note of the list and picked out 2 or 3 things that we wanted to do.

We got to Łódź and the station was really empty. It was almost like it was a brand new station in a brand new city. It was really strange to see especially after the hustle and bustle of Warsaw.

We walked out of the station and saw one of the suggestions and that was the Alexander Nevsky cathedral. We made our way there and it was closed. It looked like it may have been for renovation. Closed churches was pretty much the theme of today.

We then decided to head to the tram and we would go to the main street here. The street is called Piotrkowska Street. It was a really cool street too. The whole way along it was ornate buildings. The street itself has been given the record as the longest shopping street in Europe. The length of it is 2.56 miles. We only did the side of it from the “Unicorn Stable” tram stop to Plac Wolności. That was 1.16 miles

Łódź is a city that was a former industrial town and what they decided to do once industry had moved on was to keep the old factories and renovate them.

S & I both said several times that they had done a great job of doing this. There were courtyards of the former factories and they were very artsy and hipster and made for some great pics.

We walked down another street and came across a church. We went to it and you guessed it: CLOSED. It’s like religion here doesn’t want you to practice it. I have never been to a city where the churches are closed.

We then carried on walking and got back to the main shopping street and I was looking for a souvenir shop for my usual hoard. S said I should ask in a bookshop as they usually carry magnets.

He was right and I went in. I asked if they knew of a souvenir store and they said they sold magnets. I found a decent one and got it. We then went back out and carried on walking.

I can’t describe how cool it was here. There is so much to see. I said to S that I didn’t know where to look or where to walk because of how nice it was and how much there was to see.

We came across a life goals picture too.

We carried on walking and found some more installations and I had S take some goofy pics of me with them.

We then stopped to get something to drink in a coffee shop. We went and sat down and the server immediately told us the place we sat was reserved (no reserved sign anywhere). We sat somewhere else and I went to use the bathroom. She told me it would be 5zł and I told her we had bought stuff. She really wasn’t enjoying us being there.

We then left and carried on walking down the street. We had seen a place that had a shopping centre and some old converted factories. The place was called Manufaktura.

We got to Plac Wolności and saw a church that was… CLOSED.

We had seen there was a park across from Manufaktura and we said we would look around there and then go to the shopping place. The park itself was pretty naff. There wasn’t really a lot there. We decided to walk up the street a bit more to a church that was there and then cross the street to go to the shops.

On our way there we saw signs on the ground that showed the location of the “Litzmannstadt” ghetto.

We came across another church that was also closed. We decided we would give up on churches at this point.

We crossed the street and there was a sign that was showing the location of the ghetto walls with various points of interest regarding it. I was annoyed that people had graffitied on it and you couldn’t fully make it out.

I said to S that I would like to come back to the city so that I could look and follow the points it showed. He said we could do that but I said we were short of time and that we would go to the shops so we could have a look around and get some food.

I told S on the train that I wanted bland food after the fun time I didn’t have yesterday with the local cuisine.

We found some embassy food and had that and then we decided we would go to another area that ChatGPT had given us.

This area was called Księży Młyn. This was all old converted factories and it also had a park across the street.

This are was pretty cool. It had some really cool installations there. Below are some of the ones we saw as we were walking.

We left here and then headed to the park to walk around that. As we were doing so, the sun was starting to set. We decided we would head to the tram to go find a coffee shop to sit at.

I said to S we should walk to the next tram stop and see if we could find anything. We didn’t but we did happen upon the sun setting and it made for a really cool picture. The only issue was that the best shot was as you were walking across the zebra crossing and you didn’t have time to take it at the perfect place. I think we both did pretty good with our shots.

We hopped on the tram back to the station to get some coffee and dessert. The station was really dead. I was still surprised at how dead it was. There were quite a few arrivals and departures. I can’t figure it out. Very weird.

We had our food and S had his coffee and then we went to the Żabka so I could pick up some Prince Polo wafers to bring home.

We got the train back to Warsaw and we decided that I would meet up with him again before I left for the airport.

Today was a really good day and I can totally recommend Łódź for a visit. I will definitely come back here as I want to see the churches that we couldn’t and I want to see the points of interest listed on the street sign showing the ghetto walls.

Total steps: 19,431

Total miles: 8.53

Total kilometers: 13.73

Below are some pics from today

Last night I decided I would have a lie in since I didn’t have anything to do today. S & I decided we would grab brunch before I needed to head to the airport.

I got some OK sleep and then got up and got ready and finished packing and headed out to meet S. We took a nice stroll to a restaurant he had seen. I had eggs and they were pretty good (after they replaced them because of all the chives on them). We went back to the hotel room and chilled for about 45 minutes before I had to head out for the airport.

I left him at the station and got to the airport. It was pretty uneventful there. The flight back was uneventful too.

I was so glad to get back home to my own bed and shower.

I am already looking at when I can come back to Warsaw this year. I love this city so much. It was an amazing trip and i’m glad I got to meet S finally.

Total steps: 88,290

Total miles: 39.55

Total kilometers: 63.65

View all of my Lublin media here

View all of my Łódź media here

View all of my Warsaw media here

chris | Sunday March 9th 2025 | Travel| Europe, Lodz, Lublin, Poland, Travel, Warsaw | 0 Comments

Moja długo oczekiwana podróż do Warszawy (z dniem w Lublinie i dniem w Łodzi)

Lublin

Warsaw

Łódź

Leave a ReplyCancel reply