Get active
Running, cycling, rollerblading, and maybe an outdoor gym? Exercise fans won’t get bored in Warsaw! Modern sports facilities can be found near green parks and natural beaches. The banks of the Vistula offer great opportunities to exercise – riverside boulevards on one side and natural forest on the other are great regardless of the season.
Running in Warsaw
Warsaw is a great place to go running. You can go for a run to one of Warsaw’s dozens of parks. At the popular Pole Mokotowskie you can see ice-age boulders, while Skaryszewski Park offers a unique collection of sculptures. You will definitely like the riverside boulevards or the picturesque paths along the Vistula. Winding for several miles through the city, the natural riverside forest is unique in Europe. Long-distance runners can enjoy the urban forests – Bielany Woods in the north and the huge Kabaty Woods in the south of the city.
Run in a race
Join thousands of runners who take part in races throughout the city every year. The variety of distances and dates means that you will find one that best suits you. The bravest will be interested in taking part in the Warsaw Marathon, which takes place in autumn. Those building up to the full distance can test their endurance in half-marathons and 10 or 5 km runs such as Run Warsaw or those held to commemorate events important for Warsaw such as the Warsaw Uprising Run, the Constitution Run and the Independence Run.
On two wheels
Do you enjoy cycling? Do you want to be eco-friendly? In Warsaw, there are over 500 km of bicycle lanes and 3,000 Veturilo bikes for you to use at 300 bike stations. You will find most of them in the city centre and at metro stations. A detailed map can be found here. You can use rental bikes 24 hours a day, 9 months a year, from March to November. You can see the best attractions in the city during a several-hour guided bicycle tour (with Station Warsaw). Make sure you drink beer with friends another time – you can be fined for riding ‘under the influence’ and even arrested.
Go on a bike trip
Experienced cyclists will enjoy the miles of cycle routes stretching along the banks of the Vistula in Warsaw. Located on the left-bank of the river, the Vistula Trail runs along boulevards near well-known attractions such as the Multimedia Fountain Park, the University of Warsaw Library with its unusual roof garden and the Copernicus Science Center. On the southern section, the trail moves away from the river and takes you past two royal residences – Royal Łazienki Park and Wilanów – all the way to the park in Powsin.
The right-bank Sunny Trail is a treat for nature lovers. The path on the right bank of the river winds through semi-wild forests that border four natural beaches. You will quickly forget that you are in the middle of the city and with a bit of luck you’ll see cormorants, herons or come across traces of the presence of beavers.
Stay in shape
In Warsaw, it’s easy to stay in good shape. There are numerous international and Polish fitness club chains as well as exclusive private gyms in the city. Fans of CrossFit training will enjoy the spacious boxes dedicated to this type of exercise with cages for performing exercises on bars and gym wheels with medicine balls and weights. Women who prefer exercising in their own company will find clubs exclusively for women, and there is no shortage of places dedicated to boxing or MMA. In many clubs you can use the sauna or get a massage, and in the more expensive ones you can eat a fit-meal. Some are open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Or maybe rollerblades
It’s great to glide along the Vistula boulevards, the walkways around the PGE Narodowy Stadium and Stegny ice-skating track, where you can also rent ice skates in the winter. City parks, such as Pole Mokotowskie, Skaryszewski Park and the Saxon Garden, are also great places for rollerbladers. Surrounded by nature, you’ll enjoy yourself while improving your fitness. If you are thirsty for the extreme, practice stunts in the Jutrzenka indoor all-year skatepark, and in winter underground at the PGE Narodowy Stadium.
Relax on the riverside beach
Go to one of the natural, sandy beaches on the right bank of the river. You can play volleyball, badminton, or sunbathe on a lounger and see if National Geographic was right to call them the most beautiful city beaches in the world. You can rent all the equipment you need when you get there. At the popular beach by the Poniatowski Bridge, you can work out on calisthenics bars and ladders. If you want to slide on a skimboard track, go to Rusalka Beach. You’ll also find an exercise zone there.
On summer weekends, events open to everyone are organised on the beaches. Just go along, you’re already invited.
Or at the pool
You can go for a swim all year round in more than a dozen municipal indoor swimming pools, many of which offer additional attractions. One of the best is the Warszawianka Water Park with ten 50-metre swimming lanes, an artificial river and lots of long slides. Summer is a time for outdoor swimming pool. At this time of year, you can enjoy the water by going to one of the outdoor pools – in Szczęśliwicki Park, Moczydło Park or beautifully situated in the forest of the Culture Park in Powsin.
On court
The options for playing football, volleyball or basketball in Warsaw are almost limitless. You can find pitches in every district, and you can book professional indoor football pitches in places such as Centrum Futbolu or Arena Futbolu, open all year round. In summer, you can shoot baskets in the very centre at the Palace of Culture and Science. While tennis fans can play at dozens of facilities with outdoor courts, including the well-known Warsaw club Legia. The largest tennis centre in the capital, Warszawianka, has 29 courts open until midnight. You can play comfortably on 16 of them in the winter too.
Snooker and bowling
You can play pool in many of Warsaw’s pubs. For those who prefer a bigger table, there are spacious clubs, such as 147 Break open until the last guest, with 26 pool tables and 6 snooker tables, or the 15-table ArenA founded by snooker champion Krzysztof Gastman.
If you want to go bowling with friends there are over a dozen bowling alleys. You’ll definitely find a free lane on any day of the week at one of the larger ones, including the Hula-Kula entertainment centre and the Arco club, which both have about 30 lanes.
Adrenaline
Who says you can’t do extreme sports in the city? Indoor climbing centres are open all year round, and you can also try your hand at the free outdoor bouldering wall. All you need is shoes with flexible soles. Are you looking for a more extreme experience? Do a 90-metre bungee jump in Moczydło Park or skydive in the Fly Spot wind tunnel. On rainless days from spring to autumn, challenge yourself by traversing rope bridges and other obstacles in one of several rope parks. The Warsaw Rope Park next to the Vistula River offers visitors beautiful views of the capital.
On the racetrack
If you like driving fast and the screech of tires, gather a group of friends and go to one of Warsaw’s go-kart tracks. You don’t need a driving license or any special skills. Just a helmet with a disposable balaclava that you will get once you’re there. After the fun has ended, you’ll receive special commemorative medals and diplomas for the winners. In addition to year-round indoor tracks, you can also race on an open asphalt track next to the PGE Narodowy Stadium. Did you know that the well-known Polish F1 driver Robert Kubica started out in kart racing? Go for it!
Warm up at the outdoor gym
Outdoor gyms can be found next to playgrounds or nearby sports facilities. Regardless of the time of the day or night, you can work out using six special machines: a squeezer, pendulum, runner, twister, elliptical trainer and rowing machine. Free entrance.
Jump to the ceiling
If you want to feel like a child, visit one of Warsaw’s trampoline parks, such as Hangar 646 or Stacja Grawitacja. Bounce high on trampolines of various shapes, overcome a fear of jumping from height onto air cushions and train on gym equipment. Professional instructors will take care of your comfort and safety.
Fore!
Do you think golf is a game for aristocrats and the rich? In Warsaw, you’ll find that it’s not altogether true. Practice your strokes at one of the driving ranges near Żoliborz beach or Wilanów Palace. You can also play at a golf club near Warsaw. The nearest, First Warsaw Golf and Country Club in Rajszew, is only 30 km away, two others in Lisia Polana and Sobienie Królewskie, are a little further.
Downhill
You don’t have to go to the mountains or wait for snow to go skiing in Warsaw. The small slope in Szczęśliwicki Park is open all year round. You can rent everything you need on site and get to the top on a chairlift. You can also go to the observation deck or on a roller coaster ride. You can go cross-country skiing when it snows. The ideal place is the 8-kilometre Vistula Ski Trail, running along the right bank of the river.
On the ice
Warsaw provides plenty of attractions, professional tracks and ice rinks for skating fans. The most popular can be found at the Palace of Culture and Science or on the Old Town Square. Experienced skaters will enjoy the professional 400-metre Stegny Ice Skating Track or the ice rink in the Torwar hall, open from mid-September to mid-May.