Go to the beach on the Vistula
There are loads of places to relax in Warsaw and new ones are still being created, but the Vistula’s natural beaches are the most popular. Recognised by National Geographic as some of the most beautiful city beaches in the world, they tempt with soft sand and lush greenery. In July and August, the most popular beaches offer sun loungers and sports equipment for rent. Decide for yourself which beach to go to soak up the sun, play badminton or boules, read, enjoy the activities or just spend a pleasant time with friends.
Poniatówka beach
Located under the historic Prince Józef Poniatowski Bridge near the PGE Narodowy Stadium, this is the most popular beach in Warsaw. Go there if you like a relaxed atmosphere and evening parties under the open sky.
- You can relax here not only on the sand but also on a wooden deck, or on the floodplain meadows to the north
- cook on ready-made barbeques
- right next to it is an educational playground and a natural riparian forest. An over 20-km-long recreational walking and cycling path runs through its centre, stretching from the Siekierowski bridge to the edge of Warsaw.
- take a free ferry to the other side of the Vistula, from where you can go on a river cruise aboard a traditional wooden craft or a motorboat
- in the nearby café clubs and restaurants you can eat delicious food and use the beach bar as well as the charming terrace and beach garden
Rusałka beach
This beach with a view of the Old Town is located near Warsaw Zoo. Go there if you like sports or dancing.
- cook out in the open at specially prepared barbeques
- You can play beach volleyball nearby in a café club surrounded by greenery
- at the local beach clubs have a drink, try ice-cream cocktails, and in the evening go crazy on the dance floor
- children will definitely enjoy the rope park, the playground with a mini water park, wicker gazebos or a trip to the nearby zoo
- You can go on a cruise of the Vistula from here on a traditional Vistula riverboat / wooden gondola
- depending on the water level of the river, you can cross the river on a free ferry to the other side
Saska beach
It stretches out near Łazienkowski Bridge in a place that was once an island, and is now part of Saska Kępa, one of the most beautiful districts of Warsaw. Arrive on foot, or by ferry if you love wild nature and peace. Here you will find bonfire areas, wicker pergolas and a children’s playground.
- at certain times you can take a kayak or rowing boat down the Vistula from here
- when you get bored of the silence, visit the nearby Plażówka Saska – where you can relax on the sand or the terrace, have a pizza or watch a stand-up show. There is a water play area and a huge sandpit for children. A long forest path will lead you there – under the Łazienkowski Bridge, past an elegant restaurant and you will be there.
- at weekends, there is a club café behind the swimming pools in a real circus tent, as well as a boxing ring and ping-pong table
Beach near Płyta Desantu (the Assault Plate)
The small beach at the entrance to Czerniakowski Port which provides shelter to vessels on the Vistula. The port’s gates separate it from the thriving life of the Czerniakowski Headland, which you can get to by a foot-and cycle bridge running above the gate.
- visit one of the nearby café club, eat something tasty or have a drink
- from here you can go on a Vistula cruise. On board a barge, a motorboat or a punt, eat dinner and watch the Warsaw skyline at sunset. In the port you can also rent a small motorboat.
- at the port you can make use of the year-round sauna or rent a small motorboat which you do not need a licence to operate, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards or rowing boats. Adults can take a motorboating course and children a course in Optimist-class dinghy sailing.
- deep in the headland are 10 professional beach volleyball courts with full facilities, a restaurant and bar. Also, visit the DeSki Sports Club where you will find squash and tennis courts, a gym, a sauna and a café.
- you can also take a walk along the 5 kilometres of boulevards. A range of cafés and restaurants on moored barges await you along the route as well as a boules court, open-air gym, street workout equipment, a skate park, outdoor sculptures, boulevard beaches, fountains, chess classes and playgrounds.
Żoliborz beach
The beach can be found in a secluded place at the end of the Vistula boulevards, 10 minutes away from the Gdański Bridge. Surrounded by spreading trees, it provides a lot of shade on sunny days and overlooks the natural bank of the Vistula. During the day, it is ideal for a family picnic, while in the evening it becomes a place for entertainment.
- children will enjoy the playground with swings and a slide
- at the local beach bar you can try burgers or shrimp dishes and sip fruit cocktails, and in the evenings you can warm up with dance music or a live concert
- in the sports club nearby you can play tennis or hit some balls at the golf range
- you can watch a film in an open-air cinema
Mini-beaches on General Smith Patton Boulevard
This is a place for those who want to relax on a sun lounger while visiting the attractions on the Vistula. The mini-beaches are in the central section of the boulevards next to restaurants and the starting point of river cruises, and they offer views of the wild side of the river. If you want to work on your tan or show off your new beach outfit, this is the place for you.
- you can see open-air exhibitions about the Vistula, and the nearby Museum on the Vistula offers exhibitions of Polish contemporary art and movies in the summer cinema
- eat in one of the nearby restaurants offering dishes from as far away as California
- under the Świętokrzyskie bridge, you will find a professional outdoor gym and a mini skate park
- at the double-decker barge anchored nearby you can order a cruise on a motorboat or a traditional boat. On the barge, enjoy Spanish tapas, and in the evening go crazy on the dance floor.
- after dark, marvel at the neon suspended under Świętokrzyski Bridge
Other barges offering river cruises, snacks and drinks are also permanently anchored at the boulevards. In the evenings, they turn into lively night spots.
Other beaches on the Vistula
Further away from the centre there are following beaches::
- Romantyczna Beach in the Wawer district, where the Inna Bajka ferry sails to
- Tarchomińska Beach by the Maria Skłodowska-Curie bridge (near Park Picassa)
- Niebiańska Plaża Aluzyjna, where you will find places for a bonfire, pergolas, volleyball courts and a playground
- Strefa Rekreacji Gocław (Gocław Recreation Zone) with barbecue spots, a wicker maze for children, badminton and volleyball courts, a boules court, pergolas and picnic areas
- Przystań Młociny, which you can sail to from Tarchomin on the Dudek Ferry. This is also a catamaran mooring site