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Photos of the Chinese landscape

Overpopulation, smog, cities growing out of control — these are some of the common issues people associate with China. While these problems may affect major urban centers in the country, people forget the sheer size of China, and how much it has to offer beyond the cities. China is one of the most beautiful and diverse places in the world. All around the country, alluring landscapes invite travelers to keep exploring. One of the most impressive features are the karst landscapes: a topography made up of soluble rock (like limestone) that has been eroded by dissolution creating towers, ridges, sinkholes and caves. These mystical-looking Chinese lands are one of my favorite spots in the world; here’s why they’ll be one of yours too.

1

For about a month every spring, the quiet village of Luoping in the East of the Yunnan province gets a radical makeover. Hundreds of thousands of canola flowers start blooming, leaving the village covered in a golden yellow blanket as far as the eye can see.

2

Luoping feels like another world when you first arrive. You’ll get that feeling that you’re really far away from every major city. Local beekeepers give out free honeycomb for all to try, and horses and carts drive the few tourists around the beautiful fields.

3

I've always bypassed Guilin when I travel around the Guangxi province, but this trip I decided to stay for a few days and see what the city had to offer. An evening hike up to a small viewpoint made me realize how beautiful this place is, with all those karst hills around it.

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10 incredible photos that prove rural China is one of the most stunning places on Earth

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10 incredible photos that prove rural China is one of the most stunning places on Earth

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4

Yangshuo, famous for its bamboo rafting and incredible scenery, is becoming a popular destination in China, especially for international tourists. I think this picture clearly shows why.

5

There are so many places to photograph Xingping, but this spot has to be my favorite. The early morning mist creeping through the hills, and the sun rays beaming through is truly a spectacle to witness.

6

The land that inspired Avatar, Zhangjiajie, deserves a whole week to be properly explored. Take the tallest elevator in the world up amongst the karst peaks. From there, you can spend all day strolling from viewpoint to viewpoint before taking a cable car down at the end of the day.

7

Zhangjiajie National Park is fascinating as no two views look the same. The Emperor’s Writing Brushes viewpoint is one of my favorites, and it looks incredible from a drone perspective.

8

Getting to a higher vantage point in Guilin and Yangzhou is a must. You’ll get to see the true size of the mountains surrounding the tiny towns and villages below. Guangxi definitely deserves some time when traveling through China, especially during spring or autumn.

9

Getting lost amongst the peaks of Yangshuo is one of my favorite things to do, and you never get tired of the views. If you can find a hill with a hiking trail, I would highly recommend climbing it, especially during sunrise or sunset.

10

The karst landscapes of China are well known in places like Yangshuo and Zhangjiajie, but the small village of Tianxin is well worth a visit if you're looking for something more off-the-beaten-path. We drove there early in the morning and managed to catch the sun rising above the mountains and reflecting the mist on the ponds below.

11

Tianmenshan is another incredible spot in Zhangjiajie that deserves a day to be explored. On the cableway up to the mountain, you’ll pass by this incredible road which winds through the mountains to reach the top. It's also a stomach-turning way to get down to the ground below.

More like this: 10 incredible photos that prove rural China is one of the most stunning places on Earth

The post Why the jaw-dropping karst landscapes of China belong on your bucket list appeared first on Matador Network.

Europeans favorite cheeses

If there’s one issue likely to divide Europeans for decades to come, it’s cheese. More than just a delicious snack, cheese has the power to stir argument and create deep-seated cultural fissures not only among foodies, but anyone who takes pride in their national cuisine. The sheer volume and variety of cheeses enjoyed all over Europe is staggering, with many countries having several cheeses, from various regions, competing against each other.

Tasteatlas created a map, shared by Redditor mustardAndFish, of Europe’s most popular cheeses by country — and it’s likely to cause quite a stir among cheese enthusiasts.

Photo: TasteAtlask

Depending on what region you’re from in any given country, your cheese preference will vary dramatically. France, for example, boasts 14 different popular cheeses, though you can bet the Banon-loving residents of the French Riviera have a few choice words for the people of Normandy, who prefer Camembert. And all of them would probably scoff at the Ukraine, with only one cheese ranking among the most popular.

This map could be great inspiration for a fun — though not exactly diet-friendly — cheese-themed Eurotrip.

H/T: Tasteatlas

South Korea has a whole theme park dedicated to cheese

The post This map shows Europe’s most popular cheeses by region appeared first on Matador Network.

London's coolest skyscraper

If you’ve ever wanted the thrill of climbing a skyscraper without the risk of falling twenty stories into traffic, you might want to visit this new London skyscraper. Twentytwo (located on at 22 Bishopsgate) is slated to be the newest addition to London’s skyline, towering over both the Gherkin and Leadenhall buildings. It will contain a workspace for up to 12,000 people, as well as a massive climbing window installed on the inner face of the building. In what might be the ultimate distraction from work, employees can spend their lunch breaks on a climbing wall with the best city views around.

The building won’t just be a corporate space. It will offer a fresh food market, a wellbeing retreat and spa, London’s highest, free, public viewing gallery, and an art walk. The building’s unique design was inspired by how cultural, demographic, and technological advances are changing the way people live and work. PLP Architecture, designers of the building, imagined the ideal work environment and strove to make that vision a reality. Specifically, Twentytwo is designed to increase productivity, wellness, and engagement.

But eager climbers still have a bit of a wait before they can try out London’s newest attraction, as Twentytwo isn’t set to be finished until 2019.

H/T: Secret London

More like this: These skyscrapers have glass-bottomed observation decks for stomach-dropping views

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Essential Alaskan habits

Alaska is huge and each slice of the Alaskan pie adds its own unique element to social customs. Yet, there are habits which are common statewide, and when you leave, these are often hard to give up. Here is a list of 36 Alaskan habits that are hard to break.

1. Checking for wild animals every time you open the door.

2. Making regular DIY runs to the local dump.

3. Referring to spring as “break up” as if everyone understood what you were talking about.

4. Repurposing the porch and designating it ‘a temporary refrigeration zone.’

5. Refusing to own or even consider a vehicle without 4WD capabilities.

6. Expecting people to know how to drive like sane human beings in a snowstorm.

7. Scanning the horizon for mountains in order to calibrate your sense of direction (and check for termination dust).

8. Getting Christmas-morning level excitement over the annual champion Alaska State Fair giant vegetable weigh-off.

9. The overpowering urge to check whether or not the sunglasses you’re thinking about buying are polarized.

10. Wearing the baseball cap that’s taken on qualities similar to lichen and is now permanently attached to your head.

11. Sporting the flannel shirt that you wear everywhere and for every occasion no matter how formal.

12. Wondering whether or not you should throw your Xtratufs or Boggs in the backend of the vehicle ‘just in case.’

13. Freaking out when you can’t figure out where you last put your lip balm and favorite tube of hand cream.

14. Expecting a picture postcard view everywhere you go and being crazy disappointed when the place you’re in is hard on the eyes.

15. Keeping an eye out for bears in order to avoid becoming a tale in the next volume of Alaska Bear Tales.

16. Wondering how the reds are running every day between May and August.

18. Spending the next twelve months planning how you’re going to maximize your PFD.

19. Keeping an antenna tuned in to the price of oil per barrel.

20. Assuming people care as much as you do about keeping their city, town, and state beautiful.

21. Expecting the midnight sun in summer and feeling robbed when that’s just not gonna happen.

22. Packing everything (including the kitchen sink) for a simple day trip.

23. Preparing for an apocalypse with extra food and supply stores.

24. Keeping tabs on “the tripod” during the Nenana Ice Classic.

25. And getting over-the-moon excited when it goes down because it’s way more telling than any groundhog.

26. Anticipating and preparing for winter.

27. Barbecuing outside year-round as though it were the global norm.

28. Assuming everyone loves fishing as much as you do.

29. Thinking everyone loves being “away from it all” as much as you do.

30. Believing that camping looks and means the same thing everywhere.

31. Thinking everyone knows how to build a campfire.

32. Assuming everyone you meet is basic survival and first aid skills capable.

33. Not bothering with sunscreen and regretting it terribly afterwards.

34. Feeling intense ire when non-Alaskans mispronounce glacier and salmon. Please people! It’s glay-sh-er not gla-cee-er and sa-mon not sal-mon.

35. Mulling over how awesome Alaska is 24/7/365 and wishing you were there right now.

More like this: The 8 things you need to experience before you can say you have visited Alaska

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Anthony Bourdain travel wisdom

Anthony Bourdain taught us how to see the world. When Bourdain travelled, he didn’t shy away from the unfamiliar — he ran towards it. He showed us the common humanity we share with others and made us all better for it.

We will miss him, but we won’t forget what he has taught us — to travel with open minds and hearts, to travel fearlessly. As we remember Anthony Bourdain, we share with you some of his best pieces of travel wisdom.

On having an open mind

1. “If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel — as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them — wherever you go.”

2. “Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

3. “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”

On planning

4. “Nothing unexpected and wonderful is going to happen if you have an itinerary in Paris filled with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.”

5. “I learned a long time ago that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times.”

6. “I’m a big believer in winging it. I’m a big believer that you’re never going to find perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I’m always trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to some rigid itinerary.”

7. “When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.”

On the world

8. “It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and what’s happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there — with your eyes open — and lived to see it.”

9. “It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I still have to go, the more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough; to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom…is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.

On connecting

10. It’s those little human moments that stick with you forever, the random acts of kindness.”

11. “To be treated well in places where you don’t expect to be treated well, to find things in common with people you thought previously you had very, very little in common with, well that can’t be a bad thing.”

On the journey

12. “As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks — on your body or on your heart — are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”

13.“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

More like this: Anthony Bourdain, travel legend, is dead at 61

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Underwater in Mexico's Cenotes

I have two passions: diving and photography. Recently I got to hang out in the Yucatan Peninsula, where I got to combine both passions and explore the underwater realm of the cenotes (pronounced, say-no-tays) that dot the areas here. Cenotes are essentially freshwater sinkholes, where the limestone and earth has caved in to reveal crystal clear waters and unique ecosystems. I’m used to taking my camera underwater, but what I found inside the cenotes was a whole other world. Here are ten images of my journey underground.

1

Close to the town of Chemuyil lies Dreamgate: a deep sinkhole full of bright blue water inside a cave full of bats and swimming geckos. Since this dive is considered more advanced it is less often visited, so our small group of three were the only divers here this afternoon. After exiting the dark cavern zone, I explored different rooms filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and turned around to see a view of the platform where we entered naturally framed by massive stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

2

Photographing light rays underwater is a challenging task. Fighting camera settings in a dark environment all without a tripod, two tanks strapped to your body, controlling your own buoyancy so as not to damage the environment, and the close quarters of a cenote gave me a new appreciation for this kind of underwater photography.

3

Cenote Aktun-Ha is located close to the highway near Tulum. Once discovered, it was common for locals to stop here and use the fresh cool water to wash their cars, hence it’s also know by a nickname: Carwash. When cenotes became more popular with snorkelers and divers it was turned into an attraction with an admission fee. Carwash is one of the cheapest cenotes to visit, and is easily done by local transit or taxi on your own. To swim it will cost 50 pesos (about $2.50 USD); to dive 200 pesos (about $10). Water lilies, small crocodiles, freshwater turtles, and crystal clear water makes this easily one of my favourite spots in the area. At each end, a small underwater cavern opens up into a cave system. The opening of these caverns gave some of the best photo opportunities where light poured into dark places. I snagged this photo on a single breath while freediving into the cavern.

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4

Cenote Aktun-Ha (Carwash) usually has such clear water that you can see the fish from the surface, but after a heavy rain, tannic acid from the soil leaves a cloudy green layer on the surface; only divers who can passed below the surface got to see the clear water beneath. We were the first to arrive early in the morning hoping the last night's rain would give us a chance to experience this rare phenomenon. The green colour is all natural and light from the sun makes it glow (this isn’t a photo edit). This shot is from inside the cavern zone looking out at the tree branches, freshwater fish, and my dive buddy.

5

When going on a cavern dive in the cenotes you pass from pocket to pocket (like moving room by room) where different sinkholes have exposed the underwater cave system below. On this dive, my partner and I surfaced for a conversation in one of these “rooms” and found the sky was visible through the trees and vines above. In these places, huge beams of sparkly light pour in and are almost brighter below the surface than above.

6

Many cenotes are quite shallow and tend to spread outwards rather than down into massive cave systems. Cenote Angelita is one of the rare dives that is a deep drop. Those who dive it descend into a thick layer of hydrogen sulfide that hangs out at about 30 meters. The hydrogen sulfide gives off the strong smell of rotten eggs and it’s so strong it can be smelled even underwater. We passed through this layer and discovered under it all, sunlight is blacked out but when we turned on our torches. Yet, the water was astounding clear, making it one of the more unusual dives I've ever done. Be prepared to pay a 500 pesos ($25 USD) extra to bring a camera here.

7

Cenote El Pit is also uniquely deep and the cave system doesn't begin until you reach the bottom at around 25 meters. The steep steps down to this cenote mean tanks need to be lowered by rope and pulley from above directly into the water. About 12 meters into the descent is a halocline where the fresh and saltwater mix. The denser salt water below changes the buoyancy and make it hard to see until passed through. The light filtered through the trees above gives off beautiful light rays that glitter and sparkle, only adding to the surreal nature of the experience.

8

Most don't dive the cenotes for the fish life, since they're not incredibly impressive compared to the tropical species found in the nearby Caribbean. But for fish nerds like myself, their bright colors and their unique behavior make them a unique part of cenote diving. In some darker cavern areas, some fish were white and blind, relying on other senses to find prey. Some fish in the shallows would crowding around my exposed skin hoping to get a free meal. This small catfish that hung around light beams like in this photo would dance around the light rays in search of prey.

9

Whether from green and red tannic water or from crystal clear visibility, the colors found in the cenotes will amaze you. Reds, greens, yellows, blues, and oranges fill every space. Inside cavern areas where only your torch illuminates the limestone walls you'll find the bright colors of stalactites and stalagmites. Closer to the surface, the water lilies mix with the red earth and green algae. Vines and tropical trees from the jungle surround these sinkholes giving each a unique ecosystem. Many cenotes were only discovered by accident while others were scouted out by plane deep in the jungle. It’s no wonder these were sacred places for the Mayans. The cenotes feel otherworldly and very special, like an actual oasis in the jungles of the Yucatán.

More like this: 8 Unbelievably clear underwater worlds in Hawaii

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Bermuda to allow LGBTQ marriage

The LGBT community scored a huge win on June 6, when Bermuda’s Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage. When the ban initially went into effect in May 2017, celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres called for a boycott on travel to Bermuda, seeking to deal a blow to the island’s tourism industry. Organizations like GLAAD and Travel Designers also asked people to stop visiting the island, to help speak out against the ban.

Carnival Corporation, which operates several ships registered in Bermuda, were particularly strong opponents of the ban, as it disallowed them from performing same-sex weddings on board anywhere in the world. “We support marriage equality,” they said in a statement. “We have been actively engaged in supporting efforts by OUTBermuda…to legally challenge the action to again allow same-sex marriages on the island.”

Following the reversal of the ban, Carnival praised Bermuda’s LGBTQ families and the leadership of OUTBermuda for “making their case before the Supreme Court of Bermuda to restore the right to marry for all.”

LGBTQ travel has changed a lot in recent years. Travel blogger Adam Groffman recently told Quartz that, “for a long time it was about specifically visiting LGBT-owned places,” but given the world’s rising inclusivity, that’s not as necessary anymore.

It remains to be seen if the reversal will result in increased tourism to the island, or if that reversal will eventually be appealed, but for now, opponents of the ban are enjoying their victory.

H/T: Condé Nast Traveler

This is what LGBTQ+ rights look like around the world

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queen looks for new pastry chef

If you’re a chef who’s used to bouncing around the kitchens of local restaurants, you’re probably looking for a new challenge. Well, a new job just opened up at one of the most exclusive kitchens in the world: Buckingham Palace. One lucky, qualified pastry chef might get the opportunity of a lifetime, designing menus and preparing dishes for the royal family.

Buckingham palace is currently looking for a classically trained pastry chef to join the kitchen staff. According to the job description, you’ll be planning and preparing desserts for the Queen and her guests, including at the several estate dinners held throughout the year. Don’t worry, you be decorating cakes with frosting pictures of Harry and Meghan’s faces. Whoever is selected for the role will work directly with the Head Chef to design new menus, and oversee the kitchen’s entire pastry team. You’ll also get the chance to travel, as you will be working at multiple royal residences throughout the United Kingdom.

But don’t expect working in a royal residence to be anything like living in one. You will be preparing food for guests with discerning tastes, at a variety of high profile events. If you decide to apply, you should be confident that you can handle the pressure that comes along with the job.

Applicants must come from a fine dining or five-star catering background, and apply by June 26.

H/T: Food & Wine

The post Buckingham Palace is looking for a new pastry chef appeared first on Matador Network.

What to do in Chicago

Chicago is loaded with some 5,000+ restaurants, over 60 museums, 580 parks, 250 theatres, 225 music venues, over 100 festivals, nearly 400 landmarks — you get the gist…the list goes on and on. So it’s remarkable how many directions you can take your trip. If you’re a beer geek, you can have a totally different experience than the architecture nerd. If you plan entire itineraries around eating, you may not want to fit in hours gawking around art galleries. But if this is your first time to Chicago, here’s a few to start your bucket list and ease into the trip planning.

Every city has them: iconic sights and ever popular things for visitors to do. This list of five spots to hit up on your first trip to Chicago is decidedly touristy. But for good reason. They stand the test of time, plus have the popular vote and critical acclaim behind them. So it’s a no-fail way to make a stellar first impression on your inaugural visit.

1. The number one attraction in the Midwest: Millennium Park.

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Everyone comes to see “The Bean” in Millennium Park. The giant silver sculpture is actually called Cloud Gate — a playful take on liquid mercury by renowned artist Anish Kapoor that draws millions of visitors each year. But the park didn’t become one of the top 10 most visited sites in the US on the looks of this alone. Free concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, festivals, and family activities keep the lakefront park activated year round. So get the requisite selfies here on your first trip to Chicago and also plan a few hours exploring the whole Millennium Park Campus, home to another must-see attraction…

2. Art Institute of Chicago: top ranked museum in the world by TripAdvisor, four years in a row.

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Two mega attractions sit practically side by side so knock them out together in one day. The Art Institute of Chicago connects to Millennium Park via the beautifully arching Nichols Bridgeway. Take that into the Modern Wing then off you go to start your study of European sculpture, Mesoamerican ceramics, Pre-Columbian textiles, and more. To help focus — since you’re surrounded by an overwhelming 300,000 works of art — you can pick a general theme or stick to the icons in the collection by the biggest names like Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.

3. The most popular tour in America: Chicago Architecture River Cruise.

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Chicago, you’ve done it again. Another accolade to add to the mantel. In 2017, TripAdvisor tallied up all their booking data and named the architecture boat tours on the Chicago River the most popular tour in the US. With all that amazing architecture lining the waterways, it’s not that big of a surprise. See for yourself with a ride on Shoreline Sightseeing, Chicago Line Cruises, Wendella, or Chicago’s First Lady.

4. The Magnificent Mile: a shopping district that packs 460 stores into 13 city blocks.

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Why Warsaw is underrated

Warsaw likely isn’t the first European city topping your bucket list. You’re probably more keen to gorge on pasta in Rome, gaze upon precious artworks at the Louvre in Paris, or party the night away at the clubs in Berlin. But most people don’t realize that in the heart of Eastern Europe, Poland’s capital has all the food, art, culture and nightlife you crave — just without the throngs of tourists and exorbitant prices. You’ll also find stunning castles juxtaposed against impressive modern architecture, hear an array of languages spoken by both young and old, and interact with a diverse population that’ll make you feel welcome in their home. Here are 10 more reasons why Warsaw is the most underrated city in Europe.

Photo: Antonshutterstock/Shutterstock

1. Old Town is a history lesson come alive

Warsaw’s Old Town is one of the city’s top highlights. Besides being the place locals choose for their dates, evening strolls, or dinner, its architecture made up of cobblestone streets and medieval buildings reflect the pain the city went through during World War II. The Royal Castle dominates the area, and you can visit every day with a purchased ticket (or for free on Sundays) and also stop by the Barbican, one of Warsaw’s oldest buildings, nearby. Old Town is the place to get traditional scoop ice cream in dozens of flavors, or to enjoy a fine meal in the outdoor seating areas and gardens. To get the best view of the historic architecture, be sure to climb the tower at St. Anne’s Church.

2. Its New World street reflects the city’s culture

When leaving Old Town, you find yourself on Nowy Swiat (New World), a wide street filled with gift shops, restaurants, stores, churches, and the Presidential Palace. Many choose to dine here and eat right on the street, while others do their shopping or attend university. University of Warsaw has its campus here, with many of its buildings spread out along the street. As you walk down New World, you can bump into students from all over the world, as well as local families and even the occasional celebrity. New World is the place to catch a bus, reach the metro, or ride your bike right along the street. The street is usually closed off to traffic on the weekends.

Photo: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

3. The cuisine is divine

Polish food is mainly composed of meat, potatoes, fresh garden vegetables and grains, with traditional dishes ranging from stuffed cabbage rolls to pierogies; it’s basically the ultimate comfort food. Traditional dishes include potato pancakes with meat-based goulash or with mushroom sauce, white borscht served with bread, sausage and hard-boiled eggs, or potato and cheese perogies fried with a side of onions and served in a cast iron skillet. Gluten-free or vegetarian travelers will also be pleasantly surprised by how many options they have in the city. One of the best spots to sample this cuisine is at the restaurant Zapiecek, with a few locations around Old Town. Another restaurant worth visiting is Manekin, famous for its blintzes and pancakes, with both savory and sweet fillings or toppings.

4. Public transportation can get you anywhere

Warsaw has just two metro lines, with one being opened just a few years ago, but it has hundreds of buses and trams that can get you around the city and beyond. Its Central Railroad Station is where you’ll go when transferring to a different city. Tickets can be purchased in vending machines on the streets using credit cards or cash, and different options are available, such as weekend tickets, single tickets, half-price tickets (for students and seniors with valid IDs). When visiting the metro stations, you’ll be surprised to find that the underground is like another city, filled with bookstores, bakeries, services and shops. Nothing like a fresh danish with the morning paper to start off your day.

Photo: Enken/Shutterstock

5. Warsaw is filled with museums

There are so many museums in Warsaw, it’s hard to visit them all. Besides the Royal Castle in Old Town, there is another Royal Palace in Wilanow, a small district in Warsaw just a bus ride away from the center. Wilanow Park, with its baroque architecture and royal gardens, should also be on your itinerary. Other museums include the Warsaw Uprising Museum and POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. These museums show the difficulties Warsaw went through during and after both World Wars.

6. The skyline is changing but beautiful

Warsaw had one skyscraper, the Palace of Culture and Science, built in the city center in 1955 (which you can visit to see the newest exhibits and get a rooftop view of the city). These days, the skyline is drastically changing with modern apartment and office buildings rising at an extremely rapid pace. If you happen to stay at one of the hotels in the city’s center, perhaps you’ll get a breathtaking view of the city, but another option is to visit the Palace mentioned above, or visit Marriott Hotel’s Panorama Sky Bar. If you’re not a fan of the modern, a lot of the historic architecture can be seen in and around Old Town, such as in the Theatre District or in the area known as New Town.

Photo: Curiose/Shutterstock

7. There’s so many serene parks

Warsaw is very green with its many parks located all around the city. The most famous is the Lazienki Krolewskie park, featuring the Lazienki Palace, the famous Chopin statue, and peacocks. You can hear the peacocks all around the park and if lucky, you can see them opening their beautiful tails. Another park is Ujazdowski, right across the street from Lazienki. The park is located on a gorgeous street that houses many of the world’s embassies. Right around the corner from the Old Town are the Saxon Gardens, another place of green that is home to many festivals and events.

8. There’s even a small beach

The Vistula river flows through Warsaw, and on one side of it is a pleasant walkway for pedestrians and cyclists with numerous benches and bars, while on the other is a small beach. You can reach it by traveling across one of Warsaw’s bridges by bus or tram, or you can take the free ferry which leaves every 30 minutes, right on the walkway. On the beach, there’s a bar called La Playa, which has a tropical vibe with palm trees, cocktails and dancing, or you can sunbathe right on the sand and take in the city’s skyline.

9. Then there’s the nightlife

Warsaw is pretty quiet and dark at night. Its skyscrapers turn off their lights at midnight, and most restaurants around the city center are closed by then. But right off Swietokrzyska Street, bars and pubs remain open until morning, featuring European disco music, endless beer, free welcome drinks and dancing. Anyone who went to a Polish wedding knows that at midnight is when the fun begins, and the night only really ends when it’s literally morning.

Photo: RossHelenShutterstock

10. The city allows you to shape your experience

Warsaw doesn’t demand you follow a strict itinerary or check off a list of sites before you can claim to have really “seen it.” You’ve seen Warsaw once you’ve done whatever it is you fancy, whether that’s laying into a plate of pierogies and chasing it down with a beer, going on your own walking tour of the city’s magnificent architecture, or just dancing with strangers at the disco at night. There’s no right way to do Warsaw; there’s no “best time” of the year to visit. No matter what you decide to do, you’ll feel at home.


7 signs this is your first time in Warsaw

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