The BUW rooftop garden: Warsaw's free secret garden above the University Library

The garden on the roof of the University of Warsaw Library (BUW) is one of the largest and most beautiful roof gardens in Europe - and it costs nothing. Tucked between the Vistula escarpment and the Powiśle district, it pairs skyline and river views with ponds, a fountain and plantings arranged by colour.

Opening hours

The garden is open seven days a week: 8:00-20:00 from May to the end of October (April: 8:00-18:00), and 8:00-15:00 from November to March, when the upper roof garden is closed. Admission is always free and visits are self-guided.

What you will find

The garden has two parts: the upper garden (2,000 m2) on the roof itself, reached by stairs from below, and the lower garden (15,000 m2) with ponds, a fountain and granite sculptures by Ryszard Stryjecki. Sections are planted by dominant colour - gold, silver, white and carmine - and linked by walkways, bridges and pergolas. From the roof you get one of Warsaw's best free views: the city skyline on one side, the Vistula on the other.

Practical notes

The entrance is on Dobra street at the junction with Gęsta. Visitors with wheelchairs or prams reach the roof by the lift inside the library building - ask security. Dogs (other than assistance dogs), bikes, scooters and skateboards are not allowed. The library building itself is worth a look on the way out: its copper facade carries panels with texts from Kochanowski to the Rig Veda, and the entrance passage is crowned by a bronze open book inscribed Hinc Omnia - hence, all things.