The best viewpoints in Warsaw: terraces, towers and man-made hills

Warsaw lies on the flat ground of the Mazovian Lowland, so natural vantage points simply do not exist here. What the city has instead is a fine collection of towers, terraces and artificial hills. The official city tourism portal lists fourteen of them; here are the highlights, with practical notes.

The classics in the centre

The terrace on the 30th floor of the Palace of Culture and Science (pl. Defilad 1), 114 metres up and reached by lift, gives the full panorama of the city, day and night - see our guide to the Palace of Culture terrace. A more old-fashioned climb awaits at the bell tower of St Anne's Church (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 68) next to Castle Square: 150 stone steps to one of the prettiest views of the Old Town and the east bank. And on the Old Town's edge, Gnojna Gora - a medieval waste dump turned terrace hill - looks far east across the Vistula.

The record holder

Highline Warsaw in Varso Tower (ul. Chmielna 69) is the highest observation deck in the European Union: the 53rd floor, 230 metres above ground, with a 360-degree panorama from the downtown skyscrapers to the distant suburbs. A real garden, a cafe and a cocktail bar wait a few floors below.

Museums with a view

Several museums double as viewpoints. The fifth floor of the Museum of Warsaw overlooks the Old Town Market Square. The Warsaw Rising Museum towers 32 metres over Wola, with the Fighting Poland symbol on its side and a panoramic lift. The Polish History Museum at the Warsaw Citadel offers a 1,950 m2 rooftop terrace open to everyone, no ticket needed. The University of Warsaw Library roof garden, one of the most beautiful in Europe, frames the Swietokrzyski Bridge and the river; the Copernicus Science Centre opens its own roof garden from May to October; and the E.Wedel Chocolate Factory adds a rooftop view over the PGE Narodowy stadium and Skaryszewski Park to its museum tour.

Hills made by the city

The Warsaw Uprising Mound in Mokotow - 120 metres, about 400 steps - was heaped from the rubble of the destroyed city after World War II, and a fire burns on top during Uprising commemorations. Newer Wola adds two industrial-chic terraces: the roof of the Forest building at Burakowska 14 (open daily March to October, famous for the autumn gold of Old Powązki's trees) and the viewing terrace at the revitalized Norblin Factory at Żelazna 51/53, overlooking the former plant and the city-centre skyscrapers.