Forget the overly restrictive organised tours and sightsee Warsaw with the locals on bus number 180.

by Anna J. Kutor

Visiting the various touristic attractions of a city by public transportation is a time consuming and painstaking plan-making task that leaves most tourist opting for the convenience of an organized excursion. But
in Warsaw, travelers can leave their guidebooks and city maps at home and explore the gems of Poland’s capital at their own pace by taking the tourist bus line 180.

Used equally by local shoppers and commuters as by travelers
who cherish the freedom and flexibility in sightseeing, the route takes in or
passes close by to almost all of Warsaw’s
main tourist attractions. Taking just less then an hour, the route covers Wilanów,
the Royal Route and ends at Powązki cemetery. The on-bus route map is helpful tool for direction as it indicates
the location of main sights along the ride. With unlimited hop-on, hop-off
privileges you can plan your personal itinerary throughout the heart the city. Just
make sure to get a day-pass or a single ticket for every
section of the ride.

Starting at Powązki cemetery (Powązki-CM. Wojskowy), the vast
burial ground of Poland’s great minds since the 18th century, take
the bus to pl. Krasińskich station where on one side you can soak in the
relaxing atmosphere of the Ogród Park and on the other, enjoy the neatly
designed turquoise-colored Supreme Court structure and the soldier statues
commemorating the warriors of Warsaw Uprising. A short stroll down Dluga Street leads
to the edge of the colorful castle district, interspersed with gift and coffee
shops, galleries and atmospheric restaurants.

Skip Kapitulna stop (unless you want to snap a shot of the towering Varsovian
fighting mermaid statue) and continue to pl. Zamkowy station marks the beginning of the Royal Route and gives easy access to Royal Castle, the Presidential Palace, St. Anna Church and the
laid-back residential Mariensztat area. From here on down the Krakowskie Przedmieście street is definitely
worth the walk as the attractions start to multiply, but if you opt for the bus
the subsequent Hotel Bristol station drops you at the foot of the Europejski Hotel, an ideal location to grab a cup of hot coffee. For a quick caffeine fix try the non-stop Bistro a la Fourchete
on the buildings closest corner, or if you want to enjoy your dark nectar with
some pastry or finger food, the best option is Café Bristol across the street. Just a stones through away, Pilsudskiego Square features Tomb of the Unknown Solider, the ultra-modern Millennium Building, the
splendid Saxon Gardens and the stately building of the Opera House.

Back on the tour track, a few outstanding landmarks the route passes includes the main building of the Warsaw University and the Academy of Fine Arts, the Potocki Palace
and the monument of famous Polish writer Adam Mickiewicz and astronomer
Nicholas Copernicus. Get off the bus at Nowy
Świat to wander around the city’s premier shopping avenue that boasts numerous designer
boutiques, culinary establishments and artistic outlets. Finished with all the
(window) shopping jump back on the bus at Foksal
and watch from the comfort of your seat the passing statue of Charles de
Gaulle, the monumental National Museum, socialist-style building of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the simplistic circular St. Alexander’s Church on Three Crosses Square.
Ujazdowskie Avenue starts at pl. Trzech Krzyży, a street lined on one side by numerous foreign embassies and the Park Ujazdowski and the royal Łazienki park on the other. Hop off at the pl. Na
Rozdrożu stop to visit the Center for Contemporary Art or at Łazienki Królewskie to see the characteristic
Chopin monument and rose-filled garden complex. Just down the hill, Spacerowa stop in front of the Hyatt
hotel lets you venture around the Łazienki parks lesser known areas like the 17th
century baroque Belvedere Palace that houses a mesmerizing greenhouse-cum-restaurant.

The last worth-while stop is Wilanów station where you can walk around the picturesque summer residence of King Jan III Sobieski – a palace referred to as the Polish Versailles -, and its well-kept surrounding labyrinth-like parks. Pop in the Poster Museum for a quick peek at Poland’s
renowned poster-art history before boarding the bus back to the city center.