Żoliborz is famous for its beautiful villa developments, which are embedded in the lavish green of gardens and parks. Once inhabited by the intellectual elite, now it is the most favourite district of actors, painters, sculptors, musicians, journalists, doctors and architects. For many people, Żoliborz is the most beautiful district of the capital city, one you can undoubtedly fall in love with. Discover a green Żoliborz with us!

Żoliborz is the smallest of all Warsaw districts. It is located on the left bank of the Vistula river, in the north-western part of the city. The northern areas of Żoliborz border with the district of Bielany, the western ones – the district of Bemowo and the southern – the district of Wola and Śródmieście. The eastern part of the district directly borders the bank of the Vistula. Two main communication arteries run through its area, i.e. Trasa Armii Krajowej expressway, connecting the eastern and western part of the city, and the Wisłostrada route, connecting the north and the south. A great advantage of this exclusive district is easy access to education facilities and small distance from the city centre, which you can reach by bus, tram or the underground within several minutes.

The district of Żoliborz consists of three areas: housing estate of Stary Żoliborz, housing estate of Marymont-Potok and housing estate of Sady Żoliborskie. Its name comes from French name Joli Bord, which means Beautiful Bank.

The contemporary Żoliborz developed in 1920s. After the restoration of Poland’s independence, the undeveloped post-military areas around the Warsaw Citadel became an environment fostering the growth of new urban tissue. The district was designed according to the concept formulated by Tony Garnier and the urban planning scheme was developed by Antoni Jawornicki, shaping the district as a trapezium between the Vistula and the following streets: Potocka, Zajączka and Stołeczka (currently Popiełuszki). The main axes of that system were Mickiewicza Street with the oval Plac Inwalidów and Plac Wilsona squares.

In the 1960s, the housing estate of Sady Żolibowskie was built, in the 1970s the area to the west of Broniewskiego Street was developed and at the turn of the 1970s and the 1980s the housing estate of Marymont was built, between Potocka Street and the Trasa Armii Krajowej expressway. Currently, what is expanding is the western part of the district as well as Żoliborz Przemysłowy (Industrial Żoliborz) within the Aleja Jana Pawła II avenue, Broniewskiego Street, Krasińskiego Street, Powązkowa Street and railway tracks.

Żoliborz is dominated by old tenements and houses. There are few modern apartment blocks, several are being erected right now. Most apartments in the district have from 50m2 to 120m2 of area. Few offers are available and their number keeps going down slowly. Żoliborz is mostly inhabited by affluent residents, particularly families with children. Interest remains at a stable medium level and the prices are high due to limited supply and the prestige which the district of Żoliborz is associated with. This is a district with tradition, where whole families have often been living for generations. According to the experts from Lions Estate, real property prices will increase because of magnified interest in living in that area as resulting from the expansion of new developer’s projects in the area of Potocka and Powązkowska Streets.

Żoliborz will be a great place for those who like calm life and walks around greenery and who would like to have access to typically urban facilities. The district is eagerly chosen by singles and young married couples. Well-developed gastronomy and services make Żoliborz a place often selected by people who are professionally active. What is also important is the proximity to Śródmieście and the prestige related to living in Żoliborz.

A significant role is played by very good public transport and a network of connections with other districts of the city. Thanks to the nearby S8 expressway one can quickly reach the southern districts and the right bank of the Vistula. Access to the city centre of Warsaw, depending on the means of transport, takes from 10 to 20 minutes. Thanks to convenient public transport, including the presence of the Plac Wilsona and Marymont stations, and the proximity of Dworzec Gdański (Gdańsk station), Żoliborz attracts people willing to leave near the city centre, but in friendly and calm surroundings.

Żoliborz is not only beautiful green areas, peace and quiet. This is a district with remarkable restaurants, which invite visitors with their varied selection of dishes every day.

At Plac Inwalidów and Plac Wilsona, there are quite a lot of restaurants and cafes. Families can use family-focused places, e.g. KOFIFI – a cafe and bookshop for children and adults. At Plac Wilsona, there is a cult doughnut parlour, which serves craft ice-creams in summer as well.  The Ulica Baśniowa ice-cream parlour also enjoys great opinions among its visitors. At summer weekends, from spring to late autumn, a cult breakfast fair is organised in Żoliborz. In that season, the Aleja Wojska Polskiego avenue transforms into the embassy of flavours from all around the world. People longing for home-like, traditional cuisine will surely visit Bar Sady Żoliborskie, where Polish cuisine dishes are served.

A shop a restaurant or a bakery? SAM Żoliborz is a unique place on the gastronomic map of Warsaw. You can always buy a fresh bread here, eat a delicious breakfast and, in the evening, drink a glass of wine and unwind after a tough day at work – 9C Ludwika Rydygiera street.

La Iberica serves the best Spanish tapas, remarkable fried squids, tortillas like they are made in Madrid and gazpacho straight from Andalusia, 5/7 Burakowska street.

Recommended Venues with Delicious Food:

• Łuski i Ości 9a Józefa Zajączka street – Japanese cuisine
• Porananas – Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack is what they specialise in. 17 Adama Mickiewicza street
• Secret Life Cafe 15/19 Słowackiego street
• Ósma Kolonia 15/19 Słowackiego street – vegetarian cuisine
• Prochownia in Park Żeromskiego (Żeromski Park), at Plac Wilsona. 51 Czarnieckiego street

The attribute of green has closely adhered to Żoliborz and it would be difficult to compete with it in this respect. There are several green squares in the area. The most popular ones are first and foremost Park Cytadela (Citadel Park) – a square around a fortress built in the first half of the  19th century, the Kępa Potocka park, Park Żeromskiego designed in the first half of the 20th century, Park im. Żołnierzy Żywiciela (park in commemoration of the sub-district II of Żoliborz of Armia Krajowa) and Park Kaskada. All areas are perfect for weekend walks and recreation.

Żoliborz is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful districts of the capital city. Its inhabitants can visit several places deeply rooted in culture. This is where the Teatr Komedia theatre is located, operating since 1957. It is entered in the register of objects of cultural heritage. This is not the only such place in this area. Another one is the Teatr Trzyrzecze theatre – place focused on performing modern playwriting. Another cultural hub is, located in the very centre of Żoliborz, directly at Plac Wilsona, is the Kino Wisła cinema, one of the oldest cinemas in Warsaw. The repertoire is mostly dedicated to the demanding viewer looking for ambitious and non-commercial films.

The district is also known for its monumental part, including numerous churches and temples: the cloister and the school of the Sisters of the Resurrection, the Our Lady Queen of Poland church, Stanisław Kostka church, Child Jesus church, Jan Kanty church.

Apart from that, places worth visiting are: Museum of Sports and Tourism and the Museum of the 10th Pavilion. The Polish Olympic Committee has its seats in Żoliborz. The Olympic Centre at 4 Wybrzeże Gdyńskie street, which houses the offices of the Polish Olympic Committee and the Museum of Sports and Tourism and a library with publications on many an aspect of physical culture, recreation, sports and tourism. You can get to the Centre via the Vistula Cycling Route. The Centre also houses a gym, tennis courts and a horse-riding school.

In the very heart of Park Żeromskiego, there is the Prochownia Żoliborz cafe, which also attracts many locals with its climate and cultural offer. Theatre on deckchairs, outdoor cinema, various workshops, meetings with travellers, yoga on grass, silent disco, concerts or Comedy Club are merely a fraction of all events organised here.

In the district, there are numerous kindergartens and nurseries, which fully meet the demand for education in the area.  3 public nurseries and 11 kindergartens operate here. The selection of private facilities is wide. In the district, you can find bilingual kindergartens and nurseries, ones with integrated class sections or teaching with the Montessori method.

In Żoliborz, there are 9 public elementary schools and over a dozen non-public schools. They are characterised by a wide selection of classes. There are also facilities holding classes in two languages and international schools. Most of them are modern and meets the demands of the young people.

There are 8 high schools of general education in Żoliborz. The offer of secondary schools is varied: apart from public schools, there are profiled facilities, for instance the high school of cinematography with bilingual classes at the Warsaw Film School and the high school of video games creation. There are also technical high schools in Żoliborz, such as: Technical high school of motor vehicle engineering no. 3, Synów Pułku Technical high school of electrics and Jan Kiliński Technical high school of mechanics no. 7.

Recommended Kindergartens and Schools:

• International Preschool TEQUESTA at 3c Jasnodworskiej street
• Academy International Żoliborz, Bilingual Kindergarten at 16 ks. J. Popiełuszki street
• 64th Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz high school of general education specialises in exact subjects.
• Stefania Sempołowska High school of general education with bilingual classes is famous for its high level of French language education.

Żoliborz is an especially attractive place for families with children. It has modern and safe playgrounds. The playground located in Park Żeromskiego has a good reputation. It is visited by children from all around Warsaw. The playground is equipped with many attractions, such as slides, seesaws, sandboxes and a mini climbing wall. Children have a time of their lives and their parents can drink coffee here.

Żoliborz is a district friendly towards cyclists. It is full of cycling routes which allow safe travel to Śródmieście, the housing estate of Młociny and even the Zegrze Reservoir. The cycling routes start for instance in the area of the Kępa Potocka park, running through such streets as Bohomolca, Żółkowskich, Harcerska or Stołeczna. People without their own bicycles can avail themselves of Veturilo urban bicycles.

Cinema lovers can go to two art houses – Kino Elektronik and Kino Wisła, where they can see films before their premiere. On the other hand, play connoisseurs will go to two theatres of Żoliborze – Teatr Komedia and Teatr TrzyRzecze.

There is a modern Centre of Sports and Recreation at 1 Potocka street in Żoliborz. It is very popular among the inhabitants. It houses two swimming pools – a sports one and a recreational one. You can also relax in a sauna or jacuzzi in the Centre. “Night swimming” is a popular local initiative of the Centre. During the event, the swimming pools have atmospheric lighting and sound speakers play relaxing music.

Fitness lovers will also find themselves a proper place. The selection of gyms of varied. You can go to popular facilities of known chains (AnyTime Fitness, ZDROFIT) or local housing estate gyms. The district includes numerous residential complexes with gyms for their residents only. The inhabitants can also use tennis courts or outdoor gyms. It is worth having a horse riding lesson when you are in the area. Visitors have a high opinion of courts for football, volleyball and basketball.

There are also plenty of commercial points in Żoliborz. There are several dozen beauty and SPA facilities here. There is also the Marymont marketplace in the district, where the locals buy fresh vegetables and fruit.

At the border of Śródmieście and Żoliborz, at the Radosława roundabout, there is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe – Arkadia. It houses shops of known global brands. In the neighbouring Bielany, the modern Galeria Młociny shopping centre was erected, with over 200 shops and a rich selection of gastronomic and recreational facilities.

The most popular premium investments in Żoliborz are apartment blocks at 1 Bitwy pod Rokitną, 9 Zajączka and 6 Barszczewskiej streets.