Poland Destinations Not to Miss if You Love Chopin

Fryderyk Chopin is known as the poet of the piano, a musical genius and the greatest composer of his time. If you’re a Chopin fan, it is essential that you make a journey to Poland sometime in your lifetime.

Poland is not only where Chopin was born and raised, but it is a land that he loved deeply and from where his music captured inspiration.

Whether it’s his regal Polonaises (the music of the Polish aristocracy) or his Mazurkas (based on traditional folk music), some of his best compositions were inspired by the Polish music he grew up with.

To truly understand Chopin’s music, one must understand his love for Poland by visiting his roots and seeing the beautiful land that inspired such poetic, stunning music.

I’ve compiled a list of all the Chopin related things for you to do on your next visit to Poland. Here they are.

Żelazowa Wola

Chopin was born in 1810 in the village of Żelazowa Wola, where his father tutored aristocratic children. Therefore, the first recommendation I have for your Chopin visit in Poland is to visit his birthplace.

The most convenient option is a private half-day tour from Warsaw. This group package is for up to three people. It’s the best option if you don’t have a car and don’t want to deal with public transport, or if you’d like a planned, guided tour. It includes hotel pick-up and drop-off service in addition to a tour guide.

Otherwise, you can go the cheaper route: take a 35-minute train and then a bus to get to Żelazowa Wola from Warsaw.

Once there, you may visit the house where Chopin was born, which is now an informative museum.

The best time to visit Żelazowa Wola is in the summer. This is when the beautiful gardens in the botanical park are in bloom. Also, every Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. and at 3 p.m. during summer months you can enjoy Chopin recitals performed by a large variety of famous pianists. You can find the schedule of pianists performing here.

Warsaw

Chopin only lived in Żelazowa Wola for a few months of his life, however, because shortly after his birth, the Chopin family moved to Warsaw. This is where young Chopin grew up, learned to play the piano and published his first composition at the age of seven.

In homage to being Chopin’s home, the city of Warsaw holds many locations and events that will thrill his fans.

Some locations, such as the building where Chopin’s family first lived in upon moving to Warsaw, were destroyed during World War II. In fact, most of the city was demolished during the war during a valiant uprising by its citizens.

Most of the city was rebuilt, however, so you can still imagine what Chopin’s Warsaw looked like and walk on the same ground he did.

Chopin Tours of Warsaw

If you’d like to take a free self-guided tour throughout the city following Chopin’s life in Warsaw, you can create your own. To find out more about the different buildings Chopin lived or performed in, use this great website.

As you stroll around the city, you will find musical benches playing Chopin’s music. These are placed in front of sites that have links to Chopin’s life in Warsaw.

If you’d rather take an organized tour, complete with a tour guide who will go more in depth about Chopin and his life in Warsaw, I’d suggest this tour. It comes with a Chopin concert at the end of the tour, as well as a beverage to replenish after all that walking.

Chopin Concerts

If you’d prefer to go the cheaper route and walk around the Chopin sites yourself, you can still attend this Chopin Concert. You can buy the tickets for the concert separately here. The concert is in the Royal Palace and comes with a complimentary honey wine or apple juice.

If you’re in Warsaw on a Sunday in the summer, you can enjoy a free outdoor concert. It’s located at the Łazienki Park, next to the Chopin monument at the edge of the park.

Chopin Museum

And you can’t leave Warsaw without visiting the Fryderyk Chopin Museum.

Most of Poland’s museums are very impressive and interactive. But if you’re a Chopin fan like me, you will find this museum to be extra impressive.

I easily spent an entire day here, exploring details about Chopin’s life and listening to his compositions. There are also many artifacts from Chopin’s life here. This includes original copies of his compositions and a piano that he played on, among many others.

While in Warsaw, check out my other top recommendations for things to do in this capital city.

Other Mazowsze towns

Both Żelazowa Wola and Warsaw are in the Mazowsze region of Poland. This region’s folk music is where Chopin got a lot of music inspiration from.

This region is therefore very important to Chopin, and there are several other towns worth visiting in Mazowsze that Chopin himself spent time in.

For example, Brochów, a village not far from Żelazowa Wola, is where Chopin’s parents were married and where Fryderyk was baptized. Both occasions occurred in the St. John the Baptist Church, which is worth the visit for this reason.

Another village worth a visit is Sanniki, which is where Chopin had spent a summer vacation to improve his health.

He was ordered to spend a lot of time outside in this village to get fresh air instead of sitting inside all day playing piano. You can also improve your health with that same fresh air by visiting the Chopin monument in Sanniki’s park.

Another place worth visiting here is the Sanniki Palace. There is a Chopin concert here every first Sunday of the month from February to October.

Other Cities in Poland

Chopin didn’t only stay in the Mazowsze region in the time he lived in Poland. If you’re a true Chopin die-hard fan and want to see everything in Poland that Chopin saw, there are a few more places to put on your itinerary.

Gdańsk

Chopin made a trip to Gdańsk in 1827. This large port city is located at the very north of the country.

Even if you’re not a Chopin fan, Gdańsk made it on my list of the top 5 cities to visit in Poland, as it’s truly a wonderful city. And if Chopin thought this city was worthy of a visit, so should you!

Wrocław

Wrocław is another city on my top 5 cities in Poland list that Chopin visited. In fact, he visited this beautiful city several times.

Despite how old this city is, Wrocław still has a very youthful vibe today thanks to all the university students living there. It’s easy to imagine a young Chopin walking the streets here.

Kraków

Chopin only visited Kraków once, but for a longer period of time. This is one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Poland, both in Chopin’s times and today.

During his time in Kraków, Chopin spent much time in the Jageillonian University’s library. He also saw most the things that are still tourist attractions today, more than 200 years later. Check out the museum to see these.

If you plan to retrace Chopin’s footsteps in Kraków, make sure to read about my 28 favorite things to do in the city. Many of them existed back in Chopin’s days, and he visited those points of interest too.

Poznań

Another city worth visiting that Chopin has been to is Poznań, where there are two Chopin plaques commemorating his visit there.

A trip to the Museum of Musical Instruments is a must in this city because the Chopin Room contains the piano Chopin played on during his visit, among other Chopin artifacts housed in the exhibit.

Toruń

And finally, you should plan on a visit to Toruń. Chopin was very impressed by the historical buildings in this city, including the leaning tower. It is quite the odd experience to be inside of this tilted tower, and it offers a beautiful view.

Besides the architecture, Chopin was impressed by this city for two other reasons. The first is because it was the birthplace of Mikołaj Kopernik, the famous Polish astronomer who “stopped the sun and moved the earth.” The second is the city’s famous gingerbread (pierniki toruńskie). If you’re here, you have to try this delicious treat from a local bakery.

Make sure to stop by Szafarnia, which is 48 km east of Toruń. Szafarnia is where Chopin composed his first four mazurkas and where he learned more about his country’s culture and history.

Today, the Fryderyk Chopin Centre in Szafarnia commemorates his stay there. It is the location of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition for children and youngsters, among other events.

Where will you go?

There is so much to see in Poland if you are a fan of Chopin and want to follow in his (literal) footsteps.

Are you planning on going to Chopin’s home country? Comment below which of these Chopin-related activities you plan to partake in!

---