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I can’t believe it took me this long to write a Writer’s Travel Guide to Poland. This is the country my family is from, and so it’s the country I’ve visited the most. So naturally, I’ve searched for and found lots of great writing spots in Poland over the years.
While there are lots of other great places in Poland for a solo writing retreat destination, these are the ones that I think would be best suited as a base for one with a lot great writing spots.
Below, find Poland’s best writing spots, places for inspiration and places to stay in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Lublin, Zakopane and Bieszczady.
Table of Contents
Warsaw
The capital of Poland, Warsaw is an obvious choice for an urban writing destination.
Where to Write: Warsaw
Tarabuk
Love writing in book cafés? Me too. This cozy little space cluttered with stacks of books is a writing spot dream. Find a comfy couch or armchair and spend the morning or afternoon writing away.
Wedel Café
The location on Krakowskie Przedmieście is a great place to sit at the tables outside and people watch those going to or coming from the Old Town square.
It’s also a great place if you love chocolate. Wedel is one of Poland’s most famous chocolate companies, and in my opinion, its café’s highlight is the hot chocolate. Thick and rich, you can choose from several types: dark, milk or white chocolate, and even with added syrups. It’s for this reason that this chain of cafes is among my favorite writing spots in Poland.
It also is known for the equally rich and delicious desserts, so a visit here will double as a sweet tooth craving cure.
Café Próżna
This café is located outside of the touristy Old Town and is near the Palace of Culture and Science, not far from the city center train and subway stations.
The interior is cozy and the noise level isn’t too loud for writing, and the free wi-fi is certainly a plus if you need to do some research. Either sit inside at a small round table or grab a table outside.
Łazienki Park
This gigantic park has plenty of great outdoor writing spots. Pick a garden you like, find a bench and write.
It also doubles as a great place to take a writing break. Make sure you visit the palace, and if you’re around in the summer, head to the Chopin statue on Sundays for the free Chopin concert.
If you enjoy writing outside but want to stay close to Old Town (Łazienki Park is a bit far from the city center), then this garden is the perfect urban oasis.
Located mostly on the rooftop of the Warsaw University Library, this stunning garden has several seating areas. Although I didn’t have time to write here, next time I’m in Poland I’ll definitely be taking advantage of this writing spot.
Where to Get Inspiration: Warsaw
Old Town
Although completely destroyed in World War II, it was rebuilt to look exactly how it once did. It’s definitely the most touristy part of town, and the restaurants will be overpriced, but it’s still a lovely place to walk around.
Check out the squares, the royal castle, the 16th century defense wall and views of the Wisła River.
Praga neighborhood
For a rare glimpse of what Warsaw might have looked like if it weren’t almost completely destroyed in World War II, the Praga neighborhood is known as one of the few places in Warsaw with still remaining pre-war buildings.
This makes it the best places to wander around if you want to imagine what the city used to look like. Although it’s one of the oldest parts, it now has a hip vibe mixing in with the old, evident in the colorful street art found throughout.
Warsaw Uprising Museum
If you’re in the midst of writing an inspirational scene, not matter what genre, you’ll surely be inspired by the bravery of those who participated in the Warsaw Uprising.
It could especially be a source of inspiration if you’re writing YA, as many of the participants in this 1944 uprising against Nazi occupiers in Warsaw were youths.
Multimedia Fountain Park
Now, a water fountain might not sound like a source of inspiration, but the one at this park is. Every summer, the park draws in huge crowds wanting to witness the multimedia show.
With water and light displays portraying a story and accompanied by music, it is truly impressive. And it’s free!
As the cultural capital of Poland, and perhaps the prettiest city in the country, Krakow is one of the best urban writing spots in Poland.
Where to Write: Krakow
Dziórawy Kocioł
This one is for the Harry Potter fans. Translated to the Leaky Cauldron, this underground café feels a bit like a dungeon, but with the coziness of the Gryffindor common room rather than that of Slytherin.
They have lots of Harry Potter inspired drinks and snacks, and the cozy ambience is perfect for a magical day spent writing.
Czajownia Tea Room
This oriental themed interior is so inviting, and if you love tea, you’ll happily spend the day here. The menu offers a huge variety of teas, so you’ll have a lot writing fuel to choose from!
It’s also located in Kazimierz, which is my personal favorite neighborhood in Kraków—have a wander around in between writing.
Wedel Café
Like the one in Warsaw, this café has the same mouth-watering, chocolatey treats. If you have to choose one, I personally like this location better.
Whether you sit inside the high-ceilinged, elegant interior or outside with a view of the iconic Rynek of Krakow, you’re sure to find an ideal place to write.
This café is quite popular and, being located on the main square, can be quite touristy and busy. But if you don’t mind a bit of bustle, and even draw from it for writing inspiration, your writing will thrive in this café.
Massolit Books & Café
As you’ll see, there many bookcafé options for writing spots in Poland. This one is an English language bookstore and located in Old Town, although not right in the touristy, crowded part.
Grab a drink and a cozy seat, and browse around for books when you need more writing inspiration.
Where to Get Inspiration: Kraków
Główny Rynek
The main square of Kraków is praised as one of the most beautiful in the world, and it’s quite deserving of that title. The square is lined with restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating and elegant interiors, and the cloth hall in the middle of the square is a good place to window shop for souvenirs from vendors.
Wawel Castle
This castle has a lot to do—you can easily spend a whole day here.
The cathedral is stunning and very much worth visiting. Head upstairs to see the gigantic bells and downstairs to see the tombs of Polish kings and other important people. Pretty much all the most important people in Polish history are buried here.
Then, head to the castle itself where you will find several different museums to choose from. And don’t forget to buy a ticket to see the legendary dragon’s cave!
Nowa Huta
Writing a dystopian? Nowa Huta, now part of Kraków, was first established as its own city by the Soviet government. It was meant to be socialist utopian city, the “perfect” city as imagined by the Communists.
But Nowa Huta was far from a utopia, and it has a fascinating history you could learn about in the Nowa Huta museum after sightseeing the district’s social realist architecture.
Want to do more in Kraków? Good, because there’s a lot. Check out my favorite things to do in Kraków.
An old city with a youthful vibe thanks to the many university students studying there, Wrocław is one of my favorite cities in Poland, and it had tons of writing spots.
Where to Write: Wroclaw
Koton Coffee & Cats
Because there are so many students in Wrocław, there are lots of hip cafés. This is one of them. And it’s for the cat lovers.
So if you love writing with a furry friend by your side, head here for a coffee, cake and cuddles.
Czarna Magia
I absolutely love the interior of this café. It’s so elegant with the chandelier and open with the big window. The abundance of greenery adds life to the place, and the selection food and drinks is great. Either stop by in the morning for cake and coffee or tea, or in the afternoon for lunch or dinner and a cocktail.
Klubokawiarnia Mleczarnia
The rustic, old-fashioned interior is cozy, and there’s an outdoor area for sunny days. This is a good place to head for a hearty breakfast to accompany your morning writing session.
Kawiarnia Literatka
This café was once a popular meeting spot among writers in Poland during the communist era. It’s also a book café, and you can read the books if you’d like. Sound like Poland’s most perfect writing spot? I think so.
Where to Get Inspiration: Wrocław
Rynek
As with all the old cities of Poland, the main square is a great place to explore for some writing inspiration. It still remains the hub of the city, and it’s one of the most historically significant parts of the city.
Take in the beautiful old architecture and people watch, and maybe stop by an outdoor café or restaurant.
Mickiewicz Museum
Perhaps one of Poland’s most famous writers, no writer should leave Wrocław without learning more about him at this museum. The exhibits are amazing, and it also does a great job of portraying what life used to be in his time.
Hydropolis
A science museum about water might not seem too interesting, but it is. Water is something we might take for granted, but it’s one of the most important resources in the world. I’m sure any writer—of any genre—could leave the Hydropolis with at least one writing idea!
Wrocław Multimedia Fountain
Remember the one I mentioned in Warsaw? This one is also cool! They remind me of the similar light and water shows in Singapore.
This fountain is also located next to the Japanese Garden, which is really pretty!
For a solo writing retreat in a historic city by the sea, Gdańsk is perhaps the most famous city in the north of Poland.
Where to Write: Gdańsk
Leń
With a cozy and unique interior and nice outdoor terrace, this café is a great one to write at. They also have a highly reviewed selection of coffee and cocktails, depending on your mood.
Drukarnia
With good wi-fi, outlets to charge your laptop, a great atmosphere and delicious drinks, this café has it all for a great writing day. Not only that, but “drukarnia” means printing house, so you can day dream of the future when your work in progress will be completed and sent off to be printed.
Cukiernia Sowa
This popular bakery chain is worth visiting for the treats, and the location on Długa Street in the city center makes it worth staying to write at. Although small, it’s cozy and in a great location to stop at while exploring the historic city center.
Where to Get Inspiration: Gdańsk
AmberSky
This Ferris wheel is located on a small river island in city center, and therefore it offers a great bird’s eye view of the city! I don’t know about you, but I love the perspective change of seeing a new place from above.
Writing Prompt: [This was a past Voyage Scribe writing prompt, and going on the AmberSky could help you!] Write a story from the perspective of bird flying over a place you visited.
Ulica Długa
This street (Long Street) is perhaps the most important one. It has lots of historical gates and buildings to marvel at, and don’t miss the famous Neptune statue.
Stocznia Cesarksa (Imperial Shipyard)
If you don’t know much about Poland’s history in times of communism, or if you want to learn more, this is a piece of history you can’t miss. The strikes at this shipyard gave birth to the Solidarity movement that ended up overthrowing communism in Poland, which sparked a domino effect in the rest of Eastern Europe.
Beaches
Since it’s located by the sea, Gdańsk has lots of beach options. There are some near the city, or you can explore more of the Baltic coast and use Gdańsk as your base.
Ulica Piwna
Write drunk, edit sober. If this is your philosophy, this street, translated to Beer Street, is where you’ll find bars.
No to Cyk is an interesting bar to visit even if you don’t want to get drunk, as it’s decorated in the old Communist style.
Westerplatte
Not far from Gdańsk is Westerplatte, the place where World War II began. It’s definitely worth a daytrip to explore the bombed ruins and pay homage at the memorial.
Another important historical city in Poland is Lublin, located in the east. It’s not quite as popular as the other cities in Poland I already mentioned, which means it’s a bit less touristy, yet still has a lot to see–and plenty of writing spots.
Where to Write: Lublin
Wedel Café
As in other cities in Poland, I feel the need to include the Wedel Café because it’s where I personally love to visit. The upstairs of this one was empty when I visited, and the elegant, comfy chair I sat in writing while waiting for my breakfast of thick hot chocolate and scrambled eggs was the perfect writing spot.
Między Słowami
If you’ve read my other Writer’s Travel Guides, you’ll know that I love book cafés, and will always include them in my guides. There’s something about writing when you’re surrounding by other’s finished writing that feels so comforting.
What I loved about this café was that it had several rooms to choose from, all cozy and full of quirky décor. They also had a very wide selection of teas, which made it hard to choose just one!
Where to Get Inspiration: Lublin
Lublin Castle
This medieval castle has an important history in Poland, and perhaps the most worthwhile part of it is the Chapel of the Holy Trinity. This 14th century chapel is famous for the exquisite paintings covering all the walls, and it’s truly beautiful.
Lublin Village Open Air Musuem
This open air museum will provide you with a great historical look at what rural villages in Poland were like. With cute little houses and ethnographic exhibits, you’ll find all the inspiration you need to write a historical story taking place in a Polish village.
Majdanek
Not located in Lublin, but nearby, Majdanek is a Nazi concentration camp. Although not as big or famous as Auschwitz, it is still a haunting experience. Much of the camp was destroyed by the Nazis as they fled it, but some of it was reconstructed as evidence of the dark history that took place there.
Perhaps the most popular and famous base town in Poland to explore mountains, this town is an ideal writing destination for writers who love mountains and nature, full of great writing spots.
Where to Write: Zakopane
Samantha Café
Although small, the interior of this café is very nice and I found an outlet to charge my laptop while writing here. The pastries are amazing though, so be prepared to get more than one if you stay here long enough to be tempted!
STRH Bristo Art Café
This classy café is located on the main street of Zakopane. It has both indoor and outdoor seating and is a good place to go if you want a break from shopping to write.
Restauracja Po Widoku- Gubałówka
So this place isn’t in Zakopane, but a small hike or cable car ride up to this tiny mountain village offers a great view of Zakopane below. You’ll also have a view of some of the most famous mountain peaks in the Tatras.
The interior is a rustic mountain style, but I think the best part are the outdoor tables, where you can better enjoy the view.
Where to Get Inspiration: Zakopane
Hiking
The Tatras are most popular as a hiking destination, so you can’t leave without a mountain air filled writing break with gorgeous scenery.
If you have time for only one hike in between your writing time, I’d recommend Morskie Oko and/or Dolina Pięciu Stawów. Both hikes lead to alpine lakes, and there’s a trail in between them so you could do both in a day.
Check out some of my other hiking recommendations in Poland here.
For a less touristy, unique and equally beautiful mountainous destination in Poland, the Bieszczady mountains are a better choice: especially for writers. This region of Poland is historically known for attracting an artist crowd, writers included, and therefore makes for one the best spots to take a solo writing retreat in Poland.
Where to Write: Bieszczady
Sikierezada
This bar is famous for being featured in a film of the same name. It’s also famous for the unique, artistic crowd it attracted.
The exterior might catch your eye, but it’s the interior that’s really noteworthy, packed with quirky, unique decorations, especially in the back by the bar where you order and pick up food and drinks.
My favorite thing about this place were the books lying around with poetry and other writings from past patrons of the bar. They are in Polish, but perhaps asking for a translation of one might be a way to start a conversation with a local.
It can get crowded, so it’s not the best place if you need quiet to write. But it’s a great place if you love writing around interesting people.
Gościniec u Bacy
If you do prefer quiet for writing, I found this nearby small but cozy place to do the trick, and it also had good cheap food. There’s outdoor seating on the terrace upstairs, and also upstairs were small, cozy rooms that I thought were absolutely perfect for writing.
Baza Ludzi z Mgły
With the same owners as Sikierezada (or so I assume based on the exact same menu), it is equally unique and quirky. I stopped by in the late morning for a tea and it was empty, so perfect for a quiet writing spot before it gets busier later in the day.
Kremenaros
This is an accommodation, but it has a restaurant that anyone can visit. I had dinner here one night and was enchanted by the place. While enjoying a delicious burger, I browsed through the old books lying near my table and did a bit of reading.
You’ll find a great atmosphere throughout all of Bieszczady, and this place is no exception. It’s small so won’t get too loud, and it makes for a great writing spot.
Where to Get Inspiration: Bieszczady
Hiking
This is the most popular activity in Bieszczady. There are many different trails you can take, whether you’d like beautiful scenery or a history lesson on this fascinating region.
If you’re hiking in the fall, check out more info in the post on my favorite hikes in Poland in the fall (which is one of the best times to hike in Bieszczady with the colorful leaves).
Cerkiew (Orthodox Churches)
The wooden, unique churches have important historical ties to the region, and although most have been converted to Catholic churches, the unique architecture remains.
I visited the Saint Michelangelo church (first erected in 1791), and there was good information on the history of the church, which I really appreciated.
That’s a great guide describing the best places in Poland in a nutshell. I have always been intrigued by Poland, and this post is making me want to visit, especially to hike around Zakopane.
This is a great guide! I love the Harry Potter cafe! It’s on my list to go to Poland and while I probably won’t have time to write I’ll need to go here for coffee.
That’s a great guide describing the best places in Poland in a nutshell. I have always been intrigued by Poland, and this post is making me want to visit, especially to hike around Zakopane.
This is a great guide! I love the Harry Potter cafe! It’s on my list to go to Poland and while I probably won’t have time to write I’ll need to go here for coffee.
That’s a wonderful and detailed post. Thanks for this informative article.
Such a great travel guide to Poland! 🙂 I have only been to Warsaw, so I definitely want to check out the other cities in the future.
So many great places to write or just sit down. Love all the book cafes!
I loved Poland, I hope I can go back. Thanks for sharing this information