On a recent trip to Central and Eastern Europe in March, we had Warsaw on the itinerary. We had just rode the overnight train from Budapest to Warsaw and arrived at the Warsaw Central train station in the morning. We had several hours to pass before we were able to check into our Airbnb, so we decided to wander the city to get a feel for it.
It was cold, windy, overcast, and we were in downtown Warsaw on a weekday. There were plenty of people commuting to work and walking the streets. There were no leaves on trees or flowers in gardens, and other than the Palace of Culture and Science (Stalin’s Penis) it was all concrete Soviet era buildings blending in with the cloudy sky. I’ll be the first to admit it was a bit depressing, morale was low, and the thought that we might have made a destination mistake was in the back of our minds.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in traveling, it’s not to judge a city by the train station and surrounding areas. We continued wandering and later made our way to Old Town Warsaw to check into our Airbnb. The architecture had completely changed from Soviet brutalism into charming neoclassical churches and rowhouses. There was even some color on other than grey and brown! It was the morale boost we needed to lift our moods.
March Weather in Warsaw, Poland
During the month of March, Warsaw averages a low of about 30 degrees fahrenheit and a high of 44 degrees. The city sees an average of 15 days of rainfall during the month. With the rainstorms, it can get a bit windy.
If you’ll be visiting Warsaw in March, pack at least a jacket and an umbrella. It would be advisable to also pack a scarf, a warm hat, and some gloves. If you forget them, the smart souvenir vendors have them in stock.
What is it like to visit Warsaw, Poland in March?
While we got off to a rough start, Warsaw is about like any other more northern European city during the colder months. So long as you pack warm clothes for the trip, you should be just fine wandering the streets, visiting museums, and dining. As with traveling during any season, there are pros and cons. You won’t be sitting in parks under shady trees, or walking along flower lined streets, but you will also be experiencing Warsaw without the many summertime tourists and generally flights will be less expensive. It’s easier to get into restaurants and the streets generally feel more quiet.
Don’t let traveling during colder off-season months turn you away from Warsaw. You can still see and experience everything you could during any other time of year, you will just get a different perspective. We certainly didn’t regret it.
