At its most poetic in autumn, Łazienki Park feels like a stage set for memory. The Palace on the Isle sits at the heart of it all, its reflection caught in still waters that double the blaze of color around it. Cross to the far end of the pond and you’ll find a graceful bridge that frames the view back toward the palace — an image made for the lens. Beyond, long walkways stretch beneath towering trees, their golden canopies dissolving into early-morning mist. A single figure walking through this scene turns it into something almost Proustian, where nostalgia and atmosphere intermingle in the drifting light. And if you’re lucky, you might spot a flash of russet fur: the park’s famously bold red squirrels. Tradition says to call out “Basia, Basia!” and they’ll come scampering closer, ready to steal the scene from your photographs.

In Park Ujazdowski, autumn shows off a full palette — chestnuts, oaks, maples, and beeches layering the park in shifting shades of gold and crimson. In the heart of the park lies a small pond with an island, best admired from the picturesque stone bridge that arches across the water. It’s a favorite perch for portraits, but with a zoom lens you can also train your focus downward, where a family of ducks usually circles the island, offering the chance to channel your inner wildlife photographer. When the wander leaves you hungry, head just outside the park to the newly revived Restauracja Rozdroże 1974. Once a PRL-era classic, it’s been brought back to life with a menu of Polish staples — the perfect way to warm up and round off your autumn stroll.

On Hoża Street, autumn lingers in the canopy of trees that arch overhead, their leaves catching the low sun so the whole street glows at dawn. The mix of these golden tunnels with the few surviving pre-war façades makes it one of Warsaw’s most photogenic walks — and an easy win for your Instagram. Toward Krucza Street, across from the Mercure, stand blocks that were originally meant to give way to a park. It’s a detail that invites a little reflection: how different would this corner of the city feel had those plans come to life?

The Żoliborz Citadel is autumn at its most atmospheric: brick walls rising behind canopies of amber leaves, with the aqueduct bridge and stately columns setting the stage for timeless photos. But there’s also a darker note — the Executioner’s Gate, where prisoners once walked to their fate, gives the place a spectral edge that feels almost made for Halloween. Just outside the Katyń Museum entrance, a renovated old mechanic’s garage reopened this summer as Baken Bar, a cool spot to settle in with a good drink and let the autumn chill sink in.