If you like to be beside the seaside but don’t want the five hour drive, then hook your bucket and spade on to your handlebars and pedal off to Warsaw’s riverbank!

By Gill Boelman-Burrows

La Playa
(laplaya.pl) Surrounded by fake palm trees, this beach club has ample seating and several hammocks well situated to wind away the hours admiring the city’s skyline. Roll out your towel, build sandcastles, blow up the inflatable while watching people play beach games then go dip your toe in the calm, albeit murky, water of the Wisla. Volleyball, badminton and boules equipment is available for free and the decking, meanwhile, doubles as a dancefloor: so don’t come for peace and quiet! DJ’s pump out hypnotic summer dance tunes throughout the day. On Sundays Latin beats bring the salsa and samba crowd, and a rather handsome instructor will assist those wishing to loosen the hips. Toilets are in abundance, as are beefy security men who double as lifeguards! The only thing La Playa really lacks is a beach café – unless the food trucks pull up then its frytki or a DIY beach bbq.

La Playa Line Park
(parklinowywarszawa.pl) Tarzan fans will love this place! Like many of these rope parks there are different levels of adrenaline rush available. Children from 4-years old can try, but it’s the real daredevil who clambers into the treetops and gets a stunning view of Warsaw’s ever changing skyline. Admission: zł. 30-120

River Ferry
(www.ztm.waw.pl) The ferries are rather ramshackle but they offer a frequent service with impressive city views to boot. Laden down with parasols, buckets, spades and a picnic, you might look like refugees fleeing land but this journey is fast, fun and FREE! The ‘Wilga’ route crossing stops right on the sandbanks of La Playa.