Museum of Sport and Tourism in Warsaw

One of the Oldest Museums of Its Kind in Europe

[Main Image: Cezary p, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons] The museum opened in 1952, making it one of the oldest sports museums in Europe. However, it only moved into its current home at the modern Olympic Centre in 2005. Before that, the museum had relocated several times, with its first move taking place as early as 1966. On 5 November 2006, the current permanent exhibition was opened to the public in its present form.

Location

The museum is located in the northern part of tourist Warsaw, in the Żoliborz district, directly on the left bank of the Vistula River. It is just under four kilometres from the Old Town. Nevertheless, getting there is not particularly complicated. Motivated walkers can also take a stroll along the left bank of the Vistula, which has been renovated and modernised in many stages over recent years.

The building also houses the highly recommended rooftop restaurant Olympic Sky, so you do not need to worry about food during your visit. In good weather, the terrace offers a beautiful view of the Vistula River and the Warsaw skyline.

For a better overview Map with all museums in Warsaw (click here)

The Permanent Exhibition

The exhibition “The History of Polish Sport and the Olympic Movement” is presented across an area of around 1,000 square metres. The tour begins in antiquity and gradually leads visitors all the way to the present day.

The museum management certainly faced no easy task: only a few thousand objects could be selected from an enormous collection in order to keep the exhibition clear and easy to understand. Today, around 3,000 exhibits are on display. They represent more than 40 historical and modern sports. Wherever Polish athletes have achieved particular international success, the exhibition explores the subject in greater detail.

One especially interesting exhibit is the private kayak of Karol Wojtyła, which he used to explore the Masurian Lakes. Karol Wojtyła later became world-famous as Pope John Paul II.

Temporary Exhibitions

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly organises changing temporary exhibitions. They are dedicated to individual sports, famous personalities, historical events or special anniversaries from the world of sport.

You can find everything worth knowing about the current temporary exhibitions on the museum’s website.

The Exhibits

The museum owns more than 45,000 exhibits. These include medals, trophies, sports badges, equipment, documents, photographs and memorabilia from the world of Polish and international sport.

A particular focus lies on Poland’s Olympic history. One of the best-known sections is the collection of Olympic medals won by Polish athletes, often perceived as a kind of “Hall of Fame”, even though this is not an official name.

The Museum Building

The seven-storey building was designed by architect Bogdan Kulczyński. It was not built exclusively for the museum, but was planned as an Olympic Centre. Since the museum was thematically a perfect fit, it was decided to house both institutions under one roof.

The shape and layout of the building are full of Olympic symbolism. The foundation is shaped like an ellipse. The roof is intended to resemble a stadium canopy. Above the entrance, you can see the Olympic rings. Inside, directly behind the entrance, there is a striking red serpentine ramp leading visitors to the museum exhibition.

This symbolism is not always immediately obvious. With a little background knowledge, however, the building becomes much more interesting.

Why Should You Visit the Museum?

At this museum, you have the opportunity to spend a pleasant and informative afternoon. Getting there is straightforward, the building already makes an interesting impression from the outside, and the exhibition is designed in a way that is easy to follow even without much prior knowledge.

You will not only learn about the world of sport itself, but also about the role of sport in Polish history. This includes major Olympic achievements, famous sporting legends and phenomena such as the well-known “Małyszomania” surrounding the Polish ski jumper Adam Małysz.

An additional advantage is the rooftop terrace. In good weather, you can enjoy views of the Warsaw skyline from there.

The terrace belongs to the restaurant Olympic Sky, where you can enjoy an excellent meal after your visit.