Warsaw is one of Poland’s most family-friendly and interesting cities for families. We visit it with our children very often. There are plenty of attractions, activities, and water parks here. The city itself is fascinating, and its centre is changing beyond recognition. Therefore, if you visit Warsaw, one of its latest urban transformations is well worth seeing. A new attraction in Warsaw has appeared where cars, asphalt and ramps leading into an underground tunnel once dominated the landscape. Today, this area features a green square, hundreds of trees, fountains and a place to relax in the very heart of Poland’s capital.
New attraction in Warsaw – on the site of a former car tunnel
If you have not visited Warsaw or its city centre for a long time, this new attraction will certainly surprise you. We visit Warsaw often and see how the city centre and its surrounding areas continue to transform. In the summer of 2024, the former car tunnel beneath Marszałkowska Street was closed and began to be dismantled. Its entrance ramps alone occupied around 1,500 square metres of the city centre. At the time, Warsaw announced plans to replace this car-dominated space with a green square designed for pedestrians.
The results did not take long to appear. After approximately two years of work, the area around Złota and Zgoda streets reopened in a completely transformed form on 3 August 2026. This is the largest investment completed to date under the Nowe Centrum Warszawy (New Centre of Warsaw) project.
The transformation is particularly impressive when you consider what this part of the city looked like before. Instead of asphalt, cars and a tunnel, visitors can now walk among trees, sit down, relax beside fountains and enjoy a beautiful green space in central Warsaw.
200 new trees and almost 3,000 square metres of greenery
One of the main features of this new space is its greenery. As many as 200 trees have been planted in the Złota–Zgoda–Jasna–Sienkiewicza block. Meanwhile, new landscaped areas with shrubs and perennial plants cover almost 3,000 square metres.
This is more than just an attractive change to the city centre. The extensive greenery aims to reduce the urban heat island effect, provide more shade and help retain rainwater.
The new fountains are particularly eye-catching. One is designed as a landscaped water feature with large stones and places to sit. The other, located closer to Marszałkowska Street, is larger and features impressive lighting. As a result, the new space is worth visiting both during the day and in the evening.
The fountains also serve a practical purpose. On hot summer days, the water helps cool the surrounding area. Therefore, the new square will be a pleasant place to stop and rest while exploring the city.
For families with children, the water features may be one of the most enjoyable highlights. However, this is not a traditional children’s amusement park or a large playground. Instead, the space was primarily designed for walking, relaxation and expanding the green areas in the city centre. I am sure that when we visit on a hot summer day next year, the children will love running through the fountains.
Beneath the square: a system that preserves the former tunnel’s legacy
The most interesting part of this transformation lies underground. The city has turned part of the space freed up by the old car tunnel into a large rainwater storage system.
The reservoirs beneath the redeveloped block can hold more than three million litres of water. The collected rainwater irrigates the new trees and other plants. Furthermore, the entire system operates automatically.
This clearly demonstrates the scale of the transformation. A space once dedicated to car traffic has become a green urban area that also helps maintain its plants.
Location in the very heart of Warsaw
The new Złota and Zgoda area is conveniently located for tourists. It connects Chmielna Street and Plac Pięciu Rogów with Plac Powstańców Warszawy, the new Plac Centralny, and the area around the Museum of Modern Art.
Therefore, you do not need to plan a separate trip to another part of the city to visit this square. It is easy to include in a walk around central Warsaw, especially if you plan to visit the Palace of Culture and Science, Plac Centralny, Chmielna Street or other popular city-centre attractions.
Another interesting feature is its position along the axis of the Palace of Culture and Science. During the tunnel transformation planning stage, the Warsaw Municipal Roads Authority emphasised that views of one of the capital’s most recognisable landmarks could make this area a popular place for walks and photography.
Warsaw’s city center: worth seeing anew
If you visited Warsaw a few years ago, the city centre is now well worth exploring again. Changes are happening one after another. Meanwhile, the transformation of the former car tunnel is an excellent example of how an area once dedicated to transport can become a green, people-friendly urban space.
You do not need to set aside half a day to visit this spot. However, if you are exploring Warsaw with children, it is worth adding to your city-centre itinerary. The fountains, greenery, and ample space for walking make it a pleasant stop.
