Promotion of Warsaw

The promotional spot "Be smart... Warsaw style!" awarded (City Marketing Office announcement)

The spot “Be smart… Warsaw style!”, promoting Warsaw as a smart city, received the first prize at the 19th International Festival of Tourist and Corporate Films “FilmAT”.

The spot received first prize in the theme: Tourism, in the category: Tourist product/dedicated technological facilities.

The awards ceremony, concluding the 19th edition of the International Festival of Touring and Corporate Films “FilmAT”, took place on February 7 this year at the Museum of Sports and Tourism.

2024 – a year full of distinctions for Warsaw (City Marketing Office announcement)

In 2024, Warsaw received many awards and distinctions in various fields. The artificial intelligence and IT sector, smart city, public spaces, tourism and promotion, health and sustainable development - these are the selected sectors in which the capital city is a leader.

Year by year, Warsaw appears in more and more rankings and takes higher and higher positions. It is in the top of many prestigious lists. The development of the capital, in many areas of the city's functioning, is noticeable and appreciated in the country and abroad.

Economy and innovation – the first strong point   

Warsaw is the best city in Europe for IT investments (ranking "The 10 Top Places to Invest in Europe") and one of the leading centers of the artificial intelligence sector in Central and Eastern Europe (report "State of Warsaw AI"). High economic development rate, a system of facilities for investors and tax incentives, relatively low rent for renting space, but also lower wages than in the West and excellent communication with Europe - these factors place Warsaw at the top of the best cities for business investments. The capital has been a dynamically developing center of new technologies for years. As many as 46% companies from the AI industry are Warsaw companies, and their number is growing at a rate of 54% per year.

In the pan-European ranking "European Cities and Regions of the Future" (FDI Intelligence, The Financial Times group), Warsaw was ranked 4th overall – out of 330 European cities – and 2nd in the "Business Friendliness" category, right behind London.

The capital is also a city of innovation in payment systems. Local Government Capital Forum

and Finance awarded Warsaw a special “Pioneers of Digital Payments” award last year (for the new cashless and commission-free E-COMMERCE payment service for residents).

Warsaw is actively implementing smart solutions, which is why it is appreciated in rankings that include a smart city perspective. In the global "IMD Smart City Index" ranking, it took 38th place among 142 cities from around the world. During the New Mobility Congress 2024, Warsaw also received an award for innovative solutions in the field of mobility (ranking "CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index Recognition Award").

Greenery in the city and sustainable development – the second strong point

Warsaw's great asset is the area of green areas and natural resources, the maintenance and development of which is an important aspect for the city. According to the ranking "The Greenest Cities in Europe 2025", published in the online magazine "Forbes", the capital city was ranked 5th among the greenest European capitals. The ranking "The Urban Atlas" indicates that Warsaw is covered with green areas in 47%.

The city's unique resource - also appreciated by tourists visiting us - is the Vistula River and its natural surroundings. Another asset for the city is the immediate vicinity of the Kampinos National Park.

One of Warsaw's parks – Action "Burza" – received the prestigious European Award for Public Space in Cities (Public Space 2024). The unique combination of historical symbolism of this place with nature and ecological sensitivity was appreciated. After its revitalization, the park received many other awards, including an award in the LILA competition – Landezine International Landscape Award, one of the most important competitions for implementation in the field of public space and landscape architecture.

In the last edition of the "Eco-City" competition, organized by the French Embassy in Poland and UNEP/GRID, the capital won awards in three of the five competition categories: Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Mobility and Green-Blue Infrastructure. Additionally, Warsaw received two special awards from private companies.

In the global ranking "Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2024", the capital of Poland took 9th place among cities with the highest degree of sustainable development.

Quality of life in the city – the third strong point

In the nationwide, multidimensional study Healthy Cities Index 2024, the capital city took 2nd place. The research team looked at 66 cities, taking into account eight areas: health, population and generations, municipal and social services, education, housing, environment, infrastructure and space. This is another year in a row when the capital city is at the top of this list.

Warsaw is also the capital of safety and high quality of life. In the extensive, global study "New definition of competitiveness of cities", carried out by the international research agency ARUP, the city received the maximum number of points in the categories "Safety" and "Care for the quality of life of residents". The study also paid attention to the active involvement of residents in decision-making processes regarding the functioning of the city.

The quality of life is also influenced by the developed and convenient public transport and the offer of spending free time. Warsaw's public transport is not only developed, convenient and inexpensive (compared to other large cities), but also modern and pro-ecological. The metro - although it has two lines - took 5th place out of 19 European capitals in the ranking, which took into account the following indicators: number of stations, annual timetable, coverage of the city area by the metro network, Google reviews and the number of positive and negative reactions on the Internet to articles about the metro.

Tourist attractiveness and cultural offer

Warsaw is an attractive tourist destination. Low food and accommodation costs, inexpensive public transport, excellent connections with European cities, no tourist tax, a wide range of leisure activities - all this makes Warsaw the best and cheapest place for a European city break (ranking of the insurance company Quotezone).

In turn, in the VisaGuide.World ranking, the capital of Poland was ranked 4th out of 10 European capitals that must be visited in 2024. It was noted that the city is safe, inexpensive and it is easy to communicate in English. A great advantage of Warsaw, not only in the tourist aspect, is its rich culinary offer. Vegans in particular have their paradise here: the capital was ranked 12th in the world among the Most Vegan-Friendly Cities (ranking "Happy Cow").

The Polish History Museum, located in the Warsaw Citadel, was named one of the seven most beautiful museums in the world. In December 2024, the museum hosted a gala during which the architectural Prize of Versailles was presented. The building, and especially its façade, was awarded for its original, well-thought-out and artistically intricate references to Polish history.

The year 2025 has only just begun, and Warsaw has received information about another distinction – the Museum of Modern Art took 1st place in the world ranking of the Lonely Planet travel portal in the category of "newly opened museums". The Warsaw cultural facility was appreciated for its massive, minimalist shape and interior, perfectly referring to the style of modern art.

Source: capital city of Warsaw