Our weekend ideas
What to do in Poland on 17 and 18 October: five cities, five ideas
A final weekend of cinema in Warsaw, paper folding in Kraków, illuminated pumpkins in Wrocław, art in Gdańsk and family discoveries in Łódź: our autumn outing selection.
Original AI-generated illustration: an imagined cinema inspired by an outing in Warsaw. It is neither an actual festival auditorium nor a film image.
Warsaw: enjoy the final days of the film festival
The Warsaw International Film Festival ends on Sunday 18 October, making this weekend a final opportunity to discover its selection. For French-speaking readers, the programme includes Antonin Baudry’s double screening De Gaulle: Résistance + Liberté on Saturday 17 at 10 a.m. in Kinoteka 3, with two films for one ticket. Choose a specific screening rather than counting on a last-minute seat, and check the language and subtitles before buying. You can add a walk around the centre; if the skies cloud over, the cinema itself provides an indoor activity. A screening being listed does not guarantee available seats.
- When : Festival from 9 to 18 October; De Gaulle double screening on Saturday 17 at 10 a.m.
- Where : Kinoteka 3 for this screening; other films are shown in several cinemas.
- Booking : Tickets on the official website; check the price and languages of your chosen screening.
- Getting there : Kinoteka is in the Palace of Culture and Science, near Centrum station.
Kraków: a day of origami at the Manggha Museum
On Sunday 18 October, the Manggha Museum hosts the Polish Origami Society’s twentieth anniversary. The folding area in the level –1 lobby is announced from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with models of varying difficulty and instructors to guide participants. It is an outing for families or curious adults, even without paper-folding experience. The event also includes talks and special workshops: some require advance registration and confirmation from the museum. The anniversary ticket costs 10 zł per person and covers the jubilee attractions, but not the exhibitions. A walk along the Vistula embankments can extend the outing if the weather allows.
- When : Sunday 18 October; folding area from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where : Manggha Museum, ul. Marii Konopnickiej 26, Kraków.
- Budget : 10 zł per person for the jubilee; exhibitions charged separately. Accompanying adults also need tickets.
- Booking : Limited places at stands; check each workshop’s rules. Some registrations go through edukacja@manggha.pl.
- Weather : An indoor activity; bring suitable clothing if walking along the embankments.
Wrocław: watch pumpkins light up the botanical garden
Dyniowe Iluminacje continues until Sunday 18 October at the University of Wrocław Botanical Garden. It should not be confused with the Pumpkin Festival day, which took place on 11 October: this weekend it is the illuminated walk that remains on the programme. The municipal portal announces admission from 6 to 9 p.m., with visits possible until 10 p.m. Take a walk towards Ostrów Tumski beforehand, then reach the garden as the lights take over from daylight. The outing is outdoors, so suitable shoes and warm clothing are advisable. In poor weather, check the organiser’s latest messages before leaving.
- When : Saturday 17 or Sunday 18 October; admission announced from 6 to 9 p.m., visits until 10 p.m.
- Where : University of Wrocław Botanical Garden, ul. Henryka Sienkiewicza 23.
- Tickets : Select illumination tickets through the garden’s ticket service; do not confuse them with prices for the 11 October festival.
- Getting there and alternatives : Ostrów Tumski is walkable from the centre; keep an indoor option if conditions prevent the walk.
Gdańsk: meet young artists in the former shipyards
Targi Młodej Sztuki returns to Plenum on 17 and 18 October. The organiser announces more than sixty artists and a selection mixing painting, photography, illustration, sculpture and small editions. You can come simply to look and talk, without planning to buy or knowing the art market. Exhibitors change between Saturday and Sunday, while one ticket remains valid throughout the weekend. The former shipyard location makes it possible to combine the fair with a walk around this part of Gdańsk. The fair is indoors; shorten the walk around the halls if wind or rain arrives.
- When : Saturday 17 October, 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Sunday 18, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Where : Plenum, ul. Elektryków 4, Gdańsk.
- Budget : 15 zł for paying visitors aged 26–60, valid for both days. The organiser announces free admission for younger visitors and seniors; check your category when buying.
- Booking and access : Ticket link on the organiser’s website; allow time to reach the shipyard area north of the historic centre.
Łódź: celebrate five years of Ulica Żywiołów at EC1
For an outing with children, EC1 celebrates five years of Ulica Żywiołów on 17 and 18 October. The official announcement promises a family exhibition activity, a creative zone with puzzles and colouring, and a chance to meet the space’s mascot. Admission is organised in three two-hour slots: choose yours before planning the rest of the day, rather than arriving at any time. It is a sheltered option for an autumn weekend. Afterwards, EC1’s buildings offer a glimpse of the city’s industrial heritage; perhaps continue with a city-centre walk, without overloading the day if you are visiting with young children.
- When : Saturday 17 and Sunday 18: 10 a.m.–noon, 1–3 p.m. or 4–6 p.m.
- Where : Ulica Żywiołów, EC1 Łódź, ul. Targowa 1/3.
- Tickets : Follow the ticket link in the official announcement for prices and availability in your chosen slot; no availability is guaranteed here.
- Access and weather : The complex is close to Łódź Fabryczna; indoor activity, optional outdoor walk.
- Times are local Polish time, the same as Paris this weekend.
- Availability, prices and conditions may change: check the official ticket service before travelling.
- Activities are mainly advertised in Polish; no French-language facilitation is guaranteed.