Gnojna Góra (Dung Hill Lookout Point)

Gnojra Góra is a lesser-known lookout point in the Old Town of Warsaw, offering a stunning view of the Vistula River from the observation deck atop a gentle hill. The name means “dung hill” in Polish, and that’s what it once was—quite literally.

The conveniently-located hill had served as a dumping ground for the citizens of Warsaw for centuries. Eventually, it grew to become a source of constant odor and a prime hotspot for disease-carrying rats. Even so, it was once believed that burying oneself in the dump up to the neck would be a cure for syphilis. After the dump on Gnojra Góra was officially closed in 1844, the dung hill was covered with soil and no trace of its past remained except for its name.

In 1923, a vast residential complex was built on top of the hill, which was completely destroyed during World War II, never to be rebuilt due to its blocking of the Vistula panorama.