The usual tour of Warsaw is limited to the historic places of the city center: the Old Town, the Royal Castle and the absurdly outsized Stalin-era Palace of Culture. It's all worthy fare, but for a different take on Poland's buzzing capital, hop over to the right, or eastern, bank of the Vistula River to explore the Praga district. The rough-edged, working-class neighborhood has recently turned into a funky haven for artists and a new focal point for the city's cultural and nightlife.
Spared the thorough destruction suffered by left-bank Warsaw in WW II, the area has preserved the 19th and early...