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SocietyPoland

Poland's library inside a subway station

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Mathias Kubitza
November 21, 2025

Instead of staring at your smartphone on the subway, a library in the Warsaw subway lets you borrow books to read during your commute — and it’s conveniently close to the platform.

In Warsaw, an analog counter-movement to the smartphone trend is emerging: the “Metroteka” in a subway station invites visitors to read real books. While people in Poland spend more than three hours a day on their phones — half an hour more than in Germany — the stylish library offers calm and deceleration. Hydroponic plants bring life to the concrete space. Still a hidden gem, but a place that challenges digital habits.

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