Warsaw

One of the most remarkable reconstructions in history — the entire medieval old town, flattened to rubble in the war, was painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick from old paintings and photographs, and is now a UNESCO site. Wander the colourful Market Square with its mermaid statue, the city walls and the barbican, and marvel at what was resurrected. Poignant, beautiful and the emotional heart of Warsaw.

A powerful, immersive museum telling the harrowing story of the 1944 uprising, when the city rose against Nazi occupation and was crushed and then razed in reprisal. Through film, artefacts, recreations and personal testimony, it conveys the courage and tragedy that shaped modern Warsaw. Moving and essential — the single best place to understand the city's wartime story and its extraordinary resilience.

The colossal Stalin-era skyscraper that dominates the skyline — a 'gift' from the Soviet Union that Varsovians have a famously complicated relationship with. Love it or loathe it, ride to the 30th-floor terrace for a sweeping view over the whole city, and admire the wedding-cake architecture up close. A striking symbol of Warsaw's communist chapter, and the best panorama in town.

The former royal residence on Castle Square, another triumph of reconstruction — its opulent state rooms, restored to their 18th-century glory with paintings by Canaletto's nephew (whose views helped rebuild the city itself), gleam with gilt and marble. A beautiful window into royal Poland and the story of the city's rebirth; the square outside, with its Sigismund's Column, is the gateway to the old town.

The grand historic avenue running south from the old town, lined with churches, palaces, the presidential palace and the university — including the church holding Chopin's heart. A lovely walk through the elegant heart of old Warsaw, dotted with benches that play Chopin at the touch of a button; it leads eventually to the Łazienki park and the royal Wilanów palace beyond.

One of Europe's best interactive science museums, on the riverbank — hundreds of hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and experiments that delight kids and adults alike. Brilliantly done and endlessly engaging, a great rainy-day or family option; its rooftop garden gives lovely river views, and it anchors the hip, green Powiśle district that has become one of the city's coolest.

Polish food is hearty, comforting and gloriously cheap — above all the pierogi, plump dumplings stuffed with everything from potato and cheese to meat or berries, plus żurek sour-rye soup, bigos hunter's stew, and kotlet schabowy cutlets. Eat at a nostalgic 'milk bar' (bar mleczny) for a bargain feast, and wash it down with a shot of flavoured vodka. Warming, filling and quintessentially Polish.

Warsaw's most beautiful park — a sprawling royal landscape of lakes, peacocks, palaces and pavilions, centred on the exquisite Palace on the Isle, with free open-air Chopin concerts by his monument on summer Sundays. A gorgeous green escape and a favourite of Varsovians; stroll the shaded paths, feed the red squirrels, and soak up the serene, romantic heart of the elegant south.

In summer the Vistula's wild eastern bank and the boulevards of the western one become the city's playground — sandy beaches, deckchairs, pop-up bars, food trucks and a young crowd soaking up the long evenings. Cross by footbridge, hire a bike along the boulevards, or catch a little ferry across the water; the riverside is where Warsaw comes alive in the warm months. Relaxed, local and free.

Cross the river to Praga, the gritty, bohemian district that survived the war and now buzzes with artists' studios, quirky bars, street art and a raw, authentic energy the rebuilt centre lacks. Explore the old courtyards and their shrines, the Koneser vodka-distillery complex, and the underground bars; the most characterful and creative corner of the city, and a favourite for a different, edgier side of Warsaw.

Warsaw's nightlife is cheap, cool and famously wild — from craft-beer bars and cocktail dens in Śródmieście and Powiśle to the underground clubs of Praga and the hidden 'pawilony' courtyard bars. Vodka is the fuel, the crowd young and up for it, and the prices a fraction of Western Europe. Start with a flavoured-vodka tasting, then follow the students to wherever the night leads. Great fun.

The award-winning Museum of the History of Polish Jews, on the site of the former ghetto — a beautifully designed, immersive journey through a thousand years of Jewish life in Poland, from medieval times through the vibrant pre-war community to the Holocaust and beyond. Moving, superbly done and deeply important; one of the best museums in Europe, and essential for understanding the city's lost world.

A wonderful, quirky museum in a Praga warehouse dedicated to the glowing neon signs of the Cold War era — Poland's mid-century designers created strikingly beautiful neons, and hundreds are here, rescued and lit up in a magical dark hall. A fun, offbeat and very photogenic hour, and a window into communist-era design and daily life; it anchors the hip Soho Factory arts complex around it.

Warsaw's 'Polish Versailles' — a magnificent baroque royal palace on the southern edge of the city that survived the war, with opulent interiors and beautiful formal gardens that light up spectacularly for the winter 'Royal Garden of Light'. A grand, graceful half-day out from the centre; wander the state rooms and the geometric gardens, a serene contrast to the rebuilt city and its darker history.

Warsaw is Chopin's city, and following his trail is a lovely way to see it — the interactive Chopin Museum, the church holding his heart, the musical benches along the Royal Route, and above all a free open-air piano recital by his monument in Łazienki park on a summer Sunday. A gentle, cultured thread through the city for music lovers and casual visitors alike; the recitals are pure magic.