Kasia Ostrowski has an insider’s guide to Poland’s capital

09.00: Breakfast is served from 8am at the Arsenal Restaurant on ulica Dluga. There is no need to get up quite that early, but settle in with a cup of coffee and a newspaper or an appropriate book (how about Alan Furst’s new thriller The Spies of Warsaw?) as you prepare to take on the capital.

10.00: A natural starting point for a tour of Warsaw is the Old Town. Painstakingly restored following its destruction by the Nazis in 1944, the capital’s ancient heart has something of a film-set quality. Nonetheless, it has earned Unesco World Heritage status. The market square, flanked by the colourful gables of burgher houses, is probably the definitive site of the area. While you are on the square it is well worth popping into the Polish Poster Gallery at number 23 to check out the vintage prints. Round off your morning with a walk around the fascinating interiors of the Royal Castle, which served both as royal residence and parliament from the 16th to the 18th century.

13.00: From Castle Square (plac Zamkowy) walk down the grand boulevard of Krakowskie Przedmiescie, towards the city centre. The Royal Route (so-called because it linked the royal castle with the kings’ summer residence) was the address of choice of the capital’s élite in times past and still boasts a number of magnificent 17th- and 18th-century palaces and churches. After all that culture reward yourself with lunch at Orchidea, an elegant Thai restaurant whose green curry is something rather special (ulica Szpitalna 3).

15.00: By now you should have spotted the gothic tower looming on the skyline. This is the Palace of Culture and Science, dubbed ‘Stalin’s gift to Warsaw’. The erstwhile symbol of Soviet power and the communist congress hall is now a top concert venue and unique tourist attraction. Take the elevator to the top for spectacular views over the metropolis.

16.30: You may well be a little footsore by now, so take a taxi to the Warsaw Rising Museum on ulica Grzybowska. No understanding of the city can begin without first learning of the tragic events of 1944. On 1 August that year Poland’s government in exile called for Warsaw’s Home Army to rise up against the retreating German forces, with the promise of Allied support. However, the Western Allies were ineffectual and the Russians stood and watched as the vastly superior German army went on to massacre an estimated 250,000 people and destroy every building of cultural importance in Warsaw in a brutal three-month struggle. www.1944.pl

18.00: Dispel the gloom of Warsaw’s dark past with an evening stroll in the magnificent Lazienki Gardens, a 76-hectare park established in the 17th Century by nobleman Stanislaw Lubormirski. Within these landscapes are numerous mansions, statues, lakes and the famed ‘Palace on the Water’. Beware the squirrels, though – they are known to bite!

20.00: One of Warsaw’s finest restaurants, Belvedere, is in the New Orangery of the Lazienki Park. Grilled Argentinean steak served with blue Stilton cheese is a highlight on an excellent menu, and it is all served up in a magical setting.

Tel: (+48) 22 841 4806. www.belvedere.com.pl

22.00: As night descends, a short taxi or bus ride up the Aleje Ujazodwskie will take you to Three Cross Square, where a host of fashionable hang-outs will be serving cocktails to the capital’s bright young things. Szpilka, Szparka and Szpulka are three distinct café bars each with their own vibe.

00.00: Time to go home? Think again. Warsaw’s nightlife is just warming up. Your choices are numerous, but for something debonair try Platinum Club (ulica Fredry 6). It has a suitably decadent purple interior with retro touches.

Tel: (+48) 22 5964 666.

04.00: Determined night owls can finish off their day at Cinnamon Bar (plac Pilsudskiego 1). This legendarily louche hangout does not really get going until the early hours and is perfect for seeing in the sunrise with the capital’s in-crowd. Tel: (+48) 22 3237 600.

Kasia Ostrowski is a correspondent for Warsaw Life www.warsaw-life.com

A natural starting point for a tour of Warsaw is the Old Town. Painstakingly restored following its destruction by the Nazis in 1944, the capital’s ancient heart has something of a film-set quality. Nonetheless, it has earned Unesco World Heritage status. The market square, flanked by the colourful gables of burgher houses, is probably the definitive site of the area. While you are on the square it is well worth popping into the Polish Poster Gallery at number 23 to check out the vintage prints. Round off your morning with a walk around the fascinating interiors of the Royal Castle, which served both as royal residence and parliament from the 16th to the 18th century.

13.00: From Castle Square (plac Zamkowy) walk down the grand boulevard of Krakowskie Przedmiescie, towards the city centre. The Royal Route (so-called because it linked the royal castle with the kings’ summer residence) was the address of choice of the capital’s élite in times past and still boasts a number of magnificent 17th- and 18th-century palaces and churches. After all that culture reward yourself with lunch at Orchidea, an elegant Thai restaurant whose green curry is something rather special (ulica Szpitalna 3).

15.00: By now you should have spotted the gothic tower looming on the skyline. This is the Palace of Culture and Science, dubbed ‘Stalin’s gift to Warsaw’. The erstwhile symbol of Soviet power and the communist congress hall is now a top concert venue and unique tourist attraction. Take the elevator to the top for spectacular views over the metropolis.

16.30: You may well be a little footsore by now, so take a taxi to the Warsaw Rising Museum on ulica Grzybowska. No understanding of the city can begin without first learning of the tragic events of 1944. On 1 August that year Poland’s government in exile called for Warsaw’s Home Army to rise up against the retreating German forces, with the promise of Allied support. However, the Western Allies were ineffectual and the Russians stood and watched as the vastly superior German army went on to massacre an estimated 250,000 people and destroy every building of cultural importance in Warsaw in a brutal three-month struggle. www.1944.pl

18.00: Dispel the gloom of Warsaw’s dark past with an evening stroll in the magnificent Lazienki Gardens, a 76-hectare park established in the 17th Century by nobleman Stanislaw Lubormirski. Within these landscapes are numerous mansions, statues, lakes and the famed ‘Palace on the Water’. Beware the squirrels, though – they are known to bite!

20.00: One of Warsaw’s finest restaurants, Belvedere, is in the New Orangery of the Lazienki Park. Grilled Argentinean steak served with blue Stilton cheese is a highlight on an excellent menu, and it is all served up in a magical setting.Tel: (+48) 22 841 4806. www.belvedere.com.pl

22.00: As night descends, a short taxi or bus ride up the Aleje Ujazodwskie will take you to Three Cross Square, where a host of fashionable hang-outs will be serving cocktails to the capital’s bright young things. Szpilka, Szparka and Szpulka are three distinct café bars each with their own vibe.

00.00: Time to go home? Think again. Warsaw’s nightlife is just warming up. Your choices are numerous, but for something debonair try Platinum Club (ulica Fredry 6). It has a suitably decadent purple interior with retro touches.

Tel: (+48) 22 5964 666.

04.00: Determined night owls can finish off their day at Cinnamon Bar (plac Pilsudskiego 1). This legendarily louche hangout does not really get going until the early hours and is perfect for seeing in the sunrise with the capital’s in-crowd. Tel: (+48) 22 3237 600. Kasia Ostrowski is a correspondent for Warsaw Life www.warsaw-life.com