Guide's guide to Warsaw

Central European capital city of two million people - what's to show your visitors? My cousin Teresa (mother's sister's daughter) and her husband Peter have just been over from London (Ontario, that is). Now, Teresa has not been to Poland since 1976, while for Peter, it was his first visit. So - for the well-travelled visitor, what are the must-sees in Warsaw?

What makes Warsaw Warsaw is its history - from monarchy, via Russian occupation, a brief interlude of independence, Nazi occupation and Soviet occupation to free-market democracy. So much poignancy, tragedy and yet hope; as I've written before, Warsaw is today more peaceful and prosperous than ever before, but tensions remain.

So what to see? Our itinerary: New Town, Old Town, Krakowskie Przedmieście (and assorted folk remonstrating with the town guard by the former site of the Smolensk Cross); Plac Piłsudskiego - being prepared for the John Paul II's beatification; the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; Ogród Saski, the old PAST building; ul. Próżna (the only street of the Jewish Ghetto left standing); the Palace of Culture (30th floor viewing gallery, then the Museum of Technology); a gig with Orkiestra z Chmielniej for a spirited rendition of Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino and Warszawskie dzieci; lunch at Szwejk (pork knuckle washed down with one-litre steins of Pilsner Urquell); bus to the royal palace at Wilanów; brief repose at Kuźnia Królewska, then bus to Łazienki Park and long walk through the park via the Parliament building (Sejm), Plac Trzech Krzyży, up Nowy Świat and Krakowskie Przedmieście, Old Town, New Town and a wonderful dinner at Galeria Freta.

Above: Wilanów palace - nice place, but still a work-in-progress; last time I was here was probably 2007 or 2008 and the gardens were being dug up and partially closed off, as they were today. Millions of euros of EU and Polish public money are being spent on doing it up; when ready it will be quite something, but until then, Łazienki offers a similar tourist experience without having to get across the far suburbs. Until Wilanów is finally ready, I'd recommend giving it a miss.

Day Two started off with the Warsaw Uprising Museum (above), which I've now visited four times, and each time it gets better. This must be one of the best historical museums on earth. Incredibly good - each time I visit, it's packed. An absolute must-see. Lunch at W Komitecie, the communist-themed restaurant on the ground floor of the former party HQ (very apt, as it was 1 May). Sledż, washed down with vodka, pork, cabbage, beetroot. Then - disappointment. The National Museum and the Polish Army Museum were both closed (again, very apt; unlike the Uprising museum, these places are rather unreconstructed and show their communist-era roots).

After a visit to Jeziorki and a drive around the countryside to the south and south-east of Warsaw, we returned to the Old Town (left) and dinner at Świętoszek, in an atmospheric cellar tucked into a side street just off the market square (barszcz, duck).

This morning I drove Teresa and Peter to the airport, which again, is something else that Warsaw can be proud of. Memories of the ghastly Etiuda terminal are still fresh in my mind; it's good that the new airport building is finally world-class.

Warsaw is well worth a visit if you've not been (or not been recently); it will surprise very positively.

This time last year:
Bike ride across rural Poland
Night Train, Carry Me Home

This time three years ago:
Warsaw's museum museum

This time four years ago:
On the Polish-Czech border