For a long time, Warsaw had a face only a mother could love. Blighted by shabby communist architecture in shades of grey, it was a city with no idea how to make the most of its assets. But with previously unloved buildings being reborn as restaurants, hotels, art spaces and museums, there’s plenty to show off these days. And there’s no better time to explore than summer, when the old town is at its sunniest and the riverside becomes a playground.
SATURDAY
Morning
Start in the Unesco-listed old town. After 90% of the city was destroyed during the Second World War, the Poles spent more than a decade meticulously reconstructing the historic centre. The streets are cobbled and the buildings straddle a pleasing jumble of styles; a little gothic here, touches of baroque there, some neoclassical elements thrown in for good measure.
Stop at the opulent Royal Castle for its Great Assembly Hall, with a fresco-covered ceiling and walls caked in gold (£6; zamek-krolewski.pl), then walk through the barbican and along the old city wall — parts of which date back to the 1540s.
Once you’ve taken the perfect shot of the colourful Old Town Square (Rynek Starego Miasta), veer eastwards for a walk along the banks of the River Vistula, where, in summer, bars and cafes spring up along a recently restored boulevard. If the weather’s good, you’ll see Varsovians sunning themselves on the tree-backed natural beaches on the east bank. On the west side are fountains, trampolines and imported sand, as well as bars on boats such as BarKa (beer from £1.20; facebook.com/planbarka).
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About 20 minutes’ walk south, in the artsy district of Powisle, is the Warsaw University Library. It houses the Polish Poster Gallery, a brilliant collection of highly stylised retro film, theatre and music posters — for show and for sale (free admission; poster.pl). Afterwards, skirt around the outside of the library until you see a set of stairs; these lead up to a rooftop oasis with views across the river.
Afternoon
Continue south for another 15 minutes and you’ll reach Warszawa Powisle, a cafe in an old train-station ticket office. Pull up a chair outside and rehydrate with a homemade lemonade — with or without vodka (from £2) — before ordering from the menu of Polish classics such as cucumber soup (mains from £3; facebook.com/warszawaPowisle).
After lunch, take a train from the station next door over the river to Praga. This once crime-ridden district is still a little rough around the edges, but it’s become a hub for hipsters and artists, with the obligatory assortment of coffee shops, dive bars and street art. Google has a tech hub here, in the beautiful neogothic Koneser vodka factory, which as of last month is also home to the Polish Vodka Museum. Here you can learn how the spirit is made and consumed — forcing friends to drink is a Polish tradition — and admire label design through the ages (£8; muzeumpolskiejwodki.pl).
About 20 minutes’ walk southeast is another redeveloped industrial complex, Soho Factory. Once home to munitions and motorbike manufacturers, it’s now a multipurpose space that includes artists’ studios, cafes and restaurants. The highlight is the compact but dazzling Neon Muzeum, a treasure trove of Cold War-era signs salvaged and restored from across Poland (£3; neonmuzeum.org).
Evening
Stay at Soho Factory for dinner at Warszawa Wschodnia, which takes its name and sign from the old Warsaw East station. Part of the well-known chef Mateusz Gessler’s empire, it’s a chic 24-hour spot where the best seats in the house are around the open kitchen. The food is Polish with a French accent; try rabbit stewed in mustard (£14) and sweet cheese-filled pancakes with strawberry sauce (£5; mateuszgessler.com.pl).
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Finish with a drink at one of the bars along nearby Ulica Zabkowska; we like the junk-shop aesthetic and great beer selection at W Oparach Absurdu (from £2; facebook.com/woparachabsurdu). Take the metro back to the city centre from nearby Dworzec Wilenski station.
SUNDAY
Morning
Set aside an hour or two for the Warsaw Rising Museum. A collection of interactive exhibits, recordings and artefacts tells the story of the city’s unsuccessful rebellion against the Nazis in 1944 (£5; 1944.pl).
Look up to find your way to the Palace of Culture and Science, a towering, 778ft example of socialist realist architecture at its Orwellian worst. A “gift” from Stalin, it was finished in 1955 and is still Poland’s tallest building. The observation deck on the 30th floor has 360-degree views (£4; pkin.pl).
Afternoon
Milk bars proliferated behind the Iron Curtain, and some of these traditional diners are still going strong — complete with curt, communist-style service. Prasowy, near the Palace of Culture and Science, has been around since 1954 and serves some of the best ruskie pierogi — cheese and potato dumplings — in town (£1.25 a plate; prasowy.pl).
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For a taste of a completely different period in Polish history, walk 10 minutes east to Park Lazienki. Dating back to the 17th century, this expanse of groomed gardens, palaces, water features and follies was once a retreat for royalty and nobility, and is now the city’s largest green space. It regularly hosts concerts, and there’s further entertainment in the form of red squirrels and peacocks. Check out the lakeside amphitheatre and the Palace on the Isle, a former bathhouse. It’s now a gallery displaying the art collection of Stanislaw II August, who ruled until 1795, but the interiors, including a room lined with 17th-century Dutch tiles, are the real draw (£5; lazienki-krolewskie.pl).
If your tastes are more modern, across the park is the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, which hosts an exhibition of fabulously garish sculptures, paintings and installations by Jakub Julian Ziolkowski until September 2 (£2; u-jazdowski.pl).
Evening
Back towards the city centre, Hala Koszyki is a former market hall, built in 1906, then restored and reopened as an upmarket food court in late 2016. There are several restaurants — highlights include the Sobremesa tapas bar and another Mateusz Gessler project, Cma — and new this summer is the “bazaar”, a corner of street-food concessions where you can pick up everything from Hong Kong-style waffles to Korean kimchi sandwiches (mains £4; koszyki.com).
Getting there
Fly to Warsaw with Wizz Air (wizzair.com), from Luton, or with British Airways and Lot, from Heathrow.
Where to stay
A short walk from the old town, Hotel Indigo is smart but flamboyant, with velvet furniture and statement lighting (doubles from £93, B&B; hotelindigo.com).
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Off Plac Zbawiciela (nicknamed ”Hipster Square”), Autor Rooms has four doubles that have been ”authored” by local artists, architects and designers, positioned around a lovely communal living area (doubles from £85; autorrooms.pl).
Nicola Trup was a guest of Hotel Indigo, Autor Rooms and Wizz Air