Special treat: It can only be the splendid Hotel Bristol (luxurycollection.com/bristolwarsaw). Art deco and elegant on the inside and beautifully positioned on the main thoroughfare. Doubles from £115
Mid-range: The Polonia Palace Hotel (poloniapalace.com ), a Warsaw landmark, offers excellent value for money, a central location near the Palace of Culture and Science Doubles from £65.
On a budget: Just on the edge of the Old Town, the popular Hotel Ibis Warsaw Stare Miasto (ibis.com; there are several in Warsaw) delivers clean, basic accommodation with a smile. Doubles from £34.
On arrival: Head to the Stare Miasto, or old town, a lively area of cafés, amber shops and restaurants, with the magnificent Royal Castle at its cusp.
Have a drink in the beautiful new town square Nowe Miasto, dominated by the baroque, green-domed St Casimir’s church.
Day one: 9.30am - Start with a leisurely Polish breakfast of scrambled eggs mixed with chopped bacon at Blikle’s Café; from 29 zloty/£5.75),
11.30am: Visit the apartments and galleries of the Royal Castle (9) (open Tues to Sunday; tickets 22 zloty/£4.40; free on Sunday). Its reconstruction was only finished in 1988.
2pm: Enjoy a meal at Tamka 43 (tamka.43.pl ). The restaurant serves two courses of delicious chanterelles followed by pork belly confit with beet leaves and horseradish for 49 zloty (£10).
The Chopin Museum (chopin.museum/en) is a must-see for the music lover. Brilliantly interactive, it stretches over four floors encompassing the life of the composer.
Day two: 10am - Hop on buses 166 or 180 down the Royal Route to beautiful Lazienki Park. Start at the top, where the Chopin Monument and walk down the wide leafy avenues onto the Palace on the Water.
