Things to do in Warsaw

Two to three days. One for the Old Town (rebuilt brick-by-brick after WWII), the Royal Castle and Krakowskie Przedmieście. One for the Warsaw Uprising Museum, POLIN (Museum of the History of Polish Jews) and the Praga district. A third for the Vistula riverfront, Łazienki Park and a vodka tasting.

POLIN, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, on the site of the former ghetto in Muranów. A thousand years of Jewish life in Poland told across eight chronological galleries — one of the best museum experiences in Europe. Set aside three hours; the wooden synagogue ceiling reconstruction alone deserves an hour.

Praga across the river — the part that survived the war intact, now full of street art, craft beer and converted vodka distilleries (Koneser is the headline development). Saska Kępa for upmarket cafés. Powiśle along the river for the riverside boulevard nightlife in summer.

Pyzy (potato dumplings stuffed with meat), żurek (sour rye soup), bigos (hunter's stew of sauerkraut and meat). Pączki (rose-jam doughnuts) from Pączki Zagoździński, the oldest doughnut shop in town. Polish vodka tasting (Wyborowa, Belvedere, Wódka Żubrówka) at the Vodka Museum in Koneser.

Two metro lines (M1 and M2), an extensive tram network and SKM commuter trains. Tram 16 runs the length of Jerozolimskie axis. Veturilo bike share is cheap. The centre's distances are larger than Kraków's so don't try to walk everything; mix walking with public transport.

The Neon Museum in Praga — a warehouse hung with Soviet-era neon advertising signs salvaged from across Poland. Curated and lit beautifully; a 30-minute visit that says more about communist consumer culture than any history book. Combine with Koneser distillery for a vodka tasting.