Pałac Kultury I Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science)
Varsovians are somewhat divided when it comes to this marvel of Socialist Realism, for decades (at 231m/757ft) the tallest and largest building in Poland and a reminder of Stalin's ambitions - it was a gift from him to the city, built between 1952-1955. The viewing platform on the 30th floor gives a terrific view over Warsaw. Besides offices, the building houses a concert hall, a cinema, an ice skating rink and a theatre.

Ulica Emilii Plater
Tel: (022) 656 7136.
Website: www.pkin.pl  
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-2000, Fri-Sat 0900-2300.
Admission charge for the observation deck.

Frederic Chopin
Chopin only lived in Warsaw until he was 20 years old but he is an honoured Polish national. Chopin's Parlour, in his family's former home, is open to the public, while Chopin's heart is interred in a pillar at the Church of the Holy Cross (Kosciol Znalezienia Swietego Krzyna) next door. His body, however, lies in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. There is also the Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina, located in Ostrogski Castle, with exhibits on the different phases of his life and career.

Chopin's Parlour
Ulica Krakowskie Przedmiescie 5
Tel: (022) 320 0275.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1400.
Free admission.

Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina
Ulica Okólnik 1
Tel: (022) 827 5473.
Website: www.nifc.pl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge; free on Wednesdays.

Muzeum Pawilon-X (Block 10 Museum)
Housed in the Citadel, a solid 19th-century fortress north of the Old Town, this museum was once used as a prison for political enemies of the Russian Czars. The lucky inmates were shipped to labour camps in Siberia; the unlucky executed at Brama Straceń (Gate of Execution) on the prison grounds. The original cells are still standing and labelled with some of the prison's more famous residents, and paintings by Alexander Sochaczewski, a former inmate, adorn the walls.

Ulica Skazańców 25
Tel: (022) 839 2383.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 0900-1600.
Free admission.