Warsaw

Warsaw might surprise you. It’s Poland’s biggest city, but unlike many capitals, most of it had to be rebuilt after World War II. Over 80 percent of the center was destroyed, and locals pieced it back together using old drawings and photographs. Today, you can walk through the Old Town and see a city that looks centuries old, even though much of it rose again in the 1950s.

Warsaw has stood at the crossroads of wars and uprisings. In 1655, Swedish forces invaded during the Deluge, leaving the city battered. Napoleon passed through here in the early 1800s, and later Polish independence fighters used Warsaw as a center for rebellion. The most painful chapter came in 1944, when the Warsaw Uprising broke out against Nazi occupation. For 63 days, resistance fighters held out before the city was crushed and burned as punishment.

But Warsaw’s story isn’t only about loss. It’s also about survival. After World War I, Poland returned to the map with Warsaw as its capital. During the Cold War, the city became a symbol of life under communism, from shortages in the shops to workers’ protests. The fall of communism in 1989 began here with strikes, marches, and free elections, and Warsaw turned into a modern European capital in just a few decades.

When you visit, start in the Old Town Square, where the Royal Castle towers over the cobbled streets. See the Warsaw Uprising Museum to understand the bravery and tragedy of 1944. Walk along Krakowskie Przedmieście, the city’s historic avenue, and stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Don’t miss the Palace of Culture and Science, a giant Soviet gift that locals still debate.