Warsaw

Poland's capital, rebuilt brick by brick after World War II. Its UNESCO-listed Old Town, Chopin heritage and modern skyline sit side by side, with friendly prices, making it a good introduction to Eastern Europe.

Warsaw lies on the Masovian plain in east-central Poland, with the Vistula River flowing through the city from south to north. It has a population of about 1.8 million and is Poland's capital and largest city. After the failure of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, the city was systematically destroyed by German forces, and more than 85% of the buildings in the centre were lost. After the war, the Poles rebuilt the Old Town brick by brick, using 18th-century cityscape paintings by Bellotto and old photographs. This "authenticity of reconstruction" led to the Historic Centre of Warsaw being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. The city can be divided into four areas. First, the Old Town and New Town, including the Old Town Market Square, Castle Square and the Royal Castle, are the starting point for a walking tour. Second, the Royal Route runs south from Castle Square through Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat to Łazienki Park, passing the Presidential Palace, the University of Warsaw, the Church of the Holy Cross (where Chopin's heart is kept) and the Chopin Museum. Third, the city centre and Wola district hold the Palace of Culture and Science, the cluster of modern skyscrapers, the Warsaw Rising Museum and the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Fourth, Wilanów Palace lies in the southern suburbs. On the east bank of the Vistula, the Praga district has preserved prewar buildings and creative spaces, and its riverside beach bars are lively in summer. The climate is temperate continental, and May–Sep, at about 18–26°C, is the best time to visit. From mid-May to the end of September there are free open-air Chopin concerts in Łazienki Park every Sunday. Winter temperatures are around -5 to 0°C, and in December the Old Town has Christmas lights and markets. Getting there and around: From Chopin Airport (WAW), the SKC/S2/S3 city trains reach the centre in about 20–25 minutes, and bus 175 is also available. The metro, trams and buses in the city all use the same ZTM tickets: a 20-minute ticket costs about PLN 3.4 and a 24-hour ticket about PLN 15, and you can pay by card on board. Warsaw is about 2.5 hours from Kraków by high-speed train. We suggest 2–3 days: Day 1 for the Old Town and Royal Route, Day 2 for Łazienki, Wilanów and the Chopin Museum, and Day 3 for the Rising Museum, POLIN and the Palace of Culture and Science. Note: most museums are closed on Mondays (the Rising Museum is closed on Tuesdays), and many have one free day a week. The currency is the złoty, and cards are widely accepted. A milk bar (bar mleczny) is a great place to try affordable Polish dumplings and soups.

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