Warsaw was 90% destroyed in World War II and its reconstruction is itself one of the most remarkable stories in European history. The Old Town — lovingly rebuilt from photographs, paintings, and memory after the war — is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Warsaw Rising Museum is essential viewing for understanding what happened here, and POLIN tells the story of Poland's Jewish community with exceptional depth.
The Royal Route running south from the Old Town passes Sigismund's Column, the Copernicus Monument, and Krakowskie Przedmieście before continuing along Nowy Świat to Łazienki Park with its lakeside palace and Sunday Chopin concerts.
Further afield, Wilanów Palace is Warsaw's Versailles; the Praga district across the Vistula is the authentic, un-rebuilt side of the city; and the Neon Museum in Praga is one of the most distinctive museums in Poland.