Warsaw

It might not have the quaint culture of Kraków or the Baltic beauty of Gdańsk, but Warsaw is the ever-changing, endlessly fascinating face of modern Poland. Once renowned as a flourishing regional capital, Warsaw was flattened during World War II, then controlled by half a century of Soviet rule. Since the revolution of 1989, Poland’s largest city has been dusting itself off, rediscovering its heritage and striving for a better future. Today, Warsaw is home to the country’s finest museums, its most exciting arts and music scene and its greatest cultural festivals. Add to that the burgeoning restaurant scene, the still-standing palaces and churches and the acres of pretty green parks and you have a city that is slowly but confidently re-discovering its position as the beating heart of Eastern Europe.