Poland's capital and largest city, Warsaw has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of its near-total destruction during and after its uprisings during World War II to become an impressive artistic and historic center. The Old Town's reconstruction from historic materials makes it the only place on the UNESCO World Heritage List to have been entirely rebuilt after WWII.

While Warsaw is proud of Chopin, its art scene doesn't stop with this beloved native son. With many theaters, cinemas, museums, festivals, and galleries, not to mention the giant Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw has the artsy scene you'd expect of a major capital. This sprawling metropolis has neighborhoods with distinctly different atmospheres, so it's worth venturing beyond the very center in search of the city's Jewish, communist, royal, and WWII-era periods. If you'd rather focus on food, you'll never find yourself hungry for long. When you’re ready to go farther afield, the region surrounding Warsaw offers gorgeous lakes, castles and other notable cities and towns, such as Lodz and Kazimierz Dolny