I was visiting Poland, Warsaw, the previous days, and here is my take on this beautiful city. When I decided to go, my expectations weren’t too high. I’d heard that the most beautiful town in Poland is Krakow, but my best buddy is working in Warsaw, so I had to go visit him. I knew the city was destroyed in WWII and, of course, had a communist regime, which I assumed meant some grey, boxy communist buildings and, well, not much else.
Then I arrived, and what I saw was something completely unexpected! Warsaw is a modern city with skyscrapers everywhere. The transportation? Absolutely excellent. Everything was new and looked almost untouched. Every tram, bus, and metro I used was unbelievably clean and well-kept. And let’s talk about the city center—it’s one of the cleanest city centers I’ve ever visited, honestly. It almost makes other European city centers look like they’re slacking.
But the thing that really got me was the amount of construction. Everywhere you look, a new building is either going up, or an older one is being renovated and brought back to life. You get the sense that Warsaw is a city constantly building and rebuilding itself. When you think of Eastern Europe—places like Poland or my own country, Greece—you tend to expect struggling economies, lower wages, a bit of grit. But in Warsaw? It’s honestly like being in a Western European city, with wealth on display, beautiful infrastructure, and a serious sense of purpose.
Now, about the famous Old Town. The city was almost completely destroyed after WWII, so the Old Town isn’t technically “old,” but they rebuilt it exactly as it had been before. When you walk through those cobbled streets, surrounded by colorful buildings, it feels genuinely historic. The locals went through painstaking lengths to make sure every detail matched the old city before the war. UNESCO even recognized it as a World Heritage Site because of this unique reconstruction. It’s surreal, knowing you’re in a place that, on one hand, is almost entirely new, yet on the other, feels so steeped in history.
Now, onto the sightseeing!
As I mentioned, the Old Town was one of my first stops. It’s got a fairytale charm—those colorful facades, narrow streets, and the iconic Royal Castle, which was also rebuilt from scratch. Then there’s the Vistula River, where you can walk along the water, enjoy some open spaces, and take in views of the city skyline. I spent some time at the Palace of Culture and Science too—a remnant of the Soviet era, but it’s such an iconic building. You can even go up to the observation deck and get a panoramic view of the city. It was built to be imposing, but now, surrounded by all these new buildings, it feels like just another part of Warsaw’s unique architectural mix.
As for prices I believed it would be a cheap city since they haven't adopted the Euro but nowadays everywhere you go is expensive but Warsaw has really cheap public transportation.