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Warsaw
Tourist information - Warsaw
Poland's capital city, Warsaw, lies in the center of the country that is located on the main international transit routes. Occupying both banks of the Vistula River, the city has a population of nearly 1.7 million.
The most striking thing about Warsaw is its regeneration following the devastation of World War II. The first bombs of the German Luftwaffe fell on the city at dawn on Sept. 1, 1939. During the Nazi occupation, about 85 percent of the city's were reduced to rubble, and 700,000 people lost their lives.
Razed as a result of Hitler's orders in 1945, most of Warsaw was rebuilt within a dozen years. A visit to the Historical Museum of the City of Warsaw on the Old Town Market Square shows a film that depicts the city's calculated devastation.
Through the efforts of the entire nation, and the support of Polish communities abroad, the precious castles, monuments, cathedrals and government buildings that were -and are- the heart and soul of Warsaw were meticulously restored.
As the country's scientific and cultural center, Warsaw is home to 18 colleges, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the 1,900-seat, neo-classical Grand Theatre of Opera and Ballet, drama theatres, libraries, art galleries and museums. Warsaw hosts cultural events of international renown such as the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music and the Jazz Jamboree.
Literally hundreds of historical monuments are to be seen in Warsaw - if one has time. Chief among them is the Royal Castle, the Palace on the Island in Lazienki Park, the Belvedere Palace and Wilanow Palace. Tours of these and 19 other museums, galleries and exhibitions draw most visitors to the city - not to mention the restored churches and the memorial to the heroes of the Jewish Ghetto Uprising of 1943.
Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town reflects the country's will to survive and determiniation to thrive through dark times, including its leaps toward a market economy.
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