World Heritage #0030 – Warsaw

Last modified 27.03.2022 | Published 16.12.2013North and Central Europe, Poland, World Heritage Sites

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The historic centre of Warsaw, the Polish capital suffered immensely during the Second World War, but managed to rebuild and grow.

The UNESCO World Heritage List includes more than a thousand properties with outstanding universal value. They are all part of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

 

Official facts

  • Full name of site: Historic Centre of Warsaw
  • Country: Poland
  • Date of Inscription: 1980
  • Category: Cultural site

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre’s short description of site no. 30:

“During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw’s historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.”

 

My visit

I visited the Polish capital shortly before Christmas in 2013 and enjoyed it. Sure, it is a big city with modern malls, high-rises, fancy office buildings and boring residential areas. What pulled me to Warsaw was the Old Town. I stayed there, and I walked the streets amazed by the fact that it looked old, but is not.

Poland - Warsaw (Warszawa) - Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy)

Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy)

 

Read more about my visit.

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