| Introduction |
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| Warsaw was a small fishing village in the 13th century. In time, it became one of the seats of the Dukes of Masovia. Upon the extinctioline, the duchy was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1526. The strikingly successful rebuilding of the Old Town was finally rewarded in 1980, when the entire complex earned its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Situated in the Mazowieckie province, in east-central Poland, the city spans the Wisla (Vistula River) and all the main tourist sites are on the left bank, while the right bank contains the increasingly fashionable Praga district. The tourist epicentre of Warsaw is the 'Royal Route', which runs north-south from the New and Old Towns, past the fashionable shops of Nowy Swiat, the palaces that survived the war and the royal gardens of Lazienki Park, before reaching Wilanow Palace to the south of the city centre. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract crowds in a scene far removed from the dull Communist-era images of Warsaw. The nightlife scene today is equally surprising, with the city's clued-up and increasingly well dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now buzzes after dark. , |
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Introduction
