Warsaw is the capital of Poland, according to the current constitution. It has been disputed whether Warsaw had been the capital of Poland since 1596, when allegedly the king Sigismund III moved it from Krakow. There was no documentation confirming the fact. However, de facto the governments since then were based in Warsaw, and this is from the country was ruled.
Warsaw has probably the most dramatic recent history than any other city in Europe. During the WWII, 85% of the building were completely destroyed. And the population dropped from 1.3 million to 420 thousand. The city was not rebuilt in the style it enjoyed its boom in 1920s and 1930s and before. The socialistic rules decided to construct 'modern' city with wide boulevards and giant squares. Under the pressure from the society, the government rebuilt the Royal Palace (it took 30 years) and the Old Town, which is now listed by UNESCO.
Warsaw has been reinventing itself by mixing super modern with reconstructed old. [edit text][editors]
