Top five tourist attractions in Warsaw

Although Warsaw has had a tumultuous history, there are plenty of opportunities to remember a past both pleasant and tragic, marked by destruction in World War II. Here are five tourist spots to consider on your journey to Warsaw.

Old Town (Stare Miasto)
Founded in the 13th century as the prince's castle, Old Town is, in fact, the oldest part of the city. With its frequent fairs and festivals, Old Town's market place was the most important place in Warsaw until the end of the 18th century.

Tragically, during World War II, the Nazis deliberately destroyed approximately 90 percent of the area. During a five-year reconstruction campaign, Old Town was meticulously rebuilt to resemble its conditions before the war. Now, the area has been reconstructed to incorporate elements from the 13th century to the 20th century.

UNESCO has declared Old Town a World Heritage site. The painstaking re-creation is evidence of the city's commitment to historical preservation. During your trip, stop by the Royal Castle, located at the Old Town entrance.

Monument to the heroes of the ghetto
This monument is located between Karmelicka and Zamenhofa streets. During World War II, the Jewish Fighting Organization's main bunker was located here. The monument commemorates tens of thousands of people who died in the ghetto uprising of 1943, the largest Jewish uprising during the Holocaust.

The monument was unveiled five years after the uprising. One side of the monument is titled "The Fight," featuring resistance fighters with grenades and petrol bottles. The other is titled "March to Destruction," serving as a reminder of the suffering endured during this tragic era in human history.

Chopin monument
Warsaw native, Frédéric Chopin, was one of the world's greatest composers of Romantic music. The city dedicated a statue to Chopin in Lazienki Park in 1926, but that version was destroyed by the Nazis. Since the original mold was intact, the city was able to create a replica in the 1950s. Every summer, musicians perform near the statue.

Łazienki Palace
A symbol of the city, the neoclassical Palace on the Water is the most important building in the Łazienki Królewskie garden. It was initially a bathhouse for aristocrat Stanislas Lubomirski.

The last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, expanded this small pavilion to serve as one of his residences. Inside, you can find many extravagant and gorgeous rooms, such as a ballroom and rotunda. This palace offers beautiful classical architectural to compliment the pleasant green of the park.

University of Warsaw Library
For an example of innovative and contemporary Polish architecture, check out the University of Warsaw Library, whose facade cleverly resembles a row of books. The library is divided into two sections: the Rogal (lobby area) and the primary section. These are connected by a small street covered by a glass roof.

The library contains the Polish Poster Gallery, which features rare and valuable prints from renowned Polish graphic artists such as Henryk Tomaszewski and Andrzej P�...gowski. The roof garden is open to the general public and the crowning feature of the library. It's one of the largest and most impressive of its kind on the continent. It has two large areas connected by a cascading fountain.