The medieval capital of Poland was the southern city of Krakow, but Warsaw
has been the capital of the country since 1596, and has grown to become
Poland's largest city and the nation's urban and commercial center. Completely
destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, the city managed to lift itself
from the ashes. Today, almost every building in Warsaw dates to the postwar era
- with what little remains of the old structures being confined largely to the
restored districts of Stare Miasto (the 'old city') and Nowe Miasto ('new
city'), as well as selected monuments and cemeteries.
