Warsaw

Warsaw is Poland's capital — population 1.8M, completely rebuilt after Nazi destruction in WWII (85% of city flattened during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising — the largest single act of resistance in occupied Europe, where the Polish Home Army fought the Germans for 63 days before being defeated). The Old Town (Stare Miasto) is a UNESCO World Heritage 1980 — meticulously rebuilt from rubble using paintings + photos as references. The reconstruction itself is the heritage.

Highlights: Royal Castle (rebuilt 1971-1984, original destroyed by Nazis), Market Square + Mermaid Statue (Warsaw's symbol), Łazienki Park (300-acre royal park + Chopin Monument with free Sunday concerts May-Sep at noon + 4pm), Palace of Culture and Science (231m Soviet 'gift' from Stalin 1955, controversial symbol of communist era), and POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (2014, world's most innovative Holocaust museum + 1,000 years of Polish-Jewish history). Birthplace of Frédéric Chopin (Łazienki Park has his iconic statue + monument). Cheaper than Krakow + Berlin.

Iconic Polish + Warsaw cuisine: Pierogi (Polish dumplings 12+ varieties, $5-12 — U Fukiera since 1810 canonical), Bigos (hunter's stew with sauerkraut + sausage, $5-10), Żurek (sour rye soup with egg, $4-7 — try at Bar Mleczny milk bars), Schabowy (breaded pork cutlet, $8-15), Pyzy (potato dumplings stuffed with meat, $6-10), Vodka (Polish national drink, $3-8/shot — Wyborowa, Belvedere from Poland), Bar Mleczny (communist-era 'milk bar' cheap eats, $3-8 meals).

Bottom line: Warsaw is canonical resilient + UNESCO rebuilt + cheaper EU capital + Chopin pilgrimage. 2-3 days hits Old Town + POLIN + Łazienki + Auschwitz day trip option.