Poland was part of our Baltic trip through Warsaw, Vilnius, and Riga, and Warsaw ended up being one of the more interesting contrasts of the journey.
Before visiting, I didn't have a particularly strong mental picture of Warsaw beyond its history. We did a walking tour while we were there, which gave us a much deeper appreciation for the city's role in World War II and the enormous amount of rebuilding that took place afterward.
We stayed at Hotel Verte in the Old Town, which was pretty much my ideal setup for a city stay. Once we arrived, almost everything we wanted to see was walkable. We spent most of our time wandering around the rebuilt Old Town Market Square, the Royal Castle area, and the surrounding streets while stopping for coffee and traditional Polish food along the way.
One thing that surprised me was how modern Warsaw felt. You can still feel the weight of its history, especially knowing how much of the city was destroyed during the war, but at the same time the city feels energetic, clean, and forward-looking. That contrast between old and new ended up being what I remember most.
We also had two really memorable dinners there. One was at Kieliszki na Próżnej, which served elevated modern takes on traditional Polish dishes. The other was at Rusiko, a Georgian restaurant that ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. By that point we'd spent more than a week eating our way through the Baltics, so the completely different flavors and spices stood out in the best possible way.
Poland wasn't a destination we'd spent years dreaming about before visiting, but after a few days in Warsaw, I understood why more people are starting to include it in broader European trips. It felt historic without feeling frozen in time, which made it a really interesting place to experience.