Poland

Krakow extends beside the Vistula and preserves one of Central Europe's most recognisable historic centres. For centuries it served as capital of the Polish kingdom, university city and place of coronation. The medieval centre, Wawel Hill and surrounding districts form a compact structure, but the city's identity cannot be reduced to towers, squares and restored façades.

Warsaw occupies both banks of the Vistula and presents one of Europe's most radical urban histories. Much of the centre was destroyed during the Second World War and later reconstructed through plans, paintings, photographs and surviving fragments. The contemporary city does not hide this rupture: it incorporates it into architecture, museums and public identity.