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By GlobalDetail.com reader Warsaw1

New:Show Warsaw on GoogleEarth

Founded at the beginning of the 14th century, Warsaw became Poland's capital in 1611. It was one of central Europe's most beautiful and sophisticated cities until world war II when the Nazis razed it to the ground. Warsaw's few historic areas have been carefully reconstructed, but most buildings are either glass towers built post 1989 or prefabricated concrete monstrosities built in the communist era. Visitors to Warsaw are often disappointed as a first impression, but change their opinion when they realize the city was completely rebuilt from ruins in just a few decades.