| Poland Warsaw - a largest city and a capital of Poland since XVI century, when KIng Sigismundus Vasa moved it from Krakow. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly in the middle of the country. Its population is estimated at over 1,7 miion people, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000. Vibrant city with shorter, but more dramatic histoty then former capital. Completly demolished by Germans after Warsaw Uprising (1944) during Second World War. That is why it is also known as the "phoenix city", as it recovered from that damage, being rebuilt with the effort of Polish citizens. Initially old buildings were rebuilt and new houses in socialist realism style were constructed, like Palace of Culture and Science in the centre. Currently impressive skyscrapers take more and more space in its downtown . Warsaw's buildings are representatives of nearly every European architectural style and historical period. Its palaces, churches and mansions display a richness of color and architectural details. The city has wonderful examples of architecture from the gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical periods, all of which are located within easy walking distance of the town centre. Nowadays Polish capital is important centre of education, industry, science and trade (Warsaw Stcok Exchange). Warsaw has the biggest concentration of electronics and high-tech industry in Poland and the growing consumer market perfectly fosters the development of the food-processing industry. Warsaw has given its name to the Warsaw Confederation, Warsaw Pact, the Duchy of Warsaw, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising and... a rock band Warsaw, later know as Joy Division.
Gdansk - old Baltic port with long, dramatic history and interesting architecture. Belonged to independent Pomerania, Poland, Teutonic Order, Poland again, Prussia (Germany), Free City and back to Poland. Inhabited in the past by people of many nations - not only by Poles and Germans, but Dutch and Scots as well. It is a place where II War War began and Solidarity movement was born. Gdańsk is Poland's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay (of the Baltic Sea), in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto). Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the Motława River and in the delta of the nearby Vistula River, whose waterway system supplies 60% of the area of Poland. This gives the city a unique advantage as the centre of Poland's sea trade. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdańsk is also an important industrial centre. Historically an important seaport and shipbuilding centre, Gdańsk was a member of the Hanseatic League. Todau the industrial sections of the city are dominated by shipbuilding, petrochemical and chemical industries, and food processing. The share of high-tech sectors such as electronics, telecommunications, IT engineering, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals is on the rise. Amber processing is also an important part of the local economy, as the majority of the world's amber deposits lie along the Baltic coast. The Pomeranian Voivodeship, including Gdańsk, is also a major tourist destination in the summer months, as millions of Poles and European Union citizens flock to the beaches of the Baltic coastline.
Wroclaw - it is a main city of Lower Silesia, with over 1000 years of history. It is situated on the River Oder. After II World War came back to Poland when it lost its eastern territories. Due to that fact, a lot of its inhabitants have their origins in former eastern Poland, what is today Ukraine. Wrocław is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced by Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian traditions, such as Silesian Gothic and its Baroque style of court builders of Habsburg Austria (Fischer von Erlach). Wrocław has a number of notable buildings by German modernist architects including the famous Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia or Jahrhunderthalle) (1911–1913) designed by Max Berg. The city belonged to Bohemians, Poles, Austrians, Prussians and German Empire. It was also a capital of independent duchy. In July 1997, the city was heavily affected by a flood of the River Oder, the worst flooding in post-war Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Around one third of the city's area stood under water.[20] An earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903 Wroclaw is the third educational centre in Poland. Currently it is lively city with attractive nightlife and many places worth visiting.
Poznan - a capital of "Wielkopolska" - Greater Poland - which is a region when the state was born over 1000 years ago. A city is situated on the Warta river. It is known, not only in Poland, as a host of hosts regular international trade fairs. The city's importance in trade began to grow long time ago, in the Jagiellonian period, due to its position on trading routes from Lithuania and Ruthenia to western Europe. For example It would become a major centre for the fur european trade by the late 16th century. Unfortunately nn the second half of the seventeenth century and most of the eighteenth, Poznań was severely affected by a series of wars (and attendant military occupations, lootings and destruction). It started to regain its former position in last years of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and then under Prussians rules. Two Greater Poland Uprisings against Prussia and Germany (1806, 1919-20) were the only two successful in Polish history. Poznan was also a place of mass protest against communist rule in 1956. Nowadays it is an important centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznan was the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008, a key stage in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Poznan is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2016
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