Warsaw is a city that was erased and then rebuilt, and the second part is what makes it extraordinary. In August 1944 the Polish Home Army rose against the German occupiers, and after two months of fighting the Germans, on Hitler's orders, systematically destroyed most of the city, leaving it a field of rubble. The Old Town was reconstructed after the war, brick by brick, using old paintings, notably those of the eighteenth-century artist Bernardo Bellotto, and documents saved by the city's architects. UNESCO listed the result in 1980 as a remarkable act of cultural will.
With about one and three quarter million people, Warsaw today is a bustling capital of glass towers and trams, with the great Vistula River flowing through the middle. The Palace of Culture and Science, a Stalinist skyscraper given by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, is the city's most debated landmark, and many people joke that the best view of Warsaw is from the top, since it is the only place that you cannot see it. Elsewhere, there are green parks like Łazienki, with its palace on the water and peacocks, and the Chopin Museum, since the composer grew up here. Marie Curie was born in the city as well.
The food is good and unpretentious, with dumplings, soups, grilled sausages and a vigorous coffee scene. The modern city has restaurants of every type, and the Praga district, across the river, has become a lively area of galleries and bars.
As the start of a long day trip to the south-east, Warsaw demands patience. The traffic is heavy, the ring roads congested at rush hour, and the trams, cobbles and tramlines in the old streets can be slippery when wet. Once out on the expressways, the riding is fast and flat, through farmland, and the surfaces are generally excellent. Speed cameras are widespread and Polish police are strict, so keep to the limits.
Fuel and services are everywhere, and you should fill up before leaving, since you will have a long distance to cover. Park the bike in a secure place, and use the efficient public transport to see the old town.
Leave early, ideally before seven, and you will clear the suburbs before the traffic builds. The reward is a long day in the open countryside.