Warsaw Old Town Market Square

Stand in the middle of this square and you are looking at an act of stubborn love. Almost everything around you was destroyed in the Second World War, then rebuilt using paintings, photographs and drawings of the original houses. The result is a bright ring of townhouses, with a statue of a mermaid, the symbol of Warsaw, in the centre. Come in the morning before the crowds arrive, then wander the side streets to the city walls.

Talking points

• The square was rebuilt from old paintings and photographs after the war.
• The mermaid in the middle is the symbol of Warsaw.
• The whole Old Town is a World Heritage Site because of the scale of the reconstruction.