Eastern Europe’s newfound cultural capital has been reinventing itself lately. The city has been the most unlucky of the European capitals and was almost completely burnt down by the Nazis during the 1944 Uprising in the World War II, due to the Jewish and Polish resistance. The heart of Warsaw is still Stare Miasto (Old Town), but nothing you would see there is old actually. The castles and pastel-colored town houses, that are the replicas of their old versions, might make you feel like you are on a theme park or theater. On the western bank of the Vistula River, you will also find the modern business and shopping district of Śródmieście with its rising towers. To capture the city's bohemian spirit, tough, you should get accross the river for the former working-class neighborhood of Praga, where some old industrial buildings are now converted to art centers, galleries and stores. Don't forget to check the Royal Way, the city's grand boulevard running for several miles from the Royal Castle to the Wilanów Palace and admire the aristocratic palaces rebuilt from a scratch after the war.