Warsaw is a capital with a story unlike any other in Europe. Nearly destroyed in the Second World War, its Old Town was painstakingly rebuilt from paintings, photographs, and memory, and today cobblestone lanes and pastel townhouses sit alongside Soviet-era landmarks and glass towers. 

Kraków is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities, having escaped the wartime destruction that devastated much of Poland. Its vast Main Square anchors a historic centre of Gothic churches, grand merchant houses, and Wawel Castle above the Vistula. Nearby sights include the UNESCO-listed Wieliczka Salt Mine, an underground world of chambers and sculptures, and Auschwitz-Birkenau, a sobering and essential site for understanding the region’s history.

Beijing is a city where thousands of years of imperial history meet a fast-moving modern capital. Its centre is anchored by Tiananmen Square and the vast Forbidden City, once home to China’s emperors, while sights like the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace show the grandeur of the old dynasties. Within reach of the city, the Great Wall winds across the mountains, and in between, traditional hutong alleyways, lively food streets, and sleek skyscrapers sit side by side. It’s big, busy, and endlessly fascinating, with a depth of history and culture that few cities can match.