New Town Market Place, Warsaw

The Rynek Nowego Miasta forms the heart of Warsaw's New Town and was laid out in 1408 as a rectangular market square of 140 by 120 metres. Unlike the Old Town, the New Town developed as an independent settlement with its own town hall, demolished in the 19th century. After almost total destruction in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, the square was rebuilt in the 1950s; today's townhouses follow 17th- and 18th-century elevations. Cafes and small restaurants now line the square around a modern fountain in the centre. Compared with the busier Old Town Market, the New Town Rynek feels quieter and more atmospheric, especially in the evening when the facades glow warmly.