Warsaw, the heartbeat of contemporary Poland, is gilded with a grand palace, home to a hard-fought 20th-century history, and busy with Chopin concerts. After a stop at the gingerbread bakeries in red-brick Toruń, we ogle the massive Teutonic Knight fortress of Malbork. Finishing in maritime Gdańsk, we experience handsome Hanseatic townhouses, amber jewelry, and stirring Solidarity history.

The show’s own verdict is on its page.