29. Warsaw, Poland

The capital of Poland has been through periods of destruction over and over as the years have gone by, yet it maintains lots of special charm and opportunities. Some of the most iconic landmarks in this city include the Palace of Culture and Science, the Old Town district and market square, Lazienki Park, POLIN Museum, and the Royal Castle of Warsaw. This city has its strengths and weaknesses, though it’s one of the main places to be in Poland.

Happiness: 28th

Historical Landmarks: 22nd

Sports: 35th

Schools and Education: 12th

Governmental Stability: 32nd

Crime: 14th

Healthcare: 38th

Affordability: 18th

Food: 28th

Innovation: 24th

Pollution: 35th

Climate: 41st

Overall Average: 27.25

Happiness: Warsaw is right about average when it comes to its citizens’ contentment according to the World Happiness Report, placing 28th.

Historical Landmarks: In terms of UNESCO World Heritage sites, the historic center of Warsaw makes the list in and of itself, though that is the only one anywhere near the city.

Sports: In a decent but not superb league within Europe, Warsaw is the home of only one top division Polish team, that being Legia Warsaw, though they are the most successful team in the country.

Schools and Education: In what is their highest ranking metric of all 12 categories, Warsaw places 12th with 2 universities in the global top 1000, namely the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw University of Technology, and 5 in the top 2000.

Crime: Another one of Warsaw’s best metrics, they have low crime in virtually every category, whether that’s violence or robbery, though there is a slightly larger issue with bribery.

Affordability: Warsaw is amongst the most affordable cities on the list with an affordability index of 39.31, good enough to place them 18th in this category.

Food: Warsaw doesn’t have any Michelin star restaurants, though they do have 3 restaurants that are considered “Bib Gourmand” by the Michelin officials, which means they offer great value for money.

Pollution: With a pollution index of 60.75, Warsaw is below average when it comes to the quality of their air compared to other cities in this ranking.

Climate: Warsaw receives temperatures in the low 70s (F) during summer months, while getting down into the high 20s and low 30s (F) during the winter, making it one of the colder cities in the ranking.