Rebuilt old towns, hearty food and the Tatra Mountains in the south.
Poland rewards travellers who look beyond a single city. Kraków has a vast medieval market square and Wawel Castle, Warsaw's old town was painstakingly rebuilt after the war, and Gdańsk has a striking Hanseatic waterfront on the Baltic. Sobering sites like Auschwitz-Birkenau sit alongside the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Tatra Mountains around Zakopane and the forests of Białowieża.
Food is filling and good value: pierogi, żurek soup, smoked cheese from the mountains and milk bars serving home-style dishes. Fast trains link the main cities. May to September is warm and lively, with long evenings; winter is cold but brings Christmas markets in Kraków and skiing in the Tatras.
Best time to visit Poland
May, June, July, August, September.
Places to visit in Poland
Kraków: Poland's historic royal capital, with a vast market square, Wawel Castle and the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz.
Warsaw: Poland's capital, with a meticulously rebuilt old town, royal parks and powerful history museums.
Gdańsk: A Baltic port city of colourful Hanseatic houses, amber shops and major 20th-century history.
Wrocław: A lively university city built across islands in the Oder, with a colourful market square and hundreds of bronze gnomes.
Zakopane: Poland's winter capital, a mountain town of wooden architecture beneath the Tatra peaks.
Auschwitz-Birkenau: The former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, now a memorial and museum.
Essentials
Currency: Polish Zloty (PLN)
Language: Polish; English common among younger people
Plugs: Type C / E, 230 V
Driving: Right side
Time zone: UTC+1
Tipping: About 10% in restaurants; saying 'thank you' as you pay means keep the change
Getting around: Fast trains link the major cities; buses fill the gaps in the mountains
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking