Things to do in Poland

Kraków, the royal former capital, has a beautifully preserved old town around its Main Market Square, with Wawel Castle above the Vistula River and the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. Nearby lie the Wieliczka Salt Mine, with its chapels carved from salt, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial.

Warsaw, the capital, rebuilt its old town after the Second World War and is a lively, modern city, while Gdańsk on the Baltic is a colourful port of merchant houses. Wrocław has a lovely market square and river islands, and the Tatra Mountains around Zakopane are beloved for hiking and skiing. The Masurian Lakes and the primeval forest of Białowieża, home to European bison, show the natural side of the country.

Pierogi dumplings, żurek soup, bigos stew and sweet pączki fill Polish tables, with vodka and craft beer to drink. The bright, crisp days that Poles call golden autumn are a lovely time to visit, and winter brings Christmas markets to the cities and snow to the Tatras.