Poland

Poland runs from Baltic dunes to the Tatra mountains, with rebuilt historic cities in between and prices well below western Europe. Rail links between the main cities are fast and cheap. The country carries a heavy twentieth-century history that its museums and memorial sites address directly.

Cities

Gdańsk

Gdańsk faces the Baltic at the mouth of the Vistula, with a rebuilt merchant main street of tall gabled houses leading to a medieval crane on the waterfront. The shipyard north of the centre is where the Solidarity movement started, now marked by a large museum. Beaches at Sopot and the Hel peninsula are a short train ride away.

Kraków

Kraków kept its medieval layout through the war, so the market square, cloth hall and royal hill survive as an unbroken old city. The former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz is now the centre of the city's food and bar life. It is also the base for Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka salt mine.

When to go

See all seasons

• Spring: Mild and green; long evenings by June.
• Summer: Warm, busiest on the coast and in the Tatras.
• Autumn: Crisp mountain hiking weather and city colour.

Entry & visas

Entry rules for this country aren't published here yet.

Always confirm entry rules with the official source before you book.