Most visitors to Poland arrive first in Warsaw, an aptly named city if there ever was one. From the time it was declared the country's capital in 1596 to the devastating World Wars and the years of Communist rule that followed, Warsaw has seen tremendous death and destruction, and the city is still rebuilding itself. Start your visit in the old town, where you can see the Royal Castle and the city's oldest church, St. John's Cathedral. Also worth seeing are the old Jewish synagogue and the Palaces (Wilanów, Lazienki and Kazimierz and others) that are dotted outside the centre.

Other popular cities in Poland are busy Gdansk, an industrial city completely rebuilt after World War II, and historic Kraków, whose centre has been declared by UNESCO as one of the world's 12 most important historical sites. The city centre is a lovely place full of architectural wonders, but a huge steel plant on the outskirts of town has made pollution a real problem. Nearby is what's left of the terrible Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, which is open to the public.

Out in the countryside, there are numerous areas worth visiting. The Tatra Mountains in the south are among the country's most popular sights, with excellent hiking trails, some amazingly steep peaks, cable cars and, in winter, ski resorts. The pretty town of Zakopane makes a great home base for mountaineering. This area also has numerous spas, and is a perfect place to relax and get away from it all.

Poland has beautiful lakes as well, and the Great Masurian Lakes are a popular summer destination for boaters. In July and August the waters of large lakes like Sniardwy and Mamry fill with sailboats and canoes. Towns like Gizycko and Mikolajki provide a variety of restaurant and leisure options.

The long sandy beaches of the north are another draw. Numerous small resorts, like Swinoujscie, Miedzyzdroje, Darlowo, Wladyslawowo, Sopot and Krynica Morska. are dotted along the Baltic coast and though they get crowded in summer offer a peaceful seaside experience. Here you'll also find the Slowinski National Park, a protected dune area.

Thanks to EU entry Poland now is served by budget airlines. Wizz Air fly from Luton and Ryan Air from Stansted. The flight time is less than 2 hours. Several international airlines, including British Airways, fly to Warsaw and Lufthansa and German Wings fly to Gdansk via Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg from London (about 4 hours). Visitors from Denmark and Sweden can arrive directly in Gdansk by ferry. Car border crossings into Poland are plentiful and since EU entry border crossings have become almost queueless from the west. Once in Poland, trains and rental cars are both easy ways to travel, though distances are long. Entry to Russia is still restricted and requires much paperwork however the Ukraine and Czech republic are much easier to visit.