Gosia & Tim

From the 11th century on, Poland’s monarchs lived here in the Royal Castle. They were crowned and buried here, in Wawel Cathedral, where Polish national heroes have also been laid to rest since the 19th century. The place overflows with art treasures, architectural beauty, relics of the past and curiosities, and is full of glory, magic, history and fable.

Its stately halls and exquisite chambers are filled with priceless art, period furniture and rare objects.

Wawel Cathedral houses Poland’s national shrines. Among its 18 chapels are true architectural masterpieces, and the giant Sigismund bell of 1520 ranks among the world’s largest. Most Polish kings are buried here, together with national heroes, poets, saints and bishops. wawel.krakow.pl

Rynek Główny has been the hub of the city since the 13th century. Its landmarks include the Renaissance Cloth Hall, the Gothic Town Hall Tower, St Mary’s Basilica and the tiny church of St Adalbert, parts of which date from the 11th century. The square is full of restaurants, cafés and bars in historic cellars: a great place for a night out.

Inside St Mary’s Basilica stands the 13-metre altarpiece by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz), the largest Gothic sculpture in the world. Visit around noon, when light floods through the stained-glass windows. Every hour, a trumpeter plays the hejnał from the higher tower to the four corners of the world.

Archaeological work from 2005 to 2010 uncovered centuries of history beneath the square. Nearly 4,000 m² were turned into a unique underground reserve, showing real objects such as 14th-century coins, decorations and pottery. Museum of Kraków

Rebuilt at the end of the 15th century as a late-Gothic building around an arcaded courtyard, it now houses the University Museum. Copernicus studied here in the 1490s, and you can still see instruments he used to study astronomy.

For centuries Catholics and Jews lived side by side here. After the Second World War the district declined, until it was revitalised from the mid-1990s. Its two focal points are ul. Szeroka, with the Old Synagogue, and Plac Nowy, a small square with a flea market, bars and cafés.

The exhibition tells the story of Kraków and its Polish and Jewish inhabitants during the Second World War, in the former office building of Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory. His preserved office and the “Survivors’ Ark”, made of thousands of enamel pots, are at its heart. Museum of Kraków

Around 300 km of tunnels reach a depth of 327 metres. Highlights are the crystal caverns and St Kinga’s Chapel, with sculptures and even chandeliers carved from rock salt. About 20 minutes by bus from the centre; the guided tour takes about 3 hours.

Started in 1949 around a huge steelworks, the district mixes Renaissance, Baroque and Classical details with later Modernism. It is a short tram ride from the centre; Plac Centralny is the natural starting point. Today it attracts artists and hosts festivals such as Sacrum Profanum.

The former Nazi concentration and extermination camp is preserved as a museum and memorial and receives over a million visitors a year. Allow a good three hours to visit both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. For many, it is a profoundly moving experience.

The Tatras, in the Tatra National Park, are perfect for hiking, or just a day trip to enjoy the views. An easy route leads to Morskie Oko, one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe (1,395 m): take a small bus from the centre of Zakopane and walk about 2.5 hours on a gentle, partly paved path.