Region
Lesser Poland
The Lublin region (Lubelskie) is Poland's southeast, a quieter, historically layered part of the country near the Ukrainian border. It rewards travellers who want depth over crowds.
Lublin, the regional capital, has a compact old town, a hilltop castle with a rare medieval chapel of Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes, and a heavy history: the German Nazi camp at Majdanek stands preserved on the city's edge. West on the Vistula, Kazimierz Dolny is a small artists' town of Renaissance facades and riverside views.
The region's showpiece is Zamosc, a planned Renaissance town laid out in the sixteenth century and listed by UNESCO, its arcaded market square and fortifications largely intact. The wider area is one of Poland's most historically multicultural, with Polish, Jewish and Ruthenian threads.
Lublin is the natural base, reachable by train and coach from Warsaw in around two to three hours, with Kazimierz Dolny and Zamosc as day trips. Allow a few days to do all three justice.
Destinations
Kraków
Poland's former royal capital and its best-preserved historic city, built around Europe's largest medieval market square and the cathedral on Wawel Hill.
Zakopane
Poland's mountain capital at the foot of the Tatras, with a distinctive wooden building tradition, serious hiking and a busy winter ski scene.
Places to see
Museum
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
The preserved site of the largest German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, now a memorial and museum to its victims, west of Krakow.
Castle
Wawel Castle
The royal castle and cathedral on the hill above the Vistula, the symbolic heart of the Polish nation for a thousand years.
Attraction
Main Market Square
Europe's largest medieval market square, the social centre of Krakow, with the Cloth Hall running down its middle.
Attraction
Wieliczka Salt Mine
A UNESCO-listed salt mine worked for seven centuries, with underground chapels, lakes and chambers carved entirely from rock salt.
National Park
Tatra National Park
Poland's highest mountains, protected as a national park, with alpine peaks, glacial lakes and the country's most demanding trails.
Restaurant
Bottiglieria 1881
Krakow's Michelin-starred tasting-menu room, a modern Polish kitchen paired with a deep wine cellar.
Hotel
Hotel Copernicus
A Relais & Châteaux townhouse on the oldest street in the city, with a rooftop terrace facing Wawel.
Museum
Rynek Underground
An atmospheric archaeology museum beneath the Main Square, walking you through the medieval market on its original cobbles.
Restaurant
Bakowo Zohylina
A proper highlander karczma with open-fire grilling, live folk music and oscypek cheese.