Krakow: The Best of Poland?

So, everybody goes there: does that make it good? In the case of Krakow's truly charming Old Town Square, yes, it does.

You know I tend to prefer quiet places, the spots maybe less tourists know about, or at least at a time when they're not there - something like Prague's Charles Bridge at 7am, before the tour groups arrive. In Poland, the southern city of Krakow is attracting tourists in unheard of numbers, rivalling Prague and Hungarian capital Budapest as Eastern Europe's most popular destination. Does that mean I should avoid it?

No. Because like Prague and Budapest, there's a very good reason why so many people are visiting. Krakow is simply gorgeous. Whether you travel off-season, get up early or stay up late, or simply mingle with the large crowds, it's worth seeing. The best bits feature in this week's article on Krakow's Old Town Square and in the future we'll take a look at other highlights like the Wawel Castle.