Rooftops in Krakow old town

Set on the banks of the Wisla river, Poland's third largest city is also its most visited.

Krakow came through World War II with its stunning medieval buildings intact, and as well as being one of the prettiest and most culturally significant cities in Europe, it's also one of the continent's party capitals.

Krakow's bars and nightclubs are always packed to the beer-soaked rafters with trendy young Cracovian university students as well as Western European men on stag weekends knocking back the cheapest grog they've ever laid lips on.  

Having said that, Krakow is best appreciated without a hangover. Start your explorations in its fairytale Old Town, set around Rynek Glowny (the main marketplace) - one of the world's largest and most beautiful medieval squares. Tenth century churches, art museums, bars, restaurants, boutiques and markets are set around its paved core. 

Krakow was Poland's ancient royal capital, and you won't want to leave the city without ambling up to the castle and cathedral on Wawel Hill where Polish kings governed, laid their weary heads and prayed for 500 odd years.

Next to the Old Town lies Kazimierz, the former Jewish district and Krakow's most fascinating area. Before World War II (during which the Jewish population was removed and massacred in the Auschwitz death camps just 70km away), this neighbourhood was one of the most vibrant Jewish centres in Europe. Steven Spielberg filmed a significant chunk of Schindler's List in Kazimierz and about 15 minutes walk from here lies Schindler's actual factory. 

Although Kazimierz is now home to Krakow's best bars and clubs, during the day there's a definite air of sadness to the place - the empty synagogues, the silent cemeteries, the forgotten Yiddish inscriptions over doorways - but also evidence that Ashkenazi culture is slowly undergoing a revival here. You can taste it in the delicious Jewish restaurants, hear it in the nightly klezmer music performances and see it in the newly restored buildings and the superb modern Jewish museums. The annual Jewish Culture Festival - with workshops, lectures, exhibitions, films, performances, guided walks and book readings - is further proof of the area's Jewish resurrection. 

One of the most popular day trips from Krakow is to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Numerous daily buses and trains service the grisly site.

Balice Airport, 12km west of the city centre, is Krakow's main international gateway.