Hiking is the most popular of outdoor activities, and not without reason. The most popular hiking routes are those in the Tatra Mountains but the Pieniny, the Bieszczady or the Karkonosze are all options. Canoeing is possible on most waterways, though the main rivers are pretty polluted. The Krutynia and Czarna HaÅ„cza Rivers, both in Masuria, are almost untouched and have some of the best kayaking in the country. The Masurian lakes are ideal for sailing and, not surprisingly, they are crowded with hundreds of boats in summer. It’s possible to hire a sailing boat in Giżycko, MikoÅ‚ajki or several other Masurian resorts. Poland has about a thousand caves, mostly in the uplands near Kraków and in the Tatra Mountains. For those unwilling to plunge into uncharted blackness, a handful of caves are adapted for the spatially-sane. The most spectacular of these are the Bear’s Cave near KÅ‚odzko and the Paradise Cave near Kielce. Skiing is mostly concentrated in the Carpathians. Zakopane, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains is without a doubt ski-bunny warren numero uno, with Szczyrk in the Beskid Śłaski also popular.

Glogowek

Hidden in the Sudeten foothills, Glogowek is one of a number of small medieval towns which have preserved their original layout complete with town square, church and old houses. The black Virgin Mary with Child in the replica Italian shrine here is a magnet for pilgrims.

Torun

Two hundred kilometres (120mi) south of GdaÅ„sk, ToruÅ„ is the birthplace of Copernicus, the man who ’stopped the sun and moved the earth’. It’s a beautiful town dating back to the 13th century, when the Teutonic Knights set about transforming it into one of their early outposts.

The town became a Hanseatic port in the 1280s, garnering wealth that spurred the construction of the elegant Gothic buildings you can see today. If you spend a few days wandering around munching on the local gingerbread your only problem will be OD-ing on picture-postcard perfection.

Zamosc

Designed in its entirety four centuries ago, Zamość was built in one swoop at the behest of Jan Zamoyski, the chancellor of the time. Zamoyski intended to create a perfect city, which would be an important cultural and trading centre and an impregnable fortress.

This proved to be a successful venture since the town was situated at the intersection of major trading routes. Today it’s a charming place, well off the tourist trail, but with reasonable cheap accommodation and some good bars and clubs. Transport links are mostly through Lublin.

Warsaw

Emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of WWII, Warsaw is essentially a postwar city. Its handful of historic precincts have been meticulously reconstructed, but most of its urban landscape is modern, from the dull products of the Stalin era to more creative efforts of recent years.

Warsaw’s main north-south boulevard is the Royal Way, running from the Royal Castle to Lazienki Palace, the royal summer residence. This is one of Europe’s grandest stretches of road, with churches, palaces, galleries and museums lining the route.