Poland’s second city is a first-rate destination for travellers seeking elegant medieval architecture, a buzzing bar scene and a rich history spanning some of Europe’s most seismic moments.

The air is as still as the stagnant water lying on the marsh beyond the old wooden farmhouse. In the late afternoon sunshine the silence is momentarily broken by the snapping of beaks, while an occasional, clumsy landing stirs up a pile of dust from the sleepy farmyard

The Nazi headquarters turned boutique hotel; the library with its own roof garden; the vodka museum that shares its digs with Google… Warsaw is in the grip of a fascinating reinvention.

An ancient, untamed enclave in the Polish east, Białowieża is a fairytale forest hosting a colourful cast of creatures.

While it still bears the scars of WWII, the sobering tale of Kraków's Jewish communities is being expertly told in sites across this beguiling and resilient city.