Planning an Eastern European adventure? Wondering what are the best cities to visit in Poland including some beyond the usual suspects?
Poland is home to some of my favorite budget-minded Ryanair destinations in Europe. In this guide to Poland's cities, I'll provide a snapshot of each destination based on my personal travel experience to provide some inspiration for your own Polish city break.
Look at this post as your launchpad to an amazing city-focused trip to Poland with curated summaries of Poland's must-visit cities and hidden gems you may not have heard of.
Each section of the guide links out to more detailed information about that destination to help you dive deeper as you plan your trip. Let's go!
Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz is a quirky city with half-timbered architecture.
- Visit the Museum of Soap and the History of Dirt.
- See the Tightrope Walker sculpture.
- Take a day trip to Torun, a nearby medieval city, and eat gingerbread.
✨ Explore Bydgoszcz in a day
Gdansk
Gdansk is less touristy than other Polish cities and is teeming with WWII and Solidarity history.
- Visit Westerplatte, where the first shots of WWII were fired.
- Stroll along Ulica Mariacka, a popular shopping street.
- See Neptune's Fountain, which survived WWII because citizens hid it.
Krakow
Krakow is one of the most popular cities in Poland.
- Visit Rynek Glowny, the largest open market square in Europe.
- Eat at a milk bar, an inexpensive and healthy eatery.
- Tour Schindler’s Factory, a museum about Oskar Schindler's efforts to protect Jewish people during WWII.
Poznan
Poznan is an ideal city to visit for a weekend city break and can be combined with Bydgoszcz for a Ryanair weekend away.
- At noon, watch the two billy goats emerge from the clock tower in Old Town Market Square and butt heads.
- Visit Nierozpoznani ("The Unrecognized") in Park Cytadela.
- Visit Cathedral Island.
Torun
Torun is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Poland.
- Visit Copernicus' Birth House.
- Eat gingerbread.
- See the leaning Tower of Torun.
Warsaw
Warsaw is Poland's vibrant capital. Many people dismiss it and recommend visiting Krakow instead. I loved the modern cosmopolitan vibe and amazing food that we found here and actually prefer Warsaw over Krakow.
- Stroll down Nowy Świat Street, one of Warsaw's main streets.
- See the Jewish Ghetto Wall memorial.
- Attend a free Chopin concert in Łazienki Park during the spring or summer.
Wrocław
Wrocław is a charming city in Western Poland that is full of German influences.
- Go gnome hunting.
- Visit Stary Rynek, one of the largest open market squares in Europe.
- Drink a hot beer at the Wrocław Christmas market if visiting during December.