This entirely pleasant country is overlooked by tourists. It, like other eastern European nations, is full of history and sights at a reasonable price. For the first thing you notice coming to Poland (especially after visiting Russia) is how cheap everything is. Vodka, of course, is cheap. Beer and wine are cheap. At nice establishments, a decent pint is 8-10 PLN ($3). A carafe of wine might be 15 PLN. A glass of cava is 10 PLN. The point is you won’t remember the prices since it is a non-issue. After a night of gluttony and meandering, you’ll still have lots of zloty in your pocket.

But Poland is not just a university dorm. It has a surprisingly rich and often gruesome history. Auschwitz and Birkenau, the two camps that were the largest of the Nazi’s killing machines, are an hour and a half outside of Krakow. Most people who arrive in Krakow survey the old city on their first afternoon, and are offered the whole caboodle of ways to visit Auschwitz. But it is decidedly better to go to Auschwitz yourself, as the place is ripe for self-reflection.

Entrance to Auschwitz I, bearing the sign "Arbeit macht frei"

In order to take a self-guided tour, you must arrive before 10am. So either leave on the 6:50 bus or the 7:30 bus; the former if you want to do a more comprehensive walkthrough, though it probably isn’t necessary. Busses do not run frequently so you must time the bus back. The same company that leaves at 6:50 and 7:30 returns at 12:10. Tickets are bought on the bus. The drop off is in front of Auschwitz I, the smaller compound that has been reconstructed as a museum. Buy a 5 PLN guidebook and go through the somber exhibits, like the room full of the hair of prisoners. Entering into Auschwitz I through the propagandist gate that translates to “work makes you free” gives a surreal feeling as if you were transported 50 years backwards in time. In fact entering Osiewicz, the area, is like time travel.

Shuttles to Auschwitz II, the larger camp that had the infamous gas chambers and crematoria, depart every 30 minutes, starting at 10:30. If you miss one, a taxi is only 15pln and if you’re lucky, you might get driver that thinks he’s a tour guide. Auschwitz II is mostly still virgin territory, left as the Nazis intended as they tried to cover up evidence in their retreat. The remains of the exploded gas chambers are visible. The holocaust never felt so real. The shuttle returns back every 30 minutes, starting at 10:45.

If all goes well, you will be back in the city by 2pm, enough time for a few museums before heading off to the famous Wieszcz Salt Mine. A natural set of museums to do is Schindler’s Factory and MOCAK since they are beside each other and are on the first stop south of central station, and therefore en-route to Wieszcz. Both museums are average but most people want the Schindler brownie point after watching Steven Spielberg’s rendition. The Salt Mine is 25 minutes away by train. Tickets are purchased on the train (4 PLN). English tours start at 8:30 and repeat every 30 minutes thereafter. Aim for a 5:00 or 5:30 tour. The mines itself, as you descend the spiral staircase over 60 metres, is a large network of underground passages that have existed since the 1400’s and enlarged with each generation. It has historical significance since a long time ago, salt was worth more than gold because of its importance in food preservation. As you enter, you notice that the mine is not a ramshackle labyrinth of tunnels, though some parts of the mine probably are. The areas you visit resemble a real-world Mines of Moria, a beautiful palace underground. There are salt sculptures carved by salt miners, one of which tell the legend of how Wieszcz salt was found, and there are rooms for concerts and churches where people are wedded every day. Of course, this mine once did serve an economic purpose – and you can see original pulley systems, railway tracks and water pumps that accomplished this.

At night, join the convivial masses in the Jewish quarter, the Kazimierz. A good restaurant there is Pierozki U Vincenta, where surrounded by colourful sunflower art, delicious pierogies are served. If Van Gogh is not your thing, there is a wallpaper of Dali at Moment, a café that has acceptable food and very cheap drinks.

Pierozki U Vincenta

The Salt mine isn’t the only world heritage site nearby. There is the Old Town, a bit like Prague’s, with a Cathedral and Wawel Castle perched atop, hugging the river. Find Polish art at the four-room gallery in the Cloth Hall, the primary structure in the central square of Old Town. Close to the castle, is the seemingly insignificant restaurant Pod Baranem. Surprisingly it has delicious skin-seared duck in a textured apple cinnamon sauce and a soft espresso-flavoured Gingerbread.

Pod Baranem

Barley soup Krakow style 14 zł

Dumplings Russian style (with cheese) 24 zł

Duck breast in apple cinnamon sauce 33 zł

Gingerbread 16 zł

Krakow is the better city to visit but Warsaw is a reliable stopover as well, about three hours away. Like a good European city, it has a palace (Wilanow Palace Museum), a presidential residence (Belvedere), some memorials of WWII (Warsaw Rising Museum; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) and classical music (Chopin Museum). It also has some decent food. Atelier Amaro recently received a Michelin star, the first to do so in Poland. If you can’t get reservations there, go to the convivial U Kucharzy. This popular place is known for its tableside steak tartare, which isn’t entirely good. Go for the duck instead. The food feels like a Sunday dinner: the duck is slow-roasted, disassembled, and topped with fruity condiments, all cooking in different pots. It’s like home.

U Kucharzy

The real reason to visit Poland, of course, is for Auschwitz and the Salt Mine. Those two places are world class destinations on par with anything else other cities can offer. But the cities can be fun because of how cheap everything is. Best advice is get a taste before Poland joins the Eurozone and the depressed Zloty becomes defunct.

Accessibility: Ability to speak English is fairly common in Poland, especially in Krakow. The Polish language also uses the Latin alphabet, which makes navigation simple. One issue is that transportation is not synced with Google Maps. However, both the networks of Warsaw and Krakow are simple enough that you can most of the time just get on a streetcar that is going in the direction you want. Credit card is accepted in most places and ATM’s are easy to find. Many places are self-serve or at least self-seating. Sim cards are cheap. The best option is probably Play, which uses the T-mobile network and costs about 15 PLN for 1gb of data plus call credit. The service at these locations is unpleasant even when English is not an issue.