Cześć! Poland is a country in Central Europe offering a captivating blend of rich history, modernity, diverse landscapes, and interesting culture. If you’re planning your first trip to Poland and wondering what cities you should explore, you’re in a good place! In this post, we’ll show you our subjective ranking of the best cities to visit in Poland, perfect for first-time visitors. They are ideal to experience the country’s highlights and encourage you to come back for more. Add these cities to your Poland travel bucket list – you won’t regret it.
Just to let you know, Poland is our home country. We’ve traveled it extensively and know it quite well. We’ve visited the mentioned cities many times, and it’s always a pleasure to return. And one of them is even our Polish home!
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What’s the best time to visit Poland?
The best time to visit Poland is late spring or early autumn – the weather is warm and sunny, there are fewer crowds, and the prices are a bit lower. Summer months will be ok too, if you have nothing against bigger crowds.
We advise against visiting Poland during the winter months. The air quality is terrible, the days are very short, and you’ll be lucky to see a ray of sun.
TOP5 Best cities to visit in Poland
Wroclaw
Wroclaw is a beautiful and vivid Polish city overrun and ruled by dwarfs. It’s a place where old is intertwined with new, and beautiful with shabby. If you’re into charming old towns full of history and hidden gems, amazing food, many green spaces, and some weird architecture – Wroclaw is a place for you. There you’ll find a wide variety of activities that for sure will please every traveler’s taste.
Wrocław is the third biggest city in Poland and a city where we live and which we love. For foreign tourists, it might not yet be as popular travel destination as other big names like Krakow or Warsaw but it’s definitely one of the best cities to visit in Poland.
How many days are enough for Wroclaw?
You can discover the most popular places in Wroclaw in 2 or 3 days, although if you want to get to know it better, we recommend staying for about 5-7 days.
Learn more: Things To Do In Wroclaw, Poland [Guide By Locals]
Krakow
Krakow is one of the best cities to visit in Poland which has become a trendy spot in Central Europe for international travelers. It’s one of the oldest cities in Poland, with the first written record dating back to 965. For hundreds of years, Krakow was also the country’s capital.
Nowadays, Krakow is best known for its pretty old town and Wawel Royal Castle – both declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also home to the mighty fire-breathing dragon, intriguing legends, Europe’s largest medieval town square, the oldest Polish university, and some stand-out architecture. You definitely won’t be bored in Krakow!
How many days are enough for Krakow?
You can discover all the Krakow highlights in 2 or 3 days. However, if you want to get to know it better and also go on some trips (for example to Auschwitz or Wieliczka Salt Mine) we recommend staying for about 5 days.
Learn more: How To Spend 3 Days In Krakow, Poland?
Gdansk
Gdansk is one of Poland’s major travel destinations among foreigners. Together with Sopot and Gdynia, it forms a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto). It’s a delightful city with a rich and turbulent history – it was here, on Westerplatte, where World War II began, and the Solidarity movement was created, leading to the fall of communism.
Nowadays, Gdansk is best known for its old town full of beautiful and colorful townhouses and lovely riverside areas. There you’ll find a wide variety of activities – from exploring the nooks and crooks of the old town, learning about Polish history, visiting interesting museums to taking a photo with Neptune, eating local food, and relaxing on the sandy beach.
How many days are enough for Gdansk?
2 full days will give you enough time to see all the most popular spots in the city. But if you want to experience it more and also discover places beyond city walls (like Gdynia, Sopot, or Malbork) we recommend spending around 5-7 days.
Learn more: 20+ Things To Do In Gdansk, Poland
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It has a brutal history, having endured the horrors of World War II and being almost completely wiped out. But over the last century, it rose from the ashes like a phoenix, making it a modern and vibrant city full of life offering a wide variety of activities for everyone.
Nowadays, Warsaw is an interesting place where you’ll immerse in history and where you’ll see how old is intertwined with new. There you’ll find a bizarre mix of modern glass skyscrapers, concrete giants, and nice medieval-style squares. Interesting museums, many green spaces, and delicious local food are there too. No wonder that Warsaw quickly became one of the best cities to visit in Poland!
How many days are enough for Warsaw?
You can discover the most popular places in Warsaw in 2 or 3 days. If you want to experience it more, we recommend spending around 4 days in Warsaw but we don’t think it’s worth staying longer than that.
Learn more: 25+ Things To Do In Warsaw, Poland
Poznan
Poznan is a beautiful city that is one of the major travel destinations among Polish people but is still not well known to foreign visitors. So, if you’re up to visiting a cool hidden gem, you’re in a good place! Poznan is an amazing city, definitely worth your time.
Poznan is colorful, beautiful, friendly, tasty, and full of green spaces. It’s a big city that manages to keep a small-town feel. In Poznan, you’ll find a wide variety of activities – from exploring the nooks and crannies of the beautiful old town and watching the most popular goats in the country bumping their heads to tasting delicious local dishes and visiting interesting museums.
How many days are enough for Poznan?
You can discover the most popular places in Poznan in 1 day. However, if you want to get to know it better we recommend staying for at least 2-3 days.
Learn more: 15+ Things To Do In Poznan, Poland
Explore local attractions
Best cities to visit in Poland – Summing up
As you can see, Poland’s cities are diverse, interesting, and definitely worth visiting. From the historic streets of Krakow and the maritime charm of Gdańsk to the modern vibrancy of Warsaw and the colorful cities of Poznan or Wroclaw – something is waiting for every traveler. We hope this post was helpful, and now you’re one step closer to choosing cities you’d like to visit in Poland. Enjoy!
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![Things To Do In Wroclaw, Poland [Guide By Locals]](https://happylittletraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Wroclaw-Town-Hall-on-main-market-square-300x200.jpg.webp)
