Poland

We were able to stay 3 nights in Poznań and 3 nights in Kraków. Neither of us have visited Poland so obviously we can't give the best travel advice but we were both very happy with the locations we stayed in both cities - near their "Old Town" areas. We mostly walked everywhere we needed to go and used their trams only a few times. We did also use a Bolt ride, thankful to have that option.

In Old Town Poznań, you will instantly feel like you can slow down. There is the Poznań Fara Church and the National Museum nearby. In the square, there are souvenir shops and restaurants, and a lot of photo opportunities with the picturesque backdrop of centuries-old architecture, statues, monuments.

We did book a "show" at the Croissant Museum (Rogalowe). It was about an hour with a couple of very humorous young men who creatively tell you about the history of the St. Martin's croissant (and yes, you do receive a delicious sample!).

Our train from Poznań to Kraków was about 5 hours long. We were lucky to find St. Joseph's Market Fair was taking place when we walked into the Old Town and indulged in some delicious brats and potatoes. (If you are considering visiting in March, check for the dates of this fair). Kraków is a much bigger and busier city compared to Poznań.

A couple of weeks in advance we'd booked a guided tour from Kraków to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and former concentration camps. I think everyone processes this tour in a different, very personal way.

The people in Poland are kind and genuinely warm. While many people who live there speak English, I wish I could've met them at least half-way with some knowledge of the Polish language. Unfortunately, I never got farther than 'please' and 'thank you.' I've heard these cities have experienced recent increases in tourism and I now understand why. Beautiful.