Cracow may be small but there is enough going on here to entertain the visitor for ever and a day. New exhibitions are always opening, and the permanent collections of the city’s myriad museums are real treasures. Most famous is the Czartoryski, Poland‘s oldest museum which owns Leonardo da Vinci’s legendary Lady with an Ermine. A full guide to the city’s museums can be found online at www.cracow-life.com The Wawel citadel is a must, although be warned that the Royal Castle and Cathedral can get pretty crowded in high season. Manggha Centre, often missed by visitors, is a futuristic cultural centre and was the brainchild of Poland’s greatest film director, Andrzej Wajda. Inspired by his second love, Japan, Manggha has regular exhibitions on all manner of themes, as well as a riverside café with fine views of the castle (ul. M. Konopnickiej 26).

Operas are staged at the glorious fin-de-siecle Slowacki theatre – tickets are inexpensive. There has long been talk of a purpose-built opera house for Cracow, and numerous designs have been made but there are still no concrete plans.

Excursions
The medieval salt mines of Wieliczka half-an-hour outside Cracow are a well-trodden part of the tourist trail. These include miraculous chapels carved from salt. However, all tours are guided, and dithering around in each cavern can become a tedious affair.

The Ojcow National Park, 40 minutes north of Cracow, makes for a fine rural escape at any time of year. The nearby castle of Pieskowa Skala is also a popular and worthwhile choice.

The former concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau are a must for many travellers journeying through this part of Europe. While it’s very moving to see the camps, the increasing numbers of tourists and group tours often lend the sites an air of commercialism. If you don’t have time to travel to the camps (the journey takes 2hrs 30mins by bus from Cracow), the newly opened Galicia Museum offers an equally emotive insight into the legacy of Poland’s Jews.