Poland's tourism prospects brighten

Warsaw, Poland

If your starting point is the capital, Warsaw, then expect a journey into hedonism as you explore some of the best clubs and bars in the country.

If you’re after something more cerebral then check out the Warsaw Uprising Museum – possibly the best museum in Poland. Most travellers tend to gravitiate towards Poland’s seat of culture, Kraków, and you won’t be disappointed with its cobbled Old Town, world class dining and endless cellar bars. It’s the ideal base to explore Poland; flanking it on each side are the Auschwitz death camp, and Poland’s winter capital, Zakopane. Regarded as Poland’s answer to Aspen expect little less than a top notch ski resort which pairs natural beauty with a lively nightlife.

If it’s history you’re after then don’t dare miss Gdańsk, which can count itself as a one city waltz through history. A trading stronghold from the middle ages, this handsome town was the cradle of two of the most important events of the 20th century; the start of WWII, and the birthplace of the Solidarity movement. While you’re in the region then check out Poland’s party capital, Sopot: whether or not summer is over, you can rest assured the party isn't. Further down the road the city of Gdynia completes what is known as the Tri-City conurbation, and is the areas financial and culinary pace setter. Poznań and Wrocław are more gems in the tourist crown of this remarkable country. Poznań will bring you here for business, but bring you back for pleasure. There is a distinctly cosmopolitan feel to it, and the clubs and pubs are some of the best in the country; don’t believe us, then order a beer at the Brovaria Microbrewery, or take a trip out of town to the Lech brewing factory.

Next up: Wrocław. Gothic towers and hip clubs rub shoulders in what is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Central/Eastern Europe. Łódź; a reasonably new addition to the Medestino family. We're delighted to have launched the most in-depth English-language guide you'll find to the city. Find out about the highs and lows of Poland's third city, taking in everything from Europe's largest municipal park, to the awesome Manufaktura centre: possibly the most exciting and ambitious regeneration project undertaken in Central/Eastern Europe.

Katowice offers a taste of socialist and industrial Poland not found in the chocolate box old towns of Krakow or Gdansk. Find out about the history of the capital of Poland's industrial heartland as well as why a concrete bowl in the centre of the city plays the notes to 'Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind' on the hour in what must be one of Europe's wackiest cities. And if that wasn't enough there's more. Bydgoszcz may look like a scrabble high score but there's more to it than a ridiculous lack of vowels. Straddling 2 rivers and a canal this city is the birthplace of the man who probably saved Europe from nuclear war. Read more about Marian Rejewski and his (not the American or British) Enigma machine in the latest guide to join the series. And we don't just cover the biggest places.

Poland has a lot to offer and only Medestino is there to give you the lowdown on the many places other guidebooks don't dare explore. Our guides to Torun, Oswiecim, Lublin, Opole, Bialystok, Rzeszow, Suwalki, Kielce, Gizycko, Olsztyn, Wieliczka and Szczecin will help you to get  around, find the best hotels, bars, restaurants and museums and open your eyes to another side of Poland.