Of all the Polish cities, the capital is the hardest to love. Destroyed by the Nazis during WWII, Warsaw’s reconstructed Old Town still feels fake, whilst the rest of the city is an ill-thought out concrete jumble. Still the urban traveller should feel right at home, once they’ve located the cool cafes, hidden beach bars, sizzling underground clubs. There’s also a burgeoning contemporary arts scene, and the once no go district of Stara Praga is full of exciting discoveries.

Meanwhile the likes of Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan and Lublin combine beautiful architecture with student-fuelled nightlife (all are university cities) perfect for wild weekend breaks – whereas the post industrial town of Lodz is Poland’s dark horse, much loved by David Lynch. Everywhere you travel in Poland, the warmth of the people – and the vodka – offset the cold of those East European winters. During summer hit the happening beach resort of Sopot on the Baltic sea.