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With the accession of Poland to the EU in May 2004, more and more tourists are flocking to the country, and Krakow in particular. Krakow is now established as a major tourism centre, and besides being Poland's fourth largest city, it is also one of Europe's most beautiful. The city has long been heralded as, 'The New Prague'; a label many residents of Prague may consider a double edged sword given the number of British revellers to be found throwing up in the Czech capital's gutters.

But Krakow's historical, cultural and social heritage more than justify the claim. The city, situated in the south-east of the country between the Jura uplands and the Tatra Mountains, on the banks of the Vistula River, has one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. The city has largely been left intact since the Tartar raids of the 13th century, which accounts for the largely unspoilt Old Town - now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike much of the rest of Poland, the city was not destroyed towards the end of the second world war, so visitors to Krakow need not endure the visual assault that viewing Warsaw's decaying 1950's Communist architecture constitutes.

The gruesomely notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau is located approximately an hour's drive from Krakow and simply must be visited. Although the sites of other concentration camps such as Dachau and Sachsenhausen have been more successful in their attempts to provide a visitor friendly atmosphere, Auschwitz-Birkenau more than any other conveys the unimaginable scale and horror of the holocaust. Krakow also boats the Jagiellonian University, the oldest in Poland. The almost 100,000 student population fuels a lively nightlife in the atmospheric cellar bars away from the tourists above.

One thing for visitors to bear in mind is transportation. Poland's trains have not earned a reputation for luxury, and most of the railway staff do not have a thorough grounding in English. If you plan to spend some time in Krakow it may be worth hiring a car, which would also lend the flexibility to explore the surrounding countryside. Whatever your reasons for visiting Krakow, whether it be to visit Wawel Castle, the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to the early 17th century, or just for the banging night life, Krakow will not leave you disappointed.

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