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Warsaw, Krakow, and.... ?

Hi, I am traveling with my family - boys 8 and 5, two adults, to Poland in summer 2025. We plan to fly to do Warsaw, Krakow, and would like to add a third destination at the end. We have about 10-14 days.

Looking for input for the third destination. Our criteria:

-We want something slower paced and more relaxing after two cities (the equivalent in Western / Southern Europe to going to "the beach").

-Happy to leave Poland if need be.
-Warsaw and Krakow sequencing are interchangeable (in other words if there is something relaxing to the north).
-What we would like on something in the third location is a chill vibe, walkability or outdoor activities, and ideally some confluence of resort hotels which should bring with it dining and activity options.

-I thought about Vienna (where I've been) or Budapest. Despite their charm it is another city.

I am thinking about the Tatra Mountains - either Poland and Slovak side - from Krakow. Does someone have views on Tatra Mountains for 4 days? Is there an alternative to Tatra with something like the above?

The kids are relatively well traveled for their age - having been to Western Europe about 6 times.

Posted by
6597 posts

So many wonderful cities in Poland. Possible cities would be Torun (smaller town), Gdansk (bigger but stunning), Wroclaw(so much to do, lovely town square). Absolutely no need to leave Poland for charming cities.

I wouldn't be the one to ask about resort hotels. I didn't get to the Tatra mountains but maybe you'd find what you want there. A city to look at would be Zakopane.

Posted by
889 posts

I think you should take a look at Zakopane. We spent 3 nights there. There are many places to stay. We had dinner in restaurants along the one pedestrianized street. Most of the restaurants were serving about the same thing. I remember seeing a lot of families. The hiking starts right on the edge of town. We enjoyed our time there and it was fun to see how Polish families spent their vacations.

Posted by
1207 posts

Look at Sopot, which is a beach resort town that is part of the Tri-city area that also includes Gdansk and Gdynia.

Posted by
4185 posts

I've found that Zakopane has become almost too touristy in recent years, especially with foreign tourists. Here are some of my favourite lesser known resort/spa towns that are more popular with local Poles on holiday:

Polanica-Zdrój - old former German spa town located in the Kłodzko Valley. Really relaxing place with restorative mineral waters, I had the best pierogi I've ever had in Poland at Villa Polanica, where I also stayed.

Ustroń - larger spa town, quite popular with local Poles. Nestled in the mountains where Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland meet. The President of Poland has his Presidential Castle nearby, that he uses for winter/summer retreats, it's possible to visit the castle when he's not in. Here I stayed at Hotel Belweder.

Wisła - mountain resort town, the smaller sister to Ustroń. They have great hikes here that run all the way to Slovakia and Czechia. Very popular all year around with great hotel/resorts like Hotel Gołębiewski Wisła.

Posted by
2810 posts

I loved Gdansk. Beautiful with lots to do. But based on your criteria, I think Zakopana is your answer.

Posted by
6597 posts

Markcw's recommendation gives you a resort town with proximity to Gdansk should you decide you'd like to spend some time there.

Posted by
20490 posts

The answer might be in the bigger picture. Where are you coming from and what are your change of plan options on the way in and the way out? Oh, and since you mentioned beach, then a city with bath houses? And of course any serious suggestion would require kowledge of dates and for how long.

Posted by
545 posts

How about Poznan in the north after Warsaw? It’s smaller, slower, more compact but still attractive for a short stay at the end of your trip.

Posted by
4897 posts

Yes, bigger picture is required in order to make a good choice. It matters which city you are heading to first. I would be inclined to take a closer look at either Carlos or Peter’s suggestions. In particular, Carlos’s ideas will get you closer to nature. I drove through a bit of the Tatras south of Krakow (following the trail of wooden churches mentioned by Carlos) and spent a night in a completely random town along my route determined by distance. While nothing special, it was inexpensive, turned out to be a town catering to hiking and other sports, and no other Americans in sight. A delightful little overnight that I just took a chance on - no more than 2 hours from Krakow but a completely different experience.