I was on the Best of Eastern Europe tour that included Poland (and five other countries) in 2022. In addition, I visited Poland and two other countries on my own in 2015.
I wish I had had more time in Zakopane, Poland, and-or northern Slovakia for hiking in the Tatra Mountains or something else outdoor oriented. They're stunning. My physician in Chicago, who is from Zakopane, says there are hiking trails galore there. That region is called the Polish Highlands.
In Krakow, I enjoyed visiting Oskar Schindler's factory. Prior to my trip, I had read the Thomas Keneally book, Schindler's Ark, which became the basis for the Steven Spielberg movie. It was an honor for me, the son of the U.S. World War II veteran, to see Schindler's factory. Ditto for Heroes' Square and Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter of Krakow. I had a great kosher meal in Kazimierz, but I can't remember the eatery's name. The eatery was listed in both Rick Steves's and the Lonely Planet guides, I remember.
In 2015, I had an unscheduled stop in Katowice, which is in the Silesian region of western Poland, because my bus from Krakow was late and my connecting train to Budapest had already left. Most tourists do not go to Katowice because it's an old industrial town, but, man, I found it fascinating. It's one of those industrial towns like you find in my native Midwest that's trying to come back.
I wish I had visited Gdansk on one of those trips. I've seen Rick's videos of the town.
