Poland’s historic cities: Warsaw, Gdansk and vibrant Krakow

Gdańsk (also known by its German name Danzig) is a city in Poland on the Baltic Sea. It is the capital of Pomerania. Gdańsk with nearby Sopot and Gdynia are often referred as Tricity (pl: ). Gdańsk is considered one of the most beautiful cities on the Baltic Sea and has magnificent architecture.

Toruń (Kashubian: , German: ) is a beautiful, medieval city in North-Western Poland, situated on the Vistula River. Its architecture was not hit by bombs during World War II, and as such represents one of the few examples of true Gothic architecture in Poland. It is still reasonably off the radars of most European travelers, so one can expect to have an amazing Polish experience here without the nightmares of a million and one Interrail travelers.

It has been one of the capitals of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, and was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998 and of the Pomeranian Voivodeship from 1921 to 1939. The city is located near the Geographic Center of Europe.

Toruń's medieval Old Town or is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Toruń is the birthplace of the world famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. The house where Copernicus was born and the chapel where he was christened are still standing in the city. From Middle Ages the town is known for its gingerbreads.

As of the last census in 2004, Toruń has 208,386 inhabitants.

Poznań (German: ) is the largest city in Greater Poland, in the west of Poland, and one of the largest metropoles in the whole country. Situated roughly equidistantly between Warsaw and Berlin, it serves as a major economic hub, and a centre for industry and commerce. The Poznań International Trade Fair grounds host the most important trade fairs and exhibitions in Poland, making Poznań an important business destination, but the city has plenty of history and attractions to share besides that. Its relative compactness and easy access by road, rail and air make it a convenient tourist destination for visitors to Central Europe.

Wrocław (pronounced ; also known as Breslau, its German name, and English name until 1945) is the largest city in Lower Silesia in Poland. It is home to 630,000 people within the city limits and the metropolitan area has a population of 1.2 million making it the largest city in Western Poland.

Wrocław is the historic capital of Silesia and it has changed hands repeatedly over the centuries. At different points throughout history, Wrocław has been in the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia and Germany. In 1945 the city became a part of Poland again as the borders of Poland were moved westwards in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The city came to international fame as it hosted a number of football matches during the Euro 2012 Championships and was one of the 2016 European Capitals of Culture. The World Games took place in Wrocław in 2017.

The city of Kraków (also known as Cracow) is in the Lesser Poland region in the southern region of Poland. It is the capital city of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It covers both banks of the Wisła (or Vistula) river. Uplands region at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. It is Poland's second largest city, with a population of 760 000 in 2015 (1.4 million if including surrounding communities).