If they were handling out prizes for 'most eventful history', Poland would be sure to get a medal. Poland has long been a nation steeped in tradition and history, although the past twenty years have witnessed such dizzying economic development that the country is starting to feel more and more like the West. Still, beneath the gleaming surface lies a culture firmly rooted in Eastern hospitality and community values, and fascinating reminders of the turbulent past are everywhere.

Poland has everything: beautiful coastal beaches and sand dunes, glacier-carved lake districts, lowlands as flat as a pancake, splendid forests, old and new mountains (including the only table-like mountains in Europe!), even a desert. These may well be the beginning of a fascinating adventure of discovering Europe.