After almost half a century of being under supervision, Poland has been slowly, but surely, opening its doors to the world over the past twenty years. Vibrant and dynamic, one of its main attractions is its striking blend of modernism and archaism. The towns boast many different sights: the capital of Warsaw is a showcase of the country’s new modernity, while the picturesque Krakow and Gdansk seem at times to be set in another era. Equally, you can discover dreamy landscapes, from the Baltic beaches to the many lush and unspoilt natural areas (natural parks, ‘the land of the thousand lakes’). But Poland also has a very heavy history, which you can, and should, discover, by visiting sites charged with history, such as the Warsaw ghetto and the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. To visit Poland is to discover a world of contrasts, a country focused on the future, and the scars it wears preserve an authenticity that forms all its charm.