May to June or September to October is the best time to visit Poland, with mild weather and fewer crowds than peak summer. July and August bring the warmest weather but the busiest crowds, particularly along the Baltic coast. There are highlights year-round: Wianki sees flower wreaths floated down the Vistula and free concerts held in Kraków every Midsummer, the Pierogi Festival celebrates Poland's national dish in Kraków every August. Winters are cold, with snow in the Tatra Mountains supporting a ski season around Zakopane, and Christmas markets running through December.

The best things to do in Poland include exploring Kraków's Old Town, hiking in the Tatra Mountains, and visiting Warsaw's history and culture.

• Exploring Kraków's medieval Old Town, Market Square and Wawel Castle

• Hiking or skiing in the Tatra Mountains, around Zakopane

• Touring Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town and museums, including the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

• Visiting the salt mines of Wieliczka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to an entire chapel carved from salt

• Exploring Gdańsk's historic port, Amber Museum and shops selling Baltic amber craft

• Hiking in Białowieża Forest, home to Europe's largest bison population

• Discovering Malbork Castle, the largest brick castle in the world, built by the Teutonic Knights on the banks of the Nogat River

• Photographing the Crooked Forest, a grove of around 400 pine trees bent into near-perfect right angles

Poland is reachable from London via a change of trains in Brussels or Amsterdam, with high-speed and sleeper train services connecting onward through Cologne, Berlin and Dresden to Warsaw, Kraków and Poznan, and other major cities. Within Poland, an extensive rail network connects major cities and towns across the country.