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St Mary’s Basilica: Built in the 13th century, this grand Gothic church surveys the Main Market Square from its twin bell towers, and is a unique work of art. Don’t forget to stop and stand in front of the wonderful carved wooden altarpiece by the famous sculptor Veit Stoß of Nuremberg.Address: Plac Mariacki 5, 31-042 Kraków, www.mariacki.com

Cloth Hall (Sukiennice): An excellent example of Renaissance architecture, the former indoor cloth market dominates the centre of Rynek Główny Square, and today houses numerous tourist shops. Look for authentic Polish souvenirs of all kinds and visit the wonderful Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art housed on the upper floor. Address: Rynek Główny 1-3, 31-042 Kraków 

Wawel Hill: The rocky Wawel Hill, which rises 20 metres above the city centre was for centuries the seat of the Polish kings. The Wawel Royal Castle is an imposing architectural complex of the 16th century and a symbol of Polish national identity. Here you can visit the royal palaces, with the impressive Senators’ Hall and the grand private apartments of the king, the Treasury, Armoury, and important art museums. Next to the castle stands the Katedra Wawelska, a stunning construction with a history of over 900 years. All the great leaders and distinguished figures of Poland are buried in its Crypt. Address: Wawel 3-5, 31- 001 Kraków, www.wawel.Kraków.pl 

Kazimierz Jewish District: The centre of Jewish life and culture for over 500 years, the district of Kazimierz experienced the catastrophic consequences of the Second World War and returned to the international stage through the film Schindler’s List. Today it is the most bohemian neighbourhood of Kraków, with many galleries and antique shops, preserving its charming old world atmosphere untouched. Wander through its cobbled lanes with the many old synagogues, visit some of the wonderful restored Jewish cemeteries, and take a stop at the Galicia Jewish Museum, dedicated to the holocaust of the Jews of Central Europe. 

Schindler’s Factory Museum: This historic museum, housed in the old enamel factory of the legendary industrialist Oskar Schindler, movingly documents life in Kraków during the Nazi occupation of 1939-1945. The stories of ordinary people, the fate of the Jews in the Ghetto, and the Resistance are brought to life through the rich archival material, rare artefacts and multimedia installations. Part of the factory also houses MOCAK, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków.Address: Lipowa 4, 30-702 Kraków, www.mhk.pl/branches/oskar-schindlers-factory 

Pharmacy Museum: One of the largest pharmacy museums in Europe is housed in a wonderful 15th-century building. Its collection contains over 22,000 items, from workshop equipment and rare apothecary tools to vessels and books of medicine. What most impresses, however, are the detailed full-scale reconstructions of many pharmacies from the 19th and early 20th century, in various rooms throughout the building.Address: Floriańska 25, 31-019 Kraków, www.muzeumfarmacji.pl

Manggha Museum: If you’re a fan of Japanese culture then you will love the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, on the banks of the river Vistula. Its collection contains over 6,500 works of art and objects amassed in the Far East by the famous Polish explorer Feliks Jasieński (known by the pseudonym Manggha). The museum building, especially the new Europe–Far East Gallery wing, is a masterpiece of modernism. Address: Marii Konopnickiej 26, Kraków, www.manggha.pl

Underground Rynek: The result of an extensive archaeological excavation which began in 2005, the medieval underground market beneath Rynek Główny Square, covering an area of 4,000 square metres, is an impressive sight. Through a mixture of state-of-the-art technology (holograms, touchscreens, 3D reconstructions) and in situ finds (aqueducts, shops, workshops, commercial cargo roads), the visitor can discover the history of Kraków and European trade in the Middle Ages. Address: Rynek Główny 1, 31-042 Kraków, www.mhk.pl/branches/rynek-underground 

Wieliczka Salt Mine: A UNESCO World Heritage site, the wondrous 13th-century Wieliczka Salt Mine is only 15 km from Kraków. Don’t miss the Chapel of the Blessed Kinga, an underground cathedral carved completely into the salt rock, with amazing sculptures of Biblical scenes and chandeliers of salt crystal.Address: ul. Daniłowicza 10, Wieliczka, www.kopalnia.pl 

Auschwitz-Birkenau: The most notorious Nazi concentration camp where millions of people were exterminated is located next to the small town of Oświęcim, 60 km west of Kraków. A visit here is one of the most moving and educational experiences of a trip to Kraków. Address: Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, www.auschwitz.org

Kraków is famed for its antiques and top-quality handicrafts. For typical Kraków souvenirs, there is no better place than the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the historic indoor market in the city’s central square. Here you will find glass, handmade lace, carved wood items, amber jewellery, and paintings by local artists at great prices.  
Follow the wonderful paved route of the Royal Road (Floriańska St – Rynek Główny – Grodzka St) to discover one of Europe’s most charming commercial roads, with fantastic clothes shops and all the international fashion chains. Along the way, stop off at Pasaż 13, the most chic and atmospheric shopping arcade in the Old City, with famous design brands, Gothic wine cellars and Italian delis. If you’re seeking all-inclusive shopping therapy, take a trip to the luxury Galeria Krakowska shopping centre. 
Explore the arty boutiques of the old Jewish district of Kazimierz, the Mecca of second-hand clothes and trendy designers. Take a stop at Plac Nowy, the small square of the Jewish food market, which on Saturdays hosts one of the city’s most popular flea markets. For a real treasure hunt, visit the daily Hala Targowa, Kraków’s best outdoor flea market, which has literally everything you can want in terms of vintage artefacts and cult memorabilia.

Start your gastronomic adventure by experiencing the best street food in Poland. Make a stop at one of the blue trolleys of the obwarzanek street vendors to try the city’s all-time classic dough ring, a daily custom for over 600 years. Go to Nowy Square in the Jewish Kazimierz district to enjoy the best zapiekanka (toasted open sandwiches with various fillings). Visit a kielbasa van, a city institution, which supplies delicious grilled hot dogs on sleepless nights. 
Enjoy a traditional Polish meal at the famous milk bars (bar mleczny) of the Old City, a type of cafeteria from the communist era that doesn’t serve alcohol. Try oszczypek (smoked cheese from the Tatra mountains), pierogi (Polish dumplings filled with meat, cabbage and mushrooms or fruit), żurek (sausage and potato soup), barszcz (beetroot soup) and bigos (hunter’s stew with cabbage, sausage and bacon). 
When night falls, join the party-going spirit of the young locals which fills the bars and dance clubs of the Old City until the early morning hours. In the medieval cellars and tiny bars that adorn the streets around Main Market Square (Floriańska St and Szewska St), to the arty hangouts of Kazimierz (Szeroka St and Plac Nowy), and the banks of the Vistula, the fun never ends. Enjoy excellent live jazz and try the famous iced Żubrówka vodka (with an herb flavour), even if just a shot.

• Sumer Jazz Festival: The Polish passion for jazz is best expressed in this annual music festival, featuring the crème de la crème of the Polish jazz scene. The programme lasts all summer, with concerts at the legendary Piwnica Pod Baranami cabaret.
• Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków: The residents of Kraków honour the city’s rich Jewish heritage with a week of cultural events centred around the old Jewish district of Kazimierz. In late June visitors from all over the world can enjoy tours, film screenings, art exhibitions, cooking workshops and concerts. The highlight of the festival is the celebratory outdoor klezmer music concert in Szeroka St.
• Juwenalia: The Kraków festival has for centuries now been a matter for its young students. It begins with the symbolic handing over of the keys to the city by the mayor to the student community and ends after a fun-packed four days of live music, extravagant parades, costumes, street dances and an endless party. Every May.

Getting from the airport to the city

Aegean Airlines lands at John Paul II Krakόw International Airport, 15 km from the centre of Kraków. Here you will find duty free shops and shops with travel goods, souvenirs, gifts as well as restaurants and cafes, ATMs, a bank and currency exchange bureau, a children’s play area and post office. Unlimited Wi-Fi is available in all areas and is free for the first 15 minutes. The fastest and easiest way to get to the airport from the centre of the city is to take the direct train that connects Kraków Airport daily to the central railway station (Krakow Główny). Trains depart daily from 05.11-00.15 approximately every 30 minutes. The journey takes 18 minutes. The train is equipped with air conditioning, charging stations for electronic devices, Wi-Fi and ticket machines.