In 2007, Krakow (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is celebrated 750 years since the original creation of its grid-like City, laid out within city walls (though there has been a settlement here for far longer). Although those city walls have gone and the city extends well beyond its original planned layout and it has even merged into other places which used to be separate, you can still see the original planned area and it is still remarkably easy to navigate around.

One of the things I find fascinating is how diverse Europe still is, even after years of the EU and shared media. In mileage, Krakow is not far from Germany but it is a very different place. Whilst there are similarities, you will quickly discern and relish the differences from Prague or Budapest.

Poland lies to the east of Germany, north of the Slovak Republic, south of the Baltic Sea and to the west of Belarus and the Ukraine.

Krakow is situated about 290 kilometers south-west from Poland's capital, Warsaw. You can travel by train or road (it is about 1000 miles to drive from London) or you can fly, as I did, to Krakow's airport (Pope John Paul II Airport) which is served from the UK by easyJet and British Airways.

Krakow is on the banks of the Vistula River and the old part of town is a horseshoe shape with the open end of the horseshoe at the bottom on the river banks (the horseshoe, in fact, is where the old city walls used to be - more about this later).

Accommodation

When I visited there were more than 150 guest rooms, mainly the standard room with a number of Executive rooms and a few suites. My room was a standard room and I found it large enough (larger than many city centre hotels rooms), well equipped and comfortable. The room was air conditioned - pleasant in May, probably essential in July and August.

The window looked into an internal courtyard, so some light but no view to speak of. It was fine - I was not there to spend time in the room!

I did not eat lunch or dinner but did have a very good breakfast each morning. A range of hot and cold food with cereal, fruit and juices, hot food from a buffet and some dishes (like fried and poached eggs and omlettes) cooked to order, plentyful coffee or tea served by waiting staff and a good table clearing service. It is impossible to please all the people all the time and I did see a puzzled Spanish lady (trying to find the olive oil to have with her bread, in the Spanish manner) actually take a bottle of olive oil out of a wall display because she could not find any anywhere else. However, there was something for most guests including fish for the Scandinavian type breakfast, sweet rolls and little cakes, fresh, dried and tinned fruit including prunes and figs and so on. I had a great brekfast each day and was not hungry again until dinner.

The efficient and friendly hotel reception staff handled the other queries I had for them very efficiently, finding trips and tours for me (and many other guests) to meet my requirements, inclding having more than one option (for example, cheaper on a big coach, more expensive on a mini bus with fewer people, most expensive but exclusive in a private limo with a driver/guide). They handled this well and my checkout well when I was ready to go.