Kazimierz Dolny (Poland)

Once you arrive in Poland, one in every two people you meet will say to you: "Go to Kazimierz Dolny." For the country as a whole, this small town has the honour of serving as the guardian of the Polish national identity, of the nation's rural roots: a sort of ideal of the quintessential Poland.

In essence, with its perfectly preserved ancient buildings and architecture, this little historic town on the Vistula, lying at the heart of the hills of the Lublin region, does in fact live up to and merit its title of "Pearl of Poland". Intellectuals, artists and famous personalities have been choosing to make their second homes here for decades. The whole of Warsaw can be found here in summer, and Kazimierz Dolny has long been a favourite countryside destination of the Polish people. This is not yet so much the case with foreign tourists however.

I really liked the ambiance and atmosphere created by this Polish domestic tourism aspect, this blend of Polish Bohemianism with the charms offered by what is an otherwise sleepy little town. The ruined castle up on its hill, the churches, the synagogue, the low-standing old houses, the banks of the river: everything here contributes to a sense of this being an ideal place to simply stroll and wander around.