We visited the site of the Jewish Ghetto (in Podgorze) on the other side of the river in the morning and spent the afternoon/evening wandering our way through the bars of Kazimierz. It was the best day I've spent in Krakow.

Everybody talks about Kazimierz with its young and funky atmosphere, but I hadn't heard so much about Podgorze. The river is about 20 mins walk from the main square and as soon as you cross it you're in the Ghetto Heroes Square with it's atmospheric memorial of empty chairs. Visit the Pharmacy under the Eagle which has been turned into a small museum (it's on the opposite corner of the square - keep going, it's not obvious until you're literally outside it!) to get a handle on what it used to be like. The displays are pretty meaningless without the audio tour, so spend your zlotys and get informed. When you've done that, cross the road using the underpass, follow your map, go through the foot-tunnel under the railway and find yourself at the Schindler Enamel factory. It wasn't very well signposted, or that easy to find on foot, but it's about 8-10 mins walk from the Ghetto Heroes Square. It was being renovated when we were there - looks like they're finally going to turn it into something, rather than the basic display there at the moment.

After a subdued morning we hit Kazimierz, and I can't recommend the bars and restaurants of this area highly enough. Stick to soft drinks/halves of the lethal beer/one drink per establishment, and you should be able to manage at least 10 of the fantastic bars - every one has something unique about it, and they're all within stumbling distance of each other - just keep going round and round!

I used the Cracow-Life website a lot beforehand, and you can also pick up free copies of the paper version in most bars - lots of info, especially on going out.

Get yourself to Krakow and enjoy a fabulous, accessible city with a great atmosphere and friendly locals.

www.cracow-life.com/

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Niepolomice Forest is great for walking in. It has ancient trees and wild bison.

Niepolomice Royal Castle was home to the Polish kings. They used it as a base for hunting in Niepolomice Forest. It has a similar decoration and layout to Wawel but it needs no comparison to make it look beautiful. The nearby church in Niepolomice village contains wonderful old frescoes.

Niepolomice Forest lies 25km to the east of Krakow. The village of Niepolomice is easily reached by bus from Krakow's main station. The Royal Castle is on Zamkowa Street, near Market Square

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Bielany Forest is where the Krakovians go to escape from the hustle and bustle of their city. Children can run around there and families can enjoy picnics or walks. It has splendid views of the Wisla (Vistula) river and the Tatra mountains.

Bielany Forest lies to the south-west of Krakow city centre. It is a 25 min walk from there. You can also catch a tram.

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