Krakow

This three-night escorted break with Riviera Travel is a focused visit to Krakow, Poland’s city of gothic churches and mellow Renaissance buildings. The programme begins with a walking tour of the Old Town where the Main Square’s Cloth Hall still hums with trade, now amber jewellery rather than cloth. St Mary’s church’s stained glass invites a closer look at its quaintly precise spires, topped by a trumpeter who keeps ancient warnings alive every two hours.

The afternoon is free to wander before visiting the Wawel Castle district the next day. Here the Royal Palace, Cathedral, and extensive courtyards recall Krakow’s era as Poland’s political centre. Rooms restored to their Renaissance and Baroque splendour display a collection of furniture and art that invites slow appreciation. The third day is given over to a guided tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau, the former concentration camps preserved nearly as they were at liberation, their scale shown starkly by a watchtower overseeing the vast grounds. Those opting out spend the day at leisure in town.

Accommodation is at the four-star Novotel Krakow Centrum, a modern hotel within walking distance of the city’s main sights. The tour ends with a coach transfer back to the airport for the return flight home.