In Poland, you can find the best of both worlds: amazing cities and culture, plus a heavy piece of the world's history. There are numerous reasons why you'll fall in love with Poland since it is such an immense country, full of new places to discover—and that's why you will want to prioritize the ones we mention on this article (especially if you don't have a lot of days to enjoy).

We focus not only on culture, monuments, and churches but also on hidden tips and foods you need to try urgently—and, speaking of which, you will likely find these European foods highly addictive when you're visiting.

Prepare yourself to discover a beautiful country, full of things you will want to prioritize (above and underground).

10 Explore The Old Town Of Krakow

Krakow is located in the south of Poland, very close to the Czech Republic—which should be on your Bucket List for these reasons. The old town of Krakow's one of the most iconic places in town, especially for the picturesque houses and impressive churches you find along the way. You can perfectly walk around the town and there's no need for finding other means of transport, as the town is flat and not that big.

9 Visit Auschwitz (Prepare Yourself For This One)

Those who enter the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps never leave indifferent to such experience. All you can hear is silence, as no one dares to say anything or even ask questions to the group guide.

This is a shocking experience, one you can't miss when visiting Poland. Auschwitz is only one hour away (by car) from Krakow and its camp has been transformed into a museum, where you can understand better the story of the people who worked there.

8 Ski Trip To Zakopane

TripAdvisor has some awesome reviews about Zakopane, where you can go on a ski or snowboard trip. But that's not all, because, honestly, there's a lot of things to do at Zakopane (and not only the activities related to adventure and snow). You can discover the Giewont Mountain and even visit the Muzeum Oscypka Zakopane, especially if you are a cheese lover who wants to know more about the process that begins in milk's transformation!

7 Pay A Visit To A Milk Bar

We know that "Milk Bar" immediately sounds like a place where you walk in to drink milk—but that's not true.

A "Bar mleczny" (also known as Milk Bar) is a Polish form of a cafe. Essentially, it's a place where you can eat traditional Polish food, such as tomato soups with pasta or rice and "borscht" (a sour beetroot). You can also taste "gołąbki", which is meat-filled cabbage rolls served in tomato sauce and potatoes.

6 Go Underground To The Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is unbelievable and the most incredible hidden place in Poland—surely one of the places you'll want to prioritize. You begin to take the escalators down as you get more and more underground. Eventually, you'll end up on a huge Galeria made from salt, where you can see objects like statues and chandeliers.

It's an experience you'll never forget for its uniqueness and for being so rare to find in other European countries.

Related: 10 Best Places To Visit When You Travel To Poland

5 Gdansk Old Town Is A Mix Of Germanic, Baltic, Scandinavian, and Slavic Influences

Gdansk is a Polish port city, rebuilt right after World War II.

The ones who visit the place love it for all its history and beautiful buildings, restaurants, cafes, and streets. There are, however, some attractions you will want to prioritize after visiting the Old Town, such as the Museum of the Second World War, the "Europejskie Centrum Solidarności", the Dluga Street, and the Oliwa Park.

Also, make sure you don't miss the Neptune Fountain!

4 The Painted Village Of Zalipie Is So Cute

It's just like you see it: Zalipie is a small colored town located in the South-East of Poland. These little villas aren't the only ones around since you can also find 5-stars hotels.

The small wooden cottages are painted in all palette colors, both in and outside each house. This is, in fact, an ancient tradition in which each woman resident would have to paint her home with floral motives to cover wall defects.

Related: Travelers In Europe Always Forget These Underrated Countries (But They Shouldn’t)

3 Visit The St. Mary's Basilica

We do know there's a St. Mary's Basilica almost everywhere in the world, especially in Europe. This one is in Krakow, built in the 14th century, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with the Old Town of Krakow).

We can describe to you how beautiful this Basilica is, but the truth is that you need to visit it for yourself. The place is magnificent and the atmosphere's too magical to believe.

Related: 10 Quirky Churches To Visit That Look Otherworldly

2 Enter A. Blikle If You Want To Taste The Traditional Pastry

If you're a food lover and simply adore to discover a country's gastronomy, "A. Blikle" is the place to go the next time you visit Poland.

The traditional Polish pastry can be tasted here, such as delicious yogurt and chocolate cakes. You also need to try the Paczkis, which resemble traditional donuts but filled with sweet strawberry jam (even though you can choose from other fillings available).

Whichever pastry you pick, it will be sweet!

1 Buy A Ticket To The Royal Castle

The Royal Castle can be found in Warsaw, precisely in the Old Town's main square. It's hard not to notice such an iconic (huge) building, so you'll have no difficulty in spotting this castle—which used to be the official residence of the Polish monarchs. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the Polish Royal Court were located in this castle from the 16th century until the Partitions of Poland were decided.

Next: 20 Photos Highlighting Why Poland Is One Of The Most Beautiful Places On Earth