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"There flows throughout our whole history a stream of humanity, of generosity, of tolerance, so broad, so powerful and so pure that it would be vain indeed to look for a similar one in the past of any other European country." — Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, and third prime minister of Poland

oland's history is long and colorful. And the Poland we love today is quirky and just a bit eccentric. Need proof? Consider the Polish president and the prime minister. Seems they're identical twins, Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The boys were childhood film stars before they entered the political arena.

Come and see for yourself what we adore about Poland, a country that's only been on its own since 1989, when Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement toppled the communists. All that is fresh and new and cutting edge stands in glorious contrast to remnants of the past, about which the Poles are profoundly proud.

Begin in Warsaw, the nation's capital city. We take Poland's cultural pulse in Old Town, very nearly razed during World War II. UNESCO has declared the whole of it a World Heritage site. Visit Castle Square and the Royal Castle itself. Duck into churches of all shapes and sizes. Enter Marie Curie's house. Hear the story of the 1943 Ghetto Uprising in historic Krasinski Square.

From Warsaw to Krakow by way of Zelazowa Wola, birthplace of two classical musicians, Fryderyk Chopin and the violinist Henryk Szeryng. Czestochowa, also on the way, is home to the "Black Madonna," Poland's holiest relic.

Krakow is fascinating. See native son Nicolaus Copernicus's astronomical instruments at Jagellonian University, one of Europe's first. Explore Old Town and its churches and squares. Florianska Street (a shopper's heaven), the Royal Castle, Wawel Cathedral. See Kazimierz, the Jewish ghetto, for many years a derelict part of town and now contemporary Krakow's hippest neighborhood.

One simply cannot visit Poland without an examination of the Holocaust and its effects on the country. On a somber visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps, get a glimpse of what too many Jews, Gypsies, and others saw in the last moments of their lives. A difficult yet immensely important visit.

Then, a lighter note: one of Poland's quirkiest spots, the salt mines at Wieliczka. Been in operation since the 13th century. Ever seen a sculpture made of salt?

Into the Tatra Mountains for a visit to Zakopane, a year-round ski resort with an unexpected architectural history. Gain some insight in the vision of Stanislaw Witkiewicz, father of Poland's folk architecture. Step inside several villas he designed.

Back to Warsaw and home.

Rebirth of a Nation: Medieval Poland Meets the 21st Century. 10 Days.

Looking for more? Extend your visit to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest on R. Crusoe’s Imperial Cities of Eastern Europe tour or our On the Amber Trail Through the Baltic Countries (Lithuania, Lativa, and Estonia). For more information, contact a tour specialist at R. Crusoe & Son at 888.490.8046.