Kraków is one of the oldest cities of Poland and one of the cultural and artistic centres of the country, the former seat of the Polish kings and national capital. Among the hightlights of the city are: the Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill; the medieval Old Town with its beautiful Market Square; the 14th-century buildings of the Jagiellonian University; as well as Kazimierz, the historical centre of Kraków's Jewish religious and social life. Kraków hosts many annual artistic events.

Much of Warsaw's historic center was painstakingly recreated and today's Old Town buildings are closer to the original architecture than they were ever before. It has a wealth of shops and restaurants to potter around in. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract. In addition, the Former Jewish ghetto is a stark reminder of the unforgiving hand of history. The nightlife scene is equally surprising, with the city's increasingly well-dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now hums after dark.

The German capital holds a world cultural record with three opera houses, two concert halls and eight symphony orchestras. This is the heart of Germany, with a stoic beat that echoes through grand public buildings, glorious museums and theatres, urbane restaurants, bustling pubs and raucous nightclubs. Today, structures of steel and glass tower over streets and parks and gardens are again lush. With its field of new skyscrapers and hip clubs and fashion boutiques, post millennium Berlin has recast itself as the Continent's capital of cool.