City Entertainment
You won't get bored in Poland's cities. Social, cultural, and, above, all, night life is thriving, particularly in the big commercial, scientific and cultural centres - the coastal Triple City (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot), Warsaw, Lódz, Poznan, Torun, Wroclaw and Krakow. Tourists also have the opportunity to take part in events of European repute.

Museums and concert halls
For connoisseurs of art, apart from the monuments, churches and castles, there are the museums. Krakow is top of the national table for museum resources. In 2000 Krakow was one of the European Cities of Culture.

The most interesting exhibitions are the historical, archaeological, ethnographical and natural history displays, which enable visitors to learn more about the culture and natural resources of the various regions. Art lovers won't be disappointed, since they'll be able to see works by painters already appreciated at the beginning of the 20th century, Jan Matejko, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Józef Mehoffer, and Jacek Malczewski. Within the network of National Museums, there are fascinating temporary exhibitions as well, with works by the world's masters - Chagall, for example, or Salvador Dali, Picasso, or Andy Warhol. There's no lack of original sites worth visiting either: the great oceanarium and floating museum ships in Gdynia, the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznan's beautiful market-place, or the splendid collection in the Geological and Mineralogical Museum in Wroclaw. For classical music fans, there are concert halls, opera and ballet houses, all of which possess rich traditions and are working with some of the world's best conductors and musicians.

Gardens
You're guaranteed respite from the urban hubbub in the botanical and zoological gardens. They have one essential virtue - they're usually beautifully situated in green and picturesque surroundings, often in natural landscape parks. It's definitely worth seeing the zoos located on the outskirts of Krakow and Gdansk. Poznan has two zoos: you must take a look around the New Zoo, where animals live in almost natural habitats. The complex is situated near the recreation centre by Lake Maltanskie, a famous water sports and skiing centre. Among other things, it's here that you can find one of Europe's most modern regatta courses and an all-year slope for skiers and snowboarders.

The most famous and beautiful zoo in Poland is in Wroclaw, well-known in specialist circles all over the world. Over 4,000 animals live here; it's one of the biggest European collections. There's one more attraction in Wroclaw and that is a real Japanese garden - unique in this part of the world - the work of Japanese horticulturalists.

Nightlife
Polish cities offer enthusiasts of nightlife a number of attractions. There are lots of pubs and clubs, where the fun goes on all week from dusk till dawn. Polish bars are generally called "pubs", but they have little in common with the traditional English pub. They are often styled on Irish or Scottish taverns and they serve the best brands of beer, including British and Irish, but every one of them has its own particular décor and atmosphere. They close only when the last customer has left, and sometimes that means morning. The discos are diverse - above all, people come here to dance to disco, hip-hop and techno music, but you can also find hard rock and even jazz "discos".

Krakow has the best pubs - there are over a hundred places in the vicinity of the Market Square alone, sited in the cellars of historic buildings, each of which has its inimitable character and atmosphere. Students, business people and pensioners have fun here, and the pubs are often full to bursting. It's a similar story in Krakow's Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter. People often come from all over Poland to visit Krakow for the weekend. Weekends near Wawel Hill are fashionable among Warsaw people, for example, even though the cities are 300 km apart (the express train takes just 2 and a half hours). This doesn't mean that Krakow has no competition for the number of pubs; other student cities - Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot, Poznan, and Wroclaw - are hot on its heels. Entertainment-seekers should also visit Lódz, on the famous ulica Piotrkowska , the longest shopping street in Europe (4 km), there are a record number of pubs, night clubs and restaurants. This place is jokingly called the "Bermuda Triangle" because you can disappear here, not forever, it's true, but certainly for a good few hours.