When in Poland, you might see a goodly part of the rest of the world: the numerous festivals, often with long traditions and high renown, offer contacts with different cultures. Artists from diverse disciplines, from classical music virtuosi through jazzmen, street performers, experimental theatre artists, to representatives of exotic folklore, are very keen on coming to Poland, and are in complete agreement when it comes to the exceptionally warm welcome and the spontaneity of audience response.

Jewish Cultural Festival, Krakow
Every June, the streets, squares and buildings of Krakow's Kazimierz are filled with tens of thousands of visitors, who've come to take part in the Jewish Cultural Festival. It's been going on for 12 years, and in this relatively short time it's become one of the most fascinating festivals of its type in the world. There's music, dance, film, theatre, the visual arts, literature, and workshops - from singing through paper-cutting and Jewish cuisine to calligraphy. This unusually intense week, packed with appearances by world-famous artists, is a celebration of life, and at the same time, like Kaddish, an expression of remembrance. The final evening's concert on ulica Szeroka has become a symbol of the co-existence of preserved tradition and avant-garde currents in contemporary art.

Krakow Street Theatre Festival
Also in Krakow, since 1988 the International Street Theatre Festival has been taking place in the Market Square during the first two weeks of July. It's a gathering of the world's leading companies, ensembles, and troupes who bring a touch of poetry into everyday life, or give impressive displays of acrobatics. These shows, free of linguistic barriers, overcome the obstacles of cultural differences.

Zakopane Mountain Folklore Festival
Next, in late August, you should definitely go to Zakopane to see the International Highland Folklore Festival (so far, it has taken place 33 times). Folk dance and music ensembles from all over the world come to the capital of the Polish Tatras. Highlanders from the Caucasus to the Balkans, from Africa and all the Americas are united in their love of tradition, spontaneity, individuality and ancient tradition.

One of the oldest and biggest folk culture festivals in Europe is the Beskid Culture Week, which carries on the tradition of the inter-war Mountains Festival (Swieto Gór). In nine days at the end of July, dozens of concerts and get-togethers take place in many places, mainly in Wisla, Szczyrk, Zywiec, Maków Podhalanski and Oswiecim. Thousands of spectators enjoy themselves with the folk ensembles from all over Poland and every continent. And again, in Ciechocinek, a famous spa town, you can take part in the Festival of Romany Culture and Song, a colourful, party which has been on in July since 1997. It's the biggest Romany cultural festival in Europe.

In Frédéric Chopin's homeland, you can't fail to miss an opportunity to listen to his works. From May to September, there are concerts in Warsaw's Lazienki Park every Sunday, and in July and August famous pianists may be heard during the Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój, a spa town in the Sudetan Mountains.

Festivals of organ music also enjoy a great following. The quality of the performance depends, to a great extent, on the quality of the instrument and the acoustic properties of its setting. There are many churches in Poland equipped with historic organs which give a beautiful sound. The most popular recitals are those in the Oliwa Cathedral (Gdansk), performed on a late18th-century Rococo instrument, one of the most valuable in the world. Virtuosi worthy of the instrument have been taking part in the summer International Organ Festival here for over 30 years. Only slightly less famous is the organ in the enormous Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Kamien Pomorski. The sound of this 18th-century instrument may be admired during the International Organ Music Festival that lasts all summer and has been held since 1965. You can listen not only pieces from the classical repertoire, but also contemporary works.

Another famous festival is Wratislavia Cantans in Wroclaw. This International Festival expanded in 2002 to a yearlong cycle of concerts, ballet, films and exhibitions. There's the chance to attend a wide variety of performances, from Gregorian chant to Gospel and Negro Spirituals, from classical to avant-garde, all performed by world-class orchestras, choirs, chamber groups and soloists.