Situated at the centre of Europe, and the largest of the former Eastern European countries, this country has been fought over by Russia and Germany for centuries. Poland shares borders with Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Germany.

In the north of the country lies the Baltic Sea. The Baltic coast provides over 536km of sandy beaches and bays. Northern Poland is dominated by lakes, islands and wooded hills joined by many rivers and canals. The rest of the country rises slowly to the Sudety Mountains, which runs along the border with the Czech Republic, and the Tatra mountains, which separate Poland from the Slovak Republic and is one of the most beautiful areas of Poland. To the west, the River Oder, with Szczecin at its mouth, forms the northwest border with Germany.

Warsaw, the capital, was completely destroyed during World War II, but the Old Town has been completely rebuilt. Although more than 17% of its total population was killed in World War II, Poland is now 39 million strong. Led by a stable government that's becoming a player on the world stage, Poland's healthy economy now attracts billions of dollars each year.

Since Poland joined the EU in 2004 it has seen its GDP grow every year. In my opinion it had the strongest and most western culture already before joining the EU. It’s a vast country that has everything from mountains in Zakapane, to the historic and beautiful city of Krakow to the beaches like Leba in the north. It’s truly a country that will fit the bill for any traveler. Of all the Central and Eastern European countries this is by far our favorite.