Schindler’s Factory, the Galicia Jewish Museum, Kazimierz’s cluster of synagogues (many turned into museums), and it’s usually the base for visiting Auschwitz, the most notorious of Nazi death camps.

My Jewish ancestors had lived in Poland for centuries, so it’s all part of my family’s history, too, and I think that a visit to Auschwitz is essential to understanding how dark humanity can become.

On a lighter note, Kraków is full of surprises, and an unexpectedly wonderful summer destination.

You wouldn’t necessarily think of it as a sun, sea, and sand pick, yet they've turned the flooded, forest-fringed Zakrzówek Quarry into a beat-the-heat attraction, complete with five lifeguard-manned swimming pools, connected by floating wooden docks.

Alternatively, I head for Bagry Lagoon or the Przystań Brzegi reservoir in eastern Kraków to swim, paddleboard, or watch a game of volleyball, or take a bus out to Wolski Forest and go hiking in this vast protected woodland before coming back for pizza and beer at Kazimierz’s.

And don’t get me started on the food! Look, I’m an Eastern European, and Polish comfort food – pierogi (dumplings), kiełbasa (Polish sausage), żurek (traditional sour rye soup) – gladden my gluttonous heart.

In Kraków, I have my new favorite spots: Miła Bar Mleczny, an old-school 1980s-style canteen that harks back to life behind the Iron Curtain, where you can fill your boots with pierogi for a pittance; Pod Aniołami for fancier goose-filled dumplings; Unitarg Hala Targowa Sausage Stand for late-night sausages grilled over an open fire by two guys who’ve been doing it since 1991.

When I start to flag after that late night, I hit Somnium for great coffee and people-watching in Kazimierz, then bite into an epic maczanka (Cracovian pulled-pork sandwich) from the Andrus Food Truck at the Skwer Judah food truck park.

See out the evening with some nouvelle Polish cuisine such as pearl barley with white asparagus at Pierwszy Stopień, and end a fun night with the best Thai street food outside of Bangkok at Molam Thai.

Sorry, Warsaw: you just can’t compete with Kraków! From mountain villages to medieval castles to thriving cities, these are eight top places not to miss in this Central European gem of a country.