Kraków, Square to Castle to Quarter

Drop your bags at your hotel in or around the Old Town — staying within walking distance of the Rynek means the entire first day unfolds on foot.

Start at the northern edge of the Old Town with the Barbican, one of the best-preserved Gothic defensive outposts in Europe, then pass through the adjoining St. Florian's Gate into the heart of the medieval city. The scale of the stonework sets the tone for everything that follows.

A short walk south, this Baroque church anchors the Royal Road just inside the Gate. Step inside for the ornate side altars and the quiet that the thick walls preserve even mid-morning.

Kluska na Placu delivers the milk-bar spirit the editor ordered — honest Polish cooking, hearty portions of dumplings and noodle dishes, and prices that make you order a second course without guilt.

The Rynek Główny needs time to be properly absorbed — the sheer breadth of it, the Cloth Hall running through its centre, the pigeons wheeling above. Climb the Town Hall Tower for a rooftop view over the entire square and the spires that frame it.

The asymmetric twin towers of St. Mary's dominate the eastern flank of the Rynek. Inside, Veit Stoss's polychrome altarpiece — the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world — is worth every minute you give it. The hourly hejnał trumpet call from the taller tower is Kraków's most recognisable sound.

The ring of gardens that replaced the old city walls gives you a leafy, unhurried loop around the Old Town. Walk as much or as little as you like — it's the perfect way to decompress between monuments.

Wentzl occupies a historic tenement right on the Rynek and has been feeding travellers for centuries. The Polish-European menu leans classical — expect precise cooking and a wine list that suits the setting.

Harris has been the Rynek's jazz institution for decades. Catch whoever is playing tonight in the vaulted basement — a whisky or a local beer in hand, live piano drifting through the brick arches. A proper Kraków evening.

Begin the second day at the oldest surviving university building in Poland. The arcaded Gothic courtyard of the Jagiellonian University's Collegium Maius is serene in the morning, and the museum inside holds Copernicus's own instruments among its treasures.

Wawel Cathedral is the burial place of Polish kings and the spiritual core of the nation. Sigismund's Chapel, attached to its south flank, is considered the finest example of Renaissance architecture north of the Alps — its gilded dome glows even on an overcast day.

The royal residence perched above the Vistula holds state rooms hung with Flemish tapestries and a collection of Eastern armour and weaponry that spans centuries. Allow time to walk the ramparts and look back over the river — the view downstream towards Kazimierz is superb.

Head down from Wawel Hill and into Kazimierz for lunch at Cechowa, where the menu stays rooted in Polish tradition — the kind of straightforward, satisfying cooking that a morning of castle-climbing demands.

One of Kazimierz's great Gothic churches, founded by Casimir the Great in the 14th century. The long nave draws the eye to an elaborate Baroque high altar, and the afternoon light through the side windows transforms the interior into something almost theatrical.

Back toward the Old Town on ul. Grodzka, this early Baroque church — modelled on the Gesù in Rome — wears its grandeur with confidence. The twelve Apostles lined up on the forecourt railings are Kraków's most recognisable street-level sculpture.

Wind down the trip at Alchemia, a Kazimierz institution whose candlelit rooms and mismatched furniture have made it the neighbourhood's defining after-dark address. Order a beer or a glass of wine, settle into one of the creaking chairs, and let the evening do the rest.