Poland doesn’t usually top the list of must-visit places.

But it should.

When I stepped off the bus from Berlin to Krakow, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Berlin wasn’t my favorite.

But Krakow, the cute Polish city with a traditional European flare, brought some excitement back. Even just walking through the empty, nighttime streets gave me a feeling that something thrilling would happen here.

Bye, bye, Germany. Hello Poland!

The Best Cuisine You’ve Never Heard Of

Eating the local food is an essential part of traveling. But in Poland, it’s an obligation.

At first, I was hesitant to try a typical Polish Miłkbar–small, no-frills holdovers from the Soviet era. The menus were typically in Polish, and I never figured out a rhyme or reason as to how to order, where to sit, or when to check if my meal was ready.

It was a bit intimidating.

But after trying it out and ordering way too much food at uber-cheap prices, I decided that Poland’s cuisine was what my deepest food fantasies were made of.

Everyone always talks about pierogis–the little dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, or potatoes. I loved them too, but the crispy chicken cutlets, yummy soups, and palate-balancing veggies aren't mentioned enough.

Each Miłkbar meal was like a game of Tetris with my favorite Polish offerings. Still, one stood above the rest: Polish pancakes topped with Hungarian goulash.

I’ll take that entree seven days a week.

Bang for your Buck

It didn’t surprise me that Poland was affordable. Most of the countries in Europe that haven’t adopted the Euro (minus Scandinavia and Switzerland) are.

But what caught me off guard was the quality of life relative to the cost of goods and services. Food was cheap, but so was great public transportation, nightlife, and accommodation. Everyone spoke English, and more importantly, everyone seemed happy!

The suburbs of Krakow felt so eerily similar to my hometown outside of Washington, DC, that I called my parents and told them to consider moving.

“It’s probably a third of the price! We have Polish roots anyway.”

Indeed, my great-grandfather immigrated to the US from Poland decades ago. I’d long considered this irrelevant before arriving.

Krakow has a beautiful park that completely encircles its old town. As I looped around the outskirts, all I could notice were extremely good-looking locals staring back at me with beautiful blonde hair and pale skin.

Poland is where it’s at.

After Hours

Perhaps seeing Taylor Swift live in Warsaw made me a bit biased toward Poland. But the rest of the country knows how to party too.

Krakow is full of bars and clubs offering deals daily. They’re all walking distance from each other because the old town isn’t more than a 15-minute walk from one end to the other.

Great city to do a pub crawl, eh?

I could’ve spent days exploring Krakow’s bar scene. But Warsaw’s nightlife was even better.

All the locals go to the riverfront to hang out while enjoying some cheap beers at sundown. Mingling at the river–the same river where I would work out during the day–was such a cool setting for a beautiful summer evening. I met Poles and guys from South Africa and Zimbabwe in Warsaw for university.

The river was complete with a live DJ and some outdoor seating as we looked out on the stadium where Taylor Swift sold out 3 nights in a row.

I could get used to this.

Livable and Lovable

In the end, the food, the affordability, and the nightlife played a part in my affinity for Poland.

But a common theme among cities that I’ve loved is simply their livability. Madrid, Edinburgh, and Prague come to mind as livable cities, but Poland as an entire country rivaled the livability of those places. It was easy to get around, the weather–in the summer–was gorgeous, and there’s great access to nature.

Poland has history, the people are friendly, and the country is only trending upward. I was surprised to learn that because of its young, growing population, it’s regarded as the most up-and-coming country in Europe.

Well, I have news for you. Poland isn’t up-and-coming.

It’s already here.

:)