Poland is a country of unexpected charm, which is now attracting a growing number of American travelers. In the 1980s I saw the shipyards of Gdansk on television, when Lech Walesa was freeing the country from its 40-year Soviet bear hug.
I've been lucky enough to visit many spectacular castles and fortresses during my years of traveling in Europe, but nothing prepared me for the arresting sight of Malbork Castle in a light morning mist on a late summer day.
One of the unexpected pleasures of my recent trip to Poland was the excellent quality of the food in the country's restaurants.
This remarkable city straddles the banks of the Vistula River in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, in the southern part of Poland.