Kazimierz Dolny, Poland

We came to Kazimierz Dolny at the very end of our Eastern Europe trip. It is a town dating to the 11th century that is situated on the Lublin plateau. It was last rebuilt in the 16th century and has a wonderful small and quaint feel about it. Geographically it lies on the right bank of the river Vistula on its way to the Baltic. The Vistula is a recurrent theme throughout Poland, and this town is no exception. The thing that is exceptional about this town is that it is populated by artists. Many painters retreat to this small town to paint and sell their work. Galleries line almost every street, where you can find sculpture, stained-glass, and paintings. The outdoor market has people selling traditional Polish folk art at very good prices. This is a wonderful stopping off place if you are traveling through Poland, a good lunch and art gallery walk. I suspect that people vacation here as well, but until I see the Baltic coast line, I am reserving recommendations of where to spend a week relaxing in Poland.