Euro 2012, Poland: a guide to the venue cities The Polish capital is hardly one of the world's great beauty spots, but that is not surprising. Flattened by the retreating Nazis, the city had to be completely rebuilt: mostly in the harsh Stalinist style of the Fifties. A meticulously reconstructed old town points to a gentler, more elegant past. As does the beautiful Lazienki Park, scene in the summer of outdoor concerts featuring the music of Frédéric Chopin, born just 30 miles away. Lovers of more modern music will not be disappointed either: a large student community ensures lively clubbing. It is also a treasure trove of beautifully restored Renaissance and Gothic buildings, reflecting the time when Gdansk was a powerful member of the Hanseatic League. Come here to buy jewellery containing amber and head to the nearby seaside resort of Sopot to mix with Poland's beautiful. Wroclaw First things first. This beautiful Gothic waterside town on the river Odra is pronounced in the following way: Vrotz-wahv. It used to be called Breslau when it was part of Germany (hence the Teutonic traces). But its cultural hinterland is much deeper. Renaissance flourishes stem from the period of Habsburg rule. The proximity to the Czech Republic means that there is also something of a Bohemian feel here: happily for the travelling football fan, one of the ways this manifests itself is in a couple of excellent breweries and some great beer cellars. Poznan This lively city halfway between Warsaw and Berlin has always been an important centre for trade - and a defining point of Polish nationhood. It was from these parts that the first kings of Poland hailed. Nearby Gniezno is where the decision was taken to embrace the Christian faith. In addition to cathedrals and churches, Poznan boasts two zoos, a botanical gardens and cobblestoned streets full of outdoor cafés. England fans wanting a reminder of the origins of one of their favourite chants should head to nearby Zagan and the Stalag Luft III - the former Nazi prisoner-of-war camp that inspired the film The Great Escape. Beyond the football Outside the cities hosting the Euro 2012 matches, Poland remains a country rooted in rural traditions with a great spirit of hospitality (expect lots of vodka, pierogi dumplings and poppy seed cake). It is also fervently Catholic - one of the country's most visited spots is Czestochowa, home to a sacred painting, the Black Madonna, and a land of wide open spaces and wildernesses - the Bialowieza National Park is where you will find European bison in the wild; the Bieszczady is where to go for pristine forests. And where do Poles like to go and relax? In addition to the Tatras and the Baltic coast, many head to the north-east and Masuria - the "land of a thousand lakes."