On a typical tour of Poland, most people sip rich beet soup, take in the horrors of Auschwitz and tip back homebrewed vodkas in hundred-year-old basement bars. But those tourists are missing out on some of the best parts of Poland. After a three-week tour off the beaten path, Newsweek’s Karen Pinchin has some tips on divining the country’s best-kept secrets.

Poland’s Cultural Gem: Wroclaw

I’m not sure why this affordable, beautiful and historic city has fallen off the world’s travel radar. It could be the name, pronounced vrot-swaav. But with cheap flights from almost anywhere in Europe, a rich culture, beautiful cobbled streets and a boisterous nightlife fueled by the city’s university population, the best elements of Poland are on display here. The shopping is top-notch in colorful Rynek Square, Europe’s second-largest market square, where street performers twirl fire as grotesquely masked parades march past. Make sure to visit the stunning Raclawice Panorama (www.panoramaraclawicka.pl), an intricately painted monument to the Polish national spirit, which commemorates the victory of scythe-wielding peasants over Russian legions in 1794. It was banned by the city’s communist authorities for decades, but went back on display in 1985.

Religious Spirit: Our Lady of Lichen

Don't worry about getting lost on your to the Our Lady of Lichen cathedral: you can see its giant gilded dome (the eleventh-largest in the world) well before you arrive. According to legend, in 1850, the Virgin Mary told a local shepherd that the area would become a place of pilgrimage. And so it has. With hundreds (if not thousands) of hand-carved pews, multicolored marble from across the world, a two-story-high church organ and numerous gilt altars, the church is a sight to behold. Despite its marvels, most of its one million annual visitors are Polish, but the foreign tourists who skip this stop are missing out (www.lichen.pl).

Mountain Vistas and Winter Sports: Zakopane

For fresh mountain air and spectacular views, Polish outdoor enthusiasts head to Zakopane. Known as the country’s winter capital, you can ski or hike the Tatra Mountains that lie between Poland and Slovakia, or just enjoy the city’s wholesome dining and lodging. Stroll on the wide and scenic Krupowki Street, a mostly-pedestrian walkway through the centre of town, and browse the adorable local restaurants, museums and trinket shops. For lunch, I recommend pan-roasted sheep’s cheese and potato pancake at the in-house restaurant of the Sabala Hotel (www.sabala.zakopane.pl). For breathtaking views of the mountains, including the famous sleeping soldier silhouetted in the distant hills, take the popular funicular at the northern end of the street to the top of Gubalowka Hill. It costs 14 zloty ($6) and you’ll have to get past the vendors at the base of the hill selling pickled mushrooms and St. Bernard puppies. If you persevere and make it to the top, you can go for a beautiful hike at the top of the mountain (most mountain villages have a shuttle that can take you back to town) or just sit at a picnic table and enjoy a delicious Zywiec Full pale lager. For luxury lodging, stay at the Belvedere Hotel (www.belvederehotel.pl) and enjoy its heated floors, extensive sports facilities, full-service spa and skiing equipment rentals. Plus, you can always bring your new St. Bernard puppy along, as the hotel is pet-friendly.

Eats: Everywhere

Polish food is under-appreciated—you just need to know what to ask for. In Wroclaw, visitors to the Wroclawska Inn (www.restauracjekrawczyk.com.pl) can eat authentic—and adventurous—Polish cuisine like pickled herring appetizers, wild-boar pâté in currant sauce or Silesian blood pudding roasted in an apple and crayfish in dill. Or, in true local style, you can drink the deliciously light house beer and sip rich borscht in the underground Swidnicka Cellar (www.piwnicaswidnicka.com), which claims to be Europe’s oldest restaurant. For cheap eats, try the hearty soups and dumplings at any of the country’s ubiquitous milk bars, which are located on almost every street in every town. In Wroclaw, I recommend Bar Mis, which is just north of Rynek Square (48 Kuznicza Street). If you’re in the mood to tipple, the city’s communist-themed PRL Bar (www.prl.wroc.pl/index_en.html) is definitely worth a stop. Here you can enjoy walls plastered with posters of Stalin, Lenin and Mao, watch old communist propaganda newsreels and pair your vodka with poultry jelly and lard on rye bread.