I am thinking about visiting Poland in September this year. I would like to visit the capital Warsaw and the old capital Krakow. I am planning to make a day trip to the Auschwitz concentration camp which is near Krakow. I think the visit is going to be very shocking, although I have visited another concentration camp (Dachau near Munich). One should visit Auschwitz in order to understand the extent of harm done to the Jews during WWII. Also, the little town Zakopane, which is near the mountains, is also close to Krakow. So I am planning to visit Zakopane as a day trip.
I found a Chinese travel show on Poland on the internet. It is part of a series called From City to City.
WarsawWarsaw and Gdansk
Gdansk
Krakow and Wieliczka Salt Mines
Krakow and Auschwitz
I do not think I will visit the Salt Mines, because the admission fee is around 20 euros for those who do not speak Polish. For you are not allowed to enter the Salt Mines on your own. You have to be accompanied by a guide.
Since it is going to be the first time for me visiting Poland and I will be traveling alone, I am thinking about buying a backpack so that I can walk around (i.e. run away....) faster. I am used to traveling with a suitcase the size of a carry on luggage. When I traveled through Canada and the States, I even ended up with two suitcases. 
And a carry on could fit into most of the lockers provided by the hostels I stayed at.
A friend of mine suggested that I should get an Arcteryx backpack. Arcteryx backpacks are made in Canada and are of very good quality. I have seen them in a store before. And I have seen the price tag, too. Haha. Though a more affordable backpack (Bora 35 that costs 200 euros) will come out this spring, I still think it is expensive. So I am still looking for an affordable and durable (it does not have to last longer than I do) backpack. And I am still deciding what size (40-55 L) I need. I will have a few months to look for a backpack though.
