With Kraków now confirmed as The New Prague the hunt is on for The New Kraków, and fingers are pointing towards Wroclaw. Long regarded by those In the Know as Poland’s hidden gem the boom of the budget flight has meant that the secret has finally slipped out, and Wroclaw has been well-and-truly discovered by the latter-day European traveller.

This is a city with a particularly enticing storyline: through the course of history it has gone under five names, been passed between four countries and seen the naughty end of both fascism and communism. Only sixty years ago the city was a smoking ruin, flattened during one of the most savage sieges in modern history. You wouldn’t know it: this is one of the most engaging towns in Central Europe, and it’s not rare to find it compared to a condensed version of Prague. Gothic spires soar into the skyline and only three other European cities can boast more bridges. Dominated by canals and twisting cobbled streets Wrocław stands out as one of the undisputed highlights of Poland.

This is primarily a university town, and some 10% of the population pretend to study at some institute or other. The student body add a defiantly youthful streak to the city, and the blooming cultural scene and nightlife are direct results. But Wrocław’s appeal stretches beyond atmospheric bars and classical opera houses; the local government have shown an aggressive desire to return the city to its pre-war heyday, and an extensive program of restoration and regeneration have seen the town emerge as Poland’s most exciting city.