Poland's most beloved food — the dumpling — gets its own festival in one of Central Europe's most beautiful cities. The Mały Rynek (Small Market Square) fills with producers from across Poland and Central Europe offering every conceivable pierogi variation: the classic potato and cheese ruskie, sauerkraut and mushroom, meat-filled, sweet fruit versions with cream, experimental modern takes. Cooking competitions, folk music, and the warm atmosphere of Kraków's old town in August make this a genuinely special food event. The city itself — the Royal Wawel Castle, the Jewish Kazimierz quarter, the medieval main square — is reason enough to visit.
Kraków's Rynek Główny (main market square) is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe and the backdrop for the city's entire summer event calendar. The Kazimierz neighbourhood for dinner after the festival is excellent. Flights to Kraków (KRK) from across Europe are frequent and cheap.