I traveled to Poland, an underrated destination filled with cheap good food, culture, and history. Here are 5 reasons you should add it to your next Europe trip.

Poland, an Eastern European country that borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia, has always appealed to me thanks to its rustic charm and famous dumplings.

I spent five days in two cities — Warsaw, the capital, and Lublin — strolling around old castles, roaming through museums, and eating as many pierogies as I could.

I felt like I was transported into a fairy-tale land in Warsaw and Lublin's Old Towns. I always felt safe despite traveling alone and was surprised at how cheap it was — at one point I bought a salad for $1.

I loved my time there and would go back in a heartbeat. I think it should be a destination for everyone's next European trip.

The Old Town in Warsaw dates to the 13th century, but during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, 85% of it was destroyed, according to UNESCO.

A 40-year reconstruction took place, which was completed in 1984 after the restoration of the Royal Castle, UNESCO added. The aim was to recreate the Old Town's 18th-century appearance, and it's now on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

I loved walking through the Warsaw Old Town. Not only was it gorgeous, there was so much to do, like visiting museums and castles.

Before WWII, Poland had 3.3 million Jewish people. At the end of the war, only 380,000 remained, according to Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

In Lublin, there were signs on the streets marking where the Jewish Ghetto, a segregated slum, used to be. I also visited the Majdanek concentration camp, one of six concentration camps built by Germans in occupied Polish territory between 1941 and 1945.

It was harrowing, but I was grateful that I could learn about it from the victims; there were video clips of them talking about their experiences the day they were liberated.

There's plenty more history to explore in Poland, too. In the Kraków Pinball Museum, you can see retro arcade games and the Polish Aviation Museum displays historic aircraft.

I'm a huge fan of dumplings, so of course I had to try pierogies, Polish dumplings typically filled with pork or vegetables. For one meal, I chose mushroom pierogies fried in butter (pictured) and every mouthful was like an explosion of flavors.

I also had a hearty chicken soup, pictured, which to me would be the perfect cure for whenever you feel ill.

Warsaw had trains, trams, and buses, which ran frequently, while Lublin had buses and trolleybuses.

Riding the tram in Warsaw was a particular favorite of mine. A one-way journey cost 2.20 Polish Zloty, or around $0.50, which you could buy from a ticket machine on the tram.

In my experience, the times for the bus or tram were clearly stated, so there was no need to download any transportation apps beforehand.

If public transportation isn't your thing, I found that Uber was also affordable during my trip. I took an Uber to my hotel each evening in Warsaw, and never spent more than around $5.50 for a 20-minute trip.

In Poland, I felt at ease despite traveling solo. I'm from London and in my experience, its tourist areas can often have scammers looking to take advantage of visitors. But in Poland, I didn't see this at all.

Of course, I also practiced caution, which made me feel safer. I didn't go out late at night, I didn't attract attention to myself, and my family always had my location on hand.

Poland is one of the 33 countries that the Eurail pass covers, according to its official website. There are also direct flights from the US to various cities including Warsaw and Krakow.

Depending on the time, you can also get cheap flights from many European cities if you plan to make a stopover in Poland during a Europe trip.

Correction: November 26, 2023 — An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the Majdanek concentration camp. The camp was built by Germany in occupied Polish territory; it is not considered a Polish concentration camp.