Empik

How long have you been in Poland? And you don't know what Empik is? Next you'll tell us you've never heard of pierogi! Anyway, for those still in the dark Empik is the Slavic equivalent of blighty's very own WHSmiths, except slightly cooler. These great big bastions of civilization keep the locals in supply of magazines, books, language tools, stationery, music and DVDs, and are always crowded with shoppers of every age and type. They also stock plenty of foreign language books if your Polish ain't too hot - be warned though a quick browse in here can soon turn into an hour's hard shopping!

The W H Smith-meets-Blackwells of Poland!