Chopin Liszt of entertainment

Krakow will be alive to the sound of music for 16 glorious summer days and nights, as the 36th edition of one of the city's oldest festivals gets underway. The Festival of Music in Old Krakow, from August 15 to 31, will showcase the talents of orchestras, soloists, vocalists and conductors - predominantly with Polish and especially Cracovian links, who are set to perform a programme of concerts from the world's greatest composers. They really will be wheeling out the big guns, with masterpieces of early to classical music from the likes of Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Liszt, and of course Poland's own Chopin. Krakow's cultural heritage has earned it the nickname the Athens of Poland, so it's no wonder that the city can draw on such a wealth of performers for events such as this. Add to this the range of beautiful places of worship and concert halls across the city that will play host to the concerts - not forgeting that entry to some is free - and this festival really does promise to be a stunning swansong to summer.