Poland Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Central Europe.

Language

Polish is the official language. There are a few small German-speaking communities primarily in the southwest. English and Russian are also spoken.

Area

312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz; continental sockets.

Population

38.5 million (2009).

Population Density

122 per sq km.

Capital City

Warsaw. Population: 1.7 million (2009).

Government

Republic since 1918 (democracy since 1989).

Head of Government

Donald Tusk since 2007.

Head of State

President Lech Kaczynski since 2005.

Religion

More than 95% Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim.

Recent History

After a year of right wing rule when identical twin brothers Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the Law and Justice Party held the Polish presidency and premiership respectively, Polish voters moved decisively back to the center again in a snap 2007 election in which Donald Tusk's center-right Civic Platform Party won a landslide victory. While Lech Kaczynski remains as Poland's President (a role with relatively few powers), Prime Minister Donald Tusk has since smoothed the feathers of neighbors Germany and Russia after they were ruffled by his predecessor, who also managed to alienate many other EU countries through his nationalist rhetoric and conservative agenda.

With new bridges being built across the European Union and with Russia, Poland has recovered from its political isolation, but is beginning to feel the effects of the economic downturn on its already under-performing economy. Surviving the financial crisis is now Poland's priority, and this is a challenge that will likely be made harder by the return of many native Poles who have spent the past few years working in temporary jobs in Western Europe.

Since the change of administration in Washington, Poland is now unlikely to be the site of US missiles as part of a defense shield, much to the relief of Moscow and to a large section of the Polish population that had opposed the plan.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +48. Telephone cards can be purchased from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies; most of the country is covered. Local SIM cards can be bought locally and used in unlocked GSM handsets.

Internet

There are many Internet cafes in cities as well as Wi-Fi areas in hotels, cafes and some other public spaces.

Media

State-owned TV (TVP) still has the largest share of the audience for its two national channels. It also operates regional programs and the international satellite channels. TVN operates the leading commercial TV channels. Polsat also operates a digital pay-TV platform and is present in the Baltic states. Up to a quarter of Poles also watch foreign television channels through cable or satellite. State-owned Polish Radio reaches just over half of the population and there are more than 200 stations on the air.

There are more than 300 newspapers, most of them local or regional. Although fewer people in Poland may be connected to broadband connections than those in other EU countries (due to a delay in infrastructure in rural areas), freedom of the press and communications availability is held as an important priority.

Post

Mon-Fri 0800-1800; some offices are open on Saturday until 1400. The main post offices in major cities are open daily, 24 hours.

Press

• The principal dailies are Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Super Express.
• The biggest selling daily, Fakt, is a populist tabloid with over 7 million readers.
• Weeklies include Gazeta Polska, Polityka and Wprost.
• English-language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly) and The New Warsaw Express (weekly).

Radio

• Public broadcaster Polish Radio operates five national networks and 17 regional stations.
• Radio Polonia is a public, external service.
• RMF FM and Radio Zet are commercial stations.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Second Day of Christmas

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
25 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
3 May National Day
12 Jun Ascension Day
23 Jun Corpus Christi
15 Aug Assumption
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
11 Nov Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Second Day of Christmas

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
9 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
3 May National Day
17 May Ascension Day
7 Jun Corpus Christi
15 Aug Assumption
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
11 Nov Independence Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Second Day of Christmas

Contact Information

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the UK

47 Portland Place, London W1B 1JH, UK
Tel: 0870 774 2700.
Website: www.london.polemb.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1630.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in the UK

73 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6LS, UK
Tel: (020) 7291 3900/14.
Website: www.polishconsulate.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 0900-1400, Thurs 1300-1800.

Polish National Tourist Office in the UK

Level 3, Westgate House, West Gate, London, W5 1YY, UK
Tel: 0870 067 5010 (brochure line).
Website: www.visitpoland.org

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the USA

2640 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800.
Website: www.polandembassy.org

Consular Division of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the USA

2224 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800.

Polish National Tourist Office in the USA

5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 208, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Tel: (201) 420 9910.
Website: www.polandtour.org