Poland Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Warsaw
The Polish capital Warsaw still deserves your attention even though much of it was destroyed in the war. The Old Town was reconstructed from original plans and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries - it's hard to believe it's barely half a century old when you stroll its quaint cobbled streets (www.e-warsaw.pl).

View of Warsaw
For an unforgettable view, take an elevator to the 30th floor observation deck of the Palace of Culture and Science, one of Warsaw's best known architectural icons. This edifice was gifted to Poland in 1953 from Stalin as a symbol of 'Polish-Soviet friendship' (www.pkin.pl).

Warsaw Rising Museum
A walk through the Warsaw Rising Museum (www.1944.pl) is an educational and interactive experience. The museum features films, testimonials, slides and artifacts from the time when Warsaw residents were active in the resistance.

Chopin's house
The manor house where Frederick Chopin (www.infochopin.pl) was born in Zelazowa Wola, 53km (32 miles) west of Warsaw makes for a great day trip. Attractions include an attractive park, summertime recitals and 19th-century instruments and furniture.

Zamosc
The Renaissance-style market square in Zamosc (www.zamosc.pl)with its almost perfectly preserved 16th-century town center is just one of the many designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in Poland.

Auschwitz
The victims of the holocaust are remembered at Oswiecim-Birkenau (Auschwitz-Birkenau) concentration camp (www.auschwitz.org.pl), 70km (43 miles) from Krakow. Visiting is a sobering experience, but helps give you perspective on one of human history's darkest periods.

Krakow Gate
The Krakow Gate, built in the late 14th century and remodeled in 1782, is considered to be an architectural symbol of Lublin and is the primary entrance into the Old Town; it also houses a historical museum (www.zamek.lublin.pl).

Krakow
You'll immediately feel Krakow's charming medieval atmosphere (www.krakow.pl); it is one of UNESCO's 12 most significant historical sites. In the middle of the central Market Square (the largest in Europe) is the Cloth Hall, which was reconstructed in the 19th century from 14th-century merchants' stalls.

More Krakow
Still in Krakow, the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, is one of the oldest in Europe. Krakow's former Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, houses the Remuh Synagogue (1553). Overlooking the city is Wawel Castle, with the world's largest collection of 16th-century tapestries and, beside it, the gothic cathedral.

Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Wieliczka Salt Mine (www.kopalnia.pl) boasts 350km (217 miles) of corridors, of which 2km (1.2 miles) are accessible to visitors. The tourist route is 64 to 135m (209 to 443ft) underground and passes through impressive chambers, bas-reliefs, chandeliers and a chapel sculpted in the salt.

Icon of the Black Madonna
The Icon of the Black Madonna, also known as the miraculous painting of Our Lady, can be seen in the huge Jasna Góra monastery complex (www.jasnagora.pl) at Czestochowa, 100km (60 miles) north of Krakow. It is reputed to have been painted by St Luke.

Wroclaw
Wroclaw (Breslau) (www.wroclaw.pl) is a city of 100 bridges, many of which cross canals or connect 12 of the city's islands. Important sights include the 15th-century Town Hall, now the Historical Museum; the Ethnographic Museum in the Royal Palace; and the Cathedral on Ostrow Tumski (Cathedral Island).

Gdansk
Gdansk (www.gdansk.pl) is home to the largest gothic church in Poland: St Mary's Basilica. The beach resort at nearby Sopot has Europe's longest pier (500m/1,640ft). Within easy reach are the forested Hel Peninsula, the Kashubian Lakeland, and the Teutonic castles at Malbork and Gniew.

Torun
The medieval walled town of Torun (www.torun.pl) is best experienced by walking through the gothic Old Town.

Top Things to Do

Hiking
There's little more inspiring than a hike in some of Poland's national parks and nature reserves. Nature enthusiasts can visit the Kampinos National Park, near Warsaw, while the Bieszczady National Park, part of the Carpathian mountain range, contains the surviving fragments of the Great Bieszczady Forest, home to the brown bear, lynx, wolf and wildcat.

Bialowieza National Park
The Bialowieza National Park (www.bpn.com.pl) is the last major refuge of the European bison as well as being home to many other rare forest-dwelling species and trees over 400 years old. Nature trails, cycling and exploring with a ranger are on offer.

Polish countryside
The Polish countryside lends itself perfectly to horse riding and enthusiasts have a large choice of riding schools to choose from. Polish stud farms are internationally renowned and welcome guests. Inexperienced riders may prefer riding a Hucul - a very rare Polish mountain pony.

Mushroom picking
Going for long meandering walks in the woods to pick mushrooms in the early autumn is a long standing Polish tradition. Mushroom picking has been a Polish tradition for centuries and several delicious varieties exist.

Tatras
For alpine diversions there's nowhere better than the Tatras. Zakopane is a center for climbing and winter sports where a fairytale atmosphere pervades with its ‘gingerbread' wooden cottages - some inhabitants still wear traditional Goralskie dress. Visit the beautiful Koscieliska Valley, the mountain of Kasprowy Wierch and the glacial lake Morskie Oko.

Sleigh rides
A horse-drawn sleigh ride is a magical experience, though be sure to have either warmed beer or heated honey vodka afterwards. Snow falls throughout Poland during the winter months so these types of rides are on offer all over the country.

Beaches
It may be hard to convince people, but Poland really boasts some of the very best beaches in northern Europe, especially the resorts of the Pomeranian coast, such as Kolobrzeg (large and fashionable) or Leba (with a beach of fabulous white sand). The beach connects to the Slowinski National Park (www.slowinskipn.pl), known for its giant ‘wandering sand dunes' which can shift several meters each year.

Hel Peninsula
The perfect escape from the crowds can be found in a trip to the Hel Peninsula in the country's north east, a perfect place to escape by bike or on foot that also has some good beaches and camp sites.

Malsurian Lake District
The Malsurian Lake District (consisting of over 1,000 lakes) is a favorite angling and boating destination. A popular lake-trail can take you through several lakes and canals. Local towns such as Mikolajki and Gizycko host sea shanty festivals and other lively events.

Canoeing
The best way to explore the Brodnica or Mysliborz lakelands, or the rivers Brda, Czarna Hancza and Obra is by canoe.