Places You Should Visit In Poland

Poland is a beautiful country. Often Tourists arrive in Warsaw or Kraków and visit two of the most famous cities in Poland. However there is a lot more to Poland. To understand the polish culture and lifestyle completely visit these worthy destinations. You will thank me later 🙂

Kraków

Its heart is the Old Town (listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List) with a spacious Market Square, St. Mary’s Church and Wawel Castle. Indeed, the number of attractions in Kraków is huge, but what makes this place truly unique is the two places near the city. The first is Wieliczka salt mines with several trails (tourist and mining), a salt cooling tower, a church and other interesting additions. The second is the world-famous concentration camp of Auschwitz. Memorial Place and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp (Auschwitz) are the largest death camp of the Third Reich. This is a symbol of the genocide of the Polish people during the Second World War. Studies say that 1.5 million people died in a concentration camp, including Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, and Gypsies. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum was founded in 1947. It is a symbol of terrible human cruelty.

Warsaw

In Warsaw, you immediately feel that you are in the capital: wide avenues, long streets, high glass buildings. The Old Town is traditionally in the center. True, it is only 60 years old! The city is very dynamic, high tech and cosmopolitan. The life and work of the great composer Chopin is inseparably connected with Warsaw. The city has 15 “singing” benches, sitting on which you can listen to melodies written by the composer. Even more you will be amazed by the Copernicus Science Center – it’s not just a museum of the legacy of Nicolaus Copernicus, but here you can experience all the effects of physical laws on yourself. If you love taking pictures of the cities, you will find an excellent view of the city from the tallest building – the Palace of Culture and Science.

Gdańsk

Gdańsk – is a city in the north of Poland. Together with the neighboring towns of Sopot and Gdynia, it forms the agglomeration of Trójmiasto, a triple city. The cities are interconnected by a high-speed electric train. Gdańsk has a unique atmosphere, the smell of the sea and beautiful monuments of architecture. The old city is an architectural complex of the 13-18 centuries. Gdańsk is a major port city on the Baltic Sea. The modern city of Gdańsk is one of the main centers of economic and administrative life in Poland.

Wroclaw

Wroclaw – is a remarkable and charming city of Poland, the historic capital of Silesia; on both banks of the Odra River. One of the largest and oldest cities in Poland. Wroclaw is a city of gnomes and bridges (about 220, until the Second World War was 303). In addition to the beautiful city center in the suburbs, such attractions as churches, monasteries, castles are located.

Poznan

Poznan – is one of the oldest Polish cities and rich in historical monuments. The Polish Cathedral is the oldest church in the country (XIII-XV centuries). There are many urban architectural monuments: gothic churches, a Renaissance-style town hall (XIII-XVI centuries), houses of the 16th-19th centuries.

Torun

Torun – the city of Nicolaus Copernicus, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Poland. It is located in the north of Poland. Its achitecture, almost inviolable medieval layout and many Gothic buildings built from brickwork amazes me. Since 1997, the city has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Second World War, the city remained intact, and all the monuments of architecture are original. 96 percent of Torun residents are glad to live here. For each tourist, it is necessary to try at least one “Torun gingerbread” (toruńskie pierniki). Torun gingerbreads – the edible sights of the city, vary in size; they are usually depicted by the symbols of the city of Torun and the scenes from the medieval knight’s life. In the city, there is even a museum for the Torun gingerbread (Muzeum Piernika).

The Slowinski National Park

It is one of the two seaside national parks in Poland, located about 115 km to the northwest of Gdańsk. The feature of the Slowin Park is the moving dunes, which reach a height of several tens of meters and are among the largest in Europe. And the huge mountains of sand create the illusion of the landscape of the Sahara ergs. Here you can see even a sandstorm. Keep substantial amount of water handy if you plan to take a walk in this national park. Due to its extraordinary natural diversity, the National Park of Slowin was included in the list of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977.

Belovezhsky National Park

Belovezhsky National Park is the only complete forest complex in Europe. It is one of the most important treasures of nature in Poland and in Europe. In 1979, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The total area of the forest is 1500 km²:. Out of which 620 km² is within Poland and the rest is in the territory of Belarus. The symbol of the park is the bison, which has always lived here. During the First World War, ​free population of bison disappeared. You can still find bison in the zoos. Polish government is putting a lot of effort to rebuild the population of bison. Thanks to this, bison are gradually​ returning to their natural habitat. At the moment, several hundreds of bison live in the park.

Mazury

Mazury is a historic district of Poland in the north of the country. It is a pride of the Poles. This area is also called Kraina Wielkich Jezior Mazurskich or “the edge of a thousand lakes”. In fact, there are about 4 thousand of them. They account for 1/4 of all Polish water resources. The largest lakes are Sniardwy (113.8 km²) and Mamry (104 km²). Mazury is just a real paradise for lovers of water sports: windsurfing, kayaking, sailing. Also, the edge of the Greater Masurian Lakes is a wonderful place for rest all the family. Here you can fish, collect mushrooms, ride a bike and just walk through the forest.

The castle of the Teutonic Order of the Crusaders Malbork (Zamek Malbork)

It was built on the turn of the XIII and XIV centuries. It is the most significant gothic fortress in Europe. It is world’s largest brick castle. In 1309, the residence of the teachers of the Teutonic Order has moved from Venice to Malbork. Castle Malbork consists of 3 castles, a total area of ​​20 hectares. In 1997, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will truly enjoy Polish architecture and delicious local cuisine. Take several hundred pictures near the backdrop of countless Catholic temples and castles! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comment section your suggestions, or comments or if you would like to add a place in this article.