Poland Information

Poland, the largest of the former Eastern European states, has become one of the major destinations for travellers. Its beauty can be admired in both its old cities and in the wild scenery of its national parks and nature reserves. The country's regions are largely divided into horizontal bands: the Baltic Coast and the hilly post-glacial lake district. Central Poland is split into northern lowlands and southern uplands, including the Kraków-Wielun Upland with its limestone areas, caves and medieval castles. The Carpathian Mountains, including the Tatras, lie in the extreme south; their mountain scenery, folklore and sports facilities contributing to their charm.

Poland is a nation with a proud cultural heritage, and theatre, music and opera companies abound. It is the native soil for composer, Frederick Chopin, scientist Marie Curie (neé Skladowska) and astronomer Nicholas Copernicus. The former textile city of Lodz is proud of its film school, alma mater to directors Roman Polanski and Krzysztof Kieslowski. There is also a strong tradition of graphic design and glassware. 

KEY FACTS

WHEN TO GO

A country this size has enough to make it a year-round destination, however most people visit when the weather is warmer, namely May to October. The tourist season peaks in July and August when schools and universities are on holiday and most Polish workers and employees take their annual leave. It's a time when things can get very crowded, particularly in the tourist hot spots such as the Baltic beaches, Masurian Lakes, and Carpathian Mountains. The likes of Kraków and Warsaw can also seem overrun with visitors then. Naturally during July and August transport becomes more crowded too, and can get booked out in advance. Accommodation may be harder to find, and sometimes more expensive. Fortunately, a lot of schools, which are empty during the holidays, double as youth hostels, as do student dormitories in major cities. This roughly meets the demand for budget accommodation.

If you want to avoid the masses, the best time to come is either late spring/early summer (mid-May to June) or the turn of summer and autumn (September to October), when tourism is underway but not in full flood. These are pleasantly warm periods, ideal for general sightseeing and outdoor activities such as walking, biking, horse riding and canoeing. Many cultural events take place in both these periods. The rest of the year, from mid-autumn to mid-spring, is colder and darker. This doesn't mean that it's a bad time for visiting city sights and enjoying the cultural life as it's no less active than during the tourist season. Understandably, hiking and other outdoor activities - aside from skiing - are less prominent in this period. Most camp sites and youth hostels lock up shop at this time. The ski season runs from December to March. The Polish mountains are spectacular, but the infrastructure (hotels and chalets, lifts and tows, cable cars, transport etc) is still not well developed. Zakopane, Poland's winter capital, and the nearby Tatra Mountains have the best ski facilities.

TOP THINGS TO DO

• Go to the theatre in any of the major cities where there will be local or national companies in residence.

• Hike in some of Poland's national parks and nature reserves. Nature enthusiasts can visit the Kampinos National Park, near Warsaw. Further afield, 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. 

• Discover the Bialowieza National Park (website: www.bpn.com.pl); it 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.

• Jump on a horse. Horses have traditionally been popular in Poland and horse riding 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.

• Pick mushrooms in the early autumn in any unprotected forested regions. Mushroom picking has been a Polish tradition for centuries and several delicious varieties exist.  

• Climb or ski in the Tatras. Zakopane is a centre 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.

• Ride in a horse-drawn sleigh and be sure to have either warmed beer or heated honey vodka afterwards. Snow falls throughout Poland so these types of rides are on offer throughout the country.

• Escape to the beach 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 (website: www.slowinskipn.pl), known for its giant ‘wandering sand dunes' which can shift several metres each year. 

• Head further east to the Hel Peninsula, which also has some good beaches and camp sites.

• Sail a boat in the Mazurian Lake District (consisting of over 1,000 lakes), also a favourite angling 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. 

• Slip into the water in a canoe in the Brodnica or Mysliborz lakelands, or the rivers Brda, Czarna Hancza and Obra.

• Pay tribute to the victims of the holocaust at Oswiecim-Birkenau (Auschwitz-Birkenau) concentration camp, 70km (43 miles) from Cracow. It's a sobering experience, but helps give you perspective on a grave and sensitive historical time (website: www.auschwitz.org.pl).  

TOP THINGS TO SEE

• Visit the Renaissance-style market square in Zamosc, which is one of the many designated UNESCO sites in Poland.

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

• Immerse yourself in Cracow's charming medieval atmosphere; 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. 

• Still in Cracow, see the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, and one of the oldest in Europe. Cracow'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 (website: www.krakow.pl/en).

• Discover the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Of the 350km (217 miles) of corridors, 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 (website: www.kopalnia.pl).

• See the Icon of the Black Madonna, also known as the miraculous painting of Our Lady, in the huge Jasna Góra monastery complex at Czestochowa, 100km (60 miles) north of Kraków (reputed to have been painted by St Luke) (website: www.jasnagora.pl).

• Locate Wroclaw (Breslau)'s 100 bridges, many of which cross canals or connect 12 of the cities 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) (website: www.wroclaw.pl).

• Head to Gdansk to see 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.

• Experience the medieval walled town of Torun by walking through the gothic Old Town (website: www.torun.pl).

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