Poland Travel Guide

Poland is considered by many to be a Western European country due to its culture and attitudes, despite its location on the fringes of Eastern Europe. It has long been a strategic location during wars and has been damaged or dominated many times. Despite this, the Polish culture endures and there are many excellent historical sites still standing.

Warsaw was virtually destroyed in World War II, but has been splendidly restored to its pre-war condition. Highlights of this cosmopolitan city include its Old Town section (including the Royal Castle) and Jewish Heritage sites.

Historical Krakow is on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its Old Town. It has the outstanding medieval Wawel Castle and Cathedral complex and the massive Rynek Glowny town square (the largest medieval town square in Europe). Nearby Krakow is Auschwitz-Birkenau, a sobering reminder of Nazi atrocities. These concentration camps were the site of over 1 million murders, and remain a monument/museum to genocide. Other medieval sights can be found at Malbork Castle (the largest Gothic castle in Europe) and the historic quarters of towns such as Gdansk and Wroclaw.

Hikers and nature enthusiasts will appreciate the Carpathians, with their excellent hiking and skiing trails. The center of this area is the resort town of Zakopane. There are also excellent Baltic beaches that attract many people.

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Last edited Oct 21, 09 4:42 PM.

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Next: Natural Environment

1. Wawel Castle

(36 reviews)

Krakow, Malopolska Region, Poland

The medieval Wawel Castle and Cathedral site is one of the greatest in Poland and is an architectural wonder. Located atop Wawel Hill, it is the central symbol of Poland and lies at the heart of its history. It was..

2. Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square)

(73 reviews)

Krakow, Malopolska Region, Poland

The main market square of Old Town in Krakow.

3. Auschwitz Concentration Camp State Museum

(13 reviews)

Oswiecim, Malopolska Region, Poland

Auschwitz is a sad pleace but I like spend time in Auschwitz and thinking about peoples whose died there. My favorite pleace is barakue nr 11 and when I be there I wondering why dr Mengele has doing experiments of..

4. Old Town Square (Stary Rynek)

(26 reviews)

Poznan, Wielkopolska Region, Poland

First established in 1253, Stary Rynek (or Old Town Square) is a beautiful square filled with an abundance of fountains.

5. Sukiennice

(14 reviews)

Krakow, Malopolska Region, Poland

Located at the center of Cracow(Kraków) Sukiennice(Cloth Hall) were created by King Bolesław Wstydliwy(Boleslaus the Chaste) in the XIII century. They were a medieval trade center which atracted peddlers from the East..

1. Wim's Tip on Wroclaw

Wroclaw, Silesia Region, Poland

There is a great movie festival in summer!!

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2. Magdalena's Tip on Bialystok

Bialystok, Mazovia & Podlasie Region, Poland

One of the things you have to see in Bialystok is Branicki Palace (called Versaille of the North) with the garden (designed after Versaille gardens) and the park around - wheter it's cold or warm you will always meet people there ;)

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3. Patrick's Tip on Krakow

Krakow, Malopolska Region, Poland

For cheap places to stay there are usually people around the train station offering rooms in private houses. You have to go to Wawel (pronounced Vavel) Castle. Some say this is the heart of Poland and it is the past seat of Polish Kings. There is also a Smok (Dragon) that lives in the tunnel underneath the castle. Two day trips you have to make are 1. Oswiencim (Aushwitz). You can take a train from the center of Krakow, to within a couple of hundred meters of the front gates. You cannot miss this testament to the horrors of the Nazis and genocide. 2. Wielizcka salt mines. This is another trip possible by the efficient Polish railway system. These salt mines have been in service for hundreds of years and are now a Unesco world heritage site. As the miners took the salt out they carved statues and even a cathedral into the caves. Really amazing. Don't forget to listen to the trumpter in the main square and to have a great time. Krakow is fantastic!

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4. Monika's Tip on Kazimierz Dolny

Kazimierz Dolny, Malopolska Region, Poland

If u interested in history of art u HAVE to visit that city! It is example of local version of renesanse. In past it was muliticultural city and still u can find examples of this.

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5. Ania's Tip on Bielsko-Biala

Bielsko-Biala, Silesia Region, Poland

You can climb Szyndzielnia mountain, eat polish traditional food(also local food), visit castle, walk through old part of the city, buy ticket to Jazz Festival and find some of Vienna's spirit.

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6. Kasia's Tip on Karpacz

Karpacz, Silesia Region, Poland

The best way to get, take a mini-bus from Jelenia Gora, to that city you can get by train from Breslau which has also flight conections :-) The best place to sleep - go up the mountains and stay at Samotnia mountain hostel which is placed in amazing scenery! From Karpacz there is a lot of nice pathtracks leading you on the top of Karkonosze mountain range, the highest peak in Sudeten, around 1600 meters above sea level. Great oportunities to ski in winter and lovely place to spend a weekend with friends or family, all around is protected area by National Park so you can admire nature and very rare plants or animals. I recomend it as quite small but very lovely place to visit, you can see there even fabulous wooden cheapel from Norwey!

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7. Gavin's Tip on Katowice

Katowice, Silesia Region, Poland

Make sure you take a map and a fiver with you. Cos if your bank locks your account for security reason you can still find the bus station and get to the airport.

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8. Rafal's Tip on Bytom

Bytom, Silesia Region, Poland

The most ugly and on of the most dangerous cities in Poland!!! If it's not absolutely necessary - don't go there!!!!

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9. 's Tip on Szczecinek

Szczecinek, Pomerania Region, Poland

Szczecinek- typical Polish small town. Developing, clean...lovely leak :). Anyone loving peace should go there... to better Polish culture basicly.

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10. Matthew's Tip on Warsaw

Warsaw, Mazovia & Podlasie Region, Poland

I don't want to write a tip for Warsaw... I want to write a tip for the small mountain village in South Poland I passed through once only once, and could never find again because I never noted the name... and the roads in Poland are notoriously confusing (not to mention dangerous - do NOT begin a road rage contest with a Polish truck driver on his own turf - you will LOSE). That place was one of the most unbelievable little pockets of beauty I've ever seen, stone cottages two stories and higher, a babbling brook with cows just wandering about the place - I swear I saw a black haired Tess of the D'Urbevilles out getting ready to milk them. Idyllic, but like all idyllic scenes - it's be ruined if you stopped and tried to fit into it. Anyway my tip on Warsaw: don't get stuck in rush hour traffic. In fact, don't drive into town at all, go by foot and just find yourself a nice place to stay... then walk out at night and meet all the lovely people - they make eye contact! They say hello to strangers!

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