Michael GołębiowskiMichael Gołębiowski

Konrad KarczmarzykKonrad Karczmarzyk

Polish cuisine (Polish: kuchnia polska) is a mixture of Slavic, Jewish and foreign culinary traditions. Born as a mixture of various culinary traditions, both of various regions of Poland and surrounding cultures, it uses a fair variety of ingredients. It is rich in meat, especially pork, cabbage (for example bigos, and spices, as well as different kinds of noodles and dumplings, the most notable of which are the pierogi. It is related to other Slavic cuisines in usage of kasza and other cereals, but was also under the heavy influence of Turkic, Germanic, Hungarian, Jewish, French, Italian or colonial cuisines of the past. Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is substantial. Poles allow themselves a generous amount of time to enjoy their meals, with some meals taking a number of days to prepare in their entirety.

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, to the southeast by the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. To the east, Europe is generally divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, and by the Caspian Sea.

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, [varˈʂava] (help·info); known also by other names is the capital of Poland and its largest city. It is located on the Vistula River roughly 370 kilometers (230 mi) from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2006 was estimated at 1,700,536, with a metropolitan area of approximately 2,900,000 to 3,000,000 people [citation needed]. The city area is 516.9 square kilometers (199.6 sq mi), with an agglomeration of 6,100.43 square kilometers (2,355.4 sq mi) (Warsaw Metro Area - Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy). Warsaw is the 8th biggest city in the European Union.

The town was built around the fortress Ordensburbg Marienburg which was founded in 1274 on the east bank of the river Nogat by the Teutonic Knights. Both the castle and the town of Marienburg (rendered in Polish as Malbork) were named for their patron saint, the Virgin Mary. This fortified castle became the seat of the Teutonic Order and Europe’s largest Gothic fortress. During the Thirteen Years War, the castle of Marienburg was pawned by the Teutonic Order to their imperial soldiers from Bohemia. They sold the castle in 1457 to King Casimir IV of Poland in lieu of their pay. This separated the castle from the city in political terms, as the citizens there did resist Poland.

Michał Gołębiowski

Konrad Karczmarzyk

Niedzica Castle (lat. castrum de Dunajecz, hu. Nedec Varalja or Nedec-Vaz, ger. Sub-Arx Unterschloss), also known as Dunajec Castle, is located in the southernmost part of Poland in Niedzica (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland). It was erected between the years 1320 and 1326 by Rodric from Tyrol on the site of an ancient stronghold surrounded by earthen walls in the Pieniny mountains. The Niedzica Castle stands at an altitude of 566 m, on a hill 300 m upstream from the Dunajec River mouth, measured from the center of the dam on Czorsztyn Lake. The outline of Niedzica Castle can best be viewed from the ruins of Czorsztyn Castle on the other side of the lake. It is known as one of the most picturesque castles in the country and adorns the covers of many books.

Michał Gołębiowski

Konrad Karczmarzyk

Warsaw is an extraordinary city. Its history and climate impress the visitors, while its uniqueness interests them. In Warsaw, influences of Western and Eastern Europe culture cross. Here historic buildings, palaces, churches and architectural complexes, destroyed during the War, have been reconstructed with great care. UNESCO appreciated Warsaw Monuments and its relics, and honoured the City by putting the Historic Centre of Warsaw on the World Heritage List. You are welcome to visit our guide presenting "Treasures of Warsaw Online"   

Monuments of Warsaw - a guide

In Poland, Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, millions more play football

sometimes. The first professional clubs were founded in the early 1900s and the Polish national football team played its first

international match in 1921.There are hundreds of professional and amateur football teams in Poland. The football teams are organized into the national 1st league and 2nd league, 4 regional 3rd leagues, 18 regional 4th leagues, 49 regional 5th leagues and many more lower level

leagues. There are also Polish Cup and Polish Supercup competitions.

National Parks in Poland constitute the biggest form of nature protection. The area of a national park, may not be smaller than 1,000 ha. The park protects an area distinctive for its unique scientific, natural, cultural and educational values. A national park protects the entire nature and specific landscape features within its borders. The main task of a national park is to study and preserve the unity of natural systems of the area, as well as to restore the disturbed or extinct elements of a native nature. The park is open to visitors, but nature conservation is its main objective and has priority over all other activities. For each of the national parks, the mandate is defined in the statutes of the park, issued by the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry. There are 23 national parks in Poland with total area of ca. 315,000 ha, which cover approximately 1 per cent of the country's area. Polish National Parks are exceptional in Europe for their range of wildlife, their size and varying geographical interest.

The Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki, also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest

building in Poland and the world's 187th tallest building. The building was originally known as the Joseph Stalin

Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki imienia Józefa Stalina), but in the wake of destalinization the

dedication was revoked[citation needed]; Stalin's name was hastily removed from the interior lobby and one of the

building's sculptures.The building currently serves as an exhibition centre and

office complex. It is also used for FM and TV broadcasting. It is 230.68 metres (757 ft) tall which includes the height of the spire of 43 metres. There are 3288 rooms on 42 floors,

with an overall area of 123,000 m², containing cinemas, theatres, museums, offices, bookshops, and a large

conference hall for 3000 people.