Poland -tourist attractions

Tomek J.

Warsaw , the capital and Poland’s largest city, plays the prominent economic, cultural and educational role in the country. Although it was almost completely destroyed during World War II, it followed a massive and thorough reconstruction to restore the grandeur of many monuments to life. Thus the city can boast of Old Town (Stare Miasto), which was authentically renovated. Apart from over 20 museums one can admire Zamek Krolewski, the reconstructed Royal Castle; The Wilanow Palace with a spectacular collection of old paintings and furniture; the massive post communist Palace of Culture and Science with a wonderful view of the whole city, The Lazienki Palace

In the north lies Pomerania (Pomorze), a region with a well-developed tourist base. The area is well known with holidaymakers for its landscape diversity, consisting of beaches, lakes, hills, numerous rivers and forests as well as the grandeur of its cities. In the past, there was an amber route crossing over here followed by Roman merchants. The Baltic Coast offers sandy beaches for most of its length and many interesting places e.g. Swinoujscie, Miedzyzdroje, Kamien Pomorski, and Kolobrzeg, each of them being a renowned spa. Kolobrzeg is the biggest and best-known spa boasting its dozens brine springs. The Slowinski National Park, an exotic natural attraction with 44-metre tall movable sand dunes at the banks of Lake Lebsko, is an important biosphere reserve and a haven for rare bird species.

SwinoujscieMiedzyzdroje

The capital of Eastern Pomerania is Gdansk, one of Poland's three major seaports, a marvelous city with a thousand years of history and plenty of priceless monuments. With Sopot- a resort best known for its wide wooden pier and the Open-air Opera Hall ( Opera Lesna) and a classic seaport of Gdynia , Gdansk makes up a metropolis known as the Triple City (Trojmiasto). More to the east the Hel Peninsula stretches, marked with quiet and pleasant seaside resorts: Jurata, Jastarnia, Chalupy, and Hel, all with clean, wide beaches sheltered by dunes and pine groves.

Gdansk

Sopot

The Pomeranian Lakeland region includes two lake districts, the Kashubian and Drawa Lake Districts, and the vast areas of the Tuchola Forest, which are some of the biggest natural and tourist treasures in Poland, easily accessible and gorgeous. The Kashubian vicinity is inhabited by Kashubi, an interesting nation, which maintains its cultural identity, has own language, customs and even literature and occupies itself with fishing. In Malbork (Marienburg) there is the biggest in Europe Teutonic medieval brick castle built originally in the 13 th century. Some other mediaeval-style elements may be found also in Gdansk, Pelplin, Kwidzyn, Tczew, Slupsk and other towns.

Malbork Kaszubi

To the east of Pomerania spreads the Mazury Lake District, a huge, thinly populated area of lakes, dense forests and swamps, often named "a land of a thousand lakes"; however, the real number of lakes is about four thousand. It is rich in wildlife, including wild bison and Europe’s largest herd of elks, and provides every form of outdoor activity – sailing, canoeing and camping. Most lakes are linked by rivers and canals, the main tourist attractions of which are the Augustow and Elblag canals, the latter being a masterpiece of the 19th century Prussian engineering.

Mazury

Augustow

The medieval walled town of Torun, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the striking Gothic Town Hall, is the birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus. Poznan , is the serene provincial capital with interesting sights such as the Italianate Town Hall in the Old Market Square, the Gorki Palace, the 12th-century Church of St John and Przemyslaw Castle. The National Museum stores one of the country’s few displays of old master paintings. The Poznan International Trade Fair takes place here every year.

The modern city of Wroclaw is cut through with 90km of canals and tributaries of the River Oder and there are more than 100 bridges. The city boasts a very large Old Town with 15th-century Town Hall, the Royal Palace; and the Cathedral built on 7 islands.

To the southeast of the capital lies a charming medieval university city of Lublin, which shelters many buildings designed by Bernardo Morando of Padua, and by many Armenians and Greeks who once settled down here. Not far from Lublin a unique artistic town of Kazimierz Dolny is situated, with its a romantic castle ruin, Baroque churches, winding streets and unspoiled atmosphere is a top attraction of Poland. Another interesting site is Zamosc with its well preserved Academy, beautiful tenement houses and fortification walls. The unique site was founded in the 16th century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky as a town in ideal shape. It has preserved the original layout and a large number of buildings that feature Italian and central European architectural traditions. Its Old Town has been acknowledged a UNESCO World Heritage status.

Kazimierz Dolny

Zamość