Europe Travel Guides

Points of interest

Białowieźa National Park

Once a centre for hunting and timber-felling, Białowieża (Byah-wo-vyeh-zhah) is now Poland's oldest national park. Its significance is underlined by Unesco's unusual recognition of the reserve as both a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site.

The forest contains 120 species of birds, along with elk, wild boars and wolves. Its major drawcard is the magnificent European bison, which was once extinct outside zoos, but has been successfully reintroduced to its ancient home.

Note that the reserve does close sometimes, due to inclement weather.

Address

Contact

Transport

Admission

Czartoryski Museum

This museum is one of Kraków's jewels. The star pieces of the collection are Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with the Ermine and Rembrandt's Landscape with the Good Samaritan (1638). Also on display are Turkish weapons and artefacts, including a campaign tent from the 1683 Battle of Vienna.

Originally established in 1800, the collection has had a turbulent history - some items stolen by the Nazis were never recovered. Still, there's a lot to see, including Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Etruscan ancient art, Oriental armour, artistic handicrafts from Europe and Asia, and old European painting, mainly Italian, Dutch and Flemish.

Address

Contact

Admission

Słowiński National Park

The Słowinski National Park includes a 33km (19mi) stretch of coast and two large lakes complete with surrounding belts of peatbogs, meadows and woods. There also a couple of interesting villages. You can walk around the park, or see it by boat, bike, electric trolley or horse-drawn cart.

The shifting dunes in the park are reputedly the world's only such phenomenon on such a scale. They consist of an accumulation of sand thrown up on the beach by waves. Dried by wind and sun, the grains of sand are then blown away to form dunes which are steadily moving inland. The 'white mountain' walks at a speed of 2m (6.5ft) to 10m (33ft) a year, burying everything it meets on its way.

Address

Transport

Malbork Castle

This is Europe's largest Gothic castle and was once known as Marienburg - headquarters to the Teutonic Knights. It's one of Poland's oldest, and a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress, with multiple defensive walls, a labyrinth of rooms and chambers, and some exquisite architectural detail.

It was constructed by the Knights in 1276 and became the seat of their Grand Master in 1309. Damage sustained in WWII has been repaired since the conflict's end, and it was placed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 1997.

Address

Contact

Admission

Auschwitz

Established within disused army barracks in 1940, Auschwitz was initially designed to hold Polish prisoners, but was expanded into the largest centre for the extermination of European Jews. Two more camps were subsequently established: Birkenau and Monowitz. In the course of their operation, between one and 1.5 million people were killed.

Auschwitz was only partially destroyed by the fleeing Nazis, so many of the original buildings remain as a bleak document of the camp's history. A dozen of the 30 surviving prison blocks house sections of the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The cinema in the visitors centre shows a short documentary film about the liberation of the camp by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945.

Address

Contact

Transport

Attractions

Great Masurian Lakes

The central part of Masuria has the biggest concentration of lakes in Poland, with over 15% of the area under water. The main lakes, the Śniardwy and the Mamry, are linked by rivers and canals to form an extensive system of waterways. It's a prime destination for yachting enthusiasts and canoeists.

Towns are dotted around the lakes' perimeters, with Giżycko and Mikołajki the largest. Mikołajki is the best option for accommodation and gastronomical offerings, but most places close out of season. Cycle touring is a feasible way of seeing the lakes area as public transport is a bit patchy.

Warsaw

Emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of WWII, Warsaw is essentially a post-war city. Its handful of historic precincts have been meticulously reconstructed, but most of its urban landscape is modern, from the dull products of the Stalin era to the more creative efforts of recent years.

A decade after the fall of communism, Warsaw has turned into a thrilling, busy city swiftly catching up with the West. It's Poland's most cosmopolitan, dynamic and progressive urban centre, dotted with luxury hotels, elegant shops and a diverse range of services.

Although founded late in Polish history (at the beginning of the 14th century), Warsaw has been Poland's capital on and off since 1611. Set roughly in the country's centre, Warsaw's blend of old and new, in both appearance and spirit, epitomises the Polish nation.

Krakow

Kraków came through WWII unscathed; the 20th century's impact having been confined to acid rain. It has retained a wealth of old architecture from different periods; the tallest structures dominating Kraków's skyline are the spires of old churches. It's a city alive with character and soul.

Ringed by parkland, the Old Town is both charming and compact. The Main Market Sq is flanked by historic buildings, museums and churches. St Adalbert's Church is one of the oldest, dating back to the 10th century. And the museum of museums, Czartoryski Museum, exhibits a fascinating and impressive collection of European art.

Events

With a strongly Roman Catholic population, Christian celebrations in Poland are of huge importance. This is particularly evident at Christmas and Easter, but any Sunday is good for getting a taste of Polish devotion and religious fervour. All the churches (and they are truly in good supply) fill up beyond their capacity during the Sunday masses.

The musical highlights are myriad: Kraków hosts the Music in Old Kraków International Festival every August, and Wrocław follows in September with the Wratislavia Cantans, replete with oratorios and cantatas. Warsaw is a thriving cultural centre, with contemporary music showcases in autumn, including jazz in late October. The Warsaw Theatre Meetings in January review the achievements of the best Polish theatres over the past year. The Polish Film Festival in Gdynia in November is the foremost presentation of Poland on celluloid.

Small local feasts, fairs and contests, often dependent upon local folklore, occur throughout Poland, with a pleasing glut in early summer and early autumn.