Enjoy a virtual trip to Poland

Bieszczady

This is the Polish name for a section of the long Carpathian Arc between the Lupkowska and Uzhok passes, with a total length of 1560 km2. In short, the Bieszczady are ideal for those craving serenity: from the top of the treeless summits encircled by the green forests, one cannot help but simply marvel at the raw magnificence of nature. The beech is the most commonly found tree in the woodlands here, mixed with sycamore, fir and alder. In the Bieszczady one can find some 900 species of vascular plants, including 42 species of plants protected in the Bieszczadzki National Park, which encompasses the highest sections of the Western Bieszczady Mountains. With approximately 200 unique species, the fauna of the Bieszczady is varied as well. Such big mammals as the European bison, brown bear, wild boar, lynx, wolf, deer and wildcat live here alongside many rare species of birds, including the Ural owl, golden eagle, Alpine hedge-sparrow and pipit.

HOW TO GET THERE Sanok, known as the “Gateway to the Bieszczady”, is the most important town in the region. There are bus links with the majority of the cities in the south and east of Poland, including Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, Gliwice, Przemysl, Krosno and Mielec. From Sanok, one can easily visit the smaller towns of either Ustrzyki Gorne or Ustrzyki Dolne – both forming popular jumping-off points for trips into the mountains. The Bieszczady is surrounded by two major road systems, known as Mala and Duza Petla Bieszczadzka. The former runs from Ustrzyki to Lesko, the latter passes the Solinski Reservoir from the south and heads to Lesko. Together they form the main transport artery for Bieszczady, with regular bus services connecting all the communities of the region. The region’s railway junction in Zagorz lies 6 km from the central Sanok. You can get to Zagorze via Sanok by fast train from Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz or Gliwice.

Gdańsk

Gdańsk is situated on the coast of the Gdansk Bay, a part of the Baltic Sea enclosed in the north by the Hel peninsula. While the Vistula River has no distinct delta, it has formed several branches reaching the sea. One of them is the Motlawa, upon which the city is located. The granaries, houses, cranes and hotels on the islands of the Motlawa make it a very picturesque place to visit.

Gdansk has close links with Sopot (a popular spa resort) and Gdynia (an important seaport), and together they form a conurbation known as the Tricity, surrounded by the Tricity Landscape Park. All three lie in the Pomerania region, an attractive summer holiday destination where visitors from both Poland and abroad people the beaches in summer. Pomerania is marked by its small sandy hills wooded with pines, while Gdansk itself lies on a coastal plain. The Kaszuby region (Kashubia) is not far to the south, noted for its specific folk culture and its own language.

Situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea, Gdansk is the capital city of Pomeranian Voivodship. Together with two other cities, Sopot and Gdynia, it forms a conurbation known as the Tricity with a total population of 750,000 (Gdansk itself has 456,000 inhabitants). While Gdynia serves mainly as a port and Sopot as a seaside resort, Gdansk is popular among visitors with its thousand-year history and impressive architecture.

At present this maritime capital of Poland is an important

cultural and academic centre. The economy is developing

quickly and moving into new fields: the traditional shipping

and amber trade is being joined by the petrochemical, electronic

and telecommunication industries. The seaport and

international airport make the city a significant transport hub.

Cracow

Krakow is situated in a valley formed by the Vistula River. In the Middle Ages it had many branches and some areas of the city were islands, including Wawel, Skalka and Kleparz. Nowadays the river flows along one main channel and the former islands are just part of the city. The oldest part of Krakow lies on the northern (left) bank of the river.

Krakow is the capital of Malopolska (Lesser Poland), a voivodship (province) of Poland that spreads out to the southern border of Poland. The region is a popular tourist destination, and along with magnificent Krakow there is also Zakopane, Wieliczka, Krynica, Niedzica, and Oswiecim to be visited. Zakopane lies in the Tatra Mountains (the highest in Poland), but there are also the Pieniny and Beskid Mountains to choose from.

Krakow, with a population of over 755,000 people, is Poland’s second largest city. Although it ceased to be a capital city in 1596, it still plays the role of cultural centre for Poland. Fortunately, it escaped World War II with no major fighting or bombing, and it remains almost unscathed even after fifty years of communist rule while concrete blocks of flats were built outside the city centre.

Krakow is also an important academic city, famed for its ancient university of consistent and continuing repute. But above all, the city is known as the most popular tourist destination in Poland, with the former royal Wawel castle being rated among its major attractions. The majority of monuments are situated in the Old Town, framed by the ring-shaped park, known as “Planty”. In the centre of the Old Town there is Europe's largest market square, with the “Sukiennice” (the Cloth Hall) dating from the 14th century and one of the best-known landmarks of Krakow. The charming and exuberant atmosphere of the city attracts visitors in every season.

Malbork

Malbork is situated in northern Poland, exactly in the southern corner of the Zulawy Wislane, a flat region forming the delta of the Vistula River. Geologically the area is described as depression as it lies below sea level. Zulawy is known for its fertile soils and picturesque landscape, bisected by several branches of the Vistula. One of them, the Nogat River, flows through Malbork.

Malbork is located about 50 km south east of Gdansk and 30 km south west of Elblag

Malbork is visited especially for its tremendous castle that once consisted of three parts: the outer one, which is ruined and not open for visits, the Middle Castle and the Upper Castle. The sightseeing starts from the Middle Castle, the later and larger segment with three wings around the yard. There is also a Palace of the Grand Masters, a magnificent monument of Gothic architecture decorated with slim columns.

Masurian Lakes

A picturesque region of more than a thousand lakes. For sailors, fishermen, hikers, cyclists and those who simply seek tranquillity, Masuria is holiday destination number one. Apart from water sports and the simple wandering around absorbing the atmosphere, you may explore a multitude of historical places.

Masuria Lakeland is situated in the northeast of Poland near the borders with Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad). The main towns of this area are Elk, Ketrzyn, Gizycko, Mikolajki, Mragowo and Wegorzewo; but it is easiest to get there through Olsztyn, which provides easy connections with most of the towns and villages of Masuria. Olsztyn is situated about 200 km from Warsaw, 150 from Gdansk, 160 from Torun and 200 from Bydgoszcz. The recommended way to get there is by car.

How to get there

Tatra Mountains

The Tatras are situated along Poland's southern border. They are shared between Poland and Slovakia, the latter containing the majority share. Most of the tourists visiting the Polish Tatras stay in Zakopane, a town of 30,000 at the foot of the mountains. The easiest way to get there is from Krakow, which is only 110 km north of Zakopane. You can drive there by car (it takes about 2 hours), or take a train or a bus (buses are more advisable, as the journey takes less time). Other large cities near Zakopane are Katowice (200 km) and Czestochowa (250 km). The border crossing with Slovakia in Lysa Polana is only 23 km from the town centre. It provides easy access to famous resorts in Slovakia such as Tatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec, as well as the towns of Poprad and Kežmarok.

HOW TO GET THERE

The highest mountain range between the Alps and the Caucasus. Here you will find rocky peaks covered with snow all year round, sharp ridges, picturesque lakes, waterfalls and valleys that together make this place possibly the most spectacular in Poland. There are about 250 km of trails and a wide range of slopes to satisfy the most demanding of hikers and skiers. A stay in the town of Zakopane at the foot of the mountains is recommended for those who love admiring beautiful landscapes and original folk culture.

The Tatras, a part of the Carpathian Mountains, are the youngest in this part of Europe and were formed at

the same time as the Alps - as evidenced by their severe rocky shapes. The highest top on the

Polish side is Rysy (2 499 m above sea level).

Warsaw

The more up-market western bank of the Vistula is where the majority of Warsaw's businesses, banks, theatres and cinemas can be found. The poorer eastern side, known as Praga, is slowly loosing its neglected appearance with a growing number of modern shopping centres, office buildings and blocks of flats.

Situated on both sides of the Vistula, almost in the heart of Poland, Warsaw is also the capital of Masovia. This is a region rich in folk traditions, characterised by flat landscapes with large open fields. The river divides the city into two parts distinct in character.

Warsaw, Poland's capital since the late 16th century, is by far the biggest and fastest developing Polish city. Its population is estimated at 1.71 million and, as a powerful economic and cultural centre, the city attracts great numbers of people from all over the country in the pursuit of education or better job opportunities. According to some sources, some 18 new people move to the city daily. Warsaw is also visited every year by thousands of tourists from all over the world, especially during the summer

Wrocław

Wroclaw is picturesquely located on several rivers: the Odra and the smaller tributaries Olawa,

Sleza, Bystrzyca and Widawa. Consequently, the city lies on 12 islands linked by many bridges.

The Cathedral Island, the first Slavic settlement site, is no longer an island as a branch of the

Odra was filled in. Wroclaw is the capital of Lower Silesia, one of Poland's voivodships. The region to the north is characterised by flatlands and is

predominantly rural, while to the south Lower Silesia is bordered by the Sudeten Mountains – a

popular tourist destination in winter and in summer

Wroclaw is the principal city of Lower Silesia, a voivodship situated in the south-western corner of Poland, adjoining the German and Czech territories. Its population of 632,000 makes it the fourth largest city in Poland.

The Old Town is comparable to Krakow's in beauty and size, and includes the Gothic St. John's Cathedral, the Renaissance houses near the Market Square, the Baroque university and lots of fine examples of Art Nouveau and Functionalism.

Apart from these sights, Wroclaw captivates with its marvellous location on the Odra River, its branches and tributaries that have resulted in a great number of bridges needed to join the islands. Despite Wroclaw's failure to become the host city for the Expo exhibition in 2002, it has undergone a significant boom in terms of tourism. The intense promotion of the city resulted in a rising number of visitors.

The uniqueness of the city is due in part to its long and entangled history. Situated on the interface between ethnically diverse areas, Wroclaw has been part of the Polish, Czech, Austrian and German states. It has inherited the spirit of German Breslau (a previous name of Wroclaw), which partly disappeared when the Germans left the city, and that of Polish Lwow, whose population was resettled here after World War II. Wroclaw is also an important cultural and academic centre of the region, with a large student community that animates the city’s nightlife.

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By

Gołojuch Marlena &

Ślęzak Dominika