The 11 Best Places to Visit in Poland

Poland has a history that dates back nearly a thousand years, with magnificent medieval architecture, residues of WWII and its destruction, and castles and royal residences in every corner of the country.

However, this old nation is additionally residence to large national parks, mountains, and lakes, with apparently endless routes cutting through virgin nature waiting to be checked out.

No matter why you're heading to Poland, discover one of the most stunning destinations with our list of the best places to visit in Poland.

 

BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN EUROPE

1. Krakow

One of the oldest cities in Poland, Krakow was currently inhabited back in the 7th century. Krakow's Old Town center still preserves its magnificent middle ages style because the city left most of the WWII devastation that fell on various other Polish cities. The Wavel Castle and the historical area of Kazimierz likewise called the Old Jewish Quarter in the area are both marked as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Krakow is residence to around 40 metropolitan parks, including 19th-century Planty Park, which covers an area of 21 hectares and develops a green ring around the town hall, and the Lasek Wolski woodland, which offers hiking and cycling trails in a big woodland area just minutes from the town hall.

On rainy days, Krakow's 28 galleries are a must-see, especially the National Art Collection at the Wawel, where site visitors can likewise see period furniture, a large collection of Flemish tapestries, the imperial gems, and a collection of weapons and shield going back to the 15th century.

For an unusual, comprehensive consider ancient Krakow and its streets, there's the Rynek Underground Museum.

A number of major attractions lie outside the city and are popular as day trips. Remarkable sights include the world's oldest functioning salt mine Wieliczka, the Auschwitz-Birkenau prisoner-of-war camp, and the Tatra Mountains and national park.

 

2. Warsaw

Poland's capital was left in ruins after WWII almost 85 percent of its buildings had actually been relied on ash or systematically taken down by Nazi pressures. As quickly as the battle finished, the city embarked on a massive effort to rebuild its historic facility utilizing initial strategies. As a result, the Baroque and Renaissance seller houses you see today are the best reproductions of the originals.

Although WWII additionally created the loss of collections held by palaces and museums, the city is still residence to over 60 galleries today. Along with art and history museums, Warsaw also offers some uncommon options, including the world's only Museum of Posters, a museum devoted to the WWII Warsaw Uprising, a Neon Museum, and a Museum of Caricature.

The National Museum, which chronicles the background of the city, likewise houses the largest collection of paintings in Poland-- including a number of masterpieces that came from Adolf Hitler's exclusive collection.

Warsaw could not have as numerous parks as Krakow, however Lazienki Palace and its official gardens greater than offset it. This 18th-century royal residence is surrounded by 76 hectares of urban woodland and is house to a planetarium, an outdoor movie theater, structures, and much more.

For a very various exterior adventure, stroll down Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Warsaw's best architectural street. Old homes, monuments, the Presidential Royal residence, and the Polish Academy of Sciences are all steps from each various other right here.

 

3. Tatra Mountains

The Tatra Mountains and National Park form a natural boundary between Slovakia and Poland, though a lot of the range of mountains comes under Slovakia. It's now feasible to trek between countries quickly because there are no borders in between EU countries anymore. The Polish side of the park has over 270 kilometers of hiking trails.

Poland's highest hill, Rysy, lies in the Polish Tatras. At 2,500 meters, it's the greatest Tatras peak in either nation that can be climbed up without a park overview. On top of that, the park is house to over 600 caverns, with the limestone cavern system, Wielka Sniezna, being the longest (23 kilometers) and inmost (824 meters).

The Tatras have falls, streams, and mountain lakes. Morskie Oko lake is the biggest lake in the park. Found deep within the park, it can only be reached after a two-hour walking with hills and a thick woodland of Swiss pines.

 

4. Wroclaw

The city of Wroclaw hasn't constantly been Polish over the centuries, it has actually come from everything from the Kingdom of Bohemia to Prussia to Germany. Wroclaw has actually just formally been part of Poland given that 1945, after completion of WWII changed some of the boundary lines in Europe.

The Lubomirski Museum is a good place to visit to discover more regarding the history of the city the museum covers the intrusion of the city by Nazi forces and later on the Soviet Union, in addition to a variety of WWII events. The Wroclaw City Museum finishes that history with a summary of Wroclaw over the past 1.000 years.

Wroclaw's oldest area is the 13th-century Key Market Square, that includes St. Elizabeth's Church and the Old Town Hall. Simply a few actions away is the Pan Tadeusz Museum, with multimedia displays devoted to Polish customs.

In the summer season, site visitors can hop on open-top historic buses to travel around the city. Those checking out walking can look for Wroclaw's overshadows over 350 small bronze figurines of elves can be located throughout the city, hiding around edges, on sidewalks, and on lampposts.

 

5. Bialowieza Forest Reserve

Europe's biggest remaining area of the primeval forest that when covered much of the continent, the Bialowieza Woodland Book has certainly gained its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Website. The forest sits on the border between Poland and Belarus a boundary crossing for walkers is really situated within the woodland itself and covers an area of over 1,400 square kilometers.

Bialowieza is a bird-watcher's heaven, and fanatics can join bird-watching excursions headed by regional ornithologists, but the woodland is additionally home to bison and other huge types.

The small village of Bialowieza is within the woodland, and so is the open-air Museum of Wooden Design windmills, wood huts, a little timber chapel, a barn, and even a banya (sauna).

 

6. Bieszczady Mountains

The Bieszczady Mountains are a massive array that prolongs right to Ukraine and Slovakia. Due to the fact that of their polony (a kind of hill meadow) that only occurs in the Carpathian region, they are special. Because the valleys and meadows softly slope up and down instead of being also steep they are the best destination for trekking.

Polonyna Wetlinska, covering at 1,255 meters, is among one of the most popular field routes a picturesque, soft climb that should not take greater than two hours. At the top, a small bed and breakfast the just one in the whole chain of mountains offers treats and drinks plus a cozy bed for those who wish to expand their experience.

A large area of the Bieszczady Hills becomes part of the UNESCO East Carpathian Biosphere Get, residence to brownish bears, wolves, and bison and primarily covered by beech woodland.

 

7. Ojcow

The tiny village of Ojcow, simply 16 kilometers outside Krakow, is the entrance to Ojcow National forest. Poland's smallest national forest at simply 21.46 square kilometers, Ojcow is greatly forested and residence to looming sedimentary rock cliffs, over 400 caverns, and 2 river valleys. Greater than 500 varieties of butterflies occupy the park in springtime and summer season, they take over the tracks and the flowering valleys and are a view to lay eyes on.

The Path of the Eagles' Nests, Poland's most famous vacationer and trekking trail, attach 25 watchtowers and castles, consisting of the Renaissance castle at Pieskowa Skala and the ruins of a Gothic castle, both of which loss within the park borders. There are also 2 galleries in the park, including a branch of the National Art Collection.

 

8. Gdansk

Resting right on a bay on the Baltic Sea, the old city of Gdansk is residence to Poland's main port. Most of the old part of the city referred to as the Royal Path dates back to the 17th century and is wonderfully protected. Several of the main structures here include the City Gates, the Prison Tower, and a variety of merchant houses.

Gdansk is also house to the world's biggest brick church, St. Mary's, along with the star-shaped Wisloujscie Citadel and the Gdansk Nowy Port Lighthouse.

Although Gdansk wasn't straight impacted by the battle, its Museum of the Second World War is just one of the best historic museums in the nation. It includes a variety of lorries consisting of a Polish Sherman container and a German DKW bike along with documents, photos, and artefacts linked to the battle and the Holocaust.

 

9. Zalipie Village

The tiny town of Zalipie is best known for the modest flower paints that adorn nearly every structure in the area. This tradition started over one century back, when neighborhood females utilized a mix of powdered color and milk to cover unclean surface areas with vivid styles.

Today, virtually every cottage, barn, fence, and even Saint Joseph's church is painted by doing this therefore are many interior rooms, including walls and furniture.

Of the many enhanced buildings, Your house of the Females Painters is perhaps the most stunning. The structure is the former residence of Felicja Curylowa, an early 20th-century painter birthed in Zalipie her entire house, inside and out, is covered with flower paints and has been exchanged a folk museum. The museum showcases the background of the tradition and just how the blossoms are repainted and site visitors also have an opportunity to attempt their hand at it.

 

10. Torun

One of the oldest cities in Poland, Torun's background dates back to the 8th century. The city's middle ages Central Marketplace and it's lots of Gothic houses and wood-beam 16th-century structures are still standing because Torun had not been flopped or ruined throughout WWII.

One of these houses is the native home of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, which has actually been converted into a museum about the researcher's life and work. The other must-see museum in town is Muzeum Piernika, devoted to a sort of gingerbread unique to Poland, where visitors can attempt hands-on baking.

The whole Old Quarter area has been marked a UNESCO World Heritage Website it's a great area to explore walking, getting shed in little streets to discover the architecture and soul of the area.

Torun's 13th-century Teutonic castle is located right here it is partly in damages, except for the sewer tower and cellars, as well as a nearby watermill.

 

11. Isle of Usedom

Since 1945, this island on the Baltic Sea has actually been legitimately divided between Poland and Germany. Nicknamed "the sun island" due to how many hours of sunlight it gets yearly, Usedom is a popular holiday destination for both nations.

Soft white beaches, seaside resorts, and a lot of summer season sports and tasks are the main attractions, however, the island is likewise home to a private arboretum (open only during the cozy months), the residues of the Karnin Lift train bridge (currently assigned as a Historical Symbol of Design in Germany), and the Dannenfeldt Mausoleum and burial ground. Lakes, nature books, and polished gardens are also dotted around the island.

 

One of the earliest cities in Poland, Krakow was already populated back in the 7th century. Since the city left most of the WWII devastation that dropped on various other Polish cities, Krakow's Old Town center still preserves its stunning middle ages design. Resting right on a bay on the Baltic Sea, the ancient city of Gdansk is home to Poland's main seaport. Most of the old component of the city-- recognized as the Royal Course-- days back to the 17th century and is perfectly preserved. Some of the primary frameworks here consist of the City Gates, the Jail Tower, and a number of seller homes.