Poland

Poland Flag

Why visit Poland?

Ideal for travelers seeking to enjoy agri-tourism, architecture, art, beaches, bicycling, birdwatching, boating, canoeing, cultural events, ecotourism, festivals, fishing, forests, historical sites, hunting, kayaking, kite surfers, lakes, medieval castles, mountain hiking, national parks, natural landscape, opera, rivers, sailing, shopping, skiing, spas, trekking, quaint villages, wildlife, and windsurfers.

Gdańsk, Poland. Photo Credit: erwinbauer/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Souvenirs to Buy: Amber jewelry, barszcz (spice), cheese, decorative easter eggs, dolls, gingerbread, pickled cucumbers, Ptasie Mleczko (candy), skincare goods, linen goods, pottery, sausage, vodka, and wood carvings. 
• Local Cuisine to Try: Bigos (stew). Gołąbki (cabbage rolls). Kielbasa (sausage). Kluski (soft dumplings). Kotlet schabowy (breaded meat). Lody (ice cream). Makowiec (pastry). Mizeria (cucumber salad). Napoleonka (dessert). Oscypek (smoked cheese). Pierogi (filled dumplings).
• Local Drink to Try: Ciechan Miodowe (beer). Korzenny (mead). Lubelski (mead). Miód Kurpiowski (mead). Trybunalski (mead). Perła (beer). Zubrowka (vodka).

Photo Credit: Wioletta/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• Jagiellonian University (Kraków) was the first (1364) established higher education. 
• Commission of National Education (1773) was the world's first ministry of education.
  
• Vang Stave Church (Karpacz) was shipped from Norway (1840).
  
• Home to the oldest zoo, Wrocław Zoological Gardens (1865).
  
• Hosted the Intel Extreme Masters (2105).
• Shares maritime boundaries with Denmark and Sweden.
  
• The 9th largest country in Europe.
• Kraków was the former capital.
• Motorcycle Speedway Racing is the largest spectator sport. 
• Home to the extinct aurochs (cattle).
• Bug, Oder, Vistula, and Warta are the longest rivers.
  
• Largest Island is Wolin (northwest). 
  
• Superstitious customs observed are not found elsewhere in Europe.
  
• Home to over 100 castles throughout the country. 
• Shares Szczecin Lagoon and the Usedom Island with Germany.
• Highest point is Mount Rysy (8,205 ft).

• Castle of the Teutonic Order (Malbork) is the largest castle in the world. 

• Home of the first written mention of vodka.
  

• Lake Hańcza is the deepest (356 ft).
  
• Major European hub for video game development.
• Considered one of the most religious countries in Europe in Roman Catholicism. 

Poznań, Poland. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Special Holidays/Occasions

• Annual Events: (January) Vodka & Chaser Festival, (February) International Sailors' Song 
  Festival, POlish Folk Festivals, (March) Marzanna, Piłka Nożna Magazine Plebiscite, (April) Cracovia Marathon, Flower & Art Festival, Ludwig van Beethoven Festival, (May) Film Music Festival, Florianski Fair, International Book Fair, International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Camera, Juwenalia, International Soup Festival, Kraków Film Festival, Kortowiada, Night of Museums, Swieto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja, (June) Fair Hetmanski, Festival of Good Beer, Jewish Culture Festival, Jarmark Sqietojanski,  Juwenalia, Open'er Festival, Malta Festival Poznań, Mystic Festival, Opener Festival, Opole Festival, Orange Warsaw Festival, Selector Festival, Sonisphere, Tauron Nowa Muzyka, Warsaw Chamber Opera Mozart Festival, Wianki, ianki & Free Music Festival, (July) Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, Chopiniana, Crossroads Traditional Music Festival, Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival, Harvest Festival, International Street Arts Festival, International Street & Open-Air Theaters Festival, St Dominic's Fair, StreetArt International Festival of Street Theater, Smmer Jazz Days, Urban Highline Festival Lublin, (August) Boleslawiec, Chopin Festival, Chopin & His Europe International Music Festival, Coke Live Music Festival, Gdansk Shakespeare Festival, International Highlanders' Folk Festival,  International Mime Art Festival, Live Music Festival, Music in Old Kraków, Pierogi Festival, Pol’and’Rock Festival, Singer's Jewish Culture Festival, Sopot Festival, Sopot International Song Festival, (September) Advanced Music Festival, Autumn Contemporary Music Festival, Cross Culture Festival, Festival of Four Cultures, Magnetic Festival, Sacrum Profanum Festival, Wratislavia Cantans, Zielona Gora Wine Festival. (October) Blues Festival, International Film Festival, Rawa Blues Festival, Unsound Festival, (November) All Souls' Jazz Festival, American Film Festival, Audio Art Festival, CannaFest, Car Festival, Fair of Pretty Things, Jazz Jamboree, Jazz Jantar Festival, Podlasie Slow Fest,
  and (December) Christmas Market.
• Holidays: New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, May Day, Constitution Day, Whit Sunday, Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary, All Saints' Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day, and Second Day of Christmas.

Morskie Oko (Tatra Mountains), Poland. Photo Credit: Arek Socha/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Within 48 hours of arrival travelers are required to register with the hotel or local police department.
• Few locals speak English fluently, primarily German and Polish.
  
• Comparable to western Europe standards.
  
• Coldest region is Suwałki (northeast).
• Carry your passport with you at all times.
• Ski Season is December - April.
• Seat belts are mandatory.
• Avoid public demonstrations.
• Lower Silesia (southwest) area is considered the sunniest and warmest. 
  
• Central and eastern region boasts in wooden churches.
  
• September - October is best for hiking.
  
• Has a severe penalty for driving under the influence, 2 - 12 years of imprisonment.
• It's illegal to photograph government/military buildings or restricted areas.
• Southern area is hilly and mountainous.
• Rainy Season is June - September.
• Roads tend to be narrow and poorly lit.
• Validated tickets are required before boarding a bus or tram. Otherwise subject to a fine.
• Pedestrian Crossings are not always respected by drivers.
• Tatras is known for skiing.
• International Driving Permit (IDP) required.
  
• Sandy beaches are in the north.
  
• Wildflowers are best between May - June.

Krakow, Poland. Photo Credit: Dimitris Vetsikas/Pixabay 

This international destination requires:

• A valid passport with six months of validity upon return and one blank page for entry stamp. 
• Currency Restrictions for Entry/Exit: $10,000USD.

Photo Credit: Arek Socha/Pixabay 

• Best Time to Visit: May - June & September - October
• Coldest Months: December - March
• Hottest Months: May - September
• Peak Season: June - August

Warsaw, Poland. Photo Credit: Rudy & Peter Skitterians/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ancient & Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration & Extermination Camp, Białowieza Forest, Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, Centennial Hall, Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica, Historic Centre of Kraków, Historic Centre of Warsaw, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural & Park Landscape Complex & Pilgrimage Park, Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region, Medieval Town of Toruń, Muskauer Park/Park Mużakowski, Old City of Zamość, Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System, Wieliczka & Bochnia Royal Salt Mines, Wooden Churches of Southern Lesser Poland, and Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region.

 

Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków, Poland. Photo Credit: Dariusz Staniszewski/Pixabay 

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                                        All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Subject to change without notice.