Poland is a country with beautiful, vibrant cities, breathtaking countryside, mountains, lakes and forests. If you are planning to visit Poland here is the list o 8 cities not to be missed. Poland is a place where centuries of amazing history meets modernity.
Warszawa (Warsaw)
The capital of Poland, was destroyed during World War II, but was then rebuilt almost from scratch thanks to the joint efforts of all the Polish citizens to become a vibrant cultural and business centre.
You can’t miss the beautiful Old Town, the Chopin Museum, the Royal Route, the former Jewish ghetto, Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw Rising Museum or recently created Praga Museum.
Cracow (Kraków)
Located on the Vistula River, Kraków, former Polish capital and residence of Polish kings, is one of the top tourist attractions in Europe. It is the second most important city in Poland, known for its academic, cultural and economic importance, magical atmosphere and the splendid architecture. The city is full of museums and monuments but also pubs, clubs and restaurants.
You should definitely visit Wawel Royal Castle, The Main Square (Rynek Główny) with its St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki) and Kazimierz district, historically the centre of Jewish life in Kraków for over 500 years.
Gdańsk
We move now up north on the map of Poland. Located on the Baltic coast is the beautiful city of Gdańsk. Gdańsk is part of Tricity, a metropolitan area consisting of three cities: Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, as well as minor towns nearby them. The city has a rich and complex political history with periods of Polish rule, periods of German rule, and extensive self-rule.
The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule across Central Europe. On one hand, you can visit Gdańsk’s Old Town to see many 17th century structures, including mills and churches, on the other, shipyards and industrial districts whivch are now partly abandoned.
Toruń
Continue going south and you will get to Toruń, one of the oldest cities in Poland and birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. National Geographic Polska rated the old town market and the Gothic town hall as one of the “30 Most Beautiful Places in the World.” The city is famous for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and many Gothic buildings.
It is also well known for its old market place, Gothic town hall , organs and gingerbread (pierniki). Luckily it was not destroyed during World War II and retained its old, medieval character. Toruń, unlike many other historic cities in Poland, escaped substantial destruction in World War II. Particularly left intact was the Old Town, all of whose important architectural monuments are original, not reconstructions.
Lublin
Lublin is another old city which boasts rich history. It is located on Poland’s eastern border. Before World War II it was home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Poland, next to Warsaw, Kraków or Łódź. Evidence of Lublin connecting Western and Eastern cultures can be found in that it blends Catholic and Russian-Byzantine styles. But apart from medieval architecture of the Old Town, there is modern nightclub scene awaiting you too.
The city of Lublin is one of the larger cities in the country. Also the surrounding countryside welcomes more and more visitors each year.
Poznań
Poznań one of the oldest and most populated cities in Poland. It lies on the banks of the Warta River in the western part of the country. As one of the largest Polish centers of trade, industry, sports, education, technology, tourism and culture it attracts many tourists from Europe and beyond.
In the photo you can find the old Market Square (“Stary Rynek”) in Poznań – Poznań is crowded with churches, historical monuments, art galleries and theatres. You should definitely see the Old Market with renaissance Town Hall.
Wrocław
Wrocław, the largest city in western Poland and historical capital of Silesia. Wrocław begs to be explored with 12 islands, 100 bridges and many cultural attractions. The city is famous for its large number of nightclubs and pubs.
You will be amazed with the sights, the city’s big market square, multi coloured buildings and Cathedral island just to mention a few.
Zakopane
Zakopane is a town in the extreme south of Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.
Zakopane is visited by over 2,500,000 tourists a year. In the winter, tourists are drawn to Zakopane for its excellent conditions for winter sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and ski jumping. In the summer, tourists come to enjoy hiking, climbing, and spelunking.
Many come to experience góral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume. Zakopane is especially popular during the winter holidays, which are celebrated in traditional style, with dances, decorated horse-pulled sleighs called kuligs and roast lamb.
As you can see, Poland is beautiful. Come and visit Poland!
