Poland

Poland runs from Baltic dunes and brick Teutonic castles to the granite Tatras, with rebuilt old towns telling a hard 20th-century history in between. Kraków and Gdańsk carry the headline sights; Wrocław's islands, the Białowieża bison forest and the Masurian lakes fill out a country far larger and more varied than most visitors expect.

Capital

Warsaw

Population

37.7M

Area

312,696 km²

Currency

Polish złoty (PLN)

Language

Polish

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

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  01

  Greater Poland Voivodeship

  Historic heartland, lakes, and castles

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  02

  Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

  Riverside charm, Gothic architecture, and healing waters

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  03

  Lesser Poland Voivodeship

  Mountainous landscapes, royal history, and cultural richness

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  04

  Łódź Voivodeship

  Industrial heritage, textile history, and modern revitalization

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  05

  Lublin Voivodeship

  Eastern charm, Renaissance architecture, and historic towns

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  06

  Lubusz Voivodeship

  Lakes, forests, and German-Polish border history

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  07

  Masovian Voivodeship

  Royal capital, modern metropolis, and Chopin's legacy

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  08

  Opole Voivodeship

  Charming small towns, historic castles, and serene landscapes

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  09

  Lower Silesian Voivodeship

  Wrocław's islands, Sudeten peaks, and castles

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  10

  Subcarpathian Voivodeship

  Bieszczady wilderness, wooden churches, and folk culture

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  11

  Podlaskie Voivodeship

  Wild nature, bison, and cultural melting pot

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  12

  Pomeranian Voivodeship

  Baltic coast, historic ports, and Teutonic castles

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  13

  Silesian Voivodeship

  Industrial heritage, mountains, and modern art

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  14

  Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

  Ancient mountains, witches' tales, and prehistoric caves

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  15

  Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

  Land of a thousand lakes, Teutonic castles, and pristine nature

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  16

  West Pomeranian Voivodeship

  Baltic beaches, historic Szczecin, and wild nature

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  Tower

  Andersia Tower

  The Andersia Tower is a mixed-use building in the Stare Miasto area of Poznań, Poland. Completed in 2007, it stands at 102.1 m (335 ft) tall.

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  Museum

  Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznań

  Muzeum Broni Pancernej Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych im. Hetmana Polnego Koronnego Stefana Czarnieckiego w Poznaniu, (Armored Weapons Museum of the Land Forces Training Center named after Field Crown Hetman Stefan Czarniecki in Poznań) abbreviated Muzeum Broni Pancernej CSWL (Armoured Warfare Museum) is a large coll

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  Archaeological

  Biskupin

  Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of a late Bronze Age fortified settlement in north-central Poland that also serves as an archaeological open-air museum. When first discovered it was thought to be early evidence of a West Slavic settlement, but archaeologists later confirmed it belonged to the B

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  Historic Site

  Bnin, Kórnik

  Bnin is part of the town of Kórnik, south-east of the city of Poznań, in Greater Poland Voivodeship in western Poland, between Lake Kórnickie and Lake Bnińskie. From 1395 to 1934, Bnin was a town in its own right.

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  Cathedral

  Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bishop in Kalisz

  The Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Bishop in Kalisz is a Catholic cathedral in Kalisz, Poland.

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  Cultural

  Cyprian Kamil Norwid Theatre

  The Cyprian Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra is a Polish repertory theatre founded in 1945. The Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra has two stages: Main Stage (540 seats) and Studio Stage (100 seats).

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  Palace

  Działyński Palace

  Działyński Palace in Poznań, Poland is a Baroque palace built in 1773 to 1776. The building features a rich stucco-decorated interior of its "Red Hall" and a classicist façade decorated with sculptures.

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  Cathedral

  Gniezno Cathedral

  The Royal Gniezno Cathedral is a Brick Gothic cathedral located in the historic city of Gniezno that served as the coronation place for several Polish monarchs and as the seat of Polish church officials continuously for nearly 1000 years. Throughout its long and tragic history, the building stayed mostly intact, making

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  Historic Site

  Gniezno County

  Gniezno County is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998.

• Kraków

  Wawel castle, Europe's largest medieval square and Kazimierz.

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• Warsaw

  Reconstructed old town beside a glass-and-steel capital.

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• Gdańsk

  Hanseatic facades, amber and the Baltic waterfront.

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• Wrocław

  Islands, bridges and hundreds of bronze dwarfs.

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• Poznań

  Renaissance town hall with mechanical billy goats at noon.

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• Zakopane

  Wooden-architecture resort at the foot of the Tatras.

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• Białowieża

  Primeval lowland forest and Europe's wild bison.

• Tatra

  Alpine peaks, Morskie Oko lake and high mountain huts.

• Słowiński

  Shifting Baltic sand dunes up to 40 m high.

• Bieszczady

  Empty grassy ridges in the far south-east.

• Sopot

  Pier, promenade and wide sand between Gdańsk and Gdynia.

• Hel Peninsula

  A 35 km sandbar with beaches on both sides.

• Łeba

  Dune-backed resort beside Słowiński National Park.

• Tatras

  Poland's only true alpine range, shared with Slovakia.

• Karkonosze

  Sudeten peaks with rock formations and mountain shelters.

• Pieniny

  Limestone gorge best seen rafting the Dunajec.

• Pierogi

  Filled dumplings — potato and curd, meat, or seasonal fruit.

• Bigos

  Slow-cooked hunter's stew of sauerkraut, cabbage and meats.

• Żurek

  Sour rye soup with sausage and egg, often served in bread.

• Oscypek

  Smoked sheep's cheese from the Tatra highlands.

• 01

  Poland uses the złoty, not the euro; cards are accepted almost everywhere.

• 02

  Book Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka salt mine entries well ahead in summer.

• 03

  Tatra trails need proper footwear — weather turns fast above the tree line.