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Things Not to Miss, Poland

Please find below a List of Must-see Highlights of Poland including outstanding buildings, historic sites, natural wonders and vibrant Festivals:

FOLK FESTIVALS

July and August are the busiest months in Poland's considerable calendar of traditional festivals.

The International Festival of Highland Folkore in Zakopane is the main event to aim for, although there are numerous other regional events worth considering 

BALTIC BEACHES

Experience the bracing sea breezes and mile upon mile of unspoilt sands in laid-back, old-fashioned seaside resorts like Hel, Miedzyzdroje and Mielno 

THE TATRAS

Poland's prime highland playground is a paradise for hikers of all abilities, with relaxing rambles in subalpine meadows for the easy-going, or hair-raising mountain-ringe walks for the most experienced

BIALOWIEZA NATIONAL PARK

One of the most extensive areas primeval forest in Europe, which you can explore on foot or by horse-drawn cart. Also famous for being home to a beast indigenous to Poland: the European bison

 
THE MAZURIAN LAKES

The central Mazurian Lakes are a hugely popular destination for Polish tourists in summer, but the further east you head into the lakeland, the closer you can get to the lakes' essence as discovered by the first visitors here - beauty and solitude

VODKA

The essential accompaniment to any social occasion. It has to be drunk neat and downed in one go if you want to do things properly

WARSAW'S OLD TOWN

Lively pavement cafes, fine restaurants and exuberant street life in a historic town centre that was faithfully reconstructed after its almost total destruction by the Nazis.

As strong a symbol as any of Poland's struggle to rebuild in the aftermath of World War II

WAWEL, KRAKOW

One of the most striking royal residences in Europe and a potent source of national spiritual pride, Wawel is to Poles is what Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Cantebury Cathedral are to the British - only rolled into one

RYNEK GLOWNY, KRAKOW

A spectacular medieval market square, packed with fine architecture, in a country that is famous for them. Settle down in one of the numerous pavement cafes and soak up the atmosphere 

AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU

Poland was once home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in Europe, a presence that was all but snuffed out by the Nazis during World War II. The most notorious extermination camp of them all, Auschwitz-Birkenau, offers the profoundest of insights  

THE BLACK MADONNA OF CZESTOCHOWA

The world famous Black Madonna should not be missed, although what you actually do get to see of the painting is limited as the figures of the Madonna and Child are always "dressed" in sets of richly decorated clothes. More impressive, perhaps, is the sense of wonder, excitement and devotion the icon inspires in the pilgrims who come here

GDANSK'S ULICA DLUGA

A stoll down one of Poland's most beautiful set-piece streets will take you past a string of wonderfully restored town houses, recalling the mercantile dynasties that made Gdansk one of the great trading centres of northern Europe

WROCLAW

Wroclaw's historic core is an exhilarating mixture of architectural influences, from Flemish-style  Renaissance mansions to the late Gothic monstrosity of its town hall. At its heart stands a typically vibrant, cafe-splashed Rynek

POZNAN

Recharge your urban batteries in the down-to-earth, work-hard-and-play-hard city that epitomizes the invigorating mercantile bustle of the new Poland

TORUN

Birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus, and famous for the local gingerbread, Torun is a medieval university town with a satisfying jumble of historical monuments and a laid-back, easy-going charm

LUBLIN

A jewel of an old town and a large student population make Lublin the loveliest and the most rewarding of Poland's eastern cities - and one that's relatively undiscovered by tourists

MALBORK CASTLE

The Teutonic Knights lorded it over northern Poland for more than 200 years, and this - a rambling complex of fortifications on the banks of the Wisla - is their most inspiring monument

ZALIPIE

For an insight into riches of Polish folk culture, visit village whose householders are famous for their distinctive taste in interior design