Kayak & Canoe
Poland is a dream come true for kayakers. River beds paved with stones and those wonderful, twisting lakes just waiting for audacious adventurers. And for those more curious there are always the water labyrinths of Narwia and Biebrza. For the lazy, the Radunia lakes are spread out to explore in a gentler manner.

There are about 150 kayaking routes and 10 000 paddle friendly lakes in Poland – nowhere in Europe will you find such a dense network of waterways. Among the most popular and best equipped (equipment rental, stores, camp sites) are those on the Czarna Hańcza, Rospuda, Krutynia, Drawa, Brda, Wda and Drweca rivers.

Polish waterways are good both for long trips as well as for one-day expeditions. One day is all it takes to sail half the Raduńskie Circle or the Kowaliowy Trail in the Przemęcki Natural Park. Boatmen wait for visitors on the River Krutynia and take them down the prettiest parts of the river at a good pace and with no effort. The Dunajec has its traditional raftsmen –– called Flis –– who can take you on a breathtaking rafting excursion.

If you can’t get enough emotion on the water, you can join rafting trips on the Odra, from Nowa Sol, all the way to Szczecin. Or paddle your way from Bory Tucholskie to Hamburg; the route about 900 km going through Brda, Bydgoski Canal, Notec, Warta, Odra and Laba.

A kayaking excursion is a great opportunity to see historical hydro-technical sites (passing through the lock on the Augustowski Canal, a part of the Czarna Hańcza Trail, is an unforgettable experience) and through unspoiled, untamed nature. Bird watchers are particularly enchanted by the labyrinths of waterways on the Narwia and the zigzagging of the Jegrznia and Biebrza and Plocizna, fast as a mountain creek.

Kayakers looking for that special, intense experience should go down one of the three true Mountain rivers, best suited for kayaking. For example the Białka running through Tatry and Podhale – horrifyingly cold, rushing, foamy and strewn with granite rocks. The Week of Wild Waters on the Dunajec and the Poprad rivers in Beskid Sadecki, in June is a mountain kayaking moment not to be missed.

Sailing
Winrich von Kniprode, a Teutonic Grand Master is known as the boating pioneer in Mazury. He sailed his wooden boat across the Great Lakes from the north to the south in 1379. His boat had to be carried between the lakes in those days but 400 years later the lakes were joined by canals and locks and the most popular Polish yachting waterways were created.

The Great Mazurian Lakes route starts in Nidzkie Lake and goes to Węgorzewo on Lake Mamry and is about 80 km long, but with its many winding branches – this can reach 200 km. The Pisa and Narew rivers are its natural prolongation, along which, through Zegrzynski Bay and along the Zerański canal created in the 16th century, Warsaw can be reached.

You can’t go yachting in the Mazury district without visiting a tavern. They are usually dark, filled with long tables, where the singing of the yachtsmen is boisterous and loud as they compete with different shanties. Zeza in Sztynort is one of the best known taverns.

Interesting cruises can be taken not only in the Mazury. Polish yachtsmen also like the long and twisting Jeziorak or Wdzydze, in the shape of a cross, in Kaszuby, and the star-like Drawsko Lake. White sails can also be spotted on Gopło Lake as well as on the waters around Myślibórz and Barlinek in the west of Poland.

Yachting on the Solinski Bay, encircled by tree clad hills, is also a beautiful adventure. There are islands, fjord shore lines, lots of quiet bays and large empty spaces on a lake as big as a sea. The most important shanty festival in Poland takes place here in summer and very often the most famous maritime celebrities participate in it; for example the goddess Proserpine and her husband Neptune.

To sail – particularly on the sea – a license is required. These can be obtained after completing a course organised in cooperation with the Polish Sailing Association. Without a license you can only use small inland sailing vessels or be piloted by someone who possesses all the necessary documents and has the experience to navigate in these waters.

Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
The Polish record for speed gliding – almost 62 km per hour – was set on Pucka Bay. To achieve this you need to be an advanced windsurfer. For those amongst you who are mere beginners an hour with an instructor is enough to learn how to stand on the board, set off from the shore, and make it back by yourself.

It is best to take your first steps on the surf board in shallow waters; the learning process is less painful when you land in waist deep water. The best conditions can be found in the shallow waters of the north-east shore of Śniardwy Lake and on Pucka Bay, near Chalupy, Kuznice and Jurata. Windsurfer beginners also like the Baltic Lakes: Sarbsko in Leba and Miedwie near Szczecin. There are vast shoals there some of them which can go as deep as 200 meters from the shore into the lake.

You should choose licensed schools, which have professional instructors. You can also rent the equipment from the schools. Licenses are given by the International Association of Water Sports and the Polish Association of Board Surfing.

The experienced surfer needs only the wind and an open space to gather speed to be happy. Real enthusiasts claim a one-and-a-half kilometer long lake or bay is enough. Zegrzynski Bay (where the Polish medalist Wojtek Brzozowski has trained), almost all of the artificial lakes in the south of Poland, the lakes of the Warmia and Mazuria district, the Drawsko and Kaszuby regions are dotted with sails during the season.

The windsurfers in the Lubuskie Lake District are also well organised, the elongated shape of the rivers allows incredible speeds to be achieved. If the weather permits, a New Year’s party on surfboards takes place on the Niesłysz Lake. During winter the frozen lakes are used by ice-yachts and ice-boards.

Kitesurfing requires more space, and is therefore performed only in a few places in Poland – Zegrzynski Bay, Wislany Bay and Pucka Bay, where a separate Kite Zone has been created, so the kite-surfers don’t collide with windsurfers.

Biking
Biking is becoming number one activity in Poland. All newly-built cycling lanes in the cities, bitten forest and river banks’ trails, challenging mountain trails attract thousands of tourists every year. The recent investments in biking infrastructure have made Poland a perfect destination for biking in Europe. Join us for a ride! You’ll love it.

Today Polish cities offer an extensive network of cycling lanes and public bike rentals. You can create your own city tour and discover the place at your own pace. Choose a city Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz, Katowice, Krakow, Opole, Lublin, Bialystok and see the options.

If you wish to enjoy our countryside by bike, there are numerous trails in every region. Is it a one day-trip or weekend-runaway or one-month-journey? There is an option for everybody as there are new tails opened almost every day. Let’s discover the most popular trails in Poland.

SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
The mountainous landscape of Poland is ideal for skiers and snowboarders. In the south of our country there are several dozen resorts, some with a long tradition, some newly opened.

The better known ski slopes are in Zakopane, of course. The longest one in the Tatry leads from the mountain revered by Polish skiers – Kasprowy Peak, to the Gąsienicowa Meadow – and is over 7 km long.
The routes from Nosal and Gubalowka are also very popular, with the Szymoszkowa Clearing the favourite place for the snowboarders. Snowboarders have not been forgotten in Witow and Bialka Tatrzanska near Zakopane, where special slopes for hurdling and tricks have been prepared.

In Sudety the piste near Karpacz and Szklarska Poreba are the most crowded. The most famous Polish cross-country skiing piste is in Jakuszyce, where the biggest winter international event takes place – the Piast Race.

The Beskidy Mountains resorts have modern facilities and are competition for the foreign resorts – the equipment of the skiing resorts in Jaworzyna Krynicka or in Wierchomla matches any on the best European slopes. The Jaworzyna Mountains have modern gondolas and the longest lit route, 2,5 km. Wisła, Szczyrk and Korbielow also have their faithful fans.

In the past few years, due to the increasing popularity of winter sports new piste have been created in Mazury, Podlasie and Kaszuby regions, as well as the artificial slopes which have been created in the Szczesliwice park in Warsaw and the Malta park in Poznan.

The route in Polanczyk, by the Solinski Bay, on the Sosna clearing by the shore of the Czorsztynskie Lake and the Lysa Mountain in Sopot are worth recommending to those who like to ski in surroundings with beautiful views. Perhaps the slope in Sopot is not very impressive from the point of view of altitude but it does give a rather unique experience, a view of the Baltic Sea whilst you ski!

HIKING
In Poland, hill-walkers will find a network of some 15,000 miles of marked trails, including some of the Polish sections of the trans-European routes.

Favourites among the walking routes includes the dunes, lakes and forests of the seaside Slowinski National Park, the high peaks of the Tatra Mountains, the most eastern of the Alpine mountains, which frame the horizon at the mountain resort of Zakopane in southern Poland and the Sudety Mountains where the Polish, German and Czech borders meet and the region is rich in castles, caves and wildlife.

Walking trails in and around Zakopane range from winding paths suitable for leisurely strollers to rocky ridges and high mountain treks for the more adventurous hikers.

The small country inns capture the Polish way of life along the trails in the Carpathian highlands near the Slovakian and Ukrainian borders.

Specialist walking tour operators offer a three country tour which in Poland includes Krakow and Kazimierz, in Slovakia the Tatra Mountains and in Hungary the Tokaj vineyard country.

Hikers can walk all the way to the summit of the highest peak of the Rysy at 8,197ft, the highest peak in Poland or to Teryho Chata in Slovakia at 6,609ft, a mountain shelter built more than 100 years ago or to the base of Mount Gerlachovsky also in Slovakia at 8,710ft the highest peak in the Tatra Mountains.

SPA & WELLBEING
There are over 40 health resorts in Poland – modern and tranquil. Located in quiet, pure, and wholesome places, free from industrial pollution, abundant in therapeutic mineral substances, and a beneficial climate. Here you will find your inner peace, heal your body and your soul.

SHOPPING IN POLAND
You can buy traditional leather Highland shoes and socks made from that itchy, sheep’s wool in Zakopane, in Kaszuby you can buy pictures painted on glass, hand made snuff-boxes from horn (with the snuff as well of course!) and tablecloths embroidered with seven colours, and in Koniakowa, intricate lacework.

Poland is famous for amber and silver. Apart from the classic necklaces and those polished, gold like nuggets it is worth looking for original examples from young artists. Beautiful items can be found in the Metal gallery and in the Warsaw M. Gallery. The jewelers, Kruk, sell pieces with Kujawian patterns painted on ceramics and jewellery with that unique striped flint stone, the stone of optimism.

High quality Polish linen can be found in the Cepelia chain of shops. Visitors to Poland also appreciate the work of Polish artists-craftsmen: custom made shoes from the Warsaw workshop of Jan Kielman and Son (in 1921 Charles de Gaulle ordered his shoes here) or the unique handbags from the designer Marianna Tomaszko.
In the BB Gallery in Krakow and in the Warsaw Opera gallery original ceramics signed by artists can be bought. If not a painting or a graphic illustration, then what about a pillow with a satiric commentary by Andrzej Mleczko or a glass with the reproduction of a painting by Agata Bogacka, one of the most fashionable contemporary painters in Poland?

The area around Wałbrzych is the place to buy Silesian porcelain, for glass you need to go to Krosno and for cut glass – to Szklarska Poręba. The cobalt-cream faience from Boleslawiec has its devoted fans. Poland is also famous for hand painted Christmas tree baubles; the fragile jewel can be bought for example in the Calik-Radko gallery in Krakow.

It is also worth buying slow-food products in Poland: sausage, oscypki, or apple wine. In Torun you should buy spicy gingerbread, in Warsaw, sweets from Wedel, and in the Suwalki region – a jar of linden honey. One of our export successes are luxury liquors: Krzeska vodka with the addition of herbs from the Podlasie region, sweet liquors and high percent alcohol mead.

From the times of the Temple of Sybilla, the first museum in Poland created in Puławy, some 200 years have passed. Today’s museums have become increasingly very modern places with interactive facilities, which enlighten us about our world; they intrigue and can even provoke laughter. They are often established as a result of someone’s passion, some person so interested in the subject that he or she wanted to pass on this passion.

In the remarkable Museum of the Warsaw Rising the horror of those days is amplified by the sounds of the planes dropping bombs and the explosion of shells. The visitor to the museum can ‘call’ an insurgent, who will tell them their story; he pushes himself through the sewers; he tears off the pages of a calendar documenting the days of the Rising. In the Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdroj anyone can drain off the paper mass on a riddle then put it into the press to obtain their own sheet of paper-mache.
Museums lead us along many, different trails. Biographical museum with the lives of people known only perhaps from encyclopedias: Nicolaus Copernicus (Frombork), Nikifor (Krynica), Kornel Makuszynski (Zakopane) or Stanislaw Wyspianski (Krakow).

Ethnographical museums can revive forgotten customs, often in a practical manner, for example in the Museum of the Mazovian region in Sierpc clay pots are still manufactured, butter is churned by hand, carpets are woven on a loom, and during the harvest the wheat is stacked in sheafs in the fields and then threshed with flail.

Museums of industry, such as the Museum of the Textile Industry in Lodz, the Museum of Copper in Legnica or the Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Slaska are particularly fascinating. The latter will be appreciated particularly by steam train enthusiasts who will find several dozen elderly wagons and an impressive collection of locomotives in the museum.

Next to the very important National Museum, there are small, private museums established by those passionate about certain subjects. The Museum of Arms and Weapons in Swidnica was born out of the passion of Stanislaw Gabrys, a retired locksmith. From dolls, toy cars and other varied toys collected by Henryk Tomaszewski, the legendary founder of the Wroclaw Mime Theatre, the Museum of Toys was created. A small, funny Museum of Socrealism in Poznan recalls how street carbonated water vending machines must have looked like, and teaches the art of writing Party speeches.

POLIN MUSEUM OF HISTORY OF POLISH JEWS
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews stands in what once was the heart of Jewish Warsaw.

THE LIVING MUSEUM OF GINGERBREAD IN TORUN
Gothic architecture, Nicolaus Copernicus and Gingerbread make Torun a unique city to visit. And now you can bake your own gingerbread while you are there.

EXPERIENCE CHOPIN’S GENIUS THROUGH THE MULTIMEDIA
The uniqueness of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw lies in its exceptional blend of tradition and modernity.

THE EXPERYMENT SCIENCE CENTRE IN GDYNIA
The first interactive science centre of the Pomerania region. Its main aim is to popularize science in an unconventional way.

MUSEUMS FOR CHILDREN
The most significant Polish Museum of Fairy Tales is in Lodz. “Se-ma-for” is the place where the world can see our favourites like the Bear Uszatek, the Bear Colargol and the Penguin Pik-Pok. Today, “Se-ma-for” invites visitors to its…

ART AND ARTISTS IN ZAKOPANE EXHIBITION
The exhibition mainly presents the work of Zakopane’s colony of artists but also the work of artists connected with Zakopane for whom the Tatra Mountains and the mountain culture are an important inspiration.

THE PRZYPKOWSKI MUSEUM OF HOROLOGY
In Jedrzejow, in the town square, two 18th century buildings house a splendid collection of sundials which was founded and run by the Przypkowski Family.

NATIONAL MUSEUM IN KIELCE
The National Museum in Kielce is housed in a palace which once belonged to the Bishopric of Krakow . The palace, built by Jakub Zadzik between 1637 and 1641, is one of the best preserved architectural monuments in Poland dating back…

COPERNICUS SCIENCE CENTRE IN WARSAW
The Copernicus Science Centre is one of the largest and most modern institutions of this type in Europe. The aim of the Centre is to inspire curiosity, assist in the independent discovery of the world around us and help to teach and…

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN KRAKOW
The Krakow National Museum has a total of nine divisions, each having its own theme and atmosphere.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WROCLAW
The National Museum in Wroclaw was established on 28th of March 1947 as the State Museum in process of organization, on 11 July 1948 it was officially inaugurated to the public.

UNDERGROUND MUSEUM IN KRAKOW
A very unique museum underneath Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) is opening in Krakow. The museum was built on the site of an archaeological excavation that unveiled secrets of Krakow’s evolution since its founding in the early…

OPEN AIR MUSEUMS – SAVED FROM OBLIVION
The first Polish open air museum was created in Wdzydze Kiszewskie in 1906. It was founded by the Gulgowski family who were avid lovers of Kashubian culture. Today it is not only a collection of ancient tools, furnishings and clothing…

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WARSAW
The Warsaw National Museum contains masterpieces of Polish and international art which can be viewed every day except Monday. Its pride of place goes to the biggest collection in Poland of ancient art: a Greek vase with the image of…

Roman-Catholic sanctuaries are Poland’s landmarks. The majority of pilgrims f lock to the Pauline Monastery on Jasna Góra in Częstochowa. Here you will find the blessed icon of the Black Madonna, venerated both in Poland and abroad. The followers of other faiths have their sanctuaries in many places around the country: the Eastern Orthodox Church at Grabarka, the Protestants at Karpacz, Wisła and Cieszyn, and the Muslims at Bohoniki.

Catholics make pilgrimages to shrines, calvaries and to miraculous springs. Orthodox Christians take crosses to the holy Mount Grabarka and Jews are drawn to the tombs of their Tzaddiks in Lezajsk and Lelow. Just add to this the roadside crosses and chapels and we get the religious landscape of Poland.

The spiritual capital of Poland is Jasna Gora in Czestochowa with its miraculous painting of the Black Madonna which annually attracts millions of pilgrims. They travel on foot for several days and covering several hundred kilometres. They arrive at the Jasna Gora meadows by the 15th August, the day celebrating of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There are more than 200 various sanctuaries in Poland. Although mainly Marian, some are dedicated to Jesus Christ or other saints. Each has a miraculous painting like at Koden, Holy Lipka, Gietrzwald or Lezajsk, or a figurine as at Skepe, Bardo or Wawolnica. Some are also close to a spring which is said to have healing properties like the ones in Studzieniczna, Krasnobrod and Lesniow.

The oldest Polish sanctuary can be found in Gorka Klasztorna where, in 1079, our lady is said to have appeared before a shepherd. The most immense is the basilica in Lichen which can accommodate up to 30,000 people. The unique Holy Stairs are in the sanctuary in Sosnica and the smallest crowned statuette of the Virgin Mary stands in Gidle. It is only 9cm tall but is thought to be very powerful!

Poles enthusiastically participate in pilgrimages to calvaries, complexes of churches and chapels recreating the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem. The Mysteries of the Passion of Christ are held at all calvaries during Holy Week. The most famous one Kalwaria Zebrzydowska has been entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Other pilgrimage destinations include Kalwaria Paclawska, the St. Anna’s Mount or Wambierzyce.

Mount Grabarka is the most important place of worship for Orthodox Christians where crosses are erected on 19th July next to the church on the Holy Mount. An important holiday for the Polish descendants of the Tatars, that are followers of Islam, is Kurban Bajram, during which time cattle is sacrificed at the mosque in Bohoniki. Jews from all over the world are drawn to Lezajsk and Lelow to pray at the tombs of the Hasidic Tzaddiks, Elimelech and Dowid Biderman.

5 RELIGIOUS TREASURES OF POLAND
Jasna Gora
Located in the central region of southern Poland, Jasna Gora is the country’s national shrine. It is also a pilgrimage site of international importance, comparable to the holy sites of Jerusalem, Fatima, Rome, or Lourdes. Home to the nation’s religious relic, the Black Madonna displayed on a Baroque altar in the monastery chapel in Jasna Gora, the city attracts more than 4.5 million pilgrims a year from 80 countries.

Lichen
Home to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, Lichen Stary is currently known for the Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen, the largest church in Poland, and the miraculous painting of Virgin Mary, dating back to the times of Napoleon. It is visited by more than two million pilgrims every year. Apart from the Lichen Basilica, there is historic St. Dorothy’s Church, which housed the miraculous painting up to 2006.

Wadowice
Located some 30 miles southwest of Cracow, Wadowice is the hometown of John Paul II. “It is the place”, he once said, “where it all began.” Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists come to Wadowice to see the modest apartment block where John Paul II lived as a boy, and to try the famous “kremowka”, Pope’s favourite cream-filled pastry.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Founded in 1602, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is the only Calvary in the world on the UNESCO list. It consists of the monastery and a number of Mannerist churches and chapels, housing the Holy Icon of the Mother of God of Kalwaria. Frequently visited by Pope John Paul II, the place attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims every year.

Niepokalanow
Established In 1927 by Maximilian Kolbe, Niepokalanow took its name from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Statue. Its founder, a Polish Franciscan Friar, who was sent to Auschwitz for hiding Jews during the Second World War, was canonized as a martyr as he had volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the camp. The philosophy of his life attracts nearly 700 thousand pilgrims every year, and so does the Panorama theatre, commemorating the 1000th Anniversary of Christianity in Poland. The theatre consists of 164 figures and highlights the most important events in the history of Poland and church.

LAGIEWNIKI SANCTUARY
In 2005 the Lagiewniki Sanctuary was even more popular than the famous French “La Salette” and every year it is visited by more than 2 million pilgrims. Both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have visited Lagiewniki during their pilgrimages to Poland.

JERUSALEM SERVED AS EXAMPLE
The whole complex of chapels was built over the surrounding hills in the picturesque landscape of the Beskid Makowski. They all form the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Religious and Landscape Park registered on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. The town owes its existence and subsequent fame to the Palatine of Kraków, Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, who in 1600 commissioned the church and monastery for the Bernardine Order as well as a complex of chapels similar to the Calvary in Jerusalem. He trusted the construction of the whole to the Flemish architect Paul Baudarth. The monastery with the Marian Sanctuary was erected in the late baroque style with some rococo decorations, adorned with cloisters and featuring mannerist wall paintings and precious canvases in its interiors.

With time more chapels were erected, eventually reaching 42 buildings, all set in the natural landscape and featuring the famous Calvary avenues. It takes about four hours to cover the whole trail of six kilometers. The Marian chapel in the shape of a heart, Pilate’s Praetorium, and Our Lady’s Tomb with its sarcophagus are the most spectacular edifices.

Every year thousands of pilgrims and tourists flock to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Famous church fairs combined with processions and the Passion plays attract throngs of people.

The little town of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska has other noteworthy historical monuments: the castle complex, old houses with church fair stands and hermitages.

It’s a convenient starting point for hikers who wish to enjoy interesting trails crisscrossing the Beskidy Mountain Range. Another place worth a visit from Kalwaria is Wadowice, birthplace of John Paul II who was often coming to the shrine as a pilgrim.

HISTORY OF WANG CHURCH
About a thousand similar wooden (stave) churches were built there then, yet till the present day only thirty one such churches survived in Norway, and this one in Karpacz Górny. Our Twin Parish in Hahnenklee, Germany, has also a wooden church built in 1908 according to the Norwegian designs. In the nineteenth century Wang Church proved too small and in need of costly renovation, and so a decision to sell it was made. The money was needed to pay back a loan taken for the construction of a new one.

Wang Church was built at the turn of 12th century in Vang which accounts for its present name. Vang was a settlement at Lake Vang in southern Norway.

About a thousand similar wooden (stave) churches were built there then, yet till the present day only thirty one such churches survived in Norway, and this one in Karpacz Górny. Our Twin Parish in Hahnenklee, Germany, has also a wooden church built in 1908 according to the Norwegian designs.

In the nineteenth century Wang Church proved too small and in need of costly renovation, and so a decision to sell it was made. The money was needed to pay back a loan taken for the construction of a new one.

Thanks to the efforts of a Dresden-based Norwegian painter, Professor John Christian Dahl, this great architectural experience of the Vikings was bought for the sum of 427 marks by the then king, Frederick William IV. A royal architect completed the working plan of the church building, and the edifice was taken to pieces so as to be shipped, in boxes, to Szczecin in 1841 and from there – to the Royal Museum in Berlin. The King, however, had abandoned the idea of having it reerected on the Peacock Island near Berlin and started seeking another site for the church to render its religious services.

Owing to the involvement of Countess Frederica von Reden of Bukowiec, in the spring of 1842 the church was moved to the Karkonosze Mountains so that it could be of use to the Lutherans living in Karpacz and its surroundings. The church therefore journeyed on barges along the river Odra to be later hauled by nine horse wagons.

The building site for the church was presented by Count Christian Leopold von Schaffgotsch of Cieplice. It is a slope of Czarna Góra (885 metres above sea level), midway between lower Karpacz and Mount Śnieżka.

To provide a few hundred square metres of a building plot necessary for the church, the rectory, the school and the cemetery the rocks were blown up and a six-metre-high retaining wall was constructed.

On August 2, 1842 King Frederick William IV himself laid a cornerstone for the church, and two years later on July 28, 1844 the solemn opening and the consecration of the church took place in the presence of the King, his Consort, Frederick- the Prince of Holland and other distinguished guests.

For the first time the bells were heard ringing from the bell tower of this church whose location is the highest among the Lower Silesian churches. The bells’ ringing made it known that from then onwards the church would provide the same service as it had in Norway.

Wang Church followed the best examples of the Scandinavian sacral architecture and is now a unique work of the old Nordic art. Built in the way the Viking longships were, that is without a single nail, it features wooden bolts and dovetails. The church was built from the Norwegian pine rich in resin which reveals unusual endurance.

The outer door frames, which you have just passed through, draw one’s attention to their half-columns decorated with a tangle of dragons and plants. On their capitals mounted are the stylized lions in their symbolic roles of the beasts which keep guard at the gates.

It is most incredible that in those days with such scarce tools available like the ones made from flint, horn or fishbone people were able to so masterly carve the beasts’ heads, their legs and furs. Quite unlike other ornaments these are facing outwards.

The age of the southern doorway on the right is revealed by the characteristic lunette which caps it and whose clover shape points to the twelfth century.

In the top corners of both doorways are the carved winged dragons right in the act of tearing apart the horizontally placed figure eight. Such an arrangement may symbolise the eternal and everlasting combat between good and evil.

Across from here, you can see the southern doorway which was carved by Eindridi in the first half of the twelfth century as the runic inscription, placed on the edge of the door frame reveals: “Eindridi carved me to the glory of St Olaf.”

The half-columns, which make decorative door frames, depict the Viking warriors’ faces, with their forked tongues sticking out. Such tongues represented the passing of knowledge and wisdom onto the following generations. The upper parts of the columns from the twelfth century, carved in the Byzantine style, are also true works of art. The carved figures of animals, plants and mascarons decorate these capitals.

The four columns placed in the middle of the main nave and the ones on its both sides may have been the masts of the Viking long boats. The remaining columns, which are in front of the altar and depict David’s victory over Goliath, and the Prophet Daniel in the lions’ pit were reconstructed by a remarkable sculptor – Jakub of Janowice. Sill another of his works is thecross made in 1844 from a single oak trunk and the figure of Christ, made from linden wood in 1846.

On both sides of the altar, made in 1980 by Ryszard Zając, standing are the two mounted candelabra. One shows a swan as a symbol of faithfulness, the other – a heart as a symbol of love. The candles in them are lit only during wedding ceremonies. Wang Church is well known as a church of successful marriages.

The font, the Lower Silesian baroque, made around 1740, comes from a dismantled church in Dziećmorowice, near Wałbrzych. The pulpit was made from the wood brought from Norway. The two boards hanging on the walls are used for displaying the numbers of hymns sung during services, and they date back to the year 1904. The church is surrounded with the cloisters which protect it against cold. In the days of old, people used to leave their weapons and fishing nets there. In medieval times they would do penance in there. The sunlight brightens the church interior through 174 little crown-glass windows. On leaving the church we can see some highly characteristic roof ornaments. The roof tops are decorated with pinnacles, i.e., the projections in the shape of gaping dragon mouths which resemble the ornaments characteristic of the Vikings’ longships. Thus the Karkonosze Wang Church is an example of how the pagan elements penetrated into Scandinavian Christianity.

A 24-metre-high tower was built of the Silesian granite to shield the little church from sharp gusts of wind blowing off the Śnieżka direction.

In 1856, on the western slope, king Frederick William IV put up amonument with an epitaph in honour of Countess von Reden and with her likeness in a medallion. In the churchyard also are the rectory buildings for the use of the local Lutheran Parish. In the Chapel of Christian Mission you will find the Holy Bible, the Bible for children, Christian publications, Wang Church photographic albums, view cards and souvenirs connected with the place. Next to the book shop is a sculpture, made by Ryszard Zając in 1994, which shows Lazarus being raised from the dead.

ŚWIĘTY KRZYŻ MOUNTAIN
Łysiec Mountain, commonly referred to as “Święty Krzyż” (Holy Cross) mountain was especially liked by witches ages ago. The folk legend has it that during their Sabbaths witches practiced witchcraft and organized hellish parties and dances. However, it is the remains of a stone heathen ring surrounding the top of the mountain and dating back to around 9th century.

Nowadays “Święty Krzyż” is famous in Poland and abroad for the Benedictine monastery and its Relics of the Holy Cross Tree. The monastery, now hosted by the Missionary Oblates, can boast of its 1000 years’ history. Visitors and pilgrims can see a Classicist church dating back to the 18th century and the chapel of the Oleśnicki Family containing Holy Cross Relics and a sepulchral crypt in its vaults. It is worth visiting the Mission Museum of the Missionary Oblates of the Virgin Mary as well as seeing the exhibition of the Świętokrzyski National Park. Tired visitors may try the monastery cuisine and drop in an old pharmacy, now a café, not only to have a cup of coffee or tea, but also buy traditional herbal medicines.

WIELKOPOLSKA – LAND OF MANY SAINTS
Virgin Mary’s Sanctuary in Lichen
Lichen constantly attracts crowds of pilgrims. They rush to see the painting of the Virgin Mary, the Sorrowful Queen of Poland as well as the biggest Polish temple, probably one of the biggest sacred buildings in Europe. It has been built since 1994, and its sumptuousness is literally breathtaking. The temple, designed by Barbara Bielecka, is a five-nave transept cruciform basilica (Latin cross) with a semicircular chancel. Its façade is headed by an impressive column portico. The whole building is covered with an enormous golden dome, visible from the distance of almost twenty kilometers. It has been estimated that the church can house 7000 people

The Stone Golgotha in Lichen
The miraculous painting is placed in St Dorota’s Church (neo-Gothic architecture). The tradition has it that it was found by Tomasz Kłossowski (a soldier and ex-landowner who had lost his fortune and taken on smithery) on his way back home from the Napoleonic wars. He hung the painting on a tree and, later, it turned out that it had miraculous power. Apart from the new basilica and St Dorota’s Church, tourists can also visit the Czestochowska Virgin Mary’s Church as well as take a walk in the surrounding park and admire numerous sacred and patriotic objects, such as a stone Golgotha or the monument of pope John Paul II.

The Church in Skulsk
The cult of the Virgin Mary the Sorrowful has been present in Skulsk for a few centuries. These days though, it is experiencing its revival. The pilgrimage season starts here in early spring and lasts till late autumn. The place is most frequently visited during the September indulgence (8-15 September). The legend has it that the Bolesław Chrobry’s knights saw the Virgin Mary on an island called Kepa Skulska. The king order to erect a chapel in these boggy fields. Soon, the chapel became the destination of pilgrimages. Presently, the pilgrims visit a church that replaced the chapel in 1810. Its Gothic Pieta – a wooden sculpture, dated at approximately 1420, nested in the late Baroque altar, captures visitors’ attention.

St Josef ’s Sanctuary in Kalisz
The place has an exceptional status among Poland’s pilgrimage sites. The cult of St Josef has been present here for 400 years, and the visiting pilgrims pray in front of the miraculous painting of the Holy Family, so far the only crowned picture of St Josef. The Sanctuary is located in the Kalisz collegiate of the Virgin Mary. Its beginning date back to the 13th century, yet in the middle of the 14th century the building underwent architectural modifications which gave it a Gothic shape. The building was partially destroyed in the late 18th century, later to be restored in the late Baroque style. The plenary indulgence takes place here on 19 March, but some pilgrims also visit this place on the 29 April (the priests – ex-prisoners of Dachau concentration camp) and 1 May (International Pilgrimage of Working People).

The Baroque Church on Swieta Góra near Gostyn
The Baroque church near Głogówek, known as Swieta Góra, is modeled on the Venetian Santa Maria della Salute. Its construction was initiated in 1675 by a Philippine, priest Stanisław Grudowicz, the founder of St Phillip’s Oratorio, located nearby. The work was supervised by Jerzy Catenazzi and his son Jan and, later, by Pompeo Ferrari. The latter is known for the dome, chancel and monastery buildings. The complex was fi nished in 1728. Swieta Góra is nowadays a popular and frequently visited sanctuary. The picture of the Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus and a rose in her hands, painted approximately in 1540, (placed in the main altar) attracts masses of people on daily basis.

The Baroque Temple in Górka Klasztorna
The place has a long history, written down by the Bernardines as late as in the 17th century. According to their chronicles, in 1079 the place witnessed the appearance of the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, the Virgin Mary’s Sanctuary in Górka Klasztorna commemorates the appearance. Adjoining to the Baroque temple of the Virgin Mary the Immaculately Conceived are two wings of the Monastery of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. The missionaries have been looking after the sanctuary since 1923. The church has Baroque-Rococo interior decorations. In the churchyard there is a well from which pilgrims draw water which, ostensibly, gives good health.

The Way of the Cross in Ujście
The foundations were laid in 1893. Yet, 17 years had passed until the 14 chapels of the Way of the Cross (and some adjacent objects) stood on the steep slopes of the post-glacial stream valley of the Notec. Soon, Kalwaria became widely known in Wielkopolska. The faithful used to treat it as the destination of pilgrimages. During the World War II, the German military forces destroyed it. At the beginning of June 1976, overnight, 14 Stations of the Way of the Cross (decorated with sculptures) made by Jerzy Sobocinski replaced the destroyed chapels, in spite of the lack of permission from the authorities. The decision granting the restoration of the former Kalwaria was passed in 1997. The place hosts the greatest number of pilgrims on the first Sunday of July, the time of plenary indulgence.

The Collegiate in Szamotuły
A magnificent painting of the Kazanska Virgin Mary, the replica of the Russian icon presenting Virgin Mary the Consolation for the Tormented, has been the object of worship in Szamotuły Gothic collegiate for almost four centuries now. It was brought to Szamotuły by Aleksander Wolff, the then holder of the local castle. He placed it in the castle’s chapel. The icon would probably have stayed there for good if the Virgin Mary hadn’t shed bloody tears – the heartbreaking event happened on 24 April, 1665 and it was witnessed by eight people, including Wolff . A special committee appointed by the Poznan Curia classified it as a miracle and decided to move the icon to the collegiate.

Thus, the Virgin Mary of Consolation is the target of pilgrimages all year round, most of them in the period between March and September. The last Sunday of August ends the week of Virgin Mary’s glorification, celebrated here in exceptional dedication.

PELPLIN – CISTERCIAN CATHEDRAL AND GUTENBERG BIBLE
It has Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque interior decorations. Its late-Renaissance high altar is Poland’s largest and is believed to be the largest timber altar in Central Europe. The monastic buildings contain Gothic frescoes (15th c). The Diocesan Museum houses a rich collection of sacral art, including a Gutenberg bible printed in 1453 and two Gothic figures of Our Lady.

CZESTOCHOWA – SPIRITUAL CAPITAL OF POLAND
They flock to the Marian shrine in the Pauline monastery on Jasna Góra (Bright Mountain). The Chapel of the Miraculous Picture contains the icon of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child known as the Black Madonna which attracts millions of pilgrims every year. The monastic museum contains many pieces of art work and votive offerings. From Częstochowa, tourists can continue through the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland which is popular for hiking, climbing, biking and horseback riding.

CHURCHES OF PEACE IN JAWOR AND ŚWIDNICA – TEMPLES WITH A MESSAGE
Both Protestant half-timber churches were erected in the mid-17th century, following the end of the Thirty Years’ War that ravaged large parts of Europe. Signing the Peace Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the emperor of Austria let the Protestants of Lower Silesia erect three ‘churches of peace’. They were to commemorate the end of the devastating war and religious conflicts.

Both temples were not supposed to be reminiscent of traditional churches. They were to be constructed with the use of low quality materials and located within the range of a cannonball from the city walls. And this is how two Europe’s biggest wood-and-clay shingled constructions were built, each seating a few thousand people. With modestly looking outside walls, they both have rich baroque decorations inside.

The Church of Peace in Świdnica is located on the old Protestant cemetery, away from the oldest part of the city. The paintings that cover the walls and ceiling depict visions of St John Evangelist described in his Apocalypse. They also represent coats-of-arms of the most prominent members of the church community as well as views of the local towns and residences.

The Church of Peace in Jawor (30 km from Świdnica) is also richly decorated with 180 paintings representing scenes from the Old and New Testaments as well as coats-of-arms belonging to different families and guilds.

Both towns boast rich historical heritage. In the Middle Ages, Świdnica was the capital of an independent principality. Tourists willingly visit historical monuments grouped within the oldest quarters of both towns.

Themed tourist trails are an opportunity to learn what is unique and unrepeatable in the Polish landscape. They can be a lesson in history, literature or …….tolerance.

EXPERIENCE HISTORY OF BISKUPIN
Remains of buildings from the Stone Age (dating back eight thousand to five thousand years) and early Middle Ages were discovered in the village of Biskupin in northern Poland. About hundred years ago they started with the reconstruction of a fragment of an early Iron Age settlement with oak and pine log-houses covered with thatched roofs. The settlement in the Archaeological Museum is surrounded by a characteristic tall wooden wall, or palisade, set on a rampart made up of both wood and earth.

Real life Iron Age culture
Visit the life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement, picturesquely situated on a marshy peninsula in Lake Biskupin, during the Archeological festival. Every year, usually during third week of September, one of the greatest archaeological, popular-scientific festivals in Europe takes place with participants from all over Europe. During nine days you can experience various aspects of spiritual life from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Hear concerts, see dances, knights tournaments and slavonic-viking ship replica sailing. Try your own skills in dance, minting coins, bow and oxbow shooting, baking bread, medieval cooking, weaving and pottery. Learn about underwater archaeology, as well as smelting iron in furnaces and other techniques of almost forgotten crafts.

Take part in workshops where you can learn how to strip off willow bark, read dates from tree trunks, or forge your own arrowheads. Archeologists show how to date excavations, classify bones, conserve wood or reconstruct the facial features of former inhabitants of this area. Children can take part in archeological competitions and activities, they can learn the steps of ancient dances, try their hand at felting, and even mold their own Stone Age Venus from clay.

THE ROUTE OF THE LUBOMIRSKI FAMILY ESTATES
The Route of the Lubomirski Family Estates leads through the most interesting places in the Podkarpackie region, the south-east corner of Poland), the Lwow Province of the Ukraine and the Presov Region of Slovakia.

Most of the historical sites, built between the 16th and 19th centuries are today still in good repair. They include palaces, castles, parks and other architectural sites which now house museums, hotels, and public offices.

The total length of the Route is about 879 km, of which 478 km lies in Poland, 247 km in the Ukraine and 247 km in Slovakia.

THE WOODEN ARCHITECTURE ROUTE
Visitors can experience the living history of the Malopolska Region (Southern Poland) enshrined in the marvels of its wooden architecture. Stone and brick fortresses, Romanesque and Gothic churches and abbeys, palaces and manors are a living testimony of the history of the Malopolska Region (Lesser Poland). Preserved here are the numerous historical remnants of old Polish village life, built of wood and thus in harmony with the landscape. What is more, the wealth of local culture and art of the Malopolska Region is unmatched throughout Poland.

Countless preserved Catholic and Orthodox churches not only amaze with the logic of their construction but also with their delightful shingle finish. The architectural landscape of the Malopolska countryside features also inns and granaries and the old Malopolska manors, built of wood “in accordance with heavenly prescription and the custom of Poland”. Little provincial towns still today display the clear urban layouts where life has always been lived under the arcades of wooden houses.

The Wooden Architecture Route in Malopolska Province, stretching over 1500km, includes 237 architectural examples, from Catholic churches, Orthodox churches, chapels and belfries to granaries, rural cottages and manor houses. All the points of interest on the route are clearly marked with directions on more than 600 signposts.

The largest treasures of the region include the churches in, Binarowa, Lipnica Murowana and Debno Podhalanskie, which, in 2003, were entered on the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

THE PIASTOWSKI ROUTE
The Piastowski Route is one of Poland’s most eagerly visited tourist tracts. Tourists can visit some parts of it or take the entire tour leading through Ostrów Lednicki, Gniezno, Trzmeszno, as well as Mogilno, Strzelno and Kruszwica (the latter group is located outside the administrative borders of the Wielkopolska region). On their way back to Poznan, tourists are advised to stop off in Biskupin and finally, via Gniezno, arrive in Giecz.

Let’s not forget though that the above mentioned objects/places are nowadays set in a diff erent environment. A thousand years ago wooden constructions prevailed. Stone buildings, founded by princes and nobility symbolized a new world and embodied the spirit of the newly formed state and religion.

THE TRAIL OF POMERANIAN POSITION FORTIFICATIONS
In 2005 the first stage of a walking trail was marked and put into use. It runs along the most interesting remnants of military architecture on the eastern side of the Świna River mouth. The trail, approx. 4 km in length, due to its historical and educational character was designated as a didactic trail. The trail begins at the oldest and most interesting protective structure on the left river bank – the Eastern Stronghold, which is also known as “Gerhard’s Fortress”. Many surprises await tourists there, such as the tournament for the commander’s sabre, night maneuvers, treasure hunting. A few times in a year thrill seekers can visit the stronghold at night. There are two more strongholds on the other river bank. The Western Stronghold has a few cannons, sea mines and torpedoes on display. Occasional flea markets and military fairs are organized in high season. At the Angel’s Stronghold painting, sculpture and photography exhibitions are held, as well as music performances and poetry slams. There is a shooting range at the stronghold, where you can shoot a bow, a rifle and an air gun, and even throw an axe or a spear. From April 30 to May 1 a countrywide historical reenactment takes place here, called the Beltan Fire Feast.

In the Wałcz Lakeland, the remnants of the so-called Pomeranian Position are a great tourist attraction, especially for martial arts lovers. During Hitler’s preparations for war in 1934, intensified construction efforts were undertaken to build fortifications stretching from the Baltic Sea near Darłowo to the so-called Międzyrzecz Fortified Region. They made use of natural obstacles, such as lakes, swamps, hills and forests, and between them bunkers and shelters were built of steel and concrete. In the area of Nadarzyce, Wałcz and Strzaliny, special shelters were constructed, with walls as thick as 210 cm, and the ceiling 190 cm, each served by about 80 soldiers. They were equipped in one quick-firing gun of medium caliber, one antitank gun, 2 heavy machine guns and a grenade launcher. The shelters were at a 400-600 meters distance from one another and their fire range covered the whole forefield. The area around the shelters was mined and covered with barbed wire. The severe and bloody battle to break the Pomeranian Position began in early February 1945 and it ended on February 10, when Mirosławiec was taken over. The whole battle had to be managed by the Polish First Army. The Pomeranian Position was ultimately broken on February 5, 1945, at the northern shore of Lake Dobre. Today the testimony of these days are the remnants of destroyed bunkers and shelters in the forests of Wałcz Lake District, as well as museum exhibitions, even as extraordinary as the one in Zdębice, where an exhibition is held titled “The forest that witnessed the battle of the Pomeranian Position”. To commemorate these past events, every year in the first decade of June a tour is organized along the Trail of Pomeranian Position Fortifications (hiking and biking) with approx. 500-700 participants.

GIERLOZ – WOLF’S LAIR – HITLER’S HEADQUARTERS
Hitler’s headquarters at Gierłoż, known as Wolf’s Lair, is one of the most sinister places in the region, but it attracts many tourists because of its recent historical associations. The fortress is composed of 80 buildings built 1940-42, 50 of them are bunkers. The headquarters had its own electric power generator, railway station and an air-strip. Quarters for top Nazi officials as well as a casino and cinema were located in the central part of the compound. The whole area was camouflaged, protected by barbed wire and mine fields. In 1945, the retreating Germans blew up the fortress. Its ruins are open to visitors.

Travelers from around the world flock to Poland for a variety of reasons. While the cities are a major draw, Polish national parks are also an exceptional reason to visit the country. The twenty-three protected areas represent the best scenery and outdoor exploration opportunities. Whether a visitor wants to hike in seclusion, spot wildlife in their natural habitats or get to know the country’s history, the parks offer an incredible way to pursue one’s passion. Each one is remarkable but the most appealing and popular ones are genuine wonders and make a list of the must-see for nature-lovers.

Along the Baltic Coast is Slowinski National Park that preserves the system of seaside lakes, peat bogs, meadows, woods and conserves unique moving dunes belt. Guests can follow over 105 miles of paved hiking paths to discover all the park’s treasures.

Bialowieza National Park, listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage, is one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe. The area is home to the largest population of European bison in the world. Hikers may spot them along with wild boar, elk, red deer, wolves and a range of other forest mammals.

Biebrzanski National Park, is located along the Biebrza River in northeastern Poland. It is a huge draw for tourists eager to explore indigenous wildlife in their local habitats. The park comprises pristine wetlands and marshes that serve as the home to rare birds, elk, beaver, otters and wolves. Visitors can enjoy it on foot and by bike. Or they can take one of many water routes and follow them by kayaks, regular boats or traditional rafts.

Ojcowski National Park, in Southern Poland offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The park’s topography which varies wildly and includes canyons, limestone cliffs and valleys makes it a very interesting one.

To the south of Poland is the High Tatra Mountain Range, which stretches over the border of Poland and Slovakia. Breathtaking scenery and hundreds of miles of trekking trails, underground cave systems and even waterfalls makes Tatrzanski National Park one of the most favored in this part of Europe.

KARKONOSZE NATIONAL PARK
The Karkonosze National Park was formally established on January 16th in 1959. It is located in south-western Poland, on the Czech border.

BABIOGORSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park encompasses Mount Babia Góra (1,725 meters above sea level), the highest peak in the Western Beskid Range.

BIAŁOWIEZA NATIONAL PARK
Established in 1932, the Białowieski National Park is one of the oldest nature reserves in Europe.

BIEBRZAŃSKI NATIONAL PARK
The greatest attraction of the park is the splendid, open, high moor topography and the uncommonly rich wildlife and plant cover.

BIESZCZADZKI NATIONAL PARK
The park boundaries encircle the highest part of the Western Bieszczady Mountains with its main peak, Mount Tarnica (1,346 meters above sea level).

BORY TUCHOLSKIE NATIONAL PARK
The park protects the most important part of the Bory Tucholskie Forest.

OJCOWSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park is situated near Krakow and occupies the southern part of the Krakowsko-Częstochowska Plateau and the valleys of the Prądnik and Sąspówka rivers.

PIENINSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park encompasses the central part of the Pieniny Range with its highest Mount Trzy Korony (982 meters above sea level) and the breath-taking Dunajec River gorge.

TATRZANSKI NATIONAL PARK
On the Polish side, the park surrounds and protects the whole Tatra massif with its highest peak, Mount Rysy (2,499 meters above sea level), and is the only region of an Alpine character in Poland.

WOLINSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park, established in 1960, covers the protected part of Wolin, Poland’s biggest island, which is of nearly 5000 hectares.

DRAWA NATIONAL PARK
Drawa National Park has outstanding nature and landscape features and it is located on the Mysliborz-Walcz Lakeland and in Drawa Forest.

GORCZANSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park comprises the central part of the Gorce Range in the Western Beskid, with the exception of its highest peak, Turbacz (1,310 meters above sea level).

GORY STOŁOWE NATIONAL PARK
The park covers the Gory Stolowe (Table Mountains) massif located in the central part of the Sudety Mountain Range.

KAMPINOSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park is located in the vicinity of Warsaw and encompasses the Kampinoska Forest, spreading over the Wisła River glacial valley.

KARKONOSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park encircles the upper reaches of the Karkonosze Mountains with their highest peak, Mount Snieżka (1,603 meters above sea level).

MAGURSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park occupies the central part of the Lower Beskid Range, dominated by Mount Magura Wątkowska (846 meters above sea level).

NARWIANSKI NATIONAL PARK
The Narwiański National Park is home to almost half of all the water flora which can be found in Poland. Many varieties of the park’splants are under total protection.

POLESKI NATIONAL PARK
The park is located in the Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lake District (Lublin Polesie) and includes a unique flatland of extensive peat bogs and swamps.

ROZTOCZANSKI NATIONAL PARK
This park covers the central part of the Roztocze Mountain Range. Deep ravines divide the mountain slopes. The Wieprz and Tanew rivers wind their way gently across the park.

SLOWINSKI NATIONAL PARK
The lakes of Łebsko and Gardno are an important refuge for aquatic birds. Various plant colonies in the Słowiński National Park are of special interest.

SWIETOKRZYSKI NATIONAL PARK
The park territory includes the Lysogory Range with Mount Łysica (612 meters above sea level), the highest in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, and parts of the adjoining valleys.

UJSCIE WARTY NATIONAL PARK
The Warta River Mouth National Park stretches across the Toruńsko-Eberswaldzka glacial river valley, close to where the Warta flows into the River Odra.

WIELKOPOLSKI NATIONAL PARK
The Wielkopolski National Park is located 15 kilometers south of Poznań, in the Wielkopolskie Lake District.

WIGIERSKI NATIONAL PARK
Lake Wigry, one of the largest lakes in north-eastern Poland, is an important element of this park which also contains 25 smaller lakes interconnected by a network of rivers.

After countless wars, partitions and other political and social turbulences, the preserved and restored castles and palaces are now part of Poland’s historical heritage. Priceless monuments of the past remained untouched in many places. Others were restored or reconstructed with such meticulous care that they became works of art no less important than the original structures. By far, the boldest such undertaking was the reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Whether preserved or restored, castles and palaces are full of life these days. They are homes to museums and/or education centers. They are venues for cultural events or outdoors events. They have been converted into luxury hotels with spa facilities. While restaurants in castles and palaces take you on journeys to the times of hunters’ parties and opulent feasts of the Polish nobility.

Many layers of history are still waiting to be discovered. They are hidden in strongholds, in the Teutonic Knights castles, or in castles constructed by aristocrats to become family residences. Mysteries also remain to be uncovered in royal castles, late Renaissance family residences and in exuberant palaces of most exquisite designs. Palaces were often surrounded by sumptuous parks, French or English gardens, frequently with romantic or downright fairy-tale gazebos and pavilions. And so they remain to this day.

And there are plenty of stories to be told, some are facts, other just the legends but they always belong to a place. The treasure hunters must visit Ksiaz Castle – the largest fortress in Dolny Slask where the train full of stolen gold is hidden. Ghost lovers should visit castles in Checiny or Niedzica. The ruins of the largest caslte Krzyztopor in Ujazd will tell you the story of falling fortune. And we could go on for hours because there are over 500 castles and 2,5 thousand of palaces scattered all over Poland, but instead join us for a tour.

ROYAL CASTLE IN WARSAW
Former residence of Mazovian princes. Once the capital was moved to Warsaw from Krakow, the castle served as seat of the king and the government. Completely destroyed during World War II.

Built in the 15th century, this castle served as residence of Mazovian princes. Once the capital was moved to Warsaw from Krakow, the castle served as seat of the king and the government. The castle has been renovated repeatedly and destroyed completely during World War II. It was rebuilt between 1971-1988 using castle remains and rubble. Today, the segment with the clock tower opens the way to the Old Town. Museum attractions include two original Rembrandt paintings as well as works by Bernard Bellotto, aka Canaletto, court painter to Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Canaletto’s paintings were vital during Warsaw’s post-war reconstruction.

THE BEDZIN CASTLE
The Bedzin Castle is a castle in Bedzin in southern Poland. The stone castle dates to 14th century, and is predated by a wooden fortification that was erected in 11th century. It was an important fortification in the Kingdom of Poland.

The site of Bedzin Castle was in earliest known a 10th century grod, subsequently destroyed in the 12th century. In 1228 a wooden castle with stone foundations and a stone tower was on the hill by King Boleslaw the Bashful, but it was burned by the Mongols in 1241. It was rebuilt in wood, but in 1358 Casimir the Great (1333-1370) replaced the mainly timber structure with the current masonry castle. The old stone watch tower was heightened, apparently to twice its current height, and a large square keep served as the royal residence. The inner curtain walls were 26 to 39 feet tall. A 16 foot tall outer curtain formed the middle ward. There are etchings of an outer ward with two entrance gate towers on the internet, but I’ve seen no sign of ruins. A stone wall protecting the town was added six years later, some of which remains.

Bedzin is located between Katowice and Krakow on the main road leading from southwest Poland into Silesia, which was for centuries at the edge of the Holy Roman Empire and for a time was part of Prussia. Casimir’s castle was built to protect the border of Poland from the incursions of the Germanic Silesians. It was an important market town, enhanced by the salt trade. The Swedish invasions of 1655 partially destroyed the castle, but it was rebuilt in 1855 by Francisco Maria Lanci, who lowered the tower. The town of Bedzin is frequently sadly remembered for the vibrant Jewish community that was destroyed in 1939. The Nazi SS destroyed the synagogue and eventually transported almost 10,000 Jewish citizens to Auschwitz for extermination. The castle’s last major restoration took place in 1956 – it now houses a very popular museum. The current population of Bedzin is about 60,000.

The castle became the site of a museum, Zaglebie Museum in 1956. The museum has several collections: one of armament, from medieval to World War II times; second dedicated to the history of the Będzin Castle; third to the castles of the other nearby castles founded by Casimir the Great (Eagle Nests Trail or Szlak Orlich Gniazd) and the final one, to the military history of the Bedzin region.

THE CASTLE IN MOSZNA
The castle in Moszna is one of the best known monuments in the southern Poland. The castle and park complex is the former residence of the German Tiele-Winckler family. This gigantic 7,000 square and 65,000 cubic meter construction was started in the 17th century. It contains 365 rooms and 99 turrets. It is reminiscent of English castles from the Elizabethan period. The stud farm with thoroughbred Arab horses attracts many enthusiasts of equestrian sports.

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precised boundaries and combines with the nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the palace. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park is ended in the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele Winckler. On the eastern side of the lime avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as the Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached through a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, being a part of the whole park complex, was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself.

THE STANISZOW PALACE
Staniszow, thanks to its location and great care of the local residents, was claimed to be the most beautiful village in The Valley of Jelenia Gora until the end of the Second World War. The words of Isabela Czartoryska, who visited Staniszow on her way to Cieplice, can confirm that opinion: “… and then we went to Staniszow. The village belongs the earl Reuss, we found there the same taste we had been admiring in Grodna. The nature is beautiful and the location enchanting. Nothing has been spoiled and all that is handmade seems to be the work of Nature”.

There were 3 estates, which made up a dominion of Reuss line, with the abode in Upper Staniszow. The old line of Reuss descended from Saxony. Heinrich der Fromme von Weida was the progenitor of the line and the younger Reuss generation became the owners of Staniszow. The Palace was built in 1784-1787 on the earl Heinrich XXXVIII von Reuss initiative. The great location and a picturesque landscape park made the Palace one of the most beautiful estates in the Valley of Jelenia Gora. The park and forests occupied an area of 194 ha. In addition, there were artificial ruins of a nineteenth-century castle which contained a hunting room, an artificial grotto, a hermitage, hanging rocks, vast meadows and breathtaking views on Karkonosze and the Valley of Jelenia Gora. All of that changed the park into the most favorite place for trips for the villagers, the Palace’s guests and tourists who were staying in the area. The park itself, despite having been a private property, was incessantly opened for the guests from the outside.

The palace and park layout was thoroughly restored between 2005 and 2008. These works constituted one of the widest restorations of the palace complex in Poland. Not only had the former neo-Gothic palace regained its previous brilliance, but also all buildings of the old manor farm and the Romantic landscape park. The stable, granary, outhouse, coach house, and barn completely changed their original functions. Now they are the seats of an exclusive hotel including a conference room, recreation facilities, two restaurants, a café, wine bar, garden bar, tea room and offering 200 beds of various standards.

KSIAZ CASTLE, THE PEARL OF LOWER SILESIA
Constructed in the 13th century, Ksiaz castle was home to many noble families such as the mighty House of Hochberg. Between 1509 and 1941, the Hochberg’s expanded the castle and significantly contributed to its splendor. During the World War II the castle was taken over by the occupying German forces. Under their reign numerous historic chambers were destroyed. The Nazis created a system of tunnels underneath the castle, which the function still remains a mystery. Recently the Ksiaz castle made news as a rumor of a lost Nazi gold train was believed to be buried in the vicinity of the castle.

After systematic looting committed by the German occupiers and later by the Red Army, in 1952 the renovation work was undertaken to restore the Ksiaz Castle to its previous grandeur.

Today, visitors can admire the majesty of numerous chambers, terraces and surrounding gardens. The underground tunnel is also available to the public. Those visitors wishing to spend a night, Ksiaz Hotel is conveniently located nearby the castle.

LAZIENKI PALACE
This is the biggest and most beautiful park in Warsaw, and one of the loveliest palace/ park locations in all of Europe.

Łazienki Park, the favoured residence of Polish royalty, was constructed between 1774-1784, at the command of King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Stanislaw August was a great patron of the arts, and this is reflected in the sumptuous interiors of the main palace. A good deal of the monarch’s original collection has survived. Lazienki Palac stands over 76 hectares, and combines elements of a traditional French garden within the landscape of a classically English park. This is the centre of numerous natural, cultural and scientific events and sources of entertainment, and is a much-loved place for residents and tourists alike to stroll.

The palace is built on an artificial island that divides the lake into two parts, a smaller northern lake and a bigger southern lake; it is connected by two Ionic colonnaded bridges to the rest of the park.

Palace on the Island
The most significant building in the garden, a pearl of Polish architecture and one of the capital’s symbols. It came into being when the last Polish king, S. A. Poniatowski, expanded a small building known as Lubomirski’s Bath into one of his residences. Despite being badly damaged, the Palace survived World War II and was re-opened in 1960.

Myślewicki Palace
This palace is located at the end of the road leading from the city. It was designed in an early Classicist style and is one of Warsaw’s few remaining examples from this architectural era.

White House
The building is an original memento from the time King S. A. Poniatowski — although devastated, it wasn’t entirely destroyed during World War II. Preserved, original interiors include huge paintings in the dining room, original Chinese wallpaper in the drawing room, an office decorated with paintings and the King’s original bed in the bedroom.

Old Orangery
The east wing features a beautiful interior, including one of the world’s few examples of an authentic court theatre.
The west wing has servant living quarters and guest rooms.

Podchorążówka
This building made its mark in Poland’s history — it was here that P. Wysocki urged cadets to pick up their weapons and revolt, beginning the November Uprising. Podchorążówka currently host the I. J. Paderewski’s Museum of Polish Emigration. Its collections are associated with Poles around the world.

Amphitheatre
Built on the bank of the pond, this structure is based on buildings that once stood in this exact spot. The audience area is reminiscent of the theatre in the Herculaneum — it has statues of famous dramatic writers around its top and the stage resembles the Roman Forum. The most unique feature of the Amphitheatre is the fact that the stage is separated from the audience by water.

Pavilions in the Park:
Hermitage
A small building that currently houses a gallery with temporary exhibitions. Concerts and meetings with authors and artists are hosted here.

Egyptian Temple
Built in the 19th century, but the current remains are only a part of its original structure. In the past, the main part of the building was a glazed conservatory containing fig trees. This building currently houses the Museum of Scouting.

New Orangery
Constructed in 1860, the New Orangery was used in winter to maintain the palace’s exotic plants. It currently hosts a permanent garden and the Belvedere Restaurant.

KLICZKOW CASTLE
In the heart of Lower Silesia you will find stylish Neo – Renaissance Residence: Kliczkow Castle Conference and Leisure Centre. The splendid interiors of Kliczkow Castle have been carefully renovated to encourage our guests to immerse themselves into the atmosphere of the past.

In the heart of Lower Silesia you will find stylish Neo – Renaissance Residence: Kliczkow Castle Conference and Leisure Centre. The splendid interiors of Kliczkow Castle have been carefully renovated to encourage our guests to immerse themselves into the atmosphere of the past.

The Castle has been thoughtfully designed to allow suitable accommodation and space for all guests. We dispose of 89 stylish rooms, 6 conference halls, restaurant, orangery and bar.

The castle’s location among the Lower Silesia Forests and close proximity to great monuments creates the unique conditions not only for different types of conferences, seminars or meetings but also for rest and recreation. It is a perfect place for cycling, long walks and carriage rides. In winter, Kliczkow Castle organizes sleigh rides with the flaming torches and after it magnificent fireplace.

Guests can also find here a riding centre with the horseback riding school, tennis courts, swimming pool and sauna.The perfect occasion to biological regeneration gives you Spa & Wellness Centre in Kliczkow Castle. It offers a wide variety of treatments for body and mind.

Additionally, Kliczkow Castle organizes series of entertainment offers called the “Four Seasons” and what is more it is a place of International Festival Wratislavia Cantans.

WAWEL ROYAL CASTLE IN KRAKOW
Wawel is a limestone hill in the centre of Krakow upon the Vistula River with a complex of impressive historical monuments of unique historical and artistic values. This extraordinary sanctuary determines the Poles’ identity, is their national and cultural symbol. Wawel used to be the seat of Polish rulers, their necropolis and place where the Polish history took shape.

The oldest ruler’s seat was established at Wawel in the 1st half of the 11th century during the rule of Boleslav the Brave and Mieszko II. The pre-Romanesque complex of prince’s residence was located in the highest south-east part of the hill. It included the residential building, the palace hall, the building with a corridor (cellar) and the Rotunda of St. Felix and St. Adaukt, the best preserved example of the pre-Romanesque architecture in Malopolska.

In the 2nd half of the 11th century the main building of the Romanesque palace complex, the two-storey hall of 24 pillars was erected. The remains of this structure were discovered under the northern wing of the present palace. The main palace church in the 11th and 12th century was the Romanesque basilica of St. Gereon (St. Mary of Egypt) revealed under the western wing of the palace and the Batory’s Courtyard. Nowadays works are in progress to set up an architectural reserve at that site. The Church of St. Mary of Egypt was a three-aisle building with a transept, an eastern crypt and two towers in the west. It functioned till the end of the 13th century.

NIEDZICA CASTLE
The castle holds secret treasures, ancient artwork, and the ghost of a woman who appears nightly. Along the road leading up to the castle is a sign that warns visitors that they are about to enter a haunted location. The castle itself is located on a small peninsula into the river, making it ideal to defend against any sort of threat. The castle that stands today was originally built in 1325 by the Brezevichy family.

There was a castle before this one, and it was named Dunajec Castle. It had about several owners in its existence, and there are now only walls that mark the original structure. The ghostly legends at the castle originate from one of the first owners of the castle, Sebastian Brezevichy. He traveled to Peru in South America, and he went on to marry a woman named Umina, who was an Inca royal. When war broke out between Spain and Peru in the 1860s, the Brezevichy family moved back to Niedzica, Poland. They brought along with them the Inca treasure of the family so the Spanish would not be able to take it.

The legend says that Umina was murdered in front of the castle by a treasure hunting thief, and the ghost of Umina appears every night to scare away anyone who comes close to the castle in order to protect her gold. Umina’s father hid the treasure and he created a cryptic document so the treasure can be found again one day. However, no one has been able to break the code of the document up until this point. Umina is referred to as the “White Lady” of Niedzica Castle. Today the castle serves as an archaeological museum with suites that can hold up to 35 guests.

CZOCHA CASTLE
The castle was designed as a fortress in the 13th century. After centuries of political turbulence, followed by a fire which destroyed the castle in the 18th century, the construction was restored to its former glory, owing to ample funding. Thus, it became one of the most interesting landmarks of Lower Silesia.

Unfortunately, aft er the Second World War, almost all the furnishings fell victims to looters. Nowadays, the impressive monumental stronghold is home to an elegant hotel and its historic interiors can be visited like any other museum. Knights’ tournaments, dance shows, comedy acts and concerts organised here add to the appeal, along with a stylish café and a restaurant specialising in Polish cuisine. The castle grounds have also been used as the set for many feature films and documentaries. The castle’s wine cellar hosts mead-tasting events, promoting this drink so strongly connected to the culture of old Poland and appreciated by gourmets.

KUROZWĘKI PALACE
At the turn of next centuries the castle was rebuilt several times and given representative character finally to be converted at the end of the 18th century from an originally dwelling building with a defensive character into a Baroque and Classicistic residence. Presently you cannot miss the castle edifice located in the complex of park and palace with its richly decorated five-axle fa˜ade and galleried courtyard. It is worth visiting the interior of the Palace in Kurozwęki with its dungeons and stay for a night in its stylish chambers, hothouse or annex. A unique attraction is a herd of over 80 American buffaloes, which can be admired from the interior of “safari buffalo” carriage. Active leisure lovers may go horse-riding, cycling, play paint-ball or try a rope slide. There are also knight fights, artillery and ancient dancing show organized upon request.

LIDZBARK WARMIŃSKI – A MONUMENTAL MEDIEVAL CASTLE
A part of it, called przedzamcze, contains a Baroque palace. Visitors enter the Gothic, well-preserved castle from the 14th century, by the drawbridge over the moat. Its chapel has opulent rococo interior decorations. Today the castle houses the Warmian Museum with a rich collection of sacral art. On the hilltop stands the neo-classical Bishops’ palace surrounded by a park. Nicolaus Copernicus lived in the castle between 1503 and 1510.

KOZLOWKA – BAROQUE RESIDENCE AND SOCIALIST-REALIST ART MUSEUM
The palace museum features a wealth of diverse objets d’art, and the palace outbuildings house a permanent socialist-realist art gallery. A stroll through the geometric park with the graves of Napoleonic soldiers and a beautiful fountain can be a pleasant experience.

CASTLE OF THE TEUTONIC ORDER IN MALBORK – UNCONQUERABLE FORTRESS
The Malbork castle is the mightiest fortress of medieval Europe. Its construction begun in the 13th century. But major transformation begun in early 14th century, when the Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen moved his office to Malbork. The castle was promoted to the status of being the capital of one of the most powerful states on the southern coast of the Baltic.

The old structure apparently could not fulfil its new functions in its current form. It took almost half a century to transform a convent house into a strongly fortified High Castle. Surrounded by deep moats and several rings of defensive walls, it housed several representative rooms. Among these are: the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, enlarged by a new chancel, and St. Ann’s chapel beneath it – the burial site for the Grand Masters. The old settlement outside the outer walls was also expanded, becoming a spacious and functional Middle Castle available to knights – guests from Western Europe.

Apart from living quarters, the Grand Refectory – the largest hall in the castle – was also located here. It was topped with a beautiful fan vault. There was also an Infirmary for the older and sicker brothers, as well as the Palace of the Grand Masters.

In the 14th and first half of the 15th century, a third part of the stronghold was established and expanded respectively – the Low Castle, known later as the Outer Castle. Among other buildings, the Karwan – a large armory for cannons and war carts, a granary on the shore of the Nogat river, as well as a number of outbuildings (a founder’s workshop, the stables, brewery, etc.) were all located there. St. Lawrence’s chapel, intended for the castle’s servants, is located next to one of them. The whole complex was surrounded by moats and defensive walls with countless towers, connected with the fortifications of the city of Malbork.

The best spot to admire the enormous size of the castle is from the Nogat River side.

The Malbork Castle Museum houses numerous exhibitions, to name just a few militaria, amber, china and glass art, furniture and more to discover. One of the highlight of the Malbork Casltle are son et lumière spectacles staged in the evening in the castle courtyards as well as night tours of the castle interiors. The castle chambers often host music concerts and medieval style banquets. In recent years, a great historical event entitled The Siege of Malbork is organized during the last weekend of July.

The Malbork Castle is a UNESCO Heritage Monument and member of the Polish Gothic Castles Association that represents historical buildings located in eight other cities of the region.

KRZYZTOPOR CASTLE
Krzysztof Ossoliński, the voivode of Sandomierz and a founder of the “palazzo in fortezza” – a palace in the fortress – wanted to impress his contemporaries. Therefore he erected the monumental complex of palaces built in a pentagon bastion fortress modelling on a calendar. The castle had as many windows as there are days in a year, as many chambers as there are weeks, as many rooms as there are months and as many towers as there are seasons of the year. Horses in stables had marble troughs and looked at themselves in crystal mirrors. In one of the rooms an aquarium with exotic fish functioned as a ceiling. Ossoliński spent the amount of 3 million Polish zlotys on the castle with its cubic capacity of 70 000 m3 and covering the area of 1.3 hectares. Presently “Krzyżtopór” Castle ruins enchant with their beauty and magnitude and they once again start to live during numerous tournaments and knight fight shows held there.

Poland is a country of 1000-year-old history, rich traditions and abundant cultural heritage. The legacy of bygone centuries that includes monuments of architecture, historical mementos and masterpieces of art is perfectly combined with the wealth of Polish nature and its original landscapes. Millions of tourists visit Poland every year.

All those who wish to deepen their knowledge of history and see outstanding art pieces should travel to our country in order to admire Poland’s UNESCO sites entered on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The list created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distinguishes buildings and sites that constitute the most valuable examples of peoples’ material culture, products of human genius or unique nature reserves. The states that possess those special sites on their territory are bound to protect them from destruction.

KRZEMIONKI, THE NEWEST UNESCO SITE IN POLAND
Located in the mountain region of Świętokrzyskie, Krzemionki is an ensemble of four mining sites, dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (about 3900 to 1600 BCE), dedicated to the extraction and processing of striped flint, which was mainly used for ax-making. With its underground mining structures, flint workshops and some 4,000 shafts and pits, the site features one of the most comprehensive prehistoric underground flint extraction and processing systems identified to date. The site provides information about life and work in prehistoric settlements and bears witness to an extinct cultural tradition. The mining complex is an exceptional testimony of the importance of the prehistoric period and of flint mining for tool production in human history.

TARNOWSKIE GORY – SILVER MINE
An exquisite tourist attraction was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List was added in July 2017 – Tarnowskie Gory Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System.

It is located in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, one of the main mining areas of central Europe. The mine includes the entire underground mine with adits, shafts, galleries and other features of the water management system. Most of the property is situated underground while the surface mining topography features relics of shafts and waste heaps, as well as the remains of the 19th century steam water pumping station.

The labyrinth of mining excavations dates back to the 15th century but its development continued over five hundred years to 20th century. Today it is a unique tourist attraction with a route over one mile long, including a part covered by boat, is open to public. The visitors can see only a small part of the extensive labyrinth of corridors. The tour includes three shafts: Angel, Viper and God Bless There is also a mining museum which tells you history of the mine and the area.

WOODEN TSERKVAS OF THE CARPATHIAN REGION IN POLAND AND UKRAINE
Situated on the eastern edge of Eastern Europe, the transnational property numbers a selection of 16 tserkvas –churches built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries by communities of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths.

They represent the cultural expression of four ethnographic groups and the formal, decorative and technical characteristics they developed over time. The tserkvas bear testimony to a distinct building tradition rooted in Orthodox ecclesiastic design interwoven with elements of local tradition, and symbolic references to their communities’ cosmogony. The tserkvas are built on a tri-partite plan surmounted by open quadrilateral or octagonal domes and cupolas. They feature wooden bell towers, iconostasis screens, and interior polychrome decorations as well as churchyards, gatehouses and graveyards.

8 tserkvas on Polish territory:
1) Tserkva of St. Michael the Archangel in Brunary Wyzne
2) Tserkva of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chotyniec
3) Tserkva of St. Paraskevia in Kwiaton
4) Virgin Mary’s Care Tserkva in Owczary
5) St. James the Less Tserkva in Powroźnik
6) Tserkva of St. Paraskevia in Radruz
7) St. Michael the Archangel Tserkva in Smolnik
8) St. Michael the Archangel Tserkva in Turzańsk

 

8 tserkvas on Ukrainian territory:
1) Tserkva of Pentecost in Potylicz, Lviv region
2) Tserkva of St. Demetrius in Matkow
3) Tserkva of the Holy Trinity in Zolkiew,
4) Tserkva of St. George in Drohobych,
5) Holy Spirit Tserkva in Rohatyn, Ivano-Frankivsk District
6) Tserkva of the Birth of the Theotokos in Nizhny Werbiaz
7) Tserkvas of the Ascension in Jasin
8) Tserkvas of St. Archangel Michael in Uzok

KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA – PASSION PLAYS
The Baroque church (17th c) contains the revered painting of Our Lady of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The Calvary, the Way of the Cross, is lined with shrines, chapels and small churches and is picturesquely set on hills and in the valley of a stream. The sanctuary is visited by approximately one million pilgrims each year. It is famous for its Passion plays. The most important processions are held during Holy Week (Easter) and on Our Lady’s Assumption Day.

HISTORIC CENTER OF KRAKÓW
The Medieval urban layout of the Old Town has not changed for centuries. Every visitor to Cracow should see Europe’s largest Medieval market square with its Cloth Hall, the Church of the Holy Mary with its Gothic pentaptych altarpiece carved from limewood, Wawel Hill and its royal castle and the Wawel cathedral with its outstanding Renaissance chapel, the Medieval university building of Collegium Maius with its unique collection of astronomical instruments, the Barbican, and St Florian’s Gate. The Jewish quarter of Kazimierz features a wealth of Jewish heritage with its 16th century cemetery and seven synagogues of which one is now the Jewish museum. Each summer the Jewish Culture Festival is held and attracts Jewish culture lovers from the whole world. Other cultural events held in Cracow each year attract thousands of visitors. In the suburban town of Tyniec stands a Benedictine Abbey dating back to the 11th century.

This historic city with old walls and numerous museums used to be a royal residence and a center of civilization spreading culture all over Poland. Here is the Wawel – the seat of Polish kings and the place of their coronations; St Mary’s Church with its famous alter by Veit Stoss; the Main Market Square – the largest medieval town square in Europe; Kazimierz – a unique district of Kraków that used to be a separate Jewish town; and the Jagiellonian University – the oldest Poland’s college with its famous Collegium Maius.

The Old Town of Kraków has preserved its medieval urban layout. It used to be surrounded by defensive walls that were later replaced by the Planty, a curiously shaped park. Of the old fortifications only a fragment with the Florian Gate, a few towers and the Barbican have remained. The Main Market Square (10 acres) plays a role of Kraków’s salon. It’s embellished by the Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Church, a tiny St Adalbert’s Church, the Town Hall Tower and many old houses, each with its own historical genealogy.

Almost all sites and buildings that create the unique ambience of Kraków can be found in the streets leading out from the Market Square or located in its closest vicinity: churches, monasteries and convents, palaces, old burgher houses and university buildings. Many museums with valuable collections are also located near the Main Market Square. Thirty-six Kraków’s museums house over two million objets d’art, i.e. ¼ of all Poland’s museum possessions.

The Wawel is a special place for Poland’s statehood – it’s been always a symbol of our country’s glorious past and of the power of former Commonwealth. Very attractive is the Royal Castle that acquired its Renaissance shape in the early 16th century. It shelters precious art collections that include 138 Renaissance tapestries manufactured by weavers of Brussels.

A few million tourists who not only admire the city and its historical monuments but also take part in numerous cultural events of international standing visit Kraków every year. They also avail themselves of the services offered by the multitude of top-class hotels, stylish restaurants, cafés and pubs.

AUSCHWITZ BIRKENAU
The scene of martyrdom of millions of people during World War II. The largest Nazi concentration camp in German-occupied Europe. Here the Germans were carrying out their genocidal plan of exterminating the whole nations, mainly Jews and Poles. The number of victims is difficult to establish. Most probably about 1,100,000 people of 28 nationalities perished in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps; the majority of them were Jews brought from different countries.

The concentration camp named Auschwitz I was established in April 1940 on the outskirts of Oświęcim. The first transports came in June of the same year. After entering the site through the camp gate with the inscription “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Makes Free), the visitors tour prison blocks in which an exhibition of the Auschwitz- Birkenau State Museum was arranged. The display contains evidence of the genocide, including personal items taken from the victims as well as photographs and documents.

The main extermination center and the world’s largest cemetery, Birkenau, was built in the suburbs of Oświęcim in 1942. Some barracks and ruins of the crematoria and gas chambers can be seen there today. The International Camp Victims Memorial was unveiled in 1967 to commemorate the murdered people.

HISTORIC CENTRE OF WARSAW
The historic center of Warsaw constitutes an exception on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. It’s the only urban complex almost entirely reconstructed after the WWII total destruction. The careful reconstruction was so well done that the international community demonstrated its great appreciation through putting the historic city center of Warsaw on the list of the unique world heritage sites.

The contemporary Warsaw is a big city, Poland’s capital and its cultural, scientific, educational and tourist center. It is also the seat of many important financial institutions and big companies.

The small medieval settlement quickly developed to acquire its municipal rights in the early 14th century. Located upon the Vistula, an important transportation route, Warsaw was growing fast in importance and size. It was soon surrounded by defensive walls and the first brick houses were erected in the 14th century. In the early 17th century, the Warsaw castle became the seat of King Zygmunt III Waza, who just at that time transferred the country’s capital from Kraków to Warsaw. It was also at that time that the Old Town was greatly reshaped and connected with the New Town. Thus, the city’s development continued outside its defensive walls.

World War II brought total destruction to the oldest part of the city. Other quarters of Poland’s capital also lay in ruins. The reconstruction of the city took several years, and the rebuilding of the Royal Castle started only in 1971.

Due to the effort and skill of our architects and conservators as well as to the flow of time, today tourists are not able to distinguish original fragments of the historic buildings from the reconstructed ones. The charming Old Town streets lead to the Market Square where artists display their works and visitors can enjoy a meal or café in the numerous restaurant and café gardens or take a buggy ride. The first-floors of many houses are occupied by stylish restaurants, art galleries, antique and souvenir shops. Worth a visit are Old Town richly adorned churches and interesting museums.

The Royal Castle is a real trove of national mementos; its interiors are beautifully decorated and contain many works of art by the most famous European and Polish artists. Very popular is the nearby Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, the favorite meeting place and strolling area for Varsovians and tourists.

MEDIEVAL TOWN OF TORUŃ
Thanks to the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and to the flavor of the famous Torunian gingerbread as well as to the charm and character of one of Europe’s most beautiful old towns, Toruń is a city widely known in Poland and also far beyond its borders. Toruń’s historic core, represented by its well preserved complex of medieval architecture and the original urban layout, was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997.

A wealthy Hanseatic port, Toruń was one of the most important trade and cultural centers in this part of Europe. It still possesses magnificent Gothic buildings that testify to the city’s past splendor: one of the most imposing old town halls in northern Europe, today occupied by the regional museum featuring valuable collections, the mighty Cathedral of SS John the Baptist and John the Evangelist with original interiors, St James’ Church with Gothic murals and spectacular stellar vaults, St Mary’s Church with richly adorned interiors of great historical value. There are several eye-catching burgher houses with the superbly decorated House under the Star and the fine brick Gothic house where the astronomer was born, now housing the Museum of Copernicus. The medieval old town complex of Toruń includes ruins of the Teutonic Knights’ castle, gates and towers of the long defensive city walls once protecting Toruń from the Vistula side as well as many other buildings dating back to medieval times.

Modern Toruń is a quickly developing large academic center with its Nicolaus Copernicus University and the city that hosts a great number of attractive artistic events. One of the many Toruń’s tourist attractions is the Planetarium equipped with a high-tech auditorium and presenting diverse shows several times daily.

CHURCHES OF PEACE IN JAWOR AND ŚWIDNICA
UNESCO Conference on the List of World Heritage took place in Helsinki in December 2001. During this meeting Poland, supported actively by Germany, suggested to add two Silesian Churches of Peace to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. This wish was fulfilled and as a result the List was enlarged by the two biggest European sacral buildings constructed by the use of timber framing.

These churches, both the history of their construction and the perfect assembly of their mortise and tenon joints are just as amazing as their polychrome interior finishing. It is particularly advisable to visit the interiors, during the famous organ concerts. It is also worth mentioning that in both cities the churches are still owned by the sparse protestant communities.

The religious and political conflicts of the 17th century that took place in the German states ended in Silesia with the so called Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Silesian Protestants, supported by Sweden, negotiated the right to establish three new churches. The churches earlier taken away from the Protestants were never returned. The Austrian emperor, Ferdinand, allowed to build churches in Glogau (Głogów), Schweidnitz (Świdnica) and Jauer (Jawor). Two of the three churches are still standing today, only the Protestant church in Glogow had burned down in 1758.

The clerks formulated a set of conditions for architects to stop the Protestants from constructing representative, and by no means defensive, buildings. They were allowed to use only undurable materials such as wood and clay, the building had to be placed outside the city, and could not have a tower nor use bells. The costs of the structures were to be covered by the impoverished evangelic communities. It was not until 1707 when by virtue of the Altranstadt convention the belfry was allowed. Furthermore it is worth mentioning that three churches is very little in comparison to the overall number of Protestants in Silesia at the time.

The Protestants tried to deal with this difficult situation in the best possible way. An architect from Wroclaw, Albrecht von Saebisch, built one of the largest wooden churches in the world. The churches built using the timber framing technology in the years 1654 – 1655 (in Jawor) and 1656 – 1658 (in Świdnica) have a surface of 1180 m² and 1.090 m² offering seating for 5.500 and 7.500 people respectively. The faithful can pray on several levels. The interior, simple in its shape, was decorated with paintings around 10 years after the church had been built. The baroque plant ornament, the depictions of Silesian coats of arms and pictures from the life of the nobles as well as biblical scenes were painted in Świdnica by Christoph Kalicki and Christian Süßenbach, and in Jawor by Georg Flegel.

Most of the works of art that decorate both churches originate from Silesian workshops. Famous artists who worked for the Protestant communities are Christoph Klose from Brzeg, Pankratius Werner from Jelenia Góra as well as Matthäus Knote and Josef Hoferichter from Legnica. Gottfried August Hoffman, the author of the pulpit and the altar had been creating works for the community of Świdnica for decades.

Both churches can be visited with or without a professional guide. As an alternative we recommend commentary played from a tape at request. A small entrance fee is required.

The organs of the church in Świdnica are particularly famous for their sound quality. Since the year 2000 an annual concert of music composed by Jan Sebastian Bach is organized there, the so called „International Bach Festival“.

MUSKAUER PARK
The landscape park of the eccentric Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau in Bad Muskau, known on the Polish side as the Mużakowski Park in Łęknica, is one of the most outstanding achievements in European landscape architecture of the 19th century.

The park extends along both sides of the border river Lusatian Neisse, near the Łęknica – Bad Muskau border crossing. On the German side lies the smaller but more urbanised portion of the park covering an area of 200 ha while the Polish shore hosts 800 ha.

On May 1st of 1815, 30 year old Hermann von Pückler, owner of Muskau estates for four years, announced in an open letter to the citizens of the city of Muskau that he wishes to create a naturalistic park in the scenic area where the Neisse cuts through the terminal moraine called the Łuk Mużakowa (German: Muskauer Faltenbogen). The sole fact that the magnate informed his subjects of his plans, before proceeding, proved his extraordinary personality.

Herman von Pückler’s park was designed to illustrate an ideal connection between nature, culture, technique and spirit.

In the spring of 1817, the planting of 800,000 trees and 42,000 bushes begins, the route of the Neisse is changed and… an entire riverside village was moved because it interfered with the concept of the park. In order to raise funds for the garden works, the prince marries an older and rich woman only to formally divorce her a few years later to look for another fortune to finance the garden’s maintenance. His search ended without success.

Due to the lack of financial backing not all of the count’s plans – and since 1822, with an extra sum of 4000 “Prince von Pückler-Muskau’s” Thalers– were realized. As a novelty enthusiast and eccentric, he loudly expressed his democratic sympathies and published books under his own name. His most significant title is “Andeutungen über Landschaftsgärtnerei” (“Thoughts on Landscape Gardening”), frolm 1834, a handbook highly valued everywhere outside Prussia. The prince travelled much and his travel journals, read with flushed faces, even by a master of the pen like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe himself, are a valuable heritage of German literature.

OLD CITY OF ZAMOŚĆ
The originator and, as we would call him today, the developer of the city was Jan Sariusz Zamoyski, the Great Chancellor of the Crown, magnate and magistrate, one of the most affluent people in the history of the world. With a purchasing power of at least twice as much as the one of Bill Gates and an excellent educational background, he was able to make his dreams come true. One of the most popular Italian architects of the time, Bernardo Mornado, was employed to draw the plans and supervise the construction works of Nowy Zamość. Born around 1540 the engineer had been working in Poland since 1569. Before signing the contract for constructing Zamość he had already completed several works for King Batory and several Polish magnates.

A small example of his talent was the project of theatre decorations prepared in the year when the construction of Zamość begun. The tragedy by his schoolmate, Jan Kochanowski, entitled “Odprawa posłów greckich” („The Send-Away of the Greek Envoys”) was performed during Jana Zamoyski’s wedding with Krystyna. On the same day Zamoyski’s fortune grew even more with the dowry of a member of the wealthiest family in Lithuania – the Radziwiłł family.

Luckily the agreement concluded in Lwow on the 1st of July 1578, in virtue of which one of the structures classified as World Cultural Heritage was built, has been preserved until today. It can be seen in the present premises of Ossoliński’s library in Wroclaw.

Another preserved document is the town privilege issued by the Great Chancellor of the Crown Jan Zamoyski on the 10th of April 1580 in Jaroslawiec. Taking into consideration “not only the common good and safety of himself, his family and friends but of the whole neighborhood” monumental buildings were established, that have remained there until today. The palace residence, city hall, arsenal, collegiate church and tenement houses – everything is the work of the same architect. The architecture of Zamość reflects elements of local art, the south of Italy, the north of the Netherlands and the Armenian east. The characteristic elements of the tenement houses of Zamość are arcades of varied shapes: open and blind, smooth and with “bonia” finishing (“Bonia” is a wall element usually of rectangular shape used to cover facades, pedestals, wall corners, hole frames, pillars, etc. – translators note). Their adornments refer to mannerism, baroque and the earlier romantic styles.

For Bernardo Morando and Jan Zamoyski people were always the most important value, then came business. Perfectly planned and inhabited by the financial elite, Zamość was one of the examples of cohabitation of people from different cultures. Armenians, Jews, Greeks, Germans, Italians, Scots and, of course, Poles came to settle here.

The most brilliant Polish scientists, merchants and army officials could work in perfect conditions. Victories achieved in wars which destroyed other regions of the Republic of Poland confirmed the opinion that the architect has shown his supreme architectural ability.

In 1648 the army of a former Polish prefect, Bohdan Chmielnicki and his militia had to back down from the city gates and settle with ransom. In 1656 when almost all the other Polish cities, including Cracow, capitulated, Zamość, alike Jasna Góra, did not. Although in the 18th century the city was occupied by a foreign army, the city’s fortress, enlarged and reinforced by Russians, stood strong for Poland once again. During the November Uprising in 1830 Zamość surrendered as the last bastion of resistance. In the later years a significant part of the fortification was simply dismantled, but the most precious part remains untouched till today.

Naturally, Bernardo Morando received ample compensation for his work. The owner made him the first mayor of the city. The architect met his future wife Katarzyna here, who gave birth to his six children, and was buried with his family in an elegant collegial church of his own design, which is now a cathedral.

WIELICZKA AND BOCHNIA ROYAL SALT MINES
Together with the neighboring Bochnia it is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. These are also one of the oldest running companies. Let us take a walk through some of the 20 large chambers of the three-kilometer-long sightseeing route.

Already during the 2nd UNESCO Conference on the List of World Heritage the Polish “Wieliczka” Salt Mine was entered into UNESCO’s First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage. Together with the neighboring Bochnia it is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. These are also one of the oldest running companies in the world.

Since a very long time ago, thanks to the process of evaporation, salt was obtained from naturally occurring brine springs. At some point the springs dried out and that was when “the Borlach rule” came into effect. Formulated by the advisor on mining issues of the Elector of Saxony, engineer Johannes Borlach, the rule stated:

„Where brine springs lay, one can expect salt layers, which are the cause of the saltiness of the springs. Water flew through these layers and absorbed the salt before springing out to the earth’s surface.”

Hungarian coal miners brought to Poland in 1251 by the Hungarian Princess and Queen of Poland Kinga of the Arpads reached the first halite layers underground.

Let us take a walk through some of the 20 large chambers of the three-kilometer-long sightseeing route. The chambers accessible to visitors include a 3.5-kilometers section located from 64 to 135 meters below ground level and the last reaches out to the depth of 327 meters. The mine can be entered through the Daniłowicz Shaft, from the large Daniłowicz Street of course. The oldest localized part of the mine is the Goryszowski Shaft from the second half of the 13th century. Is has been running continuously since the Middle Ages and is still used today.

When the route starts the visitors are stunned by St. Antoine’s Chapel. The first mass was read here in 1698. In the Janowice Chamber a group of figures sculpted in salt illustrate the legend of the Ring of St. Kinga of Poland which was found in the first lump of salt. In the Burned Chamber (Komora Spalona), dangerous work involving methane burning is depicted. An interesting chamber is the towering Pieskowa Skała Chamber, forged around 1669. It combines level I – at 64 meters – with level II – at 90 meters. The remainings of old stairs used by the porters can still be seen here. The largest underground church is the Chapel of St. Kinga of Poland situated 101 meters below ground level. Its dimensions are: length around 54 m, width around 18 m and height around 12 m. The relics of Queen Kinga are found here. Apart from religious celebrations, classical music concerts are organised in this chamber as well.

Both mines also offer sleepovers deep down the surface, which are quite an adventure both for adults and kids!

When entering the Erazm Barącz Chamber the monument of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “welcomes” tourists. The poet visited the mines of Wieliczka in 1790. The grounds of this chamber were filled with brine to form a small lake. On its shore we can see the sculpture of the Treasurer – the good spirit of the mine. In 1997 in the Teodora Wessel Chamber, on level III (-135 meters), an Underground Rehabilitation and Cure Centre was established. The Michałowice and Drozdowice Chambers are each 35 meters high and are equipped with the most interesting collapse protection constructions. The highest chamber accessible to visitors is the Stanisław Staszic Chamber. The distance between the ceiling and the pavement reaches 50 meters. In the Warsaw Chamber, (level III, length 54 m width 17 m, height 9 m, 135 meters below ground level) coal miners’ celebrations, competitions and sports events as well as concerts and exclusive New Year’s Balls take place.

The walking trail is completed with the Cracow Salt-Works Museum situated on the 3rd level. The collection is exhibited in 14 chambers.

99 percent of the galleries are not accessible for ordinary tourists. The total length of the passages linking about 3000 cavities (passages, ramps, excavation chambers, shafts and small shafts) exceeds 300 km.

BIAŁOWIEŻA FOREST – THE NATIONAL PARK
In 1992, UNESCO extended the status of the park of world heritage to the east by adding the bordering Belarusian national park “Białowieżskaja Puszcza”. This led to the creation of one of the world’s seven and Europe’s three world heritage sites which lie on both sides of a national boarder. The surface of the entire forest exceeds 150 thousand ha (62 thousand ha are within the Polish boarders), strict reserves are significantly smaller.

The Białowieża Forest is a vast forest complex, consisting of the remnants of several primeval forests: Białowieża Forest, Ladzka Forest, Świsłocka Forest and Szereszewska Forest. The forest complex is situated almost at the water divide of the Vistula and the Neman River. Hence, there are no lakes in the park area and only small rivers flow there. The Orłówka River has its source in the forest, and the most valuable area of the park lies in the fork of the rivers Hwoźna and Narewka. The Białowieża Forest is the best preserved natural deciduous and mixed forest on the European Lowlands. The biggest portion is occupied by wet-ground forests with oak and hornbeam. “Ols” [swampy alder forest] and swampy meadows grow on areas periodically flooded, whereas the dry areas are home to pine, spruce and mixed woods. Out of these, fully developed wet-ground forests are particularly valuable. Among the many features of natural environment which make Białowieża Forest home to thousands of plant and animal species, there is one factor that laymen usually underestimate. Namely, the fact that the Białowieża National Park is rich in so-called “dead wood”, that is, simply decaying trees, brushwood, and fallen leaves. Normally for centuries, foresters in timber forests clean such “rubbish”, while here in the strictly protected area the dead biomass amounts to 25% of the total tree mass. The decaying wood becomes a cozy home for countless species of mushrooms, mould, bacteria and insects. Many of them are endangered of extinction. Good examples of this are two beetles extremely rare in Europe: Buprestis splendens and Pytho kolwensis.

The symbol of the Białowieża Forest, however, is the European Bison. The species has been saved from extinction here. In the 18th century, the European Bison was almost completely eliminated during hunting trips of the rulers of the time and by poachers. The extermination started right after World War I, when groups of demobilised and demoralised soldiers poached in no man’s Białowieża Forest. In 1919, the last European Bison was killed. In 1925, the last Caucasian Wisent (Bison bonasus caucasicus) – slightly smaller than the European Bison from the Polish lowlands – was also killed. Białowieża brought specimens from zoological gardens; and initially, they were bred just like cows on a separate field. Only several years after the war, in 1952, the first specimens were released into the park. Currently, there are approximately 400 European Bisons in Poland and around 300 specimens in Belarus. There are only 3000 specimens in the whole world, and every single one of them has predecessors from Białowieża.

The Białowieża Forest is a symbol of Poland’s natural wealth and diversity. The international experts recognized its unique value and the Białowieża National Park was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as well as on UNESCO’s List of World Biosphere Reserves.

This large expanse of natural forest is located on the country’s eastern border and distributed roughly evenly between Poland and Belarus. The Belarusian part is also on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It’s the last original lowland forest in Europe, and retains much of its primeval landscape and plant and animal life. The Białowieża Forest, in parts swampy, is covered with mixed forests untouched by man, with oak, hornbeam, spruce and pine being the predominant species.

Approximately 100,000 tourists come to the Białowieża Forest each year. Most of them find accommodations in the little village of Białowieża that is well prepared to host visitors as well as participants of various conferences and incentives. The village is located in the very heart of the Białowieża Forest.

The Białowieża region has many other attractions to offer, such as original borderland landscapes, multicultural heritage, little known eastern folklore, and timber architecture of particular beauty and special character.

CENTENNIAL HALL IN WROCLAW
It is not a frequent occurrence that a building merely 100 years old is honoured in this way. Construction of the Centennial Hall is one of the turning points in the history of the utilisation of steel for reinforcing structural frames of buildings.

It was constructed between 1911 and 1913, in commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of the Nations, fought with Napoleon (1813). Its other purpose was to serve as the centre for the great Centennial Exhibition. The city allocated a great land for this purpose, on the border of Szczytnicki Park, nearby the Zoological Garden and on site of a horse racing track, open until 1907. In the competition for developing the site, Max Berg was chosen from among 43 designers. Not surprisingly, he was indeed the urban architect of Wrocław. His project met with loud protests from his competitors, as frequently is the case in such situations. Nevertheless, and regardless of the high costs (Reichmark 1.9 million), a formal building permit was issued on June 28, 1911.

At the time of its construction, the Hall had the biggest reinforced concrete roofing in the world. The covering central cupola had 67 meters in diameter and the maximal width of the interior equals 95 metres. Available surface amounts to 14000 square metres. The Hall is spacious with the inner height of 43 metres. Further 56 exhibition rooms and vast lobbies were planned around the central hall. It was assumed that the Jahrhunderthalle exhibition centre could receive even 10,000 visitors at a time.

Max Berg and his team focused on the functional aspect of the Hall. Its plan in the lower part was based on a square and a Greek cross with four arms of equal length, and the cupola’s plan, on a circle – as is visible on the satellite picture. On the end of three of the cross’s arms, there are small entrances and on the Western arm, oriented towards the city centre, there is a big two-storey entrance hall built on an oval plan. Constructionwise, the Hall consists of two independent elements, separated by an expansion joint. In the lower part – the one built on a square plan, the cupola-shaped roofing loosely rests in a ring of concrete and steel. The roofing consists of thin reinforced concrete ribs coming together radially and supported at the top on the so-called “central clamp ring”. At the bottom, the rib ends press against the so-called “expanding ring”; thus, they cannot fold to the inside, nor slide apart. The building structure is secure. Both concrete rings are reinforced with thick steel sheet metal. Windows have been installed in between the thin upper ribs and in the lower part of the construction. There was a window also in the very centre of the ring, but as it leaked it had to be bricked up.

The Hall’s construction was finalised in December, 1912, a month and a half ahead of the planned date. The main room contained huge organ, the same that now plays in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wrocław. The Centennial Exhibition and the Hall as well were inaugurated with the performance of Gerhart Hauptmann’s play. An interesting fact is that no heating system had been designed for the Hall. It was added only after World War II. Nowadays, the Hall, equipped in the recent years with a highly advanced system of fold-up floors for different purposes and new windows with roller blinds, serves as a concert hall and a show room. It hosts both basketball games and monumental opera performances (e.g. The Haunted Manor of Moniuszko, Verdi’s Aida, Trubadur and Nabucco, Wagner’s The Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods).

On May 31, 1997, during his sixth visit to Poland, John Paul II led an ecumenical prayer in the Centennial Hall, as part of the Eucharistic congress.

WOODEN CHURCHES OF SOUTHERN MALOPOLSKA
Some of these churches are several hundred years old and six were entered on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. Famous architects designed none of them. Simple carpenters constructed them all. The oldest one is the 15th-century church in Haczów, made of fir-wood and covered with shingles. Fragments of wall paintings were uncovered in the church interiors. Of great value is the shingle-roofed church in Blizne. Erected at the turn of the 15th century, it also contains fragments of Gothic and Renaissance wall paintings. The harmonious silhouette of the church at has an original, spiry roof. The church at Binarowa boasts a very precious wall painting depicting scenes from the New Testament and a carved in wood figure of Madonna from the 14th century. Many unique paintings, sculptures and artistic handiworks can be admired in the 15thcentury church at Dębno. The interior decorations of the church at Lipnica Murowana include precious wall paintings as well as baroque paintings and sculptures.

The six trails on the Route of Timber Architecture in the Małopolska region are over 1500 kilometers long. They feature 232 timber constructions of great value, including 123 Roman-Catholic churches, 39 Orthodox churches, 25 rural and small town complexes, and 27 rural architecture museums that comprise 9 skansens and 14 country manors.

The Route of Timber Architecture in the Małopolska region is a new tourist offer that presents the most beautiful examples of timber architecture in Poland.

MALBORK – THE LARGEST MEDIEVAL CASTLE IN EUROPE
It is registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The castle is encircled by defensive walls with gates and towers. The Grand Master’s palace is believed to be the highest achievement in the late-Gothic style. The representative summer refectory is the most interesting chamber in the castle. Now a museum, the castle attracts tourists with open-air events that feature the Siege of Malbork and other son et lumière shows. It also houses a spectacular collection of amber products.

DOLNOSLASKIE VOIVODSHIP – THE LAND OF MANY TREASURES
Mysterious tunnels, castles on high hills, mansions hidden in romantic parks – when it comes to the number and beauty of the castles, the Dolnoslaskie Voivodship (Lower Silesia) can compete with many places in Europe. Even at times with the Loire Valley.

OPOLSKIE VOIVODSHIP – A TALE ABOUT THE DINOSAUR
The tiny Opole region is an exceptional part of Poland – it is here that the oldest dinosaur fossils in the world were discovered. Silesaurus opolensis (the Silesian lizard from Opole) lived 230 million years ago in Krasiejowo.

SLASKIE VOIVODSHIP – INDUSTRIAL ADVENTURE
The outlines of foundries on the horizon. Factories and mining towers dominate the landscape of Silesia, one of the smallest Voivodships in Poland. There are not many rural landscapes here, but plenty of urban ones: 71, one next to the other, dense, as in any industrial anthill. Run away? Why, no! Stay – as long as possible.

MALOPOLSKIE VOIVODSHIP – MORE THAN PASTRIES WITH CREAM
You can’t say you know Poland if you haven’t visited the Malopolskie Voivodship. The former capital of our country, Krakow, is situated here. And to the south, the Tatry – the highest mountains with 5 places in Malopolska on the UNESCO World Heritage List!

PODKARPACKIE VOIVOIDSHIP
Podkarpackie is one of the greenest regions of Poland. There are pristine meadows and beautiful forests. Over one third of the region’s area, including remnants of the ancient Carpathian primeval Forest, is protected. Mighty wisents, lynxes, wildcats, and a number of rare bird species such as the golden eagle, are just a few of many species you can meet while hiking in the area.

LUBELSKIE VOIVODSHIP – FOLLOW THE BUG RIVER
The third largest Voivodship in Poland lies along the eastern borderlands of the country. Its neighbours are Belarus and the Ukraine, across the Bug River, a wild and twisting river. This is the area where Polish and Russian, Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish influences are all mixed together. It is a land which has seen many changes. A full-blooded borderland.

PODLASKIE VOIVODSHIP – UNDISCOVERED BEAUTY
There is a region in Poland that can be easily called … The Wild East. It still has not been affected and overwhelmed by today’s Great Tourism movement. It is in fact unspoiled, as yet. Only a small group of the initiated knows that apart from the pristine quality of its nature, a fascinating borderlands culture waits here for those who wish to explore this region. And where do we find this mysterious place? The Podlaskie Voivodship, the best kept secret in Poland.

WARMINSKO-MAZURSKIE VOIVODSHIP – THREE COLOURS
Blue, white, red – the flag of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship is made up of these colours. The deep blue of the lakes, the white of sails and storks’ wings. Sometimes, as a contrast, the red bricks of the Teutonic castles.

POMORSKIE VOIVODSHIP – BALTIC’S AMBER
A thousand blue lakes, a desert, verdant forests and rushing hill land rivers. Any adventure in the Pomorskie Voivodship along the Baltic coast usually starts in the Tricity, an unusual urban assembly of three towns: Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot.

ZACHODNIOPOMORSKIE VOIVODSHIP – BISONS AND CLIFFS
Golden beaches sheltered by massive, sharp cliffs, fishing boats dragged out on the sand with seagulls soaring over them. You can enjoy these images typical for the Baltic coast in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship, but the less typical … such as the feeding of the bison – can be experienced as well.

LUBUSKIE REGION
If you prefer discovering and admiring the beauty of nature without the accompanying crowds of tourists, go to Poland! My fiancé and I have recently visited this magical country. The journey doesn’t take long and holidays there are much cheaper than in many Western European countries. People are very friendly and it is easy to find those magically secluded areas and avoid the noisy city life. We spent several days relaxing on the shores of pristine and silent lakes in the west of Poland, which only put us in the mood for planning another visit. Don’t wait too long – if you are looking for a mystical fairy-tale, visit Poland!

KUJAWSKO POMORSKIE VOIVODSHIP – HOME OF GINGERBREAD AND BRINE
Salty and sweet at the same time – this is the flavour of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship, located in the northern part of Poland. The salt comes from a gigantic, underground lake, and the sweetness from the Toruń gingerbreads, with recipes which haven’t changed in years.

WIELKOPOLSKA REGION – THE CRADLE OF POLAND
Wielkopolska is a special place on the map of our country. This is where the first ruler of the Piast dynasty became the leader of several united Slavic tribes and was baptised a Christian by a German bishop. Over 1000 years ago Poland was born here.

ŁÓDŹ AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
Łódź with its 850,000 inhabitants is the second largest city of Poland. In the 19th century, textile factories began developing here with unimaginable rapidity. A testimony of industrial architecture, they carry the same message as the superb palaces of their former owners and still well preserved workers’ housing estates.

MAZOWIECKIE VOIVODSHIP – THE LARGEST OF THEM ALL
The capital of Mazowsze, Warsaw, is – next to Helsinki – considered the most verdant of European capitals. There are many parks, gardens, and grassy promenades in the city. The silver-willow-green garden on the roof of the University Library is one of the most original ones. A perfect place to catch your breath.

THE SWIETOKRZYSKIE VOIVODSHIP – GEOLOGY AND ART LOVERS’ PARADISE
The oldest mountains in Europe – the Pepper Mountains, caves full of marvels from the Kras era, dinosaur prints and the fossils of unique shell fish. Musical motifs and historical sites of technology from the Stone Age, Iron Age and industrial revolution. Those are the treasures of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship.

The Main Cities of Poland
Gigantic metropolis, historic towns and villages of sentimental charm for which poems and songs have been written. Poland officially has a total of 887 towns. The largest is Warsaw, with a population of 1.7 million, while the smallest Polish town has just 884 inhabitants. The main cities are not only the capitals of their fast-developing regions, but also have their own unique character. Lodz is famed for its grand Piotrkowska Street and industrial sites of the 19th century. The city also offers Europe’s largest urban forest and Jewish cemetery.

Gdansk
Gdańsk is one of Poland’s oldest cities with a history going back a thousand years. It has an important place in Polish consciousness as the location of the start of World War II and where the fall of Communism in Central Europe began. This is where the famous Solidarity movement started, protecting worker’s rights and, later, the symbol of resistance against the People’s Republic.

Szczecin
Szczecin the historic capital of the West Pomerania region is situated at the beginning of the estuary of the Oder River (Odra), some 65 km from the Baltic Sea. Many centuries ago this region was the ducal territory of the aristocratic Griffin dynasty and the scene of stormy history which saw the numerous incorporations of Szczecin into other countries, Sweden, Prussia and Poland.

Zielona Gora
Tourists visiting this city will find many attractions here. The city boasts an abundance of history and tradition. Known also as the “City of Wine”, it certainly has a unique atmosphere. The picturesque Old Town and Wine Hill with its Palm House are only a few of the many sites that are associated with the history of the city and visitors are immediately captivated by its charm and the omnipresent grapevine motif.

Wroclaw
Wrocław is full of monuments of its thousand years of history. Today it is also one of the booming Polish cities.

Opole
The centre of Opole has preserved its historical urban layout which originated from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries and is referred to as the Silesian chessboard.

Katowice
The city of Katowice is the centre of cultural and economic life in Upper Silesia (Gorny Slask), a region in south eastern Poland. A visit to Katowice is for those interested in an industrial environment, as this city is the cradle of Polish industry. Take a walk down its streets and you will see evidence of 19th century industrial buildings mixed together with more modern constructions.

Krakow
Krakow, famous for its priceless historical monuments of culture and art, is Poland’s former royal capital and one of the most attractive spots on the tourist map of Europe.

Krakow, the historic capital of the kings who resided at the Wawel castle, is today Poland’s cultural and entertainment centre – it contains one quarter of the country’s museums. The city’s bars and restaurants are too numerous to count.

In Wroclaw, apart from the historic buildings of Ostrow Tumski, the Church of St Elizabeth and the Leopoldynska Hall, you can also see the post-modernist Hall of the Century, a reinforced concrete structure which was the most contemporary building of its time.

The Polish urban landscape is created not only by the giant cities, but also – and maybe most especially – by smaller towns. The country’s small provincial towns were rudely dismissed by the poet Andrzej Bursa. Was he right? Absolutely not! These places are exceptional.

Kazimierz Dolny, a town beloved by artists on the Vistula river. Sandomierz, with its numerous monuments standing above a maze of cellars carved out of the rock. Suwalki, with a street lined with buildings from the time of the Congress Kingdom. The military town of Borne Sulinowo, which for 40 years was not shown on any Polish map.

Then there is Plock, with its Romanesque cathedral and castle on the high banks of the Vistula, and Pultusk, with the longest marketplace in Europe. Next we have Biecz, an architectural miracle dating back 400 years, built from the profits of the local trade in Hungarian wine. Finally, there is Chelmno, an exemplary Teutonic Order town, which has retained its medieval layout and has not been disfigured by modern architecture and is also a Mecca for lovers (relics of St. Valentine can be found there).

Rzeszow
Rzeszow has been a city welcoming to visitors for almost 700 years. Its oldest written records date back to 1354, when the medieval city Resovia was granted civic rights.

Lublin
Lublin through centuries has given a noble example of tolerance; the town has been inhabited by Jews, the Rusins from Belarusia, Ukraine, Lithuania, the native inhabitants of these lands, Protestants, Catholics and other nationalities.

Bialystok
The history of Białystok is strongly connected with the history of one of the most affluent families in the Republic of Poland, the Branicki family.

Olsztyn
Olsztyn is situated in the southern part of Warmia on the river Łyna, within the boundaries of Olsztyńskie Lakeland. There are 15 lakes situated within the borders of Olsztyn, among numerous frontal moraines which were formed during the last glaciations.

Kielce
Located in the heart of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Kielce is the economic and tourist center of the region. Many tourist trails linking monuments from different periods of Polish history cross in Kielce.

Lodz
Łódź, the largest city in Poland, aside from Warsaw, is a cultural phenomenon and a fascinating place inhabited by distinguished artists, scientists and industrialists. It is a modern city deeply rooted in tradition. A city of the multicultural heritage of Poles, Germans, Jews and Russians.

Poznan
Poznań is perceived as the historical capital of Greater Poland — a region in central-western Poland. In terms of population, it’s the fifth largest Polish city.

Bydgoszcz
The city with its centuries-old traditions is a popular tourist destination thanks to its attractive location on the river and canals running through its centre. Bydgoszcz places growing emphasis on water, since the daily life, cultural, sports and business activities of the city take place in the immediate proximity of the River Brda.

Toruń
The Old and the New Town in Toruń, with the Teutonic Castle, were entered on the UNESCO list of the most important historic sites of world cultural heritage in 1997.

Warszawa (Warsaw)
The capital of Poland is a meeting place for politicians, economists and artists of all nationalities. Warsaw’s 1.7 million inhabitants are known for their sense of humour and hard-working tradition. It took them 15 years, with the help of the entire nation, to rebuild their beloved city — 84% of which was razed to the ground during World War II.