Poland Travel Guide

The Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska), at the center of Europe, covers an area comparable to that of New Mexico. Although it is characterized primarily by lowland plains, its landscape includes mountain ranges, freshwater lake districts, primeval forests and more than 325 miles of seacoast. The dry continental climate makes for pleasant and rather temperate weather. The population stands at about 40 million. Poland, a parliamentary republic, is integrating its economic system with a flourishing market economy, and has achieved one of Europe's highest gross domestic product growth rates.

Warsaw, the capital, abounds in memorable attractions: the Old Town, the Barbican defense walls, the Royal Castle, the baroque glories of Wilanów and the Ghetto Memorial. The city's splendor was lovingly restored after World War II. Today, Warsaw is the exciting center of the country's economic revitalization.

Kraków was long Poland's capital. Its history, said to have begun at the end of the 10th century, reached a zenith under Casimir the Great in the 14th century. In 1977, the city's spiritual leader, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, was elected Pope John Paul II. A tour is an unforgettable step into the past, from Wawel Hill with its palace and coronation chapel, to the grand Market Square ringed by St. Mary's Church, the Cloth Hall and Jagiellonian University, whose illustrious students include the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

Gdansk is where a series of shipyard strikes in 1980 gave birth to the Solidarity movement. The city has been restored to its medieval grandeur. Among the attractions are the Neptune Fountain, Town Hall, the picturesque waterfront and the Solidarity Monument at the former Lenin Shipyard. Zakopane, a year-round resort center, is surrounded by the snow-capped Tatras, the high peaks of the Carpathian range. Long a mecca for sportsmen, it attracts hikers, campers and skiers.

The Mazurian Lake District is a favorite vacation area. This complex of 1,000 lakes of Ice Age origin is interconnected by canals. The area also abounds in nature preserves.

Travel to Poland:

Travel to Poland:

Featured Destinations from Europe

Neuss: Germany

Neuss: Germany Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine right opposite to Düsseldorf. Population: 150,000. History of Neuss Neuss was founded by the Romans in the year 16 BC as a military outpost (castellum) south of the city on the confluence of the rivers Rhine

Höganäs : Sweden

Höganäs is a municipality and town in Scania in southernmost Sweden. The municipality covers an area of 143.8 km². Of the total population of 22639, 11105 are male, and 11534 are female. The population density of the community is 157 inhabitants per km².

Iglesias : Italy

Iglesias (pop. 29,075) is a comune of Carbonia-Iglesias province in Sardinia, Italy. Situated at 620 ft in the hills in the southwest of Sardinia, it is a center of a mining district, with lead, zinc, and silver being extracted, as well as for the distillation of sulfuric acid. Iglesias' cathedral dates

Tekirda?: Turkey

Tekirda?: Turkey

Novo mesto : Slovenia

Novo mesto is a municipality and town in the Republic of Slovenia. According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia it covers a total area of 298.5 km². Census data According to the census of 2002, it has 40,925 inhabitants, 20,017 male and 20,908 female. The average age of the

Hanko (Hangö in Swedish): Finland

Hanko, (Hangö in Swedish) in Finland is a small bilingual port town on the south coast of Finland, 130 kilometers west of Helsinki. The town was founded in 1874. Its current population is 10,008 (2002), with 44.8% being Finland-Swedish. The Hanko Peninsula, on which the town is located, is the southernmost

Blansko : Czech Republic

Blansko is city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has 21,386 inhabitants.

Pezinok : Slovakia

Pezinok (Hungarian: Bazin, German: Bösing) is a city in southwestern Slovakia. It is roughly 20 km northeast of Bratislava and has an area of around 73 km². Pezinok has a population of 21,865.

Gondomar : Portugal

Gondomar is a parish and a city located east in Portugal's Oporto metropolitan area with a population of 25,717, the municipality has 12 parishes and a population of 163,574. Another important cities in the Gondomar municipality are Rio Tinto and Valbom. Is well known by its jewelry industry. Gondomar's mayor is Valentim Loureiro. Gondomar

Roscrea : Ireland

Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, located near the midlands of Ireland. The placename comes from the Irish with Ros Cré meaning "wood of Cré", Cré being a female name of olden times. Historically Roscrea has been an important trading town. The