Poland is well known for its medieval architecture and Jewish heritage. This beautiful country can be visited all year round and has something special for every season of the year. In summertime you can spend your days on one of the many beaches along the Baltic sea and in wintertime you can hit the slopes for some excellent skiing. Continue reading to find out which places you can’t miss on your trip to Poland.
Facts
- Capital: Warsaw
- Language: Polish
- Currency: Zloty (1 € ≅ 4.3 PLN)
- Part of EU: Yes
- Population: 38.6 million
- Size: 312.679 km² (7.5 times Holland)
- Daylight saving time: Yes
- Visas: Not required for most European citizens. Part of Schengen
- Best time to visit: May – Sep (European summer)
- Visited: 2012
Krakow
Krakow is a great place to start your Poland trip. It’s an awesome city and also well connected via the cheaper airlines. From the airport it’s a short walk to the train station which leads you to the centre of Krakow. My Polish friend was already waiting for me when I reached the city centre. We met a year ago in Cuba and I finally had a spare week to visit Poland and pay my friend a visit. The best way to immerse yourself in a new city and culture is to be shown around by a local. You get to know their culture, the best places for local food, their way of living, and first-hand experience with so many things which helps you to travel through their country and see the best spots. Just perfect!
The courtyard of Wawel castle.
A rainy day in Krakow, but that doesn’t stop me from exploring this city!
I’m sure the main square is packed during summertime.
The wonderful Old Town is an ideal starting point. The main square of the Old Town, Rynek Główny, at roughly 4000 m2 in size is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. The twin-towered St Mary’s Basilica is one of the highlights of this square.
The striking St Mary’s Basilica.
Krakow has many beautiful churches.
Great architecture and the rain has stopped as well!
Another great place to visit in Krakow is the Wawel castle. It’s a dominant feature in the landscape of Krakow and a suburb place to learn about the Polish history and culture. It’s so much fun to wander around Krakow, the medieval architecture is just so beautiful. St. Joseph’s church is another great example of its wonderful architecture.
I love this kind of streets!
Having drinks in Kazimierz!
Lovely street.
The Jewish district Kazimierz is full of great restaurants and bars. This enchanting place is popular among locals and tourists. I had here one of my best meals in Krakow. Polish food is delicious, cheap and quite heavy. Needless to say; the beers are cheap too! The perfect combination for me!
Flower Power Car!
St. Joseph’s church.
I really fell in love with Krakow; this city ranks high on my list of favorite cities in Europe.
Wieliczka & Auschwitz
Two rewarding trips which you can do as a day-trip out of Krakow are the concentration camp Auschwitz and the salt mine of Wieliczka. I wrote a separate post about Auschwitz which you can read here. The town of Wieliczka can by reach by bus or train from Krakow in about 30 – 45 min.
Welcome to Wieliczka!
Left: Entrance of the salt mine – Right: Nearby church
The salt mine has a history of more than 700 years where tens of generations of miners worked hard to build an underground metropolis with extensive infrastructure. The mine is a very important part of the Polish culture. You can go here for underground concerts, theater shows and exhibitions. All this takes place deep, deep under the ground. Fascinating!
You will find many chapels in the salt mine.
One of the biggest chambers under the ground.
Painting carved out in rock salt.
During your visit you will see chambers, sculptures, chapels and many more incredible things which are chiseled out in rock salt. You have to descend quite some steps to reach these 135m underground corridors.
Just amazing!
You will encounter quite some steps and lifts underground.
Such a great trip! You can get your tickets for the salt mine here.
Warsaw
The capital of Poland can’t be missed on your trip. Warsaw is a sprawling city full with varied architecture, pastel buildings and booming nightlife. You can reach Warsaw by train from Krakow in about 2.5 – 3 hrs.
A park in Warsaw.
The main square with its pastel buildings.
Majestic architecture in Warsaw.
The capital feels majestic! The main square, Old Town and streets are filled with heaps of colorful buildings. The royal castle of Warsaw is stunning! Its interior is just majestic.
This row of buildings feels a bit like Amsterdam.
I love it to get lost and just wander around Warsaw.
A good example of why I love Warsaw.
If you’re into museums and classic music then the Chopin museum should also be on your list. Warsaw has also many monuments related to the war which are of great importance to understand the Polish culture and history.
The royal castle of Warsaw.
The interior of the royal castle.
More stunning streets!
After a few great days in Warsaw where I met some fun people it was time to head back to Krakow before I flew back to Holland.
Krasiński Palace.
War monument.
Barbican city wall.
Left: Barbican city wall – Right: Palace of Culture and Science
So, that’s it, Poland in a nutshell! A fantastic country, full of history, friendly people and great food. I’m sure I will be back, but next time I will wait for summertime 😉
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