Poland is stuffed with gems ready so that you can uncover. In case you make a journey to the nation, you’re sure to cease within the capital Warsaw or the second-biggest metropolis, Krakow. Each are filled with unimaginable structure, form individuals and scrumptious Polish meals like pierogi and potato pancakes.
As certainly one of Europe’s largest international locations, there’s a lot extra to find you probably have additional time to discover. Every area is extraordinarily completely different from its neighbours as a result of its complicated historical past and you will note this whenever you journey by way of the nation. Poland was partitioned for 123 years, so take a highway journey throughout the nation and also you’ll see influences from Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia on the regional structure.
From the seashores of the Baltic Sea within the north to the rocky peaks of the Tatra Mountains within the south, Poland has a various panorama that nature lovers are positive to fall for. Are you into nightlife? Be part of the wild crowds of pub crawlers for an unforgettable night time in cities like Krakow and Wroclaw. Foodies will take pleasure in a mixture of conventional eating places, bakeries, and summertime avenue meals night time markets serving native treats. Listed here are 20 cities in Poland to hit in your journey this 12 months.
Cities In Poland
20 Greatest Polish Cities To Go to
1- Warsaw
There’s a great probability you’ll fly into Warsaw’s Chopin or Modlin airport whenever you arrive.
Also known as the phoenix metropolis as a result of its bouncing again from its darkish previous within the second world conflict, it’s Poland’s capital and largest metropolis.
Journey guides will direct you to Warsaw’s previous city, a reproduction of its former glory from earlier than the conflict. Nevertheless, you’d be remiss to not discover the opposite districts.
Take a stroll across the Muranów district, as soon as the house of Warsaw’s Jewish inhabitants.
Although they’re all however gone from the town at present, you possibly can nonetheless see traces of Jewish heritage within the neighbourhood.
Essentially the most distinctive attraction within the metropolis is the POLIN Museum, which paperwork the historical past of Polish Jews from their first arrival over half a millennium in the past to the current.
After the POLIN, take a hop-on hop-off bus tour around the city centre to get to know the place.
2- Kraków
Kraków (pronounced “crack-oov”) is Poland’s second-largest metropolis and a favorite amongst worldwide vacationers.
It’s acquired all the things you possibly can count on from a visit to a Central European metropolis: charming structure, low-cost drinks, and engaging meals.
Take a stroll across the metropolis and in some unspecified time in the future, you’ll find yourself within the Rynek Główny (major sq.) with its iconic St. Mary’s Basilica towering over the realm.
This sq. is house to Poland’s greatest Christmas markets in December, the place distributors promote handmade crafts, smoked cheese and mulled wine.
Come every other season and spend an evening mulling round Kazimierz.
The previous Jewish district is now a nightlife hub for locals and guests.
Right here you may get a number of the most cost-effective beers in any Polish metropolis, plus wonderful native avenue meals just like the legendary zapiekanka (a scrumptious toasted baguette loaded with a wide range of toppings like a pizza).
Many varieties of historic strolling excursions or river cruises can be found relying in your pursuits. Check them out here.
3- Wrocław
Keep in mind once we mentioned you possibly can see all of Poland’s influences in its cities?
Wrocław is the place to see the German affect, evident within the metropolis’s major sq.’s previous Prussian structure.
Whereas most eating places provide typical Polish pierogi and kielbasa, the town’s bakeries promote big pretzels, which you’ll be able to’t discover in Warsaw.
After spending just a few hours across the metropolis centre, you’ll rapidly discover one of many metropolis’s many quirks: gnomes!
Since 2005, they’ve put in over 200 bronze gnome statues.
Every of those gnomes has a singular look, and an inventive expression of the struggles Wrocław’s residents have borne over time.
Rent a information that will help you discover all of them here.
Visiting in the summertime? You possibly can catch Poland’s greatest worldwide movie pageant, Nowe Horyzonty (New Horizons).
The ten-day pageant is for hardcore cinema lovers and has been hailed by administrators as a competitor with the Cannes pageant.
In case you missed the pageant, their cinema (additionally named New Horizons) exhibits films year-round.
4- Poznań
Among the best cities in Western Poland and solely 2.5 hours from Warsaw by practice, Poznań is youthful and teeming with life.
In case you’re spending a while within the previous city, take note of the clock tower.
Two mechanical Poznań Goats come out and butt heads, signifying the highest of the hour.
Moreover mechanical goats and gnomes, Poznań is most well-known for croissants.
Sure, you heard that proper. Nevertheless, Rogal świętomarciński (St. Martin’s croissant) is a bit completely different.
This cousin of the croissant is a tasty fall deal with filled with icing, nuts, and white poppy seeds.
They’re mostly produced in early November, however come any season, and also you’ll discover them.
Take a walking tour and get to know Poznań’s historical past and tradition.
5- Gdańsk
No, the G isn’t silent. It’s pronounced precisely because it appears to be like.
Gdańsk is the most important of Poland’s tri-cities, which stand on the northern Baltic coast.
A former Prussian metropolis, it appears to be like extra like Amsterdam than Warsaw with its tall, slim homes and canals.
Whereas attractive, the town’s historic centre is hardly half the expertise.
Hop on the tram to the Wrzeszcz district, the place cafes and vegan eating places are considerable.
Take a day stroll by way of Park Oliwski, a surprising inexperienced house the place vacationers hardly ever go.
Don’t miss the European Solidarity Heart, a museum devoted to the rise of the Solidarność (Solidarity) motion.
Born within the Gdańsk shipyard exterior the museum’s doorways, this labour motion ultimately led to the top of communism in Poland. Book your walking tour here.
6- Gdynia
The second largest tri-city member and the second hardest to pronounce, Gdynia is a good place to flee the town hustle and bustle of close by Gdańsk and Sopot.
It will get probably the most consideration in late June when individuals swarm the town for the Open’er Competition.
Poland’s response to Coachella, it’s the nation’s greatest open-air music occasion with big-ticket names from all over the world and Poland.
Earlier than there have been each day flights between Warsaw and the world, there have been large ships of Poles emigrating to America, Argentina, and past.
Virtually each particular person in Poland’s large diaspora handed by way of Gdynia’s port.
At the moment, you possibly can go to the town’s Emigration Museum to study the place Poland’s neighborhood manifested internationally and the individuals who made the plunge for a greater life overseas. Find out more here.
7- Łódź
In case you thought “Gdańsk” was a mouthful, this one will stump you.
Situated proper within the centre of Poland, Łódź (pronounced “wooch”) will get extra complicated whenever you discover out this landlocked metropolis’s identify means “boat.”
Past that, it’s a stunning metropolis that’s price your time. Take a walking tour here.
You possibly can simply take a day trip from Warsaw to find one of many coolest cities in Poland.
Tour operators present door-to-door transport service, plus trains between the 2 depart hourly.
This isn’t some provincial city. Łódź is the third-largest metropolis in Poland and is house to Europe’s longest business avenue.
That’s proper, Piotrkowska avenue is longer than London’s Oxford Avenue and the Champs d’Elysee in Paris.
The town was pivotal in certainly one of Poland’s greatest inventive exports: cinema.
Each nice Polish director, together with Roman Polanski and Krzysztof Kieslowski, acquired their begin on the Łódź Movie College and made big strides within the worldwide scene.
Go to the college’s museum to study extra in regards to the wealthy historical past of Polish artwork home cinema.
8- Augustów
This city in Poland’s northeast is a wonderland filled with forests and lakes.
It’s an ideal cease when you’re taking a highway journey additional to Lithuania.
Augustów is immensely standard amongst Polish households within the summertime.
They arrive in camper vans and barbecue by lakes.
There are tons of outside actions ready for you, together with hikes by way of the forest and ropes programs.
You possibly can hit the lakes in a kayak, canoe, or rented motorboat.
Seek for actions to e-book in Augustów right here.
9- Zakopane
Zakopane is lovingly known as Poland’s winter capital, however there’s one thing for everybody each time of the 12 months.
Come within the chilly climate and see charming wood homes lined in snow and the large, rocky peaks of the Tatra mountains within the skyline.
Poles come by the 1000’s in January and February to spend their winter holidays snowboarding.
Learn extra about snowboarding choices in Zakopane here and benefit from the thermal pools.
A number of world-class resorts are situated all through the city. Deal with your self to certainly one of their spas or go to the Beernarium, a beer-themed spa!
When the snow melts, Zakopane is a well-liked jumping-off level for hikers. Go to well-known spots like Giewont, a peak that appears like a sleeping big, or Morskie Oko, a surprising, clear lake in the course of the mountains.
Learn extra about trails close to Zakopane.
10- Katowice
An hour away from Krakow, this southern Polish metropolis is a big cultural hub not frequented by vacationers.
It’s straightforward to achieve, with finances carriers like Ryanair and Wizzair working each day flights to the town from European cities.
It’s one of many largest cities in Silesia, a area that has modified fingers a number of occasions over the centuries and whose tradition bears a lot German affect.
It’s a UNESCO music metropolis as a result of its historical past as an essential place for inventive minds.
This custom remains to be sturdy, as Katowice hosts many music occasions year-round.
One of many greatest is OFF Competition, an occasion that places the underground on high with a lineup filled with indie rock, experimental hip hop, and digital artists.
Check out more attractions and tours in the city here.
11- Lublin
Lublin is a metropolis in Jap Poland on the best way to the Ukrainian border.
You’ll love its picturesque cobblestone streets and previous tenement buildings that line the slim streets.
The previous city is price seeing, because it’s well-preserved and fairly completely different from the Gothic and Prussian appearances of many Polish cities.
A tour of Lubin wil take you thru the town’s streets, the citadel, and the location of the Majdanek Focus Camp close to the town.
Like lots of the locations we’ve touched on, Lublin has its personal particular pastry and even a museum devoted to it!
On the Cebularz Museum, you possibly can study in regards to the tasty deal with referred to as cebularz, a flat, spherical pastry lined with onions and sprinkled with poppy seeds.
You’ll even make and style your personal!
Examine cebularz and the museum right here.
12- Rzeszów
One other robust one to pronounce (strive “zhesh-oov”) that’s very a lot price your time.
Rzeszów is a medium-sized metropolis tucked in Poland’s southeast nook that guests to Poland usually neglect.
This ought to vary quickly, as the town grows with new eating places and pubs yearly.
It’s changing into a much bigger vacation spot for Erasmus alternate college students, too.
If you wish to see Poland’s primary metropolis on the rise, that is it.
Take pleasure in all the fantastic thing about a Polish metropolis with out loopy crowds.
Rzeszów’s market sq. resembles Lublin’s, minus the noisy foot site visitors.
Step again in time by visiting the Muzeum Dobranocek.
Although it appears like a child’s exhibit, the museum is a time capsule devoted to preserving the reminiscence of cartoons from Poland’s communist interval.
13- Szczecin
Within the reverse nook of the nation from Rzeszów is Szczecin, a metropolis that’s extra often visited by vacationers from Germany than Warsaw.
Although very near the Baltic, it’s not fairly a coastal metropolis. Nevertheless, it’s located on the Szczecin Lagoon, which ultimately results in the ocean.
Seafood lovers will benefit from the metropolis as there are many conventional eating places across the metropolis serving reasonably priced fish dishes, and food tours will set you in the appropriate route.
One among Poland’s most iconic items of structure stands proudly simply exterior Szczecin’s metropolis centre.
You’ll instantly recognise the philharmonic with its jagged, white edges that mild up at night time.
Examine their program in your go to. Tickets are sometimes accessible as much as the day of the efficiency and are fairly reasonably priced in comparison with philharmonics all over the world. To get your bearings, book this walking tour.
14- Przemyśl
Przemyśl (pronounced “pshe-mishl) is a city in Jap Poland located proper earlier than the Ukrainian border.
It has certainly one of Poland’s most completely preserved previous cities and has but to be spoiled by tourism.
Most outsiders who cease by hardly ever depart the practice station (although it’s a attractive sight to see itself!), because it’s a stopover level for trains connecting Warsaw and Kraków to Lviv and Kyiv.
Be the primary of your folks to go to Łancut Citadel (pronounced “wan-soot”), simply an hour away from the town by automobile.
It’s certainly one of Central Europe’s most stunning castles, with its elegant design and a set of horse carriages on show.
This tour of the eastern castles and Przemysl is price doing.
15- Częstochowa
Częstochowa (pronounced “chensto-hova”) is a city in south-central Poland.
It’s mostly generally known as the Polish Vatican as a result of its significance within the Polish Catholic Church, of which greater than half the nation are religious followers.
Whether or not you’re catholic or not, although, the town is price trying out and be sure you pay a go to to Jasna Góra, the town’s declare to fame.
It’s a monastery within the centre that homes the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, a well-known piece of Catholic iconography.
Day trips from nearby Kraków take you across the metropolis, and at all times cease on the monastery so you possibly can see the icon.
Deal with your self to some good ‘ole Polish meals at Gospoda Kwaśnica, within the metropolis centre.
It was as soon as featured on a TV present by Magda Gessler (also known as Poland’s Gordon Ramsey), who gave the place a facelift and now it’s one of many highest-rated eateries on the town.
16- Sanok
Sanok is one other hidden gem within the oft-forgotten southeastern nook of Poland.
Poles understand it very effectively because the gateway to the Bieszczady Mountains, a spread that straddles the border between Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia.
Half the nation passes by way of Sanok on their method to these mountains each summer time or lengthy weekend, with many stopping and admiring the centre.
The centre is quaint, however the very best half lies throughout the partitions of the city’s citadel.
You could have heard of Polish painter Zdzisław Beksiński.
If not, you’ll certainly acknowledge a few of his eerie items in his gallery at Sanok citadel.
His works are fantastical photographs that make your pores and skin crawl, however you possibly can’t deliver your self to look away.
Study extra in regards to the Sanok Citadel gallery right here, and take a look at this information to mountain climbing within the close by Bieszczady Mountains.
17- Bialystok
Białystok is a mid-sized metropolis northeast of Warsaw.
It will get a variety of site visitors, as many individuals move by way of right here, driving between Poland, Belarus, and the Baltic states.
Don’t be like the remainder of the group – cease by for an evening or two, join a walking tour of the old town and also you’ll be delighted.
The town centre is full of life on weekends and summer time nights when the scholars go house.
The realm can also be an excellent jumping-off level for day journeys.
From right here, you possibly can hit Białowieża Nationwide Park, house to Europe’s largest bison inhabitants.
You’ll want a information to get near the wild bison, and you will discover them here.
One most likely doesn’t take into consideration Islamic heritage when planning a visit to Poland, and even the vast majority of Poles don’t know that Muslim communities reside on the sting of their nation for nearly 800 years!
Poland’s Tatar neighborhood lived within the borderlands defending the land from invaders for a very long time, and their small communities nonetheless preserve their traditions sturdy.
Go to the beautiful wood mosques in Kruszyniany and Bohoniki, study a bit about Tatar tradition and even style some meals.
18- Toruń
This Polish metropolis proudly flaunts its most well-known resident, Nicolaus Copernicus.
A number of streets and buildings all through Poland are named in his honour, however that is his true house.
His childhood house nonetheless stands within the centre, which you’ll be able to go to to study extra about him.
Toruń is thought amongst Poles because the nation’s gingerbread capital.
Each fall, individuals go to the town to get a few of their well-known candy treats (generally known as “piernik” in Polish).
You possibly can go to the native historical past museum devoted to piernik, however throughout the previous city, you may get a bit of the motion on the LIVE piernik museum.
Right here, the exhibit features a piernik-baking class.
Book walking tours of the old town here.
19- Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a metropolis in north-central Poland.
It has a stunning metropolis centre that it is best to go to with a guided tour.
Whenever you’re performed, cease by certainly one of their many pierogi eating places or native breweries to refresh with some hearty Polish meals and a beer.
In case you’re coming from Warsaw, Olsztyn is the gateway to Masuria (“Mazury” in Polish).
It’s one of many high summer time locations for Poles throughout the nation, and lots of household highway journeys find yourself on this area generally known as the nation’s lake district.
Crusing and hanging out by the tons of of lakes is the primary pastime right here.
It’s an excellent place to chill off in summer time by taking a cool dip within the blue water.
Book a walking tour of the old town.
20- Oświęcim
This might not be the happiest place to place in your vacation itinerary, but it surely’s one thing you must see.
Oświęcim is thought higher internationally by its former German identify, Auschwitz, the location of the previous Nazi focus camp of the identical identify.
At the moment, the camp has been transformed into an open-air museum the place guests can study in regards to the atrocities dedicated there onsite.
Admission is free, however a number of operators present guided excursions with pickup in Kraków and different facilities like meals, which can take a number of hours and embody breaks.
Most overseas guests visit Auschwitz on the sting of city, however Oświęcim is a stunning city price a cease for a few hours.
You possibly can deal with your self to a espresso in certainly one of their bohemian cafes or get a chunk at a Polish restaurant.
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