Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

, Gdańsk,

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

, Szczecin, Lublin,

Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...

Zakopane Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...

, the Salt Mine in Wieliczka and the historic site of Auschwitz – A German

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

concentration camp in

Oświęcim Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rive ...

. The best recreational destinations include Poland's

Masurian Lake District The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland ( pl, Pojezierze Mazurskie; german: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masu ...

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

coast,

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the hi ...

(the highest mountain range of

Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...

), Sudetes and

Białowieża Forest Białowieża Forest; lt, Baltvyžių giria; pl, Puszcza Białowieska ; russian: Беловежская пуща, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a forest on the border between Belarus and Poland. It is one of the last and largest remaining pa ...

's main tourist offers consist of sightseeing within cities, historical monuments,

natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...

s, business trips,

agrotourism Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Types A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...

bicycle touring Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Bicycle touring can range from single-day trips to extended travels spanning weeks or months. Tours may be ...

, qualified tourism, mountain

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

(

trekking Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back, while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey, and may involve camping outdoors. In North America tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain h ...

) and

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...

among others.

Overview

In the 21st century, Poland is one of the safest countries in Europe, frequently visited by tourists. Poland, especially after joining the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

in 2004 and acceding to the

Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...

in 2007, became a place frequently visited by tourists. Most tourist attractions in Poland are connected with natural environment, historic sites and cultural events. According to Tourist Institute's data, Poland was visited by 15.7 million tourists in 2006, and by 15 million tourists in 2007,Information about tourism in Poland (in Polish).
Source: Instytut Turystyki, 2008. out of the number of arrivals 66.2 million. In 2012, Poland was visited by 13.5 million foreign tourists (those who came during

Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...

, but did not stay overnight, were not included in official statistics). In 2013, Poland was visited by 15.8 million tourists. In 2016, the number of arrivals to Poland amounted to 80.5 million. 17.5 million of this number are arrivals considered for tourism purposes (with at least one night's stay). In 2019, Poland was visited by 21.4 million tourists, making it the 18th most visited country in the world.

History

The first Polish tourists were

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

s traveling to

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

s both within Poland and abroad. The development of commercial tourism began in the 19th century. The most popular regions were mountains, especially the

, explored for example by

Tytus Chałubiński Tytus Chałubiński (Radom, 29 December 1820 – 4 November 1889, Zakopane) was a Polish physician and co-founder of the Polish Tatra Society. Chałubiński established tuberculosis sanatoria in Zakopane, in the Tatra Mountains. He was a profes ...

. In 1873, the Polish Tatra Society and in 1909 the Polish Sightseeing Society were established to organize and develop tourism. The 19th century was also the time of the rapid appearance of spa resorts, mostly in Sudetes,

Beskids The Beskids or Beskid Mountains ( pl, Beskidy, cs, Beskydy, sk, Beskydy, rue, Бескиды (''Beskydŷ''), ua, Бескиди (''Beskydy'')) are a series of mountain ranges in the Carpathians, stretching from the Czech Republic in the west ...

and along the

coast, with some of them associated, since 1910, with the Polish Balneology Association. After Poland regained independence in 1918, Polish tourism boomed, and was encouraged by the government. The first professional Polish

tour operator A tour operator is a business that typically combines and organizes accommodations, meals, sightseeing and transportation components, in order to create a package tour. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, holidays and ...

, Orbis, was founded in Lwów in 1923, followed in 1937 by

Gromada Gromada is a Polish word meaning "gathering", "group", or "assembly". In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the term referred to a village organization which embraced all the inhabitants of a village and acted as a local authority, as well a ...

tourist organization and tour operator. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

all tourist organizations were

nationalized Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to p ...

by the new communist government. The Polish Tatra Society and Polish Sightseeing Society were combined into Polish Tourism-Sightseeing Society (PTTK) and most of the tourist infrastructure was handed over to the newly created Workers Vacations Fund (FWP). Tourism was limited to the

Comecon The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (, ; English abbreviation COMECON, CMEA, CEMA, or CAME) was an economic organization from 1949 to 1991 under the leadership of the Soviet Union that comprised the countries of the Eastern Bloc#List of s ...

countries. This was the era of governmentally-founded tourism, characterised by mass but low-standard tourism. A typical sight was a holiday campground with small bungalows managed by one of the state-owned companies. Holidays for children and teenagers were organized by Juventur. After the

fall of communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...

much of the infrastructure was

privatized Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...

, although many company-owned resorts were downgraded because of their unprofitability. The early 1990s saw the foundation of many new tour operators. Some of them prevailed and strengthened their position on the market, being able to compete with multinational tour operators.

Natural environment

Poland has a diversified natural environment, which is relatively unaffected by human development. There are 23

national parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

in the country that meet the criteria of the IUCN. Visitors are attracted by mountains, sea-coast with wide sandy beaches, and forests, lakes, rivers. Among the most popular destinations are:

, in which is the highest peak of Poland (

Rysy Rysy (; ; german: Meeraugspitze, hu, Tengerszem-csúcs) is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, eastern part of the Tatra Mountains, lying on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Rysy has three summits: the middle at ; the north-wester ...

) and the famous Orla Perć (old trail in the style of

via ferrata A via ferrata ( Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except ...

); Sudetes with Main Sudetes Trail (440 km from Świeradów Zdrój to

Prudnik Prudnik (, szl, Prudnik, Prōmnik, german: Neustadt in Oberschlesien, Neustadt an der Prudnik, la, Prudnicium) is a town in southern Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship near the border with the Czech Republic. It is the ...

Karkonosze The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše or Karkonosze (Czech: , Polish: , german: Riesengebirge) are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massi ...

, Table Mountains,

Owl Mountains The Owl Mountains ( pl, Góry Sowie, cs, Soví hory, german: Eulengebirge) are a mountain range of the Central Sudetes in southwestern Poland. It includes a protected area called Owl Mountains Landscape Park. Geography The Owl Mountains cover ...

;

Lower Silesian Wilderness Lower Silesian Forest ( pl, Bory Dolnośląskie, german: Niederschlesische Heide) is the largest continuous forest of Poland, with total area of 1650 square kilometers. It is located in southwestern Poland, in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and t ...

, Bieszczady,

Dunajec River Gorge The Dunajec River Gorge ( pl, Przełom Dunajca; sk, Prielom Dunajca; german: Dohnst-Schlucht) runs through the Pieniny Mountains in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia (as Dunajec is the border river between the two countries in the area ...

Pieniny The Pieniny (sometimes also the PieninsSzafer, Władysław. 2013. ''The Vegetation of Poland: International Series of Monographs in Pure and Applied Biology''. Warsaw: Pergamon Press, pp. 156, 388. or the Pienin Mountains,Griffiths, Graham C. D. ...

, Pojezierze Mazurskie and many others.

Tourist destinations

The Royal Road ''The Royal Road'' is a 2015 documentary film directed by Jenni Olson. The film premiered in the New Frontier section of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. In the film's voiceover, Olson reflects on her butch identity and experiences of unrequited ...

Tourist attractions in Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

Wrocław Zoo The Wrocław Zoological Garden, known simply as the Wrocław Zoo ( pl, Ogród Zoologiczny we Wrocławiu), is a zoo on Wróblewskiego Street in Wrocław, Poland. It is the oldest zoo in Poland, having been opened in 1865 as the Breslau Zoological G ...

(most frequently visited attraction in Poland) * Hunting on the

Wrocław's dwarfs Wrocław’s gnomes ( pl, krasnale) are small figurines (20-30 cm) that first appeared in the streets of Wrocław, Poland in 2005. Since then, their numbers have been continually growing, and today they are considered a tourist attraction: thos ...

* Wrocław Old Town including Ostrów Tumski with

Wrocław Cathedral The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wrocław, ( pl, Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela, german: Breslauer Dom, Kathedrale St. Johannes des Täufers), is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław and a landmark of the city of W ...

; Market Square with Wrocław Old City Hall;

Centennial Hall Centennial Hall (german: Jahrhunderthalle) may refer to: in Canada * Centennial Hall (London, Ontario), London, Ontario, Canada * Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada * Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, former name of TCU Place in ...

Wrocław Opera The Wrocław Opera ( Polish: ''Opera Wrocławska'') is an opera company and opera house in the Old Town of Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in t ...

* Old Town in Gdańsk *

Modernist Center of Gdynia Śródmieście ( meaning "city centre", "downtown") is the central borough ''(dzielnica)'' of the city of Gdynia. It borders the following districts: Oksywie, Obłuże, Pogórze (all three from the north), Chylonia, Leszczynki, Grabówek (all thre ...

* The Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań * Jewish Heritage Trail in Bialystok *

European Route of Brick Gothic The European Route of Brick Gothic (EuRoB) is an association of cities, towns, regions, municipalities and institutions that have Brick Gothic buildings in their territory or have their headquarters in a Brick Gothic building. The network also incl ...

Białowieża National Park '' , iucn_category = II , photo = Bialowieza National Park in Poland0029.JPG , photo_caption = Fallen tree in the Białowieża Forest Park logo with European bison , map = Poland , relief = 1 , map_caption = Location in Poland , location = ...

* Karkonosze Mountains *

Kraków Old Town Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, Poland.Ingrid GustafsonLet's Go: Eastern EuropePublished by Macmillan, page 444. Let's Go Publications, 2008. It is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today and was the c ...

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum ( pl, Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau) is a museum on the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Oświęcim (German: ''Auschwitz''), Poland. The site includes the main concentration camp at Auschwi ...

Krasiński Palace The Krasiński Palace ( pl, Pałac Krasińskich), also known as the Palace of the Commonwealth, is a reconstructed Baroque palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Krasiński Square (''Plac Krasińskich''). Initially erected between 1677 and 1683 for the po ...

* 13th century

Wieliczka Salt Mine The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( pl, Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland. From Neolithic times, sodium chloride (table salt) was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka sa ...

Medieval Town of Toruń Medieval Town of Toruń ( pl, zespół staromiejski Torunia, links=no) is the oldest historic district of the city of Toruń. It is one of Poland's World Heritage Sites (added in 1997). According to UNESCO, its value lies in its being "a small h ...

* Old City of Zamość *

Wilanów Palace Wilanów Palace ( pl, Pałac w Wilanowie, ) is a former royal palace located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, Poland. Wilanów Palace survived Poland's partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish s ...

Jasna Góra Monastery The Jasna Góra Monastery ( pl, Jasna Góra , ''Luminous Mount'', hu, Fényes Hegy, lat, Clarus Mons) in Częstochowa, Poland, is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage. The image of the Black Mad ...

in Częstochowa * Cistercian Lubiąż Abbey * Cistercian

Krzeszów Abbey Krzeszów Abbey ( pl, Klasztor w Krzeszowie, german: Kloster Grüssau) is a historical Baroque Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów, Lower Silesia, Poland. The name ''Grüssau Abbey'' refers to a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 1947 in t ...

* Royal

Gniezno Cathedral The Royal Gniezno Cathedral (The Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Shrine of St. Adalbert, pl, Bazylika Archikatedralna Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny i Sanktuarium św. Wojciecha) is a Bri ...

Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland The wooden churches of southern Lesser Poland () of the UNESCO inscription are located in Binarowa, Blizne, Dębno, Haczów, Lipnica Murowana, and Sękowa ( Lesser Poland Voivodeship or Małopolska). There are in fact many others of the region wh ...

* Wooden Churches of Peace in

Jawor Jawor (german: Jauer) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,890 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975 to 1998 it was in the former Legnica Voivodeship). It is the seat of Jawor County, and lies appr ...

and

Świdnica Świdnica (; german: Schweidnitz; cs, Svídnice; szl, Świdńica) is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. As of 2019, it has a population of 57,014 inhabitants. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh large ...

* Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska *

Poznań Old Town Poznań Old Town is the centermost neighbourhood of the city of Poznań in western Poland, covering the area of the once walled medieval city of Poznań. It is called ''Stare Miasto'' in Polish, although that name may also refer to the wider admi ...

and its Ostrów Tumski, Poznań *

Mount Ślęża Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

in the Sudetes *

Kłodzko Fortress Kłodzko Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Kłodzko, german: Festung Glatz) is a unique fortification complex of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwestern Poland. The fortress once was one of the biggest strongholds in Prussian Silesia, however, in ...

complex * Pszczyna Palace *

Augustów Canal be, Аўгустоўскі канал , image = Bulwar w Augustowie.JPG , image_caption = Augustów Canal in Augustów , original_owner = , engineer = Ignacy Prądzyński , other_engineer = Jan Chrzciciel de Grandvil ...

with sluices * Benedictine Abbey in

Tyniec Tyniec is a historic village in Poland on the Vistula river, since 1973 a part of the city of Kraków (currently in the district of Dębniki). Tyniec is notable for its Benedictine abbey founded by King Casimir the Restorer in 1044. Etymology T ...

Muskau Park Muskau Park (german: Muskauer Park, officially: ''Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau''; pl, Park Mużakowski) is a landscape park in the Upper Lusatia region of Germany and Poland. It is the largest and one of the most famous English gardens in Ce ...

shared with Germany *

Palace on the Isle The Palace on the Isle ( pl, Pałac Na Wyspie), also known as Baths Palace ( pl, Pałac Łazienkowski), is a classicist palace in Warsaw's Royal Baths Park, the city's largest park, occupying over 76 hectares of the city center. From 1674 the pr ...

Frombork Frombork (; german: Frauenburg ) is a town in northern Poland, situated on the Vistula Lagoon in Braniewo County, within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 2,260. The town was first mentioned in a 13th-centur ...

Cathedral * Łańcut Palace *

Kozłówka Palace Kozłówka Palace (pronounced: , Polish: ''Pałac w Kozłówce'') is a large rococo and neoclassical palace complex of the Zamoyski family in Kozłówka, Lubartów County, Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland. The palace was built between 1 ...

* Historic town of

Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Prov ...

Kazimierz Dolny Kazimierz Dolny () is a small historic town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern) bank of the Vistula river in Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland, and in the past it was one of the most important citi ...

* National Museum in

* Seaside resort of

Sopot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest ci ...

* Branicki Palace * Historic town of

Kłodzko Kłodzko (; cz, Kladsko; german: Glatz; la, Glacio) is a historic town in south-western Poland, in the region of Lower Silesia. It is situated in the centre of the Kłodzko Valley, on the Eastern Neisse river. Kłodzko is the seat of Kłodzko ...

Elbląg Canal Elbląg Canal (; pl, Kanał Elbląski ; german: Oberländischer Kanal) is a canal in Poland, in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in length, which runs southward from Lake Drużno (connected by the river Elbląg to the Vistula Lagoon), to the river ...

* Spa town of

Kudowa-Zdrój Kudowa-Zdrój (german: Bad Kudowa, cz, Chudoba), or simply Kudowa, is a town located below the Table Mountains in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in the southwestern part of Poland. It has a population of around 10,000 and is loca ...

Palace of the Kraków Bishops in Kielce The Palace of the Kraków Bishops in Kielce ( pl, Pałac Biskupów Krakowskich w Kielcach), was built in the 17th century as a summer residence of bishops of Kraków in Kielce, Poland. The architecture of the palace constitutes a unique mélange o ...

* Historic town of

Wadowice Wadowice (; ger, Frauenstadt – Wadowitz) is a town in southern Poland, southwest of Kraków with 19,200 inhabitants (2006), situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Foothills (Pogórze Śląskie). W ...

Czartoryski Museum The Princes Czartoryski Museum ( pl, Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich ) – often abbreviated to Czartoryski Museum – is a historic museum in Kraków, Poland, and one of the country's oldest museums. The initial collection was formed in 1796 in P ...

* National Museum in

* Święta Lipka Basilica * Historical town of Przemyśl * Seaside resort of Kołobrzeg *

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre Juliusz Słowacki Theatre ( pl, Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego w Krakowie) is a 19th-century Eclectic theatre-opera house in the heart of Kraków, Poland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Erected in 1893, it was modeled after some of the best ...

Ląd Abbey Ląd Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Ląd, Poland. It currently houses a seminary, the Higher Seminary of the Salesian Society, run by the Salesian order. On 1 July 2009, Ląd Abbey was designated an official Polish Historic Monument. ...

* Historic town of

Jelenia Góra Jelenia Góra (pron. ; Polish: ; german: Hirschberg im Riesengebirge; Exonym: ''Deer Mountain''; szl, Jelyniŏ Gōra) is a historic city in southwestern Poland, within the historical region of Lower Silesia. Jelenia Góra is situated in the Low ...

; known as "the winter capital of Poland" * Spa town of

Karpacz Karpacz (German: ''Krummhübel'') is a spa town and ski resort in Jelenia Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland, and one of the most important centres for mountain hiking and skiing, including ski jumping. Its population ...

Royal Baths Park Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

* Collegiate Church of St. Mary and St. Alexius in Tum * Pławniowice Palace *

Project Riese Riese (; German for "giant") was the code name for a construction project of Nazi Germany between 1943 and 1945. It consisted of seven underground structures in the Owl Mountains and Książ Castle in Lower Silesia, which was then Nazi Germany a ...

Wolf's Lair The ''Wolf's Lair'' (german: Wolfsschanze; pl, Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the small village of Görlitz in Ost ...

* WUWA

Castles

Wawel Royal Castle The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established on ...

* Royal Castle in

Niedzica Castle Niedzica Castle also known as Dunajec Castle ( lat, Castrum de Dunajecz, hu, Nedec Váralja / Nedec-Vár, german: Sub-Arx Unterschloss, sk, Nedecký hrad), is located in the southernmost part of Poland in Niedzica (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Po ...

* Malbork Castle * Baranów Sandomierski Castle *

Książ Castle Książ Castle ( pl, Zamek Książ, ; german: Schloss Fürstenstein) is a castle in northern Wałbrzych in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. The largest castle in the region of Silesia, it is the third-largest in Poland behind Malbork Castle ...

* Nowy Wiśnicz Castle *

Czocha Castle Czocha Castle (pronounced , german: Tzschocha, lat, Caychow) is a defensive castle in the village of Czocha ( Gmina Lesna), Lubań County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. The castle is located on the Lake Leśnia, near the ...

Moszna Castle The Moszna Castle ( pl, Pałac w Mosznej, german: Schloss Moschen) is a historic castle and palace located in the small village of Moszna, in southwestern Poland. Situated approximately south of the regional capital Opole, between the towns of Pr ...

* Ujazdowski Castle * Imperial Castle, Poznań *

Grodziec Castle Grodziec Castle (German: Gröditzburg or Gröditzberg) has a history dating back to 1155 and is located in the Silesia region of Poland. History The first confirmed reference of Grodziec comes from Pope Adrian IV's bull of April 23, 1155. In 1175 ...

Krasiczyn Castle Krasiczyn Castle ( pl, Zamek w Krasiczynie) is a Renaissance castle à la fortezza in Krasiczyn, southeastern Poland. It stands on a lowland at the right bank of the San River, along the Przemyśl-Sanok route and some 10 kilometres southwest of ...

* Pieskowa Skała *

Lidzbark Warmiński Castle The Lidzbark Castle ( pl, Zamek w Lidzbarku, german: Burg Heilsberg), officially known as Lidzbark Bishops' Castle, is a fortified castle and palace from the 14th century located in the town of Lidzbark Warmiński, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in ...

Kwidzyn Castle Kwidzyn Castle (german: Burg Marienwerder) is a large brick gothic castle in the town of Kwidzyn, Poland. It is an example of the Teutonic Knights' castle architecture. Description The castle is located by Gdańska Street (''Ulica Gdańska'' in ...

* Gołuchów Castle *

Kliczków Castle Kliczków Castle (german: Schloss Klitschdorf) is located in Kliczków in Poland. It was owned by the Solms-Baruth dynasty until 1942. History Kliczków was founded as a border fortress at the river Kwisa by Duke Bolko I of Jawor in 1297. In ...

* Golub-Dobrzyń Castle *

Krzyżtopór Krzyżtopór () is a castle located in the village of Ujazd, Iwaniska commune, Opatów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It was originally built by a Polish nobleman and Voivode of Sandomierz, Krzysztof Ossoliński (1587 ...

Ogrodzieniec Castle Ogrodzieniec Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Podzamcze, near Ogrodzieniec, the south-central region of Poland called Polish Jura. Originating in the 14th century the castle was rebuilt several times in its long history. It is situated o ...

Rzeszów Castle Rzeszów Castle is one of the main landmarks of Rzeszów. It was rebuilt between 1902 and 1906, and it is located on the former grounds of the castle of the House of Lubomirski. The castle is located between Aleja Pod Kasztanami and Aleja Lubomir ...

* Dunajec river castles *

Chojnik Castle Chojnik Castle (pronounced , german: Kynast, 1945–1948 pl, Chojnasty) is a castle located above the town of Sobieszów, today part of Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland. Its remains stand on top of the Chojnik hill () within the Karkonosze ...

Kórnik Castle Kórnik Castle (Polish: Zamek w Kórniku or Zamek Kórnicki) is a castle in the Polish town of Kórnik, which was constructed in the 14th century. The current neogothic design and remodeling was done in 1855 partly on the basis of architect Karl ...

* Bobolice Castle *

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

* Pomeranian Dukes' Castle, Szczecin * Bytów Castle *

Tenczyn Castle Tenczyn Castle, also known as ''Tęczyn Castle'', is a medieval castle in the village of Rudno, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Rudno in the Polish Jura, Poland. It was built as a seat of the powerful Tęczyński family. The castle fell into disrepair ...

Bolków Castle Bolków Castle is a castle located in Bolków on the Castle Hill ( pl, Wzgórze Zamkowe), with a 396 metres, where the hillside is cut by the Nysa Szalona river, with a sharp precipice (with a sudden drop of 90 metres); the eastern side of the hil ...

* Czersk Castle * Ciechanów Castle *

Lublin Castle The Lublin Castle ( pl, Zamek Lubelski) is a medieval castle in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preserved royal residencies in Poland, initially established by High Duke Casimi ...

Uniejów Uniejów is a spa town in Poddębice County, Łódź Voivodeship in central Poland, with 2,957 inhabitants (2020). It is the seat of the local government of Gmina Uniejów. The town lies in northwestern corner of Poddębice County, near the bo ...

Castle *

Darłowo Castle Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes - the only Gothic castle located on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Poland. The castle's formation is close to that of a square, with a tower measuring 24 metres in height. The castle's construction began in 1352, in ...

* Bielsko-Biała Museum and Castle *

Sanok Castle The Sanok Royal Castle was built in the late 14th century in Sanok, Poland. The castle is situated on the San River at hill 317 m above sea level on a steep slope. Today it is the seat of the Sanok Historical Museum. History The first mention of ...

* Dzików Castle

Cultural events

;Warsaw *

International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition The International Chopin Piano Competition ( pl, Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina), often referred to as the Chopin Competition, is a piano competition held in Warsaw, Poland. It was initiated in 1927 and has been held ev ...

Warsaw Autumn Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

Music Festival *

Warsaw International Film Festival Warsaw Film Festival ( pl, Warszawski Festiwal Filmowy, abbreviated as WFF) is an annual film festival held every October in Warsaw, Poland which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries from all around the world. The festival ha ...

* Jazz Jamboree *

Orange Warsaw Festival Orange Warsaw Festival is a Polish annual music festival. The first edition took place in 2008. Since 2010 it has been broadcast on television by TVN. It moved to the National Stadium in May 2013. The 2014 edition took place on 13–15 June 20 ...

* Ursynalia – Warsaw Student Festival * Festival of Jewish Culture in Warsaw * Warsaw Jewish Film Festival * Warsaw Comic Con *

Parada Równości Equality Parade ( pl, Parada Równości) is an LGBT community pride parade held in Warsaw since 2001, usually in May or June. It has attracted at least several thousand attendees each year; 20,000 attendees (the largest number of any year prio ...

;Kraków * Live Music Festival *

Kraków Film Festival The Kraków Film Festival ( pl, Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy) is one of Europe's oldest events dedicated to documentary, animation and other short film forms. It has been organised every year since 1961. The Artistic President of the festival is ...

Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków The Jewish Culture Festival in Kraków ( pl, Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej w Krakowie, yi, ייִדישער קולטור־פֿעסטיוואַל אין קראָקע) is an annual cultural event organized since 1988 in the once Jewish district of K ...

* Conrad Festival * Floating of the Wreaths (Wianki) *

Kraków Szopka Kraków szopki or nativity scenes (crib, crèche) ( pl, szopka krakowska) are a Christmas tradition originating from Kraków, Poland, and dating back to the 19th century. An unusual and characteristic feature of the szopka is the use of historic ...

Nativity Crèche Festival * International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima *

International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema ''Off Camera'' is a film festival held in Kraków, Poland, with up to 400 screenings annually, seminars, international stars, guests and jury. It is the first event of its kind in the country based o ...

Kraków Equality March Equality March in Kraków (Tolerance March before 2010) is an annual demonstration in Kraków, Poland, in the form of a Gay pride, street march of people opposed to Homophobia in Poland, homophobia and LGBT rights in Poland, discrimination again ...

;Wrocław *

Wratislavia Cantans The Andrzej Markowski International Festival Wratislavia Cantans is a music festival held every September in Wrocław and Lower Silesia, Poland, organized by the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music in Wrocław. The name ''Wratislavia Cantan ...

New Horizons Film Festival New Horizons Film Festival (previously: Era New Horizons; pl: Nowe Horyzonty) is an international film festival held annually in July in Wrocław, Poland. It has been organised since 2001. It is one of the biggest and most popular film festivals ...

* Festival of Good Beer *

American Film Festival American Film Festival is a film festival held annually in October in Wrocław, Poland. The first festival was held from 20 to 24 October 2010. The festival is organized by Stowarzyszenie Nowe Horyzonty and co-funded by the Wroclaw Municipality a ...

;Poznań * ANIMATOR (festival) *

Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition The International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition ( Polish: ''Międzynarodowy Konkurs Skrzypcowy im. Henryka Wieniawskiego'') is a competition for violinists up to age 30 that takes place every five years in Poznań, Poland, in honor of the v ...

* Malta Festival *

Poznań International Fair The Poznań International Fair (PIF, pl, Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie, MTP) is the biggest industrial fair in Poland. It is held on the Poznań fairground in Poland. Poznań International Fair is located in the centre of the city opposite ...

Short Waves Festival Short Waves Festival is an annual international short film film festival, festival held in Poznań, Poznań, Poland. Its main characteristic is inclusion of not only live-action, documentary and animated films, but also music videos, experimental ...

* Off Cinema Film Festival *

Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival is an international movie event held in Poznań in Poland since 1969. The festival focuses on more ambitious cinema addressed to children and young people. The main organizer of the festival is ' ...

;Tricity * St. Dominic's Fair in Gdańsk *

Sopot International Song Festival The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in S ...

Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Festi ...

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...

Gdynia Film Festival The Gdynia Film Festival (until 2011: Polish Film Festival, Polish: ''Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych w Gdyni'') is an annual film festival first held in Gdańsk (1974–1986), now held in Gdynia, Poland. It has taken place every year sinc ...

Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival is an international theatre festival devoted to the idea of the Elizabethan theatre, and especially to the works of William Shakespeare. The event was first organized in 1993, on the initiative of Theatrum Gedanense F ...

;Łódź *

Transatlantyk Festival The Transatlantyk Festival (previously: Transatlantyk - Poznań; International Film and Music Festival) is an annual film festival held in Łódź (from 2011 to 2015 in Poznań and Rozbitek, Poland). The founder and director of the festival is P ...

International Festival of Comics and Games International Festival of Comics and Games is held annually in Łódź at the Lodz Culture Centre. It is the largest Polish and assumed to be one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe comic con. In the beginning, the festival was called A ...

Soundedit Festival SOUNDEDIT (International Festival of Music Producers and Sound Designers SOUNDEDIT) − an annual, international festival dedicated to music producers and sound designers. Since its beginning in 2009, the festival has been taking place in Łódź ...

Łódź Design Festival Łódź Design Festival is an international festival of design taking place since 2007 in Łódź, Poland. It presents different faces of design including industrial design, arts and crafts design, graphic design, architectural design, servic ...

* Łódź Biennale ;Katowice *

Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors The Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors (Polish language, Polish: ''Międzynarodowy Konkurs Dyrygentów im. Grzegorza Fitelberga'') is one of Poland's premier conducting competitions. Named in honour of Grzegorz Fitelberg ( ...

Off Festival OFF Festival is an alternative music festival series held annually since 2006. Until 2009 it was held at Słupna Park in Mysłowice, Poland in August and lasts four days. OFF Festival from 2010 takes place in Katowice in Dolina Trzech Stawow. Th ...

in Katowice ;Other *

Camerimage The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...

Film Festival in

Pol'and'Rock Festival Pol'and'Rock Festival, formerly known as Woodstock Festival Poland, ( Polish: ''Przystanek Woodstock''; "Woodstock Station"; English-language materials often referred to it simply to the ''Woodstock Festival Poland'') is an annual free rock music ...

Kostrzyn nad Odrą Kostrzyn nad Odrą (literally Kostrzyn upon Oder) (; german: Küstrin ) is a town in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland, close to the border with Germany. Geography The town is situated within the historic Lubusz Land (''Ziemia ...

National Festival of Polish Song in Opole The National Festival of Polish Song in Opole ( pl, Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu, KFPP) is an annual music festival in Opole, Poland. Together with the Sopot Festival it is one of the two most important music festivals in Poland. The ...

* International Cycling Film Festival * Szczecin Festival of Contemporary Painting * Two Riversides Film and Art Festival in

Tourist resorts

There are dozens of sea resorts on the coast of

Wolin Wolin (; formerly german: Wollin ) is the name both of a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. Administratively, the island belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Wolin is separated from th ...

Island, located close to the German border and the coast of

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

. In southern Poland there are resorts for skiing and hiking in the

mountains, which is part of the Sudetes mountain range. Karkonosze includes the tourist centres of

and

Szklarska Poręba Szklarska Poręba (german: Schreiberhau) is a town in Jelenia Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. The town has a population of around 6,500. It is a popular ski resort. An important regional and national centre fo ...

. Other famous resorts for skiing and hiking include in Carpathian Mountains:

in the

Tatra mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the hi ...

; Szczyrk,

Krynica-Zdrój Krynica-Zdrój (until 31 December 2001 Krynica, rue, Крениця, uk, Криниця) is a town in Nowy Sącz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It is inhabited by over eleven thousand people. It is the biggest spa town in ...

Ustroń Ustroń (german: Ustron) is a health resort town in Cieszyn Silesia, southern Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been in Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship (1975–1998). It lies in the Silesian Beskids ...

Wisła Wisła (; german: Weichsel; cs, Visla) is a town in Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland, with a population of about 11,132 (2019), near the border with Czech Republic. It is situated in the Silesian Beskids mountain range in t ...

in the

Szczawnica Szczawnica is a resort town in Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. As of June 30, 2007, its population was 7,378. Szczawnica has been a well-known resort town since the mid nineteenth century. Due to the presence o ...

and Krościenko in

mountains.

Christian pilgrimage

It's estimated that 13% (of the 1.8 million in 2005) of visitors of the

Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is a Roman Catholic church located at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, in the village of Licheń Stary near Konin in the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland. It was designed by Barbara Bi ...

arrive from abroad.

was visited by 3.6 million of pilgrims from 78 countries in 2014.

Transport in Poland

Tourist infrastructure and facilities are abundant, especially in larger cities and in major tourist resorts. In large Polish cities, urban

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

is very well developed. The biggest cities (

, Gdańsk and Szczecin) have international airports with connections with many European cities and with the Frédéric Chopin International Airport in

, which is the main hub of LOT Polish Airlines. Intercity connections are offered by

PKP Intercity PKP Intercity is a company of PKP Group responsible for long-distance passenger transport. It runs about 350 trains daily, connecting mainly large agglomerations and smaller towns in Poland. The company also provides most international trains to ...

Polregio Polregio (formerly ''Przewozy Regionalne'') is a train operator in Poland, responsible for local and interregional passenger transportation. Each day it runs approximately 3,000 regional trains. In 2002 it carried 215 million passengers. The ...

, Arriva RP, Leo Express, RegioJet, local trains (

Koleje Dolnośląskie Koleje Dolnośląskie (Polish for ''Lower Silesian Railways''; KD) is a regional rail operator in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. The company was founded on 28 December 2007 by a decision of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik and i ...

, Koleje Śląskie,

Koleje Małopolskie Koleje Małopolskie (Lesser Poland Railways) is a regional rail operator in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship of Poland. History The company was founded on 2 December 2013 and is owned by the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, to handle local passenger traff ...

, Szybka Kolej Miejska,

Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna The Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna (PKM, 'Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway'), is a railway in the Tricity area connecting Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport with Wrzeszcz. The line was officially opened by the Prime minister of Poland Ewa Kopacz on 30 A ...

Koleje Mazowieckie Masovian Railways, in Polish Koleje Mazowieckie, is a regional rail operator in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland. History The company was founded in 2004 as a joint venture of the Masovian Voivodeship, with 51% shares, and the, then governmen ...

, Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna, Koleje Wielkopolskie) and PKS's, Flixbus as well as many smaller companies. There are also

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

connections to other countries provided by various companies (inter alia Sindbad, Flixbus). Connections by ferry to Sweden and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

through the

are for example from Gdańsk,

and

Świnoujście Świnoujście (; german: Swinemünde ; nds, Swienemünn; all three meaning "Świna ivermouth"; csb, Swina) is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. Situated mainly on the islands o ...

(inter alia

Polferries Polferries is the largest Polish ferry operator. The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name ''Polferries'', the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea ...

References

Poland national tourism office

Useful information site about Poland

Poland's Official Travel Website

Visiting Poland – All in One Travel Guide

Overview

History

Natural environment

Tourist destinations

Castles

Cultural events

Tourist resorts

Christian pilgrimage

Transport in Poland

See also

References

Further reading