Poland travel guide

This Poland travel guide is full of highs. The High Tatras Mountains, the highlights of this wonderful country's natural heritage, which include the ancient Bialowieza National Park with its towering oaks and great bison. And then the high importance of this country's history, from the indigenous mountain Goral people, the destruction of its cities during WW2, the tragedy of Auschwitz-Birkenau to the reconstruction during and after the Soviet era. And now to modern Poland. A new towering strength in responsible tourism.

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POLAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Amongst towering oaks, wolves and lynx reside concealed, as bison stand oblivious, shrouded in steam. Alongside them, beaver, elk and more than 250 species of birds, too, make the most of one of Europe’s most important wetland habitats. This is a side to Poland that’s way beyond weekend city breaks where Białowieża forest and the Biebrza marshes provide protection for some of Europe’s most magnificent mammals, and the onset of snow offers ample alternatives to the allure of Christmas markets.

Poland has risen like the proverbial phoenix to rebuild Old Town districts and protect Europe’s primeval forests without compromising contemporary city settings.

Head south and the Carpathians form natural borders with Slovakia as trails over the High Tatras tempt hikers and cyclists to discover life in the mountains as told by the Goral people. Investigating the atrocities of the past is equally as important as revelling in the positivity of proud Poles and trips to Krakow and onwards to Auschwitz will open your heart, and mind, as you embark on what can be a challenging and enlightening experience way beyond average expectations.

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Poland is...

rebuilt and ready to reignite your love of city sightseeing and getting lost in the sanctity of nature.

Poland isn’t...

empty.

Things to do in Poland…

Go down to the woods. There aren’t many places left on earth where you can experience the thrill of seeing a fully grown bison appearing from the mist but thanks to a conscientious rewildling project in Białowieża forest, there are now around 800 bison roaming free in protected primeval habitat. Aside from bison, Białowieża is also known for its wolf packs and visiting during the winter months with a guide unveils tracks in the snow to set pulses racing. Get active down south. Zakopane in the foothills of the High Tatras has become a real magnet for outdoor action with hiking, cycling and caving during the summer followed by Nordic cross country skiing when the snow falls. Dunajec cycle path, especially, is an incredibly scenic route and follows river valleys and ancient tow paths to forgotten Goral villages and past shepherds’ huts before crossing the limestone Pieniny Mountains en-route to Slovakia and beyond. Understand Auschwitz. Situated about an hour outside Krakow and steeped in the unnerving familiarity that stems from indelible images engrained on history books, newsreels and collective national psyches, Auschwitz-Birkenau is impossible to ignore on a trip to Poland. A visit with a local guide is certain to haunt and inform in equal measures as well as providing a stark reminder of why contemporary society needs to learn not to strut to the same bigoted beat as the past.

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Things not to do in Poland..

Opt out of winter. Nordic cross country skiing on the border with Slovakia is a great way to explore the High Tatras during the winter with a hearty Polish breakfast all that’s needed to keep you warm until sitting down to barszcz (beetroot soup) for lunch. A fresh blanket of snow is also just what’s required to spot wolf, deer, elk, beaver, pine martin or bison tracks in Białowieża National Park which is why wildlife tracking is definitely one of many reasons not to opt out of winter in Poland. Forget your binoculars. It’s impossible not to hear drumming woodpeckers echoing throughout the primeval forests of Poland with trips to the wetland areas of Biebrza marshes certain to get twitchers reaching for bird books quicker than a polecat up a pine tree. White-tailed eagles, waxwings, hawfinches, buzzards, shrikes and whooper swans are all known to inhabit an incredibly important breeding ground for wetland birds – don’t forget your binocs. Go to the zoo. Most of Poland’s major cities have zoos and it has to be said that there’s still a long way to go before rewilding projects become the norm and animals are released into the wild rather than being kept for human entertainment. Wildlife watching in Poland is extremely accessible in Białowieża National Park alongside boat trips around Biebrza marshes which may well unveil beavers and elks alongside cranes, storks, waders and greater spotted eagles.

Poland travel guide