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Poland, travel

What to see in Poland, from sea to mountains.

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Poland is a slightly underrated country. We are neighbors, but many people have never been here, or have no idea about beautiful places in Poland. So many of us don’t even want to travel to Poland.  I explored Poland for the first time while I was studying in Katowice, and a few years and miles traveled, I came back again, but this time to Krakow. When we explored the beautiful historic town, we decided to explore more cities in Poland.

In this article I will show you what magical places are hidden in Poland you may not even know about.

Why travel to Poland?

You probably already know about the magical Christmas markets in Krakow, or that Slovakia share Tatra’s mountains with Poland. But the fact that Poland, like Slovenia, has mountains, sea and desert is not so often said. The country is huge, believe me, and it doesn’t take a short while to travel through.
The area of ​​Poland is 312 679 km² and it will take you 7 hours by car from the Tatras to the Baltic Sea. During this journey, however, you can stop in cities that have a history, in a forest where all the trees grow crooked, or bathe in the cold sea.

Poland is a much cheaper country, such as its neighboring states. What really surprises me is the quality of service, which is very high. Restaurants offer international cuisine with excellent quality and large portions at affordable prices. Museums and galleries are interactive and interesting and you can choose from different types of accommodation and we have not yet encountered any that we are not satisfied with.

Poland will definitely surprised you. 

The most beautiful places of Poland

If you are deciding where to wander in Poland, choose also according to how much you are willing to sacrifice driving. Distances between places are often 3 or more hours. Of course you can travel for example Flixbus, but some places get harder. But if you are planning to travel all over Poland during one road trip, in the article below you will also find a map where I marked the most advantageous route.

Take a look on roadtrip map

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

Zakopane

Zakopane is a town just below the Polish side of the Tatras. A town full of wooden houses, tourists who came to hike in mountains, or just to relax in thermals. In Zakopane you will find a little bit of every corner, there are beautiful mountains, fresh air and above all delicious traditional food. The restaurants play live music, the staff is dressed in costumes and in the menu you will find local specialties such as sausage, borsch, potato pancakes with goulash, meat and cheese from local shepherds. Accommodation is often in large wooden houses or cottages and all this is much cheaper than on Slovak side of the Tatras.

Where to stay in Zakopane

We been in Zakopane few times and we can recommend some of places we rent so far.

Willa Majerczyk – Small rooms with kitchen in common area, but this accommodation was really warm during the winter.

Domki Mroz – Small cottages next to each other in the center of the Zakopane are great if you travel with other couple. 

Smrekowa Polana Resort & Spa –This apartments are definitely my favorite. Great view from there, breakfast and spa is all I need when I really want to rest. 

 

Krakow

Krakow is much more than just beautiful Christmas markets. It is a historic city that was not destroyed even in World War II, despite the sad history this city has. In addition to the classic visit to the historic center and the Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz, I recommend climbing on some of the hills around the city, such as the Krakus hill, which offers a magnificent view of the city. There are many interactive museums in Cracow, but the most interesting was definitely the Schindler Factory, where we learned all about the history of the city, the sad history of World War II. This museum is interactive, interesting and scary and sad at the same time, but the 3 hours we spent there were worth it. You have to book tickets in advance to this museum, as well as to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oświęcim, because many people want to visit.

 

If you get hungry in Krakow, don’t be afraid to try restaurants that look more luxurious, because almost all businesses in the city are keeping a certain standard, mainly because of the large number of tourists who come to Krakow every year. Located in historic buildings, restaurants and bars enhance their luxurious feel. If you don’t feel like traditional pierogy, try one of our favorite restaurants for more info in Where to Eat in Krakow.

Poznań

You will find this city when you leave Krakow to Germany. Poznań is one of the oldest and largest Polish cities. I feel that this city is a combination of Czech Brno and Polish Krakow. In the city you will find romantic historic streets, colorful city center, hipster businesses and lots of greenery. Poznań was love at first sight. We recommend you spend at least two days to visit the city, as you will not want to hurry away from there.

Where to stay in Poznań

Same like other big polish cities in Poznan you can find a lot of great places to stay. We stayed in hotel with most comfortable bed ever what is great when you really need rest. And it is one of the reasons why I can recommend Hotel Gaja. 🙂 

Crooked forest

From Poznan you can go to the mysterious Crooked Forest, in which all the trees are bent in one direction. You can find the crooked forest on the border with Germany and it is about 3 hours by car from Poznań. You can find the crooked forest in almost every article “what to see in Poland”, but you can read more about how we liked it in the article The crooked forest in Poland, is it really so mysterious?

 


Gdańsk

A city in the north of Poland, which lies already at the Baltic Sea. The culture of sailors, nordic countries and Poland is mixed here. In the restaurants you can find fresh fish from the sea but also traditional pierogy. The romantic city center with hipster cafes, breweries and amber jewelery shops and the river that passes through the city create a unique atmosphere that you will not find in any city in Poland. For me, Gdańsk is one of the most romantic places I’ve ever been.

You can take the tram to the sandy beach where it looks like any other resort. Restaurants, shops and a promenade create a holiday atmosphere, the only thing that is not exactly holiday is the cold water in the Baltic Sea. On the beach you can feel free to open a beer and enjoy the sunset.

Where to stay in Gdansk

Apartment right in Old Town : Dom & House 

Cozy small apartment for couple: Apartamenty Vitage

 

Slowińsky National Park

When I mentioned the desert above you probably did not believe very much, but Poland really has more than one desert. Slowinsky National Park is located in Primorsko, just a 2-hour drive from Gdańsk. The most interesting in this national park are the largest moving sand dunes in Europe.

The dunes, moving up to 10 meters in the east each year, resemble a sandy desert that stretches along the narrow division of the Baltic Sea and Lake Łebsko. The dunes look really impressive, and the idea that you are walking around something that is constantly moving is really strange.

The park is open from 1 May to 30 September, at which time entrance fees are collected. All-day entrance fee costs 6 PLN, discounted 3PLN – multi-day tickets are cheaper.

We went to the park at the end of April 2019, when the entrance fee was not collected, but several of the places that could be visited there were closed (eg. Museum, restaurant, lookout). Walking on moving dunes was an incredible experience. Stepping on the sand hills from where there was a view of the wide surroundings, legs burying in the cold sand, and a strong wind blowing sand everywhere.

Malbork Castle

Malbork is located in northern Poland, founded in the 13th century by the Teutonic Order. It is known for the medieval castle of Malbork, which was built in the 13th century as the seat of the Order. The castle complex is in fact a combination of three castles and its construction lasted almost 230 years. It is the largest brick castle in the world and one of the most impressive of its kind in Europe. When the Second World War broke out, the castle was restored by the Germans. During the war the castle was destroyed by more than 50%. Since the war its renewal. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This castle is definitely worth a visit and if we did not have a long way home we probably would spend there all day, the castle is huge, fascinating and reserve for his visit at least 3 hours. Very interesting is also the way of accompanying, when you get headphones and a device with a screen that shows you the direction of your route and also locates you according to GPS coordinates and accordingly tells you to the headphones electronic guide. If you choose not to follow a route that is specified, the guide automatically adapts to your location.

Warszawa

The capital of Poland, which like most capitals is also very industrial. In fact, Warszawa is not close to my heart, but it is interesting to visit it mainly for a mix of history and architecture. The historic center was completely destroyed in World War II and reconstructed after the war. Part of the capital reminded me very much of Washington DC and is also known for its busy nightlife.

Do you know any other interesting places in Poland worth visiting? Let us know for inspiration for the next travel. 🙂

Tina

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Poland, Poznan

48 hours in Poznan. What to do in polish city you will fall in love with.

This city is love at first sight. Poznań is one of the oldest and largest Polish cities. I feel that this city is a combination of Czech city Brno and Polish city Krakow. In the city you will find romantic historic streets, colorful city center, hipster businesses and lots of greenery.

Poznań is located in the west of Poland (in Wielkopolska) near the German border and is an important transport point between Berlin and Warsaw. We chose to discover the beauty of this city during the Easter holidays, which we can not recommend because many museums, businesses and other attractions have been closed. But despite that, we enjoyed it very much.

We recommend that you reserve at least two days to visit the city because you will not want to rush home. You can also speak English and German in the city. But what to do in Poznan?

Walk through the historic city center

I really mean it. Poznań has many streets with tall, historic buildings where you can walk around and admire the different styles and shapes of the buildings. There are also many nice restaurants with hidden terraces and gardens, where you can enjoy a beer or dinner.

We went through the city several times and we still felt that we had found something new

The most beautiful part of the city is the Old Rynek, full of colorful buildings. In the middle of the square there is a Renaissance town hall, where is a clock from 1551 with two billy-goats was installed. Every day, at noon, a door opens on the tower above the clock and two billy-goats appear, controlled by the clock mechanism, and hit 12 times with their heads.

Why billy-goats?

When the town hall completed the lessons, they were to be shown to all counselors and governor of Poznan. A banquet was prepared for this occasion, but due to the awkwardness of one of the cooks, all the food to be served at the banquet was completely burned. The cook wanted to save his name, so he stole the two billy-goats he intended to roast and serve. But the billy-goats escape and went to the town hall tower. When the dear guests came, they saw two billy- goats on the top of the Town Hall Tower. And so the governor commanded to attach their scenes to the town hall clock.

Citadel park

It is Poznan’s largest park, located near the city center. In the park is located the remains of the former Prussian fortress, which houses the Arms Museum as well as the Poznań Army Museum. In addition, there is a large number of historically significant statues in Cytadela Park. The park is huge and we spent about two hours here and we couldn’t get through it all. A lot of greenery, fountains, places for families with children, but also place for exercise or relaxation. Citadel park is the perfect place for a romantic picnic, or to relax after a day of walking around the city.

Croissant museum

Directly in the city center, opposite the town hall, you’ll find the pride of Poznan – the St. Martin’s croissant.
Croissants are a unique local poppy seed pastry, which has been the title of sweet treat of Poznan for 150 years. This pastry is even protected by a geographical indication recognized by the European Union, which means that it can only be produced in the Greater Poland region and according to a specific recipe.

And if you already have dreams about it, in this museum you will learn a lot about the history and procedures of making such a croissant, but you can also taste it.

The tour takes approx. 40 minutes and ticket price is between 16-24 PLN.

Rent an electric scooter

The public transport system in Poznan is excellent and you can get to almost every part of the city by tram. If you want to enjoy the city a bit differently, you can rent a bike or scooter. They have bike roads throughout the city, so you can move quickly and easily away from the center.

The advantage of an electric scooter against a bike is that you can leave it almost anywhere, not just on the marked stands. And riding on an electric scooter is a lot of fun. We discovered our children’s souls again and we competed in speed and we laughed a lot.

You can use the Lime app in which you locate the nearest scooter, unlock it and drive as long as you want. You pay for the time you ride on a scooter in Poznan. It’s easy to find scooters all over the city, because people use it a lot.

Stary Browar ( Old Brewery) in Poznan

The buildings of the former Hugger Brewery have become a new complex that has more awards for the architecture, art and business center. Unusual architecture hides portions of the past, from beer brewing, such as ceramic seals or plaques.

If you decide to shop in Poznan, it is one of the most beautiful shopping malls I’ve ever seen even though I’m not a fan of them. I really liked that they used and reconstructed the industrial zone to something modern and usable.

In addition to shopping, you can also book a tour on their site in Old Brewery.

Travel tip near Poznań:
Magical Crooked forest.

Enjoy breakfast at Weranda Cafe

Hidden cafe, where you can find a selection of vegan dishes, various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and smooties. I was very pleased with their metal and paper straws. The ceilings in this cafe are decorated according to the season, flowers or flakes hang from the ceiling, and their terrace looks like Alice in Wonderland.

Evening beer at Ministerstwo Browararu

A pub with craft beers of different tastes. An inconspicuous business a short distance from the city center where prices are lower than in the middle of the main square. The company is located in two buildings, and there is an unobtrusive industrial terrace in the center. It is a quiet place where you can enjoy privacy, the lights are glowing above your head and good craft beer with tasty burgers.

Where to stay?

We stayed in the cozy little hotel Gaja near the city center, where they had such great beds that they didn’t want to get out of them. (This is not an advertisement, but we really like it) There are many hotels, hostels that are in historical buildings or completely new in the city center near Old Rynek. What I like about staying in Poland is that they always keep some standard and we haven’t had dirty or ugly accommodation even the cheapest one.

We reserved accommodation with Booking and if you want to use it too, you can use our 10% discount on accommodation. I recommend to book something in advance, because the city is very touristy and therefore often rooms are booked. ?

We spent 48 hours in Poznan, but I feel that it wasn’t still enough. It is a city that has a soul and I would definitely want to go back there and explore it more. So write this city to your bucket list, you will certainly don’t regret it. ?

Tina

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