If you have even been to Poland even for a one weekend, you most likely have already visited Cracow, Auschwitz concentration camp museum, Wieliczka Salt Mines and Warsaw. But what if you have already visited Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, Zakopane and other fairly big Polish cities as well? No worries – Poland has much more to offer, especially to those who appreciate gorgeous landscapes and peaceful nature. So, get off the beaten path and discover the real beauty of this country.
Elbląg Canal | Kanał Elbląski
It is a 80.5 km canal, stretching from Lake Drużno to Jeziorak Lake, used mainly for recreational purposes. The difference in water levels approaches 100 m, so there is an complex system of giant cradles that pick the boats up on the one end of the water and carry them overland to the next water. A truly impressive engineering construction.
Shifting Sand Dunes of Słowiński National Park | Ruchome Wydmy w Słowińskim Parku Narodowym
The shifting sand dunes are the biggest attraction of this national park, stretching along the Baltic Sea coast. Pushed by the wind, they move 10m a year, and the highest dune rises to more than 40m above the sea level. The area is also inhabited by a number of rare aquatic birds.
The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork | Zamek Krzyżacki w Malborku
It is a medieval fortress built in Malbork, Prussia, by the Teutonic Knights. When built in the 14th century, it was the world’s largest brick castle. A famous 1410 Battle of Grunwald during the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War was held nearby, and although the Teutonic Knights were defeated, they withstood the siege of their castle. Every year there is a battle reenactment: this year it will take place on July 18th at 3pm.
Morskie Oko
It is the largest lake in Tatra Mountains, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The name Morskie Oko can be translated to “Eye of the Sea”. To get there you will walk around two hours through the National Park, enjoying breathtaking views. If you want, you may also take a horse sleight which will take you there in around 20 minutes.
Paradise Cave | Jaskinia Raj
It is a horizontal limestone cave, located in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It is 240m long and 9.5m heigh, of which only 180m are open to visitors. It is quite small, but precious: it consists of five chambers ornamented with stalactites, stalagmites and columns of rocks created over thousands of years.
Pieskowa Skała Castle | Zamek w Pieskowej Skale
Pieskowa Skała means Little Dog’s Rock. Located in the Prądnik River Valley (Dolina Prądnika), the core of Ojców National Park, the castle is called “the pearl of Polish Renaissance”. It dates back to 14th century and is a part of the chain of fortified castles called Orle Gniazda (Eagles Nests). Just nearby you can also see Maczuga Herkulesa, which is an impressive 30 meters tall limestone monadnock.
Archeological park in Biskupin | Skansen w Biskupinie
Biskupin offers a real history lesson: it is a fortified Bronze and early Iron Age settlement, built between 750 and 400 BC near Biskupin, in the north-west of Poland. Parts of it has been reconstructed and visitors may now admire the settlement, together with a permanent exhibition devoted to archeological findings from the area.
Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny is a picturesque town located on the bank of Vistula River. Considered to be an art centre, it offers many tourist attractions: museums, galleries, a 14th century church, castle ruins and and many traces of Jewish culture. The town is one of Polish Historic Monuments (Pomnik Historii).
King Lokietek’s Cave | Jaskinia Łokietka
The largest cave in Ojców National Park (Ojcowski Park Narodowy), with the total length of 270m, and temperatures around 7-8 Celsius degrees. The legend says that the Polish ruler would hide there from his rival in 1300, and a spider wove a large web over the entrance, so that the enemies would not find him.
Hitler’s Bunker in Gierłoż | Wilczy Szaniec
Known as Wolfschanze (the Wolf’s Lair), it is a system of bunkers hidden in the Masurian forests, built in 1940 during the Second World War. Here in July 1941 Claus von Stauffenberg, a German army officer, attempted to assassinate Hitler – unfortunately, he failed.
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