Getting to know the country begins with proud Warsaw
The main attraction of the republicits capital is deservedly considered - Warsaw. Almost every tourist begins their acquaintance with the country from this city. During its more than 800-year history, Warsaw has been in the hands of the Germans, Russians and French. This left its mark on the appearance of the Polish capital. Among the architectural monuments of the city, majestic cathedrals, medieval castles and luxurious palaces of Polish monarchs stand out. Two world wars did not pass Warsaw by and most of its attractions were destroyed. However, architects and historians managed to restore almost all of Warsaw's ancient buildings, and they are open to visitors today. The heart of Warsaw can be called the Castle Square, located in the Old Town. On its eastern side rises the Royal Castle, which served as the residence of Polish kings since 1596. The iconic place of the square is the Sigismund Column, erected in 1644 in honor of the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Sigismund III Vasa. Walking around Warsaw, you should visit the famous Market Square, permeated with the spirit of the Middle Ages. Its unique flavor is made up of old architectural buildings, numerous shops and tiny cafes, where you can relax and watch street musicians and artists. The sights of the Polish capital are the medieval Barbican, the Belvedere, Wilanów and Presidential Palaces, St. John's Cathedral, St. Anne's Church, the Chopin Museum, the National Museum, and the famous Warsaw University. Tired of the noisy streets of the capital, you can retire and enjoy nature in the beautiful Lazienki Park, the main attraction of which is the Palace on the Water, built in the classical style with elements of Baroque. The park's alleys are decorated with sculptures of famous cultural and historical figures, the central place among which is occupied by a statue of Chopin. The lawn in front of the composer's monument serves as a venue for classical music concerts.
Royal Krakow - the pride of the state
Krakow is no less famous city in Poland,which served as the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 14th-17th centuries. Until the 18th century, all Polish monarchs were crowned in Krakow. Today, this city is the largest historical and cultural monument in the country. You should start your acquaintance with Krakow with the Gothic Wawel Castle, which used to be the royal residence. The first buildings of this building date back to the 11th century, the castle was rebuilt in the 14th century for the Polish king Jagiello and his wife Jadwiga. Throughout its history, many royal families have lived in it. Wawel Palace has been rebuilt and restored many times, thanks to which it has been preserved for our contemporaries. Walking along the narrow streets of Krakow, you can endlessly enjoy the splendor of medieval churches and palaces from different eras. The construction of one of the most famous sights of Krakow - the Wawel Palace - dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. Bishop Erazm Ciolek's Palace. The central entrance to the castle is crowned with a coat of arms depicting the royal eagle and the letter "S", which stands for the initial letter of the name of the Polish king Sigismund I the Old. After Ciolek's death, the palace passed into the possession of bishops and cardinals until it finally fell into ruin and partially collapsed in the 19th century. Thanks to restoration work that began in 1999, it was possible to restore the architectural details of the castle. Today, the building is part of the National Museum of Krakow, among its exhibits are a gallery of Galician Orthodox iconography, a statue of the Virgin Mary, an epitaph from Bishop Wierzbęta and other centuries-old exhibits. The calling card of Krakow is the Market Square, which contains a large number of colorful medieval buildings. The main buildings of the Market Square are St. Mary's Church, where a gilded trumpet playing the sounds of the hejnal appears every hour from the window of the signal tower, and a 70-meter-high medieval tower, which once housed the city hall. The square is home to the 100-meter-long Sukiennice shopping hall, built in the mid-14th century. The ground floor of the hall is occupied by various souvenir shops, and the second floor is home to the National Museum, which contains exhibits of works of art by Polish painters and sculptors. It is worth remembering that Krakow is home to one of the oldest higher education institutions in the world - the Jagiellonian University. Its Gothic building, built in 1400, now houses a museum dedicated to the history of the institution.
Unforgettable Wroclaw and Gdansk
There is a lot to see in the Polish city of Wroclawinteresting sights. The most popular place among tourists is the Old Town, located on several islands connected by more than a hundred bridges. Wroclaw has preserved many ancient architectural structures in the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau styles. The most notable buildings of the Old Town are St. John's Cathedral, the Market Square and buildings built during the Renaissance. It is noteworthy that the entire city center is decorated with gnome figures. Gnomes are everywhere here: at the bank, near the dental clinic, on a lamppost, on a motorcycle. Walking around the city, you can count several dozen figures of these fairy-tale creatures. Wroclaw also attracts tourists with numerous music and theater festivals that regularly take place on its lands. Gdansk, a famous Polish resort town, is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. In addition to the sea coast, Gdansk is interesting to its guests for its many architectural attractions, most of which are located in the Old Town. Here you can see the largest brick church in Europe, the Church of St. Virgin Mary, the entrance to the ancient city, the Royal Route, the Renaissance town hall, the Golden House, and the Neptune Fountain. Having visited the Maritime Museum, popular among city guests, you can see the unique Crane structure, built in the 15th century. In the past, it was also a defensive tower, a city gate, and a huge port crane.
Horrific pages of history - Auschwitz
There is a provincial town in the south of Poland,which witnessed the innocent death of 1.5 million people (mostly Jews) during World War II. We are talking about Auschwitz - a city that was a concentration camp for millions of people during the Nazi occupation. In 1967, the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum complex was opened on the territory of the former concentration camp. Its chilling exhibits make visitors reconsider their life values and think about such a concept as human destiny. The acquaintance with the museum begins with the gates, above which the inscription "Work sets you free" rises. Millions of Nazi prisoners passed through these gates during the war into the arms of death. The brick buildings in which prisoners of war were killed or cruel experiments were conducted on them have been preserved on the museum grounds. Separately, you can see exhibits with lists of those who died within the walls of the camp, with their photographs and farewell letters. Candles are constantly burning near the death wall, where thousands of people were shot in 1941-1943. The most horrific sight in the museum complex is the gas chamber, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed with Zyklon B gas, and the crematorium with its walls blackened with soot. Despite its sad past, Auschwitz continues to live. The city has a large Jewish center, consisting of a synagogue, a museum, and an educational institution. In the old part of the city, you can see several ancient churches and the ruins of an old castle.
Picturesque places of Poland - lakes, mountains and forests
In the southern part of the seaside coastпростирается земля тысячи озер, больше известная под названием Мазуры, где сосредоточена четвертая часть всех водных ресурсов страны. Здесь можно прекрасно отдохнуть от суеты шумных городов и насладиться природой. Край очень популярен не только среди туристов, но и среди рыбаков, яхтсменов и байдарочников. Здесь находится известный водный маршрут «Великие Мазурские озера». Любители средневекового зодчества не будут скучать, отдыхая в Мазурах, так как есть на этой земле старинные тевтонские крепости, древние церкви и замки. Во время войны здесь находилась ставка Гитлера «Вольфсшанце», которая сегодня открыта для посещения. Польские Татры являются частью Карпатских гор, они находятся на границе между Словакией и Польшей. На их вершинах круглый год лежит снег, что привлекает сюда любителей горнолыжного спорта. Общая длина прекрасно оборудованных трасс превышает 250 км. Помимо снежных склонов в Татрах находится немало завораживающих своим видом озер и водопадов. В горах водится большое количество диких животных и птиц (бурые медведи, рыси, серны, орлы). Для защиты местной фауны здесь был создан Национальный парк Татр, находящийся под защитой ЮНЕСКО. Главным транспортным узлом горного массива является город Закопане, расположенный у подножия Татр, где туристам можно остановиться на ночлег и отдохнуть перед покорением снежных вершин. Рассказывая про достопримечательности Польши, нельзя не упомянуть Беловежскую пущу, знаменитую на всю Европу своими нетронутыми лесами и зубрами, свободно разгуливающими на свободе. Общая территория пущи превышает 1250 кв. км, в ее состав входит Беловежский национальный парк. Считается, что фауна Беловежской пущи является точной копией первобытных лесов этого региона. Здесь растут граб, ольха, дуб, береза, липа, ель, сосна, ясень, клен, дикая яблоня, вяз и ясень. Доминирующее положение среди всех деревьев в Беловежской пуще занимает граб, он растет на третьей части площади. Помимо Беловежского, в Польше расположены Нарвянский, Бебжанский национальные парки и Парк Кнышинской пущи. В числе достопримечательностей республики особое место занимают соляные копи Велички — подземный девятиуровневый город, расположенный в северной части Карпат. Добыча соли здесь ведется непрерывно на протяжении многих столетий. Копи украшены соляными статуями, галереями и множеством искусственных озер. В бесконечных лабиринтах расположено большое количество пещер, вентиляционных шахт, очистных камер. Примечательно то, что по сегодняшний день на глубине 100 м в копях проводятся балы. Высокое содержание соли в воздухе благотворно влияет на дыхательную систему человека, поэтому в одной из шахт расположен настоящий лечебный санаторий. Очень популярным местом среди посетителей копей является часовня Св. Антония, в которой все элементы декора выполнены из соли. В последнее время все больше молодоженов изъявляют желание обвенчаться именно в этой часовне. Перечислить все польские достопримечательности невозможно. Каждая местность здесь является уникальной. Небольшой провинциальный городок Торунь известен тем, что в нем находится полуразрушенный тевтонский замок, датируемый 1231 годом. Посетив Белосток, можно сфотографироваться на фоне прекраснейшего Белого костела. В Курнике сохранился замок XV-XVII столетий, принадлежавший роду магнатов Гурко. Ченстохов знаменит во всем католическом мире тем, что в нем находится известная святыня — икона Богоматери Ченстоховской. В Польше функционирует 40 лечебно-оздоровительных курортов (Кудова-Здруй, Крыница, Душники-Здруй, Шавница и другие), на которых можно вылечить практически все заболевания. Как можно убедиться, путешествие по польским землям не оставит равнодушным ни одного человека, ведь здесь найдется занятие по душе для любого.
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