Best Places to Visit in Poland

Posted by Kornelija Kadyte  |  April 18, 2019

For those who decided to go on holiday to Poland, the country has extremely a lot to offer: medieval cities, almost untouched by humans forests, breathtaking views of mountains, modern museums, old castles, scenic beaches and many many more. There are so many great places to visit and the country is not that small by itself, which makes it hard to see everything during one holiday, so let’s take a look at the best places to visit in Poland.

Here’s a list of 25 places to visit in Poland: let’s see what are the most popular places and also discover the coolest offbeat sites

 Poland is about to blow your mind away from only €525!

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1. Tricity: Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot

Three beautiful cities in northern Poland on a Baltic sea coast. Gdansk is a quite large and vibrant city with a lot of hotels and restaurants, a wide range of cultural and recreational activities, long and clean beaches, nicely decorated buildings from Middle ages and charming lanes. Gdynia – seaport and resort town, with access to nice beaches and cliffs, also is a host to a main Polish film festival. Sopot is a real SPA city, which attracts a lot of visitors for a combination of nature, nightlife, and relaxation. Also, known for hosting one of the biggest song contests in Europe, which is organized every July. Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot are very near, so travelers can easily spend some time in each of the cities because all of them are great holiday places.
Places of interest in Tricity:

  • Dluga street in Gdansk
  • Krzywy Domek “crooked little house” – an unusually shaped building in Sopot
  • Orlowski cliff in Gdynia

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2. Krakow

Krakow – absolutely charming city and popular destination. Wawel royal castle and cathedral, magnificent old town, St. Mary Basilica, Schindler’s factory are the top places to visit in Krakow. For more offbeat places, visit Forum Przestrzenie – a contemporary cultural center, or Tytano bars, food, fun, which used to be an old tobacco factory. Krakow is the top destination for religious people because it has most of the holy places of Poland. It is nice to visit Krakow in August – the city is organizing annual Lajkonik parade and hosting “The Live festival”, one of the biggest in Poland. Additionally, in Krakow you can find a bunch of cheap places to stay, eat or shop – according to the 10th annual Post Office City Costs Barometer, Krakow is the cheapest destination for a European short break. Also, visit Krakow in January: if you’re always thinking about where to celebrate New Year(January 1st) – Krakow is a great solution! The city looks like from fairytale and there are numerous fun events for everybody’s taste.

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3. Ojcowski national park

Only 24 km from Krakow there is perfect city getaway – Ojcowski national park. It is not very big but definitely one of the most beautiful, because of its many rare species of flowers and other plants and extraordinary biodiversity. If you want to admire blooming flowers – come in spring, summer is perfect for hiking, and autumn awards with red and golden trees. Also, the park has numerous caves, cliffs and rock formations with one of the most famous – Maczuga Herkulesa – distinctively shaped limestone. This park is worth a visit, even if you’re skipping Krakow.

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4. Auschwitz-Birkenau

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, is the most famous historic place in Poland. Visiting this unique place will be very educative and eyes opening experience.

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5. Malbork

One of the biggest and impressive medieval castles in Europe. This red bricks Teutonic order castle is a perfect example of the medieval fortress. Castle and its museum belong to UNESCO world heritage sites. Every July there’s organized a re-enactment of important historical battles, which make you feel like in the Middle Ages!

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 Poland is about to blow your mind away from only €525!

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6. Tatra mountains and Zakopane

Mountains, mountains, mountains… No matter if you`re visiting during summer or winter, this national park won`t leave anyone without enjoyment. It’s probably the most impressive part of South Poland. During few warmer months, travelers can go hiking, but the biggest part of the year Tatra national park and Zakopane nearby is ideal for skiers, snowboarders, and other winter sports enthusiasts. Spectacular sites and highest peaks of Tatra national park, like Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki, Mnich, Kozi Wierch, Świnica, Krzesanica, Morskie Oko or Gubalowka will leave you speechless. It’s hard to put into the words, how beautiful nature there is. Zakopane – mostly known for being home for winter sports activists, but it also has fun places, like Ice Labyrinth or Exotic Papugarnia. Parks around the city and panoramic views are perfect for those who don’t have enough time or willingness to go to the mountains but still wants to enjoy nature. Tatra national park and Zakopane are truly some of the best places to visit in Poland.

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7. Pieninski national park

Not too far away from Tatra national park, there is another gift of nature – Pieninski national park. Travelers can take raft and kayak trips down the Dunajec River while enjoying picturesque crags and peaks, steep rocky walls and several hundred meter high cliffs dropping down to the river. In the East of the park, people can find Czorsztyn Castle, which looks completely stunning, surrounded by green mountains and build on the top of the hill! Make sure to stop by to admire it on your trip to Poland.

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8. Bieszczady national park

Another amazing national park in the most Southern part of Poland. Despite breathtaking landscape, a park is a home for bears, wolves, bison, deers, stags and over 140 species of birds. The highest point is Tarnica (1,346 MASL) and the views are unforgettable!

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9. Wroclaw

Wroclaw is one of the most famous places in Poland and that’s completely understandable why. The city has really cool places, like University quarter with its secret gardens, colorful market square, architectural pride of 20th century – the Centennial Hall, visitors can enjoy walking around many monuments in Cathedral island (Ostrów Tumski) or cruise along the river Odra. These places of interest and laid back atmosphere put Wroclaw on the map as one of the top places to visit in Poland.

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10. Chelmno

Not so popular destination, but is a must for every person who`s in love! Chelmno is the city of lovers, attracting many visitors on February 14th. The church in the city is saving an incredible relic – small bits of a skull of St. Valentine, the saint of love. But it’s not just about that anymore: tourist city route is shaped like a heart, park is full of flowery carpets, which are also shaped like a heart, and the city is very pretty by itself, located in Vistula river valley, on nine hills, with richly decorated gothic architecture, surrounded by eye-catching nature. It is a great place for weddings, special occasions and of course Valentine’s day in February.

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 Poland is about to blow your mind away from only €525!

TOP TOURS TO POLAND

11. Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region

Tserkvas are an extraordinary achievement of wooden architecture. They attract by their variety, uniqueness, masterly made woodwork designs. This is without any doubt of the coolest places to visit in Poland. There are 8 Orthodox church located in the North West of Poland: the Tserkva of St Parascheva in Radruż, the Tserkva of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chotyniec, the Tserkva of St Michael the Archangel in Smolnik, the Tserkva of St Michael the Archangel in Turzańsk (Podkarpackie Voivodeship), the Tserkva of St James the Less in Powroźnik, the Tserkva of the Virgin Mary’s Care in Owczary, the Tserkva of St Paraskeva in Kwiatoń and the Tserkva of St Michael the Archangel in Brunary Wyżne (Małopolskie Voivodeship). Some of them still work as a church, others made into museums. UNESCO lists 16 Orthodox churches, but other 8 are located in the territory of Ukraine.

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12. Torun

The magical city with extremely authentic character, because it wasn’t damaged during World War II. The whole old quarter of Torun is a world-class historic monument, which remained the same since the Middle Ages. The city has a bunch of good places and walking around Torun will feel like taking a part in a movie!

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13. Zamosc

Zamosc is a perfect example of a late-16th-century Renaissance town and a perfect stop during the holidays in Poland. The old city of Zamosc is unbelievably cute and colorful and you`re probably going to leave the town with hundreds of new photos on your phone – it’s just too beautiful not to be captured.

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14. Wilanow

Wilanow Palace is a wonderful Baroque royal residence near Warsaw. If you`re spending some time in the capital, don’t miss the chance to visit this amazing site as well! Visitors are able to explore royal apartments, galleries, see extraordinary works of art and, if the weather is inviting, enjoy beautiful Wilanow palace gardens.

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15. Solina

This area in the southern part of Poland is absolutely gorgeous. There is an artificial lake which is very popular among the boaters. So despite beautiful scenery, visitors can enjoy some attractions as well. Small tip: try to visit this place in September, October or November – it is so beautiful in autumn, that your eyes and heart will be thankful forever.

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 Poland is about to blow your mind away from only €525!

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16. Łeba

Northern Poland is a real summer destination for sea lovers. Scenic beaches lie next to the Woliński and Słowiński National Parks, on the Hel Peninsula, and the Vistula Spit, but the wild beach in Leba is probably the best. People can also explore national parks around and fascinating sand dunes!

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17. Wieliczka salt mines.

Wieliczka salt mines are definitely one of the most popular places in the whole of Poland: more than one million people visit mines every year. With a history of more than 700 years, its popularity, importance, and value remains the same meanwhile delivering fun and unique experience to all the tourists. The salt deposit of Wieliczka started to form more than 13 billion years ago and first shafts were started to dig in the 13th century when the salts were discovered! In 1966 it was opened as a museum and 12 years later it entered UNESCO first world list of natural and cultural heritage, as one of the first of twelve sites in the whole world. This underground journey will be informative, educative and very interesting. Deep under the ground people can visit an extraordinary world, carved in salt.

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18. Bialowieza national park

For those who are seeking to explore rare places in Poland and even in all Europe – Bialowieza national park is a must. This national park is a part of the only one and last remaining primeval forest in Europe. Primeval forest is the one which reached a great age without significant interaction and disturbance of people. These forests are very important to the world’s ecosystem but are being rapidly destroyed by timber industries. Bialowieza national park is situated in Eastern Poland and is about 200 km from Warsaw. There are some strictly protected zones, but most of the areas do not require a guide to enter and are crisscrossed by hundreds of kilometers of wonderful, well-marked hiking and cycling paths. The forest is home to about 1000 species of plants, 4000 species of fungi, more than 10000 species of insect, 180 bird species and 58 species of mammal, most importantly to bison – biggest mammals in the whole continent. It might be the strongest reason to visit this place but more than that this national park is a perfect example of nature greatness and is one of those places where you feel calm and peace within yourself and the world.

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19. Poznan

Poznan history takes us back in the 10th century – it was an early center of royal power, and nowadays, the capital of the historic area in west-central Poland – Wielkopolska (Greater Poland). The city is full of surprises: interesting street art, high-class but cheap restaurants, nicely decorated cafes, lovely old market square, monumental Poznan Cathedral. When in Poznan – try the St. Martins Croissant! This pastry is protected by the European Union Certificate of Authenticity, which allows it to make it only in Wielkopolska, under strict regulations. Good idea to come in November, because St. Martin’s day is celebrated on November 11th and it is counted that Poznań natives and the many tourists on that day eat around 1.25 million individual pastries!

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20. Ksiaz castle

One of the most beautiful and fascinating castles in Poland, near Wroclaw. Castle is surrounded by beautiful forests, so at the same time, visitors can enjoy the beauty of both nature and human work. This grey and pink castle is a huge attraction by itself but a few years ago it was announced that Nazi gold train has been located near the castle so many tourists started to flow there to discover the hidden treasure themselves. Anyway, this story might be just another unsolved mystery, which this castle is full of. Everyone should visit this site and enjoy the combination of rich history and beautiful views.

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21. Moszna castle

This castle in a southwestern part of Poland, between Wroclaw and Krakow, has been often featured in the list of most beautiful castles in the world. Isn’t that a great reason to visit this place in Poland? This old baroque castle is also open for visitors as a gallery and always presents regular exhibitions of various artists.

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22. Scesin and crooked forest

Scesin is a dreamy city built on the shore of the lake in a southeastern part of Poland near Baltic sea and the border with Germany. As for tourists, the city is well located, because there’s a sea in the north of the city and national park in the south. A little bit more in the South you can find one of the odd places of Poland – crooked forest. It is a small group of very oddly-shaped pine trees and no one actually know what happened to these trees. It is a headache for scientists and a place of interest for all the others for quite a long time!

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23. Bridges of Stanczyki

If you`re looking for some offbeat places in Poland these historic bridges of Stanczyki is one of those sites. Bridges were built in the early 20th century are an example of exceptional architecture. It is built in the Northwest of Poland, very near borders of Kaliningrad and Lithuania. It was built as an important railway line, but nowadays it is unused and remains as a tourist attraction. Nature around is very beautiful and it is even quite unexpected to see these constructions in the middle of wild nature. This offbeat place is highly recommended by visitors who already discovered this place.

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24. Krzyztopor castle

Continuing with a list of offbeat places, another castle appears – Krzyztopor castle. Or at least what remains from what once been an impressive fortress. The interesting fact is that castle was modeled by the calendar: there are 365 windows(days in a year), 52 chambers (weeks in a year), 12 rooms (months in a year) and 4 towers (seasons in a year). It is absolutely worth to see this extraordinary building, especially because relatively few tourists visit this place. Unique and exclusive experience is guaranteed!

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25. Warsaw

The capital of the country, where historic places blend together with modernity. Monumental architecture, hipsterish cafes, lively nightlife, beautiful panoramic views, interesting museums… the list could go on and on – the city is full of cool places! But here are the top five places in Warsaw that you must visit:

  • Old town
  • Warsaw rising museum
  • Lazienki Park and royal museum
  • Palace of culture and science
  • Copernicus science museum

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 Poland is about to blow your mind away from only €525!

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Plan to visit Warsaw in December at least once: there are amazing Christmas fairs, ice rinks and all the city starts to shine in thousands of lights and Christmas decorations! Nevertheless, Warsaw has a lot to offer on other times as well, because it has a wide spectrum of cultural events, like Easter celebration in March or April, Warsaw book fair in May, Mozart festival in June, International Street Arts Festival in July, Warsaw autumn festival in September or Warsaw film festival in October.

To sum up, here`s a short list of places that you must visit in Poland:

  • Cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Torun, Zamość, Gdańsk, Sopot, Scesin
  • Historical places: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region
  • Castles: Malbork, Krzyztopor, Moszna, Ksiaz
  • National parks: Tatra, Białowieża, Pieniński, Ojcowski, Bieszczady
  • Offbeat, but cool places: bridges of Stanczyki, crooked forest near Scesin, a crooked house in Sopot, Maczuga Herkulesa in Ojcowski national park
  • Most popular places: historic center of Krakow, Morskie Oko in Tatra national park, Wieliczka salt mines and of course Warsaw.