Travel Guide for Poland - Country that Exceeds its Reputation

Poland is a far more diverse travel destination than its reputation suggests. The well-known cultural cities of Gdansk, Krakow, and Warsaw, overflowing with world-class museums, guide visitors through the country's rich history, where fortune has not always been kind.

In addition to the urban attractions, Poland’s highlights include the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea in the north, hiking and skiing opportunities in the Tatra Mountains, which are part of the Carpathians in the south, and the wine regions in the east and south.

All of this is supported by the warm hospitality of the Polish people, complemented by a no-nonsense local cuisine full of traditional dishes, along with an appreciation and respect for the beverages that go with them!

Top 10 Attractions in Poland

Wawel Castle (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu) - Krakow - A historic castle and cathedral complex.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum - A memorial and museum on the site of the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp.
Warsaw Old Town (Stare Miasto) - The restored historical center of Warsaw.
Malbork Castle (Zamek w Malborku) - The largest medieval castle in Central and Eastern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site near Gdansk.
Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) - Krakow's central square with historic landmarks.
Wieliczka Salt Mine (Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) - An underground salt mine near Krakow, also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Gdansk Maritime Museum (Muzeum Morskie w Gdańsku) - A museum focused on maritime history and seafaring.
Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie) - Warsaw - Magnificent rooms with art collections.
National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie) - Warsaw - Showcasing Poland's art history and culture.
POLIN Museum - Warsaw - A comprehensive museum on the history and culture of Polish Jews from antiquity to modern times.

Florianska in the Old Town of Krakow. *Photo: Triff - Shutterstock.*

Holiday destinations in Poland

Poland's Top 3 most popular city destinations are Warsaw, Gdansk, and Krakow:

In Gdansk, you can conveniently combine a city break with a beach holiday. The old Hanseatic city of Gdansk exudes a medieval atmosphere with its narrow cobblestone streets. Additionally, the city's main attractions include the Museum of the Second World War and the Maritime Museum.

Poland's former capital, Krakow, also enchants with its medieval charm, whose crown jewel is the grand Wawel Castle. However, the city's street food offerings and the vibrant nightlife of the Jewish quarter Kazimierz provide a refreshing counterbalance to the cultural overload.

Warsaw is the country's political and economic hub, which is reflected in the city's modernity. On one hand, Warsaw's skyline is dominated by tall glass skyscrapers, but its history has not been forgotten. The Old Town offers a contrast to the shopping centers and extravagance that the city's new downtown is filled with. Additionally, the city's restaurant scene is second to none.

Rynek Starego Miasta - Warsaw, Poland — The Old Town Square in Warsaw, Rynek Starego Miasta. *Photo: Sergii Figurnyi - Shutterstock.*

Wroclaw, the 2016 European Capital of Culture, formerly known by its German name Breslau, offers plenty of culture and beautiful architecture in southern Poland. As Poland's fourth-largest city, it is not only a growing business hub but also a bustling university town.

Wroclaw's Market Square - Poland — Wroclaw Market Square - Wrocławski Rynek. *Photo: zevana - Shutterstock.*

The Gothic city of Torun remained intact during World War II, unlike many other cities in northern Poland. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers impressive churches, facades, squares, and streets.

Torun - Poland — Gothic Torun. *Photo: prosign - Shutterstock.*

Sopot, located on the Baltic Sea, is Poland's most popular beach resort. Together with Gdynia and Gdansk, it forms the Tri-City area, where getting around by train is easy. Gdynia attracts world-famous stars to its annual Open'er Festival. Other popular beach towns include Darlowo, Swinoujscie, and the spa town of Kolobrzeg.

Sopot - Poland — Sopot Beach in the summertime.

Poland's most famous ski resort is Zakopane, located in the Tatra Mountains, right on the border with Slovakia. Other popular ski destinations in Poland include Szklarska Poreba, Karpacz, and Czarna Gora in the Sudetes, as well as Szcyrck in Silesia, which is home to Poland's Winter Olympics training center.

Zakopane - Poland. *Photo: polya_olya - Shutterstock.*

While these towering natural formations in Poland offer excellent skiing conditions in the winter, they are admired by hikers in the summer. Zakopane and the surrounding mountain peaks and valleys are popular among hikers, offering numerous routes of varying lengths. The most popular hiking area in the Sudetes, located on the Polish-Czech border, is the Karkonosze National Park, easily accessible from the villages of Szklarska Poreba or Karpacz. Another popular hiking destination in the Sudetes is the Gory Stolowe National Park, meaning Table Mountains. The name comes from their unusual, table-like shape, formed by the erosion of sedimentary rocks.

Rock formations in Gory Stolowe. Photo: Curioso.Photography - Shutterstock.

Białowieża National Park is a nature reserve located on the border of Poland and Belarus and a popular hiking destination, known for its ancient forests and European bison.

European bison in Białowieża National Park. *Photo: Daan Kloeg - Shutterstock.*

Polish Food and Beverage

Polish cuisine is rich, even though the ingredients are generally modest. Ingredients vary by season, but certain staples like potatoes and cabbage form the foundation year-round. Mushrooms, berries, and beets, on the other hand, represent seasonality.

Bread, chleb, is one of the cornerstones of Polish nutrition and a symbol of good fortune. The baking culture is strong across the country, and bakeries are plentiful. One traditional soup often served inside bread is żurek, which is made with chicken or meat broth and includes onions, mushrooms, sour cream, sausage, and eggs. Another traditional soup is barszcz, which is known as borscht in Russia and Ukraine. This beetroot soup can be served hot or cold, the latter often in summer. The soup can be accompanied by Polish tortellini, uszka, which means "little ears." Uszka are usually filled with mushrooms, and the dish is then called barszcz z uszkami. Barszcz can also be "clear" (barszcz czysty) or served with meat or cabbage-filled dumplings as barszcz z pasztecikiem.

Then there are pierogi, which are a category of their own. Pierogi are filled with various ingredients, such as potatoes, cheese, meat, mushrooms, or sweet fillings like berries, fruits, or even chocolate. The most typical pierogi are savory, such as pierogi z mięsem (usually filled with ground pork) and pierogi ruskie (cottage cheese, potatoes, and onions). Pierogarnie are restaurants that specialize in serving pierogi.

Salmon pierogi — Traditional pierogi with salmon filling and black truffle.

Pyzy are balls made from mashed potatoes and then boiled, usually filled with meat such as pork or duck. A very similar dish is known in Germany as kartoffelklöße, in France as poutine râpée, in Sweden as kroppkaka, and in Lithuania as cepelinai, making it hard to claim ownership of the dish's origins.

Bigos is one of the most famous dishes in Polish cuisine. It’s a meat and sauerkraut stew, slow-cooked for several hours to achieve a tender, stew-like consistency. This dish is typically found at festivals or local eateries. Pork is the most commonly used meat in Poland. Some of the most famous pork dishes include kotlet schabowy, the Polish version of a Wiener schnitzel, often seen on lunch menus, and golonka, pork knuckle typically served with sauerkraut and horseradish.

Pork is also the main ingredient in most Polish sausages, called kielbasa. Kabanosy sausage is usually served dried, often with bread, rather than as a grilled sausage. Krakowska sausage, as the name suggests, comes from Krakow. This smoked sausage is typically made from lean cuts of pork and is usually served cold. On the other hand, biała, resembling bratwurst, is usually boiled or fried.

To wash down the rich, hearty food, beer or vodka is traditionally served, with vodka being the drink of choice when something stronger is needed. Vodka is typically consumed in 5-centiliter shots, downed in one go, accompanied by a small snack like a pickle. Polish beer is usually lager, and there is a wide variety to choose from. The microbrewery movement, which has taken Europe by storm in recent years, has also influenced Poland, introducing a broader range of beer types to the selection.

Good to know

Payment with major credit/debit cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, is widely accepted in restaurants and shops. American Express is occasionally accepted at larger restaurants.
Tipping in restaurants is customary in Poland — a general rule is to round up to the nearest 5 or 10 PLN for smaller bills, and for larger bills, a tip of around 10% is standard. Taxis do not expect tips, but if paying in cash, you can round up to the nearest 5 or 10 PLN.
Tap water in Poland is safe to drink.

Getting Around in Poland

Traveling by train in Poland

PKP Intercity (website: https://www.intercity.pl/en/) operates long-distance trains within Poland and international routes. Tickets can be purchased on their website and sent to your email. Note: the website www.polrail.com charges more for tickets than the official Intercity site, so it is recommended to buy tickets directly from Intercity’s website.

There are different types of Intercity trains:

EIP (Express InterCity Premium): Operates between the largest cities and is generally the fastest option. Equivalent to the Pendolino train. Requires an advance reservation. Both 1st and 2nd class available.
EIC (Express InterCity): A bit less premium than EIP but still fast between major cities. Requires an advance reservation. Both 1st and 2nd class available.
IC (InterCity): Slower than the higher classes, with more frequent stops, but a cheaper option.
EC (EuroCity): Operates internationally.

Traveling by bus in Poland

Bus routes in Poland are more comprehensive than train routes and can be faster when traveling to rural areas. The main operator is Flixbus.

Driving in Poland

Poland's highways are in good condition, but drivers often exceed speed limits, and safety distances are short. On smaller roads, the condition may deteriorate. On these roads, drivers may pull over to the shoulder to make room for overtaking vehicles. Some roads have occasional tolls.

Price Level

Food prices in Poland are among the lowest in Europe, and hotel and restaurant services are also very affordable, with Poland ranking as the seventh cheapest country in these categories, just after Romania and Montenegro. However, it’s important to note that prices in large cities are generally higher than in smaller towns. Clothing prices, especially for branded items, are closer to the European average, as is the case in most parts of Europe.

Safety

Poland is generally a safe country to travel in. However, in larger cities, tourists may encounter some scams or theft attempts, which can be avoided by paying close attention to personal belongings.

It’s advisable not to take taxis without a company logo and phone number on the side, as there is a risk of being overcharged.

Population	Approx. 38 m.
Capital	Warsaw
Language	Polish
EU country	Yes
Schengen country	Yes
Plug type	C (European model)
Currency	Polish zloty (PLN)
Time zone	+1 GMT (An hour ahead of the UK)

Poland

Basic facts about Poland