Poland is a sprawling country where history has cast a long shadow. Plains that stretch from the Tatras Mountains in the south to the Baltic Sea in the north have seen foreign invaders time and time again. Meanwhile, the contrast between Western cities like Wrocław and Eastern outposts like Bialystok is a remnant of Poland’s subjection to competing empires. Ravaged during WWII, and later, viciously suppressed by the USSR, Poland is finally self-governed, and the change is marked. Today’s Poland is a haven for budget travelers, where the rich cultural treasures of medieval Kraków and bustlin Warsaw are complemented by wide Baltic beaches, rugged Tatras peaks, and tranquil Mazury lakes.
Facts And Figures Official Name: Republic of Poland. Capital: Warsaw. Major Cities: Katowice, Kraków, Łódź. Population: 38,518,000. Time Zone: GMT +1 ...more
Auschwitz Jewish Center, Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, 36 Battery Pl., New York, NY 10280, USA (☎ www.ajcf.org). Offers fully paid 6-week programs for college graduates and graduate students in ...more
☎ 012 Kraków Although Kraków (KRAH-koof; pop 758,000) only recently emerged as a trendy international capital, it has long been Poland’s darling. The regal architecture, cafe culture, and palpable ...more
☎ 081 Lublin Unlike most Polish cities, Lublin (LOO-blin; pop. 400,000) survived WWII with its cobblestones intact. Its medieval Old Town is not a commercialized reconstruction like Warsaw’s, but ...more
☎ 018 Zakopane The year-round resort of Zakopane (zah-ko-PAH-neh; pop. 28,000) lies in a valley surrounded by jagged peaks and alpine meadows. During vacation season (Jan.-Feb. and June-Sept.), the ...more
☎ 071 Wrocław Wrocław (VROTS-wahv), the capital of Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk), is a graceful city of Gothic spires and stone bridges. The tranquil main square was the last Nazi stronghold on ...more
☎ 056 Toruń Long known as “beautiful red Toruń” (pop. 210,000) for its impressive brick-and-stone architecture, this historic university town is the birthplace of Mikołaj Kopernik, better known ...more
☎ 042 Łódź Poland’s second largest city, Łódź (WOODGE; pop. 768,000) is home to some of the country’s most interesting and least known sights and tastes. Łódź once housed the largest ...more
☎ 058 Gdańsk At the mouth of the Wisła and Motlawa Rivers, Gdańsk (gh-DA-insk; pop. 458,000) has flourished for more than a millennium as a crossroads of art and commerce. This onetime Hanseatic ...more
☎ 058 Sopot Poland’s premier resort town, Sopot (pop. 50,000) draws visitors to its sandy beaches and renowned nightlife. Restaurants, shops, and street performers dot the pedestrian promenade ul ...more
 |
 |
 |
 |
For 50 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Overview