Show us your country By class 3b Szkola Podstawowa nr 16 In Ruda Śląska Our country is a very special and unique place. Now, you know a lot of things about us so we would like you to learn something about our country as well. Poland is situated in the bordered by to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the , Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north.

The Polish Flag The flag of our country is white and red. White symbolizes silver and water - the signs of spiritual purity. Red symbolizes fire and blood - the signs of bravery. The flag is flown continuously on the buildings of the highest national authorities, such as the parliament and the presidential palace. Other institutions and many Polish people fly the national flag on national holidays and other special occasions of national significance.

The coat of arms The coat of arms of Poland is a white, crowned eagle with a golden beak and talons, on a red background. The White Eagle emblem originated when Poland's legendary founder Lech saw a white eagle's nest. When he looked at the bird, a ray of sunshine from the red setting sun fell on its wings, so they appeared tipped with gold, the rest of the eagle was pure white. He was delighted and decided to settle there and placed the eagle on his emblem. He also named the place Gniezdno (currently Gniezno) from the Polish word gniazdo ("nest").

Places to visit

Poland has plenty of wonderful places to see. We would like to show you the most popular and interesting places that we recommend to visit. We have drawn some pictures that represent our favourite spots.

Check them out :)

Warszawa ()

The capital of Poland is Warszawa. It is the largest city in our country. Although today's Warszawa is a fairly young city, it has many tourist attractions. Apart from the Warsaw Old Town quarter, reconstructed after World War II, each borough has something to offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are the Royal Castle, King Sigismund's Column and Market Square.

The Old Town with the Royal Castle and King Sigismund's Column The Palace of Culture and Science

The Palace of Culture and Science is located in Warszawa. It is the tallest building in Poland and the eighth tallest building in the European Union. The building was conceived as a "gift from the Soviet people to the Polish nation". Now it is the headquarters of many companies and public institutions, such as cinemas, theaters, libraries, sports clubs, universities , scientific institutions and authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences. You can take a lift and go on the top of the Palace. The view is amazing because you can see the whole city from there.

The Palace of Culture and Science The National Stadium The National Stadium is located in Warsaw. It is used mostly for football matches and it is the home stadium of Poland national football team. The National Stadium hosted the opening match (a group match), the 2 group matches, a quarterfinal, and the semifinal of the UEFA Euro 2012, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

The National Stadium

The River

The Vistula is the longest and largest river in Poland. It rises in the mountains in the south of Poland. It flows throughout the whole country, passing the largest and the most important cities like Kraków, Warszawa and Gdańsk. The Vistula flows into The Baltic Sea.

The Vistula River

Kraków (Cracow) Kraków is situated on the Vistula River. In the past it was the capital of Poland. Kraków is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. You can visit there the Wawel and the Royal Castle on the banks of the Vistula river, the St. Mary's Basilica and the largest medieval market square in Europe, the Rynek Główny. Kraków is home to Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest universities in the world and traditionally Poland's most reputable institution of higher learning.

The largest medieval market square in Europe, the Rynek Główny. and the Royal Castle Wawel Cathedral and the Royal Castle on the Vistula River The Wawel

In Kraków, there are Wawel Cathedral and the Royal Castle where Polish kings and queens lived in the past. The legend tells that a dragon lived there. The tale takes place in Kraków during the reign of King , the city's legendary founder. Each day the evil dragon would beat a path of destruction across the countryside, killing the civilians, destroying their homes and devouring their livestock. The Dragon wanted to eat, the King's daughter Wanda. In desperation, the King promised his beautiful daughter's hand in marriage to anyone who could defeat the dragon. Great warriors from near and far fought for the prize and failed. One day a poor cobbler's apprentice named Skuba accepted the challenge. He stuffed a lamb with sulphur and set it outside the dragon's cave. The dragon ate it and soon became incredibly thirsty. He turned to the Vistula River for relief and drank and drank. But no amount of water could quench his aching stomach, and after swelling up from drinking half the Vistula river, he exploded. Skuba married the King's daughter as promised, and they lived happily ever after.

The Dragon

Sigismund Bell The Royal Sigismund Bell is the largest of the five bells hanging in the Sigismund Tower of the Wawel Cathedral in the city of Kraków. If you want to see it you have to climb a lot of stairs to get to the Sigismund Tower. The bell weighs almost 13 tones (28 thousand pounds) and requires 12 bell-ringers to swing it. It tolls on special occasions, mostly religious and national holidays, and is regarded as one of Poland's national symbols.

Sigismund Bell

Polish Mountains We live near Polish mountains. They are situated in the south of Poland. In Poland, you can find many various mountain ranges so every hiking amateur will be satisfied. Every season seems to be very attractive. You can try hiking, mountaineering, skiing, snowboarding and even horse riding. The beauty of landscapes is breathtaking. The mountains are inhabited by rare animal species, unique flora grows there as well. No wonder that majority of the area is strictly protected. Mountains

Morskie oko

Morskie Oko (literally "Eye of the Sea") is the largest and fourth deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains. It is located deep within the Tatra National Park. Morskie Oko is one of the five most beautiful lakes in the World. The lake is surrounded by mountains. You can go there on foot or you can take a carriage. The wonderful view encourages people from all over the world to visit the lake and admire it.

Morskie Oko

The Baltic Sea Nature-lovers will surely enjoy the golden sands of the Baltic coastal beaches in the north. We often go there on holidays. We love going there because swimming in the sea is a great fun! Every time we are at the sea we build sandcastles, collect shells and ambers on the beach. On the coast of the Baltic Sea, there are many important cities for example: Szczecin, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot. The cities and smaller towns near the coast are famous for serving delicious fish. the Baltic Sea

Attrations on the coast of the Baltic sea

You can find many attractions there, for example: • The Seal Sanctuary in the town called Hel - where you can admire seals. • The shipyard - where people build ships. • The wooden pier in the city called Sopot - built in mid- 19th century, it is 1680 feet long, which makes it the longest in Europe. It is also a famous promenade. On both sides of the pier there is a wide sandy beach. • The upside-down house which is both magical and unique. Inside, every single thing is upside down. Visiting the upside-down house is a very interesting experience. • Lighthouse - you can climb the stairs and admire the sea from the top of the lighthouse.

• And many many many more :)

The upside-down house

The lighthouse

The Masurian Lake District The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland is a lake district in northeastern Poland. It contains more than 2,000 lakes. It is a splendid place where people can admire the beauty of the nature. This region of Poland is famous for its lakes offering a wide range of outdoor activities from sailing to kayaking and swimming. Besides lakes, the Masurian region also has many rivers used for fly fishing, and forest areas that offer many trails for trekking and biking. There is also a variety of wildlife, edible berries and mushrooms, and large protected areas, including the and the Białowieża Forest with a breeding station for European Bisons. The Masurian Lake District is considered a wonder of nature.

The Masurian Lake District The Masurian Lake District Białowieża Forest

Meet our friends There is a huge variety of places to see in Poland that is why our friends helped us to draw some pictures for you.

Meet class 3a :)

Thank you!!!!!

Thank you for the lovely project. We have enjoyed it very much! It was a pleasure to meet you, to see your school, your pets and your rooms. It was a great adventure for us! We are very happy that you shared with us all this interesting information! :)

We would like to wish you all the best and of course:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!!!!!!!!!

Sources: • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Poland • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Poland • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw#Landmarks • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Stadium,_Warsaw • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawel_Dragon • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund_Bell • http://viacitymap.pl/en/Cities/Warsaw/Articles/Polish-mountains • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morskie_Oko