Europe > Central Europe > Poland Poland From Wikivoyage For other places with the same name, see Poland (disambiguation). Poland (http://www.poland.travel/en) (Polish: Polska), is a country in Central Europe with a rich and eventful history, colourful heritage reflected in the variety of monuments from different periods and very varied landscape, extending from the long Baltic Sea coastline in the north to the Tatra Mountains in the south. In between you will find lush primeval forests featuring fascinating species of animals including bisons in Białowieża; beautiful lakes and rivers ideally suitable for various watersports, the best known of which are in Warmińsko-Mazurskie; rolling hills; flat plains; and even deserts. Among Poland's cities you can find the perfectly preserved Gothic old town of Toruń, Hanseatic heritage in Gdańsk and evidence of the 19th-century industrial boom in Łódź. Capital Warsaw Currency złoty (PLN) While today Poland has a very homogenous society in terms of Population 38.4 million (2016) ethnicity, language and religion, over the centuries (when the Electricity 230±0 volt / 50±0 hertz erstwhile Republics of Poland encompassed a much different territory (Europlug, Type E) Country code +48 than today) it had been a very multi-cultural and ethnically varied Time zone Central European Time to country, for a period known as Europe's most religiously tolerant. In UTC+02:00 and particular, Poland held Europe's largest Jewish population, which has Europe/Warsaw been all but wiped out by the events of World War II, yet the Emergencies 112, 986 (municipal police), immense heritage remains. Poland's western regions, including large 998 (fire department), 999 parts of Lower Silesia, Lubuskie and Zachodniopomorskie, as well as (emergency medical services), 997 (police) other regions, have been parts of neighbouring Germany at different Driving side right periods of time. The natural border of mountain ridges separating edit on Wikidata Poland from its southern neighbours Czech Republic and Slovakia did not stop the cultural influence (and periodic warring). Towards the east, today's Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine have centuries ago formed a continuum within a single political entity, and the cultural evidence of it can be found closer to the present-day borders. Lastly, while Poland now only shares only a small strip of border with Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in the former's northeastern corner, the entire eastern half of Poland used to be controlled by the Russian Empire, leaving behind many traces in both culture and built heritage. Despite losing a third of its population, including a disproportionally large part of its elites, in World War II, and suffering many economic setbacks as a Soviet satellite state afterwards, Poland in many ways flourished culturally in the 20th century. Paving the way for its fellow Soviet-block states, Poland had a painful transition to democracy and capitalism in the late 80s and 90s. In the new millennium, Poland joined the European Union and has enjoyed continuous economic growth unlike any other EU country. This has allowed it to markedly improve its infrastructure and had a profound effect on its society, who again became quite cosmopolitan but remained as hospitable as it has traditionally been. Creative and enterprising, Poles continually come up with various ideas for events and festivals, and new buildings and institutions spring up almost before your eyes, so that every time you come back, you are bound to discover something new. Regions Poland's administrative regions are called województwa, abbreviated "woj.". The word is translated as voivodeship or province. Central Poland (Łódzkie, Mazowieckie) Central Poland is focused around the capital city of Warsaw and the large city of Łódź with rich textile manufacturing heritage Southern Poland (Małopolskie, Śląskie) Home to spectacular mountain ranges, the world's oldest operating salt mines, fantastic landscapes, caves, historical monuments and cities. The magnificent medieval city of Kraków is Poland's most-visited Regions and voivodeships of Poland destination, while the Silesian conurbation is the largest in the country. Southwestern Poland (Dolnośląskie, Opolskie) Colorful mixture of different landscapes. One of the warmest regions in Poland with the very popular, dynamic city of Wrocław. Within this region you will find Polish, German and Czech heritage. Northwestern Poland (Lubuskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie) A varied landscape, profusion of wildlife, bird-watcher's paradise and inland dunes. Much of this part of Poland belonged to Germany for centuries, which shaped its heritage. Northern Poland (Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Pomorskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie) Home to Poland's attractive seaside; sandy beaches with dunes and cliffs; lakes, rivers and forests. Eastern Poland (Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Świętokrzyskie, Podlaskie) Very green area filled with lakes. It offers unspoiled nature and the possibility of camping in beautiful countryside. Unique primeval forests and picturesque rivers (e.g. Biebrza river) with protected bird species make the region increasingly interesting for tourists. Cities 1 Warsaw (Warszawa) — capital of Poland, and one of the EU's thriving new business centres; the old town, nearly completely destroyed during World War II, has been rebuilt in a style inspired by classicist paintings of Canaletto. 2 Gdańsk — formerly known as Danzig; one of the old, beautiful European cities, rebuilt after World War II. Located in the centre of the Baltic coast, it's a great departure point to the many sea resorts along the Baltic coast. 3 Katowice — central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, both an important commercial hub and a centre of culture. 4 Kraków — the "cultural capital" of Poland and its historical capital in the Middle Ages; its centre is filled with old churches, monuments, the largest European medieval market-place - and now with trendy pubs and art galleries. Its city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 5 Lublin — the biggest city in Eastern Poland, it has a well- preserved old town with typical Polish architecture, along with unusual Renaissance elements (the so-called Lublin Renaissance). 6 Łódź — once renowned for its textile industries, the "Polish Manchester" has the longest walking street in Europe, the Piotrkowska Street, full of picturesque 19th-century architecture. 7 Poznań — the merchant city, considered to be the birthplace of 300 km Wikimedia maps | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors the Polish nation and church Map of Poland (along with Gniezno); presents a mixture of architecture from all epoques. 8 Szczecin — most important city of Pomerania with an enormous harbour, monuments, old parks and museums. 9 Wrocław — an old Silesian city with great history; placed on 12 islands, it has more bridges than any other European town except Venice, Amsterdam and Hamburg. Other destinations Wrocław 1 Auschwitz-Birkenau — An infamous complex of German Nazi extermination and slave labour camps that became the centre of the holocaust of Jews during World War II. UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/31). 2 Białowieża National Park — a huge area of ancient woodland straddling the border with Belarus. UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/33). 3 Bory Tucholskie National Park — national park protecting the Tucholskie Forests. 4 Kalwaria Zebrzydowska — monastery in the Beskids from 1600 with Mannerist architecture and a Stations of the Cross Bison in Białowieża National Park complex. UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://whc.unesco.org/e n/list/905). 5 Karkonosze National Park — national park in the Sudety around the Śnieżka Mountain with beautiful waterfalls. 6 Malbork — home to the Malbork Castle, the beautiful huge Gothic castle made of brick and the largest one in Europe. UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/847). 7 Słowiński National Park — national park next to the Baltic Sea with the biggest dunes in Europe 8 Wieliczka Salt Mine — the oldest still existing enterprise worldwide, this salt mine was exploited continuously since the 13th century. UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/32). 9 Wielkopolski National Park — national park in Greater Poland protecting the wildlife of the Wielkopolskie Lakes. Understand History Early history The first cities in today's Poland, Kalisz and Elbląg on the Amber Trail to the Baltic Sea, were mentioned by Roman writers in the first century Gdańsk AD, but the first Polish settlement in Biskupin dates even further back to the 7th century BC. Poland was united as a country in the first half of the 10th century, and adopted Catholicism as the state religion in 966 AD. The first capital was the city of Gniezno, but a century later the capital was moved to Kraków, where it remained for half a millennium. Poland experienced its golden age from 14th to 16th century, under the reign of king Casimir the Great, and the Jagiellonian dynasty, whose rule extended from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic seas. In the 16th Wieliczka salt mine century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the largest country in Europe; the country attracted many immigrants, including Germans, Jews, Armenians and Dutch, because of the freedom of confession guaranteed by the state and the atmosphere of religious tolerance, which was exceptional in Europe at the time of the Holy Inquisition. Under the rule of the Vasa dynasty, the capital was moved to Warsaw in 1596. During the 17th and the