Poland - Cities and Cultural Heritage

7/31/2019 Poland - Cities and Cultural Heritage

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Poland a countryin the heart o Europe

Poland, one o the largest countries in Europe, with broad access tothe Baltic Sea, is situated in the middle o the European continent at thecrossroads between West and East. For centuries, Poland has maintainedstrong links with Western European culture, links established by its frstruler, Mieszko I, who accepted Christianity in 966 and connected thecountry to Latin civilization.Both Polands capital and its largest cities are attractive vacation destina-tions or those interested in history and the cultural heritage o othernations, with convenient connections by air, rail and road.Despite the colossal destruction wrought by World War II, Poland still hasmany world-class historical monuments and sites. On the UNESCO WorldHeritage List there are nineteen o them in thirteen categories. Theyinclude historical centres o Krakow, Warsaw, Toru and Zamo as wellas the Wieliczka Salt Mine in uninterrupted operation or over 700 years,the worlds largest medieval castle built in Malbork by the Teutonic Knights,the religious sanctuary and pilgrimage site o Kalwaria Zebrzydowska withits Bernardine monastic copmlex, the Nazi-built German concentration anddeath camp o Auschwitz-Birkenau, two Protestant Churches o Peacein Jawor and widnica, six wooden churchs in southern Maopolska, thePolish-German Muakowski Landscape Park in knica, the modernist

reinorced-concrete Centenary Hall (Hala Ludowa) in Wrocaw, and theBiaowiea National Park.A journey across Poland is an opportunity not only to visit historical pointso interest, but also to taste local cuisine, as many Polish dishes may begenuine novelties even or connoisseurs. Its also an opportunity to takeadvantage o Polands strong ties to the European tradition o contemporaryculture and art: painting, poster art, music and applied art such as artisticglassware, tapestries and ceramics.Its hard to resist the charm o silver

jewellery set with amber.

Polish Tourist Organisation

PolishTouristOrganisation

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Today Warsaw is a city with many aces wheretradition intermingles with modernity. From theterrace on Zamkowy Square, where the Royal

Castle and St. Annes Church are located, is a viewo the new witokrzyski Bridge. The dominatingsilhouette o the city centre belongs to the Palaceo Culture and Science, which today shares the city

skyline with numerous ofce towers. You can eel

the breath o history in the Old Town, on Nowy wiatStreet and everywhere where the citys roots have

been preserved.

A colourful Old Town

Zamkowy Square, containing the Zygmunt Column, is themost prominent eature o the Old Town. The 15thcenturyGothic St. Johns Cathedral stands on narrow witojaskaStreet. Its crypt houses the sarcophaguses o the princes oMazovia and the tombs o many amous Poles. The cathe-dral is the summertime venue o the International Festival oOrgan Music. witojaska Street leads into the Old TownSquare, with its colorul, narrow-ronted tenement houses.The Old Towns history dates back to the early 14th century.

As a result o the tremendous reconstruction that ollowedthe destruction o World War II, the Old Town was includedon the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. The Old Townscharming little streets and alleys are home to numerous gal-leries, cas and restaurants. In the Old Town Square, whichbecomes a busy open-air gallery in the summer, painters selllandscapes, panoramas o Warsaw and portraits o pas-

sersby. Also on the square is the Warsaw History Museum,which presents the history o the city. Jazz concerts areheld here in summer on Saturday nights and horse-drawncarriages are available or visitors during the day. Beyondthe Barbican, the gate that sealed the old deensive walls othe Old Town, Freta Street leads to the New Town, oundedin the early 15th century. The New Town Square is dominatedby the Church o the Nuns o the Order o the Holy Sacra-ment. It is not ar rom here to the Baroque Church o theFranciscan Order and Warsaws oldest church, the Churcho the Virgin Mary. The majestic Royal Castle was expandedduring the reign o Polands last king, Stanisaw AugustPoniatowski. Celebrated academics, prominent architectsand painters worked here, including the painters Marcello

Bacciarelli and Canaletto. The Canaletto Roomhouses 18th-century panoramas o Warsawpainted by the amous Italian artist.

Walking along the Royal Route

Zamkowy Square is the starting point o theormer Royal Route, which runs south toWilanw Palace. On the embankment above the

Vistula River stands St. Annes Church, oundedin the 15th century by Princess Anna o Mazo-via, with Rococo and Classicist wall paintingsand a large aade. The view rom the churchtower includes Mariensztat, an autonomouspart o the city in the 18th century with its ownlaw and town hall. Nearby is the Polonia House,which was once the Museum o Industry andTrade, where Maria Skodowska-Curie workedbeore she let or France. Curie went on to dis-cover radium and polonium, or which she wasawarded with the Nobel Prize. On the same sideo Krakowskie Przedmiecie Street stands theRadziwi Palace, which today is the residenceo the president o Poland. A little urther downthe street, on the Warsaw University campus,is Kazimierzowski Palace, which was originallythe summer residence o King Ladislaus IV

and later home to the Knights School, whereTadeusz Kociuszko was a student. Oppositethe university, in the annex o Czapski Palace,is the parlor o Frdric Chopins parents. Todaythe palace houses the Academy o Fine Arts. Anumber o elegant stores and restaurants arelocated on Nowy wiat Street, an extension oKrakowskie Przedmiecie Street. Here Charlesde Gaulle tried some o the delicious pczki(doughnuts) rom the Blikle conectionary whenhe was in Poland with a French military mis-sion ater World War I. Beyond Trzech KrzyySquare are Ujazdowskie Avenue and adjacentpark areas. The Botanical Gardens and RoyalW

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azienki Park, a magnicent palace-and-park complex ounded by KingStanisaw August Poniatowski, create a true oasis o green ery in thecity centre. The Old Orangery preserves Europes only 18th-century courttheatre with original ttings and beautiul wall paintings. There is also asculpture gallery. The Royal Route ends in Wilanw, where King Jan IIISobieski established his residence. The Baroque palace, surrounded bya historical park, has retained part o its collections and original layout.The Poster Museum, located on the palace grounds, eatures the work ogreat contemporary Polish artists.

For body and spirit

Warsaw has plenty to oer to music lovers. Events held here include theMozart Festival, the International Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, ormerlyknown as Jazz Jamboree, and the Warsaw Autumn International Festivalo Contemporary Music. Every ve years, ans o Chopins music gatherhere or the International Chopin Competition. In the summer, Chopinsmusic can be heard every Sunday at the Chopin monument in Royalazienki Park.The National Museum houses a rich collection o Polish and oreign art.One o the collections prize items are valuable rescos rom Faras inSudan, discovered by Polish archaeologists.

Picturesque environs

A stay in Warsaw need not be limited to visits to its historical sites. It is

not ar rom Wilanw to Konstancin, amous or its exquisite residencesand spa, where therapeutic brine saturated air helps cure patients suer-ing rom pulmonary tract diseases. There are several orests and naturereserves within Warsaws boundaries and on the edge o the city standsKampinoski National Park.Its worth visiting Chopins birthplace, now a museum, in elazowa Wola,where concerts are held in the summer. Nearby Nieborw is home to theimpressive residence o the Radziwi magnate amily, surrounded by apicturesque park. Today the palace houses a museum. Just 5 km away isthe beautiul scenic park oArkadia.Those seeking traces o the Vienna Secession style should go to nearbyd, where the architectural arrangement o the 19th-century city as wellas its historic industrial architecture have been preserved. d is wellknown or its numerous pubs and clubs in the Piotrkowska Street.w

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Krakow, Polands ormer royal capi-tal, is one o the most attractive spotson the tourist map o Europe. This is

a place where legends, history andmodernity intertwine. The city, whichlies on the banks o the Vistula River,is amous or its priceless historical

monuments o culture and art.

A little bit of magic

Krakow is believed to be a place with magicalpowers. Apparently, a positive orce emanatesrom the chakra ound here a holy stone, oneo seven mysterious energy sources placed indierent locations around the world. Besideshistory, art and atmosphere, Krakow also oersvisitors entertainment and relaxation. Theatres,cabarets, clubs, cas, bars, wine cellars andrestaurants have something or everyone.International estivals and other events are heldeither on the Main Market Square or beneathWawel Castle. In August Krakows churchesresound with the Music in Old Krakow series. Insummer the Main Market Square is a venue orthe International Street Theatre Festival, and thedistrict o Kazimierz hosts the Jewish CultureFestival.

Ever lively tradition

Krakow cultivates numerous ancient customs.Every year in June, the Lajkonik, a horse riderdressed in a stylized Tatar costume, dancesrom the convent o the Norbertine Nuns tothe Main Market Square. This gure originatesrom the time when the city was threatened bythe Tatars. Legend has it that during one oray,ratsmen living in Zwierzyniec, near Krakow, en-tered the enemy camp and killed the khan. TheTatars withdrew rom the gates o Krakow, andthe joyous victors with a ratsman dressed as

the khan at the ront triumphantly enteredthe city.Krakow Christmas crches are world-amous.Made by olk artists and cratsmen, they com-bine the traditions o Baroque decoration withmotis rom olk tales and legends. The mostinteresting crches are displayed in the MainMarket Square around Christmas.The Main Market Square, approximately 200m on each side, is the oldest part o the OldTown. Established at the crossroads o traderoutes in 1257, it is one o Europes largestcity squares. The square is surrounded bytenement houses that once belonged to itswealthiest residents. Above the square risethe two towers o the Basilica o the As-sumption o the Holy Virgin Mary, known asMariacki (St. Marys) Church. This is the mostvaluable historic building in the Old Town.

A bugle call is played rom the higher towerevery hour to the our corners o the world.The melody breaks o suddenly apparentlycenturies ago, the bugler saw Tatar orces ap-proaching the city and sounded the alarm. Hewas killed by the arrow o a Tatar warrior andalthough the bugler ailed to nish the alarmcall, Krakovians had enough time to prepareor the attack.


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Renaissance treasures

The main altar o St. Marys Church is worthy o admira-tion. Built by a sculptor rom Nuremberg, Wit Stwosz,it was made in the 15th century rom gilded and poly-chrome linden wood. It is Europes largest Gothicwooden altar.In the middle o the Main Market Square stands Sukien-nice, the Cloth Hall, built in the 14 th century to housemerchants, with a richly ornamented attic. The pearl o

Krakow is the 14th

-century Gothic Collegium Maius, thecentral building o the Jagiellonian University. The univer-sity, established in 1364, is one o the oldest universitiesin Europe. Kanonicza Street is a charming corner o theOld Town, where most o the buildings were erected romthe 14th to the 18th centuries. The Old Town is no longerguarded by deensive walls and moats. These have beenreplaced by the city park, called Planty, which surroundsthe Old Town in a 4-km-long belt. One remnant o the oldortiications is the Floriaska Gate start o the RoyalRoad to Wawel Castle and the Barbican beyond hasalso been preserved. This 15th-century historic building isthe largest and best-preserved Gothic deense architec-ture o its kind in Europe.

A royal hill and a Jewish town

Wawel, the seat o kings and bishops, sits on a limestone

hill on the Vistula. Wawel cathedral has witnessed themost important religious and state ceremonies and nearlyall o Polands monarchs are buried in the crypts below.

Among the Ren aissance castles most worthwhile sig htsare the Royal Chambers, eaturing Flemish tapestriesrom the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Crown Treasury,with its 13th-century coronation sword, called Szczerbiec.Krakows Kazimierz district, established in the 14 th centuryby King Kazimierz the Great, used to be a separate townwhere Christianity and Judaism coexisted or nearly vecenturies. Jews began settling in Kazimierz in the late15th century. At the centre o todays Kazimierz is SzerokaStreet, lined with Jewish cas and restaurants, and theOld Synagogue Europes oldest preserved synagogueand one o its most valuable. Inside is an exhibition romthe Ethnographic Museum,The History and Culture ofKrakows Jews.

Attractions around the city

Krakows environs oer plenty o tourist attractions.Wieliczka is amous or one o the worlds oldest saltmines, which is open to sightseers. The valley o thePrdnik River, part o the Ojcowski National Park, is aunique nature reserve with a airy-tale landscape carvedrom limestone. The ruined Gothic castle in Ojcw andthe beautiully preserved Renaissance castle in PieskowaSkaa are two more reasons to visit the park. Just 35 kmsouth o Krakow is the Beskidy mountain range, and 100km urther, in the Tatra Mountains, lies Zakopane , dubbedthe winter capital o Poland. W

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Wrocaw was once described as the holy blossom oEurope, a beautiul gem among cities, and has alwaysbeen a bone o contention, changing hands many times

throughout its long history. In the past, Wrocaw hasbelonged to Poles, Czechs, Austrians, Hungarians andGermans. Settlers here have included Walloons, Jews,Italians and Ruthenians. The mixture o many dierent

religions and cultures, while troublesome at times, has

also contributed a great deal to th e city.Wrocaw lies inthe middle o the Silesian Lowland, where the Oder Riv-

er branches out to orm 12 islands. The city is spannedby more than 100 bridges. Seen rom the deck o a tourboat, Wrocaw looks like a city on the water.

Architectural gems in the Market Square

The heart o Wrocaw is the Market Square, one o the mostbeautiul and largest urban squares in Poland. As in cen-turies past, it is home to large banks, elegant stores andamous restaurants. Wrocaws Market Square was builton the crossroads o important transport routes runningrom the Czech Republic in the south, to the north, and

rom Western Europe to the East. The wealth o Wrocawsresidents was built on international trade, and the city grewrich rom the taxes fowing into its coers. With over 20,000residents in the 14 th century, Wrocaw was among the largestcities o Europe at the time. In 1387 it became a membero the Hanseatic league, the powerul union o northernGerman, Rheinland, Teutonic, Swedish and Polish towns,which monopolized northern European trade and became apolitical power.People come to Wrocaw or more than just business. Kings,emperors and presidents have been guests at the Underthe Golden Sun, Under the Seven Electors and Under theBlue Sun tenement houses located on the Market Square.Here they received homage, held political negotiations andborrowed money rom the city. Today their ormer residencesare the most beautiul buildings in the Market Square, andthe Town Hall is recognised as a gem o Gothic-Renaissanceurban architecture.

Beer and salt from Wrocaw

The southern aade o the Town Hall is also the entranceto Piwnica widnicka, Wrocaws most amous beer cellar,originating rom the early 14th century. Who hasnt been toPiwnica widnicka, hasnt been to Wrocaw, as the sayinggoes. As in centuries past, the Old Town and especiallythe Market Square, is the place or meetings, with close to200 restaurants, cas, pubs and clubs. Besides Piwnicawidnicka, also worth recommending is the Spi brewery,located in the underground section o the new Town Hall.The bar oers its own wheat beer, which is excellent withw

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whole-meal bread and smalec a traditional Polish dish made rom lard andspices.Wrocaw has always made a living o trade, so it has a number o squares.Beside the Market Square, there are Solny (Salt) Square and Nowy Targ (NewMarket). Salt stalls used to line the northern side o Solny Square. Honey andwax, precious urs, caviar, tea and even goats meat were also sold here. Thelast salt stalls were abolished in 1815, but trading in the square continues. Flow-er sellers are here until late at night, and it is also a meeting place or couples,who arrange their dates at the ountain with the dragon or at the stone spire.

A city of monuments

Wrocaw is ull o magical places. The medieval slaughterhouse has a statue inmemory o the animals slaughtered there. On widnicka Street, near thepedestrian subway, is the monument o the Dwar, the symbol o Orange Al-ternative, a movement amous in the 1980s or its protest against martial law.Every weekend, he Baba Jaga tram departs rom Teatralny Square with a caon board.For the ambitious, we recommend the terrace on the tower o St. ElizabethsChurch (next to the amous tenement houses Ja (Hansel) and Magosia (Gretel),with a total o 300 steps. There is also an elevator in the cathedral tower, tak-ing visitors up 60 m to an observation terrace. In the evening, we recommenda walk along the streets o Ostrw Tumski, illuminated by the hazy light o gaslamps.

In the shadow of the cathedral

Ostrw Tumski, ar rom the hubbub o the city, is the terra sancta o Wrocaw.To get there, you need to cross Tumski Bridge, once the border o church juris-diction. Representatives o the lay authorities, including princes, were obliged totake o their hats when they crossed the bridge. This is an area o monumentalchurches, a marvellous Gothic cathedral, the houses o the canons and thearchbishops palace. The terrace on the cathedrals northern tower mentionedabove oers a great view o the church towers and the Oder River windingthrough the city.When the gas lamps are lit at night and the most striking architectural landmarksare illuminated, Ostrw Tumski is a breathtaking sight.Those who enjoy Modernism will be intrigued by the Centenary Hall (LudowaHall), which at its opening in 1913 was the largest reinorced-concrete structurein the world. Recently, it has been entered the UNESCO World Cultural HeritageList. Today it is a venue or many trade airs, exhibitions, concerts and sportsevents.Wrocaw is a city where culture plays a special role. Important events include theWratislavia Cantans Music and Fine Arts estival, eaturing oratorio and cantatamusic, the International Festival o Viennese Music and the Wrocaw OrganSummer. The city has an opera house, an operetta, numerous theatres and mu-

seums, among which the most important is the rotunda housing the RacawicePanorama, a monumental work by Wojciech Kossak and Jan Styka, portrayingthe victory o insurgents led by Tadeusz Kociuszko over Russian orces at theBattle o Racawice.

Excursions to nearby castles

It takes just an hour and a hal to get to the castle complex in Ksi. The castle,which has over 400 rooms, was built in the 13th century, and later changes onlyadded to its splendour. The castle is surrounded by terrace gardens. Closer toWrocaw, just 10 km west o the centre, in the village o Wojnowice, is Polandsonly castle on the water. w

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Pozna

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Pozna is known around the world as an important inter-national trade-air centre. Every year about 30 internationaland national events are held here. Specialist trade airs,

such as the Polagra Fair, eaturing ood products, and theBudma Fair, eaturing building materials, are among thelargest sectoral events in Europe. The historical landmarksin this city are also well worth seeing.

Relics of the past

The observation terrace o the Economics Academy skyscraper, 80 mabove ground, oers an excellent view o the citys old quarter, OstrwTumski, where the cathedral stands today and where once stood thecastle o Prince Mieszko I and his son Bolesaw the Brave, crowned in1025 the rst king o Poland. Their sarcophaguses can be viewed in theGolden Chapel o the cathedral.Besides gold cups and monstrances rom the churches o Wielkopolska,the Archdiocese Museum houses Polands only painting by Anthony vanDyck.Poznas most beautiul church is the huge Baroque Parish Church o St.Stanisaw. This is one o Poz nas most mysterious buildings, since partso the crypts have not yet been investigated. Rumours say that crateso sketches by great Polish painters Jan Matejko and Wojciech Gerson,

purchased or the Pozna City Museum just beore World War II, werehidden here. Organ concerts are held in the church every day in the sum-mer, with proceeds going to the renovation o the historic organ.

Billy goats on the Town Hall

The city authorities were housed in the Renaissance Town Hall until1939, and today the building is home to the Pozna History Museum.

At noon two mechanical bill y goats clash horns on the Town Hall t owerin the middle o the Old Market Square. The aade o the housessurrounding the square, once the homes o the wealthiest residents,eature Renaissance and Baroque motis. Nearby is the Museum oMusical Instruments, with exhibits rom all over the world and rommany musical eras.Przemys II was the last Polish king to rule rom Pozna. Remnants ohis rule are the oundations o a castle built in the second hal o the13th century on the hill next to the Market Square. Przemyss castle re-mained one o the royal seats or many years. It was here in 1493 thatKing Jan Olbracht accepted the homage o the grand master o theTeutonic Knights, Johann von Tieen. The building ell into ruin in the18th century, and the Prussians later erected a new building on the oldoundation which was destroyed in 1945. Reconstructed ater the war,it now houses the Museum o Applied Art.

Pegasus on the theatre

Pozna National Museum boasts Polands largest collection o worksby painter Jacek Malczewski. The permanent exhibition o Gothic artis also worth seeing. The entrance to the museum is rom WolnociSquare. On the same square is the Raczyski Library, the rst pub-


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The kings last castle

The opera house was one o a number o important elements o

the new city centre designed in the early 20 th century. The mainbuilding is still the imperial castle in neo-Romanesque style, builtby King Wilhelm II. This was the last royal residence o suchsize built in Europe. In the courtyard is the Lion Fountain areplica o the amous sculpture rom the Alhambra. The king,who visited his castle just twice, received guests in the throneroom, which today houses a movie theatre. The monarch sat ona throne modelled ater that o the Maharaja o Delhi.

Nature and art

For those who enjoy longer outings, Wielkopolski NationalPark, just a dozen or so kilometres rom Pozna, is an excel-lent choice. Napoleon Bonaparte stayed there in the early 19 thcentury. A stroll around Polands oldest and largest palm houseor a visit to one o two zoos are ideal or those who dont havetime or long excursions. Polands oldest zoological gardenwas established in 1874 rom a donation o a ew animals.With time, the modest collection grew into a large animal arm.Pozna has no shortage o artistic attractions. In January, nu-merous choirs give concerts o Christmas carols. In late June,there is the Malta International Theatre Festival and a concertby the excellent boys choir, the Pozna Nightingales. Organconcerts are held in St. Stanisaws Parish Church rom July toSept. at 12:15 p.m.There are many palaces and castles to see around Pozna.South o the city is the palace in Rogalin, surrounded by abeautiul park. It includes a museum and painting gallery. An-tique urniture and ttings have been preserved in the castle inKrnik, which includes a collection o national mementos. Thecastle is surrounded by a beautiul arboretum.

lic library, ounded in Pozna in the early 19 th century byEdward Raczyski. Its aade is an architectural reerenceto the eastern acade o the Louvre. From the west, thesquare is completed by the ormer German theatre wherethe smego Dnia Theatre is located today. Next door is theOkrglak, Polands only round department store. Its win-dows oer an excellent view o the Wielki Theatre, the rstpermanent opera house in Poland, built in 1910. Today itstages excellent productions and has a prominent decora-tive element the winged horse Pegasus.

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The Tri-City, an urban complex extending along the Bay oGdask, is one o Polands largest tourist attractions. Each othe cities making up the Tri-City oers a dierent atmosphere.Gdask is a Hanseatic town more than 1,000 years old,

while the lively Sopot and Gdynia are proo o the economicspirit o the Poles who, having regained their independence in1918 ater a century and a hal o occupation, took less than

10 years to build one o the greatest ports on the Baltic.

The history o the Tri-City is an important element o the con-temporary consciousness o every Pole: it was here that the

strikes o 1970, 1980 and 1988 set in motion the destructiono the communist system.In 1980, Lech Wasa led the strike at the Lenin Shipyard

in Gdask, which became the cradle o the Solidarity socialmovement. The trade-union leader went on to become thepresident o Poland and winner o the Nobel Peace Prize.

Swimming, strolling, or maybe a cruise?

Sightseeing around the Tri-City is relatively simple, becausethe cities are like beads on a string the transport corri-

dor linking Gdask with Gdynia. The charms o living in theTri-City combine harmoniously with natural attractions. Thecoastline oers a variety o environments, rom the sandybeaches in Sopot and Gdask and the lowland coast o theBay o Puck, to the cli coastline o Redowo and Oksywie.The vitality o fora and auna on Sobieszewska Island, at themouth o the Vistula, is truly amazing. An adventure on theBaltic Sea can start with a visit to one o the beaches in Stogi,Brzeno or Sopot. Piers are a seaside attraction here. Theoldest and longest pier in Sopot oers a walk o 516 metersacross the sea. A seaside cruise is available rom DugiePobrzee in Gdask, the pier in Sopot and the port in Gdynia.Most o the ships sail to Hel, a picturesque shing port on theother side o the Bay o Gdask.

Meetings with the past

The heritage o material culture in the Tri-City, despite wartimedestruction, is impressive. The Main Town in Gdask is a clas-sic example o a Hanseatic town. The narrow aade o Man-nerist houses line streets that were once lively trading centres,and today attract tourists with their picturesque appearance.The narrow streets are ull o lie in all seasons. In August,crowds are attracted to the Dominican Fair. To really eel theatmosphere o old Gdask, its best to walk along Duga andNowy Targ streets, closed rom both ends by spectaculargates: Zota (Golden) and Zielona (Green). On Dugi Targ Streetis the Neptune Fountain, and behind it is the Artus Court,once the citys most important building, the centre o politi-cal lie and merchant societies. Nearby is the beautiul GothicMain Town Hall. It houses a museum displaying amousw

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Gdask carved urniture. The Town Hall tower is a scenic viewpoint. Dugi Targ Street, under the arcades o the Green Gate, willtake you to Dugie Pobrzee a ragment o the old Gdask portwith the characteristic uraw (Crane). This tourist attraction wasonce an important port o transer o goods. Its located closeto the Mariacka Gate, which leads into the narrow stone-pavedMariacka Street. On its axis is Mariacka (St. Marys) Basilica, thelargest brick Gothic church in Europe.

Cultural treasures

The National Museum houses a collection o old paintings andother crats. The most amous work is The Last Judgment, apainting by Hans Memling. The lie o the Gdask townspeopleis displayed at exhibitions in the Gdask History Museum, ArtusCourt and Uphagens House, where visitors can admire the wealthand splendour o the apartments o Gdasks patricians. Thehistory o maritime culture can be viewed at the Central MaritimeMuseum. The Maritime Aquarium in Gdynia is a delight or loverso exotic aquatic lie. Also intriguing are the smaller beads othe Tri-City necklace on the Gdask-Gdynia route. Wrzeszcz hasan atmosphere rom the late 19th and early 20th century, includingeclectic style houses and Vienna Secession-style villas. Sightsworth seeing include a 19th-century brewery and a settlement oworkers cottages. Gdansk is the setting o some o the literarywork o Gnter Grass, winner o the Nobel Prize or literature, whowas born and lived here as a child. Oliwa, site o the InternationalOrgan Festival, is amous or its cathedral, containing an originalRococo organ.

Unusual performances and concerts

The Tri-City is well known or its unique theatrical perormances.The summer stage o the Municipal Theatre in Gdynia operatesnext to the pier in Orowo. Its oundations are immersed in theBay o Gdask and viewers are able to view perormances romthe beach. The Atelier Theatre is located on the beach next to thehistorical Grand Hotel in Sopot. In summer, Andr Hubner-Ochod-lo, a German artist with Ukrainian roots, comes here to present

a Polish-German-Jewish repertoire. The Theatrum GedanenseFoundation, under the patronage o the Prince o Wales, organ-ises Shakespeare Days and the National Shakespeare Festival inGdask. Also active in Gdask is Schola Cantorum Gedanensis,considered the best Polish choir, and Capella Gedanensis, whichspecializes in the music o old Gdask. The historical organs othe Oliwa Cathedral, St. Marys Church and St. Nicholas Churchattract many outstanding musicians. The Forest Opera in Sopotwas the venue or Wagner estivals beore World War II, whiletoday it hosts concerts and the International Song Festival.

Something for gourmets

The Tri-City is amous or sh. The Fish Hall in Gdynia oers allkinds o seaood. The Polish Baltic coast is rich in herring, cod,salmon, eel, turbot and founder. Hel hosts an annual competitionor the most interesting herring dish. Beer amous across Europehas been brewed in Gdask or centuries. Other local special-ties include Goldwasser a clear herb liqueur with gold fakes,Piounwka a modern version o absinthe, and Dzika Pszczoa(Wild Bee) honey vodka with orest herbs. Amber is a typicalsouvenir rom Gdask. I you ail to nd any on the shore, thereare ready-made amber decorative items and jewellery on sale atnumerous souvenir stores in the Tri-City.

Environs a trip into the Middle Ages

Tourists who preer day trips can go rom Gdansk to Malborkto visit the largest Gothic castle in Europe. The castle is on theUNESCO World Heritage List. The Grand Master o the TeutonicKnights lived in this ortress. Light and sound perormances areheld here as well as knights tournaments or those who nd look-ing at museum collections is not enough.

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Customs, languages, religious denominationsand ashion have intermingled or centuries inPoland, creating a colourul and unique

cultural mosaic.

Treasures of the earth

Amber, a ossilized resin rom conierous trees which also hastherapeutic properties, has been collected on the shores othe Baltic Sea since at least the 1st century B.C. In the timeso the Roman Empire, merchants came to Gdask rom theMediterranean basin in search o amber. The History o Amber

exhibit at the Malbork Castle Museum presents marvellousexamples o amber and amber jewellery.Europes oldest salt mine is located in Wieliczka, where 25million tonnes o salt have been mined over the last 1,000years. The mine is in operation to this day. Due to the thera-peutic microclimate, the empty mine shats are used assanatorium acilities today. Conerences and balls are alsoheld in the subterranean chambers. There is even an under-ground restaurant. Unused excavation sites have also beenadapted to house a mining museum with objects dating as arback as the 11 th century. The caves and several chapels aredecorated with numerous salt sculptures. The most unusualsite is a 17 th-century underground church, in which everythingis carved rom saltrom the chandeliers to the gure o itspatron saint, St. Kinga.

Religious Poland

The customs and art o Western Europe came to the Polishlands together with Christianity. Romanesque architecture,located along the 1,000-km route o the Piast Roman Way,date back to the 11th century. Sites worth seeing include the12th-century tombs o the rst Piast rulers, the Gniezno Doors,the cathedral in Pock, the basilicas in Kruszwica and Tum,located near czyca, and numerous churches.Points o interest along the easternmost section o theEuropean Cistercian Trail include 13th-century churchesand monasteries in Jdrzejw, Koprzywnica, Sulejw andWchock as well as the Baroque churches o the Krzeszw

Abbey with unique rescos, oten compared to paintings inthe Sistine Chapel. The churches o St. Mary in Gdask and

Krakow are excellent examples o Gothic architecture. Eastern Poland hassizable communities o religious minorities, and the most amous Orthodoxsanctuary Grabarka.Jews accounted or more than 10 percent o Polands pre-World War IIpopulation. Jewish religious relics in Poland are mainly cemeteries (kirkut),whose tombstones (macewa) are beautiully ornamented with motis romthe Old Testament. Every year Lesko, Krakows Kazimierz district andBobowa in the Biaa Valley are visited by Hassidic Jews, who come tosee the graves o amous tzaddikim. The rebuilt synagogues in Warsaw,Krakow and Tykocin are symbols o their past.

Chivalrous Poland

The Teutonic Knights, a religious order that expanded into Poland todeend its borders rom pagan tribes, rapidly grew into a power that threat-ened the Polish state in the 14 th century. This power was broken in 1410by King Wadysaw Jagieo, who ought a victorious battle over the Teu-tonic Knights at Grunwald. The battle is re-enacted every year in mid-July.

About 500 supporters o the tradition, both Polish and oreign, engage incombat during the re-enactment. A number o medieval estivals are heldat old castles. The most interesting are the Great Knights Carnival, held inFebruary, and the International Knights Tournament which has been heldor many years in July, both in Golub- Dobrzy. The Knights Tournamentin Bolkw in Lower Silesia is held in June, and Medieval Culture Days inSeptember.

Residences

In the 16th century, Wawel Castle in Krakow was redesigned asa magnicent Renaissance residence. The Commonwealth o Two Nations,comprising Poland and Lithuania, was one o the most powerul and largest countries in Europe at the time. Bona Sorza, a princess rom Milan,married King Zygmunt the Old rom the Jagiellonian dynasty. She broughtnot only Italian clothes and cuisine to the Krakow court, but also manyartists. They let behind numerous marvellous sculptures and architecture,such as the Zygmunt Chapel at Wawel Castle. Polish magnates also builtmagnicent residences, including the impressive castles in Krasiczynand Winicz. The Zamoyskis built a whole town, Zamo, where theyounded an academy that became amous throughout Europe. The castlein acut, converted and improved by successive magnate amilies, wasalso amous all across Europe. Today the castle hosts a museum wheremusic estivals are held every year in May. The Radziwi Palace inNieborw, also a museum, has an impressive collection o Romanitems and period urnishings.

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Folk mystery plays

Among the most beautiul mystery plays in Poland are Palm Sunday pro-cessions, the most amous o which are held in yse in the Kurpie regionand Tokarnia in the Podkarpacie region. The palms people bring to churchare up to a dozen metres tall, and all are extremely colourul. Colourulprocessions are also held in June on Corpus Christi. The most well-knowntake place in Zakw Kocielny, near owicz, and in Spicymierz, neard.The most popular Orthodox ceremony is the Feast o the Jordan in Janu-ary, including a procession and blessing o the water. It is held in Drohi-czyn on the Bug River.

Wooden architecture

Wooden sacral architecture is a eature o Polish culture. Wooden church-

es are scattered across the country, although the greatest concentrationso such structures are ound in Opole, Silesia and Podkarpacie provinces.Wooden Orthodox churches in the Polish section o the Carpathian Moun-tains are a picturesque element o eastern culture. O special interest arethe iconostases, or the screens on which icons are placed, separating thealtar area rom the nave. Interesting icon collections can be ound in themuseums o acut, Przemyl and Sanok.widnica, near Wabrzych, is amous or its wooden Lutheran church, builtin the 17th century. A similar church can also be o und in Jawor.

Culinary specialities

The Carpathian mountains is a shepherding region. For ve months,rom early May to late September, shepherds herding focks o sheep area common sight. Out in the mountain pastures, traditional utensils andworking methods are used. The shepherds huts have been the same orcenturies. Smoked sheeps-milk cheese, called oscypek, is made near theend o the shepherding season and a estival by the same name is held inZakopane in May.Poland has a varied and tasty cuisine. Traditional soups include borsch,urek a sour soup with sausage, and wild-mushroom soup. Other dishesworth trying include bigos stewed cabbage with meat, and pierogidumplings stued with all manner o llings. Those who like sweets willbe delighted with Polish gingerbread, cheesecake and poppy-seed cake,while or those seeking regional dishes the menus o the 17 th-century innsin Sucha Beskidzka and Jelenia in the ywiec region will be intriguing.Their specialty is kwanica sauerkraut soup cooked with stock maderom pig snouts. Among alcoholic beverages, mead comes highly recom-mended. Wyborowavodka goes best with meat dishes, and Krupnik, ahoney liqueur, is great with desserts. ywiec, Okocimand Lechbeer aregood or cooling down on a hot day.w

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Let the music play

The Frdric Chopin International Piano Competition is one o the mostimportant musical events in Poland. A prize rom this competition, whichis held every ve years, has paved the way or many a pianists worldcareer. Music lovers will particularly enjoy piano concerts at the manor inelazowa Wola, Chopins amily home. The Warsaw Autumn InternationalFestival o Contemporary Music is held every year in September. Organconcerts are held in Oliwa, Kamie Pomorski, Leajsk, arnowiec and inthe tiny wooden church in Rabka. The Jewish Culture Festival in KrakowsKazimierz district is also lled with music. International Jazz VocalistsMeetings are held in May in Zamo. The International Festival o Ortho-dox Church Music, held in May in Hajnwka, has gained world ame.Tatra Autumn is a unique international musical event o Highland olklore,held in August in Zakopane.

Monuments of engineering and technology

The Elblg Canal, built in 1850-1872, is a unique historic canal. It is 62.5km long and can carry vessels with up to 50 tonnes displacement usinga series o ve locks, along which boats are rolled on special platorms.Hajnwka, on the eastern end o Biaowieska Forest, is well known or itsnarrow-gauge railway, one o several dozen lines across the country thatuse historical rolling stock. In Wolsztyn, there is an operational steam en-gine rom 1908, the oldest in Poland. Europes last steam engines servicepassenger trac along the roda Commuter Railway.

Pilgrims Progress

Roman-Catholic sanctuaries are Polands landmarks. The majority opilgrims lock to the Pauline Monastery on Jasna Gra in Czstochowa.Here you will nd the blessed icon o the Black Madonna, venerated bothin Poland and abroad.The ollowers o other aiths have their sanctuaries in many places aroundthe country: the Eastern Orthodox Church at Grabarka, the Protestants atKarpacz, Wisa and Cieszyn, and the Muslims at Bohoniki.

Poland a Country o Religious Tolerance

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.

NewYork

Moscow

Warsaw

Stockholm

Berlin

BrusselsLondon

Paris

Madrid

Amsterdam

Vienna Budapest

Rome

Kiev

Tokyo

Branches o the Polish Tourist Organisation Abroad

AUSTRIA Vienna tel. +(43-1) 524 71 91 12 fax 524 71 91 20 www.polen.travel [email protected]

BELGIUM Brussels tel. +(32-2) 740 06 20 fax 742 37 35 www.polen.travel [email protected]

www.pologne.travel [email protected]

FRANCE Paris tel. +(33-1) 42 44 29 92 fax 42 97 52 25 www.pologne.travel [email protected]

GERMANY Berlin tel. +(49-30) 21 00 920 fax 21 00 92 14 www.polen.travel [email protected]

GREAT BRITAIN London tel. +(44-0) 300 303 1812 fax 300 303 1814 www.poland.travel [email protected]

HOLLAN D Amsterdam tel. +(31-20) 625 35 70 fax 623 09 29 www.polen.travel [email protected]

HUNGARY Budapest tel. +(36-1) 269 78 09 fax 269 78 10 www.lengyelorszag.travel [email protected]

ITALY Rome tel. +(39-06) 482 70 60 fax 481 75 69 www.polonia.travel [email protected]

JAPAN Tokyo tel. +(81) 3-5908-3 808 fax 3-5908-38 09 www.poland.travel [email protected]

SPAIN Madrid tel. +(34-91) 541 48 08 fax 541 34 23 www.polonia.travel [email protected]

RUSSIA Moscow tel. +(7-495) 510 62 10 fax 510 62 11 www.poland.travel [email protected]

SWEDEN Stockholm tel. +(46-8) 21 60 75 fax 21-04-65 www.polen.travel [email protected]

USA New York tel. +(1-201) 420 99 10 fax 584 91 53 www.poland.travel [email protected]

UKRAINE Kiev tel. +(38-044 ) 278 67 28 fax 278 66 70 www.polscha.travel [email protected]

Prac

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Republic of PolandArea: 312,000 sq km.

Location: Central Europe.

Poland borders on Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine,

Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Its northern border 500 km long

runs along the Baltic Sea coast.

Population: 38,000,000.

Flag: White and red.

Official language: Polish.

Capital city: Warsaw.

Other major cities: d, Krakow, Wrocaw, Pozna, Gdask,

Szczecin, Katowice, Lublin. Climate: Temperate, the average

temperature in July is 19C (67F), but there are many summer dayswhen temperatures rise to 30C (86F). The best time of the year for

practising winter sports is between January and March.

Useful telephone numbersNationwide toll-free 24 hour emergency phone numbers are:

Ambulance 999,

Fire Brigade 998,

Police 997. Mobile Phone Assistance 112,

Tourists can use the following emergency number during the

summer season:

800 200 300, +48-608 599 999.

Traffic regulationsThese are compatible with the regulations in EU countries. Speed

limits on Polish roads are:

50 km/h for all vehicles in built-up areas;

90 km/h on two lane roads;

110 km/h on expressways;

130 km/h on motorways;

Headlights must be switched on at all times while driving.

TaxiTaxi stands are marked with the TAXI sign. Taxis are best be booked

by telephone. Higher rates are charged for travel out of city limits, on

Sundays and holidays; a special night fare is applied between 10 pm

and 6 am.

BusAny place in Poland can be easily reached on the extensive network

of national and local roads. Coach services are operated throughout

the year by state and private bus companies across the country.

TrainPoland has a well-developed rail network. Major Polish cities are

interconnected by Intercity express trains running between European

cities. The national railway network is administered and serviced

by the Polish State Railways (PKP). All necessary information can

be found on the PKP website: www.pkp.pl, www.intercity.pl, www.

rozklad-pkp.pl and tel. +48 42 194 36.

AirThere are airports in Poland in the following cities: Warsaw, Krakow,

Gdask, Katowice, od, Pozna, Rzeszw, Szczecin, Wrocaw and

Bydgoszcz. LOT Polish Airlines is Polands national carrier. In order to

find the necessary information, all travellers planning to come to Po-

land and move around the country by air should visit the LOT website:

www.lot.com. In addition, there are other carriers, including budgetairlines such as Easy Jet www.easyjet.com, Germanwings www.

germanwings.com, WizzAir www.wizzair.com, Ryanair www.

ryanair.com, Norwegian www.norwegian.no, Aer Lingus www.

aerlingus.com

Customs regulationsCustoms rules and procedures are similar to those prevailing in the

majority of EU countries. Detailed information is available from the

Ministry of Finance, tel. +(48-22) 694 31 94, www.mf.gov.pl.

How to Pay?The Polish currency is the zloty (PLN). You can pay using other

currencies e.g. Euro, after you have come to an agreement with thevendor, but this is not always the case. Most transactions are done in

zloty. Money can be changed at banks or exchange counters (Kan-

tor). Credit cards are accepted in most shops and for services in the

whole of Poland. Cash dispensers of the different banks are available

24/24 in cities and towns. The official money is the zloty divided into

100 groszy. Polish money is in circulation as coins and banknotes.

Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 groszy and 1, 2, 5 zloty. Banknotes: 10, 20,

50, 100 and 200 zlotys.

Where to stay?All hotels are classified and their categories range from inexpensive

to luxurious.

Rooms can be booked by telephone or Internet:

www.discover-poland.pl, www.hotelsinpoland.com,www.polhotels.com, www.hotelspoland.com, www.polhotel.pl,

www.warsawshotel.com, www.visit.pl, www.orbisonline.pl,

www.pph.com.pl

Many historic and old buildings (palaces, castles, manors, mills)

have been adapted for tourist purposes tel. +(48 22) 412 50 13,

+48 507 842 552, www.goscinnezabytki.pl

Booking of rural B&B accommodations:

tel. +(48-52) 398 14 34, mobile +(48-602) 459 137,

www.agritourism.pl, www.agroturystyka.pl, [email protected]

Youth hostels: tel. +(48-22) 849 81 28, fax 849 83 54,

www.ptsm.org.pl

Camping: tel./fax +(48-22) 810 60 50, www.pfcc.eu

Polish Tourist Country Lovers Association: www.pttk.pl.

Public holidays and work-free daysNon working days are Saturdays, Sundays, and following holidays:

New Years Day (Jan. 1st), the Easter (Easter Sunday and Monday

are moveable holidays), Labour Day (May 1st), the anniversary of the

Constitution of May Third (May 3rd), Corpus Christi (Thursday, movable

feast), Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15th), All Saints Day (Nov. 1 st),

National Independence Day (Nov. 11th), Christmas Holidays (Dec. 25 th

and 26th).

Publisher: Polska Organizacja Turystyczna / Polish Tourist Organisation

00-613 Warszawa, ul. Chaubiskiego 8, tel. +48-22 536 70 70, fax +48-22 536 70 04, e-mail: [email protected], www.pot.gov.pl

Editor: www.artintro.com.pl; Text: J. Wysokiski; Translation: J. K. Milencki; Photographs: S. Klimek. E. Gaj, . Grimix, A. Hawalej, A. Marecik, W. Panw, Z. Panw,

A. Olej-Kobus / K. Kobus - www.travelphoto.pl, D. Zard - www.photoagency.com.pl, Z. Szmidt, A. Winiarz, Z. yburtowicz, East News, Agencja Gazeta,

Wydawnictwo Kamera, POT Archives.

I n pa rt ne rs hi p wi th t he Po li sh To ur is t Or ga ni sa ti on I n pa rt ne rs hi p wi th t he P ol is h To ur is t O rg an is at io n

Poland - Cities and Cultural Heritage

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