Must-see attractions in Poland

  • Medieval Malbork Castle, Marienburg Fortress of Mary, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pomerania, Poland, Europe

    Malbork Castle

    Gdańsk & Pomerania

    Malbork’s blockbuster attraction is its show-stoppingly massive castle sitting on the banks of the sluggish Nogat River, an eastern arm of the Vistula…

  • Wieliczka Salt Mine

    Wieliczka Salt Mine

    Kraków

    Some 14km southeast of Kraków, the Wieliczka (vyeh-leech-kah) salt mine has been welcoming tourists since 1722 and today is one of Poland's most popular…

  • 2F5XA5T Gdansk, Poland - Sept 9, 2020: The Museum of Second World War, Gdansk, Poland

Museum of WWII

    Museum of WWII

    Gdańsk

    Opened in 2016, this striking piece of modern architecture is a bold addition to the northern end of Gdańsk's waterfront. It has rapidly become one of…

  • The Wawel Royal Cathedral (Polish: Katedra Wawelska, na Wawelu) by night in Krakow, Poland, city landmark dating back to the 11th century.

    Wawel Royal Castle

    Kraków

    As the political and cultural heart of Poland through the 16th century, Wawel Royal Castle is a potent symbol of national identity. It's now a museum…

  • Wilanow Palace, summer residence of King John III Sobieski (17th century), Wilanow, Warsaw, Poland

    Wilanów Palace

    Warsaw

    Warsaw’s top palace, 10km south of the city centre, was commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski in 1677. It has changed hands several times over the…

  • Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

    Palace of Culture & Science

    Warsaw

    For over 60 years this socialist realist palace has dominated central Warsaw. A ‘gift of friendship’ from the Soviet Union, it was completed in 1955 and…

  • Castle Square in Warsaw

    Royal Castle

    Warsaw

    This remarkable copy of the original castle blown up by the Germans in WWII is filled with authentic period furniture and original works of art…

  • Memorial, Warsaw Uprising.

    Warsaw Rising Museum

    Warsaw

    This exceptional museum, housed in a former tram power station and its surrounding grounds, traces the history of the city's heroic but doomed uprising…

  • Copernicus Science Centre

    Warsaw

    The fully interactive, push-the-buttons-and-see-what-happens Copernicus Science Centre pulls off that tricky feat of being both hugely fun and educational…

  • Gniezno Cathedral. Gniezno, Greater Poland, Poland

    Gniezno Cathedral

    Wielkopolska

    Gniezno’s history and character are inextricably intertwined with its cathedral, an imposing, double-towered brick Gothic structure. The present church…

  •  Wolf's Lair ( Wolfsschanze, Wolfschanze, Wilczy Szaniec), Adolf Hitler' military headquarters in World War II. Gierloz near Ketrzyn, Poland. The attempted assassination of Hitler took place here.; Shutterstock ID 674053669; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: BiT Destination Page Images

    Wolf's Lair

    The Great Masurian Lakes

    Hidden in thick forest near the hamlet of Gierłoż, 8km east of Kętrzyn, is one of Poland’s eeriest historical relics – 18 overgrown hectares of huge,…

  • Wawel Cathedral, Wawel Hill.

    Wawel Cathedral

    Kraków

    Wawel Cathedral has witnessed many coronations, funerals and burials of Poland’s monarchs and nobles. The present cathedral is basically a Gothic, but…

  • View Of The Ceiling At The Basilica Of The Holy Cross And The Nativity Of The Virgin Mary At The Jasna Gora Monastery

    Paulite Monastery of Jasna Góra

    The Kraków−Częstochowa Upland

    Poland’s spiritual capital began with the arrival of the Paulite order from Hungary in 1382, who named the 293m hill in the western part of the city …

  • St. Mary's Church on Market Square in Krakow.

    St Mary's Basilica

    Kraków

    This striking brick church, best known simply as St Mary’s, is dominated by two towers of different heights. The first church here was built in the 1220s…

  • Wall spelling out the Solidarity logo in Polish, composed of small red and white pieces of card.

    European Solidarity Centre

    Gdańsk

    Opened in 2014, and housed in a truly awful example of 21st-century architecture (its rusty steel plates were designed to evoke ships under construction),…

  • Collegium Maius

    Collegium Maius

    Kraków

    The Collegium Maius, part of Jagiellonian University, is the oldest surviving university building in Poland, and one of the finest examples of 15th…

  • Poland, St Mary's Church Largest Brick Church In World

    St Mary's Church

    Gdańsk

    Dominating the heart of the Old Town, St Mary’s is often cited as the largest brick church in the world, its massive 78m-high tower dominating the Gdańsk…

  • Monument of Frederick Chopin

    Łazienki Park

    Warsaw

    Pronounced wah-zhen-kee, this beautiful park includes manicured gardens, an ornamental lake, wooded glades and strutting peacocks. Once a hunting ground,…

  • Jewish Cemetery

    Łódź

    Łódź's Jewish cemetery was founded in 1892 and today is a haunting destination. The largest Jewish graveyard in Europe, it contains around 68,000…

  • Pharmacy under the Eagle, Plac Bohaterow Getta 18, Podgorz.

    Museum of Pharmacy

    Kraków

    The name of this museum doesn’t sound that exciting, but the Jagiellonian University Medical School’s Museum of Pharmacy is one of the largest museums of…

  • Church of SS Peter & Paul

    Church of SS Peter & Paul

    Kraków

    The Jesuits erected this church, the first baroque building in Kraków, after they had been brought to the city in 1583 to do battle with supporters of the…

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    City Museum of Łódź

    Łódź

    Adjacent to the Manufaktura mall, this museum is housed in the impressive palace of 19th-century textile baron Izrael Kalmanowicz Poznański. The opulent…

  • Muzeum Fryderika Chopin

    Fryderyk Chopin Museum

    Warsaw

    This multimedia museum within the baroque Ostrogski Palace showcases the work of Poland’s most famous composer. You’re encouraged to take your time…

  • European bison, wisent (Bison bonasus), herd in forest, Bialowieza Forest National Park, Poland.

    Białowieźa National Park

    Mazovia & Podlasie

    Once a centre for hunting and timber-felling, Białowieża (Byah-wo-vyeh-zhah) is now Poland's oldest national park. Its significance is underlined by…

  • Kosciuszko Mound Hill and fortification, Krakow, Poland

    Kościuszko Mound

    Kraków

    This mound, dedicated to Polish (and American) military hero Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746–1817), was erected between 1820 and 1823. It stands 34m high and…

  • The underground trail In the Footsteps of Krakow European Identity under the Krakow Main Market Square introduces the atmosphere of the medieval city.; Shutterstock ID 248121478; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Rynek Underground

    Kraków

    This fascinating attraction beneath the market square consists of an underground route through medieval market stalls and other long-forgotten chambers…

  • Galicia Jewish Museum

    Galicia Jewish Museum

    Kraków

    This museum both commemorates Jewish victims of the Holocaust and celebrates the Jewish culture and history of the former Austro-Hungarian region of…

  • Basilica of St Francis

    Basilica of St Francis

    Kraków

    Duck into the dark basilica on a sunny day to admire the artistry of Stanisław Wyspiański, who designed the fantastic art nouveau stained-glass windows…

  • Panorama of Racławice

    Wrocław

    Wrocław’s pride and joy is this giant painting of the battle for Polish independence fought at Racławice on 4 April 1794, between the Polish army led by…

  • Neon Museum

    Warsaw

    Situated within the Soho Factory complex of old industrial buildings housing designers and artists, this museum is devoted to the preservation of the…

  • Castle Museum

    Carpathian Mountains

    In 1641 Prince Stanisław Lubomirski turned Łańcut's 15th-century fortified manor house into the grand fortress and residence that stands today. Now a…

  • Tykocin Museum

    Mazovia & Podlasie

    Tykocin's former synagogue, erected in 1642, is considered to be the best-preserved Jewish house of worship in Poland and is an extraordinary window into…

  • Chapel of Our Lady

    The Kraków−Częstochowa Upland

    The oldest part of the Paulite Monastery of Jasna Góra contains the revered Black Madonna. The picture is unveiled to soaring music and prayer at 6am and…

  • Strict Nature Preserve

    Białowieża National Park

    This is the oldest section of the Białowieża National Park and covers an area of around 47.5 sq km, bordered to the north and west by the marshy Hwożna…

  • Branicki Palace

    Mazovia & Podlasie

    This grand former residence of Jan Klemens Branicki is surrounded by Park Pałacowy. Though he lost to his brother-in-law Stanisław August Poniatowski in…

  • Museum of the Origins of the Polish State

    Wielkopolska

    On the western side of Lake Jelonek, this museum illustrates Gniezno's pivotal role in Polish history. The permanent collection contains archaeological…

  • Rynek Wielki

    Małopolska

    The Great Market Sq is the heart of Zamość's attractive Old Town. This impressive Italianate Renaissance square (exactly 100m by 100m) is dominated by the…

  • Wrocław Dwarves

    Wrocław

    See if you can spot the tiny bronze statue of a dwarf resting on the ground, just to the west of the Hansel & Gretel houses. A few metres away you’ll spot…

  • Witkacy Gallery

    Gdańsk & Pomerania

    Opened in 2019 in the renovated White Granary building, the 250-piece collection of portraits by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885–1939), aka Witkacy, are…

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