Things to see and do Poland

This curious 34-meter-high grass-covered mound surrounded by a ring of brick buildings was built in the 19th century to honor Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the independence struggle. Today, it is a popular place for walking and an excellent vantage point. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of the Tatras, although they are 100 km away. At its feet, the small chapel of St. Bronislawa houses a museum to the glory of Tadeusz Kościuszko.

The calm, romantic and intimate atmosphere of this small pedestrian square, wedged between the Church of Our Lady and the Church of St. Barbara, contrasts with the bustle of the neighboring Rynek. Enclosed by tall buildings, it boasts exceptional acoustics: the melody of the hejnal can be heard perfectly when played in a southerly direction. In the middle stands a fountain, topped by a statue of a melancholy young man with a turban tied around his head.

In this center, you'll discover an exhibition tracing the history of the Solidarnośc trade union, which triggered the strike of August 14, 1980. The route, starting from Solidarności Square, leads to the building occupied by Lech Wąłęsa. Here you can see the "Occupational Health and Safety" room, where negotiations between strikers and government took place on August 31, 1980. An audiovisual installation traces the chronology of events through slideshows and archive films.

The second part of the Royal Way, connecting the Rynek to Wawel, it ended at the foot of the fortifications of Okół, an ancient settlement located between the Old Town and Wawel. It is assumed that the square Św. Marii Magdaleny corresponded to the market square in Okół.

At No. 53 Grodzka Street, there is the Collegium Iuridicum, today it houses the Institute of Art History and two museums: Muszle Egzotycze is devoted to shells, Motyle Swiata to butterflies

At the bottom of Krupówki Street, after the crossroads with Kościeliska Street, you'll find Zakopane's big market. Honey, fruit juices and jams, wooden objects, woollen sweaters, mittens and hats, and above all the famous oscypek sheep's cheese. Another market worth visiting is in Nowy Targ, some 20 km north of Zakopane. Twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, since 1487, merchants have gathered on Targowy Square, east of the Rynek, to sell the region's specialities at more than reasonable prices.

This street leads from the Rynek to the Florian Gate, the main entrance to the city. It has always had a commercial vocation and preserves some beautiful Renaissance buildings, notably at nos. 3, 7, 9 and 26. At no. 45 is the Jama Michalika café, the most beautiful in Kraków, which in the Belle Epoque was the meeting place of the literary and artistic movement Młoda Polska (Young Poland). Its representatives created here the Zielony Balonik cabaret, the first political cabaret in Poland.

At the end of Rue Floriańska, this ^13th-century medieval gate and the two adjacent towers are the only remains of the old town fortifications demolished in the early ^19th century. At the time, the city wall comprised seven gates and forty-seven towers. You can access what remains of the old fortifications and walk the walkway between the two bastions still standing. The gate takes its name from the nearby Saint-Florien church.

This small circular fort was added to the fortifications in the ^15th century to ensure more effective defense of the town. Now isolated in the middle of the Planty, the fort was originally linked to the Porte Florian by a corridor known as "le cou". It is one of Europe's best-preserved barbicans, a marvel of medieval military architecture. It is open to visitors and, in summer, is sometimes used as a backdrop for medieval shows (sword fights and folk dances, of questionable quality, but entertaining).

Emblematic, this magnificent pier is the longest of the European continent, protruding 511 m into the sea. Some games and stores decorate a promenade of more than 1 km round trip. A first pier of 31.5 m was built in 1827, enlarged in 1910 to 315 m. The present pier was built between 1927 and 1928 at the same time as the Skwer Kuracyjny square. Beautiful view of the Baltic Sea and the cliffs of the bay. A major attraction, offering superb views at sunrise or sunset.

This statue, which proudly rises in the park Łazienki side Aleje Ujazdowskie, pays tribute to the great Polish composer. Near the very romantic statue of the composer hair, take free outdoor concerts during the summer months on Sunday. The statue is high in 1926, according to the W. Szymanowski project. Klokot in 1940 by the Germans, it was rebuilt in the same way in May 1958. It is located at one of the park entrances from Ujazdowskie Avenue, a little before the Belvedere.

Founded by King Casimir the Great in 1364 with the name Academia Croviensis (Academy of Krakow), the Jagiellonian University was the second largest university in Central Europe, after Prague. Falling into decline with the death of the king, it was renovated around 1390 and gained the status of a university it did not have before (it did not have a chair of theology, at the time the noblest knowledge and privilege granted by the pope, but then kept its name of Kraków Academy until 1818) by King Władisław Jagełło, who bought and formed the Collegium Maius, "the great college." The university has buildings all over the city center, so you'll often see students milling from one street to another, between classes.

All around the Collegium Maius stand the buildings of the Jagiellonian University. Opposite the Collegium Maius is the Collegium Kołłataja and, further south, the Collegium Minus. In front of the University Church of St. Anne is the Collegium Nowodworski (ul. św. Anny 12). Here studied King Jan III Sobieski, painters Jan Matejko and Stanisław Wyspiański and writer Joseph Conrad. Continuing down Gołębia Street, at n. 24, the Collegium Novum houses the neo-Gothic seat of the university (you can't get in, or you have to dodge the guards and play student). Opposite it stands the Collegium Witkowskiego and a statue of Copernicus.

The Gothic building of the Collegium Maius now houses the Jagiellonian University Museum with two collections, one historical and the other scientific. The historical section leads to a large hall of honor decorated with portraits of its most prestigious students such as Nicolaus Copernicus, King Jan III Sobieski, anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, and Karol Wojtyła. One then visits the Treasury Rooms and the Great Hall, the seat of great university ceremonies. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the oldest globe in the world, dated 1510, on which America is marked "newly discovered country." The scientific collection includes a series of instruments that would have been used by Nicolaus Copernicus.

The courtyard of the Collegium Maius is worth a visit. Every day at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00, one can watch the brief musical ride of the figures animated by the clock mechanism above the Golden Gate and representing the personalities who played an important role in the history of the university.

They are very hard to ignore and have become one of the main attractions on the Rynek, in front of the Cloth Hall. Their beautiful horse-drawn carriages will take you, depending on the length of time you request, around the center or to the Kazimierz district. It's a bit of a "luxury" service that doesn't come with a guided tour, or even much interaction with the staff, which is primarily aimed at taking you for a ride. An hour costs about 350 zl, which can be a bit excessive, so don't hesitate to discuss the price, especially in winter when they have fewer people.

Its colorful slate roof stands out from afar. This huge church, completely destroyed by fire in 1976, has recently been restored. Its bright interior features superb modern stained-glass windows and beautiful Baroque, Renaissance and Mannerist epitaphs, as well as imposing ogives and rich ornamentation. As an added bonus, the 83-meter-high bell tower affords a magnificent view of the city's central square, its suburbs and the Oder River.

The Basilian Church of the Holy Cross is located on Nowy Świat, the main street leading to the old town, its castle and ramparts. This religious building is emblematic. Built between 1679 and 1696, it is an impressive example of Ukrainian Baroque architecture, characterized by its onion-shaped domes and elaborate ornamentation. Its interior is equally remarkable, adorned with colorful frescoes and detailed carvings. This church is a place of worship and a historic landmark in the heart of the city.

Now renamed in honor of the "Ghetto Heroes," Zgody Square was the heart of the Jewish ghetto. From here, thousands of Jews left for various camps. Today, a memorial by Cracow architects Piotr Lewicki and Kazimierz Latak stands in the center of the square, consisting of 68 empty chairs that symbolize the possessions left behind by the deportees. Each chair represents 1,000 Krakow Jews who fell victim to Nazi barbarism.

Built in the first half of the th century, in a baroque style, it is first the property of King Stanislas Auguste, who installs a earthenware factory in the south, and then that of Prince J. Poniatowski. Between 1918 and 1922, he was the residence of J. Piłsudski, between 1922 and 1926, that of Presidents G. Narutowicz and St. Wojciechowski, between 1926 and 1935, again that of J. Piłsudski (a museum dedicated to him since his death). Today he represents national residence.

Situated on a small island in the middle of a lake, this little palace is a kind of Polish Petit Trianon. Built in the second half of the th century, the king welcomes the king.

Just a few metres from the entrance to Ujazdów. Today it contains a sculpture gallery.

On the other side of the Saxon Gardens, you'll see a memorial dedicated to the unknown soldiers who died on the battlefield for Poland's freedom in the ^20th century. A symbolic tomb has been erected in the ruins of the Saxon Palace, one of the most emblematic buildings of pre-war Warsaw, destroyed in 1944 (excavations are due to begin in 2022). Soldiers of the honor guard watch over the palace, and the official changing of the guard takes place every Sunday at noon.

Located on a limestone hill overlooking the city, the monastery was founded in 1382 by Ladislaus II, Duke of Opole, for the Pauline friars who, in 1384, received the icon of the Black Madonna. Fortified in the first part of the 17th century, the monastery successfully withstood several sieges, including the Swedish one in 1655. In the 19th century, Tsar Alexander^I ordered the destruction of part of the fortifications. What remains is a square enclosure with bastions where the buildings are grouped in a compact way. From the top of the bell tower (106 meters, open from April to November), erected in 1620-1644, then enlarged in the second half of the seventeenth century, one can enjoy a beautiful view of the entire site, as well as the rest of the city.

Chapel of the Miraculous Icon (Kaplica Cudownego Obrazu). This small Gothic chapel, with walls covered with ex-voto, houses the icon of the Black Madonna. Embedded in a baroque ebony altar, this tiny icon is constantly surrounded by a crowd of believers. The stones and fabrics that adorn it were donated by pilgrims.

Basilica (Bazylika). The basilica was built in the 15th to 17th centuries in a very luxurious baroque style. You will notice an impressive number of references to religious people deported to Auschwitz.

Knights' Hall (Sala Rycerska). Dating from 1647, you will see 9 paintings representing the major stages in the life of the monastery, as well as a reproduction of the icon of the Black Madonna.

Museum of the 600th anniversary (Muzeum Szescsetlecia). It presents a superb collection of sacred art objects, beautiful religious paintings and musical instruments. It was established in the former printing house, which was suppressed by the Russians in 1864.

Treasure Room (Skarbiec). Impressive collection of the most valuable ex-voto and pilgrims' offerings to the Virgin of Częstochowa, assembled since the 15th century.

Arsenal (Arsenał). Weapons and war trophies evoke the military history of the monastery and the sieges it has supported throughout its history

In the sanctuary, there is also a library with more than 8,000 volumes, including a large number of precious manuscripts. Access is restricted to researchers only. Finally, in the park that surrounds the monastery, you will stop in front of the 14 bronze statues of the Way of the Cross, founded in 1900-1913. Leaving the monastery on Barbary Street, you will find yourself in the middle of a market of religious souvenirs that offer portraits of the Pope, plastic virgins and other objects.

Recently completely renovated, this house is dedicated to the life and work of the famous astronomer. The museum occupies both buildings, in Gothic style, although it was number 15 that saw the birth of the famous astronomer on February 19th 1473. In one room there is also a model of the city in the 15th century. The modern animations allow to live and relive through many films the life at that time. Between beliefs and myths, we learn a lot about the revolutionary astronomer and his acceptance by society and researchers of the time.

Nicknamed "The Crown of Gdańsk", it is one of Poland's largest churches, measuring 105 m long, 66 m wide (at transept level), 27 m high, and 5,000 m² of floor space. The roof covers an area of one hectare. The church is comparable in size to Notre-Dame de Paris. It can hold up to 20,000 people, as was the case during the period of martial law to support the members of Solidarnośćwho took refuge here. It took 160 years of work, between 1343 and 1502, to complete its construction. Initially Catholic, it became Protestant in 1572, before reverting to Catholicism in 1945. It was damaged during the Second World War, but rebuilt afterwards.

The interior, painted white, is particularly light and bright, reinforcing the impression of gigantism. 80% of its art treasures were saved during the war and stand out against the white walls. You can also climb the 405 steps to the top of the tower, for an exceptional view of the whole city.

Don't miss the astronomical clock, the real jewel of the church, built between 1464 and 1470. At the bottom, the two-screen calendarium shows the date, time and liturgical calendar; in the middle, the planetarium shows the lunar phases, the zodiac signs and the positions of the sun and moon in relation to them; above, at noon, the twelve apostles, the Magi and Death; at the very top, Adam and Eve.

This very romantic and beautiful skansen presents in an idyllic setting the rural life in Upper Silesia through its architecture, before the region became an industrial desert that continues to pollute its soil and air. On 20 hectares of idyllic countryside, some 70 buildings from the late 18th to the early 20th century have been brought together, including traditional thatched houses, granaries, historic wooden churches, calvaries and windmills. There is even an old Karczma (inn) for eating and drinking beer.

Located at the entrance to the Gdańsk construction sites, in Solidarność Square, three 40-meter-high stainless steel crosses stand in memory of the workers who fell at this location, under militia bullets, during the 1970 riots. For the next 10 years, to secretly pay tribute to their companions, the workers placed stones that the authorities immediately removed. Under pressure from the unions, in 1980, the Communist Party agreed to its construction.

You'll see them all over the city, recognizable by the crowds they drag behind them. They offer free guided tours in English, Spanish and German. Tours last around 2 hours, and you can choose from several tours, including Jewish Krakow, Krakow's historic center, Krakow food and vodka, Communist Krakow, World War II Krakow, pub crawl, macabre Krakow and more. Excellent for a first approach to the Polish city.

The origins of this 16 meter high mound overlooking Podgórze are shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that it was the burial place of Prince Krak, the founder of Kraków. Recent archaeological excavations have unearthed objects dating back to the seventh century, which suggest that in pagan times rituals celebrating the arrival of spring were held here. In any case, the place offers a magnificent view of the Old Town, Kazimierz, Płaszów and Nowa Huta.

This park is definitely worth a visit, especially when the weather's nice. It was sculptor Paweł Althamer, a native of the Praga district, who persuaded the local authorities to turn Bródno Park into an open-air museum, exhibiting sculptures by both Polish and foreign artists. Perhaps the most surprising piece is Althamer's reconstruction of part of the park based on children's ideas of the Garden of Eden.

It is a very pleasant trip to make, either on foot or by cable car, from the center of Zakopane. Once on the top, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Zakopane and the Tatras, and of the Beskids and the Podhale region. In the vicinity of the cable car station, there is a park for tree climbing, a myriad of small restaurants and very kitschy souvenir stands, as well as beautiful farms typical of the region. To go back down to the city, the most courageous can take a kind of slide, near the cable car, of 700 m!

This gallery is housed in the former home of Kindermann, industrial German. It organises temporary exhibitions, generally very interesting, Modern art.

The tourist office financed by the city is decentralized in several information points (Punkt informacji Miejskiej) scattered all over the city. Rather discreet compared to the more aggressively marketed travel agencies, it offers very interesting services. For example: rooms in local homes, reservations for visits and tours with the right guides in the city. The list of places can be found on its website.

The first church in Kazimierz was erected by King Casimir in 1340, but its construction was not completed until the middle of the 15th century. Its beautiful baroque interior contrasts with the austerity of its architecture. Inside you can admire the stained glass windows in the choir and the impressive baroque pulpit in the shape of a boat supported by mermaids and dolphins. In the Chapel of St. Anne lies Bartolomeo Berecci, the architect of Wawel, who was murdered in 1537.

The main building of the National Museum houses a gallery of decorative art, an excellent Polish art gallery of the th century, a true reason for travel, as well as a relatively medium collection of weapons and uniforms. The Cracow National Museum is composed of a number of annexes. The most remarkable pieces of the collection are two paintings of Rembrandt and Vinci in the Czartoryski museum. Its other annexes are the museum of Jan Matejko, that of Stanisław Wyspiański, the very beautiful house of the artist of the Young Poland movement (Belle Epoque) Józef Malinowski (Ul. Krupnicza 26 Tel +48 12 421 11 43), the Polish painting gallery of the Cloth Hall and the Manggha Museum.

Built at the end of the 16th century by the Jesuits who came to launch the counter-Reformation, this church was the first Baroque building in the city. It is easily recognizable from Grodzka Street: its façade is preceded by a balustrade on which stand the statues of the 12 apostles (1723)

statues of the 12 apostles (1723). Its crypt contains the remains of Piotr Skarga, a Jesuit preacher and visionary priest who predicted the partition of Poland. The church hosts classical music concerts.

It is one of the largest basilicas in Krakow, which has been the mother church of the Dominican order since its introduction in 1229, and therefore occupies a very important place in the history of the country. The church was destroyed by fire in 1850 and only a few chapels survived, such as the Chapel of St. Hyacinth, in the middle of which stands a sarcophagus containing the relics of the first Polish Dominican. In the 1980s, students who were opposed to the regime organized exhibitions of subversive paintings in the chapel.

Built in 1612-1614 by architect Jan Strakowski to a design by Abraham Van Den Blocke in Renaissance style, it is surmounted by eight sculptures representing allegories of civic virtues (Prudence, Piety, Liberty, Unity, Peace, Justice, Glory and Concord). A rare feature in a city that has erased its German history, an original inscription on the door was restored in the 1990s. It reads: "Prosper only those who are in love. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity in your palaces

The starting point of the Voie Royale, this powerful fortified gateway was built in the ^16th century and once marked the official entrance to the town. It was an outpost of the medieval fortifications. On the east side, the coat of arms of the Hohenzollern family, added in 1884. On the west side are the coats of arms of Gdańsk (two lions), the Polish aristocracy (the arms of Ciołek) and Prussia. Today, it houses Pomerania's regional tourist information office.

Away from the village stands a magnificent late Renaissance stately home from the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the estate of the influential Leszcziński family, who commissioned the Italian Sante Gucci. Called mały Wawel, or little Wawel, it is beautiful and its inner courtyard is surrounded by arcaded galleries and easily recognizable columns. Inhabited until World War II it is now home to a luxury hotel, the Zamkowy Hotel.

A proud native of Krynica, Nikifor (1893-1968) is considered the greatest Polish naive painter. In this museum, located in the artist's former studio, there is a large collection of his paintings, as well as numerous temporary exhibitions dedicated to other contemporary Polish painters. As you will quickly see during the exhibition, the painter Nikifor was famous for his striking self-portraits and landscapes.

Built in 1582, this former arms depot was used to store weapons and war trophies conquered by Jan Zamoyski's armies. Its collections were largely looted during the Swedish and Tatar invasions. In the early ^19th century, the Arsenal was remodeled in the neoclassical style. Today, it is a military museum and part of the regional museum. On display are antique weapons and armor, as well as drawings and paintings by soldiers depicting their lives in the trenches during the conflicts of 1915 and 1930.

Located in the Armenian houses on the Rynek, this small and very heterogeneous museum has no real theme. It offers different collections of paintings (including portraits of the city's founder), engravings, religious wooden sculptures and military equipment. There are also clothes from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, archaeological finds from the region, pottery with green and brown patterns, typical of the Carpathians, some history of the city of Zamość, including a beautiful model representing the city in the seventeenth century.

Built in the sixteenth century in Renaissance style, it was one of the country's largest and finest. Swedish invasions and twentieth century wars severely damaged it. Today there are only a few rooms and a beautiful eighteenth century manor house. Exhibitions are organized around the history of the castle, its various owners and the life of the time. There are many objects in everyday life. The panorama on Vistule and the small village is magnificent from the small butte on which the site is located.

The Rynek, the historic center of Lublin, shows the traces left by the passage of time, but also the effects of human genius when it comes to restoring its heritage. It is not difficult to find in the cracked facades and faded decorations of its magnificent buildings the Lublin of yesteryear. Especially since the center was hardly touched by the ravages of war. Despite the poor state of rehabilitation, the charm of the Rynek is already intoxicating. All around, beautiful and richly decorated houses. At no. 12, the facade and windows of the Konopnic family house (1512) are decorated with sculptures in the form of masks, dragon heads and male and female bodies. The Klonowicz house at No. 2 was inhabited in the 16th century by the poet mayor of Lublin, who gave it his name. In the 18th century it was remodeled in the neoclassical style. The central square is dominated by the Royal Court, whose size is disproportionate to that of the square. Before, it was the town hall (1578).

Today it is the starting point for a tour of the Lublin Underground (Lubelskie Podzemia, from May to October visits from Tuesday to Friday at 10-12-14-16h, weekends from noon to 5pm every hour, Mondays at 10am and 2pm, 10 zl). The tour lasts about 45 minutes and the temperature varies between 7 and 12°C. The underground route is about 300 meters long and consists of corridors and 14 rooms in which, in the 16th century, goods were kept.

The great physicist Marie Curie (Maria Skłodowska-Curie) was born in this ^18th-century house (a replica of the original) in the new town in 1867. Before she emigrated to France and took an active part in the life of Polish émigrés in Paris, particularly in the political struggle for the country's independence, Maria Skłodowska attended Warsaw University. Her birthplace has now been transformed into a museum that traces the life and discoveries of the physicist. An ideal opportunity to retrace the footsteps of this great female figure.

The building takes its atypical form from its origin as a simple (though rather massive) Jesuit church built in an effort to convert the Orthodox East at the time of the Catholic Counter-Reformation movement that the Jesuits led. While the exterior facade is austere, the interior decorations are superb, especially the paintings that adorn the walls and vaults, done in the second half of the 18th century by Josef Mayer, following a fire. The richness of the decorations testifies to the opulence of the bishopric and the city at that time.

During the Second World War, this building housed the Krakow Gestapo offices. The first and second floors were used as interrogation rooms, and the basements as cells. The permanent exhibition traces the lives of Polish resistance fighters and Jews in Krakow during the Occupation. The basement cells feature some 600 inscriptions left by prisoners between 1943 and 1945. A museum that pays tribute to the suffering and endurance of the Polish people.

In 1587, Jan Zbigniew Ossoliński, a powerful Polish nobleman, gave the Ujazd estate to his son Krzysztof as a wedding present. The latter decided to build the most beautiful fortified residence in Poland. Today, all that remains of this beautiful star-shaped palace, built in the early ^17th century, are majestic ruins testifying to its lost grandeur. The site remains quite interesting, all the more so as it is possible to camp directly around the castle and also build a fire to liven up the evening.

Inaugurated in 1984 to commemorate the ^45th anniversary of the event, this moving monument pays tribute to all the insurgents of 1944. August¹ is considered the anniversary of this desperate uprising, which ended in merciless Nazi repression and the almost complete destruction of the city. If you pass through Warsaw at this time, you'll see a multitude of candles and wreaths laid in front of the monument.

Opposite the castle, in the center of the square, this column was built in 1664, in memory of King Sigismund III Vasa, who transferred the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. Destroyed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt and the bronze statue, miraculously spared, was replaced at the top of the building. In his right hand, he holds a sword symbolizing courage, in his left a cross, symbolizing the eternal will to fight evil.

Tyniec is one of the oldest monasteries in Poland still active today. Founded on a rocky promontory overlooking the Vistula River in the mid-11th century by Benedictine monks from France, the abbey has the characteristics of a baroque fortified church with Gothic elements. Only the church can be visited because the convent still houses a religious community. The abbey is part of the congregation of the Annunciation and the federation of sites of the Order of Cluny. Inside, one can admire the baroque pulpit in the shape of a ship's bow and the black marble altar contrasting with the golden statues that decorate it. Entering the courtyard, it is possible to discover portions of old walls and a well dating from the seventeenth century. Within the abbey grounds there is also a museum that tells the history of the abbey. In Tyniec, the monks' choir still performs beautiful Gregorian chants. The monastery store, open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. sells honey, beer, jams, cheeses and other delicacies made by the monks. The convent also has a magnificent panoramic terrace with a peaceful view of the Vistula River and its green landscape. Far from the crowds, you can meditate in the midst of beautiful nature and on the banks of the Vistula.

If you go there on a sunny day, take a gondola cab (only one boat per day with only 12 seats).

This very old zoo was opened in 1928 in the northern part of Praski Park, and today contains no fewer than 5,000 animals, proudly representing 500 species of the animal kingdom. The zoo is best known for its brown bears, bred here since 1949. Bear enclosures can be found in the southern part of Praski Park, and can be quietly viewed from Solidarności Street. The zoo is also famous for the fact that, during the war, many Jews from the Praga district took refuge here thanks to the help of the zoo's director, Jan Żabiński.