Poland

This is the Carpathian Mountains chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

When thinking about Poland, mountains are not the first thing to spring to mind, yet the country’s southern border is defined by the beautiful and dramatic Carpathian, a beacon for hikers, cyclists and skiers.

• strike out for the blissfully wooded Bieszczady mountains from Ustrzyki Górne
• maps
• trace the 16th-century streets of handsomely preserved Tarnów
• transport
• marvel at the floral profusion of Zalipie’s famed painted houses
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Tatra Mountains, Zakopane, Carpathian Foothills, Wadowice, Tarnów, Rzeszów, Przemyśl, Bieszczady, Sanok, Lesko, Ustrzyki Dolne, Ustrzyki Górne, Wetlina, Cisna, Beskid Niski, Krosno, Biecz, Beskid Sądecki, Nowy Sącz, Krynica, Muszyna, Pieniny, Szczawnica, Niedzica.

This is the Gdańsk & Pomerania chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

Cream-hued beaches shelving smoothly into the nippy Baltic Sea, wind-crafted dunes vivid against leaden skies, stern red-brick churches and castles erected by a medieval order of pious knights, and silenced shipyards that once seethed with anti-communist tumult – this is Pomerania.

• admire the architecture of one of Poland’s grandest thoroughfares, Długi Targ, in the centre of Gdańsk
• maps
• boogy on the beach at one of Sopot’s famous nightclubs
• transport
• take an emotional journey through time at Gdańsk’s amazing Museum of WWII
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Gdańsk, Westerplatte & Nowy Port, Oliwaa, Sopot, Hel Peninsula, Hel, Kashubia, Kartuzy, Lower Vistula, Toruń, Chełmno, Grudziądz, Kwidzyn, Malbork, Elbląg, Frombork, Northern & Western Pomerania, Łeba, Słowiński National Park, Słupsk, Ustka, Darłowo, Kołobrzeg, Świnoujście, Szczecin.

This is the Kraków chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

A mythical atmosphere permeates Kraków’s medieval streets and squares. Beyond the history and nightlife, as you walk through the Old Town you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by the harmony of a quiet back street, the ‘just so’ nature of the architecture and light.

• admire the size of Europe’s biggest market square
• maps
• immerse yourself in centuries of Polish history at Wawel Royal Castle
• transport
• discover what an ‘ermine’ is at Czartoryski Museum
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: History, Sights, Activities, Courses, Tours, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the Małopolska chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

Covering much of the southeast, Małopolska has played an outsized role in Polish history. These days, it’s mostly passed over by travellers who make a beeline for Kraków and then move on. That’s a pity – it’s rich in natural beauty and culture.

• join throngs of Catholic pilgrims visiting the Black Madonna at Częstochowa
• maps
• roam the jewel-like town of Zamość, a monument to the Renaissance
• transport
• have portraits peer down at you as you wander the Kraków Bishops’ Palace in Kielce
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: The Kraków−Częstochowa Upland, Ojców National Park, Częstochowa, The Małopolska Upland, Kielce, Świętokrzyski National Park, The Sandomierz Valley, Sandomierz, The Radom Plain, Radom, The Lublin Upland, Lublin, Kazimierz Dolny, Zamość, Zwierzyniec & Roztocze National Park.

This is the Mazovia & Podlasie chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

The rolling landscape of Mazovia has an eventful history. This region is dotted with castles, cathedrals and palaces, the biggest of which reside in riverside Płock and Pułtusk. Łódź, the provincial capital, is Poland’s the region’s cultural and nightlife centre.

• experience Łódź’s repurposed industrial heritage and nightlife
• maps
• learn from Tykocin’s tangible links to Poland’s lost Jewish heritage
• transport
• marvel at the art nouveau treasures in Płock’s Mazovian Museum
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Mazovia, Łódź, Łowicz, Płock, Southern Podlasie, Białystok, Tykocin, Biebrza National Park, Kruszyniany, Białowieża National Park, Augus-tów-Suwałki Region, Augustów, Suwałki, Wigry National Park, Sejny.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Poland, Poland’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like..., Month by Month, Itineraries, Outdoor Activities, Eat & Drink Like a Local, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

Your journey to Poland starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on outdoor activities.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about the best food and drink
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Poland, Poland’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like: Castles, Museums, Communist Architecture, Hiking, Nightlife, Folk Culture, Month by Month, Itineraries, Outdoor Activities, Eat & Drink Like a Local, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the Silesia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

Occupying the southwestern part of Poland, Silesia is a diverse collection of historically powerful cities, industrial engine rooms and low-rising, farm-flanked mountains. Wrocław is the main draw, yet smaller cities such as Nysa and Jelenia Góra also offer distinctive sights and activities.

• learn one of the world’s most essential history lessons at the profoundly moving Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum in Oświęcim
• maps
• lose yourself in the medieval streets and rarefied atmosphere of Wrocław, Silesia’s historical capital
• transport
• hike between the wooded slopes of Mt Szrenica and Mt Śnieżka in Karkonosze National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Wrocław, Lower Silesia, Książ, Zielona Góra, Świdnica, Sudetes Mountains, Jelenia Góra, Szklarska Poręba, Karpacz, Kłodzko, Kudowa-Zdrój, Bystrzyca Kłodzka, Upper Silesia, Nysa, Opole, Katowice, Pszczyna, Oświęcim.

This chapter contains the Poland Today, History, Jewish Heritage, The Arts, Landscape & Wildlife, Directory A-Z, Transport, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, arts and the environment to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on Poland’s rich music, literature and film heritage
• info on the historical roots and recent tentative revival of Polish Jewish life
• full coverage of Poland’s roller-coaster history
• details on the country’s glorious countryside and national parks

Coverage includes: Poland Today, History, Jewish Heritage, The Arts, Landscape & Wildlife, Directory A-Z, Transport, and Language.

This is the Warmia & Masuria chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guide-book.

There’s something in the water in these two northeast regions bordering the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad – mostly hundreds of sailors, windsurfers and kayakers who come to make a splash in the Great Masurian Lakes, which dominate the landscape.

• join the yachting set for a tour of the Great Masurian Lakes
• maps
• scramble around the Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s secret wartime bunker
• transport
• do a spot of cobblestone-surfing in Olsztyn’s rapidly improving Old Town
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: The Olsztyn Region, Olsztyn, Olsztynek, Ostróda, Lidzbark Warmiński, The Great Masurian Lakes, Kętrzyn, Węgorzewo, Giżycko, Mikołajki.

This is the Warsaw chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

Often described as the ‘new Berlin’, Warsaw is punching above its weight, with an excellent restaurant scene and lively bars and clubs. This gritty city has survived the worst history could throw at it, and is busy celebrating the future.

• take in the city skyline from the top of the iconic Palace of Culture & Science
• maps
• learn about Poland’s Jewish community, past and present, at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
• transport
• experience the city’s doomed 1944 uprising at the Warsaw Rising Museum
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: History, Sights, Activities & Courses, Tours, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Around Warsaw.

This is the Wielkopolska chapter from Lonely Planet’s Poland guidebook.

If you want to experience the essence of Poland’s eventful history, head for Wielkopolska. Poznań is a lively and attractive city with plenty of interesting sights and good restaurants. Beyond, the countryside offers a selection of charming towns and rural scenery.

• explore the culture, restaurants and nightlife in Poznań, Wielkopolska’s lively and attractive capital
• maps
• travel back to the Iron Age at the fortified village at Biskupin Archaeological Reserve
• transport
• explore the chapels and crypt of the monumental double-towered cathedral of Gniezno
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Poznań, Kórnik, Gniezno, Kalisz, Gołuchów.