Poland is a Central European country that features some of Europe’s most picturesque cities, as well as being one of the most affordable places to eat, drink & be merry. There’s more to Poland than night life however- its museums and monuments pay tribute to a long, intense history that is testament to the many cultures and civilizations that have had an influence on different parts of the country from medieval times right through to the fall of communism and beyond.
Money & Currency
Travelling in Poland is rather cheap by Western European standards- if you’re UK based you can expect things to cost you about half as much as you are used to. Be aware however that Poland doesn’t use the Euro, so be prepared to get out some Polish Zloty at an ATM instead, though credit cards are also accepted at most restaurants and shops.
When to go to Poland
Poland has quite cold winters with temperatures regularly falling below zero, but it also has fairly warm summers with 30-degree temperatures not uncommon. The further inland you go the more extreme the heat or cold is likely to be. In terms of the best time to visit Poland the shoulder seasons are a good bet if you want to avoid the summer crowds- namely April-June and September-October. In Spring there can be some really lovely weather from late April onwards, whereas late Autumn (November) can be a little more volatile.
How to get to Poland
From London you can fly into most main Polish cities with Wizz Air from London Gatwick or London Luton or with Ryanair from London Stansted. Flights can get as low as £20 return if you book in advance and choose to fly on weekdays. Just be aware that both Wizz Air & Ryanair now have quite restrictive baggage policies – if you’re wanting to take a cabin bag sized trolley bag/suitcase on board (rather than a cabin bag sized backpack or carry bag) you’ll need to opt for the priority boarding fare type on both airlines.
Getting around Poland
The trains on the main Polish Railway lines are modern & well equipped and largely run on schedule so they are a great way to get around the country. However I would advise booking in advance via the PKP Intercity website as the queues at the station can be long and it can be hard to get help in English. The main stations do however often have ticket machines that can be used in English, if you are wanting to maintain a more flexible schedule. For transfers to and from your accommodation the quickest and cheapest way is to grab a local taxi, it’s often only a couple of dollars to get from A to B.
Where to Stay in Poland
I would always aim to book an Airbnb in or near the Old Town (Stare Miasto) area of each Polish city, it’s usually the most beautiful & lively part of town. Unless you’re travelling solo Airbnbs truly do provide the best amenities and location for your money. You can expect to pay around £40-£50 per night for entire one bedroom apartments.
Itinerary – The Highlights of Poland in one week
If you want to experience both the north and south of the country as well as Poland’s capital Warsaw in around a week then this is the perfect itinerary for you. It also covers two of Poland’s most beautiful cities – seaside Gdańsk on the Baltic coast and lively Krakow in the south.
Day 1: Gdańsk
Gdańsk is one of the most beautiful and colourful cities in Poland. Some parts of it are reminiscent of other great cities that are set on canals like Amsterdam or Hamburg. As you can well imagine Gdańsk provides photo opportunities aplenty!
Depending on your arrival time you could start exploring, Stare Miasto, the Old Town, today. Some of the most interesting things to see are found along the Royal Way including Long Street (ul. Długa), and Long Market (Długi Targ.) In addition some of the best Polish meals that we had were in Gdańsk at places like Elephant Club in the main market square. It’s worth trying the pork tenderloins, they very much live up to their name and they’re often served with potato cakes which are also pretty tasty. I also really enjoyed the traditional żurek soup that comes in a rye bread bowl.
Day 2: Gdańsk
Take the time to see any part of the Old Town that you haven’t yet seen, including the Main Market Square, the Neptune Fountain and the Basilica of St Mary of the Assumption. As you reach the limits of the Old Town you’ll get to see some of the many city gates such as the Golden Gate and on the opposite side of the Old Town, the Green Gate. Last but not least don’t miss a stroll alongside the canal where you can see some of the old port buildings including the Crane & the Granary. These form part of the National Maritime Museum and are some of the defining symbols of the city’s great trading age.
In the afternoon you might like to visit one of the city’s museums, the newest one is the European Solidarity Centre, which commemorates the fall of communism in Europe.
Day 3: Gdańsk – Warsaw
There’s one last stop before you leave Gdańsk- head to the Great Mill, it’s actually currently empty but behind it on this little island on the Raduni Canal you’ll find one of the most picturesque houses in all of Gdańsk- a wee half-timbered masterpiece.
From here it’s not far to Gdańsk Glowny station where you will catch the train to Warsaw. The travel time is around 3 hours, but there is a café carriage on board if you want to eat on the way. Once you reach Warsaw and taxi from the station to the Old Town you won’t be able to miss the imposing Palace of Culture and Science which was built as a ‘gift from the Soviet People to Poland’ during the communist rule of Poland. I didn’t actually take a photo of it as it’s a bit Kitsch.
Following the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 that was brutally crushed by the Nazi forces, the Germans set about destroying much of the city while the soviet army watched on from across the river. By the end of the war 84% of Warsaw was raised to the ground. Understandably its architecture has since then become a mishmash of architectural styles. From the Old Town, which was painstakingly rebuilt in traditional Polish style through until 1962, to more modern structures like the soviet era concrete buildings and more recently glass fronted high-rises.
You’ll want to start your tour of Warsaw in the Old Town, it’s focal point is the Rynek Starego Miasta, the main square with it’s colourful burgher houses. It’s not a bad spot to grab a local beer and have some dinner. It’s worth double checking the food prices first though as Warsaw can be more expensive than other Polish cities. You might like to try some Pierogi, these tasty fried or boiled dumplings filled with various meat or vegetable fillings are probably the most popular Polish comfort food. Local beers to try include Tyskie, Zywiec & Okocim.
Day 4: Warsaw
Today take the Royal Route to see the best sights in Warsaw, it’s 11km in total starting on Krakowskie Przedmieście Street at the Royal Palace and running along successive streets to the Wilanow Palace. You’ll also pass many other Royal Residences on the way and progressively go from old style Warsaw to newer areas. You may not necessarily want to walk all of the Royal Route and hiring bikes or scooters might be a welcome way to cover ground more quickly. Just after the monument to Copernicus you will reach Nowy Swiat (i.e. New World Street) which is a nice place to grab some lunch. If you don’t do the whole Royal Route it’s worth at least making it as far as Lazieki Park & Gardens, where you will find the monument to the composer Frederic Chopin. The gardens are also quite beautiful to walk around.
Day 5: Warsaw – Kraków
Catch a taxi back to Warsawa Central Station for the train to Kraków, the train journey takes around 3h45, again there will be a café carriage if you want to have breakfast or lunch on board. I’d suggest catching an early train as there is a lot to see and do in Kraków!
On your arrival at Kraków Glowny the Old Town is not too far to walk to. I would recommend staying somewhere within or near the Old Town which is ringed by a 4km long chain of gardens.
There is a lot to see in and around the Old Town but fortunately it is all within walking distance. At the northern end you’ll find the Barbican (a fortified gateway) that dates from the 14th century, and just beside it, St Florian’s gate. Florianska Street that leads from St Florian’s gate through to the Rynek (Old Square) is a high-end shopping street.
The Old Square itself is the heart of the city, full of terrace cafes and restaurants, as well as the Cloth Hall that houses a traditional craft market. You can dine here but it is also worth exploring the smaller side streets for less pricey places. At Christmas and Easter there is a larger market with pop up stalls on the left side of the Cloth Hall, in front of St Mary’s Basilica. If you’re visiting while one of the markets is on it’s worth trying some traditional polish sausage with potatoes and mustard, don’t forget to grab some beer or mulled wine to wash it down.
From the Market Square head down Grodzka street, you’ll pass another church that is worth seeing- St Andrew’s, an 11th century stone Romanesque church. Eventually you will reach the most impressive construction in Kraków- Wawel Castle on Wawel Hill that has been added to by successive rulers since the 9th century. It’s possible to pay to visit parts of the interior of the castle but you can see a lot simply by walking up the path and through the courtyard. On the far side of the castle there are also impressive views over the Vistula River.
Day 6: Krakow
One of the darkest parts of Poland’s history is without a doubt the period of Nazi occupation during WWII, under which 90% of Poland’s Jewish population was slaughtered in the Holocaust, some 3 million Polish Jews in total. Consequently one of the most significant visitor destination near Kraków is Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the infamous Nazi Concentration & Extermination Camps. Entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau site is free unless you want to do a guided tour. In either case you do need to book in advance as only a limited number of people are allowed on site at once. It’s worth arranging a guided tour that includes transport as Auschwitz is an hour and a half from Kraków. Allow at least a half day or more for the visit as you need around 90 minutes for each site as well (both Auschwitz & Birkenau.)
If you decide not to visit Auschwitz but still want to explore some of Kraków’s Jewish History head to the old Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz, that retains some of it’s old synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. This area fell into disrepair during the soviet era but has as of the 1990s re-merged as one of the most exciting, bohemian parts of Kraków. From Kazimierz you can cross the Vistula river to Podgórze. Prior to the extermination of the Jews they were forcibly displaced and forced to live in walled Ghettos in most Polish cities. A small part of the Kraków Ghetto wall remains in Podgórze – it now serves as a monument. Podgórze was also the site of Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, made famous by the film Schindler’s List. Schindler famously saved over 1200 Jews from the death camps by employing them in his factory and ensuring they were given papers that confirmed that they were essential workers. Today there is a museum on-site but note that tickets must be booked in advance. Interestingly the filming of Schindler’s List in Kazimierz in 1993 was a key element in kickstarting the area’s revival.
The last, unrelated site worth seeing in Podgorze is Krakus Mound, a pre-historic man-made hill that today provides some of the best views to be had in Kraków . It’s origins are somewhat a mystery, but it is said to have been built to honour the death of King Krakus. Like other Celtic monuments, such as the Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland, it is astronomically aligned with other nearby structures.
Day 7: Krakow
Depending on what time you fly home or if you have a final day on your hands you might like to visit Wieliczka Salt Mine, an impressive underground network of salt mines that has been mined by successive generations of miners. There is a 30 minute train journey to the mine from Kraków Glowny, the route is operated by the regional operator Koleje Małopolskie. Tickets can be bought at the station and the timetable is available here. Kraków Airport is on the same train line, but in the other direction, either 15 minutes if you’re departing from central Kraków , or 45 minutes if coming from the Salt Mine.
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