| 6 mins read
By Joseph Francis
Poland is a country of UNESCO-attested towns and sweeping forests, rolling Masurian plains dotted with sparkling lakes, cobbled historic centres concealing the secrets of Copernicus and countless kings, rugged Tatra mountains rising to a bulwark against Slovakia, ski pistes, sun-splashed Baltic beaches, hip Warszawian neighbourhoods alive with dive bars and jazz joints, visceral history that’s both sobering and inspiring, tasty pierogi dumplings, chatty locals, frothy Slavic beer – the list goes on!
As one of the undisputed jewels of Central and Eastern Europe, Poland has risen to become a real favourite on the travel trail through the continent. This Poland travel guide provides a sample perfect holiday itinerary for visitors looking to make the most out of the Slavic country, going from the salt-sprayed spits of the north coast to the highland taverns of the south and a few interesting places in-between!
Exploring the land of Slavic kings: A Poland tour guide and itinerary for the best holiday possible (10 days)
10 days allows just enough time for travellers to traverse the spine of Poland, checking off the three largest cities whilst also diverting to some more off-the-beaten track spots like Lodz and Wroclaw and even sampling the mountains of the south and Silesia.
DAY 1: Gdansk
Start your travels in the onetime industrial powerhouse of the north: Gdansk. Fusing the modern and the medieval, this town boasts a gorgeous Old Town, where today strings of hearty Polish eateries serve up pierogi (dough balls filled with cream cheese or meat) and Slavic beers on their seaside terraces. But before you settle down for lunch, engage a Gdansk tour guide to help you uncover the Gothic majesty of St. Mary's Church in the heart of town and don’t miss the Gdańsk Shipyard; a sprawling area of cranes and harboursides that now immortalises the great Solidarity movement of the 80s that was responsible for the collapse of Communist rule in Poland.
DAY 2: Sopot and the Baltic Beaches
It’s just a short ride on the tri-city trains out of Gdansk Central to the more modern and fun-loving city of Sopot, which rises in regal spa hotels and thumping clubs along some of the most beautiful beaches on the Baltic Coast. Hit the bars and beer dens that lurk amidst the quirky walls of the Krzywy Domek – a curiously shaped architectural wonder in the middle of the city. Then, head to the Sopot Pier, the longest wooden pier in all of Europe and the veritable hub of action here, alive throughout the summer with street entertainers and festivals alike.
DAY 3: Gdynia and the Hel Peninsula
The final instalment of the tri-city of the northern coast comes in the form of Gdynia, which boats a fine aquarium and interesting array of historic ships along its dockside. However, the real piece de resistance has to be the magnificent spit of Hel, which arches its way into the Baltic in a display of sloping yellow sands, undulating dunes and blustery windsurfing spots. Unravel the tales of WWII defiance here and sample salty Baltic fish dishes in enchanting resort towns like Wladyslawowo.
DAY 4 & 5: Warsaw
Days four and five see travelers enter the buzzing metropolitan heart of Poland as a whole. This Global city of shimmering sky scrapers and regal parks hides a deep and often unnerving history. Get a Warsaw tour guide to help you find the remnants of the Warsaw ghetto, now overshadowed by the mighty Palace of Culture and Science, or delve into the fascinating Warsaw Uprising Museum. Afterwards, head to Łazienki Park to see neoclassical grandeur and Chinese gardens, Chopin memorials and more. Finishing the day in the hip Praga area of town, where crumbling tenement blocks now play host to the country’s boho elite, dive bars beckon from the cellars and a good time is all but guaranteed!
DAY 6: Lodz
A onetime industrial boom centre with a strong Yiddish identity, Lodz (pronounced ‘woo-ch’) is a fine diversion from central belt of Poland. Get your local Lodz tour guide to show you around the all-new Manufaktura – a perfect example of the city’s rejuvenated industrial architecture – and the long and grand Piotrkowska Street, with its Baroque facades and al fresco restaurants spilling onto the cobbles.
DAY 7 & 8: Wroclaw and Silesia
Days seven and eight transport visitors to the up-and-coming southern city of Wroclaw; a proud holder of European Culture Capital title that buzzes with hipster bars and boasts one seriously handsome old town area. Check out Cathedral Island and the gorgeously adorned Town Hall here, before settling in the Germanic beer halls of the old city for a night of student-lead partying. The next day, get a Wroclaw tour guide to show you the natural beauties of the greater Silesia region, whether that means hitting the hiking trails of the rugged Karkonosze ranges on the edge of the Czech Republic or gawping at the Game of Thrones-esque Gothicism of Ogrodzieniec Castle.
DAY 9: Krakow
A real highlight of any Poland trip, Krakow is considered the cultural and historical hub of the nation. Complete with the Baroque come Renaissance come Slavic majesty of the Wawel Hill and one fantastically preserved medieval Old Town, it’s a city that entirely deserves its UNESCO status. Take a walking tour here and see the magnificent St. Mary’s Church and Old Town Rynek before delving into the tight-knit streets of Kazimierz district; the city’s old Jewish Quarter that now pulses with bars and bohemian hummus cafes. Alternatively, take a day out and head for the sobering memorials of Auschwitz nearby, a totemic reminder of Poland’s tumultuous and dark modern past.
DAY 10: Zakopane
Our 10-day itinerary of Poland ends with a trip to the much-loved mountain town of Zakopane in the south. This quaint and artsy hub set between the Polish hills and the mighty High Tatra range that marks the border with Slovakia is home to charming timber architecture and the bustling main drag of Krupowki Street. After sampling the smoky sheeps’ cheese from the grills here, be sure to put on the walking boots and hit the mountain trials that lead up to Morskie Oko (a gorgeous high mountain lake), or if you’re travelling in winter, wax the skis an head for the pistes of Kasprowy Wierch!
Joseph ‘Rich’ Francis is a freelance travel writer who has travelled extensively in Asia and Europe. He particularly enjoys the jazz bars of Poland, the ski slopes of Austria and the beaches and cities of India.
Image Details and Licenses: The old heart of Krakow | © Joseph Richard Francis,https://flic.kr/p/cX6CjU (Maciek Lulko, CC BY-NC 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/2o6g5K (magro_kr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/6PRbEo (Robert Young, CC BY-NC 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/oKAAnd (Kamil Rejczyk, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/cuaSuQ (Artur Malinowski, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/gQFRr5 (Andrzej Wrotek, CC BY-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/oExr1R (Mycroyance, CC BY-NC 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/kKP4eL (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CC BY-ND 2.0)