Warsaw and Central and Eastern Poland:

• The Provinces of Central and Eastern Poland are -
• Region of Lodzkie with Lodz as its capital city,
• Mazowsze and Warsaw at its heart,
• Lubelskie region and the city of Lublin,
• Swietokrzyskie around the city of Kielce.  

Lodz Province is located in the very centre of Poland, owing its name to its capital city – Lodz. One of its tourist attractions is the regional capital itself, large and bustling post-industrial city with beautiful Art Nouveau architecture and a rich cultural heritage, embracing traces of four nations who lived there: Poles, Russians, Germans and Jews. There are several impressive palaces, in Nieborow, Arkadia and Walewice, as well as the Medieval cathedral of Tum, or Lowicz, known for its colourful folklore.  

Mazowsze province is the largest administrative region of the country. The area accounts for 11.4% of Poland's territory. Mazowsze lies in the centre of Poland in the great central plain between the Warta and Vistula Rivers. Mazwosze occupies a central position on the map of Poland, with Warsaw, the capital of the region and of the entire country, situated right in its heart. This advantageous location at the meeting point of domestic and international routes from the West to the East and from the North to the South has always been an asset for Mazowsze and has influenced the prominence of Warsaw as a city.

The Polish administrative capital, and also the business centre, Warsaw is home to numerous domestic and international organizations.  The city is also the largest labour market in Poland, especially in the construction and service sectors. Since early 1990s, Warsaw has experienced a continuous boom in investment and construction on a scale comparable with capitals such as Moscow and Berlin.   

Mazowsze is the country of Chopin who was inspired by the music and folk tradition of this region. The familiar melodies found their way into his mazurkas, polonaises and waltzes.

Folk traditions are also kept alive in this region, in particular in the area called Kurpie, whose name comes from a word for a type of footwear. Kurpie’s cut-out patterns and colourful costumes can be admired in all their splendour during the Palm Sunday and Corpus Christi processions. For many years, the inhabitants of Kurpie have practiced forest bee-keeping. This gives rise to the annual honey collecting event in Myszyniec. The excellent forest-produced honey is used to make superb local mead.  

Lublin Region is favourably positioned in the eastern part of Poland. It is part of a unique borderland. It is exceptional because it does not divide, but unites, does not separate, but integrates. The city of Lublin and its surrounding area are the country's leaders in the sheer amount of historic buildings and monuments.  

Cemeteries of Goths, dating back to the 2nd-4th centuries have been discovered in the village of Hrubieszów; as well as Cretaceous underground caves in Chem unique in Europe; the Renaissance city of Zamosc which was placed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list; the beautiful architectural complex in Kazimierz Dolny, listed as the prime monument of Poland and very precious to the country’s cultural heritage. The palace in Kozlówka, the seat of the Zamoyski family is just another to mention. Another historic fortified monument of the region is the medieval Lublin castle and the 19th-century stronghold in Deblin. Full of history and flavour this region was and is a home to very varied and very colourful communities. Over 500 parks located in the region and are under legal protection.

During World War Two, the Nazis operated three extermination camps, in the region. Over one million people died a martyr's death in these camps: Belzec (600,000), Sobibór (250,000) and Majdanek (235,000). In Majdanek, from the remains of the camp, the world-famous Museum of Martyrdom was established, reminding future generations about the tragic history of the Nazi era.

Wroclaw and the west of Poland.

• The Western provinces of Poland are –
• Pomorze Zachodnie with Szczecin as the capital City,
• Wielkopolska and the city of Poznan,   
• Lubuski Province and the city of Zielona Gora
• Dolny Slask with Wroclaw as a centre.

Pomorze Zachodnie Province, and its capital, Szczecin.( a difficult name to get to grips with, but try pronouncing it like “Stretch in”)

In the 1930s, using a loophole in the treaty of Versailles, the Nazis started developing, instead of heavy artillery, rockets. During the Second World War one of their prime developments "Vergeltungswaffen" was placed near village of Peenemunde on the Baltic Coast in 1937. Straight from Uznam island V-1 and V-2 rockets launchers were aiming at London. Cooperation between the British Intelligence services and the Polish Underground Army eventually led to the destruction of the launchers.

Uznam island is right at the very far North West corner of Poland. Today, together with Wolin Island they create a beautiful archipelago with forests beaches and meadows. A true holiday paradise, Wolin Island is also one of the Polish national parks. It houses a protected colony of cormorants. Next door is the spa at Miedzyzdroje,  the city of Swinoujscie and of course Szczecin.

Szczecin City’s population is 400,000. It lies on the banks of the River Odra where the river meets the Baltic Sea. Always on the European transit routes, from the west to the east and from the north, through the Baltic, to the south of Europe, Szczecin benefited from it’s prominent location. But the city’s history, as is the case with the whole of Poland, was turbulent. A prominent port under German rule it was trading with all neighbouring countries. Here Catherina the Great was born as a Prussian princess. Later she became one of the most notorious tsars of Russia. The city is nicknamed “green” and for a good reason.

The whole region is perfect for summer holidays. From golf to equestrian activities, to tennis, to spas and wellness, to sailing to simply beach time. You have it all here.

Further South is the Wielkopolska province which is considered the cradle of Poland. Here the first capitals of Poland were established, starting with Gniezno and its Museum of the Polish State, the Sacral Museum, where the oldest Polish statehood artefacts can be found.

Wielkopolska is an attractive region with numerous sites worth visiting. There are numerous palaces, stately homes, such as Kórnik, which is part of the Polish Muslim trail, windmills, churches, and beautiful civic buildings. Its capital is the city of Poznan, with numerous museums, shopping malls, cafés and restaurants.

Some of the destinations in Wielkopolska are among the most often visited in Poland. Great numbers of tourists visit the oldest Polish royal dynasty sights, following the Piast Trail, which leads through several places connected with the origins of the Polish State.  Wielkopolska plays an important role in the cultural map of the country, with its most significant centre of Pozna?.  The annual International Street Theatre Festival "Malta", is very popular with visitors. Also, Poznan's contribution to classical music is widely acknowledged both in Poland and abroad. Poznan is the seat of the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition. Pozna? has three famous boys' and men's choirs: "Poznan Nightingales", "Polish Nightingales", Poznan Cathedral Choir and the "Amadeus" Chamber Music Orchestra.  Across the whole area, forests, rivers, lakes and rolling fields add to the beauty of this part of Poland.

Right next to Wielkopolska is the region of Lubuskie, with Zielona Gora city at its heart. The province is on the route from Germany to the central regions of Poland and therefore often rushed through and bypassed. It has however a lot to offer, especially to those who enjoy good food and wine.   

Zielona Gora is perhaps the capital of Polish wine making. The vineyards of Poland played their part in starting the vine cultures in the New World when immigrants took to New Zealand and Australia in search of a better life. They took cuttings of their Polish vines to start new vineyards in their new home. Neglected in the communist era, when vodka was preferred, Polish winemaking revived and today we already have a few vineries, some of which can be visited, such as the one in Stara Winna Gora.

With cities such as Zielona Gora, Gorzow, Sulecin and many others, dotted by castles in a very beautiful landscape of forests and lakes, it is a real dream of a country for holidaymakers. Castles such as Korzuchow, which with its impressive structure claims to be the Polish Carcassonne and the palace of Zagan with nearby POW camp from which in March 1944 the Great Escape took place.  

One of the regional curiosities is the fortifications built by Germans against the possible attack from the East. The fortifications did not prove effective, and latterly posed a problem over the running and administration of the very extensive complex of bunkers, strongholds and corridors. The problem was resolved by over 32,000 bats who decided to adopt this underground city as their winter sleeping quarters.

Lubuskie is a region of nature, of culture, of events and attractions. A must to experience.

The next of the Western provinces is Dolny Slask, also known as Lower Silesia. The magic of Lubuz continues here, and then the landscape rises to the Sudety Mountains. The Lower Silesia Province borders on the Czech Republic in the south and Germany (Saxony) in the west. The region has a varied landscape. The lowland is occupied by the dense Lower Silesia forest, the Milicz forest in the north of the region, in the central valley of the Oder River. In the South we have the Sudety Mountains.

Here in this region is the city of Wroclaw (a hard name to pronounce; think of it as Vrats-lav). It is a district of spas, skiing resorts, fun and entertainment.

If you base yourself in Wroclaw, you might want to visit Ksiaz Castle or the Sudety Mountains. In their foothills lies the Klodzko Valley where castles and palaces apparently are more numerous than in the Loire Valley in France. Do not forget the Cistercian monasteries, historical churches and spas, as well as the Gothic and Baroque treasures of Wroclaw and other Lower Silesian towns  which are a real magnet for both Polish and foreign tourists.  

Visitors to the health resorts, holidaymakers, hikers, skiing and mountain bike enthusiasts, climbers, and canoeists, even glider or hang-glider enthusiasts, will find the local climate conditions and tourist facilities more than satisfactory.

The cultural capital of the region is Wroclaw, viewed as one of the world’s capitals of avant-garde theatre; the city was the home of the Laboratory Theatre led by Jerzy Grotowski, an outstanding producer and reformer of the 20th century. The city, alongside Warsaw and Krakow, is among Poland’s most significant cultural centres, However, cultural life is also vibrant in other towns of the region.  Many have excellent arts institutions: there are theatres, concert halls and museums in Legnica, Jelenia Góra and Walbrzych. The sprouting of numerous informal arts groups is a new phenomenon observed recently in the region’s smaller towns and villages, where what can be termed ‘arts colonies’ (e.g. in the village of Michalowice near Jelenia Góra) and alternative culture centres are being founded. Wroclaw is viewed as one of the world’s capitals of avant-garde theatre; the city was the home of the Laboratory Theatre led by Jerzy Grotowski, an outstanding producer and reformer of the 20th century theatre.

Lower Silesia is also famous for its spas; there are 12 health resorts in the region. The region’s spas have been known since the Middle Ages and they attracted many visitors from all over Europe already in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Lower Silesian spas are also popular holiday destinations. Due to the relatively mild climate, snow in the vast expanses of the Silesian Lowland is rare.

However, just a few dozen miles to the south the region is a real skiing paradise where abundant snow is guaranteed. The first snow covers the peaks of the Giant Mountains as early as October and often stays there until May. In the Sudety mountains, skiers and snowboarders are in their element.

Lower Silesians know how to tame the wealth of their land: the gold-bearing sands of the Kaczawa River during the gold-panning championships, recall the tradition of Lower Silesian gold mining; the horn-shaped sleds characteristic of the Karkonosze Moutains, are ridden in events which are organised in Kowary; participants in ski races dart through the snowy trails of the Sudety in the Gwarków Ski Run in the Suchy Mountains and a picturesque disused railway line becomes the annual venue for the Championships of railway trolleys!.

Among the region’s treasures one cannot forget the Agate Summer Festival in Lwówek and the Legnica Festival of Silver, both of which take place in a region famous for the existence and extraction of these minerals. Even the former slag heap in Walbrzych serves as a backdrop for an annual rally race.

Likewise the rivers (The Kwisa in Gryfów Slaski), the flowers (at Ksiaz Castle), the horses (at the Ksiaz Stables) and even bread (Jawor) of Lower Silesia, all celebrate their own festivals. All are very good reasons to visit the region