BASIC INFORMATIONS

Poland lies in the central part of the European continent, the geometrical centre of which is near Warsaw. This is where the lines from Nordkyn in Norway to Matapan in Greece, and from Cabo da Roca in Portugal to the central Urals intersect. The boundary between the East and West European continental masses also runs through Poland.

Poland's total surface area is 322,500 sq km (312,600 sq km of land, 1,200 sq km of inland waters, and 8,700 sq km of territorial waters). This makes it the ninth largest country in Europe, after Russia, Ukraine, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Finland and Norway, and the 63rd largest in the world.

BORDERS

Over the centuries, Poland's territory has changed many times, but it has always comprised the basins of the Warta and Vistula Rivers, and the lands between the Carpathians and the Baltic Sea. In the 16th-18th centuries the country's area was as much as 1 million sq km. Before the Partitions (late 18th century) it was about 733,000 sq km. Partitioned and annexed by Russia, Prussia and Austria, in 1795 Poland disappeared from the map of Europe for the next 123 years. On the restoration of independence in 1918 it covered 388,000 sq km.

Today's territory of Poland was determined after the Second World War by the victorious powers, Great Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union, as a result of the peace conferences at Yalta and Potsdam. Poland lost some 20 percent of its prewar territory. Its borders were moved north, to the Baltic coastline, Varmia and Masuria; and west, to the River Oder and the Lusatian Neisse River. In the east, the new border now ran along the Bug River. Poland gained some 100,000 sq km in the north and west (Varmia and Masuria, the Pomeranian Lake District, Ziemia Lubuska (the Lubusz Region), Lower Silesia and part of Upper Silesia), at the same time losing about 78,000 sq km of its territories in the east and north-east (the Vilnian region, Polessie, Volhynia and Podolia). As a result of those dramatic shifts, the current territory of Poland is more or less the same as it was a thousand years ago.

The country has a roughly circular shape with a characteristic narrow spit of land, the Hel Peninsula, jutting out 34 km into the Baltic Sea, with an average breadth of just 500 m. Poland's geometrical centre lies some 20 km north-east of Łódź. The maximum north-to-south and west-to-east distances are 649 km and 689 km respectively. The northernmost point is Cape Rozewie (54o50'N), the southernmost is Mt Opolonek in the Bieszczady Mountains (49o00'N); the easternmost is the River Bug near Strzyżów (24o09'E), and the westernmost is the River Oder near Cedynia (14o08'E). In summer days are longer in the north by about an hour than in the south; and shorter by an hour in winter. Poland lies in the Central European time zone, with East European time operating in summer.

To the west, Poland has a border of 467 km with Germany, to the south with the Czech Republic (790 km) and Slovakia (541 km); to the east and north-east with Ukraine (529 km), Belarus (416 km), Lithuania (103 km) and Russia (210 km). The total length of Poland's land and sea borders is 3,496km.

TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

Poland is a relatively low-lying country. 91.3 percent of its territory lies below 300 m above sea level. The highest point is Mt Rysy in the Tatras (2499 m), while the lowest point is located west of the village of Raczki Elbląskie (1.8 m below sea level). The highest-lying settlement is Gubałówka (today part of the municipality of Zakopane; 1125 m), the lowest-lying settlement is Żółwiniec (1.3 m below sea level). There are three main mountain ranges in Poland: the Carpathians, the Sudetan Mountains, and the Góry Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mountains). The longest rivers are the Vistula (1047 km), Oder (854 km), Warta (808 km), Bug (772 km), Narew (484 km), San (443 km), Noteć (388 km), Pilica (319 km), Wieprz (303 km) and the Bóbr (272 km). Poland has some 9,300 lakes with surface areas over 1 ha; they make up 1 percent of the country's territory. The largest is Lake Śniardwy (11,383 ha) in the Masurian Lake District, and the deepest is Lake Hańcza (108.5 m) north of Suwałki.

LESSER POLAND (MAŁOPOLSKA)


Lesser Poland (Latin Polonia Minor) is an historical and ethnographic region in south-eastern Poland. Geographically, it encompasses the basin of the upper and part of the middle Vistula with most of the Polish Carpathians, the Sandomierz Basin, the Oświęcim Basin and the Lesser Polish Uplands which include the Cracow and Częstochowa Jura with its unique flora and Jurassic rocks.

With more tourist attractions than any other region in Poland, Lesser Poland has a delightful collection of historical monuments, religious shrines, beauty spots and resorts. The major destination for sightseeing is of course Cracow, Poland's cultural capital, with about a quarter of all the country's museum holdings, and European City of Culture for the year 2000. It has strong competition, though. The main rival is Zakopane - a lively resort at the foot of Poland's highest mountains, the Tatras, and the best-known town in the mountainous Podhale region. Some four million pilgrims come every year to Częstochowa, the country's national shrine, to pray in front of the holy picture of the Black Madonna at the Monastery of Jasna Góra. Another great attraction is Wieliczka with its stunning salt mine. The medieeval town of Oswięcim had its peace shattered forever during the Second World War when the Nazis built a death camp in the neighbourhood and called it Auschwitz. The site and the memorial museum set up there after the War are now the grim destination for thousands paying homage to those who died there. If you like unspoiled countryside, see the Roztocze and the area around Lublin, both east of the Vistula and south of the Bug. Noted for their beauty (there are two national parks here), these lands once had substantial Jewish enclaves in the small towns dotted around the area, where vestiges of the Ashkenazi material culture may still be observed. Two other places definitely deserve to be visited: Lublin itself, a charming city with an interesting Old Town and many historical buildings including an impressive castle, and Zamość, a splendid Renaissance town dubbed the Padua of the North and entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The name "Małopolska" - Lesser Poland - appeared in the 15th century, and is derived from the Latin "Polonia Minor" , which indicates that this region joined the Kingdom of Poland after "Wielkopolska," Greater Poland, the cradle of the Polish state. However, already by the mid-11th century Lesser Poland had risen in status to be Poland's principal province. It was here, in the capital Cracow, that kings and princes resided in the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill. From an early period the city was a flourishing centre of cultural and academic life. In 1364 King Casimir III the Great founded the University of Cracow, which was renamed the Jagiellonian University much later (1815). Cracow is noted for its plethora of fine churches, mansions and town houses. The fact that it was on major trading routes from Western Europe to the Black Sea contributed to its prosperity.

Cracow's golden age ended when the monarch moved his principal seat to Warsaw (early 17th century). A period of economic stagnation and decline followed, especially when Poland was partitioned in the late 18th century. Lesser Poland was annexed by Austria and given a new name, "Galicia". In 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars part of the region was joined to the Duchy of Warsaw; and in 1815, at the Congress of Vienna it was again split up, with part allocated to the "Congress Kingdom of Poland" under the Tsar of Russia, while the City of Cracow and its environs was to be an autonomous Republic (or Free City) of Cracow (1815-1846), jointly administered by the three partitioning powers. After the unsuccessful Cracow Uprising (1846), the Free City was incorporated into Austria. In 1918, when Poland regained independence, most of Lesser Poland returned to it. Cracow was the first Polish city to be liberated from foreign rule. After the Second World War a significant part of the region was annexed by the Soviet Union.

NATURE: MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS AND SPECTACULAR UPLANDS
Nature in Lesser Poland means first and foremost the mountains, as the southern part of the region is the location of the Carpathians. This 2600 km chain arches east of the Danube valley, rising near Bratislava in Slovakia, running through Poland and Ukraine, and extending into Rumania. The Polish stretch is about 300 km long and is divided into the Western Carpathians (including the Tatra, Pieniny and Beskid ranges) and the Eastern Carpathians (the Bieszczady).


The most spectacular Western Carpathian peaks are situated in Lesser Poland. Access and accommodation facilities are good and the ramblers' routes, which are clearly signposted and maintained in a good condition, allow you to leave all civilisation behind. Equipped with a backpack full of food, sturdy boots, and a bit of courage, you can venture into a genuine wilderness, unspoilt by human interference. Yet nature in Lesser Poland is much more than just the mountains.

The Cracow and Częstochowa Jura: bat-inhabited caves

The Lesser Polish Uplands, and particularly the part known as the Cracow and Częstochowa Upland (Jura), is a land of fantastic karst landforms in Jurassic limestone. The principal beauty spots which call for special environmental protection are now in two national parks - the Ojców National Park and the Świętokrzyski National Park - as well as in several nature reserves and natural landscape parks. A series of spectacularly situated ruins of 14th-century hilltop castles known as the Eagles' Nests runs along the ridges of the Cracow and Częstochowa Jura. The most impressive are those at Ogrodzieniec, Mirów, Bobolice, and Olsztyn. In summer the Jura is a mecca for rock climbers as the limestone pillars, gates and cliffs are ideal for practising this sport. The upland has one more attraction: the Błędowska Desert; although its size is diminishing, it is still a real desert.

The Ojców National Park in the Prądnik Valley, not far from Cracow, is Poland's smallest national park (1580 ha) which celebrated its 45th birthday on January 14th 2001. Despite the rather inconspicuous size, it is among the top twenty reserves on the 1,200-strong UN list. Every year it attracts 350-400 thousand visitors, which is hardly surprising, given its fairy-tale landscapes with fantastic rock formations bearing mythical names (like the upright 20m Club of Hercules ), over 400 caves, gorges and ravines reaching up to 100m in depth, karst springs. unique plants and, last but not least, mediaeval castles and ruins. This is a place you simply have to visit.

The Góry Świętokrzyskie: the oldest and lowest

www.sejmik.kielce.pl

Another part of the Lesser Polish Uplands is the Kielce-Sandomierz Upland with the Góry Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mountains), one of the oldest ranges in Europe. Not very high (the highest peak, Łysica, is just 612 m a.s.l.) but long and with gentle ridges, they are about 650 million years old. Some of them feature distinctive heaps of rock debris known as gołoborza, created as a result of intensive erosion at low temperatures.

The Góry Świętokrzyskie were once entirely covered with impenetrable forests. Only two fragments of those primaeval woods have survived: the Puszcza Jodłowa (Fir Forest) and the Puszcza Świętokrzyska, but the dense forest stands (usually on mountain ridges) are more characteristic of the region. These mountains mark the European limit for the fir, beech and sycamore; in the pine and oak & pine forests you can also see a lot of larch, liime, maple, ash and - in some areas - hornbeam, elm, yew, and spruce. All the plain species of ferns and lycopods can be found here. Another special interest for nature lovers are the protected peat bogs with rare wetland plants such as sundew and orchids. The lush vegetation provides a habitat for wild boar, foxes, roe deer, deer, fallow deer, badgers, beavers, martens, ermines, and squirrels, as well as over 150 bird species (including black grouse and capercaillies). The most valuable areas are protected by the 7626-hectare Świętokrzyski National Park established in 1950. The Park encompasses Łysa Góra (Bare Mount), where, as legend has it, witches held their sabbaths. Excavations have revealed that centuries ago the mountain was a centre of pagan worship devoted to old Slavonic gods of natural phenomena called Łada, Boda, and Leli (Whizz, Sough and Weather). Sixty-six other areas have also been designated as reserves, protecting over 670 sites of natural beauty.
The Góry Świętokrzyskie are surrounded by younger rock formations, partly of limestone, so the region abounds in many beautiful caves. The most spectacular of them, protected but open to visitors, is fittingly called Raj (Paradise).

The Carpathians: hiking through forests and pastures

The Tatras

The highest range in the whole Carpathians, the Tatras are considered by the lowlanders to be the only "true" mountains in Poland. The Tatras are a summer favourite with tourist groups and individual hikers, while the throngs of skiers they attract in winter are just as big.

The Tatras have plenty to offer. They are Poland's only alpine-type mountains with scenic trails and breathtaking vistas. To appreciate their beauty, you don't have to climb the peaks - just take a walk in one of the picturesque valleys such as the Dolina Chochołowska, Dolina Kościeliska, Dolina Strążyska, Dolina Rybiego Potoku. In winter many slopes become ski runs. At the foot of the Tatras lies Zakopane, "Poland's winter capital" with an exceptionally rich folk culture: customs, music, costumes, dialect and distinctive architecture.

The Tatras cover 785 sq km, of which Poland has only 25%, that is about 175 sq km. The highest peak, Gerlach (2655 m) is on the Slovakian side . Poland's highest summit is Rysy (2499 m) on the border with Slovakia. The highest peak situated entirely in Poland is Kozi Wierch (2291 m).

The Polish Tatras are divided into the High and the Western Tatras; the former boast a profusion of tarns (glacier-created lakes) while the latter have the most beautiful caves. The High Tatras, with their treacherously steep trails, rugged crests, fells and precipices, are for intrepid hikers only. But the views are magnificent and unforgettable. The Western Tatras are safer, with broad, gently rounded ridges, less strenuous trails, more vegetation and space.

The diversified Tatran terrain abounds in waterfalls. The two best-known and most spectacular waterfalls in the Polish Tatras are Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza and Wielka Siklawa, the latter looking its best at sunrise in spring. Not less popular with tourists are the 43 glacial tarns (traditionally called stawy) with emerald-blue waters and a total area of about 160 ha. Most of them are situated in the High Tatras, above 1600m. The biggest, most beautiful and also most accessible is Lake Morskie Oko (1,393 m above sea level).

Out of the multitude of Carpathian ranges, the Tatras have a remarkably rich flora. In the Polish Tatras alone, over a thousand vascular plants have been found, of which 250 are of the montane or alpine variety. A characteristic feature are the distinct vegetation belts. Above the foothills, there are two belts of forests, known as the lower regiel (up to 1250 m; chiefly beech, fir and man-planted spruce) and the upper regiel (up to 1500 m; chiefly spruce with some Arolla pine and Carpathian birch). The forests give way to a zone of dwarf mountain pine which protect the slopes against erosion. Above 1800 m lie the open pastures (hale) which until a few decades ago were still being used for sheep-grazing. The highest zone, above 2300 m, is made up of bare rocks covered only with alpine vegetation adapted to the harsh climate.

Some plants commonly associated with the Tatras are the tiny szarotka and smooth carline (popular motifs in the Podhalanian folk art); violet crocuses which shoot up in the mountain meadows when the snow begins to thaw. Another interesting species is the Arolla pine - a handsome tree encountered mostly around Lake Morskie Oko and in the vicinity of the Dolina Roztoki.

The Tatras are home to many animals that every mountain lover wants to see. Different species inhabit each vegetation belt. The forests provide a habitat mainly for common animals such as deer (about 300), roe deer, wild boar, wolves and foxes. Occasionally lynxes and wild cats may be spotted. The most eminent denizen of the two regiels is the brown bear, which may climb even the high mountain passes. Currently about a dozen of them live on the Polish side, and there are about sixty of them in the whole range. Sadly, you have only a meagre chance of seeing the golden eagle, as only a few pairs nest in the whole Tatras. The population of ravens is also declining. The main attractions are the kozica (mountain goats - about 80 of them were recorded on the Polish side in 2000) and marmots. The kozica, which has become the emblem of the Tatra National Park, is easier to spot; to see a marmot, you need to be lucky and patient. Actually, you're more likely to hear it as this shy rodent always warns others with a whistling sound when it senses a danger.

The flora and fauna of the Tatras is protected by the Tatra National Park set up in 1955 (21,400 hectares).

The Beskidy Mountains

The Beskidy Mountains, the largest part of the Polish Carpathians, are divided into the Eastern Beskidy and Western Beskidy. The latter are further divided into eight groups :the Beskid Maly (Small Beskid), the Beskid Żywiecki, the Beskid Wyspowy (Island Beskid), the Beskid Sądecki, and the Gorce ranges. Their gentle wooded slopes, criss-crossed by a dense network of ramblers' routes, with scenic villages and towns at their foot, are ideal for long but easy hikes.

The Beskid Mały (Small Beskid) is, as the name suggests, a low range stretching from Bielsko-Biała in the west to the valley of the Skawa River in the east. To the south it borders with the Beskid Żywiecki while the northern slopes descend towards the old towns of Kęty, Andrychów, and Wadowice (birthplace of Pope John Paul II). The ridges are separated by deep valleys and are usually wooded, although there are some clearings with interesting views. The summits do not exceed 950 m and are not difficult to climb.

The Beskid Żywiecki is Poland's second highest mountain group after the Tatras. Stretching between the upper Soła and Skawa Rivers, it is a great tourist attraction. The highest peak is Babia Góra (1725 m). Its dramatic landscapes are protected by the 3392-hectare Babia Góra National Park (established in 1955). It was one of the first national parks in the world to join the UNESCO network of World Biosphere Reserves (1977).

The Beskid Wyspowy (Island Beskid), between the central part of the Raba Valley in the west and the Dunajec Valley in the east, owes the name to its rather unusual appearance. It has few ridges but many isolated summits with steep slopes and flattened tops (the highest of them is Mogielica, 1171 m). The mountains look beautiful at any time of the year, although they are at their best in autumn, when they indeed resemble an archipelago of dark peaks towering above mist-enveloped valleys. The locals, who come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, have preserved their intriguing customs and ancient traditions.

The Beskid Sądecki is a densely wooded range stretching from the Dunajec Valley in the west (which separates it from the Gorce and Beskid Wyspowy) to the Beskid Niski in the east. To the south it borders on the Pieniny and the Slovak border. The range is divided into two by the striking valley of the Poprad River, part of the Poprad Natural Landscape Park. Again, the mountains are not very high, with the highest peak, Radziejowa, just over 1,200 m. West of the Beskid Sądecki lie two historic towns: Nowy Sącz and Stary Sącz, both with many fine historic buildings and traditions going back to the Middle Ages. There are also a few well-known spa resorts with mineral springs, including Krynica, Żegiestów, Piwniczna, and Muszyna. The area was once populated by the Lemko or Russniak (Rusyn) People, and some of their charming churches, of wood or stone, have survived, one of the region's architectural highlights .

The Gorce Mountains

The Gorce is a mountain group in the Western Beskidy, embraced by two rivers, the Raba and the Dunajec, with the Beskid Wyspowy to the north and the Podhale region to the south. Seen from above, the range resembles a gigantic octopus or a starfish. The peaks are hiker-friendly: easily accessible, rounded, with flat tops and not very high (the highest peak is Turbacz, 1,310 m). Devoid of dramatic fells, scenic tarns and deep ravines, the Gorce is attractive and captivating for its unique atmosphere that makes you return to the area again and again. You're bound to fall under the spell of its landscape - long, broken ridges separated by wild valleys, sometimes covered with almost pristine beech and spruce forests interspersed with vast pastures and fascinating clearings. These picturesque stretches of countryside, dotted with old wooden cottages, once used by shepherds, and offering extensive vistas are perhaps the most exciting feature the Gorce has to offer.

In 1981 the Gorce National Park was established, covering 7,020 hectares and still very much a haven of peace. Despite its numerous hiking trails supplemented by a few mountain hostels and campsites, it's not hard to find a secluded spot here. In the wild natural setting, amid the rustling of trees, the humming of insects and the bubbling of brooks, you can forget about the buzz of civilisation and let yourself wander into a land of dreams.

The vast and wild fir-and-beech or spruce forests amaze you with their profusion of flowers and herbs, including many protected species like the crocus, Turk's cap lily, spring snowflake, orchid, and smooth carline. In summer delicious blueberries and wild raspberries peep out of the pastures and forest undergrowth. This is also a great place to see roe deer, deer, wild boar, hares and lynxes - the latter have recently returned here after many years of absence. About a hundred bird species nest in the Gorce, including capercaillies, black grouse and large birds of prey such as the goshawk, buzzard, kestrel, red kite and sparrow hawk. A species which has made a comeback are the ravens, which are rare and always live in pairs. Another rare and strictly protected species is the salamander, the emblem of the Gorce National Park.

The Pieniny Mountains

The Pieniny Mountains were attracting tourists already in the 18th century. Their first admirers were the upper and cultured classes. Today this scenic range has some 400,000 visitors every year from Poland and abroad.

Part of the Western Carpathians, the Pieniny is a relatively small range with dramatic views and a rich wildlife. Its limestone peaks, upthrusted millions of years ago, are lower than the Tatras, but equally lofty, their vertical faces towering above steep, wooded slopes and the spectacular Dunajec Gorge.

In 1932 this area of exceptional natural beauty prompted a decision to establish the Pieniny National Park. At 2,346 hectares, it is one of the smallests national parks in the country, but this is easily compensated by its wealth of attractions. The exciting ramblers' routes studded with numerous vantage points allow you to see the main sights even during a short outing. Their relatively small altitudes (the highest peak, Wysoka, is 1050 m) make these mountains accessible for everyone, even if you are not very experienced. The Park continues into Slovakia, where another 3750 ha are under protection.

The Pieniny flora is exceptionaly rich. The steep slopes are covered by fir-beech forests with some sycamores, elms and maples. A characteristic view is a small pine cluster on a rocky summit. Occasionally you may come across a solitary yew.

For a nature lover and wildlife watcher, the Pieniny meadows are a delight. Created by humans, who once felled the forests to make pastures and cultivate the fields, today they are largely home to self-sown plants that colonised the treeless areas. Over 3,000 plant species have been identified here, including the endemic Teraxacum pieninicum and Erysimum pieninicum and relics such as the Chrysanthemum zawadzkii, a common sight on the Pieniny rocks, otherwise found no closer than the Ural mountains.

The Pieniny National Park is the habitat of some 250 animal species, including the lynx, wild cat, deer and fox. There are 150 bird species and a staggering 1,600 insect species.

Hiking highlights are the trails to Trzy Korony (Three Crowns, after the characteristic three summits; 982 m) up the scenic Sokola Perć (Falcon Path), to Sokolica (747 m), and in the Małe Pieniny subrange. Especially in the autumn, when the trees glitter with all the shades of yellow and orange and the air becomes more transparent than usual, the views are simply breathtaking. The biggest attraction is the whitewater raft trip through the Dunajec Gorge. The narrow wooden boats, roped in fives into small platforms, and steered by raftsmen in folk costumes, have been ferrying tourists for well over a hundred years. The 15 km stretch of the Dunajec has three enormous bends snaking down a scenic narrow gorge dominated by monumental cliffs.

But the Pieniny has much more to offer than just nature. The biggest and most charming of its lovely little towns is Szczawnica, a well-known spa with numerous mineral springs whose curative properties were known as early as the 16th century. The spa is good especially for people suffering from respiratory diseases, digestive disorders and allergies. Also visit Czorsztyn and Niedzica on the vast and scenic (albeit artificial) Lake Czorsztyński. Czorsztyn boasts extensive ruins of a 14th-century royal castle encompassed, with the surrounding rocks, by a landscape reserve. Niedzica has a lovely and well-preserved 14th-century castle, later rebuilt in the Renaissance style and now overlooking a 1996 dam on the Dunajec River.

SITES AND CITIES: REVELLING AND MEDITATING

Cracow: fleshpots and havens of prayer

For many of its residents, Cracow, a city with a thousand years of tradition and Poland's capital for many centuries, remains the country's only true capital. While Warsaw's appeal rests in its modernity and busy atmosphere, Cracow spellbinds you with its quiet cobbled lanes, countless monuments of the past which could easily furnish a few other cities, splendid museums, lively bars and cafes, all enveloped in an atmosphere of unique tranquillity and magic. It is a city of students - over 100,000 of them study at its numerous institutions of higher education - to whom Cracow owes much of its air of eternal youth.

Unlike Warsaw, Cracow was not devastated during the Second World War. Its historic architecture survived intact (some buildings, like the tiny Church of St Adalbert in the Main Market Square and St Andrew's Church in ulica Grodzka, date back to the early Middle Ages: 10th-11th century). The two biggest sights are the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill, and the Main Market Square, surrounded by finely restored old town houses and bustling with activity. In 1978 the entire urban precinct of the Old City was entered on UNESCO's first World Heritage List, a prestigious distinction awarded then only to the 12 most valuable sites in the world.

Overlooking the Vistula River, Wawel Hill has been inhabited since times immemorial (as early as 50,000 years ago it was a campsite for mammoth hunters). The Royal Castle and Cathedral, after many centuries of conversions and new building schemes, are a mixture of the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles. Make sure to visit the Sigismundian Chapel, a masterpiece of Renaissance art, and to ascend the Tower with the Sigismundian Bell, until recently Poland's biggest, cast in 1520 from cannon barrels. Weighing 12.7 m. tons, it needs ten men to be rung, which happens only for significant state occasions - then its sound can be heard within 12 km from the city centre. On Christmas Eve in 2000 its clapper broke, which many people saw as a bad omen. A new clapper, weighing 300kg, was cast and fixed within a few months. But recently an even worse thing has happened: the bell has stopped being the biggest in the country, superseded by the one in the Licheń Basilica in the Kujawy (Cuiavia) region.

Walking around Wawel Hill, you can feel the burden of history stronger than anywhere else in Cracow. The Cathedral is the last resting-place of the kings and heroes of Poland, including Tadeusz Kościuszko, Józef Piłsudski, and Władysław Sikorski. Don't fail to visit the royal chambers and private apartments, treasury and armoury. Another highlight are the Wawel Arrases, the world's biggest and most precious collection of over a hundred Renaissance tapestries.

Cracow's Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) is Europe's largest mediaeval market-place, measuring 200 x 200m and beautiful at any time of the day and year. For centuries it has been the focus of the city's life, its cultural, commercial, and tourist showcase. The illustrious mansions around the square house cafes, restaurants, pubs, galleries, shops and museums, alongside residential premises for the lucky few. There are flowers stalls, buskers, street painters, pretzel vendors, souvenir sellers... And you can always bet on tourists, students and pigeons.

The two most renowned buildings on the Main Market Square are St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall. This 13th-15th century Gothic church contains a magnificent high altar by Veit Stoss, the biggest (13m high and 11m wide) and one of the finest mediaeval altars in Europe. It took 12 years to complete and features as many as 200 sculpted figures, their height ranging from 3 cm to 3 m. From the higher tower of St Mary's , a bugle call is played every hour to the four quarters of the world.

The 108 m-long Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) is, alongside Wawel Castle and St Mary's Basilica, Cracow's most widely known architectural landmark. Since the 13th century it has been a trading centre, now occupied by stalls with souvenirs, crafts and jewellery (note the exquisite silver and amber items), always attracting throngs of tourists. A few steps from the hall stand the only two vestiges from the times when the square was densely built up: the small 11th-century St Adalbert's Church and the Town Hall Tower (the mediaeval town hall itself was pulled down in the early 19th century as it was too damaged to be rebuilt).

However deeply immersed in history, Cracow's Old Town is also a great place for fun. To do this, you have to go underground as most of its restaurants, cafes and pubs are hidden in what are now the cellars (but once the ground floors) of the historic town houses. With their imaginative interior decoration and lively atmosphere, they attract many weekend trippers from all across Poland. In summer many cafes and pubs put their tables outside, surrounding the square with a tight ring of colourful and lively enclosures. But Cracow is primarily a city of prayer. With over a hundred churches, many of them gems of art and architecture, it is sometimes referred to as Poland's answer to Rome and has been vying with the Eternal City since at least the mid-13th century (when it received its municipal charter) for sanctuaries of serenity ... interspersed with the dens of sin...

But there is one more absolutely fasctinating place in Cracow: the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, once an independent borough founded in 1335 by King Casimir the Great (hence the name) and today part of the City of Cracow, with a distinctive atmosphere and character. This is a neighbourhood of old synagogues (the oldest of them is from the 15th century), narrow lanes and little houses, with a painstakingly restored 16th-century Jewish cemetery tucked in between. The Jews living there were deported during the War by the Nazis and today the area is only reviving, still looking a bit desolate and dilapidated but don't be put off by this appearance. A walk around the maze of quiet streets is an unforgettable experience - in some places you may feel that nothing has changed for centuries. In fact, though, over the last few years many houses have been converted into posh hotels, restaurants with Jewish cuisine and stylish bars.

Wieliczka: a land of salt

There are visitors who come to Poland only to see Wieliczka. Probably the world's most famous salt mine, it is one of just a few sites in Poland that have been both entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List (in 1978) and declared a Historic Monument (in 1994).

The history of salt mining at Wieliczka goes back thousands of years. Excavations have revealed that as early as about 3000 BC natural brine gushing from the ground was being collected here. Enhanced technology was brought to Wieliczka by Benedictine monks who dug out the first shafts - the oldest of them dates from 1280.

Today the mine is a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and chambers totalling some 350 km, of which only 2 km are open to the public, attracting every year over 700,000 visitors from all over the world. The route runs through 20 fairy-tale chambers on three levels between 64 and 135 m underground (altogether there are nine levels, the deepest of them at 342 m) taking in original chambers, underground lakes and dazzling chapels with statues and bas- reliefs carved in rock salt by miners. The highlight is the Chapel of St Kinga at 101 m, with beautiful sculptures and chandeliers, measuring 54.5 m (length) x 10-18 m (width) x 10-12 m (height) and thus deserving actually to be called a church.

On the third level (135 m), a few of the chambers house the Salt Mining Museum advertising itself as the world's biggest mining museum. There are over 3,000 exhibits including old mining tools and a collection of minerals and crafts. As the air in the mine has curative properties, on the fifth level (211 m), there is a health centre for people suffering from allergies and asthma.

Częstochowa: the Holy Picture

Częstochowa is a large city (160 sq km, 260,000 inhabitants) on the Warta River, a major railway centre, but above all Poland's religious capital. It has the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the 14th-century Pauline Monastery of Jasna Gora (Bright Hill) with the holy picture of the Black Madonna. Every year the shrine is visited by some four million pilgrims from all over the world.

Pilgrims come to Jasna Góra to see the holy picture of the Black Madonna, which is displayed in a 15th-century chapel behind a silver curtain (from 1673) which is pulled up only twice a day to show the actual image. The Virgin and Child are dressed in one of seven metallic "robes," richly adorned with gold, silver and precious stones . Legend has it that the image was painted by St Luke on a board from the Holy Family's house and that the scars on Mary's cheek were slashed with a sword when the monastery was plundered in 1430. In fact the holy picture is a copy of a 6th-8th c.Byzantine icon which came to Poland via Ruthenia and was damaged by looters. It was painted after 1430 and its painter highlighted the two scars so that the damage to the original should not be forgotten.

The walls of the chapel are hung with numerous votive offerings presented by pilgrims; you can also see crutches left by people who were miraculously healed by the Madonna of Częstochowa. Much more - including dazzling jewels and gifts from Polish monarchs - is to be seen in the treasury where you can easily spend half a day. The oldest items date from the 14th century and many of them are priceless works of art.

Auschwitz: death camp

The shocking museum near the city of Oświęcim, on the site where the Nazis built a concentration and death camp known by the German name Auschwitz, is certainly not a place for children, although teenagers and adults should visit it at least once in their lifetime to see the evidence of the biggest single act of genocide in mankind's history.

The Nazis established the camp in 1940 on the outskirts of Oświęcim - then, like all of Poland, occupied by Germany. The inhabitants of the quiet town of Oświęcim found they had the Auschwitz charnel-house on their doorstep, which gradually evolved into the biggest death camp in Europe, extended in 1941-42 by a much larger camp, Birkenau, near Brzezinka.

In 1947 the two surviving camps, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, were turned into the National Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau. In 1979 the site was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Auschwitz museum of genocide is entered through a gate with the cynical inscription "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work makes you free"), known from many films and photos. Then you visit several brick prison blocks with displays of clothes and personal belongings of the murdered prisoners, including children's toys. Not less horrifying are the gas chambers, death wall and the cell in which St Maksymilian Maria Kolbe was starved to death, sacrificing his life to save another prisoner.

The nearby Birkenau camp is even more depressing. This was a purpose-built death factory with almost 300 wooden barracks constructed by the prisoners and the most efficient "facilities": four gas chambers and four crematoria. There are no exhibitions here and nothing has been changed since the end of the War in order to preserve the atmosphere of utmost debasement and show the scale of the crime.

Zakopane: half-town, half-village

A trendy resort at the foot of the Tatras and, at 730-1000 m above sea level, Poland's highest alpine town - that's how Zakopane is perceived by most visitors. It became fashionable in the early 20th century and has remained so until today. It has always been in vogue to come here and brag about it. Since the late 19th century Zakopane has been attracting the best Polish writers, poets, painters and sculptors, who contributed to its extraordinary atmosphere by designing fine villas and creating works of art inspired by local traditions.

Visiting Zakopane is still something that "you should do", like going to St. Moritz in Switzerland. Fortunately, the town is safeguarded against a slide into the inevitable snobbery by the crowds of backpackers who continue the over century-long tradition of hiking in the Tatras.

Out of the current 30,000 residents, some five thousand are descendants of the old Górale Highlander families. Zakopane has always been fascinating for their exotic culture. It is a strange town with just a few rows of houses, not too tall and predominantly early 20th-century, surrounded by detached villas, pensions and wooden cottages, often great achievements of regional architecture. Since the 19th century a Zakopane Style house, with a sloping roof, verandah and rich wooden ornaments, has been an object of desire for many wealthy townsfolk while the skilled designers and builders of Zakopane are sought-after not only in Poland, but even in America. When you walk around the tranquil lanes and alleys, you may feel you're in a well-maintained open-air museum.

The main thoroughfare in Zakopane is Krupowki, one of the best-known promenades in Poland. Lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and stalls offering souvenirs and delicious ewe's-milk cheeses called oscypki, at any time of the year it attracts lively, multinational crowds. Because of the town's location and buildings, you can't see the mountains from every place - sometimes they are concealed. The easiest to see is Mt Giewont, the most characteristic peak in the Tatras.

If you're not into strenuous hikes, you can still feel like a conqueror and enjoy the breathtaking views using the funicular to Mt Gubałówka (1120 m) or the cable car to Kasprowy Wierch (1987 m); both run almost all year round. To escape the town and commune with nature, just go a few kilometres away in any direction. The small villages around Zakopane lie in the Podhale - a historical and geographical region stretching between the Tatras to the south, the Gorce to the north, Spisz to the east and Orawa to the west. Perched on mountain slopes, on streams and rivers, they offer excellent accommodation, competing with Zakopane, and are thus very popular with visitors. Here you can savour genuine highlanders' culture: locals walking to church on Sunday morning, dressed in traditional costumes, their distinctive dialect and beautiful music.

CLIMATE

Poland has a moderate climate with both maritime and continental elements. This is due to humid Atlantic air which collides over its territory with dry air from the Eurasian interior. As a result, the weather tends to be capricious and the seasons may look quite different in consecutive years. This is particularly true for winters, which are either wet, of the oceanic type, or - less often - sunny, of the continental type. Generally, in north and west Poland the climate is predominantly maritime, with gentle, humid winters and cool, rainy summers, while the eastern part of the country has distinctly continental climate with harsh winters and hotter, drier summers.
Generally, Poland receives all kinds of air masses typical of the northern hemisphere. This results in a variable climate and considerable problems with weather forecasting. Poland's climate is also characterized by substantial weather changes in consecutive years, caused by disturbances in the pattern of main air masses coming to the country. Summer may be hot and dry a few times in a row and then it becomes cool and wet. This phenomenon tends to happen in several-year cycles.
Poland's climate is also strongly influenced by the lowland topography of this part of Europe, stretching from France to Ukraine. Not stopped by any natural barriers, air masses move quickly from the Atlantic or North Sea. Another factor is the country's location, far from vast water bodies (the Atlantic Ocean) and close to extensive land areas (Eurasia). The Baltic Sea is a major contributor to the climate of north Poland while the southern part of the country is also affected by the Black Sea.

Winds: the sea breeze and the halny
The main pressure systems that affect the weather are the Icelandic low (stronger in winter) and the Azores anticyclone (more active in summer) as well as the changing atmospheric fronts from Asia: the East Asian high in winter and the South Asian low in summer. For a major part of the year Poland has predominantly west circulation of winds, caused by the eastward movement of barometric lows from the Atlantic. As a result, on 60 percent of all windy days the winds are from the west, blowing mainly from the area stretching between the Czech Republic and Scandinavia. In the eastern part of the country, the percentage of easterly winds is higher, while in the mountains, southerly winds occur more frequently.
The wind pattern is not uniform throughout the year. In summer months, that is from July to September, the winds are mainly westerly, whereas in winter, notably in December and January, easterly winds prevail. In the transitory seasons, both winds occur roughly with the same frequency.
The winds in Poland are typically weak to moderate, their speed ranging from 2 to 10 m/s. Strong and very strong winds occur at the seaside, causing storms, and in the mountains, where their speed may exceed 30 m/s. Hurricanes that uproot trees and blow off roofs are rather unusual.
With its diversified topography, Poland also has local winds. Along the Baltic coast, on a cloudless summer day you can experience a pleasant, invigorating sea breeze which occurs during the day and is felt about 10km inland. At night its direction reverses: the air moves from the cooler land towards the warmer sea, causing the land breeze.
In the mountains, there are mountain-valley winds. The best-known one is the halny, which blows in the Tatras and has been the subject of many poems and paintings. This kind of wind is not unique to Poland, though; it occurs in all mountains around the world and is called the föhn.
The halny is strong and gusty and its effects are higher temperature and lower air humidity on the leeward slopes. It develops when moving air is stopped by a mountain range and forced to rise. The halny is a nuisance for people as it lowers their mental and physical fitness and makes them irritable. It is strong enough to break trees, sometimes over large areas, blow off roofs and knock over fences. In winter it causes sudden thaws leading to floods.

Cloudiness and precipitation
A visible effect of the collisions of air masses above Poland is cloudiness. The number of cloudy days is between 60 and 70 percent, which is relatively high. The most cloudy regions are the lake districts in the north and the Sudetes; the least cloudy are Wielkopolska and the Silesian Lowland. The average number of cloudy days a year, with the sky more than 80% overcast, is 120-160; for sunny days, with cloudiness below 20%, it is 30-50.
The heaviest precipitation in Poland was recorded in June 1973 in the Tatra's Hala Gasienicowa. During one rain as much as 30cm of water fell. With Poland's predominantly westerly winds, the highest precipitation occurs on western slopes of mountains and hills. In the Carpathians and Sudetes, the annual precipitation is 800-1400mm. In the lowlands and uplands, it ranges between 400mm and 750mm. Similar levels are recorded in the Pomeranian and Masurian lake districts. This is caused by the proximity of the Baltic Sea, from which humid sea air flows east. The lowest precipitation occurs in the eastern part of Wielkopolska and in Kujawy, a region lying in the rain shadow of the Pomeranian Lake District.

Occasionally, Poland witnesses extraordinary precipitation. In 1901, when winds brought dust from Sahara, a black-brown rain fell. 71 years later the same phenomenon was responsible for orange snow in Zakopane. The maximum precipitation is in summer. At this time of the year it is on average 2-3 times higher than in winter (in the Carpathians, as much as four times higher). The smallest seasonal differences are recorded in the coastal lowlands.
Winter comes to Poland from the north-east. The average annual number of days with snowfall is 30-40 in the country's western and central part, and over 50 days in the north-east. It snows for 120 days a year in the Karkonosze and for 145 days in the Tatras. Snow stays the longest in the mountains (up to 200 days) and in north-west Poland (90-120 days). The western part of the country has the fewest days with snow cover (40-50).

Temperature: heat and frost
The average annual temperature in Poland ranges from 5-7*C in the hilly Pomeranian and Masurian lake districts and in the uplands to 8-10*C in the belt of the sub-Carpathian basins, the Silesian Lowland and the Wielkopolska Lowland. Only in the upper parts of the Carpathians and Sudetes is it about 0*C (Kasprowy Wierch, -0.8*C; Mt Sniezka, -0.4*C).
The hottest month is July with the average temperature standing at 16-19*C. The coldest area in July is the mountains, where the air temperature drops as the altitude increases (on average by 0.6*C for every 100 metres). In the summit areas of the Tatras and Sudetes, the average air temperature in July is just about 9*C. July is also cooler in areas adjacent to the Baltic (about 16*C), which is caused by the cold sea waters. The hottest area is central Poland, with the temperatures exceeding 18*C.
Hot days, when the temperature exceeds 25*C, occur from May to September. Their number increases the further you go from the sea. On average, there are only five such days at the Rozewie Cape and over 40 in the Sandomierz Basin and Lublin Upland.
The coldest month in Poland is January. Cold continental air flowing in from the east in January makes the eastern part of Poland one of the coldest areas in the country.
Sub-zero temperatures are recorded between November and March. The average annual number of frosty days ranges from about 25 along the lower Odra River and at the seaside to 65 in the Suwalki Lake District; in the mountains, it reaches 132 days on Mt Sniezka and 150 days on Kasprowy Wierch. The number of freeze days, typically in late spring and early autumn, ranges in the lowlands from 90 (at the seaside) to 130, while in the mountains it exceeds 200.
Varying air temperatures affect the length of the vegetation season, during which the average daily air temperature is at least 5*C. On average the vegetation season in Poland lasts about 200 days. It is the shortest in the mountains, in the eastern part of the Pomeranian Lake District and in the Masurian and Suwalki lake districts. It is the longest in the Silesian Lowland and along the lower Odra. The lowest temperatures ever recorded in Poland were -41*C in Siedlce (in 1940) and -40.6 *C in the Zywiec Basin (in 1929). The highest temperature, +40.2*C, was recorded in Pruszkow near Opole in 1921.

Seasons
Poland has as many as six distinct seasons. Apart from the four typical European seasons, there are also two periods described as early spring (przedwiosnie) and early winter (przedzimie). The seasons hardly conform to the calendar pattern. During the przedwiosnie, which is about a month long, the average daily air temperature ranges from 0*C to 5*C. Spring in Poland lasts usually about 60 days and comes from the west. The daily temperature at that time ranges from 5*C to 15*C. This is also when the vegetation season begins in Poland.
The summer, with temperatures above 20*C, begins in May and is about four months long. In autumn, the average temperature drops to between 5*C and 15*C. Almost every year, mid September sees the coming of Polish "Indian summer", which is a warm and sunny transition between summer and autumn. Leaves start to fall off the trees, but you can still feel the wafts of warmth.
Once the trees have lost all their leaves and the days are markedly shorter, przedzimie begins. Temperatures drop below 5*C. After about six weeks, winter comes and the frosts don't want to go away for a long time - until late February or early March, and even then przedwiosnie can be felt only in Pomerania and west Poland. The highlanders have to wait for it until mid March, while in the north east early spring arrives another two weeks later.
The seasons are of different length in every geographical region. For instance, summer in north Poland lasts about 2.5 months, while in the south east, centre and south west of the country it is over three months long. Winter length ranges from two months at the seaside and in the west to 3-4 months in the north east and even six months in the Tatras.
This climatic calendar is more complicated, though, as there are plenty of anomalies which make another distinctive feature of Poland's climate. There are many proverbs about the unpredictable weather, especially in March and April. Przedwiosnie may arrive as early as at the beginning of February and, conversely, it can sometimes snow even in September. In January 1982 the air temperature in Wloclawek dropped overnight from 8*C to -20*C, the record drop since temperatures started to be officially recorded in Poland. On 8 January 1994 the temperature in Cracow's centre stood at 17.3*C.

Over the last thousand years, Poland's climate has undergone substantial changes. For insstance, as late as in the 12th century grapes were grown in many regions. That was when the climate was the mildest. Today, even in Zielona Gora, once noted for its vineyards, you can see just one small plantation maintained for decorative purposes.

The hottest and coldest areas
The hottest part of Poland is the Silesian Lowland, strongly influenced by the Atlantic air. An important factor is also the region's location close to higher-lying areas that stop clouds and moisture, which results in high insolation. The thermal winter period here is only about 60 days long and winters are relatively mild, while summers are sunny and hot, lasting over 100 days, which puts them among the longest in Poland. Average temperature in July exceeds 18.5*C. The highest temperatures are recorded near Wroclaw, on the Wroclaw Plain. This is the only area in Poland where the annual average temperature is over 8.5**C. Because of this mild climate, the Silesian Lowland has one of the longest vegetation seasons in the country, lasting 220 days.
The coldest spot is the north-eastern corner around Suwalki. With its morainal hills, postglacial lakes and low temperatures, this region bears much similarity to the distant Scandinavia. Harsh and long winters, lasting over four months, earned it the name of Poland's cold pole. The influence of the continental climate manifests itself in very low temperatures in winter and pretty high ones in summer. The average temperatures in the Suwalki region have the biggest amplitudes in Poland, over 23*C, which is even more than in the mountains. The average air temperatures in January, the coldest month, are below -5*C, the lowest in Poland. In summer the average air temperature drops below 17.5*C. The annual average air temperature in the Suwalki Lake District is slightly more than 6*C. Predictably, summer here is one of the shortest in Poland, lasting about 60 days. The vegetation season in this harsh climate is about 190 days long, to which the breathtaking wild nature of the Suwalki region has become well adapted.

Areas with the lowest and highest precipitation
Paradoxically, the driest part of Poland is a region abounding in lakes and rivers - Kujawy. As it lies in a rain shadow, it sees relatively rare rains and snowfalls. Before reaching Kujawy and west Wielkopolska, the prevailing north-west air masses lose their moisture above the higher-lying Pomeranian Lake District. Other factors are the flatness of the terrain and the lack of any sizeable forests. At Lake Goplo, the yearly precipitation is just 300mm, which is the lowest value in the country.
Radically different are the Tatras, where rain, snow or even hail is more likely than sunshine. Rocks and plants are often covered by hoar-frost, rime or dew, collectively referred to as horizontal precipitation. Water circulation in this area is particularly intense. Retained for a short time by the mountains or by a snow cover, water escapes quickly as fog or through crystal-clear mountain streams
The Tatras have the highest precipitation in Poland. This is particularly evident in the Five Lakes' Valley (Dolina Pieciu Stawow Polskich), where the annual precipitation exceeds 1800mm of water. The period from April to October has more precipitation than the winter half-year. June is usually the rainiest month of the year, while February is the least likely month for any precipitation (in high mountains, it is September). On Kasprowy Wierch, there are annually about 230 days with daily precipitation over 0.1mm and about 50 days when it exceeds 10mm. The mount also has the longest-lying snow cover. Some snow is blown by winds and when it is warm enough, water evaporates intensively, which makes an impressive sight.
In winter, the Tatras see a curious phenomenon known as temperature inversion. In the valleys, it is colder than in the higher parts of the mountains. The so-called fog seas that develop in depressions make the air above extremely clear, so that the views from the peaks extend over hundreds of kilometres.

Poland has areas of outstanding natural value, both Europeanwide and worldwide. There are still places hardly touched by the civilization, like the wild and desolate Bieszczady Mountains with their spectacular pastures known as poloniny, and the inaccessible flood plains along the Biebrza River, home to many rare bird species, sometimes found nowhere else in Europe.
The most valuable gems of Poland's flora include the several hundred ancient oak trees in the Rogalin forest near Poznan. Every Polish schoolchild learns about the thousand-year-old Bartek oak near Kielce which was officially recognized in the 1930s as the biggest and oldest tree in the country. Bartek appears in many legends like the one about King Casimir the Great, eminent ruler of medieval Poland, who is said to have tried his subjects in its shade. In fact, however, Bartek is much younger than a yew tree in Henrykow Lubanski, north-east of Jelenia Gora, whose age is estimated as over 1250 years, which is more than the history of Polish statehood.

Oaks and yews are the longest-living trees. Poland's famous monument oaks: Bartek, Chrobry, Lech, Czech and Rus are all between 700 and 1000 years old. Lime trees, once often planted in villages, especially at manor houses and churches, also live relatively long. Poland's oldest elm and ash, both the most impressive in Europe, are over 400 years old. This is also the age limit for spruces and firs, the only trees that reach up to 50m. Beeches and pines live shorter, though they still outlive birches and poplars.

 SOURCE:www.poland.gov.pl