Polish Travel and Poland Travel Guide for Breaks That Are Perfect For You.<<>> Polish travel breaks guides exist in many forms and there is excellent information provided at the official poland travel guide website. (See this Link ... together with other helpful links ... at the bottom of the page) Poland is a great country with great people.
Tourist information is readily available throughout Poland, with centres situated in large towns and near many tourist attractions. It's easy to communicate with staff in English, German or Russian. Tourist information centres can help you plan your polish travel sightseeing route around a town or find you overnight accommodation. They can tell you about public transport in Poland, fares, organised events or the local tourist attractions. As well as supplying promotional leaflets about the town and the region, street maps, information booklets and guides. (Ideal for Poland breaks) While visiting towns, national parks or tourist attractions on you may want to use a tour guide. Licensed guides will help you get the most of your Poland sightseeing and tell you stories many guidebooks never mention.
To hire a guide it is best to enquire at a tourist information centre, hotel reception or a travel agency.
Poland has a moderate climate due to humid Atlantic air that collides with dry air from the Eurasian interior. The hottest month is July with the average temperature standing at 17.5 deg. C (63.5 F) Hot days, when the temperature exceeds 28 deg. C (82 F) and over, occur from May to September. The coldest month is January. Sub-zero temperatures are recorded between November and March. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Poland was -41 deg. C (41.8 F) in Siedlce (in 1940). The highest temperature, +40.2 deg. C (104.5 F), was recorded near Opole in 1921.
Poland is a relatively low-lying country with 91.3 % below 300 m above sea level and can be broadly divided into three areas: lowlands, highlands, and mountains. There are three main mountain ranges - the Carpathians, the Sudetan Mountains, and the Góry Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mountains). The highest point (2499 m) is Mt Rysy in the Tatra Mountains while the lowest point is 1.8 m below sea level.
Polish travel breaks are ideal for nature lovers as it has some 9,300 lakes and many rivers the longest being the Vistula at 1047 km. There are also, 23 national parks with a total area of 780,000 acres covering approximately 1 per cent of the country's area. Poland's National Parks are exceptional for their range of wildlife, size and varying geographical interest. They constitute the biggest form of nature protection, protecting distinctive, unique, scientific, natural, cultural and educational values. Nature conservation is the main objective and has priority over all other activities. The biggest animals are the European bison. By the 18th century it was almost extinct, with only small herds in the Bialowieza Forest and the Caucasus. At present, some 250 bison range freely in the Forest. The entire bison population numbers about 660 animals. There are many places hardly touched by 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, some found nowhere else in Europe.
Many of the country's old traditions are still alive and kicking and are particularly strong on typical family occasions such as weddings, baptisms or funerals.
Family gatherings are still the most important events in the lives of many Poles. The traditional Polish wedding is preceded by an engagement ceremony, where the couple’s parents bless the union. Today, the bride no longer has her plaited hair cut off; it is enough for her just to cast off her veil and throw her bouquet to the crowd of unmarried female guests.
Perhaps the most important occasion for demonstrating respect for traditional values is Christmas. Many customs, ceremonies and beliefs centre on Christmas Eve, which is a special day.
Traditionally, Christmas Eve dinner begins when the first star has appears in the sky. First, there is a prayer, sometimes with a passage from scripture about Jesus' birth being read out. Then the family wish one another all the best for the New Year and, as a sign of reconciliation, love, friendship and peace, share opłatek (Christmas wafer symbolising holy bread).
The Christmas Eve dinner is sumptuous and diversified. Typical dishes include barszcz beetroot soup with mushrooms or uszka (dumplings stuffed with mushrooms), mushroom soup, a cabbage dish (usually plain cabbage with mushrooms or pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms), sweet dumplings with poppy seeds, pastries, cakes, fruit, nuts, sweets and a compote drink made from stewed prunes, dried pears and apples. The main treat, though, is fish.
Polish travel breaks are very rewarding.
You could visit: The Malbork castle a very impressive medieval fortress, and the world’s largest red brick gothic castle.
The Medieval Town of Toruń, home to the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and its famous gingerbread. Toruń boasts a well-preserved complex of medieval architecture and has the charm and character of one of Europe's most beautiful old towns.
Warsaw has the only old town urban complex almost entirely reconstructed after the total destruction of WWII. The careful reconstruction was so well done that the international community recognises the achievement.
The Bialowieza Forest with its natural wealth and diversity. It's the last original lowland forest in Europe, and retains much of its primeval landscape and plant and animal life. The greatest attraction is the bison herd.
Krakow’s magnificent medieval center is great for short polish travel breaks as is Wroclaw. <<>> Polish travel tours include the terrible sites that bear witness to the extermination camps established by Nazi Germany but also you must visit the thriving jewish communities and enjoy the klemzer music. Enjoy mountain views, wooden villages and churches in the Zakopane area. You will find that Polish travel breaks are rewarding.
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