Poland

Quick Facts

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Capital

Warsaw

Population

38,623,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox)

Languages

Polish

Calling Code

+48

Nationality

Polish

Local name

Polska

Introduction

Stare Miasto

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The 20th century was a destructive one for Poland, as World War II saw it being overrun by Germans and the Soviets. It wasn't untill 1989 that Poland gained independence from the Soviet Union and began the arduous task of picking up the pieces.

Modern Poland's attractions can, at times, be deeply disturbing. Oswiecim (better known for its German name, Auschwitz) was home to the Nazi's largest concentration camp; approximately four million people were killed there. Poland's capital, Warsaw, was subject to a terrible battering in the war; it has been rebuilt from ground level since, but the memory of the war's savage destruction lives on.

Thankfully, however, there is some joy to be had in Poland. The Tatras in the south are a tourist-magnet because of their excellent opportunities for skiing, hiking and spelunking, as well as the collection of quiet villages and towns where old traditions are kept alive.

Brief History

Geography

Poland shares international borders with Germany, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Regions

• Pomerania
• Masuria and the Suwalki region
• Greater Poland
• Silesia
• Lesser Poland
• Sub-Carpathia
• Masovia and Podlachia

Cities

• Warsaw
• Łódź
• Kraków
• Wrocław
• Poznań
• Gdańsk
• Szczecin
• Bydgoszcz
• Lublin
• Katowice

Sights

Activities

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

LOT Polish Airlines is the national airline of the country and is based at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW). It has international flights to dozens of European cities and beyond including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin Chicago, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Helsinki, Istanbul, London, Milan, Moscow, New York-JFK, NY Newark, Paris, Rome, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Vienna and Zürich.
Several other airlines serve Warsaw and Norwegian Air Shuttle uses the city as a focus place throughout Europe. Other lowcost airlines are SkyEurope (to Vienna) and Wizzair (about a dozen places in west of Europe).
Poznán, Katowice, Krakow, Wroclaw and Gdansk all have airports with a number of cities throughout Europe served. Many lowcostairlines serve Krakow particularly, like Easyjet, Ryanair, Jet2 and Centralwings.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Wrocław and Zielona Góra are the most important domestic flights within Poland, all of them served by LOT or EuroLOT.

By Train

http://www.pkp.pl

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

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