Bielsko-Biala  Bielsko-Biala Bielsko-Biala is located at the foot of the Beskid Slaski and the Beskid Maly Mountains and has rich natural resources. The upper part of the Wapienica River valley, including the extraordinarily picturesque part known as Luiza's Valley are breathtaking. Among the most favored attractions are the numerous trails leading to the most enchanting nooks of the Beskidy Mountains. During the winter there are a number of very popular ski lifts. Other sites are: the Museum based in the Castle displaying art history, the Weaver's House - a reconstruction of the interior of a weaver's house, and Julian Falat's Villa housing the artist's paintings. Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a beautiful city situated upon two rivers and a canal. The historical landmarks are grouped along the Brda River and in the area of the Old Town. They include a late- Gothic parish church with the miraculous painting of Our Lady with a rose, old half-timber granary (18th/19th cc.) and a small Gothic-Renaissance Church of the Poor Clares. Bydgoszcz's opera and music festivals are highly valued by music lovers. Take a stroll through Augusta Cieszkowskiego Street - a unique and relatively homogenous complex of buildings erected in the secession style, referring to artistic tendencies of 19th and 20th century architecture. Czestochowa Czestochowa Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River. The town is home to the famous Paulist monastery of Jasna Góra (Bright Mountain) - one of the world's greatest places of pilgrimage, and its famous icon, the Black Madonna, that has drawn the faithful here over the past six centuries (reproductions of Black Madonna exist in almost every Polish church). There is also a Lusatian culture excavation site and museum in the city and ruins of a medieval castle in Olsztyn, approximately 15 kilometres (ca. 10 mi) from the city centre that worth a visit. Gdansk Gdansk Gdansk is the largest and southernmost of a string of three Baltic resorts known as the "Trójmiasto" (Tri-Cities). It is a beautiful seaside town, with a lovingly restored Old Town. The city is famous worldwide as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which played a major role in bringing an end to communist rule in Poland. There are not many places in the world where the history of our time seems more immediate. Walking along the medieval docks and city is an experience in itself; however any walk should lead you to the exceptional Solidarity museum at the former Lenin shipyards. The museum has a fantastic interactive exhibit. | Gdynia Gdynia Gdynia is a relatively modern city and there are not many historical buildings. The oldest building in Gdynia is 13th century St. Michael the Archangel's Church in Oksywie. There is also a 17th century neo-Gothic manor house located on Folwarczna Street in Orłowo. However, most tourists in Gdynia are attracted by its recent past. In the harbour there are two anchored museum ships, the ORP Blyskawica destroyer and the Dar Pomorza Tall Ship frigate. Gdynia is famous for its numerous examples of early 20th century architecture, especially monumentalism and early functionalism. The surrounding hills and the coastline attract many nature lovers. Jelenia Gora Jelenia Gora Surrounded by mountain ranges, Jelenia Góra is located in a beautiful valley. It is a place with many centuries of tradition and numerous historical monuments. The city's panorama looks like an enclave of green overshadowing historical buildings, old settlements with traditional housing, walkways. The uniqueness of this town is given by its districts: the old town, Cieplice - the oldest Polish spa resort (unique thermal sources discovered in 1175 by Prince Boleslaw the Tall), Sobieszów with ruins of the Chojnik 14th century castle or the well-known holiday resort Jagniatków, rendered famous by the Nobel Prize winner Gerhart Hauptmann. Katowice Katowice Located in the middle of Silesia on the banks of the river Rawa, Katowice has been Poland's main industrial centre for many centuries having a great historical importance. Among the historical monuments, the art nouveaux tenements in the city centre, neo-baroque and Neo-Gothic buildings with architectural details restored with reverence, as well as the Nikiszowiec quarters, all constitute examples of unique architecture. The must sees of Katowice are: Drapacz Chmur - one of the first skyscrapers in Europe, St. Mary's Church, St. Stephen's Church, Silesian Parliament, The Goldstein Palace and Nikiszowiec - historical settlement of Katowice, candidate to UNESCO. Krakow Krakow Kraków is one of the oldest cities of Poland and one of the cultural and artistic centres of the country, the former seat of the Polish kings and national capital. Among the hightlights of the city are: the Royal Castle and Cathedral on Wawel Hill; the medieval Old Town with its beautiful Market Square; the 14th-century buildings of the Jagiellonian University; as well as Kazimierz, the historical centre of Kraków's Jewish religious and social life. Kraków hosts many annual artistic events. | Lodz Lodz Lodz is one of the youngest, and one of the largest cities in Poland. It is an important economic, cultural, scientific, and educational centre that can boast both a long-standing tradition and recent achievements. Lodz has one of the best museums of modern art in Poland, Muzeum Sztuki on Więckowskiego Street, which displays art by all important contemporary Polish artists. Take a stroll down Piotrkowska Street, the city's pride and joy. Lodz is widely known for the word-famous events held here: the Ballet Meetings in Lodz, Camerimage - the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography to name just a few. Lublin Lublin Founded in the Middle Ages, Lublin is a picturesque town with a unique charm. Its Old Town (Stare Miasto) is one of the finest urban complexes of its kind in Poland. The Classicist superstructure of Old Town Hall or Tribunal is set in the middle of the Market Square. The views over the Bystrzyca and Czechowka rivers are superb. Other city landmarks that worth a visit are the Dominican Church and Monastery Complex, Po Farze Square, Grodzka and Cracow Gates and the Trinitarian Tower. Lublin also has many high quality theatres, philharmony and museums. Olsztyn Olsztyn Founded in the 14th century by the Teutonic Knights, Olsztyn was reverted to Polish hands in 1466. The most important historic sight in town is the castle, housing nowadays a large museum, which can be enjoyed along with galleries and performances. The City Hall and St.Jacobs Cathedral are also well worth a look. Other monuments of architecture to visit: St. James' Cathedral, Old Town Hall on the Market Square - built in mid-14th century, the town walls and the Upper Gate (since mid 19th century known as the High Gate), the Jerusalem Chapel and the Church of St. Lawrence - built during the late 14th century. Poznan Poznan Located by the Warta River, Poznan is one of the oldest cities in Poland, often regarded as the legendary birthplace of the country. It is an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. The city's principal attraction is its enormous and beautiful town square, the Stary Rynek, which resembles to Kraków's Rynek Gówny or Prague's Old Town Square. Poznań's impressive cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave and King Mieszko II. | Szczecin Szczecin Szczecin (Stettin) is the biggest city in the north-west part of Poland, just 120km from Berlin and only 80km from the Baltic Sea. It is a beautiful city which has lots of interesting and historical places to see like: Zamek Ksiazat Pomorskich (The Pomeranian Prince's Castle) and its tower, Waly Chrobrego, the Gothic Cathedral of St James, Jezioro Szmaragdowe (The Green Lake) and whole Puszcza Bukowa. Currently the castle is a vibrant cultural centre that features music concerts, international festivals as well as art and historical exhibitions. Szczecin is also a sailing centre with lakes and forests within the city limits (Lake Dabie, Beech Forest). Torun Torun Picturesquely located on the both banks of the Vistula River, at the intersection of ancient trade routes, Toruń is one of the most beautiful cities of Poland. The gothic buildings of Toruń's Old Town, which are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List from 1997, are proof of Toruń's centuries-old economic, cultural and intellectual ties with the leading cities of Europe associated in the Hanseatic League. Torun is also famous as the birthplace of Nicholas Copernicus. He was the first to postulate that the earth revolves around the sun (and not vice versa), setting the stage for later major advances in astronomy. Warsaw Warsaw Much of Warsaw's historic center was painstakingly recreated and today's Old Town buildings are closer to the original architecture than they were ever before. It has a wealth of shops and restaurants to potter around in. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafés, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract. In addition, the Former Jewish ghetto is a stark reminder of the unforgiving hand of history. The nightlife scene is equally surprising, with the city's increasingly well-dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now hums after dark. Wroclaw Wroclaw Wroclaw is the economical, cultural and intellectual capital of Lower Silesia. The city with its charming historical center, parks, good restaurants is a pleasant place to visit. Wroclaw Town hall is considered one of the most splendid Gothic buildings in central Europe. In Wroclaw you can also see the biggest baroque interior in Poland, which has remained untill today - the Leopoldine Hall, located in the 17th century University building. Don't miss the Ostrów Tumski, where one of the most beautiful sacral architecture buildings in Europe has been preserved. | Zakopane Zakopane Zakopane is situated about 100 km to the south of Cracow, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies in a valley at the foot of The Tatras, the highest mountains in Poland (Mount Rysy 2499 m). It is the most important Polish centre of mountaineering and skiing, and is visited by about three million tourists annually. The most important alpine skiing locations are Kasprowy Wierch, Nosal and Gubałówka Hill. Zakopane hosted 3 editions of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships and of the Winter Universiades, the Biathlon World Championship, several Ski Jump World Cups, and several Nordic Combined, Nordic and Alpine European Cups. Zamosc Zamosc Surnamed "Padua of the North", Zamo?ć is located on the trade route linking Western and Northern Europe with the Black Sea. The city remains a perfect example of a Renaissance town of the late 16th century. It retained its original layout and fortifications as well as a large number of buildings blending Italian and central European architectural traditions. The architectural arrangement of the Old Town with 120 monuments of the highest order makes the city a thing of extreme historical importance. Zamosc has two world-class architectural monuments: the historical complex within the fortress from the 16th-17th centuries, and the cathedral complex.
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