Touring Around Poland: Top 7 Tourist Spots
Apart from playing in an online casino like vulkan-vegas.pl, one thing that is worth your time is touring Poland. It is a popular destination for people, especially if they want to explore Europe. Today, we will provide the top seven tourist spots for people who are going to visit Poland.
1. The Wieliczka Salt Mine
This is an old salt mine that dates back to the 13th century. Despite its age, it is still significant to the locals but not for its salt. It is one of the world’s oldest salt mines. However, it stopped operations in the 1990s. The mine sits 327 meters under the ground, and tourists can visit the deep pits and chambers. There is also an underground lake inside the mine.
Today, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is an artistic attraction. Inside the mine, you will find not mining paraphernalia or tools but four chapels and statues. There are many corridors here, and all of the structures are carved out of salt walls.
2. The Malbork Castle
Also a 13th-century building, this castle was built by the Teutonic Knights. It was an old religious order that also functioned as a military unit. The castle was not built this way. It started out as a fortification for soldiers. Over the years, it expanded and became a castle. Today, it remains the world’s largest castle in terms of land area covered. The castle today is not home to a royal family but a museum. Many of the rooms are preserved in their original conditions. One of the highlights is the medieval kitchen that has a huge fireplace—six meters wide.
3. Schindler’s Factory
An icon of the Second World War, Oskar Schindler had this enamel and metal factory that functioned during the war. Now, it is split into two museums. One part is the Museum for Contemporary Art, and the other, which was Oskar’s office, is now part of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. Here, you will see Schindler’s office and how it used to be during the war. The museum is an exhibit that shows people his dedication to saving people during the war. There is a glass wall called Survivors’ Ark, which is a time capsule.
4. Bialowieza Forest
This forest was once part of primaeval forests that covered a huge chunk of the European continent. The forest covers not just Poland but also part of Belarus. The forest is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spanning 141, 885 hectares, the land is on a watershed near the Baltic and the Black Sea. What makes this forest really remarkable is the biodiversity.
This forest is home to the European bison, and it is the only place where this bison lives. Bison roam free, but there are also wolves, red deer, and other animals such as elk, roe and wild boars. To preserve the bison population, they are kept in fenced areas. All tours to see them are guided, and you can choose to go on foot or ride horse-drawn carriages.
5. Zakopane
This is the place where you will have a good view of the Tatra Mountains. It is at the opposite end of the country. Zakopane is a small town with a breathtaking landscape.
Zakopane is a world-famous mountain town, and below are some of the activities you can do there:
- Skiing
- Participate in celebrations and feasts
- View the houses built in old architectural style
- Try the smoked sheep cheese called oscypek
As a resort town, Zakopane is a popular departure point for people during the winter. It is where people drop first and then leave to pursue winter sports. In the summertime, it is an ideal place for mountain climbing and hiking.
6. Warsaw
You should never visit Poland without going to Warsaw. It is the country’s capital, and it has a long history of turbulence. Here, you will see sprawling gothic churches and many skyscrapers built during the Soviet era.
Here are some things you can do in Warsaw:
- Go on a bus tour
- Walk around the city
- Visit speciality museums
- Take a ride and enjoy historical tours
As the country’s capital, this city is thriving with nightlife. Despite its modernization, much of its pre-war architecture remains intact. In Warsaw, you will walk in cobbled alleys, and you will feel what it was like to live in the early 1900s. You must also visit the royal residences and the Museum of History of Polish Jews.
7. Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Although it sounds terrifying, one must visit this place to pay respect to the people who suffered in the hands of an oppressive regime during the Second World War. There were 20,000 prisoners that died in this concentration camp. The German Nazi were ruthless in their treatment of the Jews. Although it is hard to tell one’s self that this place is beautiful, one can say that it is a solemn place. It reminds us that there were cruel people out there and that there were people who were ready to die to fight for what was right.