I have spent a hell of a lot of time in Poland. I’m not sure how much time exactly, but it’ definitely close to 12 months at this point. What’s more, I’ve covered a hell of a lot of ground in Poland, spending time in tiny Polish villages, the Polish Lake District of Mazury, and pretty cities such as Wroclaw, to name a couple.



While most people visit Poland for a boozy weekend in Krakow, or to pay their respects at Auschwitz, the vast majority of trips to Poland do not include even a fraction of what Poland has to offer, and for most people, a Poland vacation is simply not on their radar.



I believe that this is a real shame. Over the months, I have fallen head over heels for Polish people, Polish culture, Polish food and Polish nature. I consider Poland to be my second home at this point, and so I decided to put together a list of all the reasons why you (yes you!) should visit Poland.



So, grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine), and get comfortable, because this is going to be a long one.





Warsaw



29 Reasons to Visit Poland!





1. Disco Polo!





Possibly one of my favourite things in the whole wide world, Disco Polo is Polish pop music that everybody in says they don’t like, but will get up and dance to after a few drinks. Created in the late 1980s, Disco Polo is very popular at weddings and is simple, fun and infuriatingly catchy. Listen at your peril.



To get a taste of Disco Polo, check out Sławomir’s Miłość w Zakopanem!







2. Kraków





Almost everyone has heard of Kraków, but did you know that this city has so much more to it than cheap booze and strip clubs?



Krakow is home to the largest market square in Europe, Rynek Główny, as well as one of the oldest universities in the world and tonnes of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. In addition to all of that, Kraków has also been named the ‘European Capital of Culture,’ and is home to Wawal Castle and St. Mary’s Basilica, as well as tonnes of lush greenery with over 40 parks and dozens of gardens and forests.



A Kraków trip can include everything from discovering quirky coffee shops in the Jewish Quarter, to cliff jumping into stunning lakes, dining at Michelin-approved restaurants and visiting some of the 28 museums that Kraków has to offer! Seriously, there is a reason why this city has become so popular, and if Kraków doesn’t make you want to visit Poland then there’s something wrong with you. For a more in-depth guide, check out my HUUUGE post about things to do in Krakow, or read about my friend Helene’s experiences in Kraków here!



(For accommodation, be sure to stay at Greg and Tom’s. It’s one of my favourite hostels in the world, and you can read my post about it here.)







3. Polish Soup





When most people think of Polish food, they think of pierogi, but for me, Polish soup is special in its own right. One of my favourites is żurek, a hearty broth perfect for cold winter nights by the fire. Żurek is made from rye bread and water with vegetables, kielbasa (a type of Polish sausage) and potato and is sometimes served in a bread bowl which you can eat along with the soup!



Another of my favourite Polish soups is flaki, which is made with tripe. This one usually raises a few eyebrows among foreigners, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!



Traditionally, soup is eaten as a first course at lunchtime, and believe me, if you haven’t sampled your fair share of Polish soup, you haven’t been to Poland.







4. Polish People





It’s no secret that I love Polish boys people, but many visitors to Poland say that they didn’t feel as though Polish people were the friendliest people in the world. It took me a while to wrap my head around this because I’d had nothing but good experiences (and when you’re working with an average of 15 different Polish people a week for over half a year, that’s pretty significant).



However, I finally realised that the tourists were talking about the Polish poker face. Now while I’ll concede that Polish people may look unfriendly, you’ll find that when you get to know Polish people on a personal level, you will see that they are the warmest, most open and hospitable people ever, as well as being hilariously direct (not something I’m used to as a Brit!). One of my friend’s teachers at Warsaw University said that ‘Polish people are like coconuts – you just have to crack their shell!’ and it is something that has really stuck with me.







5. Polish Market Squares





Wonderful architecture is not usually what comes to mind when people think of Poland, but trust me, Poland’s old towns are the the best things to see in Poland! Every town has a main market square with stunning buildings, cobblestones, a large town hall and church, as well as restaurants and bars aplenty. People tend to rave about Kraków’s market square, but for me, the pastel colours of Wrocław just blow me away.





Wroclaw’s market square



6. Polish Food





I am definitely somebody that travels to sample local cuisines from around the world, and trust me when I say that Polish food is not something you want to miss out on. Traditional Polish food is very heavy and perfect for filling your belly and warming you up during the harsh Polish winters. From traditional Polish dumplings (pierogi) filled with just about anything you can imagine, to bigos (a meat stew with sauerkraut and cabbage) and pork cutlets with generous helpings of potato, you’ll never be hungry in Poland.



I wrote a whole list of traditional Polish foods here if you’d like to read!







7. Tricity





Tricity is a metropolitan area in the north of Poland comprised of three cities – Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. The Tricity is a real cultural hub with an abundance of universities (Gdańsk alone has 13!), cinemas, theatres and opera houses. Every year, the Tricity plays host to an array of festivals, from the huge Open’er music festival, to street performance festivals, film festivals, kite festivals, sailing festivals, beach parties, and even a Shakespeare festival!



Of course, it doesn’t hurt that no matter where you are in the Tricity, you’re never more than a stone’s throw away from the beach. Seriously, if you are thinking about a Poland vacation then I cannot recommend visiting Tricity enough.







8. Polish Villages





Understandably, most people visiting Poland stick to the major cities, with a handful making their way to the beaches of the north or the mountains in the south for a spot of sunbathing or skiing. However, something that people really miss out on when travelling through Poland is the quaint villages dotted all over the country.



Because I’m lucky enough to have lots of Polish friends, I’ve been able to see a side of Poland that not many foreigners get to see. From ethnographic museums to cutesy village shops and bike rides through deserted forests, Polish villages are really something special.





Kwiejce



9. Oscypek





Oscypek is a delicious spindle-shaped smoked cheese made of salted sheep’s milk. It is made exclusively in the Tatra Mountain region of Poland. It is usually fried and eaten with lingonberry jam (also known as mountain cranberries), and while I usually abhore mixing sweet and savoury, Oscypek and cranberry changed my mind, as the sweetness from the cranberry really takes the edge off the strong smoked flavour of the cheese.



Unlike most cheeses nowadays, Oscypek is made by a shepherd and his apprentice, living in a small mountain hut with a hearth. The workers stay in the mountains for the entire season, making the cheese by hand and passing the skill down through generations. If you visit Zakopane, you will see countless vendors selling the famous delicacy all along the main walking street.



While you can buy a small piece as a souvenir, my recommendation is to find a cosy mountain pub and sampling some Oscypek along with some lingonberry jam and washing it down with a mug of mulled wine. Yum.







10. Białowieża Forest





Białowieża Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and quite rightly so. Located on the border of Poland and Belarus, Białowieża Forest covers a total area of 141,885 hectares and is home to 900 European bison (25% of the world’s total population), as well as wolves, lynxes, wild boar and elk.



Białowieża Forest is truly the stuff of fairytales, and if I ever end up buying a winter cabin in the woods, you can rest assured that this is where it will be.







11. Mazury, Land of a Thousand Lakes





In the UK we are very proud of our Lake District, but not only does Poland have a lake district too, but it is known as ‘the land of a thousand lakes,’ which sounds far more magical than our British version. Actually comprised of more than 2000 lakes, Masuria (Mazury in Polish) is one of the best places to visit in Poland for those who aren’t afraid to get a bit wet!



Sailing is a relatively common pastime in Poland, and the days that I spent sunning myself on a yacht in Masuria before mooring up and feasting on Polish vodka and BBQ’d sausages remain some of my favourite travel memories.







12. Polish Vodka





If Polish people are famous for one thing, it’s their ability to drink vodka like champions, and after spending so much time in Poland, I have to concede that the stereotype is true!



My favourite Polish vodka is Żubrówka, known in English as ‘Bison Grass Vodka.’ This is a herb-flavoured vodka with vanilla and cinnamon notes, and the bottle contains a blade of bison grass (hierochloe odorata) which gives it a yellowish colour. Żubrówka is delicious on its own or mixed with apple juice.



My second favourite Polish vodka is Soplica. Soplica comes in many different flavours, but my favourites are cherry and hazelnut (try the hazelnut Soplica in hot chocolate or with a glass of milk if you want to feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven).







13. Tatra Mountains





When most people think of booking a skiing holiday, they tend to think of France, Switzerland, and Italy. However, the Tatra Mountains, which create a natural border between Poland and Slovakia, provide a cheaper (and just as beautiful) alternative.



I’m not much of a snow sports person myself (or any sport for that matter), but the views from the Tatra Mountains are simply breathtaking, and it doesn’t hurt that you can buy a hot beer with cinnamon to help you enjoy them.







14. Poland Beaches





Many people are surprised to hear that Poland not only has beaches, but beautiful ones at that! The Polish coastline is along the Baltic Sea, and while the water may be cold, that doesn’t take away from the splendour of the vast golden sand beaches that Poland has to offer.



I spent a couple of nights in the slick city of Sopot, or the ‘Polish Monaco,’ and as I sipped a cold beer and soaked up the sun, I kept having to remind myself that I was in Poland!





Sopot



15. Auschwitz-Birkenau





I’ve written before about how the camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau are not ‘tourist destinations,’ but that they are nevertheless very important places to visit. Poland has a rich and tragic history, and I think that visiting sights of mass slaughter can teach you more than a history book ever could.







16. Castles in Poland





If you love fairytale castles, you won’t be disappointed in Poland. Poland has tonnes of beautiful castles, from dramatic ruins to castles in pristine condition. Almost every visitor to Poland has seen Wawel Castle in Kraków, but Niedzica Castle is far more majestic and definitely something to include in your Poland itinerary.





Warsaw Royal Castle



17. Wrocław





One of the lesser-known places to visit in Poland, Wrocław is my favourite Polish city. Located in western Poland, just a 3 hour drive from Berlin Germany, Wrocław is truly a hidden gem. With a buzzing student population, hundreds of atmospheric candlelit bars and my favourite market square in all of Poland, Wroclaw is for sure one of the best cities in Poland!



In the wintertime the city comes alive with spectacular Christmas markets (definitely a cheaper and less touristy alternative to the German markets), and foodies of all persuasions will find an abundance of culinary temptations in Wrocław.



(Psst – if you’re a backpacker in Wrocław, be sure to stay at Grampa’s Hostel. It’s the best one there, and trust me I’ve stayed in most!)







18. Polish Legends





I’m a sucker for legends. From the Chicken Village in Dalat (Vietnam), to the Navajas Bridal Falls in Spain, I love a good legend, and will stubbornly believe that every legend I hear is 100% true.



In Poland, I was lucky enough to hear a number of legends, and the really nice thing is that these legends are celebrated in the cities in which they originate. Ever wondered why the symbol of Warsaw is a mermaid? That’ll be a legend. Want to know why two mechanical goats butt heads every day at noon in front of the clock tower in Poznań? There’s a story behind that as well.



Whether they’re true or not (I’ll concede that maybe the mermaid story isn’t entirely factual), these legends add a touch of magic to this fascinating country, and any Poland vacation is incomplete if you don’t hear at least one!







19. Poland is Cheap





I can’t write about the reasons why everyone should visit Poland and ignore the obvious. As a visitor from Western Europe, Poland is very cheap. It may not be quite as cheap as Ukraine, but with hostels averaging at £5 – 10 per night, beers costing around £1.50 – 2 and restaurant meals usually £6 – 8, Poland is certainly an affordable country for Brits like me.







20. Piwo (that’s Polish beer!)





The old stereotype is that Polish people love vodka, and while that may be true, they drink their fair share of beer as well. There are tonnes of inexpensive lagers in Poland (my favourites are Tyskie, Żubr and Żywiec), as well as a growing trend in craft beers.



It’s also common (especially for Polish girls) to drink beer through a straw with a dash of fruit flavoured syrup.







21. Doughnut Day!





In England we have a day dedicated to eating pancakes. We call it Fat Tuesday. In Poland, it’s Fat Thursday and the pancakes are replaced with doughnuts. I’m not gonna lie, as a total fatty foodie, I can really get behind any country that has an entire day dedicated to jam doughnuts.







22. Wrocław Dwarfs





I’ve already written about my favourite city Wrocław, but did you know that there are more than 400 dwarfs scattered around Wrocław?! Dotted around the cobbled streets of the old town, there are dwarf doctors, gnome gardeners, gnome dentists, lovers, and even dwarf drunks!



Nobody knows exactly how many of the little blighters there are, not even the manager of the OFFICIAL DWARF INFORMATION CENTRE (this is not a drill guys – this really exists).



However, the cheeky figures actually have a very interesting history: Wrocław’s dwarfs are a nod to the ‘Orange Alternative,’ an anti-Soviet movement born in Wrocław that helped overcome the oppressive communist regime of the 1980s. The Orange Alternative used – you’ve guessed it – DWARFS as their symbol.



In addition to the Official Dwarf Information Centre, there is a website featuring photographs of each gnome along with its name and detailed backstory, dwarf walking tours, maps detailing where you can find which gnome, a dwarf festival, and even a winter tradition of dressing the gnomes in knitted hats and scarves to stop them from getting cold. If that isn’t the most precious thing ever, I don’t know what is, and it really adds to the magic of Poland.



I wrote an entire post about Wroclaw Dwarfs here if you are interested!







23. Poland is Very Vegan Friendly





Polish food is traditionally very meaty, so it may come as a surprise to my vegans thinking of visiting Poland that Poland is incredibly vegan friendly. All of the cities that I have visited have had a tonne of vegan options, with a whole ‘vegan street’ in Warsaw (Poznańska), featuring a vegan Italian, vegan Lebanese food and vegan Israeli food!





Hamsa, Krakow



24. Fryderyk Chopin





One of history’s most famous composers, Fryderyk Chopin, was actually from Warsaw, and Poland’s capital city pays homage to the pianist with free daily recitals of his music in various bars. Every Sunday in the summertime, there are two free performances at the Royal Łazienki Park, and the opportunity to see classical music played at one of Warsaw’s prettiest spots is an unforgettable experience.







25. Woodstock Festival





The Polish Woodstock may have changed its name to ‘Pol’and’Rock,’ (which doesn’t sound half as good), but it’s still a completely free music festival in Poland! Every year, over half a million rock fans congregate for this huge event, which promoters have dubbed the ‘largest open air festival in Europe’. With live acts of years gone by including The Prodigy, Pol’and’Festival is not something you’ll want to miss.







26. Polish Weddings





Granted, most people that visit Poland won’t get the opportunity to attend a Polish wedding, but if you do, do not dare turn it down! I actually went to a wedding in Poland with a guy that I’d met on Tinder! It may have not worked out with the guy, but the copious amounts of food, vodka and disco polo will stay with me forever. Trust me, after seeing the way that Polish people party at weddings, I’ve made it my mission to get married in Poland.







27. The Hel Peninsula





Hel is definitely one of the lesser-known places to visit in Poland, but to those in the know, it is a paradise.



If being able to say ‘I’ll have a ticket to Hel please’ doesn’t make you want to pay this place a visit, then the crystal clear waters and white sands will. With gorgeous sandy beaches and stunning pine forests stretching for 35km, the Hel Peninsula is the perfect place for those who want a beach getaway without the Amalfi Coast price tag.



Ferries from Sopot only take around 1.5 hours, making Hel is the perfect place for a day trip, although the numerous camp sites, guest houses and hotels make staying longer an easy decision. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Hel during my time in Poland but it’s definitely on my bucket list.







28. Wieliczka Salt Mine





Another one on the UNESCO list, Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most popular things to do in Poland! Located 327 metres underground, it is one of the world’s oldest salt mines, which actually continued to produce table salt until 2007! In addition to the mine itself, there are 4 chapels underground, all made entirely of salt and carved out by the miners so that they would have somewhere to worship while they were at work, as well as numerous statues, chandeliers, and even a whole wellness and rehabilitation centre!



Wieliczka Salt Mine is best visited on a day trip from Krakow. I recommend this tour for those wanting to book in advance!







29. Warsaw





Warsaw is not a place that people typically fall in love with on their first visit. Poland’s capital city took a long time to grow on me, but grow on me it did and now I think that it is one of the best cities in Poland.



My favourite spot in Warsaw is the Vistula River Beach, a huge city beach where it is actually legal to drink your own alcohol (drinking alcohol in public places is usually illegal in Poland). Every summer evening, university students and young professionals head to the beach to drink cold beers, relax and BBQ sausages as the sun sets.



Warsaw also has tonnes of museums, parks (Łazienki Park is my favourite) and quirky bars (head to Pawilony for a great night out). It might not be as pretty as cities such as Wrocław and Poznań, and it may not feel quite as ‘Polish’ (Warsaw is a very international city compared to other parts of Poland), but it definitely has a certain charm to it. For a huge list of things to do in Warsaw, be sure to read my article about how I fell in love with Warsaw, then check out Or’s guide!



If you do end up visiting Warsaw, I recommend staying in Oki Doki City Hostel or Warszawa Hostel Centrum if you want something a little bit quieter.







So there we have my 29 reasons to visit Poland! Do you agree with me? Do you think I’ve missed something out? Do you love Poland just as much as me or is it not your cup of tea? Please let me know in the comments section!



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