Southeast of Gdansk, Malbork Castle was the seat of the Teutonic Knights, who had their headquarters here from 1308 to 1457. It is the largest medieval fortress in Europe. Covering 21ha, the huge red brick construction rises imposingly on the right b..

This salt mine, on the Unesco World Heritage list, is comprised of 330km of galleries built on 9 levels. The descent down 135m is on foot. Various curiosities await; carvings, saline lakes, deep wells, but the high point of the visit is the St Kinga ..

From Katy, the point of embarkation, to the spa resort of Szczawnica , the descent of the Dujanec Gorge (allow 3hr) is undertaken in rafts piloted by boatmen equipped with long staffs. The river, sometimes calm, sometimes choppy, winds its way past ..

The Church of Our Lady is an impressive redbrick Gothic building with a pentagonal porch flanked by two square towers. The ornate interior reveals a combination of styles and colours. The main point of interest is undoubtedly the monumental altarpie..

Lying about 1km west of the centre of Krakow, this district is worth a detour on account of its numerous curiosities: churches, monasteries and a unique view over the city. Two of the region’s oldest festivals take place here, namely those of Emmaus ..

Only the town hall survived the ravages of the Second World War. Note the monument to the defenders of the Polish post , erected in 1979 to commemorate postal workers killed resisisting the German invasion of 1 September 1939. Behind St Catherine ..

Discovered as a result of marble quarrying in the Snieznik mountain massif, this is one of Poland’s finest caves, with almost 2km of huge chambers, narrow passages and forests of stalactites. The finest accretions resemble drapery, notably an 8m-high..

The Beskids divide into two ranges of medium-altitude mountains. The first, the Beskides Sadecki, follow a vertical line from Nowy Sacz to Ktynica on the Slovakian border. Tourists enjoy its spa resorts, colourful architecture and undulating landscap..

This part of Poland juts into the Czech Republic and has changed hands many times down the years. Renowned for its caves, spectacular rock formations and geothermal activity, the region is best explored by wandering its little roads as they wind amon..

The domain of bison, wolf and beaver, the forest was long a royal, then tsarist, hunting ground, before acquiring protected reserve status. Authorised guides take visitors into the Orlowka area for a glimpse of the forest’s riches: ancient oaks, we..

Rising between Bialystok and Augustow, the short River Biebrza runs through a marshy landscape inhabited by elk and beaver, plus a wealth of bird life, resident all year round in a perfect habitat. Poland’s largest national park (592km2), the Biebrza..

The Rivers Pradnik and Saspowka meet in a deep valley, its slopes constituting some unique scenery dominated by forestry. Exploring its paths reveals a limestone landscape, dotted with some 400 caves and rock formations with wondrous names like the c..

Rising to 1 725m, Mount Babia Gora is the highest point of the West Beskids, known here as the Beskides Zywiecki. A Unesco World biosphere reserve, this frontier region bordering Slovakia has a proud heritage and traditions which draw Krakow’s inhabi..

Erosion has here created a spectacular landsdcape, carving bizarre shapes out of the limestone rock. Established in 1993, the national park is covered in coniferous forest, a refuge for protected flora and fauna. The most specatacular spot is the Er..

A natural barrier between Poland and the Czech Republic, the Karkonosze mountains rise starkly beyond the hill country of the southern Sudeten. The park covers some 5 575ha. Forests of spruce, maple and lime trees give way as the height increases to ..

Shifting dunes formed by this Polish Sahara are the surprising main attraction in this national park, established on the coast where eastern and western Pomerania meet. The most striking area is the fine strip of sand dividing Lake Lebsko from the Ba..

Constructed between 1848 and 1876, the canal was the brainchild of Dutch engineer J-G Steenke and linked southern Prussia to the Baltic Sea, a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering unparalleled in the world. Over 80km long (40km of true canals linking..

Controlling access to the Vistula estuary (and consequently to the whole of Poland!), which ships had to enter to reach Gdansk, this fine fortress lapped by water was originally a tower-lighthouse (1482), around which were built fortifications in 157..

Built for Stanislaw Krasicki in 1580, the castle which bears his name is in the Renaissance style. A courtyard embellished with frescoes depicting noble families is surrounded by four towers, the Pope’s tower, God’s tower with a chapel and crypt, the..

This is Krakow’s finest café and its astonishing decor gives it the air of a museum. A simple cake shop in the late 19C, this establishment opened by Jan Apolinary Michalik became in the Belle Époque period the hub of the Mloda Polska (Young Poland) ..