Poland

Poland
Highlights of active tourism
Polish Tourist Organisation
Recommended Active Tourism Organisations in Poland
Let’s go! Adventure in Poland – an exhilarating idea.
AKTIV TOURS REISEN Sp. z o.o., ul. Jaśkowa Dolina 114, 80-286 Gdańsk
AVE Polonia Incoming Touroperator, ul. Gawronów 20, 40-527 Katowice
AVENA TRAVEL, ul. Szlak 65, 31-153 Kraków
ATA Sp. z o.o., ul. Kisielewskiego 4, 80-275 Gdańsk
BUSINESS TRAVEL, Halina Hołowska, ul. Z. Nałkowskiej 4C lok. 9, 80-286 Gdańsk
EURO POL TOUR Sp. z o.o., ul. Moniuszki 7, 40-005 Katowice
EXCALIBUR TOURS, ul. Gołębia 8, 31-007 Kraków
FLY AWAY TRAVEL Sp. z o.o., ul. Przyłęcka 26, 02-402 Warszawa
GEOVITA Sp. z o.o., ul. Krucza 6/14, 00-537 Warszawa
Grupa A-05 Sp. z o.o., Pl. Na Groblach 14/2, 31-101 Kraków
GRUPA TRIP Sp.j., ul. Tetmajera 18, 34-500 Zakopane, ul. Wiślana 8, 00-317 Warszawa
JAN-POL, Incoming Tour Operator Sp. z o.o., ul. Misiołka 8, 31-525 Kraków
PUHP „JUNIOR” S.C., Biuro Podróży, ul. Stołeczna 25, 15-349 Białystok
Biuro Turystyki KALINKA, ul. Marszałkowska 115, 00-102 Warszawa
KONTYNENTY Sp. z o.o., ul. Widok 18, 00-023 Warszawa
Biuro Turystyczne KRAKUS, Rynek Główny 30, 31-010 Kraków
MAZURKAS TRAVEL, Biuro Podróży Sp. z o.o., Al. Wojska Polskiego 27, 01-515 Warszawa
POLAND TOUR, ul. Marszałkowska 43/14, 00-648 Warszawa
PROMENADA S.J., Jacek Ubik, Jerzy Ubik, ul. Kościuszki 44/2, 30-105 Kraków
T.T. RICARDO – JUNIOR, ul. E.Plater 12/15, 00-669 Warszawa
SINDBAD, Prywatne Biuro Podróży, ul. Rynek 8, 45-015 Opole
SKORPION Biuro Obsługi Turystycznej, Alicja Wrona, ul. Zagrzebska 3, 51-206 Wrocław
SPORTS-TOURIST Sp. z o.o., ul. Marszałkowska 84/92, 00-514 Warszawa
STAYPOLAND Sp. z o.o, ul. Miła 2, 00-180 Warszawa , ul. Plac na Stawach 1, 30-107 Kraków
Bankowe Biuro Podróży, TRAVELBANK Sp. z o.o., ul. Waliców 11, 00-851 Warszawa
TRAVEL DESIGNERS Sp. z o.o., ul. K. Wóycickiego 7 B lok. 3, 01-938 Warszawa
TRAVEL PLUS Sp. z o.o., ul. Szeroka 50-51, 80-835 Gdańsk
TRAVEL-PROJEKT Sp. z o.o., ul. Grochowska 278, 03-841 Warszawa
ST TURYSTA, ul. Solskiego 2, 32-600 Oświęcim
VARSOVIA-TOURS Sp. z o.o., ul. Wałowa 4, 00-211 Warszawa
WEISS – TRAVEL, Agencja Turystyczna Karoliny Gusowskiej - Weiss, ul. Mścibora 62/9, 61-062 Poznań
tel. (48 58) 344 38 80, 344 38 79
tel. (48 32) 205 38-30
tel. (48 12) 633 11 34
tel. (48 58) 341 48 85 , 341 40 31
tel. (48 58) 347 64 15
tel. (48 32) 253 02 07
tel. (48 12) 421 05 77
tel. (48 22) 332 77 77, 332 77 36
tel. (48 22) 583 52 11
tel. (48 12) 429 62 23
tel. (48 18 ) 20 20 200
tel. (48 12) 665 14 50, 665 14 51
tel. (48 85) 744 43 26, 741 57 20
tel. (48 22) 620 53 75
tel. (48 22) 828 11 88
tel. (48 12) 432 31 20
tel. (48 22) 536 46 00, 536 46 01
tel. (48 22) 499 65 16
tel. (48 12) 427 24 93, 427 17 70
tel. (48 22) 621 55 33, 621 47 47
tel. (48 77) 402 13 13, 402 13 14
tel. (48 71) 345 44 45
tel. (48 22) 621 11 62, 870 09 33
tel. (48 22) 351 22 22, 351 22 01
tel. (48 22) 654 35 25
tel. (48 22) 889 55 40, 744 52 85
tel. (48 58) 346 31 18, 301 96 02
tel. (48 22) 870 76 00
tel. (48 33) 84 243 76, 84 227 19
tel. (48 22) 536 75 70, 536 75 60
tel. (48 61) 65 33 650
www.aktivtours.com.pl
www.ave.turystyka.pl, www.ave-polonia.eu
www.avenatravel.pl
www.atatravel.com.pl
www.business.travel.com.pl
www.europol.com.pl
www.excaliburtours.pl
www.flyawayincentive.pl
www.geovita.pl
www.a05.pl
www.trip.pl
www.janpol.com
www.bialowieza.net.pl
www.kalinka.pl
www.kontynenty.com.pl
www.krakus.com.pl
www.mazurkas.com.pl
www.polandtour.pl
www.promenada.pl
www.ttricardo.com.pl
www.sindbad.pl , www.sindbad.eu
skorpion@skorpion.wroc.pl
www.sports-tourist.com.pl
www.staypoland.com
www.travelbank.com.pl
www.traveldesigners.pl
www.travelplus.com.pl
www.travel-projekt.com.pl
www.turysta.oswiecim.pl
www.varsovia-tours.pl
www.weiss-travel.com
Feel Nature with all your senses.
In the mountains, by the sea, alongside lakes and in ancient forests,
in the primeval forested lands of national parks, on the banks
of mountain rivers, through flowering meadows with distant ribbons
of winding rivers – an encounter with the purest forms of Nature.
An adventure with a happy-ending.
Fascinating and mysterious. Under the skies, underwater, underground
or off-road. On foot, on horseback, by bike and by jeep,
on skis, parachuting, paragliding or in a glider, in a kayak or ATV
– challenging the elements: Water Air, and Snow.
Adventures to delight in.
And after the difficulties of some of these exploits are surmounted
it’s time to sit at a table. Polish cuisine is pure temptation with its
wonderful aromas and delicious dishes. And it’s so tasty.
Welcome to Poland – the land of adventure… with a smile.
Polish Tourist Organisation
Bra n ch e s o f t h e Po li sh To u r i s t O rg a n i s at i o n Ab ro ad
Stockholm
Moscow
Amsterdam
Warsaw
London
Berlin
Kiev
Vienna
Brussels
Paris
Budapest
New York
Madrid
Rome
• AUSTRIA
• BELGIUM
• Vienna
• Brussels
tel. +(43-1) 524 71 91 12
tel. +(32-2) 740 06 20
fax 524 71 91 20
fax 742 37 35
• FRANCE
• GERMANY
• GREAT BRITAIN
• HOLLAND
• HUNGARY
• ITALY
• JAPAN
• SPAIN
• RUSSIA
• SWEDEN
• USA
• UKRAINE
• Paris
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• London
• Amsterdam
• Budapest
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• Madrid
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• Stockholm
• New York
• Kiev
tel. +(33-1) 42 44 29 92
tel. +(49-30) 21 00 920
tel. +(44-0) 300 303 1812
tel. +(31-20) 625 35 70
tel. +(36-1) 269 78 09
tel. +(39-06) 482 70 60
tel. +(81) 3-5908-3808
tel. +(34-91) 541 48 08
tel. +(7-495) 510 62 10
tel. +(46-8) 21 60 75
tel. +(1-201) 420 99 10
tel. +(38-044) 278 67 28
fax 42 97 52 25
fax 21 00 92 14
fax 300 303 1814
fax 623 09 29
fax 269 78 10
fax 481 75 69
fax 3-5908-3809
fax 541 34 23
fax 510 62 11
fax 21-04-65
fax 584 91 53
fax 278 66 70
www.polen.travel
www.polen.travel
www.pologne.travel
www.pologne.travel
www.polen.travel
www.poland.travel
www.polen.travel
www.lengyelorszag.travel
www.polonia.travel
www.poland.travel
www.polonia.travel
www.poland.travel
www.polen.travel
www.poland.travel
www.polscha.travel
Tokyo
info.at@polen.travel
info.be@polen.travel
info.be@pologne.travel
info.fr@pologne.travel
info.de@polen.travel
info.uk@poland.travel
info.nl@polen.travel
budapest@pot.gov.pl
info.it@polonia.travel
info.jp@poland.travel
info.es@polonia.travel
info.ru@poland.travel
info.scan@polen.travel
info.na@poland.travel
info.ua@polscha.travel
ENG Polish Tourist Organisation
Publisher: Polska Organizacja Turystyczna, 00-613 Warszawa, ul. Chałubińskiego 8, tel. +48-22 536 70 70, fax +48-22 536 70 04, e-mail: pot@pot.gov.pl, www.pot.gov.pl
Editor: www.sowa.pl; Graphic layout: K. Mosiej; Text: S. A. Pacuła; Translation: Z. Nowak-Solinski; Photogrphs: D. Bartoszewski, R. Ejchler, P. Hołyś, M. Kałużny, M. Moczko, M. Modrzewska-Lewczuk, L. Nazdraczew, P. Olejnik, M. Olszewski, J. Podrucki, K. Stępień,
A. i R. Tomczyszyn, M. Wiśniewski, T. Zakrzewski, ZA, East News, Flash Press Media, TravelPhoto, Archives – (www.gory-szlaki.pl, SFPDN – www.bojery.pl, www.golf.krakow.pl, www.mazurygolf.pl, www.ojcow.pl, www.ParasilingCenter.pl, www.underwater.pl,
www.nurkomania.pl, www.sowa.pl), POT Archives 2009.
www.poland.travel
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Šumperk
active tourist attractions
UNESCO’s World Heritage sites
Mohelnice
International Biosphere Reserve
Mor. Trÿebová
highways, - under construction
Litovel
main roads (two lanes)
main roads
Boskovice
national parks
Blansko
navigable canals
European hiking/biking trails
Vyškov
state border
Brno
voivodship boundary
road border crossings
Kyjov
historical urban centres
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Racibórz
Pietrowice
Bruntál
Krnov
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Rybnik
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let’s go walking in the mountains
walking by water…
from green to green dashing through the snow extreme downhill on extreme slopes
to the peaks and higher
Underground... in a royal cave… with a bear
salt and gold mines
labyrinths underneath cities
towns in fortresses
Cycling around Poland
take it to the limit
on a sea
made of sand
it gets more difficult on flat ground
Off-road
off-road
and on stony ground
On horseback
Polish people love horses...
by lakes and through forests
On and underwater...
gentle rivers
mountain rivers and wild rivers
Adventure in the wind under sails made of clouds...
mountain sailing
on a board with the wind
sailing with a kite
sailing on ice Underwater
let’s go down to the bottom of the sea...
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A bird’s eye view & a pilot’s perspective
lighter than air
falling in tandem
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63
Marijampolé
Contents
Elektrenai
Kauno
Marios
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Z
17
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Schwedt
E
Z
R
10
Vilkaviškis
Černjahovsk
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I
Recz
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Stargard Szczeciński
Binowo
9
N
Gryfino
P
Pojezierze Drawskie
M
O
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P reg olj
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Złocieniec
86
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SZCZECIN
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Rzeka Drawa
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18
Kościerzyna
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84
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71
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57
91
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WOLIŃSKI P. N.
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71
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R
B
O
Kamień Pomorski P
O
S
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92
KALININGRAD
Svetlyj
Baltijsk
94
91
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56
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1
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KAUNAS
1
Overland and underground
...Let’s go walking in the mountains
[1]
[6]
[3]
[4]
The south of Poland, from the western to the eastern
borders, is the land of the beautiful and mysterious
Sudetes Mountains and gently impetuous foothills, the
Beskids. The pride of Poland are the high peaks of the
Tatra Mountains (a part of the Carpathian Mountain
range) crowned with the Rysy summit at 2499 m. Mountain trails lead through valleys, their slopes covered with
trees, or cut through the rocks to flowering mountain
clearings under towering peaks.
European Walking
Route E3
Kościeliska Valley
Chochołowska Valley
Pięciu Stawów Valley
Orla Perć
Tatra
Mountains
Śnieżka
E3
The Śnieżnika
Sudety E3massif
Bieszczady
E3
E3
Overland and underground
...Let’s go walking in the mountains
The Sudetes Mountains [6]
beautiful and mysterious
The Sudetes are covered by a net of picturesque trails.
Some reach the highest cloudy peak of the Karkonosze range
- Śnieżka (1 603 m), others thread through the Table Mountains. The Mountain Ghost, from Sudetian legends, can be
encountered in the rocky labyrinths. When walking the trails
in the Sudetes it is worth keeping an eye out for semi-precious
stones which are abundant in these ancient mountains, or
mufflons brought here from Corsica in the 19th century.
The European Walking Route (E 3) crosses the Sudetes.
It is several thousand kilometers long: from the coasts of the
Atlantic to the Black Sea in the Ukraine. Other challenges are
posed for hikers by the Orłowicz Main Sudetes Trail which,
over a distance of 350 km, leads from Świeradów to Paczków
through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the
Sudetes Mountains, with intriguing, mysterious names: Raven
Mountains, Owl, Table, Eagle and Golden.
• www.panorama-miast.com.pl/41/html/bystrzyca.htm •
• www.karkonosze.pl/sniezka/sniezka.php •
• www.sudety.it/index/turystyka/szlaki/ID,7 •
• www.sniezka.karpacz.pl • www.stolowe.yoyo.pl •
• www.sudety.it/index/turystyka/szlaki/ID,1 •
• www.sudety.it/index/gory/regiony/ID,10 •
[1]
The Tatra Mountains [1]
mountain gardens
There are over 300 km of well marked hiking trails of different difficulty levels in the region: for strolling, scenic and
high-mountain hikes. Some trails reach an altitude of 2300
m. They all cross the Tatra Mountains National Park, a mountain garden ‘designed’ by the genius of Nature.
• www.tpn.pl • www.tatry.org/pl •
• www.tatry.info.pl• www.tatry.pl •
• www.e-tatry.com •
Kościeliska Valley [2]
(9 km long, elevation 1050 m)
Considered the most beautiful valley in the Tatra Mountains. Sharp peaks rise to the skies with the highest - Błyszcz
(2 159 m). The slopes of Kościeliska Valley contain concealed
entrances to the Mroźna and Mylna caves with their wonderful
rocky ‘sculptures and architecture’.
• www.gory-szlaki.pl/dolina_koscieliska.htm •
• www.tatry.turystyka-gorska.pl/koscieliska.htm •
the mountain of the three seas
[7]
The Śnieżnika massif (1425 m) consists of several mountains.
The flat crests with hewn out arduous slopes form viewing platforms from where you can marvel at this magical landscape.
This region was discovered over 100 years ago by the Dutch
princess, Marianne. Streams flowing into great European
rivers: Oder, Elba and Danube and with them reaching the
three seas, Baltic, Black and North Sea, have their sources here.
• www.sudety.it/index/gory/regiony/ID,6 •
Chochołowska Valley [3]
(10 km long, elevation 920 m)
Beautiful all-year-round and very popular with enthusiasts of scenic hikes. Here the high-mountain trails leading
to the peaks begin: Rakoń (1879 m), Wołowiec (2064 m) or
Jarząbczy Wierch (2137 m) with their panoramic views across
the Polish and Slovakian Tatras.
• www.chocholowska.zakopane.pl •
• www.dolina-chocholowska.witow.pl •
• www.zakopane-online.eu/78,A_Walking_Tour_of_the_
Chocholow.htm •
Bieszczady [8]
the mountains of burning beech trees
The Bieszczady Mountains are difficult to pronounce for
non-Polish speakers. But it is worth memorizing the name
and visiting this region.
This is a small region of Poland but with many attractions:
bald peaks called połoniny, trails through the backwoods of
the Carpathian Forest where traces of human activity merge
with those of wolves and bears, then down to hospitable
villages of wooden huts in the valleys with their Christian and
Orthodox churches. Here at daybreak you can take a horse
down a mountain trail, then at noon sail on the Solina Lake
and in the afternoon you can walk to Caryńska Połonina and
watch the sun set. In the evening you can listen to songs and
poetry by a camp fire and have fresh trout for dinner. There
are 120 km of marked trails and nature routes in the Bieszczady Mountains. The ‘border’ trail between Poland, Slovakia
and Ukraine is very beautiful and it takes 30 hours to cover
the 68 km. The lowest peak on the trail is Wysoki Groń (905
m) and the highest Wielka Rawka (1304 m).
• www.polandforall.com/bieszczady.html •
• www.bieszczady.net.pl•
Five Lake’s Valley
[4]
(4 km long, elevation over 1 600 m)
The valley surrounded by granite peaks with its crystal
clear mountain lakes glittering in the valley floor is best seen
from above. One of the lakes – Wielki Staw – is the deepest in
the Tatra Mountains (79 m). A stream flows out of it forming
beautiful waterfalls: Siklawa and Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza.
A hike to the highest peak of the Tatras – Rysy (2499 m) - can
start in Five Lake’s Valley.
• www.piecstawow.pl •
• www.man.pl/~lowell/dolina_5_stawow.php •
[5]
4
Orla Perć
[5]
(vie ferrate)
The most difficult mountain trail in the Tatras, about 5 km
long. It was laid out in 1903 by the priest, Walenty Gadowski.
Here he built one of Europe’s first vie ferrate – an iron road – a
mountain trail secured with chain hand rails and ladders. To
take on this trail requires experience, almost acrobatic skills
and courage. The name, ‘Orla Perć’, comes from the eagles’
nests accessible only to eagles.
• www.orlaperc.za.pl • www.gory-szlaki.pl/orla_perc.htm •
• www.tatry.turystyka-gorska.pl/orla_perc.htm •
• www.tatromaniak.fr.pl •
[1]
9
[6]
[6]
[6]
[8]
[9]
Burning beech trees & blazing mountains
[9]
In the Bieszczady Mountains Nature’s show starts at
the end of September. The beech trees growing on the
mountain slopes are transformed into browns, reds and
yellows and the mountains become a blaze of colours.
The forest vistas are unforgettable; they quiver in the
crystal clear air. Once seen you will drawn back over and
over again.
• www.twojebieszczady.pl •
5
10
Overland and underground
walking by water
[10]
Wandering sands [10]
The Słowiński National Park (the central part of the
Baltic coast) is part of the World Biosphere Reserve. This
sandy, desert landscape is situated on the edges of the sea.
Over 80 km of trails have been demarcated here, starting
at sea level reaching 115 m altitude. One of Europe’s
largest moving sand dunes which can reach 50 m in height
in places is located near the Łebsko Spit. On the trail visit
the Gardno and Łebsko lakes and the open-air museum in
Kluki where houses, farm tools and works of art created
by the inhabitants of the region are on view.
• www.slowinskipn.pl •
• www.pomorskie.pttk.pl • www.it-pomorze.pl •
• www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/ph/pnp/slow.htm •
• www.polandforvisitors.com/travel_poland/slowinski
Baltic Sea
Słowiński NP
E9 InternationalE9Coast
Trail E9
Wigierski NP
Drawa National Park
Biebrza National Park
Overland and underground
walking by water
National Parks, walking
[10]
Many walking routes have been created in National
Parks and along them you can observe Nature as if
through a microscope. In Wigry National Park it’s enough
to lift a tuft of grass, stop on the shores of a quiet backwater, listen to the song of the birds at dawn or the croak
of frogs in the distance.
Wigierski National Park
[12]
There is a well organized 190-km grid of footpaths,
biking and water trails and 5 educational routes in the
Park. Most of them wind around the Wigry Lake situated
in the center of the park and are also connected with many
other lakes. Some of them are real wonders of nature:
forest lakes called ‘suchary’ with brown waters rich in
minerals. You can walk through the park all year round,
from dawn to dusk.
• www.wigry.win.pl •
• www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/ph/pnp/wigi.htm •
[11]
15
[12]
[13]
[14]
[11]
[11]
Biebrza National Park [13]
(north-eastern Poland)
There are 18 trails, 504 km, leading through the most
picturesque swamplands and backwaters of the Biebrza
River considered the most beautiful in Europe. This is
the largest park in Poland with an area of 59 thousand
hectares. The Biebrza swamps and ecosystems themselves
are 25 thousand ha in size. Vast valley marshlands with
their distinctive plants are nesting and feeding grounds
for an uncountable number of water-swamp bird species
and are visited by ornithologists from the entire world.
• www.biebrza.org.pl •
• www.staff.amu.edu.pl •
and sunny beaches
[11]
The Polish section of the International Coast Trail (E
9) passes along the shores of the sea – from Świnoujście to
Braniewo. This route joins other equally beautiful coastal
trails in the area of Gdańsk, the Kashubia Lake District
and Tuchola Forest where over 2500 km of walking and
cycling routes have been marked out. One of them is the
Copernicus Trail from Gardeja, through Kwidzyn to
Malbork and Elblag.
• www.pomorskie.pttk.pl •
• www.it-pomorze.pl •
• www.it-pomorze.pl/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=73•
Drawa National Park [14]
(north-western Poland)
There are 77 km of marked trails in the park leading
through forests, along rivers, by the lakes, along dusty
roads, over hills and down valleys. The park contains
450-year old oak trees and 300-year-old beech trees and
various floral specimens typical of the Drawa Forest
which is cut through by the Drawa River and is especially popular with kayakers. The coat of arms of the Park
is the otter. This small, furry animal is a master of hunting
underwater, and of eating while floating on the water.
• www.dpn.pl •
[11]
[11]
[13]
[14]
[13]
[13]
6
7
15
Overland and underground
from green to green
[16]
Gdańsk
Szczecin Postołowo Olsztyn
Naterki
Binowo
Rajszew
Warszawa
Overland and underground
from green to green
Paczółtowice
Kraków
There are twelve championship 18 hole golf courses and
nineteen 9 hole courses waiting for golfing enthusiasts
in Poland. They are located in different regions of the
country, in the vicinity of big cities and exclusive hotels.
• www.golf.pl •
[15]
[15]
Northern Poland
[16]
Golf & Country Club
[16]
(Naterki near Gietrzwałd)
A luxury hotel and golf course in the heart of the Warmia
and Masuria region. A championship 18 hole golf course designed by British specialists. Its characteristic features are deep
bunkers, a high Scottish type rough ground and large (650
sq.m) undulating greens. • www.mazurygolf.pl •
Warsaw
First Warsaw Golf & Country Club [19]
(Rajszew)
The golf course (championship and 20 practice tees) is located
some 25 km from Warsaw’s center and covers an area of 63
ha. Beautifully laid out it has small, natural water obstacles.
• www.warsawgolfclub.com •
Kraków
Valley Golf & Country Club [20]
(Paczółtowice)
The 18 hole course, 6.5 km long, was constructed according to USGA standards. It will satisfy the most experienced
players. Characteristic features: variety of the land, undulating fairways and deep ‘bunkers’.
• www.golf.krakow.pl •
Binowo Park Golf Club
[17]
(Binowo near Szczecin)
A golf club located in a Landscape Park surrounded by a
beech forest. The golf course (championship and 9-hole) is
situated in a hilly area with natural obstacles. The difference
in levels is up to 40 m. • www.binowopark.pl •
[16]
20
Postołowo Golf Club
[18]
(Postołowo near Gdańsk)
This 18-hole championship golf course, 6.5 km long, is
located in the picturesque scenery of Kashubian Pomerania.
Apart from the championship golf course there is a practice
course for beginners. • www.golf.com.pl •
[16]
[20]
[16]
[16]
[15]
[20]
[16]
[16]
8
9
21
Overland and underground
dashing through the snow ... hiking on skis
[25]
The popularity of cross-country hiking on skis is on
the increase every year. No wonder. It’s a great sport for
everyone as a natural extension of the summer season and
one of the best ways of prolonging a healthy life. You can
meet teenagers and eighty-year olds on ski routes not only
in Scandinavia but across the whole of Europe. And it’s
hard to tell the differences between the three-generations.
Suwałki region
Masuria
Warszawa
Łódź
Sudetes Mountains
Overland and underground
dashing through the snow ... hiking on skis
Beskidy Mountains
Bieszczady Mountains
Tatra Mountains
Sudetes Mountains [25]
These are the most important mountains for amateurs of
cross-country skiing with 80 km of well-kept trails. The easier
ones lead to Orle and Chatka Górzystów with difficult ones
on the Śnieżka massif in the Kletno area – they are beautiful
but demanding. It is worth taking the forest routes to Bielskie,
Bystrzyckie or the Kamienne Mountains and completing
the loop around Rymarz and Kalenica in the Wielkiej Sowy
(Great Owl) massif. Poland’s biggest open long-distance crosscountry run – Bieg Piastów – is organized in March in Jakuszyce near Szklarska Poręba. Over 6 thousand skiers participate with distances covered from 10 to 50 km.
• www.sudety.pl •
• www.bieg-piastow.pl •
• www.szklarskaporeba.pl •
• www.goryizerskie.pl/?file=grp&group_id=8 •
• www.karkonosze.pl/schronisko_chatka_gorzystow/schronisko_
chatka_gorzystow.php •
[26]
health on the move
The beneficial influence of cross-country skiing was studied
in the ‘60s by American doctor and skier, P.O. Astrand. He
proved that skiing stimulates the circulatory system and
improves physical fitness, the distribution of oxygen in the
body, it increases lung capacity, endurance and harmony of
movement. However, it does not put pressure on the joints
and ligaments as running does.
• www.nanarty.info/biegowki •
• www.narty.pl •
• www.sudety.it/index/narty/biegowe •
• www.narty.pl/strony/technika-jazdy/narty-biegowe •
• www.ave.net.pl/narty •
hiking in the lowlands
[26] Suwałki region [21]
The Suwałki region in north-eastern Poland is a land of
forests and lakes ideally suited to cross-country skiing. Most
of the routes are located to the north of Suwałki and each one
can be described with no hesitation as the most beautiful. In
February of each year a ski run, ‘Northern Wanderings’, is
organized. It is attended by hundreds of enthusiasts of this
sporting discipline.
• www.zima.suwalszczyzna.net •
• www.sot.suwalszczyzna.eu •
• www.zima.suwalszczyzna.pl •
[25]
Around Warsaw:
[22]
A 16-km long route crosses the Józefów dunes by the
Świder River in the Masovian Landscape Park. Ski trails in the
Kampinos Forest are marked out through the winter scenery
of this ancient forest in the National Park.
• www.parkiotwock.pl/mazowiecki •
• www.kampinoska.waw.pl/wycieczkinaweekend/11nanartachbiegowychwokolcyganki •
Around Łódź:
[23]
There are routes in the Balimów forest through the nature
[24]
reserve, ‘Siwica Clearing’, and the lowland Rawka River.
• www.przystan.ekoturyzm.pl/bolimowski.htm •
Masuria:
[24]
The Land of a Thousand Lakes contains many kilometers
of skiing trails crossing its picturesque countryside.
• www.gora4w.com.pl •
• www.nibork.pl/osrodek-narciarstwa-biegowego.html •
• www.mazury.info.pl/zima/narciarstwo-biegowe •
• http://www.tourism-promotion.net/wzgorza-dylewskie-i-„bieg-sasinow”•
mountain hiking
Numerous ski resorts from the west to the east of Poland
have specially marked cross-country trails. Routes for offroad skiing can be found on the traverses of mountain slopes
and forest wildernesses.
10
[26]
The Tatra Mountains and Podhale region
[26]
There are various interesting cross-country skiing trails in
Podhale, a vast valley at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. The
trails are marked as foot trails in the lower parts of the mountains or on the flat mountain tops in Bukowina Tatrzańska,
Białka or nearby Gorce.
There are also marked trails for professional downhill skiing
in the Tatra Mountains. The trails above the upper parts of
the forest are not well-kept and are difficult. They are best
traversed with an experienced guide, with professional equipment and by the physically fit.
• www.tatry.pl •
• www.visit.malopolska.pl/turystyka/aktywna/?id=88 •
• www.nanarty.info/polska/malopolska/bukowina-tatrzanska •
• http://przewodnik.onet.pl/1110,1595,1064139,1064143,artykulr.html •
• http://wakacje.staypoland.com/tatry-wypoczynek.aspx •
• www.podhale-sport.pl/s,menu,pol,podsport,1773,biegi_narciarskie.html •
Beskidy Mountains
[27]
In the Silesian and Żywiec Beskids Mountains the numerous
skiing trails pass through well-known skiing resorts: Szczyrk,
Wisła, Ustroń and Korbielów. In the Sądecki Beskids Mountains
cross-country skiing trails pass through Piwniczna, Krynica
and Szczawnica. Each February the Jaworz Ski Run is held
near Bielsko-Biała and in Rajcza and Zwardoń the Peasant
Ski Rally takes place across Poland and Slovakia.
• www.beskidy24.pl •
• www.e-beskidy.com •
28
[25]
[27]
[28]
Bieszczady Mountains [28]
(Eastern Beskidy Mountains)
The length of the skiing trails in Bieszczady exceeds 130
km. They have been put together for cross-country and skitouring. The most beautiful ones are in the Bieszczady National
Park where snow and wind have created picturesque landscapes
in shades of black, white, tinged with the greens of the trees.
• wakacje.staypoland.eam/bieszczady-wypoczynek.aspx •
• www.bieszczady.pl •
• www.cisna.pl/asp/pl_start.asp?typ=14&sub=133&menu=135&strona=1 •
• www.bieszczady.net.pl/narty.php •
• www.twojebieszczady.pl/zima.php3 •
11
29
Overland and underground
extreme downhill on extreme slopes
[36]
[36]
Sudetes Mountains
Szklarska Poręba [29]
There are 5 lamp lit routes waiting for skiers in this popular
town in the Sudetes, - beautiful in summer and in winter.
The most difficult trail (with a FIS certificate) on Szrenica
is 2000 meters long. The ski pistes ‘Lolobrygida’ (4 400 m),
‘Śnieżynka’ (2 080 m) and ‘Bystra’ (2 510 m) are not easy ones.
Several routes have been prepared for beginners: ‘Puchatek’
(1 470 m) and in Happiness Valley – on Babiniec slope (520
m) and on Hala Szrenicowa (636 m).
• www.szklarskaporeba.pl •
• www.e-szklarska.com/nartostrady.php •
• www.sudetylift.com.pl • http://karkonosz.pl •
• www.szklarska.karkonosze.pl •
Overland and underground
Sudetes Mountains
extreme downhill on extreme slopes
Krynica
Silesian
Beskids
Żywiec
Beskids
Tatra Mountains Zdrój
Zakopane
Bieszczady
Sądecki Beskids
[35]
One hundred kilometers south of Krakow there is a beautiful mountain valley sculpted over millions of years by the
Poprad River. Several ski resorts are located in the valley (20
km long) and in its vicinity: in Rytro, Piwniczna Zdrój-Sucha
Dolina (Valley), Wierchomla and Muszyna Zdrój. All routes
in Sądecki Beskids Mountains are lamp lit, with artificial
snow (if necessary), skiing, hotel and gastronomy infrastructures are well developed everywhere.
Krynica Zdrój is situated on the southern edge of the Sądecki
Beskid Mountains. The summer and winter queen of Polish
resorts has two popular ski resorts: on Jaworzyna Krynicka
(8 routes of different difficulty levels, including a FIS trail –
2600 m and a gondola) and in Słotwiny where you can choose
from among 15 downhill routes (from 120 to 1000 m) and a
snowboard pipe 110 m long and 40 m wide.
• www.sudety.pl • www.narty.rekreacja.pl •
• www.polandforall.com/polish_mountains-ski-winter.html •
[32]
Karpacz
[30]
This resort is especially popular among snowboard and intermediate level downhill skiing enthusiasts. The Polish Snowboard Championships are held here each January.
• www.karpacz.pl •
[29]
[36]
36
[35]
Zieleniec
[31]
The most popular family resort. It is famous for its longlasting snow and 20 pistes suitable for all ages: children,
parents and grandparents.
• www.zieleniec.pl •
• www.duszniki.pl/?page=wyciagi_narciarskie#belka_szara •
Silesian Beskids
Szczyrk
[32]
This is one of the biggest and most popular winter sports
centers in Poland. It is covered with snow from December
through to April. There are 14 kilometers of routes to choose
from – starting with the FIS championship route, the famous
‘Bieńkula’ and ‘Golgota’, ending with trails for children and
beginners. Over 30 lifts including a chair lift on Skrzynka
guarantee quick transport to the starting line. Szczyrk also
knows how to entertain its guests, ‘après ski’
.
The Highlander way, [33]
with a little bit of fantasy!
There are numerous popular skiing trails in other towns
of the Silesian Beskids Mountains: in Wisła, Bielsko-Biała on
Szyndzielnia and Klimczok (a gondola lift), in Ustroń Śląski
on Czantoris and Jaszowiec.
• www.szczyrk.pl •
[36]
[35]
Żywiec Beskids
[36]
12
Korbielów
[34]
A popular skiing resort located on the slopes of Pilsko
Mountain (1557 m), one of the most beautiful mountains in
the Beskids. In the upper regions of Pilsko, due to a particular
microclimate the skiing season starts in November and lasts
until first days of May. The highlight of Pilsko is the elevation difference – 770 meters. Added to this there are: 20 km
of downhill routes of various difficulty levels, 10 rudder bar
lifts, 1 chair lift and a snow park thought to be among the
best in Poland.
• http://korbielow.net/pilsko_trasy_wyciagi/index.php •
Tatra Mountains
Zakopane
[36]
Winter sports have an over 100 year long tradition in
Zakopane – international capital of downhill skiing and
ski jumping. In winter, which usually starts here at the
beginning of December, the lifts start moving on over 35
routes. All trails are lit, have artificial snow, many offer
snowboard trails. Skiing equipment can be rented and
instructors are available. The best skiing conditions are on
Kasprowy Wierch (1987 m) however the routes are difficult and require professional skills. Excellent skiing trails
can also be found in other towns in the Tatras: Bukowina
Tatrzańska, Białka Tatrzańska, Poronin and others.
• www.zakopane.pl •
• http://go-zakopane.com •
• www.hellbell.co.uk/pistezakopane.htm •
13
37
Overland and underground
to the peaks and higher
[39]
[38]
[37]
[37]
14
Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska [37]
The most popular area for climbing are the old,
every uneven limestone walls in Kobylańska Valley,
the Rzędkowickie Rocks, the ridge between Mirów
and Bobolice and Zborów Mountain reserve. These
climbing routes can reach 70 meters and their difficulty is suitable for all levels.
• www.climbing.ovh.org •
• www.wspinek.fr.pl •
• http://topo.uka.pl/content/english/jura/jura_e.php •
Sokole Góry
(Hawk Mountains)
Jura
Krakowsko
Częstochowska
Tatra Mountains
Sokole Góry
(Hawk
Mountains)
Overland and underground
Jura
Krakowsko
Częstochowska
to the peaks and higher
Tatra Mountains
[37]
[39]
[37]
Tatra Mountains [38]
High mountain climbing within the area of the
Tatry National Park is allowed in certain designated
areas. Summits in the Tatra Mountains reach 2500
meters. It is not only the altitude but also the technically demanding routes which attract mountaineers.
Granite walls and cliffs bearing poetic names: Kazalnica, Zamarła Turnia or Kościelec inspire composers,
painters and mountain climbing virtuosos.
The popular climbing routes in the Tatry National
Park are: Morskie Oko –from Białczańska Pass, through
Rysy, Mięguszowieckie Szczyty and Cubryna to Wrota
Chałubińskiego, Five Lake’s Valley - from Świnica to
Zawrat Pass, Hala Gąsienicowa – from Żółta Pass
through Granaty, Kozi Wierch, Zawratowa Turnia,
Świnica to Świnicka Pass and other. During periods of
danger of avalanches you can train on the south-west
slope of Sucha Jama (an old stove for processing limestone) in Hala Gąsienicowa.
• www.e-gory.pl/content/view/585/145 •
Sokole Góry (Hawk Mountains) [39]
(near Jelenia Góra, South-Western Poland)
Granite rock, Sokoliki, is invaded by aficionados
and amateurs of rock climbing. Different difficulty
routes: II, III, IV to VI – requiring excellent technique
– are laid out on six natural climbing walls. There are
various obstacles: pillars, chimneys and cuts. But there
are also numerous crevices which can be used for security devices: stoppers, hex and friends.
• www.sokoliki.net •
• www.czestochowaonline.pl•
[7]
[37]
[37]
39
[39]
[39]
15
40
Underground
in a royal cave with a bear
[40]
www.ojcow.pl
[41]
Niedźwiedzia
(Bear) Cave
A Royal Cave [40]
This is the biggest and most beautiful cave in Ojców National Park near Kraków. A lamp lit route (320 m long) leads
to places where sometime in the 14th century, according to
legend, one of the Polish kings, Władysław Łokietek, hid. In
front of the entrance to the cave there are intriguing infiltrative sculptures called ‘ice men’ minutely carved by the frost
and wind during winter.
• www.opn.pan.krakow.pl •
• www.grotalokietka.pl •
• www.krakow-info.com/ojcow.htm •
• www.ojcow.pl/english/index_1_en.htm •
Neanderthal
man’s Cave
Mroźna (Frosty) Cave
A Royal Cave
Mylna Cave
Gold Mine
„Złoty Stok”
Underground
salt and gold mines
Bochnia
a salt stadium below ground
[45]
Bochnia (40 km from Krakow)
Interesting tourist trails have been marked out in the Salt
Mine in Bochnia which has been in operation without interruption since the 13th century. A microclimate prevails in
the Ważyn chamber (248 meters below ground). The air is
saturated with microelements: magnesium, manganese and
lime stone - calcium. There is a long-distance jogging route
(beneficial for health) laid out in these surroundings, a sleigh
slide (140 m) on a mining ramp and a football field. All can
be reached by a mine train running over one kilometer, 212
meters below ground. In the oldest part of the mine – galleries closed for hundreds of years – among salt sculptures and
mining tools immersed and fossilised in salt brine, there is an
extremely difficult but extraordinarily beautiful route. Here
visitors will see the tools used and perhaps get a feel of what
it might have been like to be a miner some 500 years ago.
• www.bochnia.pl •
• www.kopalniasoli.pl •
[40]
Neanderthal man’s Cave
[41]
In the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (near the town of Kielce)
an underground limestone cathedral can be visited. The Paradise Cave was formed by underground water over many ages.
It isn’t big – a mere 240 meters – but it is fascinating. In the
cave you can travel back to the times of Neanderthal men who
lived in these parts. The traces of their presence are displayed
in the museum’s exhibition. Time to complete the route – 45
minutes, time travel – 45 000 years.
• www.jaskiniaraj.pl •
46
[45]
[45]
[46]
[46]
[42]
photo z-ne.pl
[43]
[44]
photo z-ne.pl
16
Niedźwiedzia (Bear) Cave [42]
(Sudetes, 1166 m)
This is the largest cave in Poland with a length of 2.5 km.
The entrance is at 820 m above sea level. The corridors run
on 4 levels. In Pleistocene times (which ended 11 000 years
ago) the cave was occupied by bears. Their bones have been
found in many parts of the cave. The time needed to traverse
the Bear Cave is 50 minutes.
• www.turystyka.dolnyslask.pl • www.jaskinia.pl •
[46]
Gold Mine [46]
In Złoty Stok near Kłodzko a trail has been opened in an
old gold mine. Parts have to be traveled by boat down flooded
underground corridors. On the way there is an 8-meter high
underground waterfall unique to Poland. An exhibition of old
maps belonging to the mine, mining tools and a furnace in
which gold was smelted can be visited. It is said that there is
still some gold in the mine, so keep a look out!
Miners believe that the gold in the mines is protected by
gnomes – ghosts of miners who died in underground accidents. Gnomes are friendly creatures who often saved miners’
lives. In the Złoty Stok mine the Grey Gnome appears unexpectedly on the trail. The dreams of anyone who looks straight
into his eyes will be fulfilled.
• www.kopalniazlota.pl •
• www.klubpodroznikow.eu/podziemia/295-kopalnia-zota-zoty-stok- •
• www.zlotystok.net/kopalnia.php •
Mroźna (Frosty) Cave [43]
(Tatra Mountains, 1250 m)
The cave with its delicate outlines formed by mountain
waters is among the most beautiful caves in the Tatra Mountains. It is located 120 m above the floor of the Kościelisko
Valley. The electrically lit route runs along an almost horizontal 480 meter-long corridor. A stroll through this underground gallery of natural sculptures takes about 50 minutes.
• http://sktj.pl/epimenides/tatry/mrozna_p.html •
Mylna Cave
[44]
This, the most interesting cave in the Tatra mountains, has
almost 1300 meters of corridors. It can be visited without a
guide by following the marked route. The trail leads through a
labyrinth of corridors sculpted by mountain waters. The conditions are quite demanding: cold, numerous pools of water and
low tunnel roofs. Take a good torch with you, warm clothes
and adequate hiking boots.
• http://sktj.pl/epimenides/tatry/mylna_p.html •
[46]
[46]
17
47
Underground
Międzyrzecz
Fortified Area
Chełm
Sandomierz Jarosław
Rzeszów
labyrinths underneath cities
[49]
[47]
Jarosław and Rzeszów [47] [48]
(Podkarpacie, south-eastern Poland)
and Sandomierz upon the Vistula River [49]
(central Poland).
These old mercantile towns offer underground trails intersecting corridors and basements of Medieval merchandise
storage places. Wines and goods from out of the country were
kept in these basements and during invasions people sought
refuge in here. Today as you marvel at their construction and
utility you will be transported to the times of the Middle Ages.
Labyrinths of corridors and cellars – which can be visited only
with a guide are spread over 200 m in Jarosław and Rzeszów
and over 470 m in Sandomierz at a depth of 12 m.
• www.rzeszow.pl • www.jaroslaw.pl • www.sandomierz.pl •
• www.wrota.podkarpackie.pl/pl/turystyka/szlaki/sciezki/trasy_podziemne •
• www.sandomierz.pl/index.php/pl/atrakcje_i_ciekawostki/art19.html •
Underground
Osowiec
Fortress
towns in fortresses
In the 19th century fortresses were built in several
Polish towns. Most of them have been preserved unchanged
up to today. You can visit them on foot or by bike and
penetrate deeply into the dark and gloomy basements of
these military sites. They were created by engineers from
three different nations which occupied Poland in the
19th century: Austrians (Kraków Fortress and Przemyśl
Fortress), Prussians (Toruń Fortress) and Russians
(Osowiec Fortress). The fortifications in Krakow (60
km circumference) and Toruń are a great attraction for
visitors to Polish cities. Only a few tourists realize that
when standing in the Market Square in Kraków or in
front of the Monument to Copernicus in Toruń they are
at the same time in the center of a former fortress. This
is also the case in the beautiful town of Przemyśl – full
of historic sites and filled with a unique type of culture
of a town on the border between two nations: Polish and
Ukrainian. Enthusiasts of walking in these fortified labyrinths will be greatly interested by these fortress buildings which are amongst the largest in Europe.
[50]
The Russian-built Osowiec Fortress
[51]
The Russian-built Osowiec Fortress was raised in the years
1882-1915 in the narrow Biebrza River valley (north-eastern
Poland). It was never conquered. But today anyone can enter
it with no problem; however a guide is recommended.
• http://www.monki.com.pl/strony.html •
52
[51]
photo maca.obiezyswiat.org
[51]
photo maca.obiezyswiat.org
[52]
[50]
[50]
[50]
Chełm (near Lublin, eastern Poland)
[50]
Underneath almost the entire terrain of the town of Chełm
is a two-kilometer net of corridors and mining chambers. It is
Europe’s only underground chalk mine reaching 20 m down
into the deposit located under historical, public buildings.
Throughout hundreds of years pits and labyrinths of passages
have been dug out. They can be accessed straight from the
tenements above them. The dark underground – which can be
visited only with a guide – is lit up by the white chalk walls on
which you can sometimes see the shadow of the White Ghost,
the spirit of this land. But people do not tremble in fear down
here because of the low temperature which doesn’t rise above
+9 °C, even during summer.
• www.chelm.pl •
• www.zabytkowakopalniakredy.pl •
• www.podziemiakredowe.pl •
[51]
• http://maps.pomocnik.com/photo/osowiec-fortress-poland •
• www.wrotapodlasia.pl •
A mysterious town of concrete
[52]
The Międzyrzecz Fortified Area (Lubusko Lands,
western Poland)
A great fortification system, the largest in Europe, built by
the Germans, 1935-1939, covers an area of 100 km between the
Odra and Warta rivers. Tens of underground bunkers joined
by tunnels form an underground town with train stations, a
net of warehouses and barracks. Today, bats, including the
largest in Europe, pass the winter here. A visit to this underground complex can take up to 8 hours. Routes between
particular positions in the fortress are marked out also on
the surface. Some visitors choose to travel using a military
vehicle, others prefer a bike. There is an observation tower
on one of the trails from which you can study the layout of
Europe’s biggest fortification.
• www.bunkry.pl •
• www.miedzyrzecz.pl •
[50]
[50]
18
[52]
[52]
[52]
19
53
Wolin
Cycling around Poland
Hanza Union Trail
Cycling around Poland
Trail „Necklace of the North”
Trail ‘Liczyrzepa’
take it to the limit
on a sea made of sand
Podkarpacie
Region
Seeing the sights of the world from the back of a
bicycle is a very popular and healthy way of traveling.
In Poland there are suitable routes at the seaside, in
the Lake District, in national and landscape parks,
routes leading to mountain peaks and down winding
ravines and valleys and around big cities.
In the north of Poland – among the thousands
of lakes and rivers along the coastline of the Baltic
Sea, in ancient forests and colourfully flowering
meadows – cycling trails lead from the western to
the eastern borders of the country. All trails offer
services, good food and interesting entertainment.
[53]
take it to the limit
[53]
In the Polish mountains you can choose from
extreme routes requiring endurance and good technique and leisurely excursion routes through forests
with scenic views. In some locations there are special
trails for performance downhill runs.
One of the most difficult routes in the Sudetes leads
from Międzygórze to Snieżnik (1425 m). It requires
a good level of fitness and experience. Other popular
biking trails are: ‘Kowary Bypass’ (near Kowary) – 33
km long, altitude difference 500 m, the Euro Regional Cycling Tourist Trail, ‘Liczyrzepa’, and other
international biking routes leading through Poland,
Czech Republic and Germany. Each trail is an altitude challenge from 500 to 1100 meters. Different
parts of the Beskid Mountains – Żywiecki, Sądecki,
Wyspowy, Niski – offer biking trails climbing steep
mountains and gentler routes in valleys and along
rivers. Some are along the most scenic pedestrian
trails, around the towns of Szczyrk or Wisła. In
Zawoja, a popular vacation area, the trails are difficult and demanding and you have to be at the peak
of your potential. However the challenge is usually
the reason for choosing the more interesting routes.
• www.rowerowakraina.com • www.szklarska.ig.pl/cms,334.php •
• www.karkonosze.ws/trasy_rowerowe_szklarskiej_poreby_
artykul_54.html •
[53]
20
Green Bikes in Podkarpacie Region
[54]
In the Podkarpacie Region in south-eastern
Poland there are trails belonging to the network,
‘Greenways’ (R 61 and R 63). They are located
around the international biosphere nature reserve
in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains comprising
national parks in three countries: Bieszczady National Park in Poland, Połoniny National Park in
Slovakia and Użański National Park in Ukraine.
Taking the green bike trail you will pass through
the most beautiful towns, villages, landscapes
and historic sites in Podkarpacie. Visiting ancient
burial mounds and settlements, wooden houses
and Catholic and Orthodox churches with their
unique architecture will take you back 3 to 4 thousand years. During winter the green bike trail, all
covered in snow, is very picturesque.
• www.wrota.podkarpackie.pl •
• www.Rowery.ePodkarpacie.com •
• www.zielonyrower.pl •
57
[56]
[56]
Necklace of the North
[55]
The ‘Greenways’ Trail in northern Poland called
the ‘Necklace of the North’ is 870 km long. The
route passes through Western Pomerania, Tuchola
Forest and Krajno Land through sites of its historical heritage, picturesque towns and landscape
parks. In the roadside inns travelers can taste regional dishes, the fruits of the forest and the famous
bread from Barwice, bread tasting like bread.
• www.greenways.pl/index.php?lang=eu •
Hanza Union Trail
[56]
This coastal cycling trail (part of the R 10 – international cycling route) extends over 258 kilometers
along the Baltic shoreline through Wolin National Park and popular health resorts, Świnoujście,
Kołobrzeg, Międzyzdroje, Dziwnów and Rewal.
You can stop at golf centers (Kołczewo, Łukęcin)
or at picturesque fishing cottages where the traditional cultural landscape has been preserved.
• www.it-pomorze.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&
id=430&Itemid=128 •
Wolin National Park [57]
As you ride through the Park on Wolin Island
located along the historical mercantile trail from
Hamburg to Gdańsk you will be able to see in the
landscape the turbulent past of this island from
prehistoric times to World War II. Today, Wolin
National Park offers scenic points and trails and
educational routes with a total length of 50 kilometers. The jewel in the park is the Turquoise
Lake with its dark green waters.
• www.polskawakacyjna.pl/wolinski_park_narodowy.html •
• www.miedzyzdroje.info.pl/wolinski_park_narodowy.php •
• www.wolinpn.pl/html/turystyka/aktywna.htm •
[55]
21
58
Cycling around Poland
Słowiński NP
Odra
River
Trail
it gets more difficult on flat ground
There is a good network of long-distance and regional
trails through ancient forests, historical towns, numerous
attractions and national parks.
Stork
Trail
Gdańsk
Trail R1
Suwałki
Region Cycling Ring
Cycling around Poland
Warszawa
Łódź
Częstochowa
Kraków
it gets more difficult on flat ground
borderland trails [61]
In the north-east corner of Poland, the picturesque land
of lakes and forests a trail called the Suwałki Region Cycling
Ring has been laid out. The jeweler’s term ‘ring’ has been
used because taking this trail you will discover the treasures
of the borders of Poland and Lithuania: beautiful landscapes,
unusual culture and the hospitality of its inhabitants. When
you are invited for a meal or during your stay in inns and
agro tourist farms try the regional dishes: sękacz – layered
cake, kalduns, and zeppelins - potato noodles in the shape of
Ferdinand Zeppelin’s airships.
• www.suwalki.pttk.pl/index.php?submenu=14&page=pokaz&id=152 •
[58]
National Parks
[58]
In the Słowiński National Park the route winds along the
seashore, over sand dunes, through Kluki with its Museum,
Wsi Słowińskiej. Cycling routes in Wigry National Park are
laid out around Wigry Lake. In Narwia National Park the 90
kilometers of green routes run between the backwaters of the
Narwia River and flocks of aquatic birds.
• www.slowinskipn.pl/spn_pl.php?lang=pl&site=turystyka_szlaki •
• www.wigry.win.pl/praktyczny/szlaki2.htm •
• www.npn.pl/index.php?id=7&lang=pl •
[58]
[62]
between old towns
[62]
Famous Polish towns Kraków and Częstochowa are joined
by the 188-km long Eagles’ Nest Cycling Trail. The route
passes through the picturesque region of Jura KrakowskoCzęstochowska, its limestone hills and ravines, at an altitude
between 300 and 450 meters. Poland’s oldest fortified castles
called ‘eagles’ nests’ can be visited along the way.
There are also various cycling routes in national or landscape parks surrounding other old and famous towns in Poland:
Warsaw: Masovian Landscape Park - 40 km and the
Kampinos Cycling Trail – 200 km
Łódź: Arturówka, a biking loop around the town – 70 km
Gdańsk: numerous cycling trails in the Tricity Landscape
Park and the Kashubia Region Switzerland – a picturesque
land located less than 40 km from central Gdańsk.
• http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurajski_Rowerowy_Szlak_Orlich_
Gniazd •
Odra River Trail
[59]
The main biking route in western Poland, 313-km-long,
runs beside the Odra River, the border between Poland and
Germany. It starts in the town of Wrocław and passes on
both banks of the Odra through Głogów, Radoszyce (ferry),
Chobienia (ferry), Ścinawa, Lubiąż and Brzeg Dolny (ferry).
• www.greenways.pl/index.php?content&id=30&lang=pl •
• www.oderneisse-radweg.de/content •
by bike on the storks’ trail
[60]
The Stork Trail in the Podlasie region crosses four national parks: Białowieża National Park, Narwia National Park,
Biebrza National Park and Wigry National Park, the ancient
Augustów Forest and Suwałki Landscape Park. This route
is ideal for nature lovers, enthusiasts of rare plant and bird
species and mammals which can all be seen in this garden of
nature. On the way the scenery rapidly changes from forests
to meadows. Thousands of birds fly overhead amongst them
magnificent white storks which nest in this area.
• www.greenways.pl/index.php?content&id=32&lang=pl •
• www.suwalszczyzna.pl/pol_ver/pol05.htm • vt
International trails
[63]
There are several international cycling trails crossing Poland
including the longest, R 1. This International Cycling Route
starts in Calais, France and wends its way through Belgium,
Holland, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
to Saint Petersburg in Russia. During 675 km of its length
it joins up with the best cycling trails in northern Poland.
• www.greenways.pl/index.php?content&id=4&lang=pl •
[60]
63
[61]
[62]
[62]
[63]
[61]
22
23
64
Off-road
Włodawa
off-road and on stony ground
[64a]
Off-road
Masuria
‘Off-road’ doesn’t mean a way of spending time
after hours – it’s a lifestyle. Driving on roads full of
potholes into difficult, inaccessible regions but in beautiful countryside or participating in rallies are only
some of the highlights of this popular sport using all
terrain, 4x4 vehicles and GPS technology. In a way
this is the fulfillment of the ‘Easy Rider’ dream. There
are plenty of areas for terrain driving with clubs and
organizers of off-road expeditions. You should keep in
mind however that off-road driving is not permitted
everywhere. Sometimes obtaining permission is necessary, especially in protected nature zones.
• www.polskioffroad.com •
• www.adventure-sky.pl/offroad.php •
Świętokrzyskie
Mountains
off-road and on stony ground
Świętokrzyskie Mountains [65]
The Świętokrzyskie Mountains, located almost in the middle
of Poland, are the central point on off-road maps. Expeditions
on difficult tracks in the Kielce area and hard mountain crossings can be coupled with visits to historical sites in the region
which boasts a very ancient culture.
66
[6]
Close to Włodawa in Polesie
[66]
(Polesie Lubelskie)
The annual, `International Off-Road Car Rally IPA offroad Poland‘, is organized in the Hanna Commune in the
W³odawa District (Lubelskie Voivodeship). The event is organized by the Mazovian Voivodeship Group of the International Police Association (IPA). The competition is attended
by experienced and beginner drivers of competitive off-road
cars, standard tourist cars and quads. Navigation driving,
trial tests and time driving trials are part of the competition.
• www.wlodawa.eu/?p=948 •
Masuria [64]
The lowland routes in Masuria are surprisingly
difficult. Apart from asphalt roads, forest roads and
roads along lakes and rivers there are swamp crossings
and steep uphill trails. Popular off-road routes start in
well-known tourist towns: Mrągowo, Pisz, Szczytno,
Gizycko and Ełk.
• www.polskioffroad.com •
24
25
67
On horseback
Polish people love horses ... horse-riding mountain trails
[68]
Horses have a particular place in Polish culture
and tradition: they are treated as ‘friends and partners’ and are very popular animals. Stables are located
from the Sudetes to the Baltic Sea also in the vicinity
of Gdańsk, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw.
Equestrian centers all have different breeds: from tiny
ponies and graceful Huculs to pure blood Arab and
English horses. They organize horse-back riding courses,
gymkhanas or western cow boy film style meetings.
Periodic equestrian events enjoy great popularity:
rodeos in Western City near Kozia Skała (Karpacz
area) in August, the Indian Summer in Puszczykowo (near Poznań), bathing with horses in lakes
and night treks in the Masuria National Park. Each
year on November 3, on St. Hubertus Day – the
patron of hunters – horse riding events called ‘fox
hunt’ are organized.
• http://holidays.staypoland.com/poland-horseback-riding.htm •
• www.equinetourism.co.uk/worldwidehorseholidays/poland.asp •
Sudeten
Equestrian
Trail
Chodowiecki
Equestrian
Trail
On horseback
Augustów
Forest
by lakes and through forests
Bieszczady
Mountains
The Equestrian Trail in Augustów Forest
[70]
(north-east Poland)
This trail joins two national parks: Biebrza National Park
and Wigry National Park. It starts in a forester’s lodge in
Grzędy and runs through meadows and forests and the most
beautiful winter and summer landscapes of the Suwałki
region, Augustów and Wigry National Park. Length: 246 km.
• www.suwalszczyzna.net/suwalszczyzna.html&lang=en •
• www.stajniazascianek.pl/rajdykonne.html •
[69]
Daniel Chodowiecki Equestrian Trail
[71]
(northern Poland)
In 1773 Daniel Chodowiecki (Gdańsk, 1726 - 1801), prominent graphic and artist, chancellor of the Berlin Fine Arts
Academy, traveled for over 60 days on horseback from Berlin to
Gdańsk. During his journey he jotted down drawings, described
the people, events and landscapes. They were published as
an album, ‘Daniel Chodowiecki’s diary from the journey to
Gdańsk in 1773’. The Chodowiecki route was transformed
into a horse trail from Gdańsk to Krag. It is divided into 12
sections on the sea shore between boarding houses where you
can stay overnight and enjoy the delicacies of the local cuisine,
rent horses, carriages and a guide. Length of the trail: 274 km;
daily sections: 11 to 26 kilometers.
• www.konie.biz •
• www.konno.bigm.pl
horse-riding mountain trails
Bieszczady Mountains
[67]
(south-eastern Poland)
Stay in the saddle enthusiasts appreciate the Bieszczady
Mountains for the wonderful landscapes, mountain trails and
those extraordinary ponies called Huculs. The Bieszcaady National Park is the only strictly protected nature reserve where
mountain equestrian tourism is allowed on marked trails.
In the summer season (May through September) equestrian
meetings are organized regularly – 2 to 6 days long. The Bieszczady trails are over 150 km long.
• www.bieszczady.net.pl/konie.php •
• www.wrota.podkarpackie.pl/pl/turystyka/aktywna/konna •
Huculs – a strong and gentle pony
[68]
This is a mountain pony, bred in the austere climate of
the eastern Carpathians. They have an iron constitution and
a tough but gentle character. They are often used in therapy.
The surmount obstacles higher than themselves (140 cm) and
are champions of mountain expeditions. They are known for
their intelligence and caution: they can find their way home
in the biggest blizzard and before they step onto a footbridge
over a mountain creek they tap the logs with their hoofs to
check if the bridge is solid.
Sudeten Equestrian Trail
[69]
(Sudetes Mountains, south-west Poland)
This route is over 360 kilometers long from Lądek Zdrój to
Karpacz through picturesque valleys and passes in the Sudetes
Mountains. There are 13 mountain horse tourism hostels en
route where excellent food and comfortable accommodation
are waiting for travelers. One, or a few days excursions are
often organized on the trail.
• www.western.one.pl/nowa/drukuj.php?nid=19 •
26
[70]
[70]
[68]
[69]
71
[7]
[71]
[67]
[67]
27
72
Cz. Hańcza
Masuria
Rospuda
Krutynia
Drawa
On and under water
gentle rivers
Białka
[77]
Over 4 800 kilometers of Polish rivers are used as
water routes. Gentle lowland rivers unfold before the
eyes of kayakers, the ribbon of their crystal clear current
winding through avenues of trees and reeds bending over
the water. Wild and insubordinate mountain rivers flow
where they want to, crashing over granite rocks. Traveling
on these rivers is always an adventure, sometimes mild,
other times wild.
On and under water
Biebrza
”bird river”
bird river
Dunajec
bird river
[78]
The Biebrza River and its backwaters is a paradise
for bird enthusiasts who come here from all over the
world. The trail is situated in the Biebrza National
Park. It winds by beaver and elk refuges and countless
colourful flocks of aquatic, migratory and non-migratory birds. The Biebrza Trail passes through swamps
and the backwoods which facilitates bird watching. The
Biebrza River countryside – beautiful at all times of the
day. Length from Lipsk to the Biebrza confluence with
the Narew River: 145 km, daily sections: up to 14 km.
• www.agrobiebrza.a3.pl •
• www.tratwy.pl •
• www.splywy.pl/biebrza •
[73]
gentle rivers
[72]
[74]
[75]
[76]
Krutynia River
[72]
This river is the most beautiful kayaking trail in Europe.
It meanders between moraine hills, passes through 17 lakes
and the thickets of Piska Forest. Rare bird species are a special
feature of the trail. Curious black storks fly close to the kayaks
as ravens, cormorants and cranes soar above your head. There
are numerous hostels in the region offering comfortable accommodation and delicious regional dishes with the local specialty:
European White Fish. Time needed to complete the route: up
to 8 days, length: 100 km; daily sections: 10-24 km.
• www.splywy.pl/krutynia • www.krutynia.com.pl •
Mountain rivers and wild rivers
Dunajec, a river with character
[79]
On the international six-point scale of white water rivers
(WW), the River Dunajec is rated at the 3rd level of difficulty. Its strong current cuts through granite rocks and sculpts
picturesque ravines. Sometimes it flows as it likes with a mountaineer’s contrariness and robustness.
• www.naszewyprawy.net •
• www.flisacy.com.pl •
• www.adventure-sky.pl •
Down the Black Hańcza River
[73]
One of the most picturesque kayaking trails consists of two
stages: rafting on the Black Hańcza River and the Augustów
Channel. The trip starts on Wigry Lake. Up to Jałowy Róg
the river squeezes itself through high escarpments and flows
underneath a canopy of trees. Time needed to complete the
route: 12 days, length 110 km; daily sections: 10-12 km.
• www.splywy.pl/czarna_hancza •
choppy waves
[80]
Taking a pontoon or kayak down the Dunajec River
requires experience; this river should not be dismissed
as easy. It is best to use professional equipment and
the services of a guide. The thirteen kilometer section
of the river with a 12% drop is a real challenge for
kayakers. It is an extremely difficult natural kayaking
water-way where you need to avoid the stony banks
and rocks and fight the rushing current and waves.
However, the Dunajec River does become gentler later
when it passes through Chorshtyn Lake, Sromowce
Niżne and the Pieniny National Park where it forms a
picturesque ravine.
On the Rospuda River
[74]
The three day kayaking trip on the Rospuda River requires
experience. It is difficult where the river enters Augustów Forest
as it rushes like a mountain torrent and the way is hindered by
waterfalls, fallen trees and rocks. The route is beautiful and
mysterious. Strong sensations guaranteed. Length: 80 km,
daily sections: up to 12 km.
• www.splywy.pl/rospuda •
On a Highland raft
[81]
The oldest, longest and most beautiful mountain
kayaking trail on the Dunajec River is 15 km long
with a decline of almost 40 meters. During a two and
a half hour long trip on rafts the Dunajec will generously offer you unexpected sensations and picturesque
views. Cutting through rock walls rising 300 meters
above the water the river turns on itself seven times
and sometimes it is hard to say in which direction the
raft is going. As you marvel at the views listen to the
stories which the Flis don’t try to keep to themselves.
They are as great storytellers as they are helmsmen.
The Great Masurian Lakes Route [75]
One of the longest trails in Europe crossing the biggest
Polish lake – Śniardwy, the insignificantly smaller Mamry
and Niegocin lakes and ribbon lakes, Nidzkie, Bełdany and
Tałty. Length: 111 km, time needed to complete the route:
around 10 days.
• www.splywy.pl • http://mazury.info.pl/uslugizegl.html •
Riding the Drawa River current
[76]
The water way on this lowland river will charm everyone.
Great backwaters, numerous twists and turns, tree trunks and
thick reeds form the stunning scenery unfolding from Krzywe
Lake in the post-glacial Five Lake Valley, through several
lakes in the Drawa Lake District and the Drawa National
Park. Length: 173 km.
• www.kajakowe.com.pl • www.jermak.com •
The Augustów Channel [77]
A two-day trip on the 35-km long section of the Augustów
Channel from Rygole to Augustów is an exceptional adventure. The trail leads through Augustów Forest, the forest lakes
of the Augustów Lake District and around 18 dams – historical engineering sites. Each dam is a masterpiece of construction from over 170 years ago and still functioning faultlessly.
• www.kajaki-biwaki.pl • www.kajaki.forma-t.com.pl/czh_03.html •
• www.szekla.pl • www.necko.pl/splywy.html •
• www.splywy.net • www.suwalszczyzna.pl/pol_ver/pol06.htm •
28
82
[79]
[79]
[80]
[81]
Białka, proud queen of the mountains
[82]
Białka in the Tatra Mountains is a crystal clear
river, alluring and haughty as a queen of the mountains. It is the most difficult mountain kayaking waterway in Poland - WW IV-IV+ and is accessible only
to skilled kayakers with good equipment. Mountain
kayakers usually choose the section from Jaworinka
(Jurgów) to Czarna Góra, full of high ravines, rocky
shores and shallows. Here in July the annual Mountain Kayaking School camps take place. Białka River
is navigable only seasonally. It is most difficult and
challenging after abundant rain fall and in Spring
when the snows in the high passes of the Tatra Mountains begin to melt.
29
83
Adventure in the wind
Szczecin Bay
Dąbie Lake
Gdańsk Bay
Masuria
Drawsko
Lakeland
Adventure in the wind
Powidzkie Lake
Under sails made of clouds
[83]
Masuria, land of a thousand lakes
[83]
Picturesque lakes surrounded by forest-covered shores
are connected by natural and artificial canals into one
of Europe’s longest inland sailing route – The Great
Masurian Lakes Trail. The route flows through the
largest lake in Poland – Śniardwy Lake (distance end to
end: 22 km, breadth: 13 km). Many yachtsmen set out
at dawn the wind filling their sails, as the first rays of
the sun reflect on the water. Besides these well known
and popular Masurian sailing routes there are mysterious
and rarely visited spots such as the Zamordejski headland
on Nidzkie Lake or Skanał Bay on Tałty Lake where the
best views are at dawn and dusk. There is much entertainment waiting for sailors in the hostels after the cruise
has finished, entertainment in yachting style.
• http://zagle.mazury.info/portalik.php?lang=pl •
• www.mazury.com.pl •
• http://czartery.prv.pl •
Under sails made of clouds
Drawsko Lakeland sparkling ribbons of lakes [86]
(Middle Pomerania)
A land for devotees of nature and serenity. Here you
will find your silence, your niche among the post-glacial
ribbon lakes and 200 meter high moraines. The largest
lakes in the Drawsko region (surface 1871 ha, depth to
80 m) are Lubie, Pile, Siecino, Komorze, Wilczkowo
and Trzesiecko, all ideal for yachting. However, before
setting off, make sure you have a yacht with a hinged,
collapsible mast to get under the many low bridges over
the narrow channels joining some of the lakes.
• www.jeziorodrawsko.com/zeglarstwo.html •
• www.jarmak.pl •
[83]
88
[86]
[86]
[87]
[83]
[83]
[83]
[85]
30
Western Pomerania, from a lake to the sea [84]
Western Pomerania is very popular with sailing
enthusiasts for its many navigable reservoirs. Start on
a lake and finish at the sea, sailing from Dąbie Lake,
through Szczecin Bay into the Baltic Sea. In Trzebież
on Szczecin Bay in the Main Sailing Center there is a
famous sailing school.
• www.coz.com.pl •
• http://zalewszczecinski.net •
Dąbie Lake a boating labyrinth [85]
Only skilled sailors and helmsmen can cruise Dąbie
Lake. It is small, short, up to 4 m deep and has troublesome waves reaching 1.5 meters. An added hindrance
are the fishing nets sometimes spread over large areas.
In this labyrinth of fishing nets, with a strong wind
and gentle waves, tacking can be a great pleasure, but
only for older sea dogs.
• www.dabie.pl •
• http://marinas.pl/akweny/jezioro-dabie •
• www.polskieszlaki.pl//jezioro-dabie-w-szczecinie.htm •
Gdańsk Bay
[87]
(Pomerania)
This Bay on the Baltic Sea is visited every summer
by thousands of yachtsmen and windsurfers. Sandy
coasts (no stones or rocks) along the entire shoreline of
the Bay present favourable conditions for yachting and
boating. There are ports located in a relatively small
area: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot and many well known
health resorts as well as fishing docks: Hel, Jastarnia,
Puck and Rewa. In most of them it is possible to launch
boats from trailers on the quay.
• www.port21.pl/czartery/article_245.html •
• www.blekitnypiotrus.pl/?idk=21&ido=215 •
Greater Poland
Powidzkie Lake
[88]
This crystal clear lake is a vast post-glacial ribbon (surface:
1175 ha) within the Powidzki Landscape Park. The bed of
the lake and the crayfish strolling there can be seen at a depth
of 5 m. There are boating enthusiasts who spend their every
spare moment here. They arrive from the furthest corners of
the country and sail at dawn along the shores covered with
forests, pick mushrooms, catch some fish and have a delicious breakfast amidst the rushes and reeds in this nature’s
garden paradise.
• www.jezioropowidzkie.pl •
• www.yachtcharter.republika.pl •
[83]
[83]
31
89
Wolin
Adventure in the wind
www.otmuchow.pl
[90]
Mountain sailing [89]
In southern Poland, amidst hills and mountains, behind
dams on mountain rivers, there are beautiful artificial lakes.
On many of them you will be sailing in the shadows of giant
mountains: Otmuchowskie Lake in the Sudetes foothills, Nysa
Kłodzka River (length: 6 km, breadth: 3 km), Żywieckie Lake
in the Small Beskids Mountains, Soła River (length: 8 km)
and Czorsztyn Lake in the Pieniny Mountains.
• www.niedzicazamek.pl/atrakcje.html •
• www.wczasy-neptun.pl/info.php •
Adventure in the wind
Masuria
Otmuchowskie
Lake
Czorsztyn
Lake
Żywieckie
Solina
Lake
Lake
Mountain sailing
[89]
Hel
Peninsula
/ Puck Bay
On board with the wind
91
On board with the wind
[91]
You can practice windsurfing everywhere in Poland where
there are yachting centers and the Great Masurain Lakes are
top of the list. On the western shore of the Baltic Sea there
are favourable conditions for windsurfing on the southern
and northern side of Wolin Island located on the borders
between Poland and Germany. Strong western winds are
prevalent in this area.
Puck Bay, separated from the Baltic Sea by the Hel Peninsula (a 34 km long, narrow sandy isthmus) is the capital of
summer sports. Its inner bay, the Small Sea, has a surface of
104 square kilometers and is up to 9 m in depth. Temperate
water, low waves, dominant westerly winds along the shore
creates ideal conditions for windsurfing.
• www.windsurfing.odszkodowania-24.net •
[89]
The capital of mountain sailing
[90]
Solina Lake (Eastern Beskids) is considered to be the
capital of mountain sailing. Fancifully shaped shorelines (over
160 km), small capes, impressive peninsulas, hidden bays,
picturesque islands covered with forests, form a water reservoir with changeable wind conditions: storms and sudden
calms. These are the perfect conditions for mountain sailing.
Length of the lake: 25 km, breadth: to 2.5 km, average depth:
35 m (maximum 60 m). In some of the yachting and health
resorts around Solina Lake there are well-developed service
points (boat rental), restaurants and hotels.
And in the evenings you can hear the murmur of voices
from around camp fires, a distant disco and pub, all to the
aroma of grilled local fish.
• www.wrota.podkarpackie.pl/pl/turystyka/atrakcje/solina •
• www.port21.pl/czartery/article_547.html •
• www.zacumuj.pl/region.php?rid=3 •
[3]
www.fotoart.pl
www.fotoart.pl
photo P. Olejnik
[90]
photo P. Olejnik
[90]
www.fotoart.pl
photo P. Olejnik
32
33
92
Adventure in the wind
Sailing with a kite
Sailing with a kite
[92]
Kitesurfing offers unlimited possibilities for having
enormous fun in water and the air. This fad, fashionable
not only among young people, is a combination of a mini
surfing board with a kite and provides many moments of
pure delight. Looking at people gliding 10 m above the
water, hanging from lines attached to a kite it is hard not
to be a little jealous. These are people with wings. People
on a journey.
One of the best places for kitesurfing is Rewa Bay near
Gdynia. It is a sheltered location where the wings of a kite
can be spread in safety.
• www.kitesurfing.pl •
Hel Peninsula
Puck Bay
Rewa Bay
Great Masurian
Lakes
Adventure in the wind
Sailing on ice
93
Sailing on ice [93]
Ice-yachts
Winter yachting on ice using ice-boats (yachts on ice skates)
is gaining an increasing number of enthusiasts. People love this
sport for its speed. Champions reach over 100 km per hour. In
fact anyone can be a champion especially on the Great Masurian Lakes where in Giżycko, Węgorzewo or Mikołajki the
conditions are excellent and the traditions of this sport go back
a long way. The lakes freeze in December and safe ice lasts
until April. Apart from traditional ice-boats you can try out
new some of the inventions: iceflyer – an ice-boat with windsurfing sail and iceboard – a windsurfing board on ice skates.
• www.bojery.pl • http://bojery.mazury.info.pl/bojery •
Better for you than sex or cigarettes
It’s a great way of losing weight. You just need 2 to 4 days
depending on the wind to learn how to kitesurfing. After you’ll
never think again about any other sport or ways of spending
your spare time. You just have to check the weather forecast
and the strength of the wind on your favourite beach before
every weekend and holidays.
The Hel Peninsula offers many professional places to learn
this sport and to put it into practice. At 500 m from the beach
the water is at waist level. Here you will feel very safe enabling
you to learn how to windsurf and kitesurf very quickly.
• www.SurfPoint.pl • www.boardandkite.pl •
• www.ekolaguna.com.pl • www.kitecenter.pl •
• www.kiteakademia.pl • www.kite.pl •
• www.wake.pl •
34
35
94
Baltic Sea
Underwater
let’s go down to the bottom of the sea
Hel
Gdynia
Hańcza
Lake
Łańskie
Lake
Czarnogłowy
Lake
www.nurkomania.pl
[95]
www.underwater.pl
[94]
let’s go down to the bottom of the lake
Jaworzno-Szczakowa
Tatra Mountains
[97]
Underwater
Białe
Filipowskie
Lake
[97]
Miętusia Cave
[95]
www.nurkomania.pl
www.nurkomania.pl
The Baltic Sea
[94]
The Baltic is a difficult and demanding sea for divers.
Huge waves, strong currents and rapidly changing conditions underwater require experience and good security
measures. Numerous ship wrecks scattered on the sea
bottom are a reminder of World War II. They are also a
frequent destination of underwater excursions. Gdańsk
Bay has over 200 wrecks in its depths – and that’s only at
the entrances to the harbours in Gdańsk and Gdynia. You
can dive to those which are not used by the Polish Navy.
Close to the Hel Peninsula rests the wreck of the
warship, ORP ‘Groźny’. The over 30-meter-long wreck
is at 18 meters lying on its starboard side. With the good
visibility and modest sea currents it is an excellent location
for first-time divers. Expeditions are organized by professionals from several wreck diving centers in Hel, Gdynia,
Władysławowo, Łeba and Kołobrzeg.
• www.exstream.com.pl • www.hotdive.com •
• www.nurkomania.pl • www.kdp-pttk.org.pl •
• www.scubadiving.pl • www.underwater.pl •
Diving in a mine
[97]
Jaworzno-Szczakowa (80 km west of Krakow)
An artificial reservoir has been formed in an old opencast
dolomite mine. There are two giant mining diggers under the
water forming an underground obstacle course.
Diving here requires experience and can be performed only
with instructors from the Diving Center at this popular reservoir.
Czarnogłowy Lake
(Szczecin Lake District)
The lake (surface 36 ha) is situated in a flooded opencast
silicate mine. It is 40 m deep. The bottom of the lake drops
vertically and an underwater forest of trees between which
only courageous divers swim, can be seen in the emerald water.
On the steep shores of the lake you can find traces of Jurassic
fauna, fossil brachiopods, snails and sea urchins.
www.underwater.pl
[97]
www.nurkomania.pl
www.nurkomania.pl
[94]
www.underwater.pl
Białe Filipowskie Lake [98]
(near Suwałki, north-western Poland)
A mountain, crystal clear lake in the lowlands. This is a lake
for those who need to dive in quiet places where only anglers
and colourful aquatic birds are encountered. This post-glacial
lake has a steep shore line making it easy to descend. A private
diving school is located nearby. Length: 3 km, breadth: max
700 meters, average depth 17 m.
• www.nurkomania.pl/nurkowisko_biale_filipowskie.htm •
[95]
www.underwater.pl
www.nurkomania.pl
In the darkness of mountain caves
[96]
Diving in caves is an extreme sport, accessible to only a few.
A cave diver must be highly resistant to stress and undergo long
training in all the skills needed in this discipline.
The best spots for cave diving are found in the Tatra
Mountains (southern Poland): Miętusia Cave (siphons up to
70 meters deep), Snieżna Studnia (the Snow Well Cave) up to
33 m, Wielka Śnieżna Cave (to 15 m), Kasprowa Niżna Cave
(to 24 m) and Bystra Cave (to 28 m).
www.underwater.pl
In crystal clear lakes
[95]
The temperature below the thermocline (depth 9 m) is 4 °C
in Polish lakes in summer. It is best, therefore, to dive in lakes
in warm, dry diving suits and not in wet suits.
98
www.nurkomania.pl
Hańcza Lake
(Suwałki Lake District, north-eastern Poland)
In the deepest Polish lake (over 108 m) with crystal clear
water (visibility to 30 m) there are underwater rock walls with
tiny caves inhabited by burbots – a fish with a ‘mustache’. The
reservoir is for experienced divers only.
www.nurkomania.pl
Łańskie Lake
(Rybaki, Olsztyn Lake District)
The lake, located in the vicinity of resorts, is very pure
and is up to 50 m deep. Under the careful eye of instructors
you can dive from the shore, a boat and participate in exciting night diving.
www.nurkomania.pl
36
www.nurkomania.pl
www.nurkomania.pl
[8]
www.underwater.pl
www.nurkomania.pl
37
99
A bird’s eye view & a pilot’s perspective
lighter than air
In the mountains and hills of southern Poland –
Sudetes, Beskids and Tatra mountains – there are excellent conditions for aerial sports: gliding, hang gliding,
paragliding and parachuting. The scenery is beautiful
and the air is fresh as you float down gently. There are
aero club airfields belonging to training centers in the
various disciplines in many towns in the foothills. In
central and northern Poland (Masuria, Pomerania and
Greater Poland) the gentle hills and good thermals guarantee first-rate flying for experienced and beginner pilots.
Polish glider pilots have won the highest awards in
international competitions with light-craft pilots for
many years world champions in precision flying. Many
of them work at aero club airfields which offer scenic
flights and flying courses. A flight with a world champion – it’s worth a try.
• www.azl.pl • www.lotnie.pl •
• www.aeroklubpolski.pl/aerokluby_regionalne •
lighter than air
Szybowcowa Mountain [99]
(561 m, Karkonosze Mountains, near Jelenia Góra)
The mountain from which a panoramic view of the Jelenia
Góra Valley spreads is a place where many flying events and
glider, paraglider and hang glider meetings are held, with
excellent conditions for aerial sports – the famous ‘Karkonosze
wave’, strong thermals, lee waves, ridge lifts, above the Sudetes
Mountains. On the slopes of Szybowcowa Mountain there are
good conditions for launching and landing for beginners and
experienced airmen. The season lasts from May to September.
• www.srebrna-gora.pl •
www.lotnie.pl
Gdańsk
Bay
Szybowcowa
Mountain
Bieszczady
Żar
Mountains
Mountain
Masuria
Kisajno Lake
A bird’s eye view & a pilot’s perspective
falling in tandem
Zemborzycki Bay
www.ParasailingCenter.pl
falling in tandem [102]
To start your adventure with parachuting you don’t need
to have the skills of a jet pilot. Almost anyone can jump with
a parachute (the first time with the assistance of an experienced instructor). You need to meet certain requirements
and complete a short training course at one of the numerous
airfields at aero clubs in Poland with these services.
Żar Mountain [100]
(761 m, Żywiec Beskids Mountains)
Żar Mountain in the vicinity of the Żywieckie and
Międzybrodzkie mountain lakes and Żywiec Beskids guarantees excellent conditions for aerial sports. There are foot
launch areas for hang gliders on the mountains to the west
and to the north. One of the best known and popular glider
training centers in Poland is situated here. Many aviation
clubs use their services when organizing courses and events
for enthusiast of sailing the skies.
• http://lotniczapolska.pl/Zar-kolebka-polskiego-szybownictwa,142 •
The Bieszczady Mountains [101]
and surrounding areas
The lay of the land here favours gliding, hang gliding and
paragliding. Courses for gliders pilots and parachutists are
organized at airfields belonging to aero clubs in Krosno and
Brzemiechowa. Parachutists often jump with a drop zone
over the nearby Solina Mountain Lake. This area has been
chosen not only for its favorable weather conditions but also
for the magnificent views of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains where the borders of three countries meet: Poland,
Slovakia and Ukraine.
• www.aeroklub-podkarpacki.pl • www.7fly.pl •
102
www.ParasailingCenter.pl
www.ParasailingCenter.pl
Pleasure parachute flights pulled by speed boats,
terrain vehicles or quads may be excellent preparation for parachute jumps. Popular pulled-parachuting
centers can be found in Sopot and other towns in the
Bay of Gdańsk, in Masuria, by Kisajno Lake and near
Lublin at Zemborzycki Bay.
• www.lotniskoketrzyn.pl •
• www.parasailingcenter.pl •
• www.parasail.pl •
• www.skyadventure.pl •
• http://skydiveatmosfera.com •
• www.skokispadochronowe.com.pl •
www.ParasailingCenter.pl
www.ParasailingCenter.pl
38
39
Practical information
Air
Republic of Poland
Area: 312,000 sq km. Location: Central Europe. Poland borders on Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Its northern border – 500 km long – runs along the Baltic Sea coast. Population:
38,000,000. Flag: White and red. Official language: Polish. Capital city: Warsaw. Other major cities: Łódź, Krakow,
Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin, Katowice, Lublin. Climate: Temperate, the average temperature in July is
19°C (67°F), but there are many summer days when temperatures rise to 30°C (86°F). The best time of the year
for practising winter sports is between January and March.
Public holidays and work-free days
Non working days are Saturdays, Sundays, and the following holidays: New Year’s Day (Jan. 1st), the Easter (Easter
Sunday and Monday are moveable holidays), Labour Day (May 1st), the anniversary of the Constitution of May
Third (May 3rd), Corpus Christi (Thursday, movable feast), Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15th), All Saint’s Day
(Nov. 1st), National Independence Day (Nov. 11th), Christmas Holidays (Dec. 25th and 26th).
Where to stay?
All hotels are classified and their categories range from inexpensive to luxurious.
• Rooms can be booked by telephone or Internet: www.discover-poland.pl, www.hotelsinpoland.com,
www.polhotels.com, www.hotelspoland.com, www.polhotel.pl, www.warsawshotel.com,
www.visit.pl, www.orbisonline.pl, www.pph.com.pl
• Many historic and old buildings (palaces, castles, manors, mills) have been adapted for tourist purposes
tel. +(48-22) 628 14 78, +48 880 857 287, tel./fax +(48 22) 646 91 50, www.wwz.pl,
www.leisure-heritage.pl, www.hhpoland.pl
• Booking of rural B&B accommodations: tel. +(48-52) 398 14 34, mobile +(48-602) 459 137,
www.agritourism.pl, www.agroturystyka.pl, federgg@wp.pl
• Youth hostels: tel. +(48-22) 849 81 28, fax 849 83 54, www.ptsm.org.pl
• Camping: tel./fax +(48-22) 810 60 50, www.pfcc.info
• Polish Tourist Country Lovers’ Association: www.pttk.pl
How to Pay?
The Polish currency is the zloty (PLN). You can pay using other currencies e.g. Euro, after you have come to an
agreement with the vendor, but this is not always the case. Most transactions are done in zloty. Money can be
changed at banks or exchange counters (Kantor). Credit cards are accepted in most shops and for services in
the whole of Poland. Cash dispensers of the different banks are available 24/24 in cities and towns. The official
money is the zloty divided into 100 groszy. Polish money is in circulation as coins and banknotes. Coins: 1, 2, 5,
10, 20, 50 groszy and 1, 2, 5 zloty. Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zlotys.
www.lot.com
There are airports in Poland in the following cities: Warsaw, Krakow, Gdańsk, Katowice, Łodź, Poznań, Rzeszów,
Szczecin, Wrocław and Bydgoszcz. LOT Polish Airlines is Poland’s national carrier. In order to find the necessary
information, all travellers planning to come to Poland and move around the country by air should visit the
LOT website: www.lot.com. In addtition, several other carriers, including budget airlines such as Easy Jet –
www.easyjet.com, Germanwings – www.germanwings.com, WizzAir – www.wizzair.com, Ryanair –
www.ryanair.com, Norwegian – www.norwegian.no, Aer Lingus – www.aerlingus.com, Jet2
– www.jet2.com
Train
Love at first flight
Poland has a well-developed rail network. Major Polish cities are interconnected by Intercity express trains
running between European cities. The national railway network is administered and serviced by the Polish State
Railways (PKP). All necessary information can be found on the PKP website: www.pkp.pl, www.intercity.pl,
www.rozklad-pkp.pl and tel. +48 42 194 36
Make yourself comfortable and enjoy Polish
hospitality onboard. LOT Polish Airlines
offer you convenient connections and a modern
fleet as well as exquisite cuisine and top quality
service. Experience the real pleasure of flying and
discover Poland. Check our offer at www.lot.com
Bus
Any place in Poland can be easily reached on the extensive network of national and local roads. Coach services
are operated throughout the year by state and private bus companies across the country.
Taxi
Taxi stands are marked with the TAXI sign. Taxis are best be booked by telephone. Higher rates are charged
for travel out of city limits, on Sundays and holidays; a special night fare is applied between 10 pm and 6 am.
Traffic regulations
These are compatible with the regulations in EU countries. The relevant speed limits on Polish roads are: 50 km/h
for all vehicles in built-up areas; 90 km/h on lane roads; 110 km/h on expressways; 130 km/h on motorways;
Headlights must be switched on at all times while driving.
Useful telephone numbers
Nationwide toll-free 24 hour emergency phone numbers are: Ambulance 999, Fire Brigade 998, Police 997.
Mobile Phone Assistance 112, Tourists can use the following emergency number during the summer season:
0-800 200 300, +48-608 599 999.
Customs regulations
Customs rules and procedures are similar to those prevailing in the majority of EU countries. Detailed information
is available from the Ministry of Finance, tel. +(48-22) 694 31 94, www.mf.gov.pl
Pensjonat UROCZYSKO ZABOREK 21-505 Janów Podlaski tel. 0 83 341 30 68 pensjonat@zaborek.com.pl www.zaborek.com.pl
The industrial monuments route
of the silesian voivodship
POT_ENG.indd 1
w w w. p o l a n d . t r a v e l
An invitation to experience the extraordinary adventure
of The Industrial Monuments Route Of The Silesian Voivodeship.
The trail comprises 32 selected facilities
of exceptional historic and architectural interest,
which in the previous centuries were milestones
of industrial revolution. Industrialisation that began
in the 18th century changed the face of Silesia.
The towers of mine shafts and foundry furnaces
and later power station chimneys became a permanent
feature of the landscape. A reminder of those times
are the numerous industrial monuments scattered across
the whole region. The Route is an interesting display
of attractions for visitors to this region.
w w w. g o s i l e s i a . p l
certified by
polish tourist organisation
Silesia.
Positive energy
7/6/09 5:20:11 PM