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Early Payment Discount !
Early Payment Discount on Daily Rental Rates on all products!
If you book and pay in full by 10th September 2010
Only Available for bookings valued over $1,000
(Offer only applies if you pay by Bank Transfer, Cheque or Cash)
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* Terms & Conditions apply, please contact us for details.
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Poland Information
Poland (Polish: Polska), is a large country in Central Europe. It has a long Baltic Sea coastline and is bordered by Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Regions
Central Poland (Lódzkie, Mazowieckie, Wielkopolskie, and Kujawsko-Pomorskie)
A varied landscape and the location of Europe's largest natural forest, profusion of wildlife, bird-watcher's paradise, inland dunes, the enormous cityscapes of Warsaw and Lódz.
Northern Poland (Pomeranian (Pomorskie), Warmian-Masurian (Warminsko-Mazurskie), and West Pomeranian (Zachodnipomorskie))
Home to Poland's attractive seaside; sandy beaches with dunes and cliffs; lakes, rivers and forests.
Western Poland (Lubuskie, Lower Silesian (Dolnoslaskie), and Opolskie)
Eastern Poland (Podlaskie and Lublin (Lubelskie))
Southern Poland (Malopolskie, Silesian (Slaskie), Subcarpathian (Podkarpackie), and Swietokrzyskie)
Home to spectacular mountains, the world's oldest operating salt mines, fantastic landforms in jurassic limestone, caves, historical monuments and cities.
Cities
There are a lot of big cities in Poland that are worth seeing. Most of them have a flourishing medieval history.
* Warsaw - the biggest city and capital of Poland as well as Mazowieckie is one of the most historical and important cities in Europe and has become one of the EU's thriving new business centers. The old town has been rebuild according to classicist paintings of Canalletto after World War II.
* Kraków - second biggest city in Poland and capital of Malopolskie and the most popular Polish city, "cultural capital" of Poland and the country's third capital during its early formative years of the Middle Ages. For years considered by Poles to be the most beautiful city in their country - in modern times Krakow became one of the largest tourism centers in Europe with millions of tourists from around the world annually. Historical center, countless ancient monuments, the largest European medieval market-place (with free WiFI); plenty of magical pubs and cafes; Nowa Huta district - unique entirely planned and built socialist-realist city; great starting point for trips of any kind.
* Gdansk - the biggest city in and capital of Pomorskie, one of the most beautiful European cities. Although it was destroyed in World War II, it has been perfectly rebuilt. The city is a good departure point to the many sea resorts along the north coast.
* Torun - one of the capitals of Kujawsko-Pomorskie and after Kraków the city with the most sites to visit in Poland. It is famous for its son Nicolaus Copernicus and the its medival gingerbread called katarzynki.
* Wroclaw - the biggest city in and capital of Dolnoslaskie a perfect mixture of Gothic and baroque architecture, it was also destroyed and successfully rebuilt. It has more bridges than any other European town except Hamburg (2500), Venice, Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg.
* Poznan - the biggest city and capital of Wielkopolskie and one of the first co-capitals of Poland in the 10th and 11th centuries. Well preserved monuments from that period, as well as a medieval Old Town and many monuments from later epochs. Now considered to be the Polish "business-and-banking capital" and the main Trade & Fair Centre. As well, known as a sport-supporting-city with, for example, Europe's best canoe competition track on Malta Lake, just 3 kms from the downtown.
* Szczecin - the biggest city in and capital of Zachodniopomorskie. It was one of the most important cities in Pomerania since the Middle Ages. An enormous harbour, monuments and old parks in the centre, museums, etc.
* Gdynia - a big city in Pomorskie at the Back of Gdansk with a sandy beach a huge harbour and of of the biggest aquariums in Europe.
* Bydgoszcz - the biggest city in and the capital of Kujawsko-Pomorskie at the mouth of the Brda River into the Vistula with big granadiers from the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Republic, and "Bydgoszcz channel", an important link in a water system connected via Vistula, Notec, Warta, Odra, Elbe with the Rhine and Rotterdam. Called a "Little-Berlin", becouse of the beautifu Art-Nouveau, Neo-baroque and Eclecticism architecture.
* Olsztyn - the biggest city in and capital of Warminsko-Mazurskie and historical capital of Warmia at the Lyna River with a Brick Gothic castle and a Neo-Renaissance town hall.
* Rzeszów - the biggest city in and capital of Podkarpackie at the Wislok River with a beautiful market square, underground routes beneath it and Barock castles.
* Lublin - the biggest city in and capital of Lubelskie. Has a well-preserved old town with typical Polish and, at the same time, unusual Renaissance architecture, the socalled Lublin Renaissance. Beautifull churches, old town and castle.
* Bialystok - the biggest city and capital of Podlaskie with the Branicki Palace, the Polish Versailles. Gateway to Masuria Lake District (north) and the Bialowieza Forest (south-east) nature reserve which is home to Europe's only free-roaming bison population.
* Kielce - the biggest town in Swietokrzyskie with the Baroque Krakow Bishop Palace and Renaissance castle gardens.
* Lódz - the biggest town in and capital of Lódzkie once renowned for its textile industries, the Polish Manchester has the longest walking street in Europe, the Piotrkowska Street is full of picturesque 19th-century architecture.
* Katowice - the biggest city in Slaskie and one of the largest cities in southern Poland, is the capital of the Silesia region. The city is a large coal and steel center as well as a business and trade fair center.
* Czestochowa - a big city in Slaskie is most famous for the Baroque National Shrine at Jasna Góra, one of the most important pilgram sites in the world.
* Opole - the biggest city in and capital of Opolskie at the Odra River with a Gothic Cathedral and a Neo-Renaissance town hall.
* Jelenia Góra - a big Baroque city in Dolnoslaskie at the food of the Karkonosze.
* Zielona Góra - a big city in and one of the capitals of Lubuskie, the Polish wine capital.
* Gorzów Wielkopolski - the biggest town in and one of the capitals of Lubuskie.
UNESCO World Heritage list
* Kraków and nearby cities
o Old Town and Wawel Castle in Kraków - after the ancient Kraków was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241, Boleslaus IV located the new town in the current shape with the Main Market and the straight streets. Many fine buildings, museums, theatres and restaurants are situated there.
o Wieliczka Salt Mine (actually in nearby Kraków) - the oldest still existing enterprise worldwide, founded more than 700 years ago. Once, it made the Polish kings very rich, as salt was the expensive white gold. 4.5 km of nearly 400 km of the mine can be visited. The tourist route shows the most beautiful halls and salt pieces of art made by the miners throughout the centuries.
o Auschwitz German Nazi Concentration Camp (near Krakow) - while occupying Poland, the German Nazis established the concentration camp in 1940 for Polish prisoners. From 1942 to 1945 it became the centre of the Holocaust on the European Jews.
o Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (near Kraków) - monastery in the Beskids from 1600 with a Baroque way of the Cross in the mountains
o Southern Little Poland (Malopolska near Krakow) wooden churches in the Carpathian mountains from the Middle Ages. One of the most beautiful is in Debno at Lake Czorsztyn
* Old Town in Warsaw originaly from the late Gothic and Renaissance period, destroyed during WW II by the Germans and rebuilt in the 1950s according to the 18th century drawings and paintings by Canaletto
* Old Town in Torun brick gothic town hall and churches form a unique medival panorama at the east Vistula shore. Nicolaus Copernicus was born in one of the fine Gothic houses.
* Old Town in Zamosc beautiful Renaissance town, built by Morando as the perfest Renaissance town for Hetman Jan Zamoyski for Polish, Jewish, Armenian, German, Ruthenian etc. settlers.
* Bialowieza Forest a primeval forest near Bialystok with very old trees and the last bison at large in Europe.
* Malbork Castle a beautiful huge Brick Gothic castle, the largest one in Europe.
* Jawor Peace Church and Swidnica Peace Church built only of wood and very simple exterior but overwhelming Baroque interior.
* Park of Duke Muckow in Leknica Romantique park at the Nysa River.
* People's Hall (Hala Ludowa) in Wroclaw huge hall from the beginning of the 20th century.
Countryside
The countryside throughout Poland is lovely and relatively unspoilt. Poland has a variety of regions with beautiful landscapes and small-scale organic and traditional farms. Travellers can choose different types of activities such as bird watching, cycling or horseback riding.
Culturally you can sight-see at many churches, museums, ceramic and traditional basket-making workshops, castle ruins, rural centers and many more. A journey through the Polish countryside gives you a perfect opportunity to enjoy and absorb local knowledge about its landscape and people.
Mountains
Poland has the northern part of the Carpathians and the Sudetes. Also the Swietokrzyskie Mountains, the Polish Jura belong to Poland. Smaller postglacial hills are in the North-East of Poland in the Suwalki, Masuria and Kashubia regions.
Baltic Coast
Along Poland's 500 km long coast in the Pomorskie and the Zachodniopomorskie, with sandy beaches as well as the highest dunes in Europe.
Lake districts
Just after Finland, Poland has the largest number of lakes relative to its area worldwide. The lakes of glacial origin are in the north of the country.
* Masuria is probably the most famous lake district in Central Europe with more than 3000 lakes. The most important lake resorts in Masuria are Gizycko, Mikolajki, Wegorzewo, Pisz, Ryn, Elk, Ilawa, Ostróda, and Sztynort.
* Suwalki in the east is considered by many Poles to be the most beautiful lake district. The most important lake resort in Suwalki is Augustów.
* Kashubia is also called the Kashubian Switzerland due to the hilly landscape around the lakes.
* Pomerania Lake District has many lakes connected by rivers and creeks, ideal for canoeing. The most important lake resorts in Pomerania are Szczecinek, Czaplinek, and Choszczno
* Greater Poland has many historically important lakes, because, on their islands, big settlements like Biskupin were built even before Romulus founded Rome, and the first Polish rulers built their capitals here in the early Middle Ages.
National parks
About 2 % of the Polish ground is protected in 23 national parks, most of them are in the South and East of the country, especially in Malopolskie (six) and Podlaskie (four).
Driving in Poland
Polish road network contains fewer highways, and more standard two-lane roads, than is common in western European countries; some of these roads are far below capacity for the volume of travel they're experiencing. Roads are generally well-signed but various surface defects, most notably ruts, are commonplace.
Travel between large cities is usually quite comfortable; as long as you keep by the main roads, you should get to where you want fairly easy. When travelling between smaller cities or towns, not on the main highways, you will routinely encounter slow moving vehicles, and will have to overtake them.
Poles drive aggressively: they assert their right-of-way, routinely disrespect speed limits, and overtake at less-than-safe distances. When driving in the countryside, other drivers may expect you to facilitate overtaking, by evading slightly towards the edge of the pavement (whether they're overtaking you, or sometimes when approaching from the opposite direction). This is a custom, not a law, so you are not obliged to follow it. Before you do it, make sure there is a hard shoulder and it is safe to do so.
Some peculiarities of driving in Poland include:
* Speed limits are: 50km/h in city (60km/h at night), 90km/h outside city, 10km/h more if directions are separated, 100km/h on car-only roads (white car on the blue sign), 10km/h more if directions are separated, and 130km/h on highways.
* Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence. BAC limits are: up to 0.02% - not prosecuted by law, up to 0.05% - an offence, above 0.05% - criminal offence (up to 2 years in jail). Despite the strict laws, DUI's are a serious problem in Poland. Be especially careful during (and after) national holidays and on the small roads in the countryside.
* There is no right turn at a red light. Exception is when there is green arrow signal in which case you still have to come to a complete stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic (although the stop rule is seldom respected by Polish drivers). All above does not apply if right turning traffic has separate (red-yellow-green) signals.
* On T-crossing or crossroads without traffic signs, traffic at the right always has right-of-way unless your road is a priority route, shown by a road sign displaying a yellow diamond with a white outline.
* After turning into a crossing street, driver can select any lane.
* Driving with lights on is obligatory at all times.
Some drivers flash their headlights to warn those approaching from the opposite direction of a police control nearby (you are likely to encounter this custom in many other countries). So if you see somebody flashing their headlights, it doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with your car.
In Poland you can encourage three ways of saying "thank you". More common, and what may be misleading for foreigners is using hazard lights (all indicators simultaneously) once or twice. It is beeing slowly phased out by flashing right/left/right indicator sequence or similar. Third way of saying "thank you" mainly used when letting someone do a left turn is by showing right hand.
Be aware about hazard lights - Drivers also use them as a way of showing, that vehicle is rapidly slowing down, or alredy stopped in a traffic jam on a highway.
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