"Be Still and Know that I am God"
Poland Travel Guide
The Country of Polska - Welcome to Poland Travel Guide, now part of David's Travel Guides, about the central European country of Poland. Overrun many times in the past by powerful aggressors, largely due to it's position in central Europe on the North European Plain, which has been an important trading route between east and west, north and south.
As of 1 January 2017, the population of Poland was estimated to be 38,630,559 people, 18,630,580 males, 48.2% and 19,999,979 females as of 31 December 2016. There are as many different facets to Polska as there are different types of Vodka. The most visited tourist destinations in Poland include the Tatra, Karkonosze, Stołowe and Pieniny Mountains; Białowieża Forest; Masurian Lake District and the Wolin National Park. Popular cities include Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Lublin and Toruń.
Modern Polonia, since 1989 and the end of domination by Russia, has embarked on rebuilding herself at breakneck speed with a passion that many other nations can only dream about. Just about every village, town and city in her sixteen regions known as voivodships, are actively involved in forging their way into modern Europe.
If you are planning on a visit to Poland as a tourist then a great Polish holiday is so much more than just lying on a beach or shopping until you drop, to get the most from your travel adventure to Poland you need to know where to find the right places to see and tourist information that will enable you to get the best from your visit. Poland is a country waiting for you to explore and discover its cities, towns and villages, people and culture.
The full title of the country is the Republic of Poland or in Polish, Rzeczpospolita Polska. This is a massive undertaking for one person to capture a nation the size of Poland but I will endeavor over time to populate David's Travel Guides with information about travel, tourism, geography, history, culture, aviation, the economy and many other helpful and fascinating details about the cities, towns and villages across Poland.
There are so many interesting places around the world and people that have very different customs and lifestyles. Some live in cold climates while others in hot ones and this can have a great impact on how they live and work. My, "David's Travel Guides" aim to provide an insight to these differences. One thing I have noticed about my travel through Europe is the merging of customs and especially of food (the take-away revolution of burger bars and fast food) due to the ease of travelling now, compared to say 40 years ago with the existence of low cost airlines opening up travel to millions.
If you like writing about travel or people and their customs, from around the world and would like to share it on my, "Travel Guides" you are welcome to contact me. Each place has a separate page with the same format making it easy for viewers to see the information.
A Little bit of Polish History
Poland or Polska, is an ancient nation that was created in the middle of the 10th century. Foreign agreements between 1772 and 1795 by Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Although Poland regained its independence in 1918 it found itself overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II and became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive.
Problems with the labor force in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union “Solidarity” that eventually turned into a major political force and by 1990 had held parliamentary and presidential elections. Reforms carried out in the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. This process continues to-day. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country, Poland is actively involved in many Euro-Atlantic organizations.
Polish history goes back over a 1000 years with many battles fought over territory during this period. Many of the towns and cities date back to the beginning of the nation. The current population is about 38.1 million. Four out of the ten transport trans-European network corridors run through the nation.
Located between Germany to the west and the Baltic Sea and Russia to the north with Belarus and Ukraine in the east, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south. It covers about the same physical area as the United Kingdom and Ireland, somewhere around 312,677 km, (120,727 sqm) is about 680km at its widest point and about 650km from north to south. It is about 1000 miles from the UK.
Many of the towns and cities in the Republic were destroyed during World War II, Krakow being the exception. The polish are putting a lot of energy into rebuilding their towns and cities. When I went there in October 2008, June 2009 and again in March 2010, it was very evident that construction work throughout the nation is a top priority. Clearly, the country of Polska and the polish people wish to become a great nation in Europe once again.
This European country of Poland has always been a bridge between the East and West and is cosmopolitan in its make up, due to its ever-changing borders. It’s people come from Lithuanian's, Ukrainians, Belarusian’s and Germans and they love to travel around the world. The Polish can be found in almost every country but are proud of their heritage and traditions. In the past Jews also have played their part in its history.
Its architectural heritage includes Teutonic castles, Italian Renaissance palaces, French Baroque mansions and Eastern Orthodox churches.
A national, “Flag Day” was introduced to Poland in 2004, bridging the gap between International Workers’ Day on 1 May and Constitution Day on 3 May celebrating the democratic constitution passed by Polish nobles in parliament on 3 May 1791. It was banned by the communist regime but reinstated in 1990. During the Cold War era, party functionaries were ordered to make sure that all Polish national flags were taken down on 2 May so that they would not remain aloft during the banned holiday.
Provinces of Poland
A Polish travel guide to the 16 provinces or regions of Polska, (wojewodztwa, singular wojewodztwo);
Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesia),
Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania),
Łódzkie,
Lubelskie (Lublin),
Lubuskie (Lubusz),
Małopolska (Lesser
Poland),
Mazowieckie (Masovia),
Opolskie,
Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia),
Podlaskie,
Pomorskie (Pomerania),
Śląskie (Silesia),
Świętokrzyskie,
Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria),
Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland),
Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania).
Map provided by Aotearoa
The public administration system in Poland works on the decentralization principle, which ensures that the decision making and executing processes take place at the lowest possible level and closest to the citizen.
The Polish public administration system has many common qualities with systems of other European countries but also has typical elements exclusive to the Polish nation, due to historical, social and economic reasons.
This Polish travel guide includes information on the 16 Voivodships (provinces) of Poland, 315 rural districts (Powiats), 65 municipal districts and 2,478 communes. The Provinces of Poland today are mostly named after the historical and geographical regions of the country, while those in existence prior to 1998 generally took their names from the cities on which they were centered.
A Powiat (pronounced povyat) is the second level of Polish administrative division, between Voivodships and Communes. As such it is roughly equivalent to counties or districts in the United Kingdom. There is no official equivalent of the name in English.
Some of the towns in a Voivodship can be centres of more than one powiat. The reason is that in several cases the town itself and its surroundings form separate entities of administrative division. This is usually the case for large Polish cities, but can also apply to several smaller towns.
Regional Capitals
Index of Polish Places
Below is a list of the cities, towns, and villages that are presently covered by David's Travel Guides. There are thousands of smaller places but it is impossible to cover all the locations in a large country like Poland. We would love some help to write this guide about Poland, so if you are interested please get in touch.
Tourist Information in Poland
This Polish travel guide will include details of other Tourist organisations operating in Poland. They are welcome to contact me for details on how to display their information on David's Travel Guides.
PTTK - Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society is a non-profit organisation that you will find in many places in Poland.
It is one of the oldest tourist societies in Europe and was was created by the merger of two societies: Polish Tatry Society (1873) and Polish Country Lovers Society (1906).
Official Tourist Information Centres in Poland are divided into 1*, 2*, 3* and 4* Certified and Non-Certified.
An IT Centre 1* Certified, provides information in one foreign language at a basic level and distributes free local promotional literature.
An IT Centre 2* Certified, provides information in one foreign language at a communicative level and distributes free promotional literature relating to the local and regional area. They also allow the use of a computer workstation with access to the Internet.
An IT Centre 3* Certified, should be located in the centre or near a main tourist route. It should provide information in two foreign languages at a good level and distribute free promotional literature about the local, district and regional areas. It will also allow the use of a computer workstation with access to the Internet.
An IT Centre 4* Certified, should be located in the centre or near a main tourist route, provide information in three foreign languages, distribute free promotional literature about the local, district and regional areas, also in foreign languages, and thematic material. It will also allow the use of two computer workstations with access to the Internet and the use of a multimedia kiosk that is also available outside of office hours.
All Certified Tourist Centres provide information in one or more foreign languages and have an expanded range of services as compared to the Non-Certified.
Transport in Poland
In order to explore and write articles for David's Travel Guides I have found getting around Polska is easy as it has very good transport links both internationally and internally with many airlines now flying to the country.
The railway network in Poland is improving (slowly) but the task is humongous and will take a great amount of effort and finances. Large cities and towns are beginning to update and modernise the stations but the tracks and signalling equipment will take sometime so many people in Poland still travel by bus as it is very often faster and cheaper.
The road network has seen the most development over the past few years with new roads being constructed and old routes being upgraded. A number of new motorways are under construction across the country.
By far the most common mode of transport (after the car) is to travel by bus. You will find small minibuses everywhere in Poland as well as the municipal services. However, new larger bus operators are now entering the market place, some with brand new coaches offering a high class of service. There are also a number of international services that will take you to and from Polska to many European destinations.
Here are some useful websites to help you find your way to Poland.
British Airways is well known for it's service right around the world flying to many destinations in Poland. You may find flying midweek to the capital, Warsaw will be cheaper outside of the main tourist seasons. Best to book in advance if you can.
Easy Jet is a low cost airline. at the time of writing this, It does not fly to Warsaw but midweek prices are generally cheeper outside of the peek seasons. It may be cheaper if you book in advance.
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the official flag carrier of Poland. It is based in Warsaw, the capital and was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. According to the airlines website it has a fleet of 39 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to about 50 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia. Most of the destinations are served from its hub, Warsaw Chopin Airport.
WARNING - Ryanair is an Irish airline flying from many locations in the UK and Ireland. I no longer recommend this carrier as they abandoned me in Estonia. I had to travel to Latvia and it cost me altogether another £260 in order to get home. My advice is to try other airlines first.
WARNING - I booked a flight with an Romanian low cost carrier called Blueair but after just a few days they cancelled the flight and I am still waiting to get my money back. It was the first and last time I will use this airline. I do not recommend it to anyone.
WizzAir is an east European low cost airline based in Hungary flying from Luton, East Midlands Liverpool and Glasgow. Prices to the capital, Warsaw are some of the best outside the peak times. You may find flights are cheaper by booking in advance.
Long-distance international coaches continue to operate between London and Europe despite the effects of Brexit. The pan-European coach network Flixbus operates a daily coach services from London to places inside Europe including Poland. Sindbad is one of the largest Polish companies in the long-distance coach service traffic.
David's Travel Guides can do no better than send you to Seat61.com for rail travel information on London to Warsaw and Poland by train. You will find very helpful details on the site. I wish that airlines and other travel providers would treat their customers with the respect that this man does.
| Name | Type | Website |
| e-podroznik.pl | Bus & Train Timetables | www.e-podroznik.pl |
| Warsaw Chopin Airport | Airport | www.lotnisko-chopina.pl |
| Warsaw Modlin Airport | Airport | www.modlinairport.pl |
| POLREGIO S.A. | Railways | polregio.pl/ |
| rozklad-pkp.pl | Railways | rozklad-pkp.pl |
About David's Travel Guides
My travel guide is a travel exploration and educational project with the aim to provide a clear and easy to navigate site, showing useful travel and tourist information on various subjects about Poland including articles on the villages, towns and cities found throughout the country, accommodation, restaurants, out-door activities, the economy and great things to do while visiting Polska.
Each place listed has it’s own page that includes information on, accommodation, activities, attractions, geography, history, museums, places to eat, tourist information, travel information and a listing of websites associated with the location.
Poland has now become a major nation in the modern world with a strong manufacturing and economic base exporting to many different countries. It's position within the European Union grows ever stronger since it joined up in 2004. It consistently strives to become a European tourist destination and has much to offer all different tastes and budgets.
I am constantly changing and updating the guide and I hope that you will enjoy looking through the many and varied pages about Poland. If you are Polish or you have an association with the country I would be delighted to receive your own articles. Especially articles about where you live or about the local economy, travel, culture, geography, history or tourism, and don’t forget to include photographs of your village, town, or city.
I am always interested in finding other individuals who are willing to write articles about this country. Please also contact me if you are interested in advertising on this site.
David Smith - editor of David's Travel Guides
About the Administrator
I started to get interested in tourist websites around 2004 and paid over £4,000 for my first site, a huge mistake so I began to teach myself how to build websites using CMS and HTML, Joomla and now WordPress. Although I have now reverted back to HTML static sites for their simplicity and speed. I administer other sites such as, Friends of St Anne's Hospital, a charity run hospital in Tanzania.
Created in July 2009 originally under the name of WebPoland, and until October 2014 called Poland Explorer, now goes under the name David's Travel Guides and is administered by myself. I traveled to Poland for over ten years visiting the country two or three times a year to gather information and experience the culture of the country.
So Why, “Poland”, you may ask? It is strange how our course in life can be changed by someone else but that is what has happened to me and so I embarked upon researching and learning about Poland Polska and the Polish and have created this website about the country of Poland.
As for my Polish friends, I wish them and their families all the best for the future and will always remember you all and be grateful for giving me an interest in your country. Take care of each other and may God bless you and your families where ever you go.
If you would like your own website about something that interests you but without a huge cost involved, you are most welcome to get in touch. My charges are low compared to many other web designers.
I have been a Christian since the age of eleven and although I struggle sometimes with my faith, I can honestly say that my God is with me and I have discovered many times his care for me when traveling far from home. He has made a fantastic world for us to live in but it does seem that we want to do our best to destroy it. I am not into “just religion” , for me it is about the truth.
Advertising on David's Travel Guides
You are welcome to advertise your products and services 365 days a year as David's Travel Guides provides Polish organisations and businesses with a quality and effective media platform.
With clear and easily accessed advertising by the viewer, the service is designed to be both cost effective and informative.
I offer low cost advertising for accommodation providers and restaurant owners. See my, “ Advertising on David's Travel Guides” for further details.
An Ever Evolving Site
I am constantly changing and updating David's Travel Guides and I hope that you will enjoy looking through the many and varied pages about Poland. If you are Polish or you have an association with the country I would be delighted to receive your own articles about Poland. Especially articles about where you live or about the local economy, travel, culture, geography, history or tourism, and don't forget to include photographs of your village, town, or city.
I decided a few years ago to take David's Travel Guides away from WordPress as I spent more time looking after issues arising from updates and problems with plugins than writing articles and so transferred the site to what is known as a "static" website. WP is a great platform but when you have a large site like this one it became hard to keep up with all the issues arising.
I have also decided to write about other places and so David's Travel Guides has now been merged into, "David's Travel Guides". It uses similar layout as this guide to Poland.
How to use David's Travel Guides
As Explained elsewhere David's Travel Guides is primarily a city, town and village guide of places within Polska.
There are a number of ways you can locate and find the place you are interested in but if you are just browsing, you may wish to find the region (province) that interests you and then click on the place you want to find out about.
All the places shown on this site have their own individual page so, lets say you wish to discover information about the regional city of Krakow in the province of Malopolska, you can type the url directly as https://davidstravelguides.com/Poland/krakow-travel-guide and it will transfer you to that place. You will of course need to type in the spelling of the place as it is shown on this web site.
If you look at the bottom right corner of the page, you will see a “ Sitemap” link. On the sitemap all the pages on David's Travel Guides are listed in alpha order. Clicking on the link for the page you are interested in will transfer you to that page.
I believe that a website should be well designed and easy to use with clear and useful information, so that is our aim. Please let me know if you think I can improve David's Travel Guides.
Jeśli jesteś Polakiem lub masz wspomnienia z Polski, zapraszamy do przysłania artykułu na naszą stronę. Bardzo chciałbym otrzymywać artykuły na temat polskiej gospodarki, kultury, geografii, historii i walorów turystycznych Polski. I nie zapomnij dołączyć zdjęcia swojej miejscowości, miasta czy regionu.
I hope you enjoy visiting David's Travel Guides and exploring the country of Poland with me. Don't forget to look on the “Blog” for details of my latest trips and other thoughts. If you would like to write any articles or can provide useful information about Poland, Romania or England please feel free to contact me at David's Travel Guides to enable the site to be even more interesting for all our viewers.
David Smith
Brexit
Boarders and different countries came about because of pride and attempt to reach God by man's own hands (Tower of Babel) so the Almighty confused their language. God offers us forgiveness and reconciliation with Himself and then requires us to care for others and try to get on with others no matter where they originate from.
In other words, God did not originally design people to be separate from each other, this came about because of man's sin.
In God's new world to come, there will be no divisions among people and we will be united under Christ. No fighting, no borders, no wars, no discrimination. God's new world will be at peace and those who love God in this world will get on together without any problems.
This is why I like to travel and visit other countries and associate myself with different nationalities and cannot understand why a multicultural country like Britain wishes to leave Europe. Sure, not all is well with the EU but turning your back on 27 neighbors makes no sense to me.
The Sixteen Regional Cities of Poland
Wrocław
Toruń
Łódź
Lublin
Gorzów Wielkopolski
Kraków
Warszawa
Opole
Rzeszów
Białystok
Gdańsk
Katowice
Kielce
Olsztyn
Poznań
Szczecin
Poland Travel Guide - A travel Guide to Poland