144 Best Sights in Poland

A 10-minute walk toward the river from the main campus of Warsaw University is the relatively new (1999) Warsaw University Library, a sight not to be missed, even if you're not on a research trip. You'll find some shops and cafés on the ground floor, but it's the building's roof and its rooftop garden that are truly special and definitely worth the trip. The garden, open to the general public, is both vast and intimate, not to mention one of the most beautiful rooftop spaces in all of Europe. With its nooks, crannies, brooks, paths, lawns, and benches where you can hide with or without a book, the garden provides a perfect space for thought and inspiration. It is also full of surprises: look for various "reinterpretations" of Einstein's theory of relativity. In addition, you'll find a kaleidoscope of vistas of both the city and the library's interior. If you dare, cross the footbridge over the glass library roof—with the sky reflected under your feet, you literally walk in the clouds.

Behind the Fontanna Neptuna on Długi Targ, one of the more significant of the grand houses was constructed over a period from the 15th through the 17th centuries and is now a museum. The mansion was named for mythical English King Arthur, who otherwise has no affiliation with the place. This and the other stately mansions on the Długi Targ are reminders of the traders and aristocrats who once resided in this posh district. The court's elegant interior houses a huge, 40-foot-high Renaissance tiled stove, possibly the world's largest, a mid-16th-century masterpiece by George Stelzener. The mansion's collection also includes Renaissance furnishings, paintings, and holy figures as well as hunting trophies and models of tall ships suspended from the ceiling. The building was the meeting place of the Gdańsk city nobles.

One of the city's most distinctive landmarks is the elaborately gilded, 17th-century fountain at the western end of Długi Targ. The fountain itself is perhaps the best-known symbol of Gdańsk, emphasizing its bond with the sea. It was sculpted by Peter Husen and Johann Rogge. The general conceptual design was developed by Abraham van den Blocke. The magnificent surrounding fencing was added in 1634. Between 1757 and 1761 Johann Karl Stender remade the fountain chalice and plinth in the rococo style and added a whole array of sea creatures.

The most famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary, Jasna Góra monastery is a major pilgrimage stop. Throngs of tourists and locals come to see the icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa). The monastery was founded in the late 14th century by monks from Hungary and has since been a pilgrimage destination. It's very crowded here, though all of the pilgrims come for a view of the Black Madonna, so if you aren't lining up for that, you'll have a bit more space. If you do want to see the Madonna, get in line as soon as you arrive. Jasna Góra's interior is simply stunning, dripping in gold and bedecked in ornate carvings. For kids, there are two parks with play equipment right next to Jasna Gora and just down the street are shops selling ice cream.

The district of Oliwa, northwest of the Old Town, is worth visiting if only for its magnificent cathedral complex. Originally part of a Cistercian monastery, the church was erected during the 13th century. Like most other structures in Poland, it has been rebuilt many times, resulting in a hodgepodge of styles from Gothic to Renaissance to rococo. The cathedral houses a museum as well as one of the most impressive rococo organs you're ever likely to hear—and see. It has more than 6,000 pipes, and when a special mechanism is activated, wooden angels ring bells and a wooden star climbs up a wooden sky. Demonstrations of the organ and a brief narrated church history are given almost hourly on weekdays in summer (May through September), less frequently on weekends and the rest of the year.

The largest brick church in the world—and the largest church of any kind in Poland—St. Mary's is on the north side of ulica Piwna. The sanctuary can accommodate 25,000 people. This enormous, breathtaking 14th-century church underwent major restoration after World War II. Although it originally held 22 altars, 15 of them have been relocated to museums in Gdańsk and Warsaw. The highlight of a visit is the climb up the hundreds of steps to the top of the church tower. The church also contains a 500-year-old, 25-foot-high astronomical clock that has only recently been restored to working order after years of neglect. It keeps track of solar and lunar progressions, and it displays the signs of the zodiac. One of the loveliest features inside is a group of baroque statues of angels playing musical instruments.

This model city within a city was founded by the Scheibler and Grohman industrialist families, who were initially competitors but who have been partners and owners since 1921 in the largest cotton mill in Europe. Księży Młyn (or Priest's Mill) was a model industrial village with production facilities, shops, a fire department, hospital, school, railway station, residential quarters for the workers, and the owner's palace surrounded by a park. Today, it serves an interesting mix of new functions: offering luxury suites in the former factory building, a museum in the palace, and poorer housing mixed with artists' studios and galleries in the workers' quarters, where the "gentrification" progresses more slowly.

The palace (Rezydencja Księży Młyn)—called the Herbst Villa or Rezydencja Księży Młyn—under the management of Museum Sztuki, is now open to visitors, who can marvel at the fabulous and expensive taste of the early capitalists. It was home to Edward Herbst, Karol Scheibler's son in law, who lived here with his wife Matylda. In former stables, there is a small but excellent gallery of 19th- and early 20th-century Polish paintings. The palatial villa stands in a lovely, well-kept park, where you can enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of wine; on a cold day, drinks and snacks can be had under the roof, in the winter garden.

The Chopin Museum occupies the 17th-century Pałac Ostrogskich, which towers above Tamka. The best approach is via the steps from Tamka. In the 19th century the Warsaw Conservatory was housed here (Ignacy Paderewski was one of its students). In 2010, on the occasion of Chopin's Year celebrations, a modest collection of mementos, including the last piano played by the composer, was turned into an exciting, interactive, state-of-the-art display across four floors of the Palace. Many programs and events are running here throughout the year, including piano recitals and museum lessons for children. The museum's motto is for the visitor to "Experience Chopin." The works of Chopin (1810–49) took their roots from folk rhythms and melodies of exclusively Polish invention. Thanks to this composer, Poland can fairly claim to have been the fountainhead of popular music in Europe in the mid-19th century, when the Chopin's polonaises and mazurkas whirled their way around the continent.

One of the best art collections in Poland specializes mostly in modern avant-garde and contemporary art—both Polish and international. It originated as an artists' museum in late 1920s. The present building is too small to exhibit the whole collection, so only a selection is shown. Plus, you can always count on an interesting temporary exhibition. In 2008, the museum expanded to its current location within the Manufaktura complex (a former historical Poznański cotton mill). It is now referred to as ms2, as opposed to the original ms1 in Więckowskiego street nearby (with about a 10-minute walk between the two).

Even for Kraków natives, a trip to Nowa Huta is something of an adventure. Though officially part of Kraków—and only a 20- to 30-minute tram ride from the city center—it is quite a different world. You'll feel the change not just in the sweeping scale of urban planning but also in the spirit of the place. Always the workers' town—and designed as such by rulers of the obsolete Communist Bloc—it remains mostly proletarian, although the area is also increasingly popular with students and bohemians. Although you could look at the neighborhood as a living museum of the former era, this is not to suggest that Nowa Huta doesn't have an interesting present and (hopefully) brighter future.

Regrettably, its past is bleak indeed. In the 1950s, several villages outside Kraków were razed to build a huge steelworks and a steelworkers' town on the fertile farmland. The location of this "experiment" wasn't random: the "model socialist town," with its healthy social structure, was meant to counterbalance traditionally aristocratic and intellectual Kraków.

In June 1949, the foundations were laid for the first residential block of Nowa Huta. Nearly a year later, construction of the steelworks began. The steel factory reached its apogee in 1970s, when it employed 38,000 and produced 6.7 million tons of steel annually, not to mention fantastic volumes of pollution, which nobody seemed to control. (Now it has been privatized—and modernized—with production down to 1 million tons per annum and the environmental impact greatly reduced.) Next to the factory, the workers' town grew where authorities hoped to build "a modern socialist society."

Its ideological heritage notwithstanding, Nowa Huta is an interesting example of urban planning and architecture—so interesting that it was proclaimed a historical monument by the Polish government. The Central Square was modeled on that of Versailles, and the buildings that surround it are replete with echoes of the Renaissance and classicism. The street plan of the original residential areas of Nowa Huta is based on an American concept of "neighborhood units" first developed for New York City in the 1920s. Each block of Nowa Huta was equipped with all the necessary facilities to help the neighborhood function—shops, a school, a kindergarten, and so forth.

One thing was missing, however: as a model socialist town, Nowa Huta was not supposed to have churches, so none were built. Yet faith and tradition were stronger than the enforced model, and people of Nowa Huta erected an "illegal" crucifix around which they gathered to pray. When authorities ordered its removal in 1960, the citizens came to defend their cross, and hundreds were injured in a battle with the government militia. The struggle continued off and on until the first church in Nowa Huta was consecrated in 1977. Shaped like Noah's Ark, it was a powerful symbol in the political context at the time.

Paradoxically, the "model workers' town" played a key role in the downfall of communism, and became a stronghold of the Solidarity movement. Wide alleys of Nowa Huta were perfect for more than just May Day parades: in the 1980s, local residents people marched through them in antigovernment demonstrations.

It is not easy to cover Nowa Huta sights by walking—it is better to use a bike, tram, or car.

The Plac Centralny (Central Square) is a good place to start. Take a walk around the square, and check out the showcase Cepelia shop along the way. Then take a stroll through the residential neighborhoods on either side of the wide alleys leading from the square.

Although you won't find the famous statue of Lenin that used to stand on Aleja Róż (Boulevard of Roses), some original establishments remain, including Stylowa restaurant and the most authentic milk bar in town.

From plac Centralny, any tram going up aleja Solidarności will take you to Centrum Administracyjne (Central Administration Building), the impressive castlelike entrance and offices of the former Lenin Steelworks. Unfortunately, these days it is next to impossible to enter the steelworks as a visitor, but even a peek from outside can you some idea of the scale of this operation.

A 10-minute drive or ride west of the steelworks is the Arka Pana (The Lord's Ark), an amazing modern church with facade made of round river stones. These were brought by the people of Nowa Huta to the building site when authorities cut the supplies in yet another effort to stop the church's construction. Needless to say, the government's efforts failed, and the Ark sailed above the sea of communism.

To get to Nowa Huta, take tram numbers 4 or 15 from Kraków Główny, the city's main railway station. You need two to four hours to get a flavor of Nowa Huta, but bear in mind that there are considerable distances to cover if you really want to see the town. The company Crazy Guides offers tours to Nowa Huta in grand style—in an authentic Trabant car, a true wonder of the communist automotive industry.

The 180 acres of this park, commissioned during the late 18th century by King Słanisław August Poniatowski, run along the Vistula escarpment, parallel to the Royal Route. It's focus is the magificent neoclassical Pałac Łazienki, but there are many other attractions. Look for the peacocks that wander through the park and the delicate red squirrels that in Poland answer to the name "Basia," a diminutive of Barbara. Of course, the best way to entice a squirrel to come near is to have some nuts in your hand. One of the most beloved sights in Łazienki Park is the Pomnik Fryderyka Chopina (Chopin Memorial), a sculpture under a streaming willow tree that shows the composer in a typical romantic pose. In summer, outdoor concerts of Chopin's piano music are held here every Sunday afternoon.

Europe's largest medieval marketplace is on a par in size and grandeur with St. Mark's Square in Venice. It even has the same plague of pigeons, although legend tells us the ones here are no ordinary birds: they are allegedly the spirits of the knights of Duke Henry IV Probus, who in the 13th century were cursed and turned into birds. This great square was not always so spacious. In an earlier period it contained—in addition to the present buildings—a Gothic town hall, a Renaissance granary, a large weighing house, a foundry, a pillory, and hundreds of traders' stalls. A few flower sellers under colorful umbrellas and some portable souvenir stalls are all that remain of this bustling commercial activity. Above all, Rynek is Kraków's largest outdoor café, from spring through autumn, with more than 20 cafés scattered around the perimeter of the square.

A pageant of history has passed through this square. From 1320 on, Polish kings came here on the day after their coronation to meet the city's burghers and receive homage and tribute in the name of all the towns of Poland. Albert Hohenzollern, the grand master of the Teutonic Knights, came here in 1525 to pay homage to Sigismund the Old, King of Poland. And in 1794 Tadeusz Kościuszko took a solemn vow to overthrow czarist Russia here.

The square is surrounded by many historic buildings. The Dom pod Jeleniami (House at the Sign of the Stag), at No. 36, was once an inn where both Goethe and Czar Nicholas I found shelter. At No. 45 is the Dom pod Orłem (House at the Sign of the Eagle), where Tadeusz Kościuszko lived as a young officer in 1777; a little farther down the square, at No. 6, is the Szara Kamienica (Gray House), which he made his staff headquarters in 1794. In the house at No. 9, the young Polish noblewoman Maryna Mniszchówna married the False Dymitri, the pretender to the Russian throne, in 1605. (These events are portrayed in Pushkin's play Boris Godunov and in Mussorgsky's operatic adaptation of it.) At No. 16 is the 14th-century house of the Wierzynek merchant family. In 1364, during a "summit" meeting attended by the Holy Roman Emperor, one of the Wierzyneks gave an elaborate feast for the visiting royal dignitaries; today the house is a restaurant.

Three huge and somber crosses perpetually draped with flowers stand outside the gates of the former Lenin Shipyards, which gave birth to the Solidarity movement. The crosses outside the entrance to the shipyards are the Pomnik Poległych Stoczniowców (Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers), where striking workers were killed by the military police and soldiers in December 1970. On the monument, you will find fragments of Psalm 29 and a poem by Czesław Miłosz: "You who wronged a simple man." There are also plaques that commemorate the struggle, and a quotation by Pope John Paul II inspired by his visit to the monument in 1987: "The Grace of God could not have created anything better; in this place, silence is a scream." The monument stands close to the Shipyard's historic Gate No. 2 and the BPH room, where the Gdańsk Agreements were signed, starting the avalanche of political and economic transition in Poland. Somewhat ironically, it was the same transition—and a series of controversial decisions—that led to the shipyard's bankruptcy and downsizing. Now a private company, the shipyard is a fraction of what it used to be; however, there are some good ideas for revitalizing the land and the buildings. Part of the postshipyard area, referred to as "the Young City," is designated for housing, services, shopping, and entertainment functions. Already standing is the impressive European Solidarity Centre, telling the story of the Solidarity movement and Polish transformation.

The salty underground labyrinth stretches and meanders for hundreds of miles. Old maps show 26 shafts starting at the surface and more than 180 smaller underground shafts joining two or more neighboring levels. The mines have nine levels in total and more than 2,000 chambers where excavation has now been abandoned. The Tourist Route, starting at the Daniłowicz Shaft, takes you through a small stretch of this fascinating underworld, a mere 1½-mile walk between levels 1 and 3.

The following legend attempts to explain the discovery of the salt deposits at Wieliczka. Thirteenth-century princess Kinga (also called Kunegunda), daughter of the Hungarian King Bela IV of the Árpád dynasty, married Bolesław Wstydliwy (Boleslaus the Bashful), Duke of Kraków and Sandomierz. She brought with her to Poland a large dowry, which helped rebuild the country after it was destroyed during the Mongol raids. Boleslaus and Kinga were highly respected by the subjects for their piety and goodness. Legend has it that Kinga has given Poland yet another, very precious dowry. When touring the land of her father, she came to the salt mines of Maramures. Seized with sudden inspiration, she asked King Bela to give her one of the shafts as a present. Her father consented, and Princess Kinga threw a gold ring off her finger into the pit as a sign of her ownership. Back in Poland, when the salt mines were founded, some say that it was Kinga who showed the miners where to dig. When they unearthed the first nugget of salt, they found the very same ring that the Princess had thrown into the shaft in Hungary. Remember that in those days, salt was as precious as gold.

The underground itinerary takes you to several chapels that have been carved from the salt; huge, fantastically shaped multilevel chambers; and salty subterranean lakes that send off phantasmagorical reflections of light. Look especially for the 17th-century Chapel of St. Anthony's, with the saints' expressions softened with the moisture coming through the shaft. The colossal Chapel of the Blessed Kinga is rather like a cathedral hewn out of salt. Along the way you will notice powerful and ancient timber beams conserved with salt, mosslike saline deposits called "salt flowers," and even grandiose chandeliers made entirely of salt crystals. You will meet many salt-loving sprites and gnomes, along with and the most powerful of all the spirits of the mine, the Treasure Keeper—all carved out of salt, of course.

After finishing your sightseeing tour, if you are not too tired of walking, you can visit the underground museum that shows the history of salt mining at Wieliczka, as well as the archaeology and geology of the salty region.

Another sightseeing option is the Miners' Route expedition, which is a bit of an adventure trail. You get your helmet and play the role of the miner apprentice, going down the mine for the first time under the watchful eye of the chargemaster. It is a chance to learn more about the miner's profession, which is not an easy one, but it can be exciting. The Miners' Route starts at a different location than the "regular" Tourist Trail—at the Regis Shaft (about 10 minutes walk from the main Daniłowicz Shaft).

You can get to Wieliczka by a modern and comfortable suburban train (przewozy regionalne); the journey takes only 20 minutes (get off at Wieliczka-Rynek stop and walk for about 10 minutes to the mine). There are also minibuses (both tour buses and regular connections by private companies) leaving from the Kraków train station. It is a good idea to book your ticket in advance online, as visiting the mine is a very popular attraction. In high season, it may be more practical to join a guided bus tour leaving from Kraków (inquire at tourist information points or your hotel).

Visiting the mine involves a long walk underground, so make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. A visit will last about three hours and requires you to walk down 350 steps. There is a lift, but it has an extra charge and must be reserved in advance. Leaving requires climbing even more stairs (some 450 steps in total), this time with no lift option available. There is an alternative route for persons with impaired mobility (not all, but some parts of the mine are wheelchair-accessible). Bring warm clothing: the temperature down the mine is always the same, about 15ºC (60ºF).

The castle that now stands here dates from the early 16th century, when the Romanesque residence that stood on this site was destroyed by fire. King Sigismund the Old brought artists and craftsmen from Italy to create his castle, and despite baroque reconstruction after another fire in the late 16th century, several parts of the Renaissance castle remain, including the beautiful arcaded courtyard. After the transfer of the capital to Warsaw at the beginning of the 17th century, the castle was stripped of its fine furnishings, and later in the century it was devastated by the Swedish wars. In 1905, a voluntary Polish society purchased the castle from the Austrian authorities and began restoration. It narrowly escaped destruction in 1945, when the Nazis almost demolished it as a parting shot. Today you can visit the royal chambers, furnished in the style of the 16th and 17th centuries and hung with the 16th-century Arras-style tapestries from the Low Countries. Counted among the most valuable treasures of the Polish people, the tapestries were evacuated to Canada by Jan Polkowski (who had been appointed their guardian) during World War II in order to protect them against the invaders, and returned to Poland in 1961. The Royal Treasury on the ground floor contains a somewhat depleted collection of Polish crown jewels; the most fascinating item displayed here is the Szczerbiec, the jagged sword used from the early 14th century onward at the coronation of Polish kings. The Royal Armory houses a collection of Polish and Eastern arms and armor. The west wing holds an imposing collection of Turkish embroidered tents.

For many Poles, the castle's importance extends beyond its history. Hindu esoteric thinkers claim it is one of the world's mystic energy centers, a chakhra. Some believers—and there have been many over the last few decades—think that by rubbing up against the castle wall in the courtyard they will absorb vital energy.

To reach the castle, go to the end of Grodzka or Kanonicza streets, and then walk up Wawel Hill.

The number of visitors to the royal chambers is limited, and entry tickets are timed; therefore, you should always try to book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Phone to make the reservation, and then collect your tickets from the Visitor Centre located across the outer coutyard, in the direction of Wisła river.

Ulica Świętojańska, leading from the Rynek Starego Miasta to the Zamek Królewski, takes its name from this cathedral, which was built at the turn of the 14th century; coronations of the Polish kings took place here from the 16th to 18th centuries. The crypts contain the tombs of the last two princes of Mazovia, the archbishops of Warsaw, and such famous Poles as the 19th-century novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Nobel Prize–winning author of Quo Vadis?

The Konzentrationslager (concentration camp) had three parts: Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Monowitz (where a chemical plant was run by prison labor). The barracks at Auschwitz have been completely restored and made into the Miejsce Pamięci i Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau w Oświęcimiu (Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum), which has been described by one survivor, the author Primo Levi, as "something static, rearranged, contrived." With that in mind, begin with the heartrending movie filmed by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945, the day they liberated the few prisoners left behind by the retreating Germans. The English version runs a few times a day, although narration isn't really necessary. You begin by walking through the notorious gate marked "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Brings Freedom). The most provocative exhibits are the huge piles of belongings confiscated from victims, as well as the 2 tons of human hair intended for use in the German textile industry. The execution wall, the prison block, and the reconstructed crematorium at the end of the tour are harshly sobering.

Far more affecting than the restored Auschwitz are the unaltered barracks, electric fences, and blown-up gas chambers at the enormous Birkenau camp, which is 3 km (2 miles) away. More prisoners lived and died here than at Auschwitz, including hundreds of thousands who went directly to the gas chambers from boxcars in which they had been locked up for days. The camp has been preserved to look much the way it did after the Nazis abandoned it. A walk to the back area brings you to the Monument to the Glory of the Victims, designed by Polish and Italian artists and erected in 1967. Behind the trees to the right of the monument lies a farm pond, its banks still murky with human ashes and bone fragments. Admission to the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau is free of charge, but your entry must be reserved in advance online, preferably well in advance. This is due to very large numbers of visitors, both inividual and tour groups (more than 1.7 million people in 2015). There are fees for engaging a guide, and it is also possible for individual visitors to join a guided tour with an educator. It is not recommended that children under 14 visit the memorial, and it is a very dark and heartwrenching experience at any age. To reach the camps from Kraków, take the E22a or the train or bus from plac Kolejowy. Alternatively, join an organized tour (information available at tourist information points and hotels). You can park at either camp; from April 15 to October 31 a shuttle bus runs between them once an hour.

Bagelmama is a cozy little bagel shop—the only one in Kraków.

Only one small section of Kraków's city wall still stands, centered on the 15th-century Barbakan, one of the largest strongholds of its kind in Europe. You can visit both the round, outer structure of the and a part of the defensive walls nearby on one ticket. Sometimes there are ticketed concerts or other events in the courtyard here.

The pinnacled Barbakan, the mid-16th-century stronghold in the old city wall on the intersection of ulica Freta and ulica Nowomiejska, now marks the boundary between the Old Town and the New Town. From here you can see the partially restored wall that was built to enclose the Old Town. Inside, you can see an exhibition developed by the Museum of Warsaw.

This defensive tower was previously a part of the medieval city fortifications that were otherwise destroyed in the 18th century. The responsibility of its defense belonged to the guild of tailors, who realized a difficult task by providing seven coats for Princess Anne. In honor of that deed, it was called "Baszta Siedmiu Płaszczy" (a tower of seven coats).

Warsaw's oldest cake shop has a black-and-white-tile café that serves savory snacks as well as Blikle's famous doughnuts.

These gardens, covering an area of roughly 3 acres, were laid out in 1818, so they will celebrate their two-hundredth anniversary in 2018. At the entrance stands the neoclassical observatory, now part of Warsaw University.

The magnificent gate was built shortly after Szczecin fell under the rule of Prussia, and its purpose was basically to show off Prussia's power. The gate, designed by Gerhard Cornelius von Wallrave and built between 1725 and 1728, shows a shield with the Prussian eagle, the chain of the Black Eagle Order, and a crown. Next to the gate, on the same square, a lone mast belonging to the steamship Kapitan Maciejewicz, from 1929, is a favorite photo opportunity.