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Warsaw
Gdansk
Krakow
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Poland was the largest East European country to join the EU, doing so in May of 2004. Poland is comparable in size to Italy or Germany (in USA larger than New Mexico) and with a population of approximately 39 millions (e.g. more than California) it ranks among the most influential and remarkable countries in central and Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Germany, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. To the north Poland borders the Baltic Sea. Most of the country is a plain with no natural boundaries except the Carpathian Mountains in the south and the Oder and Neisse rivers in the west. Other major rivers, which are important to commerce, are the Vistula, Warta, and Bug. Most of the country lies less than 200 metres above sea level. The highest peak - Rysy - is 2,500 metres. The country is 100's of years old so its history and museums are an attraction to everyone. Many Polish tourist sights have already gained a worldwide reputation and are an absolute must to see if you consider a journey to this area: Kraków, Warszawa, Gdańsk, Częstochowa, Auschwitz, the Tatra mountains. There are 23 National Parks in Poland. Poland has a temperate climate with seasonal variations between -15C in winter and 35C in the summer. The extremes of temperature are more pronounced in the mountains of the south and in the lake area in the north. Natural resources include coal, sulphur, copper, natural gas, silver, amber, lead, salt and arable land.
Full country
name:
Republic of
Poland Beautiful Warsaw - the capital of Poland
Warsaw (Warszawa) is one of Europe’s most underrated cities, with a string of things to see, an impressive cultural scene and an increasingly lively nightlife. It is expanded around the castle of the dukes of Masovia in the early 14th century, and became the capital of the Polish Kingdom in 1595, after the burning of Krakуw. Warsaw is located on the Vistula river roughly 350 km from both the Baltic coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2004 was astimated at 1,676,600, with an urban agglomeration of approximately 2,400,000. Situated in the Mazowieckie province, in east-central Poland, the city spans the Wisla (Vistula River) and all the main tourist sites are on the left bank, while the right bank contains the increasingly fashionable Praga district. By
the end of
World War II,
roughly 85% of
the city lay
in ruins and
most of the
population had
been killed,
deported or
sent to
concentration
camps. More
than a third
of Warsaw’s
pre-war
population was
Jewish,
although there
are hardly any
traces of this
heritage
remaining, as
the city’s
prosperous
Jewish
community was
decimated by
the end of the
war. The Old
City has been
meticulously
restored and
centres on a
medieval
market square
with open-air
cafes,
surrounded by
Renaissance
and Baroque
style
houses. The
Barbican, a
relic of the
medievalfortifications,
is to the
south of the
square, and
further south
is Lazienki
Park. Lazienki
Park has a
monument to
the Polish
composer
Frederic
Chopin (there
is a great
sense of pride
in Frederic
Chopin in the
Polish
capital. Born
in 1810, in
nearby
Zelazowa Wola,
the musician
moved shortly
thereafter to
Warsaw, where
he remained
until he left
for Paris in
1830) , and
the 18th
century summer
palace of
Stanislas II
Augustus. There are many historic churches in Warsaw, and numerous museums and galleries. Two notable monuments are dedicated, to the heroes of the Warsaw ghetto and of the Polish underground during World War II. The tourist epicentre of Warsaw is the ‘Royal Route’, which runs north–south from the New and Old Towns, past the fashionable shops of Nowy Swiat, the palaces that survived the war and the royal gardens of Lazienki Park, before reaching Wilanow Palace to the south of the city centre. The city also boasts many green spaces, with leafy parks where rowing boats cruise past outdoor cafes, during the summer, and free classical concerts attract large crowds. The nightlife scene today is equally surprising, with the city’s clued-up and increasingly well dressed youth flocking to the countless bars and clubs of a city that now buzzes after dark. Warsaw has one international Airport (Okcie International Airport located just 10 km. away from the city centre. With over 60 international and domestic flights a day and with over 4.5 millions of passengers a year it is by far the biggest airport in Poland. There are also plans of a second international airport to be built, mostly for aerial connections with other European Union countries. The public transportation system in Warsaw consists of three branches (buses, tramways and metro) united in the ZTM ( Zarzd Transportu Miejskiego or the City Transportation Office). Additional lines are operated by private companies and the state-owned railways. Warsaw is home
to over 30
major theatres
that are
spread
throughout the
city,
including
the
National
Theatre -
Teatr
Narodowy
(founded in
1765)
comprises
the
Teatr
Wielki
(
www.teatrwielki.pl
) (Grand
Theatre)
and
Opera
Narodowa
(National
Opera) and has
a tradition
dating back to
1778. Opera
and ballet
performances
run every
evening,
except for
Monday, during
the season
(September-May).
Warszawska
Opera
Kameralna
(Warsaw
Chamber
Opera),
(
www.wok.pol.pl
), performs at
a variety of
venues
throughout
Warsaw. The main
cultural
season runs
from September
to July,
although there
are often
summer
festivals
featuring
outdoor
concerts held
on the Old
Town Square
and in
Warsaw’s
parks. Warsaw
also attracts
many young and
off-stream
directors and
performers who
add to the
city's theatre
culture. Their
productions
can be seen
mostly in the
smaller
theatres
and
Houses of
Culture
(
Dom
Kultury
) located
mostly outside
of the
city. The
main orchestra
in Warsaw is
the
Filharmonia
Narodowa
(National
Philharmonic),
also called
the Warsaw
Philharmonic
(
www.filharmonia.pl
), located
opposite the
Palace of
Culture and
Science. Lighter music is offered at the popular Buffo Theatre , where anything from Elvis Presley to pre-war Polish movie songs and musicals are performed. Large-scale productions, such as Aпda , are held in the 2000-seat Sala Moniuszki , in the National Theatre, which has one of the largest stages in Europe. Prices for performances here are Z6 to Z90, or more. There are many museums and art galleries in Warsaw, most notable are the Muzeum Narodowe, Zachta Art Museum, Centre for Contemporary Art, Museum of the Polish Army. The biggest of them, the National Museum has numerous divisions located in many parts of Warsaw, most notably in the Royal Castle and the Wilanow Palace. On August 1, 2004, the Warsaw Uprising Museum was opened to the public. Warsaw celebrates the end of winter on 21 March, with Topienie Marzanny , the drowning of an effigy of the witch Marzanna, in the Wisla River. Throughout summer and autumn, on Sunday afternoon, outdoor concerts in Lazienki Park, at the Chopin Monument, celebrate the city’s most famous composer. The Chopin Music Summer Concerts run from June to October. In honour of another famous composer, the city’s Mozart Festival , from mid-June to the end of July, has concerts at many venues throughout the city. On Slaska Noc Swietojanska (Midsummer's Eve), 23 June, wreathes with lit candles are floated on the Wisla River. There are also many concerts and the night ends with firework displays over the city. Warsaw Autumn , in the third and fourth weeks of September, is a celebration of contemporary classical music, with concerts held in venues throughout the city. Christmas festivities include a profusion of Christmas markets throughout the city and superb creches at many of the churches.
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