Archive for month: July, 2020

Often recognized as the symbol of Poland’s statehood, Wawel Royal Castle was built on Wawel Hill located in central Kraków, and it was the seat of Poland’s rulers since the 11th century.

The castle was rebuilt after a fire in 1499 and has had several extensions. The complex we see now consists of a number of structures from different periods situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard, including elements of the Gothic, Renaissance, Rococo and Romanesque. It’s now a museum containing five separate sections, where visitors can admire valuable paintings, sixteenth-century Italian furniture, beautiful tapestries, dazzling jewelry, oriental arts, armory and other significant historic objects, such as the Szczerbiec coronation sword.

The Wawel Cathedral adjoining to the Royal Castle has witnessed many coronations, royal weddings and funerals. Almost all of the Polish kings were crowned in Wawel Castle. The Cathedral is flanked by various chapels, Sigismund Chapel is among the most surprising which has been hailed by many art historians as “the most beautiful example of Tuscan renaissance north of the Alps”. At the top of its Tower, there is the most famous Polish bell – the massive Sigismund’s Bell. The Wawel Cathedral has been standing for nearly 1,000 years, is one of the most important sacred buildings in Poland.

Wawel Royal Castle Complex is the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland and was one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. Do not miss this place next time you visit Krakow.

?Check out our Polish Royal roots 7 day tours, explore Must-Visit Polish Royal Residences with us! ???

?Royal Castle in Warsaw

?Wilanów palace

?The Palace on the Isle

?Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków

The Bieszczady National Park is the third-largest national park in Poland, located in the most south-eastern part of Poland on the border with Slovakia and Ukraine. During the day, feast your eyes on peaceful nature, beautiful mountains, various wild animals and charming wooden Orthodox churches. At night, you can also find the darkest place in Europe here, up to 7,000 stars may be seen by the naked eye at Starry Sky Park.

? Hiking to the highest peak of Bieszczady Poland ?

Tarnica is the highest peak of Bieszczady Poland, is also one of the Polish Crown Peaks. Leave from the village Wołosate, hike along the red trail, run through Tarnica (1346 m) and Halicz (1333 m) to Rozsypaniec (1280 m), and eventual return to Wołosate. The length of the route is almost 20 km with hiking time more than 6 hours, is one of the most beautiful trails in the Bieszczady Mountains. It’s a little challenging to finish the whole route, but picturesque valleys along the road are worth seeing.

? Visiting wooden orthodox churches ⛪️

If you walk along the wooden architecture trail, you will find a series of wooden churches. As a borderland area, there was a busy trade route that full of people from Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. As more and more people came to this area, the wooden Orthodox and Catholic churches served for different ethnic groups were well established. Apart from the wooden churches, there is also one made out of stone in Łopienka village which is abandoned after the II World War.

? Looking up at the stars ✨✨✨

It’s one of the few places in Poland and Europe where you can get an undistorted view of the starry sky. Since the invitation of the light bulb, more than 99% of the European populations live under light pollution, which makes the pristine night skies more precious. To protect the nocturnal environment from light pollution, the second-largest Starry Sky Park in Europe was established here, which covers over 113 ha across three parks. You can see more than 7000 stars with the unaided eye at night here under favorable conditions. As night comes, the mountains turn a dark purple color, the sky is full of stars move slowly across the night sky, fully immerse yourself in the dark night to experience pristine nature.

? Paragliding experience in Bieszczady Mountains ?

Have you ever dreamed of flying? Like an eagle admires the beauty of nature from above. Come to experience paragliding in the Bieszczady Mountains, it will make your dream come true. Thanks to the local air currents, it’s easy to rise and float over the scenic Bieszczady mountains and fly long-distances. It’s suited for all levels. Do not miss the chance to experience paragliding next time you visit the Bieszczady Mountains.

???Białowieża Forest is the last remaining fragments of Europe’s primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. You can visit this one of Europe’s natural treasures from the Polish side. The Białowieża National Park situated in the north-east part of Poland and covers a part of the Białowieża Forest extending over 100 square kilometres.

?? The Białowieża National Park was established in 1932, is blessed with a wide variety of flora and fauna – from 809 vascular plants species to over 3 thousand cryptogams and fungi species; from 59 mammal species to over 250 bird.

? The symbol of the park is the European Bison, the biggest European land mammal, which was almost completely eliminated In the 18th century until the first reserve was established in 1929 to save bisons from extinction. In the first half of the 20th century, the park turned out to be the most important sanctuary. Nowadays there are about 500 bisons living in the Polish part of Białowieża Forest, which is the biggest wild population of this species in the world. Besides the European bison, there are also many rare species that can be identified only in Białowieża Forest or few places worldwide. If you want to take a close look at bisons and other wildlife, the Białowieża National Park is an ideal place for you to travel.

?The Białowieża National Park is the only Polish natural property designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site and it is also recognized as the most important central zone of Białowieża Forest Biosphere Reserve.

The top things to do in Białowieża National Park.

?Come face to face with bison ?

The first place on a list of “must-see” attractions is the European bison Show Reserve, a modern and large enclosed animal park that is surrounded by natural vegetation, where visitors can see the king of the forest – the bison! Is the best chance to observe these legendary creatures In semi-natural conditions. Besides, the reserve also holds several other species including elks, deer, roe deer, wild boars, wolves and lynx that you may observe them as well. With flat roads and good facilities, the reserve is easily here accessible for families with pushchairs and wheelchairs. It’s worth remembering that the best time to visit is in the morning, when the sun is not very hot and animals do not rest out of sight to avoid the sun.

?Bird watching in the Forest ?

The Białowieża Forest lies on the border of two different woodland zones – the mixed deciduous and the boreal ones which a variety of birds are attracted to. Visitors can find many bird species such as woodpeckers (10 species of woodpeckers), owls, eagles, flycatchers and the smallest European birds: goldcrest and firecrest. Since many species of birds are increasing their range, it’s easier to watch them in various parts of the forest. Little tip. If you want to watch some special birds, an experienced guide could help you design the appropriate travel route.

?Visit Nature and Forest Museum ⛪️

Nature and Forest Museum is the oldest museum in the Polish national parks, its traditions date back to the interwar period. The museum presents exhibitions relating to the park’s flora and fauna, the history of park, and the archaeology and ethnography of the region. Visitors can see nearly all species of animals and plants that exist in the forest, take a close look at those creatures and learned about their lifestyle in the forest.

?Cycling in the Forest ?

The Białowieża Forest is an ideal place for bikers with flat gravel roads and no cars at all. There are many routes to choose from, along with different length and complexity. But I highly recommend the perfectly marked and organized Green Velo trail that goes across the whole eastern part of Poland.