78th Kraków Nativity Scenes Contest is underway

Kraków’s Christmas tradition of constructing the Nativity Scenes dates back to the 19th century. In order to preserve the tradition of nativity scene（Polish: szopka） for future generations, in 1937 Jerzy Dobrzycki, director of the Krakow Municipal Art Propaganda Office, organized the first competition. Since then, hundreds of craftsmen have taken place each year except during the war.

A unique and characteristic feature of the szopka is the use of historical buildings of Kraków as a backdrop for the Nativity of Jesus to depict historical, cultural and contemporary social events relating to life in the City of Krakow, Poland and the world. This exquisite szopki can be two meters high and three meters wide with rich decorations, which are inspired by Krakow’s architectural marvels, such as the St. Mary’s Basilica with its easily recognizable spires, the magnificent Wawel Castle, and impressive Kraków Cloth Hall.

In 2018, Kraków Nativity Scene was inscribed on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and became the first and only Intangible Cultural Heritage in Poland so far.

In general, the annual Kraków Nativity Scenes Contest will be held on the first Thursday of December and the result will be launched three days later, but due to the pandemic this year the result of the contest will post online on Official Facebook. Look on the bright side, It becomes easier for us to appreciate traditional arts. ?

If you haven’t been to Krakow, you definitely should take a trip to this stunning historic city. Check out our tour package to explore fantastic attractions and make the best of your time in Krakow with us! ? Cracow City Break ?

Photo: Bogusław Świerzowski / krakow.pl

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Alice in Wonderland – Garden of Lights

✨✨The spectacular light show ‘Alice In Wonderland’ has opened In Krakow! The organizer said that it’s the biggest open-air light exhibition in Poland. ?

Gloomy November leaves people expecting a bit of sunshine and there is still a long way to go until the Christmas holidays. How to cheer ourselves up? Spending a pleasant night filled with light and surprise would be a great option, and that is the fantastic light show ‘Alice in Wonderland – Garden of Lights’ organized by the Museum of Municipal Engineering and CD Lighting at the Experience Garden in Krakow.

Visitors will able to follow the paths of light into a colorful Alice’s wonderland, meeting many adorable even crazy inhabitants of Wonderland. With rich illuminations and a massive layout, the light show creates immersive experiences by night that visitors will find a glowing rabbit hole and the smiling Cheshire Cat hiding in the tree as well as a wisdom caterpillar smoking a hookah, join their mad tea party and visit the castle of the Queen of Hearts. The dreamlike light show will bring you into a fairy tale world full of colorful lights by night and it will be the ice on the cake of your trip to Krakow.

The light show ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at the Experience Garden in Krakow invites everyone to the open-air exhibition from October 30 to February 28 after 4 pm. 

? There are plenty of fantastic attractions in Krakow you can discover by joining our 3days Krakow city break. ? Cracow City Break?

Photo: ogrodswiatel.pl

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World’s deepest diving pool opens in Poland

We’d like to share the good news for all diving enthusiasts that the world’s deepest diving pool, Deepspot, has opened in Poland! ??  ?

Deepspot is aptly named, this world’s deepest diving pool is about 45 meters deep and holds 8,000 cubic meters of water, which is equivalent to 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Besides, It features artificial underwater caves, faux Mayan ruins, and a sunken boat for divers to explore. Moreover, It also includes a hotel with rooms from which guests can watch divers at a depth of 5 meters, as well as a restaurant and several meeting rooms.

Located in the Polish town of Mszczonow, the Deepspot is only about 25 miles from the capital Warsaw. Although the majority of swimming pools in Poland remain closed amid the pandemic, the DeepSpot opened its doors to the public and offered training services for scuba divers. 

Photo: Michał Braszczyński/deepspot

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One of the Oldest Spa Towns in Europe

Ladek Zdroj is a picturesque health resort situated in Lower Silesia and is considered the oldest spa town in Poland as well as one of the oldest in Europe. According to historical sources, there were bathing facilities here as early as 1241 which were destroyed by Mongols returning after the Battle of Legnica.

In the late 15th century, the first medical institution “Jerzy” with a swimming pool was built here and was very well known, which was named after the owner of these lands, Prince Jerzy of Podebrady. For centuries, the mountain climate and numerous natural springs with healing waters have attracted many visitors and remarkable figures which included the Prussian King Frederick the Great, Queen Louise, the wife of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Tsar Alexander I and also John Quincy Adams.

Most of the spa buildings here were built in the 18th and 19th centuries ranging from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque with rich decor. The neo-baroque Wojciech Natural Medicine Centre is among the most famous and impressive building here that can be found in nearly every postcard from Ladek Zdroj. The building was built in the 19h century and modelled on the Turkish baths. It features bathrooms with antique bathtubs, a pump room and an oval swimming pool covered with an ornate 39m high dome. Today its beautiful indoor pool is open to the public, it’s really worth a dip!

Spend time in a picturesque Polish spa town with rich historical architectures, and enjoy the mineralized thermal spa and unwind in the idyllic surrounding of mountains. Life is fantastic, isn’t it? ?

? Check out our tour package Luxury break in Southern Poland to experience the perfect spa in Poland.?

Photo: ehtta.eu

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A LEGO fire-breathing sheep in Krakow ?

Standing in the shade of Wawel Castle? is a vivid sculpture of Wawel Dragon ?that faces the Vistula River and spits fire from his mouth every now and then.??


Recently, the dragon has a lovely visitor, a fire-breathing sheep? made of LEGO bricks will accompany him until Christmas.? How does a sheep become friends with a dragon?


Though they seem like great friends, the fact is that they are both the main characters in the legend of the Wawel Dragon. Legend has it that a young smart shoemaker defeated the evil Wawel Dragon that lived in the large cave of the castle with a sheep’s skin stuffed with hay and sulfur to protect local people from being eaten. Today, the Wawel dragon became a symbol of the city and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kraków, especially for children.


? There are plenty of fantastic attractions and stories in Krakow you can discover by joining our 3days Krakow city break.?
Photo: Konrad Kozłowski

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The Biebrza National Park

The Biebrza National Park, which covers almost 592.23 km2 of land around the unregulated Biebrza River, is not only the largest national park in Poland but also one of Europe’s largest marsh and peat areas. Established in 1993, the Park protects vast and relatively untouched wetlands and marshes which are rich with diverse fascinating vegetation and home to over 260 different species of birds and many different species of mammals such as elk and beaver.

Every year, the natural wetland environments of Biebrza valley not only attract the migratory birds arriving but also thousands of birdwatchers and lovers of the great outdoors who are eager to admire the unspoiled, wild nature of this area as well. Although Biebrza possesses incredible natural beauty all year round, the best time to observe birds and wild creatures are spring and autumn. In spring, one can witness the magnificent natural phenomenon that the swollen river overflows its banks and floods the surrounding fields creating huge floodplains and thousands of migrant birds return to the River. The autumn brings with it the elk mating season and huge flocks of cranes gather in preparation for the winter migration.

Despite its overall marshy character, large parts of the park are crossed by hiking trails and educational nature paths that can be explored by bicycle and on foot. For birdwatchers, they can also climb up to the wooden viewing platforms to observe birds and enjoy the surrounding landscape as well. In summer, it’s also a good choice to experience a kayak tour on the river Biebrza.

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Best foods to try in Poland

? As the weather turns cold, a hot drink and some good food always put us in good mood and make people feel warm and satisfied.? ? ?  

Thanks to CNN Travel for compiling a list of the best foods to try in Poland, which includes 15 popular dishes that are not only good tasting but also help improve our mood. Besides, they can be found pretty much everywhere in Poland. Nothing would be more comfortable than having a great delicacy in a cozy place. ?  

Have you ever tried Polish cuisine, and which one is your favorite? ?

? View the full text: Best foods to try in Poland

Photo: CNN travel

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Gardens of Light at Ksiaz Castle

??? The fantastic light show in the gardens of Książ Castle is already underway! 

By day, visitors can admire the majestic sight of the third-largest castle in Poland, which is full of different styles including Romanesque, Baroque, and Renaissance style. Take some time to wander around the Książ gardens designed in French style and palm house nearby.

By night, over a thousand colorful lights get turned on, the Książ Castle shines brightly in the darkness and seems like a fairy tale of glittering. Over the next five months, the Castle terraces will turn into an extraordinarily light show, which brings the castle to life. You will be fascinated by the light flowing from the fountains, shimmering flowers blooming on the Terrace and neon figures set against the majestic castle, which will bring you into a dreamlike world full of colorful lights and blow you away! 

? Come and feast your eyes on the magic view of the Gardens of Light Ksiaz castle!

Photo: ksiaz.walbrzych.pl

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Upside Down House

Poland boasts thousands of impressive architectures, visitors may marvel at majestic castles, splendid palaces and magnificent churches. Apart from these historical buildings, a wooden house completed in 2007 also attracts thousands of tourists each year. 

Located in the tiny village of Szymbark in Northern Poland, the house is the only one in Poland, as well as the first in Europe, that was built on its roof, hence the name Upside Down House. It is essentially a fully furnished home like any other and the interior is furnished in the socialist style of the 1970s as well as furniture. There is even an old television that blares vintage propaganda. Visitors have to climb through an attic window to enter the house, but once inside, they are able to take a stroll through the house on the ceiling and experience the Polish family atmosphere of the 70s when Poland was under Communist rule. Another highlight of the house is the world’s longest plank, which is 36.83m long and is registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

This amazing two-story wooden house is part of the Centre of Education and Regional Promotion where is not just a place of fun but is also a place of education that visitors can learn Poland’s history. Besides the Upside Down House, there is also the Museum of Carpentry with its 2300 exhibits of woodworking tools and the Museum of Snuff, both worthy of a visit. The place is about 39 km from Gdansk, if you are planning to come and visit Gdansk or Tri-City, don’t forget to stop by here!?

? Check out more must-see attractions in our 3 days trip to TriCity (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot)!

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The Gem of Polish Folk Art —The National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble ‘Mazowsze’

? Congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the Polish State Folk Ensemble of Song and Dance Mazowsze’s stage debut! ???

I’m so excited to introduce you to the gem of Polish folk art. You might have heard about “Mazowsze” from the film Cold War, which tells the story of the history of ensemble and received three nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. 

Founded in 1948, Mazowsze began as a folk ensemble organized by Professor Tadeusz Sygietyński in order to preserve regional artistic traditions and the traditional folk repertoire of songs and dances of the Masovian (Polish: Mazowsze) countryside, hence the name Mazowsze. After two years of hard training and rehearsals, the ensemble made their stage debut in 1950 at the Polish Theater in Warsaw and stood out as one of the most famous Polish artistic ensemble, as well as one of the largest in the world.

Through a variety of art forms such as ballet and choir as well as symphony orchestra, Mazowsze attracted audiences worldwide to understand the real charm of Polish folklore, its beautiful songs, and over 1,200 authentic folk costumes representing the distinctive styles of 43 ethnographic regions of Poland. During each performance, they present around 20 dances from different regions of Poland, changing their costumes 7-10 times, so that audiences will be able to feast their eyes on a concert to enjoy a thousand costumes.

Today, Mazowsze is still considered an ambassador of Polish culture to underline the authentic beauty of Polish national culture and brings with it a taste of the motherland to many Poles scattered throughout the world. The members of the ensemble performed almost 7,000 concerts in 50 countries, for 23 million viewers. If you are planning to visit Warsaw next year, don’t forget to stop by here and enjoy a brilliant performance!?

Photo: mazowsze.waw.pl

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