Archive for month: January, 2021
Have you ever been to the city of Kraków? It’s one of the prettiest cities in Poland, packed with many splendid buildings and charming streets, and one can easy to capture a good picture almost everywhere in the city. But if you are looking for a spot to see the most beautiful panoramas of Kraków, the Kościuszko Mound would be an ideal place where you can enjoy views of the most characteristic places in the old city, including Wawel Castle, St. Mary’s Basilica, the Sukiennice, and the Main Square of the Old Town, while the mound itself is a meaningful tourist attraction of Kraków as well.
The Kościuszko Mound stands 34m high, surrounded by a brick fortification at its base. Constructed in 1823 in honor of Polish (and American) military hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, the mound contains soil from battlefields Kosciuszko fought on in America and Poland. People can walk along a serpentine path to the top to enjoy a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city, or visit the adjacent 19th-century fort and see interesting exhibitions on Kościuszko’s life. As the renovation work on Kraków’s fortifications goes on, we will able to admire many completely preserved historic fortifications. Don’t miss out on the Kościuszko Mound next time you visit Poland!
With its rich history, stunning buildings, and beautiful views everywhere you look, Kraków should be definitely added to your Travel Bucket List. ? There are plenty of fantastic attractions and stories in Kraków you can discover by joining our ? 3days Krakow city break.?
Photo: Pawel Krzan
Do you know that Białystok is one of the best places in Poland to live? According to the latest Report on the Quality of life in European Cities by the European Commission, Białystok is a remarkably safe city that 91% of residents surveyed say they feel safe walking alone at night in the city, a figure that is well above the average of 75% across the EU. Moreover, 94% of those surveyed said they hadn’t had money or property stolen in the last 12 months, while the EU average is 83%. Besides safety, Białystok is in the top 3 on the cleanliness of the city among 83 EU cities that 92% of residents surveyed are satisfied with the cleanliness in the city.
With a population of almost 300,000, Białystok is the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, which is known as “the Green Lungs of Poland”. Its rich natural resources and the varied landscape make contributions to a good living environment. Białystok is not only a good place to live but also an ideal place to visit.
If you are a nature lover, then Bialystok is an excellent base where you can walk deep into the wilderness of the Białowieża Primeval Forest to see the king of the forest – the bison, admire the unspoiled, wild nature of the Biebrza river valley where is home to hundreds of species of birds and other wild animals. These wonderful natural landscapes are perfect for people wanting to switch to a slower pace of life.
Besides its natural beauty, Bialystok is also full of numerous historical sites. You can start off in the historical Old Town Square known as the Rynek Kościuszki, and then visit the stunning Branicki Palace to admire its Baroque architecture and fantastic French-style gardens. Make sure to admire the Neo-Gothic Bialystok Cathedral located In the center of town, which is known for its sheer magnitude and its lofty vaults.
Photo: Wojciech Wójcik
Condé Nast Traveller UK listed Warsaw as the most colorful city in the world due to its historical Old Town features outstanding buildings in a variety of styles with rich colors such as the pink-hued Renaissance Barbican and ornate facade of tenement houses, as well as the splendid baroque palace at Wilanów which stands in starkly contrast with the dusty pastels of Communist-era apartment blocks.
Apart from all kinds of buildings, this vibrant city is packed with beautiful gardens, which cover a quarter of the area of Warsaw. Some of the city’s parks are historical, and many serve as former royal residences like the Łazienki park and Wilanów park. And don’t miss out on the unique roof garden of Warsaw University Library, where visitors can enjoy not only many green plants and colorful flowers but also a wonderful view of the River Vistula.
? Check out our Warsaw city break, you might find something you prefer. ?
? Congratulations to 2️⃣ Polish museums that have been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award 2021(EMYA), which is the longest-running and most prestigious museum award in Europe.
They are the Czartoryski Museum and Thesaurus Cracoviensis, both located in Krakow, one of the prettiest and historical cities of Poland.
Founded in 1796 by Princess Izabela Czartoryska, the Czartoryski Museum is one of the country’s oldest museums and boasts the city’s richest art collection, the most famous of which is the painting “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci. Apart from numerous precious paintings, the museum also has an excellent collection of weaponry and antiques from Greece, Rome and Egypt. After a thorough renovation, the museum has reopened in December 2019 as a branch of the National Museum.
Thesaurus Cracoviens is one of the first and largest modern central collection warehouses with more than 172,000 exhibits on an area of over 2000 m2, where people can not only enjoy museum collections that have had not been exhibited so far, but learn about the secrets of art conservation techniques.
In addition to the Krakow museums, there are plenty of fantastic attractions and stories in Krakow you can discover by joining our ? 3days Krakow city break.?
Photo: muzeumkrakowa.pl
??? Today is the holiday of the Epiphany, the Three Kings day in Poland, which takes place every year on January 6th, with huge parades held in many cities welcoming the Three Wise Men who visited Jesus at his birth. The street parades are usually lead by the Kings of Africa, Asia and Europe (named Melchior, Kaspar and Balthazar) whose procession is filled with children, knights and various other characters who are dressed in beautiful costumes and indulged in the joyful festive atmosphere. And this year we can watch the parade online to get a taste of the festival today. ?http://orszak.org/
Another tradition of Epiphany in Poland is that people write ‘K+M+B‘ and the year with white chalk on the outside of their door. It’s said this tradition dates back to the 18 century and can protect the family from sickness and misfortune for the year. There is no shortage of things to see in Poland, even in winter!
Photo: FSSPX.NEWS
Thanks to the list of 21 places to go in 2021 compiled by The Guardian, we got some of the new inspiration for travel destinations. And one of them is the city of Łódź in the centre of Poland.
Many people might tend to visit the big cities like Warsaw and Krakow on their first trip to Poland, but a visit to Łódź will show a completely different side of the country.
Located 120 kilometers south-west of Warsaw, Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland and famous as the former textile industrial center that grew fabulously wealthy in the 19th century. The wealth differences between rich and poor are still noticeable in the architecture of the city, where luxurious mansions stand in stark contrast to redbrick factories and old tenement houses. Over time the city boomed again after World War II and has been transformed into a modern, pluralistic and avant-garde city, which was named the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a “City of Film“ in 2017. Many of its former industrial spaces are now bars, restaurants and shops, one of the most famous of these is Manufaktura, which is the biggest shopping center in Central Europe and was built in an old factory complex that belonged to Izrael Poznanski, one of the richest businessman in Łódź. Besides, the city also features the longest promenade in Poland and one of the longest shopping streets in Europe, where people can find the best cafes, bars, and clubs in town.
Apart from its fascinating industrial heritage site, Łódź is also a multicultural city in which Polish, Jewish, German and Russian nations lived and worked together here. In an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance, they left their mark on the early development of Łódź and become part of this beautiful city they were building together. For years Łódź had been a melting pot of four cultures and nationalities, where synagogues, tserkvas, as well as Catholic and Protestant shrines got along well with each other in peace.
Today, known for its Film School, Łódź is also a significant cultural center and aptly described as the country’s top cultural hotspot in Poland. With the distinct characters of buildings and the abundant art activities, there is no shortage of exciting things to do in Łódź.
? Check out our ? Lodz City Break? to find more multicultural heritage and charming attractions with us.
IATA no 63-2 1003 3
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