Deep Spot in Mszczonów

Mszczonów is about to become the most popular in the whole world thanks to the swimming pool that is being build in this small town located 50 km from Warsaw. There would be nothing extraordinary about it, if it were not for the fact that it is going to be the deepest pool ever built.

It will beat the current record by 5 meters, surpassing the swimming pool placed in Montegrotto Terme. It will be available for use already this autumn.

DeepSpot, as it will be called, is a new project of the company responsible for the very popular FlySpot tunnels, which are used for indoor skydiving.

Before Mszczonów we could have envied other European countries with such great facilities as NEMO33 near Brussels, or the Italian Y-40 pool, which are the destination of frequent trips by divers from around the world. They offer great infrastructure and are tailored from the beginning to the end to the needs of the underwater enthusiasts. In Poland we have a huge diving community, so the idea to create a project like that was just a matter of time. To fill the pool 8,000. cubic meters of water are needed, that is, as much as it is used to fill 27 pools with a length of 25 meters.

Mszczonów is not the only one going for the win. At the same time there is another swimming being build on the outskirts of London – called the Blue Abyss, which will be offering a depth of 50 meters, while the one in Mszczonów is planned for about 45 meters. Completion and commissioning of both facilities is planned for the next year.

However, regardless of the title of the deepest pool on the world, we are proud to see that the investment in Mszczonów has entered the implementation phase and work has already begun. If everything goes as planned, in the autumn of 2019, we will be able to enjoy the charms of this facility, and Poland will once again emphasize its strong position on the diving and freediving map of Europe.

It will be a complex open for all, professional divers will be able to dive in it, as well as complete amateurs, there will be attractions even for people who aren’t really diving fans. The investor has planned the construction of an underwater tunnel for visitors, as well as hotel rooms, a restaurant and conference rooms.

Picture source: https://flyspot.com/pl/deepspot/

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Easter cuisine in a modern version

The most important part of every holiday celebration is of course food! Especially Easter in Poland has a lot of cuisine traditions, that are being upgraded almost every year.

Only one thing never changes – the whole day starts with a big “Easter Breakfast”, where families get together, eat, talk and make wishes. Poland is getting more and more modern and it concerns every aspect of our lives. Poles are mixing tradition with modernity also in kitchen. That’s why you can taste in polish homes more and more fusion cuisine.

There are lots of traditional dishes on Easter, but most known are: stuffed eggs, Mazurek (kind of a cake), Żurek (sour soup) or Vegetable Salad. The fun part is, when we can give it an interesting twist. For example stuffed eggs are very simple to change, just put on the top a spoon of home-made guacamole instead of classic mayo. Vegetable Salad can be changed just by some beets which will give as a beautiful light pink color. Traditional Mazurek seems a bit boring for you? Try making a gluten-free version, by using millet flour, add some coconut cream, few pomegranate seeds and tadaaam! Spectacular! With a little bit creativity, you can transform every Easter meal into something extraordinary.

As I have already mentioned: food is important, but it’s only a part of the whole celebration. Through this few days whole families get together to spend some quality time. The key part of each polish traditional holiday is family – and nothing can compete with just being together.

Visit Poland this Easter to taste some good local cuisine with a bit of worldwide flavors.

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Palm Sunday in Poland

Palm Sunday is a Christian celebration held on a Sunday before Easter, its’ historical meaning was to remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

This religious holiday is a start of the Holy Week and ends the Lent, it’s movable and it can take place from 15thMarch till 18thApril.

People have thrown palm branches in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem and that is where this name came from. Poland, however, is 4000 km away from Jerusalem, so the climate is completely different and hence there is a major “palm issue”. That’s why, palms changed into branches of other trees. Easter palms are now willow branches with boxwood and other colored reeds, bound with a red ribbon for good luck. It was believed that the palm dedicated to Palm Sunday protects against misfortunes and that is why it was stored throughout the year. The celebration of this day, beside the religious part is very festive and colorful.

Many polish towns and villages organize unofficial palm competitions – the bigger the better. In 2008 the highest palm was almost 34 meters. Especially known for their amazing tradition is a small village called Łyse. People there take Palm Sunday very serious, and it’s an absolute must for everyone to make a palm composition on his own and show it off at the local church. The competition takes place there already for over 47 years and yearly there are thousands of people from whole Poland who come and watch this color parade.

Visit Poland to explore the beauty of tradition.

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Poland in film, music and art – Spring events

Poland is the homeland of many great artists from various fields.

In Spring lots of cultural festivals take place and we have to say, it is very difficult to choose the best one, because they are all greatly organized and amazingly interesting. Through a tough selection, we chose 3 events from 3 areas – Film, music and art. Everyone will find something special for them, all of the festivals are an adventure to remember and an great opportunity to get to know polish culture in a fun and different way.

Millenium Docs Against Gravity

The Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival is the biggest documentary film festival in Poland. This year will be already its 16thedition and through all other ones it came out to be a major success. Last time almost 65 thousand people in five different cities took part in the festival. Beside the main competition there is also a tour of “Weekend with Millenium Docs Against Gravity” which visits 19 cities with a selection of best polish documentaries. The slogan of this year edition is “FREE YOUR MIND” – from stereotypes and habits. We are being encouraged to open ourselves up to the amazing world presented by the documentary cinema. The 16th Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival will take place May 10-19 in Warsaw, Wrocław and Lublin, in Gdynia the audience will have the opportunity to watch the film on May 15-24, and in Bydgoszcz May 11-18 2019.

Enea Spring Break

            Enea Spring Break Showcase Festival & Conference is a pioneering event in Polish music industry. This festival aims to present young polish artist at the beginning of their carrier to influential people from the music industry to help them evolve. The presence of the biggest Polish record labels and cultural institutions makes it one of the best places to launch a carrier. Many bands that begun at this festival ended up playing at most important music festivals in Poland (for example Open’er). The festival opens up doors for young artists as well as brings lots of joy, fun and “fresh sounds” to the audience. Beside stunning music experience, there are also English spoken panels and interviews. Sixth edition will take place in Poznań between 25th and 27th of April 2019.

KRAKERS Cracow Art Week

            This project started in 2012 with the idea of promoting contemporary art in Kraków by creating a platform for communication, education and promotion between the artistic community and the citizens. It evolved into a weeklong event and the main slogan became “JUMP”, which meaning underlines the dynamics and changes of the event. This whole week will be full of exhibition opening, performances, meetings, panel discussions and many more. All the exhibitions presented during the Cracow Art Week are prepared specially for this occasion. It will take place in various locations, well known galleries as well as new inspiring spots. Participant can take part in gallery walks, enroll in workshops, meetings and panel discussions with artists and market experts.

Spring has a lot to offer in the cultural fields, but Summer is a real boom of festivals, concerts, exhibitions and many more, so stay tuned!

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International Women’s Day – 8th March by VisitPoland DMC

As we speak about this important holiday, it is worth mentioning how Polish women changed the world.

We all know who runs the world – Girls! In Poland this holiday became very popular in the communism period and there was even a “standard gift set” which women received at work. It included a flower – first carnation and through the years it changed into tulips – and a pair of stockings. Nowadays instead of stockings women receive chocolates and candy. Apart from the gifts, feminist manifestations and happenings yearly take place in big cities.

First of all, there are many women who we can thank and admire until today: Maria Skłodowska – Curie, physicist and chemist who made major discovery is in the area of radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences.  Wisława Szymborska was a Polish poet who received in 1996 the Nobel Prize in Literature. To honor her legacy and reward talented poets, in 2013 the Wisława Szymborska Award was established. Irena Sendlerowa – social worker, humanitarian, nurse and a real-life super hero. She saved lives of many Jewish children during the World War 2 and despite torture she never revealed the names of the survivors to Gestapo.

The world is changing and so are women. We are evolving, breaking the “glass ceiling” and overcoming barriers. Women become more and more successful. In sport disciplines, we have the most know tennis player Agnieszka Radwańska. She won twenty career singles titles and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 in 2012. Her achievements include winning the Women’s Tennis Association Fan Favorite Award six times, Shot of the Year five times, and Shot of the Month on a regular basis. The other sport star is Justyna Kowalczyk. She is a double Olympic Champion and a double World Champion. She is also the only skier to win the Tour de Ski four times in a row. Kowalczyk holds the all-time record for the most wins in Tour de Ski with 14 competitions won and 29 podiums in total.

Polish women are conquering Hollywood. Agnieszka Holland, one of the most outstanding polish filmmakers. She is well known for her political input in Polish cinematography. 2 years ago she won the Silver Bear award for her film Spoor at the Berlin International Film Festival. Joanna Kulig is a polish actress. She received the Best Actress Award at the 31st European Film Awards for her performance in Cold War, a film which was nominated in 3 categories for the Oscars.

Last year, in Poland, we were celebrating 100th anniversary of Women’s right to vote. The female history wasn’t easy at all, nothing was just given to us, we had to fight for every right and for every change. We should be thankful to thousands of brave females all around the world. We have to admire and appreciate women not only ones a year, but daily. If you want to meet other brave, smart and succesfull women just Visit Poland.

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Poland, what to visit first?

Have you been wandering what to see while visiting Poland?

In the north of Poland it is a perfect spot for summer and offers stunning beaches of the Baltic Sea and is famous of its ‘treasured gift from the sea,’ amber. At the bottom of the country you can enjoy mountains, which are an excellent base for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. In between the sea and mountains there are stunning cities and little towns, which will leave you with a lasting impression.

Poland has got so much to offer and is unique in many ways. There is so much to see and do that, you would need to stay for a long time to be able to see it all.

Read about 11 most beautiful places in Poland here: https://cnn.it/2RGCx6h

 

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Warsaw Prague – coolest neighbourhoods of Europe!

Great news! Warsaw Prague is among the 10 coolest neighbourhoods of Europe!

The Independent, a British online newspaper loved its unique climate, old houses and new cafes. Warsaw Prague is home to the biggest market in the city – the artistic Soho Factory, Neon Museum, which has the world’s largest collection of Cold War-era neon and some of the best restaurants of Warsaw. A must-see on your visit to Warsaw!

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All Saints’ & All Souls’ Day

The Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are important dates for most Poles.

Special value of this day lays not only in its religious background, but also in the family character of spending it. The evening between the two days is a traditional time to bring all family members together, attend church and remember past family members.

The tradition of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day began in the first centuries of Christianity. All Saints’ Day has been designated by Roman Catholic Church, as the day to pray for Saints of the church. All Souls’ Day is a day of prayer for all who have died. Over both days, throughout Poland, cemeteries are visited and flowers and candles are placed on graves. The flower traditionally associated with All Saints’ Day in Poland is chrysanthemum.

During this one of the most important Polish holidays, cemeteries glow with thousands of candles and people pray to All Saints by one of the oldest prayer, Litany of the Saints.

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Krakow, the best city in Europe right now?

Krakow is probably Europe’s best kept secret.

It offers an unique and lifetime experience. Travellers can taste delicious food, admire beautiful scenery and learn history of Krakow and the rest of Poland, which has experienced tough time, but was still able to fight. Beautiful during the day and at night, loved and visited by many nations from all over the world. It should definitely deserve a title of one of the coolest city in Europe! Must to see is the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Cracow, Auschwitz Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp, and one of the oldest in the world salt mine, Wieliczka Salt Mine. At night time, make sure to  immerse yourself in a city buzzing life. Read more on https://bit.ly/2NCwjGb

 

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Where can you try an authentic Polish cuisine in Krakow?

Krakow is not only famous for its medieval buildings and its beautiful old town.

The historic city attracts visitors also with its youthful restaurants, bars and cultural hangouts. Traditional Polish food is more and more recognised and loved by people from all over the world. Many restaurants in Poland have taken a modern approach to Polish cuisine, which translates to fun and vibrant dining experience.To read about best places to eat in Krakow click https://bit.ly/2p0Epur

Krakow, the best place in Europe for food!

What amazing news! Krakow has been announced the European Capital of Gastronomic Culture 2019.This is for the first time, when Krakow has been recognised for its outstanding recipes, quality products, and as a place with some of the most promising chefs in the world. Wonderful achievement! Read more https://bit.ly/2xm1igp

 

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