The Augustów Canal

Augustów Canal is a cross-border canal built in the 19th century with a total length of 101.3 km connecting the Biebrza River and with the Neman River, is the longest technological achievement in Poland as well as one of Europe’s largest canals. There are only three such channels in the world: Caledonian in the UK, Sweden Gota Canal, and Augustów Canal, which is located on the territory of Poland and Belarus.

Described as a technological marvel at the time of its construction, the canal starts at Lake Serwy near Polish Augustów, which is one of the most precious historical sites in the Podlaskie region. The canal connects seven natural lakes and eleven rivers, crosses Augustów Primeval Forest, the so-called ‘Green Lung of Poland’, which made it possible to perfectly integrate the canal with the surrounding elements of the natural environment. While rowing and sailing in an artificial river is perhaps not the most fun thing, passing through 18 locks that raise and lower the water level by 3.5 meters can be an exciting experience. Take a boat trip, enjoy the magnificent sights along the picturesque waterway, you will be fascinated by the natural beauty of the lake district.?⛵️??

Today, the whole Polish stretch of the canal is navigable and one can even reach the border with Belarus by kayak. It’s one of the most beautiful kayak trails in Poland, while those who seek quiet relaxation can set off on a passenger boat or take a walking tour along the canal. With such beautiful natural surroundings and all kinds of water sports, Augustów Canal is well worth a visit!

Photos: Jadwiga. Koniecko

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Łódź Special Economic Zone best in Europe

?The Łódź Special Economic Zone has been ranked 3rd out of 61 entries from around the world, as the best economic zones in the world and 1st in Europe, in a ranking prepared by the Financial Times publication fDi Magazine. Congratulations! ?

Speaking of Łódź, what it has achieved today is inseparable from its history and culture. Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland and a diverse and 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 became 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.

Łódź is also 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 contrast with redbrick factories and old tenement houses. By combing history with modernity, Manufaktura becomes a favorite spot for both locals and visitors, which is the biggest shopping center in Central Europe and was built in an old factory that belonged to Izrael Poznanski, one of the richest businessman in Lodz. Besides, take a stroll along Piotrkowska Street, Europe’s longest pedestrian street, you will find the best cafes, bars and clubs in town.

Today, known for its Film School, Łódź is also a significant cultural center and is aptly described as the country’s top cultural hotspot in Poland, from festivals to concerts, from theatre shows to dance performances, from exhibitions to movie premiere. With the distinct characters of buildings and the abundant art activities, Łódź is well worth a visit.

? If you want to visit Łódź, check out our Lodz City Break to find more multicultural heritage and charming attractions. ?

Photo: bartels-global.com

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The Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie

Many people will visit museums when they travel, it‘s perhaps one of the best ways to learn about the history and culture of the country you are visiting. If you are passionate about traditional culture and want to see more unusual rural architecture and local handicrafts, then the Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze Kiszewskie definitely should be added to your travel bucket list.

Located in northern Poland, Wdzydze Kiszewskie is a tiny village with a big attraction, famous for its open-air museum displaying the typical rural architecture of Kashubia. This picturesque Kashubian Ethnographic Park was founded in 1906 by Theodora und Isidor Gulgowski, is the oldest one in Poland. After more than a century, the museum stretches upon 22 ha of lush green land beautifully situated at the bank of the lake Gołuń surrounded by all kinds of local architectures including cottages, manors, a school, smithy, windmills, churches, farm buildings, craftsmen’s workshops and other traditional buildings from Kashubia and nearby Kociewia. Up to know, many of the buildings still function as they used to, such as a steam-driven sawmill and the lovely wooden church from 18th-century which is still performing Mass and the occasional wedding today.

In addition to wooden houses decorated with authentic furnishings, another highlight of the museum is the massive collections of the local handcraft presenting the beauty of Kashubian folk art. Visitors will marvel at the intricate and colorful embroidery from Wdzydze.

With lovely rural buildings and its picturesque location, the Kashubian Ethnographic Park is a really nice place to visit, indulging in local traditional culture and unwinding in nature, especially for families with children! 

? If you are interested in visiting this lovely town, please check our website to find our Bike Tour in northern Poland, there are more interesting attractions are waiting for you! ? Northern Poland By Bike ?‍♀️

Photo:muzeum-wdzydze.gda.pl

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Delicious Polish Mushroom Dishes to Enjoy during Autumn

???Autumn is not only a beautiful season packed with colorful foliage but also a harvest season that one can find all kinds of fresh and delicious fruits and seasonal foods in the market, especially mushrooms! It is well known that the Poles enjoy mushrooms, picking mushrooms in the forest is one of the Poles’ favorite pastimes. Over the centuries, because of the popularity of mushrooms, a lot of Polish mushroom dishes have been invented and they have become a very valuable part of Polish culinary culture. Today, I’d like to share with you some of the classical Polish Mushroom Dishes, and I wonder what would you like to try first If you have the opportunity to visit Poland? ?

1. Mushroom soup

When people talk about mushroom dishes, mushroom soup would be the first to come to mind. Delicate mushrooms are great for soups, and porcini mushroom soup is one of the best-known of this kind of soup, which was made with dried porcini and fresh mushrooms. Besides, there are more interesting variations, such as a traditional Christmas soup, made with dried mushrooms and fruits like prunes and pears, from the Kociewie region near Gdańsk. There is another potato soup from the central part of Poland called Zalewajka, which is a traditional rustic soup made of diced and boiled potatoes, Polish sausage, and dried mushrooms.

2. Mushroom pierogi

The Poles are proud of their pierogi (meaning ‘dumpling’). Though there are many different pierogi fillings, one of the most traditional ones is sauerkraut and mushrooms. This amazing combination is also the foundation of bigos, which is commonly known in English as hunter’s stew. Traditionally, these dumplings are served as the 12th course of a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. 

3. Uszka with wild mushrooms

Uszka, meaning ‘little ears’, are small dumplings (a small and twisted version of pierogi) which usually filled with flavorsome wild forest mushrooms and onion or minced meat. They are mainly made for Christmas Eve dinner and served as an opening dish with a tart and rich beetroot broth. Delicate pierogi dough filled with wild mushrooms almost melts in your mouth and combined with clear beetroot soup is really worth a try.

4. Mushroom kaszotto 

Kaszotto is kind of like polish risotto, made with buckwheat, barley or millet, and whatever you have handy, like lentils, celeriac, squash, and of course seasonal mushrooms. It’s become quite a popular dish, as it’s delicious, easy to make and healthier than a traditional risotto. It can go with different veggies, but with wild mushrooms will produce an amazing umami flavour.

5. Scrambled eggs with mushrooms

Scrambled eggs with mushrooms is one of the most common breakfasts in Poland, which is traditionally made with intensely yellow chanterelles, is very tasty, healthy and easy cooking. Chanterelles is a very tasty edible wild mushroom and very popular in Poland.

Photo: culture.pl

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Poland to reinstate flights to the Schengen zone on Sept 30

??✈️?? Poland to reinstate flights to the Schengen zone on Sept 30! But the air travel ban will apply to 29 other countries where a 14-day cumulative Covid-19 infection rate exceeds 90 per 100,000 inhabitants, and soon the ban will come into force from September 30 and last for two weeks, the Infrastructure Ministry announced on Friday.

“Additionally, we are maintaining a very strict epidemic security regime at all Polish airports. Therefore, we can safely continue to gradually lift the flight bans,” Deputy Infrastructure Minister Marcin Horała was quoted as saying.

Have you got any travel plans for the holiday? There are many appealing attractions and stunning views of nature in Poland, and we are here for you.?

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The highest mountain of the Karkonosze Mountains, Śnieżka

Over 1,600 meters above sea level, Mount Śnieżka is situated on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, the highest mountain in the Karkonosze Mountains and the Sudetes, Stretching along the Polish-Czech border, as well as the tallest peak in the Czech Republic on the border with Poland.

Towering over the Karkonosze Mountains, Śnieżka captures the attention of interesting hikers from all over the world. There are many marked hiking trails of varying difficulty from the Polish side to the top, each of them providing unforgettable views. You can set off from a Polish town, Karpacz, which is a spa town and ski resort, where you can enjoy the picturesque view over the Karkonosze Mountains and the town. There’s also an option to take a chairlift from Karpacz to Mount Kopa (1,377 m), and then to hike up to the peak of Śnieżka, which significantly shortens the way to the summit. Apart from the baroque Chapel of St. Lawrence that has over 350 years of history and interesting mountain huts along the way, there are a number of attractions on the way from Karpacz to Mount Śnieżka that worth a visit.

Once you arrive at the peak, make sure to visit the famous UFO-like meteorological observatory on Śnieżka, which is consists of three joined discs, each with a different function. The highest disk is home to the meteorological observatory. The middle disk is a technical facility and observatory employee’s rooms. The lowest disk is used as a public service area including a restaurant, restrooms and tourist chill room. In nice weather, It would be a good experience for visitors to climb up to the observation deck near the meteorological observatory to admire the panoramic view of the Karkonosze Mountains.

Photo: www.karpacz.pl

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Polish Maldives

Known as “Polish Maldives”, Park Grodek is located in Jaworzno, 30 km east of Katowice. It is a spectacular place with lush greenery and a stunning lake, featuring the azure water, steep cliffs, and tiny islands, which make visitors feel almost as if they are going on an exotic holiday. Take a stroll on the winding wooden footbridge, admire the view of the lake with its bright blue turquoise water which is so crystal clear that one can see the bottom. Thanks to the convenient bike paths, here is also a popular destination for cyclists. If you are planning to travel to Katowice, don’t forget to stop by here to spend a pleasant time. 

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Mushroom Picking in Poland

Golden Polish Autumn is the best time of year to pick mushrooms in the forest. Thanks to the abundant resource of forests, Poland is filled with porcini, milk caps, chanterelles and all kinds of mushrooms from September to early November. ????

It’s kind of like local seasonal activities that lots of families in Poland go mushroom picking in the forest at least once a year. It’s one of the Poles’ favorite pastimes as well, back to nature, surrounded by the beautiful sceneries and trying to find the hiding places of the tastiest ones. Mushroom is the gifts of autumn, you don’t need any permission to go picking, and there are no quantitative restrictions on how many mushrooms you can pick. But be careful not to pick the protected mushrooms, or destroy the inedible ones, you may get a hefty fine.

Poland has a long tradition of mushroom picking, and therefore mushrooms become basic ingredients for many traditional cuisines. There are many Polish mushroom dishes that have been invented, such as Mushroom soup with dried porcini, Sauerkraut & mushroom dumpling(pierogi), Hunter’s stew (bigos), and so on. If you don’t have much time to visit Poland then try some polish cuisines in a local restaurant would be an ideal option. ???

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Stunning Golden Autumn in Poland

If you’re familiar with Poland you must have heard of the term “Golden Polish Autumn”. It is a period of a few days sometime between the end of September and the beginning of October. In these short weeks, the burning summer begins to fade quickly, replaced by a colourful and cool autumn. ???

The colourful changing surroundings take place in all of Poland. During the season, the last green leaf faded, through yellow, into orange(hence “golden autumn”) and then gradually at the end red and brown. Together they weave the unique colour-changing coat for autumn. Only conifers can stay green and wait to become the first delightful ornament in the winter.

There is no better season to come and visit the Polish mountains, to admire its stunning landscape adorned with falling, colourful leaves. One of the best regions to see during autumn in Poland is the Bieszczady mountains, located in the most south-eastern part of Poland on the border with Slovakia and Ukraine. The most beautiful part of the mountain range is protected by the Bieszczady National Park, which is the third-largest national park in Poland. It’s mostly covered by forest and therefore is blessed with a variety of flora and fauna. 

While there you can take a hike to the highest peak of Bieszczady Poland surrounded by some dramatic mountain scenery, or walk along the wooden architecture trail filled with historical attractions and beautiful wooden churches.

By day, feast your eyes on peaceful nature, beautiful mountains, various wild animals and charming wooden Orthodox churches that date back to the year 1799. By 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.

Golden Polish Autumn is truly beautiful, if you have any chance to visit Poland during autumn, do not miss it!?

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A heart-shaped lake in Międzyrzecz

?What a beautiful lake! Situated in Międzyrzecz County, an incredible heart-shaped lake has been spotted hidden deep in the Pszczewski Landscape Park established in 1986. Although its official name is Black Lake?, from the air, It looks more like a blue heart?, surrounded by flourishing forests, everywhere you can see rich greenery of grass and trees. Thanks to the great natural resources, Poland boasts lots of stunning landscapes. ?

Take a stroll with your lovers or family around the Black Lake, leaving a heart-shaped track on your roadmap.?‍♀️❤️?‍♂️How romantic is that?

? In addition to natural attractions, there are also many historical places and cultural attractions for visitors to explore. North of the Park, west of the town, Międyrzecz Castle located on a small hill in the forks of Obra and Paklica rivers. This brick castle was raised in around 1350 by Casimir III the Great, is the successor of a wooden borough located in this place earlier. During the Piast dynasty of Poland, It was one of the most important Polish fortresses served as the watchtower of the Polish western border. After several reconstructions, the castle gate fortified with roundel bastions is currently the only such preserved in Poland. Besides, not far away from the park, there is a beautiful town named Świebodzin where you can visit the world’s tallest statues of Jesus completed in 2010 there.

There’s plenty of splendid landscape to discover in Poland, contact us to find out more fantastic attractions in Poland.?

Photo by thefirstnews

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