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Toruń Gingerbread

Polish Gingerbread, called Pierniki, is one of the sweetest Christmas traditions in Poland. It is a spiced cookie served around the world during the holidays, one can buy it in any city in Poland. But the most famous and popular of these is Toruń gingerbread, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Thanks to its excellent location, the city brought together high-quality soil, fine wheat, honey, and exotic spices from far-away countries, which explains why the superbly tasting gingerbread was born precisely here. Besides its good taste, Toruń gingerbread is also famous for the traditional baking method which contributes to its various peculiar shapes. During the Christmas holiday, Poles would also bake many small ginger cookies served as Christmas-tree decorations.

Today, the Living Museum of Gingerbread is proudly situated in the center of Toruń’s medieval and historic Old Town and was voted the destination of Google Map’s Golden Pin this year. As the first interactive museum in Europe, visitors can discover how gingerbread was baked in Medieval Times and even try to bake one in traditional wooden molds on their own.

Have you tried Toruń gingerbread? Not only the gingerbread, but the city also boasts numerous preserved medieval structures representing the magnificent achievements of brick Gothic architecture in Europe. You can find vast Gothic cathedrals, imposing Gothic Old City Town Hall, ruins of the very first in Poland Teutonic Knights’ Castle, St Mary’s Church with high ceiling and stained glass windows, St James’ Church with Gothic murals and spectacular stellar vaults, many Gothic townsmen’s houses and the long defensive city walls with Gothic gates and turrets. It is also the place where the famous Nicolaus Copernicus was born, and right next to the Museum it’s the living museum of gingerbread.

Today, Toruń is the most Gothic urban complex in Poland and attracts1.5 million tourists to visit each year. This magnificent walled Gothic town should definitely on your travel bucket list!?

Photo: Polish Tourism Organisation

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The largest Gothic altarpiece in the world

After several years of renovation work, the altarpiece of Veit Stoss in St. Mary’s Basilica in Kraków has been restored to its former glory. As the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, it definitely worth a visit.?

The altarpiece of Veit Stoss is located behind the High altar of St. Mary’s Basilica and was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss who lived and worked in Krakow for over 20 years. It is about 13 m high and 11 m wide and consists of 200 fine limewood sculptures treated with color and gold foil. The central part, with huge lifelike statues of the saints, depicts the Dormition of Mary, who is gently falling asleep surrounded by all 12 of the Apostles. Looking upwards one sees the Ascension of Our Lady and Lord. And at the very top, there is Madonna’s Heavenly Coronation by the Trinity. The side panels show the six scenes of the Joys of Mary. At the lower part of the altarpiece, there is the genealogical tree of Mary from the house of David.

The Veit Stoss altarpiece is one of the most outstanding works of late Gothic sculpting art in Europe as well as one of the most important pieces of art in Poland. Thanks to years of hard work by the Interacademic Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Art, the restoration work is coming to a close, and visitors will be able to admire the refurbished Wit Stwosz, which is now closer to the colors of the construction from the late 15th century.

In addition to the altarpiece owned by St. Mary’s Basilica, It features magnificent stained-glass windows dating from the late 14th century and the blue star vaulting with exquisite interiors, which captivate all who visit here. The church is open to visitors every day when no Mass is being conducted. Don’t miss this amazing place while you visit the Main Market Square in Kraków.

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

?  https://www.visitpoland.com/tours/cracow-city-break?

Photo krakow4u.pl

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The magic of Podkarpackie Region

? The third edition of the Tourism Blogging Championship in Poland winners has announced!? The first place went to Karolina Miller and Piotr Andruszko, who introduced a magical world of Podkarpackie Province and stood out from 63 bloggers from all over the country. 

Podkarpackie voivodeship is located in Southern-East Poland sparing its borders with Ukraine and Slovakia. It is one of the greenest regions of Poland, boasts pristine meadows and lush forests including 10 landscape parks, 17 protected landscape areas, and 71 nature reserves. Apart from many scenic tourist trails and cycling routes of varying levels of difficulty, the traditional wooden architecture and numerous castles and palaces also attract many tourists and make it one of the most popular tourist areas in Poland.

?  What would this fairy-tale world have looked like through their eyes? 

?  Click on the link below, Let’s follow in the winner’s footsteps to explore this fairy-tale world. 

?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr-CcSWSLd8

Photo: Rudeiczarne – Travel Blog

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Poznan won 3rd place in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets 2021

? Congratulations! The city of Poznan won 3rd place in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets 2021!

For the second year in a row, Poznan Christmas Market has been rated as one of the TOP 10 BEST Christmas Markets in Europe, there is no doubt that Poznan has become a rising star that attracts increasingly people to explore the beauty of its winter wonderland.

Every year there are many wonderful activities and attractions waiting for people to come along since the first Poznan Bethlehem was held in Poznan in 2012. When Christmas comes, the city is lit up by numerous dazzling Christmas lights that bring the festival to life, the streets are full of the delicious smell of mulled wine and roasted sausages, and the sounds of carols and laughter. Although the Market has been canceled this year, you can still feel the magical atmosphere of Christmas in Poznan!

Photo: Poznan.travel

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The traditional Polish drinks for cold evenings

As cold winter evening comes to Poland, there are many ways to keep warm while you are outside. And among the various ways to stay warm, alcohol is the most tempting way. 

? HOT BEER (Polish: Grzane Piwo)

Have you tried HOT BEER in Poland? It’s not just the heated beer, but it’s also infused with spices and flavours like honey, cinnamon, and cloves. You can buy it in almost every restaurant and bar across Poland. It’s a perfect drink and a must-try beverage for tourists to enjoy during the cold Polish winter evenings,  especially at Christmas.❄️?✨

? HOT MULLED WINE (Polish: Grzaniec)

If you prefer to have some sweet drinks then you should definitely try the hot mulled wine, which is as popular as hot beer in Poland and very common in the Christmas market. You can buy it from the wooden stands or the barrel-shaped booths at the market, or enjoy it in a cozy restaurant where the mulled wine is generally served in the painted pottery cups. Moreover, you can also buy ready spice mixes to make your own mulled wine at home or even buy ready mulled wine that only has to be heated up.

Don’t miss out on these traditional Polish drinks next time you visit Poland!

Photos: porchdrinking.com

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Winter in Warsaw 2021

?✨✨As Christmas is on the way, the night of Warsaw has started to glow with illumination! From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

Although this year’s light decorations are less than in the previous years, the main attractions become more concentrated and easy to visit, include:

?The 27-meter-high Christmas tree on Castle Square;
?The “balloon seller” and the “Warsaw barrel organ” on Castle Square;
✨54 m long “light tunnel”, “chess pieces”, and “chessboard” in the square of ks. Jan Twardowski;
?“Horse tram” at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus;
?“Carousel”, “gazebo for lovers”, and a “greeting card” in Hoover Square.
The magic of Christmas has returned to Warsaw and the show is about to begin! Are you ready?

Photo: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa/Facebook

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Poznan Christmas Market has once again been nominated as European Best Christmas Markets 2021!

✨???✨ Poznan Christmas Market was nominated again in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets and compete for the honor of being the best Christmas Market in 2021!

Actually, Poznan was also selected as one of the Top 10 best Christmas destinations 2019 in Europe. In the last year, the Bethlehem themed Christmas market was held in the center of Poznan and was filled with the smell of burned wood, mulled wine and delicacies, and sounds of carols and laughter. Wander around the cobblestone streets of Poznan’s Old Town, apart from exploring the vast array of wooden stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats, the International Ice Sculpture Festival displaying 24 sculptors’ work from 11 countries was also one of the great highlights that captivated all who visit here.

Besides the lively Christmas Market, Poznan boasts much historical architecture as well, like its renaissance town hall and the country’s oldest cathedral. In good weather, visitors can walk to all the main sights which aren’t far from the Christmas market in Poznan. With Christmas around the corner, the street in Poznan was illuminated by the light ornaments and dotted with festive decorations and shinny Christmas trees, which make the whole city seems increasingly vivid in the dark of night. Although the Market has been canceled due to the pandemic, you can still enjoy the Christmas atmosphere here.

Photo: poznan.travel

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Poznań was selected as one of the 20 BEST Places For Americans To Live, Invest, Work in Europe.

Forbes, a prestigious American business magazine, lists Poznań as one of the 20 BEST Places selected from 120 destinations For Americans To Live, Invest, Work In Europe! if you haven’t been there yet, you should definitely add this charming city to your travel bucket list!

POZNAN is a warm, colorful and friendly city with a history of thousands, rich culture, traditional regional cuisine, impressive architecture and a pleasant environment surrounded by nature.

? Stroll into the most picturesque market squares in Poland, you will be fascinated by the colorful townhouses. The famous Renaissance Town Hall stands in the center of the square, where you can watch the traditional duel of the Town Hall goats at high noon!? ?

? Along the Royal-Imperial Route, you can find the former Imperial Castle that used to be a residence of the German emperor. The architecture of its Neo-Romanesque style harks back to medieval castles, and the most impressive room in the edifice was the Throne Room in Byzantine style. Today it houses a cinema, art galleries, a puppet theater, music clubs, and others.

⛪️ Whether you are a history buff or just want to get a much deeper understanding of Poland, the cathedral located in Ostrów Tumski is one not to be missed. It’s the oldest church in Poland, dates back to the 10th century, where the first two sovereigns of the country were buried.

? If you have a sweet tooth, St. Martin’s Croissants, a local specialty in Poznan won’t let you down. You can learn the story of this baked goodie and even make a croissant yourself in the Poznan Croissant Museum.

? Check out our tour package, there are plenty of fantastic attractions in Poznan and other amazing polish cities you can discover by joining our 10 Days Poland Highlight Tour! ?

? Please don’t feel hesitate to contact us, you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun adventures that we have planned for you.?

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Winter in the Tatra Mountains — Zakopane

?? Poland features medieval and neoclassical towns, rich historical sites and relics, diverse culture and folklore, local specialties and comfortable accommodations. Many people might tend to head to the big cities like Warsaw, Kraków or Gdansk, on their first visit to Poland, while outside the cities Poland also boasts unique and beautiful natural sights—the mysterious Crooked Forest, the largest moving sand dunes in Central Europe, wide and white sandy beaches on the Baltic Coast, a land of thousand lakes, lush forests and spectacular scenic mountain landscapes—waiting to be explored.

? If you are a mountain lover and planning for an exciting winter holiday. You should definitely visit the Tatra Mountains in Poland, which is a perfect mountain resort packed with the landscape whether it’s summer or winter.❄️Since the first snow of this season has arrived in Poland and left lots of snow, the Tatra Mountains and their capital Zakopane has again become a tourism hotspot. According to INSTAGRAM, Zakopane has been tagged a massive 1,439,744 times, which is number one in the top-ten tagged ski ground on Instagram.

Located at the foot of the Tatra mountains, Zakopane is an attractive city for visiting and staying, not only for its clean air, beautiful views, thermal spas, and various winter activities, but also as the centre of Polish highlander culture, with its unique folk music, stunning wooden architecture, delicious regional cuisine and beautifully ornamented traditional costumes. Apart from the magnificent mountain landscape and culture, Zakopane is also known for its beautiful wooden villas. It would be a wonderful experience to live in lovely chalets, to taste traditional Highland cuisines, and shopping along Krupowki Street for traditional leather Highland shoes and socks. Don’t miss out on visiting Zakopane!

⛄️Since winter holiday is just around the corner and, If you don’t ski but like going to the snowy mountains to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the breathtaking view of the slowly rising sun glinting on the snow-capped peaks of the Tatra mountains, then our 3-day trip to Zakopane would be perfect for you.

? Check out our tour package Ski break in Zakopane to make the best of your time in Zakopane with us! ?

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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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