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The Most Romantic Places In Europe to Visit

???Valentine’s day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to get chocolate and flowers. But beyond the perfect Valentine’s Day present, you might be thinking of a romantic place to spend a wonderful day with people you love. Thanks to Forbes, which has picked out the 16 Most Romantic Places In Europe to Inspire your Valentine’s Day, you can start planning your romantic trip now.

Gdansk, a romantic seaside city in Poland, is among the 16 most romantic places. It features extensive white beaches, rich culture, a variety of food, and is far from the beaten track and the crowds as well. In addition to a magnificent view of the Baltic Sea, there are plenty of impressive attractions that are worth a visit, including the largest port crane in Europe, one of the three largest brick churches in the world, and one of the most photographed streets and squares. You couldn’t ask for a more strikingly beautiful and colorful main street than Duga and Dugi Targ, the thoroughfare of the Main Town (Gówne Miasto). Walking along the Royal Route in Gdansk, from the Golden Gate at the western end to the magnificent Green Gate at the eastern, the colorful frescos on the burgher houses and townhouses will keep your eyes darting about. With a history spanning over 1,000 years, Gdansk is such a vibrant port city combining culture and history with attractive modernity. There is no shortage of things to see throughout the year.

?This year, surprise your loved one with a trip to a romantic and beautiful seaside city, Gdansk.

? If you haven‘t been to Gdansk, you are welcome to join our ? 3days Tricity Break to enjoy the charm of the most popular seaside destinations in Poland.

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The Polonaise dance

? Polonaise dance is likely to be inscribed on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity!? The dance is among five historic national dances of Poland, often considered the most traditional Polish dance and one of the few that we still dance today. Though it’s a peasant dance in origin, it gained popularity among the nobility and townspeople in later centuries.

Polonaise is danced in pairs, slow and dignified. The most common form of Polonaise is the procession, in which the pairs are arranged one after the other. In the past, the dance had a ceremonial function that the nobles performed this dance to express their tribute and respect for the monarch. Moreover, not only was the dance present at the royal court, but you can find it in the music of great composers like Fryderyk Chopin as well. Today, the Polonaise still retains its ceremonious function on the occasion of extraordinarily formal dance events, particularly at weddings and the senior prom, so-called “studniówka”.

Polish national dances were deeply immersed in the Polish culture and had become an integral part of it. So far, the preparation of the application to the Polish Committee on Intangible Heritage is already at the final stage. Regardless of the result, the Polonaise dance will always remain a classic in Poland.

Photo: poland.pl

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Royal Route

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The Kwidzyn Castle

You might have heard of Malbork Castle, which is the largest castle in Poland as well as in the world. But do you know there is another red-brick castle modeled the Malbork Castle worth visiting?

The Kwidzyn Castle is a rare example of Teutonic Knights’ castle architecture that survived WWII unscathed. It’s one of the most interesting monuments of Gothic architecture, features two towers extending from the main structure by long arcaded bridges. The smaller tower held a well, while the other is a medieval toilet tower, called the dansker, which is served for sanitary and defensive purposes. It’s probably the biggest latrine construction in the world, housed in a tower over a river or stream, connected to the main building with a 56-meter-long porch above the valley. Today, most of the building houses the Kwidzyn Museum, which was established as a branch of Malbork Castle Museum in 1973. The Museum has several sections, including displays of medieval sacred art, archaeological excavations, regional folk crafts, natural history, as well as an ethnographic exposition located in a dansker.

While you are visiting Malbork Castle, be sure to stop by here, for the Kwidzyn Castle is only 40 km from Malbork Castle. ?

Photo: worldisbeautiful.eu

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Malls and museums in Poland to reopen on February 1st

As the first step of easing coronavirus restrictions, shopping malls, museums and art galleries around Poland were set to reopen on this Monday.? It’s good news for all the travelers who are in or planning to visit Poland. For example, the National Museum in Krakow and its branches are ready to welcome its visitors from Tuesday, February 2, including the Sukiennice Museum, the Czartoryski Museum, and the Main Building of the National Museum.

The Sukiennice Museum is also called the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art at Sukiennice, which is housed on the historical Cloth Hall in the center of the Main Market Square in Old Town Kraków since 1883. The gallery contains four rooms and focuses solely on Polish paintings and sculptures dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, some of the paintings are huge and all of them are adorned with lavishly–framed.

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.

Established in 1897, the National Museum in Krakow is a top-notch institution for all fans of sophisticated art. It contains three permanent exhibitions, of which the most interesting is the exhibit of 20th and 21st century Polish Art featuring nearly 500 works by Poland’s leading modern artists.

In addition to the Krakow museums, there are plenty of fantastic attractions in Krakow you can discover by joining our ? 3days Krakow city break.?

Photo: mnk.pl

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Royal Castle in Warsaw

It’s been 50 years since a decision to reconstruct the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Millions of visitors see this extraordinary copy of the original castle blown up by the Germans in WWII thanks to the 1971 decision to rebuild the Royal Castle from voluntary contributions.

During WWII, more than 85% of Warsaw’s historic center was destroyed by Nazi troops, the royal castle was not spared as well. After the war, with the support of the whole nation, 13-year reconstruction work was completed by its inhabitants who have made outstanding contributions in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town, that includes the royal castle in Warsaw, one of Warsaw’s most recognizable landmarks.

For centuries, the Royal Castle served as the official home of Polish monarchs. Initially, it’s a wooden stronghold of the Mazovian dukes in the 14th century. During the rule of King Sigismund III, who moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw, the Castle underwent a major expansion before becoming one of Europe’s most splendid royal palaces and turned into its present look. Although it was destroyed during WWII, there are still a lot of original paintings, furniture, and objects of art that were miraculously preserved including two original Rembrandt paintings and 22 masterpieces by Bernardo Bellotto. Wander through the Great Apartments of the castle, you will marvel at the magnificent Great Assembly Hall, which is the largest and grandest room in the castle and features golden stucco columns arranged around the room, exquisite chandeliers, gilded wall decorations, and a huge ceiling painting. Make sure to have a look at the sumptuously decorated Throne Room, of which the walls and the throne feature the red velvet with rich gilding. In addition to the gorgeous decorated room, the Castle boasts beautifully reconstructed gardens extending from the Castle to the Vistula River. After the visit, It’s an ideal place to relax and enjoy flower beds, fountains, and a wonderful view of the Vistula River.

In 1980, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, together with the Old Town was placed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites as “an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century”. If you haven’t been to Warsaw, 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 Warsaw with us! ? Check out our Warsaw City break 3-day tours, explore Must-See attractions with us! ?

Photo: warsawtour.pl

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76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

Today is the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. To commemorate the end of the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War, January 27 was officially designated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day by the United Nations. 

76 years ago today, the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers was liberated. Auschwitz is located in southern Poland and was run by Nazi Germany during its occupation of Poland, where there are over 1.1 million people falling victim to the Nazi death factories. Today Auschwitz-Birkenau is a memorial and museum and the only place of its kind that has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. For visitors, It’s a place to gain a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and the Nazi concentration camps, to see thousands of preserved objects and well-preserved sites, to learn about living conditions and the tragic fate of Auschwitz prisoners.

On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pay tribute to all the victims of the Holocaust, and we will never forget the history behind Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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