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Sandwiched between Russia and Germany, Poland’s history has often been turbulent, going from kingdom to commonwealth (with Lithuania) to independent country (after the First World War). Following the Second World War, it fell under Soviet rule for 40 years or so until it overthrew it in 1989. With its accession to the EU in 2004, Poland has become more accessible to travellers, and many young Poles have sought work in other parts of the EU.
Thanks to numerous cheap flights to Poland, its cities have become must-sees. Krakow, the former capital in the south, is a splendid city more than 1,000 years old. Warsaw, the capital, has beautiful parks, wide boulevards, and an old quarter that was rebuilt after the war by volunteers using maps, old paintings, books, and the rubble of buildings flattened during the war.
Natural wonders include Bialowieza Forest where the last of the European bison roam; the Polish Tatras mountains, shared with Slovakia in the south, and Masuria, the land of 10,000 lakes.
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Summers in Poland average a mild 19 degrees, but the interior can be much hotter. Winters can be extremely cold, especially inland from the Baltic Coast, where temperatures average -5 in Warsaw. It rains throughout the year, particularly in the southern mountains.
The climate in Poland is a tourist’s dream – warm summers, blue-skied autumns and snowy winters.
Peak season:
May to September. July and August are the busiest holiday months. Flights to Poland should be booked as far in advance as possible.
Off season:
The winter months, unless you are a skier. Szklarska Poreba, in the western part of the Karkonosze Mountains, Szczyrk and Zakopane, in the foothills of the Tatras, south of Krakow, are the best-known resorts. Elsewhere, the winter months can be very dreary and very cold.
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LOT, the national carrier, offers domestic Poland flights – Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Szczecin, Poznan, Zielona Gora, Wroclaw, Lodz, Katowice, Krakow and Rzeszow.
All the major car-rental companies are represented here – Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar – but road quality varies somewhat.
PKP, the Polish State Railways, offers service on three types of trains: intercity, eurocity and expresses. The country is well connected with good services from Warsaw.
PKS, the Polish Car Transport Company, offers intercity bus services. There are also lots of private bus companies that offer services throughout the country.
Warsaw has a good underground train system. Trams operate in several cities including Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw, Szczecin, Katowice.
(prices quoted are from London)