Dzień dobry! Poland is a country in Central Europe with a captivating blend of rich history, diverse landscapes, and fascinating culture and traditions. From vibrant big cities and charming old towns to golden beaches and mighty mountains, Poland offers something for every traveler. Whether you want to explore cities or spend some time in the peaceful countryside, this country will leave you with unforgettable memories and eagerness to return. Without further ado, let us show you the best places to visit in Poland.
Just to let you know, Poland is our home country. We’ve traveled it length and breadth and know it quite well. Most of the mentioned places in this post we’ve visited more than once.
Note. In this post, you’ll find places about which we already have posts on this blog but we’ll also mention those about which posts will appear soon.
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Best places to visit in Poland
Wroclaw
Wroclaw is a beautiful and vivid Polish city overrun and ruled by dwarfs. It’s a place where old is intertwined with new, and beautiful with shabby. If you’re into charming old towns full of history and hidden gems, amazing food scene, cozy cities with many green spaces, and weird architecture – Wroclaw is a place for you. There you’ll find a wide variety of activities that for sure will please every traveler’s taste.
Wrocław is the third biggest city in Poland and a city where we live and which we love. For foreign tourists, it might not yet be as popular travel destination as other big names like Krakow or Warsaw but it’s definitely one of the best places to visit in Poland.
Learn more: Things To Do In Wroclaw, Poland [Guide By Locals]
Gdansk
Gdansk is one of Poland’s major travel destinations among foreigners. Together with Sopot and Gdynia, it forms a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto). Gdansk is a delightful city with a rich and turbulent history – it was here on Westerplatte that World War II began, and the Solidarity movement was created, leading to the fall of communism.
Nowadays, Gdansk is best known for its old town full of beautiful and colorful townhouses and lovely riverside areas. There you’ll find a wide variety of activities – from exploring the nooks and crooks of the old town, learning about Polish history, visiting interesting museums to taking a photo with Neptune, eating local food, and relaxing on the sandy beach.
Learn more: 20+ Things To Do In Gdansk, Poland
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It’s a city with a brutal history that endured the horrors of World War II and was almost completely wiped out. But over the last century, it rose from the ashes like a phoenix making it a modern and vibrant city full of life offering a wide variety of activities for everyone.
Nowadays, Warsaw is an interesting place where you’ll immerse in history and where you’ll see how old is intertwined with new. There, you’ll find a bizarre mix of modern glass skyscrapers, concrete giants, and nice medieval-style squares. Interesting museums, many green spaces, and delicious local food are there too. No wonder that Warsaw quickly became one of the most popular places to visit in Poland!
Learn more: 25+ Things To Do In Warsaw, Poland
Poznan
Poznan is a beautiful city that is one of the major travel destinations among Polish people but is still not well known to foreign visitors. So if you’re up for visiting a cool hidden gem, this is it! Poznan is an amazing city, definitely worth your time.
Poznan is colorful, beautiful, friendly, tasty, and full of green spaces. It’s a big city that managed to keep the small town feel. In Poznan, you’ll find a wide variety of activities – from exploring the nooks and crooks of the beautiful old town, watching the most popular goats in the country bumping their heads, to tasting delicious local dishes, exploring the oldest Polish cathedral, and visiting interesting museums.
Learn more: 15+ Things To Do In Poznan, Poland
Krakow
Krakow is one of the best places to visit in Poland which became somewhat of a trendy spot in Central Europe for international travelers. It’s one of the oldest cities in Poland, with the first written record dating back to 965. For hundreds of years, Krakow was also the country’s capital.
Nowadays, Krakow is best known for its pretty old town and Wawel Royal Castle – both declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also home to the mighty fire-breathing dragon, intriguing legends, Europe’s largest medieval town square, the oldest Polish university, and some stand-out architecture. You definitely won’t be bored in Krakow!
Learn more: How To Spend 3 Days In Krakow, Poland?
Sopot
Sopot is a beautiful and trendy Polish seaside town, Tricity’s smallest one. Since the late 19th century, it has attracted wealthy aristocrats and intellectual elite looking for a magnificent place to relax. Nowadays, Sopot is still a popular holiday spot, accessible to all.
Famous wooden pier stretching out into the Bay of Gdansk, award-winning sandy beaches, plenty of wellness centers and spas, beautiful architecture, crooked house, tasty local dishes, and vibrant nightlife… All of that, and more, is waiting in Sopot.
Learn more: Things To Do In Sopot, Poland
Gdynia
Gdynia is a fairly young Polish city established only in 1926. So instead of ancient monuments and rich history, there you’ll find quirky modernist architecture, a waterfront square with impressive ships, beautiful sandy beaches, numerous green spaces, and Poland’s major port. It’s a unique place to visit in Poland, a hidden gem of sorts.
It might not be as popular as its nearby older siblings, Gdansk and Sopot, but Gdynia is a dynamically developing seaport city with a unique character. Whether you’re interested in exploring maritime history, relaxing on a beach, enjoying outdoor activities, or admiring unique architecture – Gdynia has something for you.
Learn more: 10+ Things To Do In Gdynia, Poland
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More places to visit in Poland (full posts coming soon!)
Zakopane
Zakopane is a scenic town surrounded by the Tatra Mountains. It’s a popular destination all year round – in winter to practice winter sports and for hiking in summer. In the town center, you’ll find traditional houses and restaurants serving regional food. If you love mountains and magnificent views – you’ll love it.
Auschwitz
Auschwitz is a former concentration camp that was created by Nazis during World War II. During less than 5 years of its existence, 1-1.5 million people died there, and the majority of them were Jews. Nowadays, Auschwitz is the symbol of the war’s cruelty that should never be repeated and is definitely one of the most important places to visit in Poland.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the oldest operating salt mines in the world where salt was mined continuously from the 13th century to 2007. In 1978 Wieliczka Salt Mine was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a truly beautiful place with many chambers, chapels, underground lakes, and even sculptures carved from salt.
Malbork Castle
A visit to Malbork Castle is one of the most popular day trips from Gdansk. It’s the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a true architectural masterpiece!
Masuria region
Masuria, or Mazury in Polish, is best known as the land of the thousand lakes. It’s a breathtaking region in northeastern Poland that captivates nature and watersports lovers alike. There you’ll find 2000+ lakes, lush forests, charming towns, and some historic landmarks.
Toruń
Toruń is a lovely town located in north-central Poland. It’s famous for its beautifully preserved medieval old town (named a UNESCO World Heritage Site), being the birthplace of renowned astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, and delicious traditional gingerbread that has been made there for centuries.
Łódź
Łódź is a city of contrasts and Poland’s unique, off-beaten-track destination. It has a rich industrial history which provided a base for its unique development. Łódź once was the center of textile manufacturing and nowadays boasts revitalized spaces like Manufaktura shopping mall (former factory) or Piotrkowska Street – one of Europe’s longest commercial streets.
Katowice
Katowice, the heart of Poland’s Silesian region. Over the last years it has transformed from a major coal and steel hub into a vibrant city and one of the most important cultural and economic powerhouses in the country. In Katowice for example you’ll find two distinctive workers’ quarters, the iconic UFO-shaped Spodek Arena, unique architecture, and plenty of green spaces including one of Europe’s largest urban parks – Silesian Park.
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What’s the best time to visit Poland?
The best time to visit Poland is late spring or early autumn – the weather is warm and sunny, there are fewer crowds, and the prices are a bit lower. Summer months will be ok too, if you have nothing against bigger crowds. We advise against visiting Poland during the winter months as the quality of air is just terrible, days are very short, and you’ll be lucky to see a ray of sun.
How to move around Poland?
The fastest way of getting to all mentioned places is by car (if you don’t travel in your own, you can easily rent the best one for your needs through the Rental Cars website).
But Poland is also well connected by public transport and most of the places are also easily accessible by trains and buses. You can search for the connections that might interest you on rozklad-pkp.pl for trains, flixbus.pl for buses, and rome2rio.com for all possible options.
Where to stay while exploring Poland?
It’s actually a hard question to answer as it all depends on which places you wish to visit and how you are planning to move around Poland. Unfortunately, most cities and towns are located far from each other and if you want to see more of the country it won’t be possible to stay in just one city.
But for example, you can stay in Gdansk and also discover Sopot, Gdynia, Malbork and some parts of the coast like the Hel peninsula. From Wrocław you can easily go for a day trip to Poznan or Katowice. Krakow will be a good base for discovering the Tatra mountains, Auschwitz, or the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
To find great accommodation visit Booking or Hostelworld.
Best places to visit in Poland – Summing up
As you can see, there are many beautiful places to visit in Poland. Vibrant cities, charming towns, historic landmarks, beautiful natural sites… If you’re staying longer in the country or planning a road trip you definitely won’t be bored and you’ll leave with amazing memories. We hope that this post was helpful, and that now you’re one step closer to choosing the best place to visit in Poland, best suited to your interests. Have a great time!
If you’re wondering what are our TOP3 places in Poland… Wroclaw, Poznan & Zakopane (or rather hiking the Tatra Mountains to be exact).
Book now: 12 Day Private Tour of Poland with Hotels
