Travel to Poland: what to see, when to go and itineraries

About two hours by plane from Paris, Poland lines up UNESCO-listed historic centres from Krakow to Warsaw and Toruń, Baltic beaches around Gdańsk, the peaks of the Tatras and thousands of lakes in Masuria, all connected by a dense rail network.
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Why travel to Poland?

Poland combines four major historic cities, Krakow, Warsaw, Gdańsk and Wrocław, with varied landscapes from the Tatras to the Masurian lakes, at the heart of Central Europe. Fast trains connect the main cities in under four hours, making a full circuit possible without a car.

What to discover in Poland?

Warsaw, a rebuilt capital

Largely destroyed in 1944, the Polish capital rebuilt its old town exactly as it was, drawing notably on Bellotto's cityscapes, to the point of being listed by UNESCO in 1980. Allow two to three days: a morning for the old town and the Royal Route, half a day for the Warsaw Uprising Museum, another for the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The Praga district, on the right bank of the Vistula, keeps pre-war buildings. From the central station, Krakow is about 2 h 30 away by fast train and Gdańsk less than 3 hours.

Krakow and Lesser Poland

A former royal capital spared by the bombing, Krakow deserves at least three days. The Main Market Square, one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica fill a first day, the royal hill and the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz a second. The classic excursions all leave from the city: the Wieliczka salt mine half an hour away, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial about 1 h 30 by road. Book the latter several weeks ahead between April and October, as guided slots sell out fast.

The Tricity and the Baltic coast

Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia form a continuous urban area served by the SKM commuter train, with at most half an hour between two centres. Gdańsk gathers the Hanseatic facades of the Royal Route, the shipyard where Solidarity was born and the Westerplatte peninsula, where the first shots of the Second World War were fired on 1 September 1939. Sopot is the seaside resort, Gdynia the modernist town of the 1930s. Swimming in the Baltic is practically limited to July and August, in cool water. Malbork Castle makes an easy day trip, less than an hour away by train.

Zakopane and the Tatras

The country's only high mountain range, the Tatras peak on the Polish side at Rysy, 2,499 metres, and continue on the Slovak side of the massif. Zakopane, about 2 hours by road from Krakow, is the base: wooden mountain architecture, the Kasprowy Wierch cable car and trailheads. The walk to Morskie Oko lake follows a paved road of about 9 kilometres, two hours each way, closed to private cars. Aim for June to September for the trails; in winter Zakopane becomes the country's main ski resort, very busy in February.

Wrocław and Lower Silesia

Crossed by the Oder and its branches, Wrocław counts a dozen islands and over a hundred bridges. Its great Market Square, Gothic town hall and Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski) can be explored on foot in a day, while hunting for the hundreds of small bronze dwarfs scattered around the centre delights children. Two days are enough, three if you add the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, UNESCO-listed and about an hour away by road. Prague, in the Czech Republic, is only about four hours away by road.

Masuria and its lakes

In the north-east, Masuria lines up more than two thousand lakes linked by canals, a playground for sailing, canoeing and cycling in July and August. Giżycko and Mikołajki are the most practical bases, about 3 h 30 by road from Warsaw. The region also holds the Elbląg Canal, where boats are hauled over slopes on rails, and Hitler's former headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, near Kętrzyn. Plan three to four days and a car, as public transport between the lakes is scarce. The Lithuanian border is about two hours away by road.

Toruń and Poznań, merchant towns

Between Warsaw and Gdańsk, Toruń has kept a UNESCO-listed Gothic brick centre, the house where Copernicus was born and a gingerbread tradition you can discover in a living museum. One day is enough, ideally as a stop on the way to the Baltic. Further west, Poznań draws visitors to its Market Square, where two mechanical goats butt heads every day at noon above the town hall clock, and to Cathedral Island, the cradle of the Polish state in the 10th century. Poznań is about 2 h 30 by train from Berlin, a handy gateway from Germany.

20th-century memorial sites

Poland bears the heaviest scars of the last century, and many visitors devote part of their trip to this memory. Besides Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Majdanek camp in Lublin and the Treblinka site, about two hours by road from Warsaw, are memorials open to the public. The Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk and Oskar Schindler's factory in Krakow each need half a day. For more recent history, the European Solidarity Centre tells the story of the fall of communism. Space these visits out: doing more than one a day is draining.

Cities to visit in Poland

Featured destinations appear first.
Warsaw

Warsaw

Rebuilt stone by stone after 1944, Warsaw blends a listed old town, powerful history museums, royal parks and glass towers along the Vistula.
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Poland's must-sees

Brick castles, salt mines, mountain lakes and memorial sites: the places that justify the trip on their own.

Wawel Hill

The royal castle and cathedral where Polish kings were crowned, overlooking the Vistula in Krakow; the state rooms are visited on timed tickets.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Galleries dug since the Middle Ages, chapels carved out of salt and underground lakes, half an hour from Krakow and listed as World Heritage.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

The former Nazi concentration and extermination camp turned museum and memorial in Oświęcim; visits by reservation, allow at least three and a half hours.

Malbork Castle

Fortress of the Teutonic Order and the largest brick castle in the world, UNESCO-listed and reachable by train from Gdańsk as a day trip.

Warsaw Old Town

Market Square, Royal Castle and ramparts rebuilt stone by stone after 1945, a unique example of reconstruction inscribed on the World Heritage list.

Warsaw Uprising Museum

An immersive journey through the 63 days of the 1944 uprising against the German occupiers, essential to understanding the city today.

Morskie Oko Lake

A glacial lake at the foot of the highest Tatra peaks, reached after a two-hour easy walk from the Palenica Białczańska car park.

Długi Targ in Gdańsk

The Long Market, a ceremonial street lined with colourful merchant houses, the Neptune Fountain and the Main Town Hall.

Sopot Pier

A long wooden pier stretching into the Bay of Gdańsk, the resort's signature promenade, especially pleasant at sunset.

Centennial Hall

In Wrocław, a pioneer of reinforced concrete architecture opened in 1913 and UNESCO-listed, next to a multimedia fountain and a Japanese garden.

Łazienki Park

Warsaw's great royal park with its palace on the water; free Chopin recitals are held on summer Sundays by the composer's monument.

Frequently asked questions about Poland

How many days should I plan between Krakow and Warsaw?
Three full days in Krakow, including a day trip to Wieliczka or Auschwitz-Birkenau, and two days in Warsaw make a good balance. The two cities are linked in about 2 h 30 by fast train, so you can chain them without losing a day.
How do I book a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Krakow?
Entry to the memorial is free but must be booked online on the museum's official website. From April to October, midday visits are done with a guide. Allow at least three and a half hours for both sites, plus the bus or minibus ride from Krakow.
Is the Wieliczka Salt Mine worth the trip?
Yes, it is one of the country's most striking excursions, with chapels entirely carved out of salt. The guided tour lasts about two to three hours and starts with a descent of several hundred steps. Bring a jacket: it stays cool underground all year round.
Can you swim in the Baltic at Gdańsk or Sopot?
Yes, in July and August, when the beaches of Sopot and Jelitkowo are lifeguarded. The water stays cool even in midsummer, and algae blooms can lead to temporary swimming bans posted on site. Out of season, the coast is better suited to walks.
When can I walk to Morskie Oko without the crowds?
Set off early on a weekday, ideally in June or September. On July and August weekends, thousands of hikers use the same road. The Palenica Białczańska car park can be booked online in high season, or reached by bus from Zakopane.
Should I change euros into złoty before leaving?
It is not necessary: cards are accepted almost everywhere and cash machines are plentiful. Just beware of independent ATMs offering conversion into euros at a poor rate: always choose to be charged in złoty.
Are shops open on Sundays in Poland?
Generally not: a law bans trading on most Sundays of the year, with a few exceptions before holidays. Owner-run small shops, bakeries, petrol stations and restaurants stay open, but do your shopping on Saturday.
Is the Krakow Christmas market worth a December trip?
It sets up on the Main Market Square from late November to late December and is one of the most pleasant in Central Europe. You have to accept the cold, often below zero, and short days. Combine it with the Wieliczka mine, where the underground temperature never changes.
Train or car for a Krakow, Warsaw, Gdańsk circuit?
The train is more than enough for the big cities, with fast connections and compact centres where a car would be a burden. Rent a vehicle only for Masuria or to combine the Tatras with mountain villages poorly served by public transport.
Which Polish dishes should I try beyond pierogi?
Try żurek, a sour rye soup sometimes served in a bread bowl, bigos made with cabbage and meats, oscypek, a smoked Tatra cheese grilled at Zakopane's markets, and pączki, filled doughnuts sold in every bakery.

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