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"The Ultimate Guide to Poland
"Maybe I went a little bit too far with the title because if I wanted to give you so thorough guide to Poland I would have to write one of those thick encyclopedia type book. What I want to give you is a little bit of advertisement the country needs but also an honest opinion what you need to be careful about if you will decide to visit. Well here , we go:
LOCATION
Maybe you won't believe it but it is actually Central Europe not Eastern Europe like everyone thinks. You can get to Poland by any possible mean of transport (even a ferry). My favourite - plane can take you to the major cities in Poland like Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk or Poznan (the last one doesn't go directly from London).
WHY WOULD I GO THERE?
You can go to Poland for many reasons, you can find there any possible terrain type (even a desert believe it or not). From nice Baltic coasts in the north of Poland you can visit lakes and national nature Parks in the East (one in Bialowieza is known to have 300 hundred of one of the rarest animals in the Word- European Bisons), following to industrial areas in the centre of Poland (not advisable though unless you are into gloomy mines and huge factories). In the North you can visit wonderful mountains with a great skiing opportunities but also some more nature parks with breath taking landscapes and rare species of animals and birds.
Well, you might say, what if I am not a nature lover? There is much more to Poland than landscapes. There are some beautiful historical cities that you should see. If you are interested in the Poland's monarchy heritage for example I would advise you to visit Krakow - this city wasn't totally destroyed like Warsaw during WWII and you can see the The Wawel Royal Castle which was built by Polish rulers from mid of 11th to 17th century. Zamosc - town designed and built (street by street) by one of the Polish families (Zamoyski) in 16th century. Worth seeing are also old cities like Przemysl, Bydgoszcz and Poznan.
There are also cities that were destroyed during WWII and rebuilt. To this category belongs Warsaw the capital of Poland and Baltic Coast Cities Gdansk and Gdynia. Warsaw is a mixture of some old style rebuilt architecture and a lot of communistic crap. It is said but it is always on the last position on my list if I am there I go to old part with a really nice market area.
Poland has also some horryfying WWII heritage. I am talking obviously about concentration camps I think everyone knows about Auschwitz — Birkenau but there were also Chelmno (Kulmhof),Maidanek Pustkow,Plaszow and Treblinka. Visiting one of those places is an experience you will never forget and I think this is what is it about - ensure that such places will never be built again.
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Tourist information is available at the airports, train stations, bus stations and various points in town. You can obviously rent a car while you there or take a train or a bus. While in towns/cities you can travel by bus or a tram or possibly a taxi, all of them are much cheaper than UK. I would be careful with public transport - pickpocket is quite a popular occupation in Poland.
As to places to sleep you can find them everywhere from World recognized hotels to small inns and hostels in mountains. The quality and price varies but generally you can find a simply furnished room for £6 a night in the inn and for £10 in the hotel.
You can get food everywhere, local food or McDonalds - your choice. It is very reasonably priced unless you like eating in Holiday Inn. Drinking is cheap (well it is Poland!). You can buy a pint of lager for around 50p and a bottle of good vodka for £5.
Beware you have to pay for using the toilet! It is embarrassing - but they do it even in restaurants and pubs.
I can't write everything about Poland it is virtually impossible. You can find your own ways to explore it depending on what you are really interested in and how much time you have. It is a lovely place with couple of down sides like any other interesting spots in the World. I am strongly advising you to give it a try.
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