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| Polonia Europa Situada en la Europa Central, la República de Polonia, bañada por los ríos Vístula y Oder, sabe conjugar el sabor de la tradición con la modernidad que traen los nuevos tiempos. Una ciudad abierta al turismo, desde el que busca los deportes o los grandes museos del país hasta el que prefiere perderse por la naturaleza que lo rodea. Polonia cuenta, en sus más de 310.000 kilómetros cuadrados, con 22 parques naturales, más de 120 parques de interés paisajístico y miles de espacios y reservas naturales. Sin duda, un destino incomparable si desea el turismo ecológico y rural. |
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| Para los deseosos de turismo cultural,
les instamos a visitar lugares tan emblemáticos como el centro histórico de
Varsovia, la capital del país, que fue reconstruido después de la Segunda
Guerra Mundial; la calle Piotrkowska, de Lódz, la segunda ciudad más poblada
de Polonia, que tiene una longitud de 4 kilómetros, lo que la convierte en
la calle comercial más larga del mundo; o Stare Miasto, la ciudad vieja de
Cracovia, llena de grandiosos edificios de muy diversos estilos desde el
gótico al barroco, pasando por el renacentista. Varsovia está llena de museos. Pero, además de estos y de otros que encontrará en diversas ciudades polacas, no debe perderse los llamados skansen, museos al aire libre, que recrean la vida en ambiente rural utilizando casas auténticas y herramientas de los campesinos. A veces, la Historia juega malas pasadas y deja huellas imborrables. Es el caso de Auschwitz, campo de concentración de miles y miles de judíos. Como Memorial se levanta el Museo Auschwitz-Birkenau, un espacio, situado en las afueras de la ciudad de Oswiecim, donde puede conocer, in situ, a través de vídeos, fotografías, talleres y seminarios qué ocurrió en estos campos de concentración nazis. No dude en disfrutar de unas vacaciones en Polonia, donde encontrará lujosos hoteles y muchas cosas que ver y que hacer. 1 - 7 de 7 Horario de tiendas en Polonia Horario de tiendas en Polonia Horario de bancos: Normalmente, de 8:00-16:00h (de lunes a viernes); y de 9:00-13:00h (sábados). Horario de comercios: Generalmente, de 9:00-21:00h (de lunes a viernes). También suelen... [Ver más] Cajeros y dinero en Polonia Cajeros y dinero en Polonia La moneda oficial de Polonia es el zloty. (Un euro equivale aproximadamente a 4,8 zlotys). Aunque está extendido el uso de las tarjetas de crédito, hay... [Ver más] Electricidad en Polonia Electricidad en Polonia La corriente eléctrica en Polonia es de 220 voltios CA, 50Hz. Los enchufes son de tipo continental, es decir, de dos clavijas. [Ver más] Organización Turística Polaca Organización Turística Polaca (+(48-22) 536 70 70) Información turística de Polonia. [Ver más] Asistencia Sanitaria en Polonia Asistencia Sanitaria en Polonia (997 (Policía) 999 (Ambulancia) 998 (Bomberos)) Con la Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (TSE) podrá ser atendido en los servicios médicos polacos. Para que la consulta sea gratuita el médico debe estar en... [Ver más] Conducir en Polonia Conducir en Polonia En Polonia se conduce por la derecha. La edad mínima para conducir en Polonia son los 17 años. Si es ciudadano de la UE o de los... [Ver más] Oficina de Turismo en Varsovia Oficina de Turismo en Varsovia ((+48 22) 94 31, 474 11 42) Centro de información turística de Polonia en Varsovia, capital del país. [Ver más] |
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| Poland Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Warsawa Lazienki Park Warsawa Lazienki Park I. McLuckie Welcome to Poland. Poland is the home of: Nicolaus COPERNICUS, Fryderyk CHOPIN, Lech WALESA and Pope John Paul II. My country, located in the plains between Germany and Russia (today Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania as well), bordered in the south by Slovakia and the Czech Republic has suffered severely from the ravages of war. But each time it has been rebuilt by its inhabitants. Poland has really opened up after the fall of the Berlin wall and is becoming a very attractive destination for travelers. It has many historic towns and cities that testify of the long history of the Polish state, great natural beauty and a unique coast. The two primary destinations are the present capital Warsaw, which like a phoenix rose from the ashes of total destruction in World War II, and the ancient capital Krakow, untouched by war, which is an exquisite treasure of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Poland is too large to be properly appreciated in one visit. There is too much to see. Discover central Poland, with its many wild national parks easily reached from Warsaw, or the north and the Baltic coast with the ancient port of Gdansk. In the western part you will find Wielkopolska, the cradle of the nation, and in the south Malopolska and the Tatry mountains easily reached from Krakow. In the southwest Silesia with its many old castles and mounains is worth a visit. _________History Edit This Poland's written history begins with the reign of Mieszko I who accepted Christianity for himself and his kingdom in AD 966. The Polish state reached its zenith under the Jagiellonian dynasty in the years following the union with Lithuania in 1386 and the subsequent defeat of the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald in 1410. The monarchy survived many upheavals but eventually went into a decline which ended with the final partition of Poland by Prussia Russia and Austria in 1795. Independence for Poland was one of the 14 points enunciated by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Many PolishAmericans enlisted in the military services to further this aim and the United States worked at the postwar conference to ensure its implementation. However the Poles were largely responsible for achieving their own independence in 1918. Authoritarian rule predominated for most of the period before World War II. In 1938, Poland participated (with Germany) in the partition of Czechoslovakia, taking from CS "Zaolzie" - land behind Olza river (Cesky Tesin, Jablunkov) On August 23 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the RibbentropMolotov nonaggression pact which secretly provided for the dismemberment of Poland into German and Soviet controlled zones. On September 1 1939 Hitler ordered his troops into Poland. On September 17 Soviet troops invaded and then occupied eastern Poland under the terms of this agreement. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 Poland was completely occupied by German troops. The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a governmentinexile first in Paris and later in London which was recognized by the Soviet Union. During World War II 400 000 Poles fought under Soviet command and 200 000 went into combat on western fronts in units loyal to the Polish governmentinexile. In April 1943 the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish governmentinexile after the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at Katyn in the U.S.S.R. (The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the Red Cross investigate these reports.) In July 1944 the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communistcontrolled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" at Lublin. Resistance against the Nazis in Warsaw including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945 they leveled the city. During the war about 6 million Poles were killed and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 100 000 of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim (Auschwitz) Treblinka and Majdanek. Following the Yalta Conference in February 1945 a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination. Communist Party Domination In October 1956 after the 20th ("deStalinization") Soviet Party Congress at Moscow and riots by workers in Poznan there was a shakeup in the communist regime. While retaining most traditional communist economic and social aims the regime of First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka liberalized Polish internal life. In 1968 the trend reversed when student demonstrations were suppressed and an "antiZionist" campaign initially directed against Gomulka supporters within the party eventually led to the emigration of much of Poland's remaining Jewish population. In December 1970 disturbances and strikes in the port cities of Gdansk Gdynia and Szczecin triggered by a price increase for essential consumer goods reflected deep dissatisfaction with living and working conditions in the country. Edward Gierek replaced Gomulka as First Secretary. Fueled by large infusions of Western credit Poland's economic growth rate was one of the world's highest during the first half of the 1970s. But much of the borrowed capital was misspent and the centrally planned economy was unable to use the new resources effectively. The growing debt burden became insupportable in the late 1970s and economic growth had become negative by 1979. In October 1978 the Bishop of Krakow Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II head of the Roman Catholic Church. Polish Catholics rejoiced at the elevation of a Pole to the papacy and greeted his June 1979 visit to Poland with an outpouring of emotion. In July 1980 with the Polish foreign debt at more than $20 billion the government made another attempt to increase meat prices. A chain reaction of strikes virtually paralyzed the Baltic coast by the end of August and for the first time closed most coal mines in Silesia. Poland was entering into an extended crisis which would change the course of its future development. The Solidarity Movement On August 31 1980 workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk led by an electrician named Lech Walesa signed a 21point agreement with the government which ended their strike. Similar agreements were signed at Szczecin and in Silesia. The key provision of these agreements was the guarantee of the workers' right to form independent trade unions and the right to strike. After the Gdansk agreement was signed a new national union movement"Solidarity"swept Poland. The discontent underlying the strikes was intensified by revelations of widespread corruption and mismanagement within the Polish state and party leadership. In September 1980 Gierek was replaced by Stanislaw Kania as First Secretary. Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the PZPR's authority following the Gdansk agreement the Soviet Union proceeded with a massive military buildup along Poland's border in December 1980. In February 1981 Defense Minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski assumed the position of Prime Minister as well and in October 1981 he also was named party First Secretary. At the first Solidarity national congress in SeptemberOctober 1981 Lech Walesa was elected national chairman of the union. On December 1213 the regime declared martial law under which the army and special riot police were used to crush the union. Virtually all Solidarity leaders and many affiliated intellectuals were arrested or detained. The United States and other Western countries responded to martial law by imposing economic sanctions against the Polish regime and against the Soviet Union. Unrest in Poland continued for several years thereafter. In a series of slow uneven steps the Polish regime rescinded martial law. In December 1982 martial law was suspended and a small number of political prisoners were released. Although martial law formally ended in July 1983 and a general amnesty was enacted several hundred political prisoners remained in jail. In July 1984 another general amnesty was declared and 2 years later the government had released nearly all political prisoners. The authorities continued however to harass dissidents and Solidarity activists. Solidarity remained proscribed and its publications banned. Independent publications were censored. Roundtable Talks and Elections The government's inability to forestall Poland's economic decline led to waves of strikes across the country in April May and August 1988. In an attempt to take control of the situation the government gave de facto recognition to Solidarity and Interior Minister Kiszczak began talks with Lech Walesa on August 31. These talks broke off in October but a new seriesthe "roundtable" talksbegan in February 1989. These talks produced an agreement in April for partly open National Assembly elections. The June election produced a Sejm (lower house) in which onethird of the seats went to communists and onethird went to the two parties which had hitherto been their coalition partners. The remaining onethird of the seats in the Sejm and all those in the Senate were freely contested; virtually all of these were won by candidates supported by Solidarity. The failure of the communists at the polls produced a political crisis. The roundtable agreement called for a communist president and on July 19 the National Assembly with the support of some Solidarity deputies elected Gen. Jaruzelski to that office. Two attempts by the communists to form governments failed however. On August 19 President Jaruzelski asked journalist/Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to form a government; on September 12 the Sejm voted approval of Prime Minister Mazowiecki and his cabinet. For the first time in more than 40 years Poland had a government led by noncommunists. In December 1989 the Sejm approved the government's reform program to transform the Polish economy rapidly from centrally planned to freemarket amended the constitution to eliminate references to the "leading role" of the Communist Party and renamed the country the "Republic of Poland." The Polish United Workers'(Communist) Party dissolved itself in January 1990 creating in its place a new party Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland. Most of the property of the former Communist Party was turned over to the state. The May 1990 local elections were entirely free. Candidates supported by Solidarity's Citizens Committees won most of the races they contested although voter turnout was only a little over 40%. The cabinet was reshuffled in July 1990; the national defense and interior affairs ministersholdovers from the previous communist governmentwere among those replaced. In October 1990 the constitution was amended to curtail the term of President Jaruzelski. In December Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected President of Poland. Poland in the 1990s Poland in the early 1990s made great progress toward achieving a fully democratic government and a market economy. Free and fair elections were held for the presidency in November 1990 and for parliament in October 1991 and September 1993. Freedom of speech religion assembly and the press were instituted. A wide range of political parties representing the full spectrum of political views were established. In November 1990 Lech Walesa was elected President for a fiveyear term. From 1991 to 1993 three parliamentary coalitions of postSolidarity origin parties governed in quick succession none longer than 14 months. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki at Walesa's request formed a government and served as its Prime Minister until October 1991. His government continued the Mazowiecki government's "Big Bang" package of economic reform which introduced world prices and greatly expanded the scope of private enterprise. Poland held its first free parliamentary elections in October 1991. More than 100 parties participated. No single party received more than 13% of the total vote. President Walesa then asked first Bronislaw Geremeka leader of the Democratic Unionand then Jan Olszewskithe candidate of a minority coalition of five partiesto attempt to form a government. Olszewski succeeded in putting together a coalition government that was ratified by parliament. After a vote of noconfidence in June 1992 however Olszewski and his cabinet were forced to resign over their efforts to purge alleged former secret police informers from political life. Five weeks later a new minority coalition government led by Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka of the Democratic Union was voted into office. Deep ideological differences created tension among the coalition partners however especially when a controversial antiabortion law was passed in the Sejm. The Solidarity Union's decision to withdraw support for the Suchocka government led President Walesa to dissolve the parliament on May 28 1993 after a vote of noconfidence. The Suchocka government continued to govern until parliamentary elections in September 1993. These elections took place under a new electoral law designed to limit the number of small parties in parliament by requiring them to receive at least 5% of the total vote to enter the Sejm . The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) comprised of the SDRP and more than two dozen parties loyal to it received the most votes with 21% and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) with 15% came in second. The largest postSolidarity party the Democratic Union came in third with 11% of the vote. Most of the small center and right parties failed to enter the parliament as did the Solidarity Union. After the election the SLD and PSL formed a governing coalition. Waldemar Pawlak leader of the junior partner PSL became Prime Minister. Relations between President Walesa and the Prime Minister remained poor throughout the Pawlak government with President Walesa charging Pawlak with furthering personal and party interests while neglecting matters of state importance. Following a number of scandals implicating Pawlak and increasing political tension over control of the armed forces President Walesa demanded Pawlak's resignation in January 1995. In the ensuing political crisis the coalition removed Pawlak from office and replaced him with the SLD's Jozef Oleksy as the new Prime Minister. In November 1995 Poland held its second postwar free presidential elections. SLD leader Aleksander Kwasniewski defeated Walesa by a narrow margin--51.7% to 48.3%. Soon after Walesa's defeat Interior Minister Andrzej Milczanowski accused Oleksy of longtime collaboration with Soviet and later Russian intelligence. In the ensuing political crisis Oleksy resigned. For his successor The SLDPSL coalition turned to deputy Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz--who is linked to but not a member of the SLD. Polish prosecutors subsequently decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge Oleksy and a parliamentary commission decided in November 1996 that the Polish intelligence services may have violated rules of procedure in gathering evidence in the Oleksy case. The Cimoszewicz government's main legislative accomplishments included reform of the central government structure and strengthened civilian control of the military. However during this period the governing coalition engaged in bitter disputes over tax law abortion and the redistribution of several key ministerial posts. Much of the SLDPSL infighting was conducted with an eye toward the next parliamentary elections scheduled for no later than autumn 1998. ____________Getting Around Edit This train in PL train in PL j wojtynski Getting Around Contributors August 11, 2005 new by j wojtynski [Add Local transport mode] Trains Edit This there are several rail operators in Poland: PKP Przewozy Regionalne - local and fast (P, Pospieszny) trains without seat reservation PKP Intercity - IC, EC, EN, Ex(express), TLK (Cheap Rail Lines) trains - all with seat reservation. PKP IC serves the only daylight connections on Warszawa-Gdansk-Gdynia and Warszawa-Poznan lines. It is also the owner of restaurant, sleeping and couchette cars. Koleje Mazowieckie - local passenger trains in Warsaw area and a summer slow train to Gdynia "Sloneczny" Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) - some local and city more.. World66 rating: [rate it] Buses in Poland Edit This Buses in Poland are known under the name of PKS. It isn't a single company, but several local PKS's. PKS tend to be slow old buses, that stop in every possible town between your start and end destination. Apart from PKS, there are other companies such as Polski Express or Poktourist that often have a better offer. These companies, while operating express type services, operate a first come first served seating arrangement, often have a contact number that is answered reluctantly by unhelpful staff, so often it is simply best to arrive at the pick-up point in more.. World66 rating: [rate it] address: moikenny@onebox.com email: moikenny@onebox.com __________Getting There Edit This photo j wojtynski [Add Global transport mode] trains to poland Edit This Poland has got many rail connections with all the neighbors except Lithuania. type: By Rail World66 rating: [rate it] url: www.intercity.pl by air Edit This There are many international airport in Poland. For further details read below... Concecting to/from polish cities: - Bydgoszcz - www.plb.pl - connecting with Warsaw and London Stansted - Gdansk - www.airport.gdansk.pl - connecting with Warsaw, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Munich, London Luton, Dortmund, Stockholm-SKAVSTA, London Stansted, Oslo - Katowice - www.gtl.pl - connecting with more.. type: By Air World66 rating: [rate it] ____________Economy Edit This Day stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. The privatization of small and medium state- companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms marked the rapid development of a private sector now responsible for at least two-thirds of economic activity. In contrast to the vibrant expansion of private non-farm activity the large agriculture component remains handicapped by structural problems surplus labor inefficient small farms and lack of investment. The gonomic policies. Improving Poland's worsening current account deficit also is a priority. To date the government has resisted pressure for protectionist solutions and continues to support regional free trade initiatives. The government export strategy emphasizes a more aggressive export assistance program. Warsaw continues to hold the budget deficit to less than 2% of GDP. Further progress on public finance depends mainly on comprehensive reform of the social welfare system and privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g. coal steel) has been delayed. Long-awaited privatizations in aviation energy and telecommunications are scheduled for 1998. GDP: purchasing power parity—$280.7 billion (1997 est.) GDP—real growth rate: 5.6% (2005 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$11 250 (2005 est.) GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 6.6% industry: 34.9% services: 58.5% (1996 est.) Inflation rate—consumer price index: 15% (1997 est.) Labor force: total: 17.7 million (1997 est.) by occupation: industry and construction 29.9% agriculture 26% services 44.1% (1996) Unemployment rate: 20% (2003) Budget: revenues: $33.8 billion expenditures: $35.5 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) Industries: machine building iron and steel coal mining chemicals shipbuilding food processing glass beverages textiles Industrial production growth rate: 11.2% (1997 est.) Electricity—capacity: 33.5 million kW (1997 est.) Electricity—production: 142 billion kWh (1997 est.) Electricity—consumption per capita: 3 360 kWh (1995) Agriculture—products: potatoes milk cheese fruits vegetables wheat; poultry and eggs; pork beef Exports: total value: $26.4 billion (f.o.b. 1997 est.) commodities: intermediate goods 38% machinery and transport equipment 23% consumer goods 21% foodstuffs 10% fuels 7% (1996 est.) partners: Germany 34.5% Russia 6.8% France 5.9% Italy 5.6% US 4.8% Netherlands 4.1% (1996) Imports: total value: $44.5 billion (f.o.b. 1997 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32% intermediate goods 20% chemicals 15% consumer goods 9% food 9% fuels 8% (1996 est.) partners: Germany 26.5% Italy 10.4% Russia 7.3% UK 6.3% Netherlands 4.8% France 4.4% (1996) Debt—external: $43 billion (1997 est.) Economic aid: recipient: US $210 million (1995-97) Currency: 1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy Exchange rates: zlotych (Zl) per US$1—3.54 (January 1998) 3.2793 (1997) 2.6961 (1996) 2.4250 (1995); note—a currency reform on 1 January 1995 replaced 10 000 old zlotys with 1 new zloty; 22 723 (1994) 18 115 (1993) 13 626 (1992) Fiscal year: calendar year _________Dangers & Annoyances Edit This Crime With the downfall of the totalitarian regime and appearance of market economy, the level of crime has risen dramatically. On one hand the police is no longer watching every people step; on the other hand the new market economy has left many people without jobs and increased the inequalities among people. This makes the situation quite dangerous for potential crime victims: the attackers are not only after money, they are also often frustrated and hostile towards anybody who appears successful. You are most likely to be confronted with pickpocketing, snatching, or luggage theft on a train. Anybody who is visibly foreign is of course a most likely target. Pickpocketing - most likely to occur at large train stations (especially in Warsaw). Keep your valuables close to your body and beware of large crowds spontaneously materializing around you. Snatching - may happen at train stations (then even your luggage may be carried away) or at any other place, including popular public places. I have heard of a number of cases where a bunch of teenagers would run up to a group of people and snatch a hand bag or a camera. Luggage theft [esp. on trains] - if you travel during day time on IC (Inter City) or express trains, you should be fine. However, if you travel at night or on slower trains, you should watch your luggage carefuly. It's best to lock (or tie) your luggage to the shelf and, if possible, place it far from the door. Most commonly, luggage is quitely taken away if everybody in the compartment falls asleep. __________Emergencies Edit This Emergency phone numbers You will have to speak Polish if you call any of those numbers (which makes them slightly less useful to you) but still, you may want to have them with you: Police 997 Fire Fighters 998 Ambulance 999 For all this services, if you want to call from mobile phone use: 112 ___________People Edit This Population: 38,66 mln (Jan 1999 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 4 075 959; female 3 883 778) 15-64 years: 68% (male 12 956 689; female 13 129 495) 65 years and over: 11% (male 1 732 788; female 2 828 213) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: -0.04% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 9.79 births/1 000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 9.76 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 13.18 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.77 years male: 68.6 years female: 77.16 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6% German 1.3% Ukrainian 0.6% Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing) Eastern Orthodox Protestant and other 5% Languages: Polish Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1978 est.) ::::::::Bialystok Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Bialystok Bialystok ... Bialystok, located in Northeastern Poland near the Belarussian and Lithuan borders, was badly damaged during the Second World War. Despite its predominantly grey look, the city still has several hidden gems which are worth a visit. The old Uniate church located in the centre of town has a wonderful interior and remains in good condition. The centre does have many shops and modern attraction but the highlight of any visit to Bialystok would be the Palace. Now home to the university's school of medecine, the building has both amazing interior decor and wonderful gardens. The main hall has been fully restored and is a great reminder to the city's past. The balcony of the main hall was the site of the Soviet/Polish communist agreement to partition Poland after the war. The adjoining room host the throne made for Pope Jan Pawel II which visitors may sit in. The city is also famouos for its brand of Zubrowka (Bison Grass) Wodka, and the Polish lake district which is still home to many bison is a short distance away. ::::::::Bielsko Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see a street in the centre of B-B a street in the centre of B-B jan wojtynski Bielsko-Biala is a city in Slaskie region, in the Beskidy mountains. It is a result of merging two nieighbor cities Bielsko and Biala. B-B is close to winter sports cities such as Szczyrk. There is also Szyndzielnia mountain reachable with a gondola-railway; you can get to the lower station by a city bus #8. Bielsko-Biala was formerly in the Austrian (later: Austro-Hungarian) part of Poland and there are still many buildings from 19th century. The best way to get to Bielsko is from Upper-Silesian aglomeration, to be more precise, from Katowice. There are many long-distance trains, for example Gdynia-Bielsko-Biala or Warszawa-Bielsko-Biala. ::::::::::::Bochnia Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Bochnia Bochnia swe We currently have no information about Bochnia. If you do know any general information about Bochnia, please [Edit this article]. :::::::::.Boleslawiec Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The main town square The main town square Mark Hazleton Right near the border between Germany and Poland is a small town is the center of the Polish pottery industry. There are many factories in town, most with a factory shop that sells the pottery. The pottery is quite popular with the US military personnel living in Germany. So popular in fact that Boleslawiec is one of the few places in Poland where you can purchase items with U.S. Dollars. You are more apt to hear English than Polish in these shops. Once you pry yourself away from the factory shops, you will discover that Boleslawiec has a lovely town center that makes for a nice walk around town. In the center of town there is a Pizza/Pub that served good food in a relaxed atmosphere. The buildings around the town square are decorated with bright pastel colors. The town square is surrounded by the remains of a medieval wall with sections that are easily visible during a brief walk arround town. :::::::::::Brodnica Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Brodnica (Strasburg) is a town in northern Poland. Interesting things to see are the old marketplace which is triangle shaped, and the old crusaders castle and tower. ::::::::::Chorzow Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i_3 Chorzow (Königshütte) is a city in southern Poland with 114,686 inhabitants (2006) and town area of 33,5 km², situated on the Rawa river (confluence of Brynica river) on the Silesian Highland (Wyzyna Slaska) in the centre of the Upper Silesian Industrial Area, north-west of Katowice, and was also known previously as Königshütte in German prior to 1945. The modern city of Chorzów was formed in 1934-1939 by the merger of separate industrial communities of Chorzów, Królewska Huta, Nowe Hajduki and Hajduki Wielkie into one municipality. The name of the oldest settlement Chorzów was given to the whole city. Chorzów is a separate city county since 1898, with the exception of 1975-1998 when counties were abolished in Poland. Since 1999 Chorzów is part of the Silesian Voivodeship, and previously of Katowice Voivodeship. The eastern part of Chorzów, on the boundary with Katowice and Siemianowice Slaskie, features Silesian Central Park (Wojewódzki Park Kultury i Wypoczynku) with the: - Silesian Stadium (Stadion Slaski) the biggest sporting stadium in Poland, - Amusement grounds (lunapark), - longest European cable line railway "Elka", - Silesian Planetary and Astronomical Observatory (Planetarium i Obserwatorium Astronomiczne im. Mikolaja Kopernika), - Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park (Górnoslaski Park Etnograficzny) - "Skansen", - International Katowice Fairs (Miedzynarodowe Targi Katowickie). - The Zoological Garden - The Amusement Park - the swimming-pool complex - the water sports center - tennis courts - the rose-garden Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorzów :::::::::::Czestochowa Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Czestochowa Czestochowa Czestochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 248,894 inhabitants (2004). Situated in the Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), previously capital of Czestochowa Voivodship (1975-1998). It is famous for its black madonna which is visited by pilgrims from all over the world. ::::::::Gdansk Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Gdansk Mariacka Street in winter Gdansk Mariacka Street in winter przemekprzybyla@gmail.com Gdansk (Danzig) is an amazingly beautiful city in spite of (or with thanks to?) it's turbulent history. There are not many places in the world where the history of our time seems more immediate. After all it was here in September 1939 that the hell of the Second World War started, the war that was to realise Hitler's mad plans to make Europe and half the world into the dominion of his 'thousand-year' Third Reich. It was also here that the Solidarity movement was born, the movement that would bring about the victory of democracy in this part of Europe, which had been subjected as a result of the Yalta Agreement, to the domination of another sick totalitarian ideology. The city center was badly destroyed during WWII. In the Dlugi Targ (Long Market) with the beautiful coloured houses, only few remained after the bombardments! After the war all houses were rebuilt brick by brick. German Danzig was a major port during the late middle ages and renaissance periods. The restored city and in particular the cathedral bear testament to the city's undoubted former wealth. The city itself is a colourful haven of magnificent architecture and boast a vibrant evening and nightlife. Walking along the medieval docks and city is an experience in itself, however any walk should lead you to the exceptional Solidarity (Solidarnosc) museum at the former Lenin shipyards. The museum has a fantastic interactive exhibit and is an important reminder of how the oppressed will never be defeated. ::::::::::::Gdansk Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Gdansk Mariacka Street in winter Gdansk Mariacka Street in winter przemekprzybyla@gmail.com Gdansk (Danzig) is an amazingly beautiful city in spite of (or with thanks to?) it's turbulent history. There are not many places in the world where the history of our time seems more immediate. After all it was here in September 1939 that the hell of the Second World War started, the war that was to realise Hitler's mad plans to make Europe and half the world into the dominion of his 'thousand-year' Third Reich. It was also here that the Solidarity movement was born, the movement that would bring about the victory of democracy in this part of Europe, which had been subjected as a result of the Yalta Agreement, to the domination of another sick totalitarian ideology. The city center was badly destroyed during WWII. In the Dlugi Targ (Long Market) with the beautiful coloured houses, only few remained after the bombardments! After the war all houses were rebuilt brick by brick. German Danzig was a major port during the late middle ages and renaissance periods. The restored city and in particular the cathedral bear testament to the city's undoubted former wealth. The city itself is a colourful haven of magnificent architecture and boast a vibrant evening and nightlife. Walking along the medieval docks and city is an experience in itself, however any walk should lead you to the exceptional Solidarity (Solidarnosc) museum at the former Lenin shipyards. The museum has a fantastic interactive exhibit and is an important reminder of how the oppressed will never be defeated. _________Festivals Edit This Sail Gdansk 2007 Sail Gdansk 2007 www.sailgdansk.pl Baltic Sail Gdansk - International sails meeting Baltic Sail, the meeting in Gdansk has been organised since 1997 under the name Sail Gdansk. Citizens and tourists visiting our city join the celebrating sailors during the four days of this maritime festival. The city of Gdansk carefully prepares itself for the welcoming of guests and counts on the visit of many sailing ships and their crews. Looking forward to see you in Gdansk! ::::::::::Gdynia Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Gdynia Orlowo District Gdynia Orlowo District przemekprzybyla@gmail.com Gdynia (Gdingen) had in the year of 1920 only 1200 inhabitants, but has now a population of almost 250 000. The growth to a city came in the 1930-ies as a result of the Treaty of Versailles when a strip of German territory (the Polish corridor) was awarded to newly independent Poland. Beautiful modern city. Worth seeing!!! 20 km north from the city of Gdansk (Danzig). Visit www.gdynia.pl for more information. :::::::::::Gniezno Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Gniezno Gniezno ... GNIEZNO was the capital city of the first few of the Piast dynasty rulers of Poland, and from 1000 onwards it has been a seat of an archbishopric, too. The Gniezno cathedral is famous for its twelfth-century, two-winged bronze doors decorated with scenes of martyrdom of St. Wojciech (Adalbert).The capital of the Gniezno District is Gniezno, a town which currently has over 72 thousand inhabitants and fulfils important economic, social and cultural roles. As Poland’s first capital, today it still constitutes the cradle of both the Polish State and Christianity. It also houses the headquarters of the Roman-Catholic metropolis. Over one thousand years of the town’s history have engraved indelibly into its planning and architecture - to this day many interesting monuments have been preserved both in the town itself and its environs. The Gniezno District is conveniently situated both accessibly and strategically on the Wysoczyzna Gnieznienska, which constitutes a part of theWielkopolska Lowland. It encompasses important transportation routes (International Road No. 5) and tourist routes (the Piast Route). The short distance to Poznan and Bydgoszcz (50 km) ensures access to air transportation. Tourist Information PTTK ul. Jana Laskiego (parking), tel. (061) 426 36 60 Tourist Information Office ul. Tumska 12, tel. (061) 428 41 00 ::::::::::::::Jelenia Góra Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see City hall City hall M. Razniewski City (1992 est. pop. 93,500), Dolnoslaskie prov., SW Poland. It is an industrial and commercial center. Chartered in 1312, the city passed to Bohemia in 1368. A prosperous weaving center in the 15th and 16th cent., the city was destroyed by the Thirty Years War (1618–48) and, in 1640, by the plague. It was rebuilt and suffered again under Prussian rule in the 18th cent. ::::::::Katowice Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see by the train station by the train station Duarte Teixeira Katowice (Kattowitz) is the capital of Upper Silesia and has about 322 000 inhabitants. The Silesia region is most known for its coal mines and steel plants. ::::::::Kazimierz dolny Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see View of Kazimierz View of Kazimierz Piotr Machalica Kazimierz Dolny is located not so far away from capital of Poland, this is perfect place to rest from the big cites like Warsaw or Lublin. Kazimierz Dolny is a small but unique town, you can find there freindly people, nice architecture and beautiful nature. :::::::::..Kazimierz dolny Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see View of Kazimierz View of Kazimierz Piotr Machalica Kazimierz Dolny is located not so far away from capital of Poland, this is perfect place to rest from the big cites like Warsaw or Lublin. Kazimierz Dolny is a small but unique town, you can find there freindly people, nice architecture and beautiful nature. :::::::::::Kolobrzeg Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Experiencing History In Ad 1000 Kolobrzeg was a already a bishopric and 255 years later it was the first fort in Pomerania to the east of the River Odra to receive it’s a charter as a town. It was developing economibcallly as a harbour and a salt making center. Unitil 1782 it was a fortress, the turned into a spa. Out of that rich history only a few accelsiatical, military and civic buildings survived down to our t imes, just as numerous precious archaelogical excavations, displayed today at an exhibition "The History of the Town" in historic town house: Polish Arms Museum in ul. Armii Krajowej. Experiencing history must be thrilling if there are just St. John the Baptist’s Chuech, St. Mary’s Basilical, the Gunpowder Tower (or, more presisley, the Fuse Tower), the Town Hall as welll as ramparts in the seafront district, know today as the amphitheatre, the lighthouse or the marina on your route to name a few. The old town, destroyed during Word War II was rebuilt in the 1990s on the historic of medieval streets. Baltic Unwinds The old saying: "sea feeds and enriches" might be safely added a third meaning … and unwinds. In winter that is known all too well by enthusiast of bathing in ice-cold water as anglers buying fishing boats, tickets to go cod fishing with a rod. Go on a cruise, even as far to the Danish island of Bornholm. In the summer there are even more attractions> The underwater is explored by scuba divers: the surface by sailors and sunbathers. Readiness to play results in ideas out of this world. Granted, air beds, canoes, pedal boats or wind-surfing are still popular, but kite surfing or reaching extreme speed on board a super fast motorboat during a sea safari are the king of fun unknown until recently. Have the Time of Your Life Who ever comes to Kolobrzeg every years is bound to notice that there is more and more entertainment both for families with children as well as individual tourists. Here we have one-eyed, long-barded pirates inviting to a pirate’s adventure; a Western city with a mini-zoo, bowling alleys, tennis courts, canoes, and swimming pools with water attractions and, most recent ones: archery hall, floodlit pitch, ice rink and billiard club. Enough of physical effort? Now it’s time for a morning feast to the soul: see an exhibition in a gallery or a museum go to a concert in St Mary’s Basilica. On another occasion visit the amphitheatre, the band stand, the cinema or numerous other places where the music is played, delicious meals and drinks are served or just try smoked fish and listen to what Neptune is saying to us. Treasures of Kolobrzeg Kolobrzeg being an over two-hundred year-old spa is happy to share its most precious treasures: natural resources with guest. Nature has assembled there endless brine springs as well specific peat deposits: therapeutic mud, left golden sand walk and sunbathe on; the Baltic to swim, plenty of sunshine as well fresh breeze, free from pollution, but rich iodine. No wonder the biggest Polish spa was established here, hidden from the hustle and bustle in the seafront park. Patients staying in spa hotels strengthen their circulatory system and respiratory system, free from allergies, restore stamina and good figure. Stays in the so called "green schools" have invaluable influence on the health of children from industrialized regions. Local natural mineral water Jantar is more and more recognized , while clean and rich in minerals water drawn from deep-wells runs in the taps of the houses in Kolobrzeg. Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: http://www.kolobrzeg.turystyka.pl/uk/index.htm ::::::::::Krakow Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Cracow Cracow ... Krakow is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It was originally the home of the Polish royalty (between 1038 and 1596), before the capital was moved to Warsaw. Visiting Krakow is a refreshing break from much of European travel, where similar cities blend together, and the dominance of English might make you wonder if you ever left North America. The cobblestoned streets, majestic churches (almost 100 historical churches!), and old world charm make Krakow an unforgetable destination. Add to it the former Jewish district with its 7 synagogues, 3 gigantic Gothic churches and more than 800 of pubs huddled in beauteous nooks and alleyways where time slows down and you'd be coming back here as often as you can. Krakow is located in the south of Poland, about halfway from Warsaw and Prague and is a good place to break up your trip if you are traveling from one to the other. Krakow is now the third most popular tourist destination in central and eastern Europe, following Prague and Budapest. ::::::::::::Lancut Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Lancut has a beautiful castle with an old park and museum. You can spend there a whole day. ::::::::::Leba Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Leba Leba Joanna Kulaga Leba is a popular little vacation town by the Baltic Sea. The Slowinski national park is a short bike ride from the town (you can park your bike) which has forests, lakes & in my opinion, the most beautiful feature, the sand dunes which move when it is windy. On a hot day, you may get the feeling that you are in a desert! Leba's beaches are very sandy & clean. When you take a walk through the park, don't miss the opportunity to have a swim if the weather is good. :::::::::Limanowa Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Limanowa is a small town (population 14,000) in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Limanowa pretends to be administrative, economic, and cultural center. The town is well-prepared to receive tourists. In a local school, American students meet every year during the summer holidays. Traveling to Limanowa is easy as it has connections with the main southern cities of Poland. Limanowa became a town when in 1565 the Polish king gave it city rights. In World War I, Limanowa was located at the Eastern Front. At the start of the war, it the site of the Battle of Limanowa between December 1st and December 9th, 1914 in which the Austro-Hungarian Army repelled a Russian breakthrough southwestwards between Limanowa and Kraków. During the Second World War there was a ghetto in Limanowa in which the German occupiers murdered 50% of Jewish population of Limanowa. There was also a refinery taken over by the Germans and being one of the main sources of oil for German army in this part of Poland. :::::::::::Lodz Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The White Factory of Henryk Geyer The White Factory of Henryk Geyer free Lodz is one of the youngest, and one of the largest cities (near 800 000 of population) in Poland. The word Lodz means boat. The first information about Lodz is from the year 1332 about the village Lodzia (Latin), witch was the own of Kujawy's bishops. In Poland village became town, when it gets formal document from a king and the owner of the village. In 1414 bishop of Wloclawek - Jan Kropidlomake the document, and in the 1423 king Wladyslaw Jagiello gave the town rights to Lodz . First of all Lodz was a completely agricultural town (44 wooden houses and 44 barns) up until the 16th century when development of the town commenced. The population was 700 citizens. After that came a worse time for Lodz , and at the end of the 18th century there were only 170 citizens in 30 houses. At the same time the Jews had come to town, in the 20s of 19th century Germans' manufactories, and in the end of 19th century Russians. From this moment onwards Lodz became multinational and specific in this situation. In 19th century Lodz become the most important center of textile production. Lodz was the most specific city in Europe. Facts: DURING 100 years of city (19th century) * number of citizens have grown from 191 people up to 500 000, means 2 500 times! * number of Judes of Lodz have grown from 11 to 170 000 , so 15 500 times! 2nd after Warsaw biggest center of Judes in Kingdom of Poland * number of Polish Germans had grown from dozen up to 67 000, it means 35 000 times! biggest center of Germans in Kingdom of Poland * from agriculturally village Lodz become o second largest city in Poland ! o the biggest industrial center! o the place with a biggest population of workers! During the second world war: * the population of Jews were kept in Ghettos, and after destruction of the Ghettos of Lodz, the Jews were transported to Auschwitz( Oswiecim ) and Birkenau (Brzezinka) and exterminated. * Germans were relocated to Germany * Russians came back to RSSU 50 years after second war Lodz of Polish people become the biggest textile center in Poland. After 1989 and change of political situation, old factories become unprofitability , because of no demand for products (earlier almost everything was buying by RSSU) the factories one by one was becoming bankrupt. There is 16% of population without work in Lodz , but Lodz become newest tourist city. ::::::::::Malbork Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Malbork-Malbork Castle on the River Nogat Malbork-Malbork Castle on the River Nogat Dany55 The Teutonic Castle in Malbork is registered in the UNESCO list of the World Heritage and is the biggest brick-built gothic castle in the world. The fortress was built in the XIIIth century by the Teutonic knightly order. It was their final stronghold within Poland and their place of refuge after the order's defeat by the Polish-Lithuanian army of Wladyslaw Jagiello at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The castle owes its opulent splendour to the exploitation the amber trade. The Teutonic state in modern day Russia (East Prussia) controlled one of the richest amber regions in Europe. The castle may be only be visited by guided tour with tickets available at the ticket office outside. Tours are given in many languages, but Polish language tours are naturally a little cheaper. The castle grounds and interior boast a wonderful selection of art, medieval artifacts and architecture and the fortress as a whole has a wonderful atmosphere, practically transporting you back to the middle ages. The castle is perhaps one of the most breath-taking in Europe and its colour and location make it unique. :::::::.Mragowo Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see x Market of Mragowo Hans Beers Mragowo is a nice town, located 15 km from Pilec. The town is situated between the lakes Juno and Czos . There are a lot of nice shops and a daily market where you can find anything you want and buy real Polish products. There are restaurants and terraces. In the summer, end of august, there is the "Piknik Country" festival where famous country & western groups appear. :::::::Olsztyn Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Olsztyn Olsztyn Andrzej Brycki Olsztyn got its town charter in 1353. Back then it was called Allenstein and it was controlled by the Teutonic Knights. The town reverted to Polish hands in 1466. There are quite a few historic sights in town. The castle being the most important one.It houses a large museum, which can be enjoyed along with galleries and performances. The City Hall and St.Jacobs Cathedral are also well worth a look. ::::::: Poznan Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Steam loco at Poznan Steam loco at Poznan D Smith Poznan (Posen). Located by the Warta River it is one of the oldest cities in Poland ,making it an important historical center. Poznan's impressive cathedral is the earliest church in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: duke Mieszko I, king Boleslaw the Brave, king Mieszko II, dupe Casimir I the Restorel, duke Przemyslaw I and king Przemyslaw II. Today the city is a vibrant center for trade, industry, and education. Poznan is Poland's 5th largest city and 4th biggest industrial center. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodship. It's is also a place which is popular with Steam Railway enthusiasts as there are regular steam services to Wolsztyn at 72 kms SW of Poznan. More information in Steam Train Spotting in the Things to do section. ::::::::::Siedlce Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see photo_1 The main road is Pilsudskiego where you will find all the shops. Crazytown is the night club in Siedlce Deka Dance is a good bar lacated in a place entertainment complex which houses a pool bar, a karaoke bar and a more mature bar upstairs. Janusz Hotel which is located off Pilsudskiego is a great three star hotel. Located minutes awat from all the shops. It is situated just behind the Arkadia shopping mall. The train station is close to the bus stand and everyone who is travelling in and out of the city will be heading in this direction. There is park with a pond where you may go for the quiet walks And there is also a lake for a bit of fishing or just somewhere to laze about. Population approx 70000. Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: me :::::::::::::Sopot Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see lighthouse lighthouse magnesja Sopot (Zoppot) is the smallest of the three cities forming Trojmiasto. This town has now about 40 000 inhabitants. It is traditionally known as a resort town (earlier called "the Riviera of the North") and so has the usual seaside activities on offer. It is known in the area for it's pretty main street and the Molo (or pier) - very long and sticking several hundred metres into Gdansk Bay. Try fresh fish along the beach but beware - they measure chips by the gram in this neck of the woods and so you can expect 200g exactly. I have known burly chip shop ladies plucking a chip off my plate before taking my money in the search for the exact 200g plateful. Still delicious, though. In the morning go to Monciak - the most famous pedestrian street in Poland with thousands of caffee, pubs and restaurants, in the noon go to the beach ( there are very nice sand beaches), in the afternoon go for a walk or biking along the seaside, in the evening don't miss the best party in the Tricity (SPATiF, Mandarynka, Soho, Copacabana at the beach). It is rather impossible to sleep when you are in Sopot. :::::::::::Szczecin Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Odra River Odra River Grzegorz Krugly The biggest city in the north-west part of Poland, just 120km from Berlin and only 80km from the Baltic Sea. Located on both sides of the Odra (Oder) River. It is a part of the Szczecin-Swinoujscie sea harbour complex. Szczecin (Stettin) is a beautiful city which has lots of interesting and historical places to see. Must see places: Zamek Ksiazat Pomorskich (The Pomeranian Prince's Castle) and its tower Waly Chrobrego Jezioro Szmaragdowe (The Green Lake) and whole Puszcza Bukowa It is also worthwhile to visit Cafe22 at the top floor of the Pazim building, from where a picturesque view at whole the center can be seen. There are many fabulous buildings with great architecture (they are being renovated recently as they were quite deteriorated after 45 years of "socialistic" government) that can be seen in Szczecin. Many green parks in the center and nearness of forests and lakes (among them the Dabie Lake - the second biggest lake in Poland) make it a good recreational area, too. There are lots of places where one can walk or cycle. It's just about an hour drive to get to the sea and wonderful sandy beaches of Poland. ____Getting There Edit This [Add Global transport mode] By Rail Edit This Szczecin is easily accessible from Berlin by train, with the trip taking about 2 hours. Best of all, one can travel on the Deutche Bahn Brandenburg-Berlin Ticket, which is good after 9:00 am weekdays and all day on weekends. This is a group ticket good for unlimited travel in Brandenburg and selected neighboring areas for up to 5 persons plus children or grandchildren up to 14 years. Cost is 24 euro at vending machine or 26 euro at ticket windows. A very affordable day trip! type: By Rail World66 rating: [rate it] address: central station :::::::Torun Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Torun Torun .... Torun (Thorn) owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed a commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. In the Old and New Town, the many imposing public and private buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries (among them the house of Copernicus) are striking evidence of Torun's importance. _________Practical Information Edit This Before travelling to Torun, make sure you visit TORUN DAILY PHOTO (http://www.torundailyphoto.blogspot.com). We specialise in giving a unique perspective on this beautiful Polish city...from a foreigner's point of view. Everyday we post a brand new image of Torun and offer tips and advice to visitors. We also offer a free walking tour around the city. When in Torun...visit TORUN DAILY PHOTO! _________Getting There Edit This Centrum Centrum D.Lisowicz [Add Global transport mode] Flights to Torun Edit This The closest airport to Torun is the international airport in Bydgoszcz (about 50kms west of the city). There are direct flights from London Stansted, Liverpool, Dublin, Birmingham and Dusseldorf with Ryanair. There are also flights to Berlin with Jet Air. For more info on the Ryanair flights: www.ryanair.com type: By Air World66 rating: [rate it] url: www.torundailyphoto.blogspot.com email: glennstandish@yahoo.com :::::::::::Trojmiasto Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Trojmiasto is the Polish term meaning 'Tri-city': Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. These three distinct cities actually make up one long city along the Baltic coast. It can take about an hour to travel from Gydnia through Sopot to Gdansk Glowny on the commuter trains and even longer if you drive. Roads are getting increasingly congested in the Trojmiasto as car ownership increases ::::::::::::Warsaw Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Palace in Wilanow Palace in Wilanow The first impact with Warsaw may be disappointing for the tourists. Especially so for those who arrive from Okecie airport: in fact the city appears as long rows of anonymous residence buildings rather grey and gloomy. You need to keep in mind that Warsaw, which was one of the most lively and cosmopolite cities in Europe before the 2nd World War, was destroyed in 1944 and 90% of it was completely dilapidated. You can then feel the deep respect and great admiration for its surviving citizens who have been able to make Warsaw arise again from its ruins like phoenix arose from its own ashes. Warsaw is the national centre of culture and learning. It hosts the Polish Academy of Science, 13 higher education institutions, about 27 museums and 20 theatres, the national philharmonic, and opera and operetta companies. Warsaw plays host to several important cultural events, including the International Chopin Piano Competition every five years, the annual Warsaw Autumn Modern Music Festival in September, the International Book Fair in May, the International Jazz Jamboree Festival in October and the Warsaw Poetry Autumn. Warsaw is also Poland's largest industrial centre, though factories and industrial enterprises are certainly not what tourists like best. :::::::::::: Wolsztyn Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Pm36-2 and Ol49-69 Pm36-2 and Ol49-69 Wojtek Lis Wolsztyn is a city in Wielkopolskie region, situated between Poznan and Zielona Gora. It is famous for the steam locomotive depot which is working all year round. It's the only place in Poland where you can travel by steam train, paying a normal ticket! (routes: Poznan-Wolsztyn, Wolsztyn-Leszno, Wolsztyn-Zbaszynek) Another attraction is the open-air museum of old country housing. Wolsztyn is famous also for being the place where the famous scientist Robert Koch did his pioneering research into the anthrax bacillus, proving for the first time that this organism was the cause of the disease. _________Getting There Edit This By Bus: By Train only local trains, from Zbaszynek (a railway knot), Leszno or Poznan. On routes to Leszno and Poznan steam engines are operating several trains. Steam trains: "4437" Wolsztyn 8.16 Poznan 10.02 "4436" Poznan 15.35 Wolsztyn 17.25 "33230" Wolsztyn 5.56 Leszno 7.03 "33237" Leszno 15.28 Wolsztyn 16.28 Special steam trains (and special prices also:/): http://www.parowozy.com.pl/specjalne.html train "Pod para" operating on september 2005, Saturdays only train "Jezioro Dominickie" - Saturdays and Sundays until 28. Aug. Contributors August 11, 2005 change by reen [Add Global transport mode] Mel Cathie Edit This Hello there! I am wondering how to get to Wolszytyn from Berlin (Tegel) airport. There will be 3 adults travelling. We are hoping there is transport on Wednesday 30th December 2007 and returning on Monday 4th February. type: By Rail World66 rating: [rate it] email: bubbachops29@hotmail.com ::::::::::::Zabierzow Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Zabierow is a small town, more like a village, near Krakow. There is nothing there of any note. ::::::::::Zakopane Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Kaspaorva Kaspaorva JWilson Location: Zakopane is situated in southern Poland, about 100 km to the south of Cracow, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies in a valley at the foot of The Tatras, the highest mountains in Poland (Mount Rysy 2499 m). On the map Zakopane can be found at 48 (18" latitude and 19 (57" longitude. The centre lies at about 840 m above sea level, but some parts are even as high as 1000 m above sea level on the slopes of Gubalówka, a hill that surrounds it from the south. Zakopane is a town commune. It neighbours on Koscielisko and Poronin villages and is not very far from the well-known town of Nowy Targ anf the villages of Bukowina Tatrzanska and Czarny Dunajec. History: Zakopane is only four centuries old and was founded between XVI and XVII c. as a farmers and shepherds' settlement. Legend says that one day a man called Gasienica came here with his sons Pawel and Jedrzej and they built a mill here. For dozens of years, Zakopane was a godforsaken village. In the middle of the XVIII c. in nearby Kuznice, a steelworks was set up to process iron ore mined in The Tatras. There was also the owners' manor that received travellers visiting the mountains. Soon the beauty of the nearby sunny valley of Zakopane was discovered. Ads by Google Zakopane Visiting Zakopane? Find Deals & Read Hotel Reviews! www.TripAdvisor.com In the XIX century, Zakopane became famous as a tourist and health resort. In 1845, the first parish was set up in the village and two years later Zakopane was visited by one of its legendary persons - priest Józef Stolarczyk. He encouraged the highlanders to rent their houses to the visitors, later on people started to build special houses for them. In 1878 the first house was built by a "newcomer from lowlands" called Walery Eljasz, the author of many guidebooks to The Tatras. The first hotel called "Pod Giewontem" was built in 1885. In 1899 Zakopane was connected by the railway, which started a new chapter in its history. The development of Zakopane is also connected with Towarzystwo Tatrzanskie (The Tatra Society - 1872) and with doctor Tytus Chalubinski, who is described as "Zakopane discoverer" and "the king of The Tatras". In 1886 the village got the status of a health resort. It received the town rights in 1935. Pope John Paul II's visits to Zakopane have become the most important events in the town's history. He has been attached to Zakopane and The Tatras since his youth. As an alumnus of the Cracow seminary he did a lot of hiking and skiing here. He did not abandon his passion for the mountains even when he became the Cracow metropolitan. His favourite places were the chapel in Jaszczurówka and "Ksiezówka" - the holiday house of the Polish Episcopate. In The Tatras he adored the Chocholowska Valley, which he visited again in 1982 after he had become the Pope. His next visit to Zakopane and The Tatras took place in June 1997. He spent here a few days. He visited Mount Kasprowy Wierch, Morskie Oko Lake, he went to Ludzmierz along the ridge of Gubalówka. There are many souvenirs of his visit - e.g. the altar, which was used by him during the mess was transported from Krokiew Hill to the gardens of Virgin Mary Sanctuary in Krzeptówki Street The most characteristic monuments: - Koscieliska Street. A complex of wooden buildings typical of the Podhale region, which originated in XIX century. - Stary Kosciól (Old Church). A wooden church built in 1845-1851, the seat of the first parish in Zakopane. Situated in Koscieliska St. - Kaplica Gasieniców. The chapel was the first sacred building in Zakopane built in 1800 by Pawel Gasienica. Situated in Koscieliska St. - Stary Cmentarz na Peksowym Brzyzku. The old cemetery, the first cemetery in Zakopane, the place where famous writers, artists and mountaineers are buried. Situated in Koscieliska St. - Nowy Cmentarz Zakopianski. The new cemetery opened in 1907; the place where artists, mountaineers, mountain rescuers, priests and The First and The Second World Wars veterans are buried. Situated in Nowotarska St. - Willa "Koliba". The mansion is the first example of Zakopane style built in 1893 according to Stanislaw Witkiewicz's design. Situated in Koscieliska St. - Willa "Pod Jedlami". The mansion of the Pawlikowski family designed for them by Stanislaw Witkiewicz. It is the biggest and the most beautiful example of the Zakopane style. Situated in Koziniec St. - Willa "Witkiewiczówka". The mansion in the Zakopane style designed in 1904 by Jan Koszyc Witkiewicz. In the 1930s it was the residence of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy). Situated in Antalówka St. - Kaplica w Jaszczurówce. The wooden chapel was built in 1904-1908 according to Stanislaw Witkiewicz's design. Situated in Jaszczurówka. - Chata Sabaly. A wooden building from the early XIX century, situated in Stare Krzeptówki, in the western part of Zakopane. Tourism: Zakopane district is considered the most attractive tourist region in Poland. The Tatras, the hills of Podhale as well as the town itself are ideal places for walks or longer or shorter hikes. A walk around the town can be combined with visiting its monuments and other interesting places. Here are some of them that we would like to recommend: * Northern part of the town: the centre of Zakopane - Krupówki St - The Tatra Museum - market at the foot of Gubalówka - taking a tram up Gubalówka (panorama of the Tatras and Zakopane!) - walking downhill along the yellow trail - Droga na Szymoszkowa - Koscieliska St (the old church and cemetery) - the centre. About 5 hours. * Southern part of the town: the centre of Zakopane - Krupówki St - Zamoyskiego St - Bulwary Slowackiego St - Antalówka hill - Koziniec (Dom pod Jedlami, art. Gallery) - Bystre - Kuznickie roundabout (Natural Museum TPN) - COS Sports Centre complex (ski jumps etc.) - Dolina Bialego - Grunwaldzka St - the centre. About 4,30 hours. * Along the ridges of Gubalówka: Chocholów (by bus, visiting the village and the Chocholów Uprising museum) - Ostrysz - Butorowy Wierch - taking the cable car downhill. About 4 hours. * The Tatra walk at the foot of The Tatras: the centre of Zakopane - Orkana St - Kasprusie St ("Atma", Karol Szymanowski Museum) - Strazyska St - Czerwona Przelecz - Przelecz Bialego - Kalatówki (Albert Sisters' convent) - Kuznice. About 5 hours. * Through the valleys of The Western Tatras: Gronik (by bus) - Dolina Malej Laki - Przyslop Mietusi - Dolina Koscieliska - Hala Pisana - visiting Zimna cave - Koscielisko-Kiry. About 5 hours. * The Tatra lakes: Kuznice - Kasprowy Wierch (by cable car) - Dolina Stawów Gasienicowych - Karb - Czarny Staw Gasienicowy - Murowaniec chalet - Kuznice. About 5,30 hours. * To Morskie Oko lake: Wierch Poroniec (by bus) - Rusinowa Polana - Gesia Szyja - Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza - Morskie Oko - back to Lysa Polana (by bus to Zakopane). Advanced tourists can take trails along the ridges of The Zachodnie (Western) Tatras (e.g. from Kasprowy Wierch reached by cable car to the west, climb up Czerwone Wierchy, around Dolina Chocholowska) or trails in The High Tatras (from Kasprowy to Swinica, from Zakopane through Zawrat and Szpiglasowa Przelecz to Morskie Oko, difficult trails of "Orla Perc", climb up Rysy). The trails in The Tatras are marked well with plates and colour stripes. In difficult areas there are special buckles, chains and even ladders. However, to use them you must not be afraid of heights, need to be fit and have good health. In the Tatras you can also do some winter hiking. However, it requires high tourist qualifications, good equipment (clothes, boots, alpenstock and crampons) and good skills in using them. You should take your first steps under supervision of some qualified Tatra guides. The Tatra National Park has made some trails available for cyclists. These are Droga Pod Reglami, Dolina Chocholowska and Suchej Wody Gasienicowej, trail to Kalatówki. The Tatras are high mountains and can be dangerous. You must always remember about the changeability of the weather - even in midsummer there may be some snowfall, beautiful sunny weather may turn to thick confusing fog. Another serious danger is storms; when you see there is going to be a storm you must take the nearest trail down from the ridge to the lower areas. When planning climbs in the higher parts of the mountains you should ask some experienced people for advice or hire a guide. In case of an accident you should call for help by using the international signal - light or voice signals six times a minute. The injured or lost in the Tatras are rescued by TOPR which uses a helicopter if necessary. Zakopane can be a starting point for longer trips - to the Gorce Mountains, to Babia Góra and to the Pieniny Mountains. On such trips you can find unique monuments in the nearby villages: Chocholów, Debno, Orawka and Zubrzyca (heritage park). Another attraction is rafting along the gorge of the Dunajec River in the Pieniny Mountains, which has been popular for 150 years. source: http://www.zakopane.pl/ ::::::::::::Ziemia Chojnicka - Chojnice Region Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Town Hall - Chojnice Town Hall - Chojnice www.bober.chojnice.pl The most beautiful, unknown, expanding place in Poland. Place, which is not so popular, because only few people know about it. This is the real reason, why it is so amazing here... because there are not to many travelers. There are not to many to disturb the quiet, lakes with huge free spaces, narrow beautiful rivers. This is what you need! There is no need to visit any other places. Visit our land! Chojnice Region (Ziemia Chojnicka) is located in the south part of East Pomerania Province (Województwo Pomorskie), with a very popular capital named Gdansk. Chojnice Region devides in two main parts : the town Chojnice, which is the "capital" of this small region and land, filled up by forests and lakes all around. Chojnice Region offers many interesting forms of spending your time. Walking in the quiet in the forests and another types of activites, such as: sailing, kayak, and visit to Chojnice - town with many monuments, churches, rebuilt Main Square, and other delightful places. One of the most intresting things, which we can propose is a lot of cultural and sport events. First, something about the land. Main attraction of our land: lakes and forests, like i mentioned before. Charzykowy - a popular sailing resort in Poland with a large Charzykowskie Lake (Jezioro Charzykowskie), is situated only 7 km(4,5 miles) in the north from Chojnice. Charzykowy is popular becouse of that polish Lake's Sailing was first born here. Everything was started in 1924 by founder Otton Weiland. ___________Getting There Edit This It is very easy to get to Chojnice Region from the most places around the region, because of very good roads and railways network. You can go to Chojnice from Gdansk (Trójmiasto), Bydgoszcz, Poznan, Pila, Koszalin, Gorzów Wielkoposlski by train or by car. If you want to get know more information about getting into Chojnice, go to : - PKP (Polish Railways) - http://rozklad.pkpik.pl/bin/query.exe/en? ; - PKS - Bus Time Table- http://www.rozklady.com.pl/ |
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GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonia Cronologia/Autori: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polonia&action=history PoloniaDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
La Polonia (in polacco: Polska) è uno stato dell'Europa centrale, conta 38.626.349 abitanti e una superficie di 312.685 km². È un paese democratico, e confina a ovest con la Germania, a sud con le repubbliche Ceca e Slovacca, a est con la Ucraina e la Bielorussia, a nordovest con la Lituania e l'enclave russa di Kaliningrad, nonché a nord con il Mar Baltico. Lo stato polacco ha una storia lunga più di un millennio; nel XVI secolo, sotto la dinastia Jagellone, era uno dei più ricchi e potenti paesi d'Europa. Il 3 maggio 1791, la Confederazione Polacco-Lituana definì la Costituzione Polacca di Maggio, la prima costituzione scritta d'Europa. Poco dopo, la Polonia cessò di esistere per 123 anni, in quanto spartita tra Russia, Austria e Prussia. L'indipendenza venne riguadagnata nel 1918, in seguito alla Prima Guerra Mondiale, come Seconda Repubblica Polacca. Dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, divenne un Satellite Sovietico, conosciuto come Repubblica Popolare Polacca. Nel 1989, le prime elezioni parzialmente libere dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, si conclusero con il movimento per la libertà che vinse contro il partito comunista. Nel 1999 la Polonia è stata ammessa alla NATO, e nel 2004 è diventata membro dell'Unione Europea.
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Storia
L'antico regno polacco, cominciò a prendere una forma unitaria nella metà del X secolo, sotto la dinastia dei Piast. Nel XII secolo, la Polonia si frammentò in molti piccoli stati, che nel 1241 vennero depredati dalle armate Mongole dell'Orda d'Oro. Sotto la dinastia Jagellone, venne accordata un'alleanza con la vicina Lituania, e l'epoca d'oro arrivò nel XV secolo con l'unione tra i due stati (Unione di Lublino), nella Confederazione Polacco-Lituana. I sudditi polacchi godevano di grandi libertà e un sistema parlamentare, anche se i benefici di quest'ultimo erano limitati alla szlachta (nobiltà). Da quel tempo i polacchi si sono dati il nome di Nazione della gente libera. La Confederazione Polacco-Lituana al suo apice Nella metà del '600, una ribellione di cosacchi condotta da Bohdan Chmielnicki diede inizio all'epoca turbolenta del Potop (Diluvio). Vi furono numerose guerre contro l'impero ottomano, la Russia, la Svezia, la Transilvania e la Prussia-Brandeburgo che finirono nel 1699. Nei successivi 80 anni, lo svanire del potere centrale ed il raggiungimento di un punto morto nelle istituzioni indebolirono la nazione, portando alla sottomissione da parte della Russia. L'Illuminismo in Polonia fermentò un crescente movimento nazionale per restaurare lo stato, il cui risultato fu la prima costituzione scritta di Europa, nel 1791, la Costituzione Polacca di Maggio (festeggiata ancora oggi il 3 maggio). Il processo di riforme causò un intervento esterno e una serie di spartizioni della Polonia fra i tre imperi di Austria, Russia e Prussia nel 1772, 1793 e 1795; al termine, la Polonia venne completamente cancellata dalle carte geografiche. I polacchi risentirono la mancanza di libertà e più volte si ribellarono contro gli oppressori (vedi Elenco delle ribellioni polacche). Dopo le guerre napoleoniche, una ricostituzione dello stato polacco, il Ducato di Varsavia, governato dallo zar russo come Regno del Congresso, possedeva una costituzione liberale. Tuttavia gli tsar Russi ridussero presto le libertà della Polonia, finché la Russia annesse di fatto il paese. Più tardi, nel XIX secolo, la Galizia governata dall'Austria divenne l'oasi polacca di libertà. Durante la Prima guerra mondiale tutti gli alleati concordarono nella ricostituzione della Polonia ed il presidente degli Stati Uniti Woodrow Wilson la proclamò nel punto 13 dei suoi quattordici punti. Poco dopo la capitolazione della Germania nel novembre 1918, la Polonia riguadagnò l'indipendenza come Seconda Repubblica Polacca. Ad oriente però, la tensione crebbe nei confronti della Russia ora alle prese con una guerra civile. Dopo qualche tentativo diplomatico, i polacchi ruppero gli indugi, attaccando le truppe russe a Zitomir sulla strada per Kiev che sarà presa il 6 Maggio. Lo scenario cambiò nel giro di un altro mese con la controffensiva sovietica; a metà di questa gli inglesi si offrirono di mediare le trattative, ma a questo punto fu la Russia Bolscevica a rifiutare e voler continuare l'offensiva che la porterà fino alle porte di Varsavia. Con l'aiuto francese, la Polonia cambiò le sorti della guerra ancora una volta con una delle battaglie più decisive della storia, definita dai giornali dell'epoca, "il miracolo della Vistola". Nel contrattacco che ne seguì, la Polonia occupò buona parte della Bielorussia, il territorio di Vilna, e la parte più occidentale dell'Ucraina. La Russia bolscevica, ancora alle prese con la propria guerra civile e con disordini interni, desistette dalla lotta, e col Trattato di Riga del 1921 riconobbe le conquiste polacche in Bielorussia e in Ucraina, fissando il confine russo-polacco circa 250 km. più a est della linea proposta da Lord Curzon. Il territorio di Vilna, rivendicato dalla Lituania con l'assenso dei russi, fu poi annesso alla Polonia nel 1922, tramite plebiscito. Tali confini restarono sostanzialmente invariati fino al settembre del 1939, tranne l'acquisizione di Cieszyn/Teschen a spese della Cecoslovacchia. La Polonia tra il 1921 e il 1939 La seconda repubblica polacca durò fino agli inizi della seconda guerra mondiale nel 1939, quando Germania e Unione Sovietica si divisero il territorio polacco tra di loro. La Polonia era completamente impreparata di fronte alla velocità e la ferocia degli attacchi, per via del fallimento nella modernizzazione dell'esercito. La Polonia soffrì molto in questo periodo (vedi Governatorato Generale). Tra tutte le nazioni coinvolte nella guerra, la Polonia perse la percentuale maggiore di cittadini, più di 6 milioni morirono, metà dei quali ebrei polacchi. Dopo la guerra, le frontiere della Polonia vennero spinte ad Ovest; il confine est alla linea Curzon e il confine ovest alla linea Oder-Neisse. Dopo lo spostamento la Polonia perse 76000 km², il 20% del suo territorio d'anteguerra. Lo spostamento delle frontiere causò anche la migrazione di milioni di persone, polacchi, tedeschi, Ucraini ed Ebrei. Finalmente la Polonia divenne, per la prima volta nella storia un paese etnicamente unito. La vittoria dell'Unione sovietica portò un governo comunista in Polonia, come del resto in molti paesi del Blocco Sovietico. Nel 1948 una svolta verso lo Stalinismo portò un altro periodo di governo totalitario. La Repubblica Popolare di Polonia, venne ufficialmente proclamata nel 1952. Nel 1956 dopo una rivolta il regime divenne più liberale, liberando molte persone dalle prigioni ed espandendo un po' le libertà personali. Gli scioperi dei lavoratori nel 1980 portarono alla formazione di un sindacato indipendente, "Solidarność", che con il tempo divenne una forza politica. Erose il dominio del partito comunista; nel 1989 vinse le elezioni parlamentari e Lech Wałęsa divenne presidente. Un programma di terapia shock nei primi anni 1990 permise alla nazione di trasformare la sua economia in una delle più robuste (secondo i criteri dell'economia neoliberale) dell'Europa centrale. Vennero riconosciuti diversi diritti umani, tra cui la libertà di parola e la democrazia. La Polonia fu il primo tra i paesi post-comunisti a riguadagnare sul PIL.
La Polonia entrò nella NATO il 12 marzo 1999. A seguito di una campagna governativa a favore dell'entrata nell'Unione Europea, gli elettori polacchi votarono a favore dell'integrazione nel referendum di giugno 2003. La Polonia ha aderito ufficialmente all'Unione Europea il 1 maggio 2004. Nell'ottobre 2005 si sono svolte le elezioni presidenziali che hanno portato all'elezione di Lech Kaczyński. La bandiera:il vessillo nazionale della Polonia è una delle bandiere europee più semplici: una banda superiore bianca, e una inferiore rossa, di uguale larghezza. La bandiera polacca è stata conservata nelle sue forme originarie per tutto il periodo del governo comunista, a differenza di quelle di quasi tutti gli altri Stati sottomessi al "protettorato" sovietico. Questa bandiera, con i colori rovesciati (rosso in alto), diventa il vessillo del Principato di Monaco e dell' Indonesia. Il Ducato di Varsavia non e' stato governato dallo zar russo. Era dipendente dalla Francia e governato da Federico Augusto I di Sassonia.
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PoliticaLa repubblica polacca è una democrazia parlamentare, la sua costituzione corrente è datata 1997. Il parlamento è formato da due camere (Sejm e Senat) e ha il potere legislativo. I partiti rappresentati in parlamento formano una coalizione di governo da un lato e l'opposizione dall'altro. Il potere esecutivo viene esercitato da un Presidente dei ministri e un Consiglio dei Ministri, che vengono nominati dal Capo di Stato e che condividono con questo alcune competenze (difesa nazionale, politica estera). Il Presidente della Repubblica viene eletto a suffragio diretto, al pari della camere del Sejm e del Senato, a cui compete la funzione legislativa e il controllo politico sul governo. Il presidente attuale è Lech Kaczyński. La struttura del governo è centrata sul Concilio dei Ministri, guidato dal Primo Ministro. Il presidente nomina il segretario conformemente alle proposte del Primo Ministro, solitamente dalla maggioranza nel Sejm. I votanti polacchi, eleggono un parlamento di due camere (Assemblea Nazionale, o Zgromadzenie Narodowe), consistente in 460 membri della camera bassa, il Sejm, e 100 membri del Senato (Senat). Con l'eccezione dei gruppi di minoranze etniche, solo i partiti politici che hanno ricevuto almeno il 5% dei voti possono entrare nel Sejm. La branca giudiziaria ha un ruolo minore nel prendere le decisioni. Le maggiori istituzioni sono la Corte Suprema (Sąd Najwyższy, giudici nominati dal presidente della repubblica sotto raccomandazione del Concilio Nazionale della Giustizia per un periodo indefinito), e il Tribunale Costituzionale (Trybunał Konstytucyjny, giudici scelti dal Sejm con nove anni di carica). Il Sejm (sotto approvazione del Senato), nomina il Difensore Civico o il Commissario per la Protezione dei Diritti Civili (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich), per una carica di cinque anni. Il Difensore Civico ha il dovere di vigilare l'osservanza e la realizzazione dei diritti e delle libertà dei cittadini, la legge e i principi della vita e della giustizia sociale.
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Divisioni amministrativeDivisioni amministrative della Polonia
Dal 1 gennaio 1999, la Polonia è suddivisa in 16 voivodati. Ogni voivodato (Województwa, singolare - Województwo) ha un proprio organo parlamentare, un rappresentante ("maresciallo") e un presidente di ministri:
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Geografia
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CittàLe città principali sono:
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EconomiaDa quando è tornata la democrazia, la Polonia ha perseguito fedelmente una politica di liberalizzazione dell'economia, e oggi risalta come uno dei più fortunati esempi di transizione dal comunismo ad un'economia di mercato. La privatizzazione di piccole e medie compagnie statali e la presenza di una legge liberale nell'istituire nuove ditte ha permesso il rapido sviluppo di un aggressivo settore privato, ma senza alcuno sviluppo delle organizzazioni per i diritti dei consumatori. La ristrutturazione e la privatizzazione di settori importanti come carbone, acciaio, ferrovie ed energie, è cominciata. Le più grandi privatizzazioni fino ad ora sono state la vendita di Telekomunikacja Polska, la telecom nazionale, alla France Telecom (2000); e un'emissione del 30% delle azioni della più grande banca polacca, PKO BP, nel mercato polacco (2004). La Polonia ha un ampio settore agricolo di fattorie private, ed è il principale produttore di cibo nell'Unione Europea. Riforme strutturali negli ambiti della salute, educazione, pensioni e amministrazione di stato sono sfociate in una pressione fiscale sopra le aspettative. Varsavia guida le regioni dell'Europa centrale negli investimenti stranieri e ha bisogno di un continuo afflusso. Il PIL è cresciuto molto tra il 1993 e il 2000, mentre c'è stato un rallentamento tra 2001 e 2002. Il prospetto di una maggiore integrazione con l'Unione Europea ha poi rimesso l'economia in pista, con una crescita annuale del 3.7% nel 2003, in crescita rispetto all'1.4% del 2002. Nel 2004 la crescita ha superato il 5%. Tassi di crescita annuale per i seguenti trimestri:
Zloty, la moneta polacca. Sebbene l'economia polacca attualmente stia attraversando una fase di boom economico, ci sono molti dubbi sul futuro. Il compito più notevole all'orizzonte è la preparazione dell'economia (tra le continue e profonde riforme strutturali), all'accesso della Polonia nei restrittivi criteri per poter adottare la moneta unica europea. Ci sono molte opinioni riguardo a quando la Polonia sarà pronta per entrare nella zona euro, comunque nella migliore delle ipotesi questo dovrebbe avvenire tra il 2009 e il 2013. Attualmente, la valuta polacca è lo Złoty, che ha un cambio pari a circa 4 zł/euro. Trasporti
Aeroporto di Danzica Per gli standard dell'Europa Occidentale, la Polonia ha un'infrastruttura relativamente povera di strade, autostrade, idrovie e ferrovie. La lunghezza totale delle ferrovie in Polonia è di 23.420 km. La lunghezza totale delle autostrade è di 364.657 km. C'è un totale di 9.283.000 automobilisti patentati in Polonia e 1.762.000 camionisti. La Polonia ha 8 aeroporti principali, in un totale di 122 aeroporti e campi di aviazione, e 3 eliporti. La lunghezza totale dei fiumi e canali navigabili è di 3.812 km. La flotta mercantile della Polonia consiste di 114 navi, in addizione a 100 navi registrate fuori dal paese. I principali porti sono a Danzica, Gdynia, Kołobrzeg, Stettino, Świnoujście, Ustka, Varsavia e Breslavia.
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TelecomunicazioniIn Polonia, le azioni del settore delle telecomunicazioni nella produzione del PIL, era del 4.4% nel 2000, in crescita rispetto al 2.5% del 1996. Ciò nonostante, a dispetto delle grandi spese per l'infrastruttura del settore (la copertura è cresciuta da 78 utenti per 1000 abitanti nel 1989 ai 282 del 2000), il settore è ancora sottosviluppato. La densità delle stazioni televisive varia da regione a regione, con molti buchi nelle zone rurali. I principali gestori di telefonia fissa in Polonia sono: Telekomunikacja Polska e Netia. I gestori di telefonia mobile sono: Era, Orange, Plus, Heyah, Sami Swoi, Pop, P4.
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DemografiaDemografia della Polonia Nella sua storia la Polonia ha ospitato molte lingue, culture e religioni. Comunque, il risultato della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, e la seguente migrazione ad ovest nell'area fra la Linea Curzon e la Linea Oder-Neisse, ha dato alla Polonia una certa omogeneità. 36.983.700 persone, il 96.74%, oggi si considerano polacchi; 471.500 (1.25%) hanno dichiarato un'altra nazionalità; 774.900 (2.03%) non hanno dichiarato alcuna nazionalità. Le minoranze etniche ufficialmente riconosciute includono: Tedeschi, Ucraini, Lituani, Ebrei e Bielorussi. La lingua polacca, del ceppo delle lingue slave, è quella ufficiale, ma nel Voivodato di Pomerania oltre 50.000 persone parlano una lingua slava affine ma diversa dal polacco, il casciubo.
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ReligioneLa maggior parte dei polacchi aderisce alla Chiesa cattolica (vedi articolo Chiesa cattolica polacca), sebbene solo il 75% è praticante. Il resto della popolazione consiste di minoranze Ortodosse (500.000 persone) e Protestanti (circa 100.000 appartenenti alle chiese protestanti tradizionali e 123.000 Testimoni di Geova). Ridotta invece ai minimi termini la storica comunità ebraica (circa 3 milioni di persone nel 1939) a causa della Shoah e della successiva emigrazione in Israele dei superstiti. In Polonia esiste anche una piccola minoranza neopagana (approssimativamente poche migliaia di persone), attiva dall'inizio del XIX secolo, che si richiama alla religione degli antichi Slavi.
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CulturaSecondo Reporter Senza Frontiere, la libertà di stampa della Polonia nel 2004 era al 32° posto su 164 paesi. La cultura polacca è immensa, una di queste è la musica che è molto amata, anche quella estera. Infatti è normale trovare canzoni in una lingua che non sia inglese (come russo, rumeno...). Di cantanti polacchi sono invece famosi i Sistars, i Goya, Kayah, Kasia Kowalska, Krzysztof Krawczyk e molti altri.
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| Poland Travel Guide Poland Travel Guide and Poland Travel Information - TravelPuppy.com Country Overview Poland shares borders with the Baltic Sea, Belarus, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. Warsaw, the capital, was totally destroyed during World War II, but the Old Town has been completely rebuilt. The reconstructed Royal Castle is worth seeing. The Lazienki Palace is set in a beautiful park with an open-air Greek theatre and a monument to Chopin. Krakow, Poland’s second city still retains its charismatic medieval air, having largely escaped destruction during the War. In the centre is the Cloth Hall built in the 14th century. Opposite is St Mary’s Church, well-known for its wooden altar carved by Wit Stwosz. Gdansk, which was once known as Danzig, was also destroyed in World War II, but has also been restored to its former beauty. Sights include theTown Hall, the 17th-century Golden Gate and the biggest Gothic church in Poland. Most popular dishes include zrazy zawijane (mushroom-stuffed beefsteak rolls in sour cream) served with boiled kasza (buckwheat) and pigs’ knuckles. Poland has strong musical and theatrical traditions. Warsaw and the main cities have theatres and opera companies that put on a whole range of musical and cultural programmes for both visitors and locals. ___________ Poland Business Poland Business Overview - TravelPuppy.com Economy Being the largest economy in ex-Soviet Eastern Europe, the fate of Poland was, and still is, central to that of the whole region. The economic input of the agricultural sector declined little by little throughout the 1990s and now accounts for just 3 per cent of the GDP, but still employs one-quarter of the workforce. Livestock and meat are main export earners; rye, wheat, oats, sugar beet and potatoes are the main crops. In the industrial sector, Poland’s once significant coal mining industry – like its counterparts elsewhere in Europe – has been scaled down in recent years. Other significant industries are shipbuilding, textiles, steel, cement, chemicals and food processing. Again following the trend across the continent, industry’s contribution to the GDP has dropped to below 30 per cent, while the service sector has seen rapid growth. With the collapse of the communist system at the end of the 1980s, Poland adopted the ‘big bang’ approach of rapid transition to a market economy: price controls (including subsidies) were removed at a stroke; production, distribution and trade were deregulated; large parts of the economy were privatised using a voucher system; the tax and fiscal systems were overhauled; and the national currency (the Zloty) was made fully convertible. The shock of these measures and the fall down of the Comecon trading system threw the economy into temporary crisis, but it recovered rapidly and by the mid-1990s was growing strongly. Many of those parts of the economy still under state ownership – including a number of important industrial enterprises – were privatised, although at a more leisurely pace. By 2000 the private sector accounted for 70% of GDP. Over the next two years the economy suffered mild recession, but by the end of 2003 growth had reached 3.4% and is still rising. Inflation is currently just below 3%. Unemployment, however, has risen consistently since 2000 to its current level of 20.2%, which is one of the highest levels in Europe. This, in turn, has led to the growth of aninformal or ‘grey’ economy, in which as many as 2 million people may be engaged. Poland became a full member of the European Union in May 2004 as one of 10 new entrants. The decision to join was endorsed by 77% of the electorate in a June 2003 national referendum. Within the EU, Poland may be expected to work with its fellow members of the ‘Visegrad Group’ – Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Republics – who are also joining the European Union. Where necessary, they will seek to protect their regional interests against the large and powerful Western European economies. Poland’s most important trading partners are Germany and the ‘Visegrad Group’ countries. Trade with other members of the European Union, including the UK, has already grown substantially during the last decade and is set to increase further. Business In Poland, a formal approach is preferential and it is therefore advisable to give plenty of notice of an intended visit. Employees in state organisations do not take a lunch break, but they have their main meal after 1500 hrs. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600. Commercial Information The following organisation can offer advice: Polish Chamber of Commerce (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza), PO Box 361, Trebacka 4, 00-074 Warsaw Telephone: (22) 630 9600 Fax: (22) 827 4673 E-mail: kigcp@kig.pl Website: www.kig.pl Conferences/Conventions The main conference venues are in Warsaw. Events are also hosted in Kraków, while Wroclaw, Gdansk and other towns are used occasionally. Useful travel links __________Poland Communications Poland Communications - TravelPuppy.com Internet ISPs include SuperMedia. Mobile telephones GSM 900 and 1800 network covers the whole country. Post Services to Western Europe takes up to four days. Poste Restante facilities are available at post offices all over the country. Post office hours: Monday-Friday 0800-1800. Press Independent publications are flourishing subsequent to the changes in the political system. About 100 newspapers are now available. The principal dailies are Rzeczpospolita, Gazeta Wyborcza and Wprost. English language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly). Radio From time to time the radio frequencies change and current information can be found online: BBC World Service can be received. Voice of America can be received Telephones Country code: 48. Outgoing international code: 00. Full IDD is available. Cheap rate on long-distance calls is available from 1600-0600 hrs. Telephone cards can be bought from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls. Telegram Services are provided at major post offices and by phone. _____________ Poland Festivals - Events Poland Festivals and Events Guide - TravelPuppy.com For a full list, contact the Polish National Tourist Office (see Contacts section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in Poland in 2005: Jan 28-30 Ski-Jumping World Cup, Zakopane. Feb International Winter Kayaking Trip on the Brda River. Mar 15-26 9th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Warsaw. Apr 23-May 8 12th Bydgoszcz Operatic Festival, Bydgoszcz. May 1-3 Podkarpacki Tourist Fair, Przemyœl. Jun-Aug XIII Warsaw Summer Jazz Days. Jul 3-Aug 28 XI Jazz in the Old Town International Outdoor Festival, Warsaw. Sep 28-Oct 24 Chopin Piano Contest, Warsaw. Nov Masks International Theatrical Festival, Poznañ. Dec Nativity Scene Competition, Kraków. Note The Cultural Information Centre publishes Karnet, a bilingual cultural monthly publication with details of cultural events. Contact the tourist board for further information. ______________Poland General Info Poland General Information - TravelPuppy.com Area 312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles) Population 38,610,000 (official estimate 2002) Population Density 122.3 per sq km Capital Warsaw Population of Warsaw 1,609,800 (official estimate 2001) Geography Poland shares borders to the east with the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, to the south with the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and to the west with Germany. To the north is the Baltic Sea. The Baltic coast provides over 500km of bays, sandy beaches, steep cliffs and dunes. Northern Poland is dominated by islands, lakesand wooded hills joined by many rivers and canals. The Mazurian Lake District to the northeast is very beautiful. Lake Hancza, the deepest in Poland, is located in this district. The River Vistula has cut a wide valley from Gdansk on the Baltic coast to Warsaw. The rest of Poland rises slowly to the Sudety Mountains, which run along the border with the Czech Republic, and the Tatra mountains, which separate Poland from the Slovak Republic. The River Oder on the west, with Szczecin at its mouth, forms the northwest border with Germany. Government Republic since 1918. Head of State: President Aleksander Kwasniewski since 1995. Head of Government: Prime Minister Marek Belka since 2004. Language Polish is the official language. There is a small German speaking community. Russian and English are also spoken. Religion More than 95 per cent Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Protestant, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim. Time Zone GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz; continental sockets. ____________Poland Getting Around - Internal Travel Poland Internal Travel - Getting Around Poland - TravelPuppy.com Air Internal airlines are operated by LOT Polish Airlines and there is comprehensive network linking all major cities. Rail Polish State Railways (PKP)and link all parts of the country in a network radiating from Warsaw. There are 2 classes of travel. The Polrailpass (and Junior Polrailpass for travellers under 26) is available for 8, 15, 21 or 30 days. This pass is available from travel agents and international rail ticket outlets, also from railway stations and travel agents within Poland. Children under 4 years of age travel free. Children aged 4 to 10 pay half fare. Road Traffic in Poland drives on the right. The country has a dense network of filling stations. Unleaded petrol is available in most petrol stations. Most filling stations located along international routes are open 24/7. Polish Automobile and Motorway Federation Polski Zwiazek Motorowy (PZM) can be called on 9637 nationwide for assistance. Starter emergency breakdown service can be called on (0801) 122 222. For more information, contact Polski Zwiazek Motorowy, ul Kazimierzowska 66, 02-518 Warsaw (tel: (22) 849 9361; fax: (22) 848 1951; e-mail: office@pzm.pl). Bus There are good quality regional bus and coach services operated by Polish Motor Communications (PKS) as well as the Polski Express connecting most towns. Car hire Self-drive cars are available at the airport or through many car rental offices in town centres. The minimum driving age is 21. Charges are based on a daily rate plus a kilometre charge. Regulations Speed limit is 60kph in built-up areas, 90kph on major roads and 110kph on motorways. Seat belts and warning triangles are unavoidable. Trams have the right of way. From 1st October to 1st April, all vehicles should have their lights switched on at all times. Documentation Tourists travelling in their own cars should have car registration cards, their national driving licence (driving licences of EU nationals are accepted) and a valid Green Card motor insurance. An International Driving Permit is also compulsory. Urban Buses There are excellent services in all towns, with additional trams and trolleybuses operating in a dozen of the larger urban areas. Warsaw has bus, tramway and rail services. A flat fare is charged and there are pre--purchase tickets and passes. Taxi Taxis are available in all main towns. They are usually found at ranks but can also be ordered by phone. There is a surcharge from 2300hrs-0500hrs and for journeys out of town, as well as at weekends. Taxi drivers may be adamant on payment in hard currency. Tipping is very much welcomed. Tram Weekend and 7-day tourist tickets can be purchased. Most public transport operates from 0530hrs-2300hrs. Travel times The following chart gives the approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Warsaw to other major cities/towns in Poland. Air Road Rail Kraków 1.40 4.00 2.35 Poznan 1.00 4.00 3.00 Wroclaw 1.15 6.00 4.35 Gdansk 1.00 6.00 3.40 Szczecin 2.00 8.00 5.40 Katowice 1.30 4.30 2.35 Lódz - 2.00 1.40 ________________Poland Getting There - International Travel Poland International Travel - TravelPuppy.com LOT Polish Airlines (LO) is Poland’s national airline. Other airlines serving Poland include Aeroflot, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Easyjet, El Al, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS and Swiss. Approximate flight times From Warsaw to: London is 2 hours Frankfurt/M is 1 hour 50 minutes Prague is 1 hour 20 minutes International airports Warsaw (WAW) (Okecie) is 10km southwest of the city (travel time – 20-40 minutes by bus; 20-30 minutes by taxi). Duty free facilities are available. Airport facilities include banks and bureaux de change, post office, bars and restaurants, left-luggage facilities, tourist information services and car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty). Kraków (KRK) (Balice John Paul II) is 16km west of the city centre. Taxis and buses are available. Airport facilities include bureau de change, bar and car hire (Ann, Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz).Duty free facilities are available in the departure hall. Wroclaw (WRO) (Strachowice) is 8km from the city centre. Airport facilities include a duty free shop, post office, bank, restaurants and shops. Buses, taxis and car hire are available as well. There is a daily connection to Frankfurt/M and twice weekly (Thursday and Sunday) to Düsseldorf. Katowice (KTW) is 34km from the city. There are connections to Frankfurt/M, Copenhagen and Munich daily. Gdansk (GDN) is the most common entry point to northern Poland. Departure tax None. Sea Pol Ferries operates between Poland and Sweden, Finland and Denmark. For more information, contact the Polish National Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section) or Pol Ferries, ul. Chalubinskiego 8, 00-613, Warsaw (tel: (22) 830 0930; fax: (22) 830 0071; e-mail: info@polferries.pl). Tickets can also be bought from travel agents or the ferry terminal (tel: (58) 343 1887). Rail Polish State Railways (PKP) operates EuroCity trains between Poland and several major European cities. All services from Western Europe to Poland pass through the Germany, Czech Republic or the Slovak Republic. The main routes link Warsaw with Cologne and Berlin, Budapest, Prague and Vienna. There is a car sleeper service from the Hook of Holland to Poznan/ Warsaw. Road Poland is best reached from Germany and the Czech Republic or the car-sleeper rail service from the Hook of Holland to Poznan/Warsaw. There are wide ranging bus and coach services. Eurolines which depart from Victoria Coach Station in London also serves destinations in Poland. For more information contact Eurolines (tel: (08705) 143 219; e-mail: welcome@eurolines.co.uk). ___________- Poland History Poland History - TravelPuppy.com For much of the medieval and early modern period, Poland was one of the biggest states in Europe, although generally cut off from the mainstream of European life. By the 18th century, however, the combination of an outdated social structure, the emergence of powerful neighbours, a king with no real power and a parliament that was able to veto any legislation if so much as one member voted against it (the Liberum Veto) had reduced Poland to the role of little more than a confused buffer state between Austria, Prussia and Russia. One observer had commented on how the Polish state had ‘legalised anarchy and called it a constitution.’ The situation was at last resolved between 1772 and 1795, when – as a result of three partition treaties signed by Austria, Prussia and Russia – the country was carved up. A small area around Warsaw briefly enjoyed a form of independence between 1807 and 1831 – as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Congress Poland – but later became a province of Russia. Poland did not acquire independence again until 1918. In 1926, a military regime ousted the civilian administration and it governed Poland until the country was once more dismembered by its powerful neighbours, Germany and the Soviet Union, after the 1939 Anti-Aggression Pact between the two. Preceding commitments by Britain to defend Polish sovereignty led the former to declare war on Germany and initiate World War II. In 1941, Germany drove the USSR out of Poland, to be ejected, in turn, by the Soviets 4 years later. At the end of World War II, the Soviet-backed Polish Workers’ Party formed a coalition government under Wladyslaw Gomulka, until he was dismissed in 1948 for ‘deviationism’. In the same year, the Polish Workers’ Party combined with the Polish Socialist Party to form Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza (Polish United Workers’ Party, PZPR). In 1956, 3 years after Stalin’s death, Gomulka returned in the midst of growing unrest to implement a plan of gradual liberalisation of society and the economy. Following disturbances in the industrial port of Gdansk, Gomulka was replaced as the First Secretary of the party by Edward Gierek. Opposition to the regime was, significantly, led by elements of the industrial work force – in contrast to movements anywhere else in Eastern Europe which were led by intellectuals, such as Charter 77 – and supported by the Catholic Church, a major political force in Poland that the communists had never been able to fully suppress. This was a very important factor in the rapid growth of the Solidarnosc (Solidarity) labour movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The PZPR’s first response to this challenge was confused. Neither Gierek nor his successor, Stanislav Kania, proved able to bring to an end the growth of Solidarnosc or the declining of the PZPR. In 1981, with the support of Moscow, the former army chief-of-staff, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, replaced Kania and imposed martial law. Solidarnosc was banned and its senior figures were detained, including its leader, shipyard electrician Lech Walesa. The early 1980s saw a tense stand-off between the unions and the state. Eventually, the advent of the Gorbachev era in the Soviet Union made an accommodation between the two sides practicable. In 1988, following the virtual collapse of the economy, the PZPR government resigned and opened bona fide negotiations with Solidarnosc on economic and constitutional reforms. Solidarnosc was legalised in 1989, paving the way for elections to the new bicameral National Assembly in June of that year. Not unpredictably, Solidarnosc swept the board in the one-third of seats it was allowed to contest. Tadeusz Mazowiecki became the first non-communist prime minister of a Warsaw-Pact country. General Jaruzelski was elected again as president. This was the high-water mark for Solidarnosc: over the following years the whole of eastern Europe shed its communist governments, the collapse of the Soviet Union itself followed shortly after. Poland now found itself in a completely new political and economic environment and this brought about the implosion of Solidarnosc in the form of a deep split - mostly over economic policy - between supporters of Walesa and of Mazowiecki. Both stood at the first fully free presidential election in November 1990. Walesa won, and Mazowiecki was replaced as the prime minister by Jan Krysztof Bielecki. Elections to the National Assembly was in October 1991. In all the 29 parties, including the Friends of Beer, gained representation in the Sejm (lower house of the national assembly). Since then, the number of parties has been made more manageable - and stable government a more feasible proposition - by the introduction of a 5% threshold. The bitter and closely fought 1995 presidential campaign rutted Walesa against the ex-communist and government negotiator with Solidarnosc, Alexander Kwasniewski, standing for the Democratic Left Alliance. Against most predictions, Kwasniewski won in the head-to-head run-off against the former trade union leader. Walesa’s defeat astonished many in the West who failed to appreciate how unpopular he had become at home. Kwasniewski also comfortably won the presidential poll in 2000. In 2001, the DLA also reclaimed control of the Sejm from a coalition of centre-right parties which had formed the government since 1997. The election also brought a threatening development in the rise of a new far-right party, Samoobrona (Self Defence), which espouses a populist, xenophobic platform. Throughout the 1990s, and since, there has been little difference in the principal policies of the main political blocs: securing entry into both NATO and the EU. As the biggest of the former Eastern European states, Poland’s position is critical. Both the objectives have now been achieved. Poland joined NATO in July 1997 and the EU in May 2004. In spite of that, there are some outstanding issues which have been left for resolution at a later date and may have a major bearing on Polish politics. These include subsidies for Poland’s substantial agricultural sector, which are comparatively underdeveloped, free labour movement and the country’s poor record on pollution. Elections to both the presidency and the Sejm are due in the year 2005. The Democratic Left Alliance has been gradually losing its popularity, especially in its rural heartlands to Samoobrona, and is unlikely to be involved in the next government. ___________Poland Social Profile Poland Culture and Social Profile - TravelPuppy.com Food & Drink Poland has a distinct cuisine, with typical ingredients being dill, marjoram, caraway seeds, wild mushrooms and sour cream, which is frequently added to soups, sauces and braised meats. The national dish of Poland is bigos, made of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, onions and any variety of leftover meat. Polish meals start with przekaski, such as pike in aspic, marinated fish in sour cream, salted and rolled herring fillets with pickles and onions, kulebiak (large mushroom and cabbage pasty) or Polish sausages such as the long, thin and highly spiced kabanos or the hunters’ sausage (mysliwska) made with game and pork. Soups play a significant part at mealtimes and are usually rich and very thick. Soups such as barszcz (beetroot soup, outstanding with sour cream) or rosol (beef or chicken bouillon) are often served in cups with small hot pasties stuffed with cabbage or meat. Popular dishes include zrazy zawijane (mushroom stuffed beefsteak rolls in sour cream) served with boiled kasza (buckwheat) and pig’s knuckles. Poland is also a good country for fish (ryba) such as carp served in sweet and sour jellied sauce, and poached pike with horseradish in cream. Herring (sledz) is very popular and is served up in countless different ways. Pastries (ciastka) are also very nice. Table service is the norm in the restaurants. Vodka (wódka), the national drink, is taken chilled. Wyborowa is considered as the best standard vodka, but there are lots of flavoured varieties such as zubrowka (bison grass), tarniowka (sloe plum), sliwowica (prune) and pieprzowka (vodka with ground white pepper). Western drinks, such as whisky, gin or brandy, can be obtained in most bars but are costly. Wine is available but, again, is imported and costly. The best bottled beer is zywiec, a fairly strong lager type beer. All bars have table and/or counter service. Coffee shops are very popular in Poland and are the preferred places for social meetings from early morning to late at night. These do not close during the day and have the same function as do pubs in the United Kingdom. Alcoholic drinks are available the whole day. Nightlife Warsaw also reflects the strong theatrical and musical traditions of Poland, with about 17 theatres and 3 opera companies. Cinemas in Poland show Polish and foreign films. There are some discos in Poland, as well as an increasing number of nightclubs and music bars in Warsaw. Shopping Special purchases include glass and enamelware, silverware, handmade jewellery with amber and silver, handwoven rugs, dolls in regional costumes, woodcarvings and clay and metal sculptures. Shopping hours: Monday-Friday 0600-1800/1900, shorter hours on Saturday and Sunday. ‘Night shops’ open 2000-0800. Supermarkets and department stores open Monday-Saturday 0900-2000. Bookshops open Monday-Friday 1100-1900. Social Conventions Poles are very friendly, industrious people and foreigners are usually made very welcome. There is a huge contrast between urban and rural life and the Polish peasantry is very religious and conservative, maintaining a traditional way of life. Roman Catholicism plays a very important role in daily life and criticism or jokes about religion are not appreciated, despite the general good humour of the people. Music and art are also significant aspects of Polish culture. Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Normal courtesies are observed when visiting private homes and it is customary to bring some flowers. Fairly conservative casual wear is the most appropriate attire, but ofcourse dress should be formal when specified for entertaining in the evening or in a smart restaurant. Smoking is restricted in some of the public buildings. Photography Military installations such as bridges, airports, ports, border points etc should not be photographed. Tipping 10% to 15%is customary in restaurants and cafes. Tipping in self service restaurants is not expected. Tips for porter’s services in hotels and train stations are customary. |
