About southern Poland
Why would anyone come all the way to the south of Poland for a holiday? The same reasons we moved here to live.
First, the connections are good – motorway from the Channel and Hook of Holland to Krakow, an overnight train from Amsterdam to Warsaw, then 3 hours in an express to Krakow and plenty of flights from the UK … after all, Krakow IS the most popular destination for British visitors to Poland.
But that just gets you here. What is there to see and do?
Cities and towns – Krakow, Wroclaw, Zakopane, our own Nowy Sacz, Tarnow
Religious – Tyniec or Bielany and the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
River rafting – Dunajec River Gorge, close to the tourist town and walking centre of Krościenko nad Dunajcem and the area surrounding Lake Czorsztyn
Skiing – Krynica-Ski, is close, Zakopane is world-famous.
Spas – if it ends in Zdroj, it’s a spa town. Krynica-Zdroj and Piwniczna-Zdroj are our closest. Rabka-Zdroj is a couple of hours by road.
Fun – for kids, Dinolandia, Miniature World, mini-zoo and the dungeons and dragons of Warownia at Lyson. Because gun-ownershipis strictly controlled, cities and large towns may have shooting ranges. Go-karting is also popular. And we have some good water parks.
Medieval city – Krakow was not damaged in WW2 – what you see is original
Communist-era – in Krakow you can tour the Nowa Huta area by Trabant or an old commie-era bus, see 60s and 70s planned architecture and have a snack in a “milk bar”, even see a commie-era apartment.
Boating and watersports – there are lakes and reservoirs throughout the area
Walking – in the countryside or in the Tatra mountains
Modern history – most famous and notorious the Auschwitz and Aushwitz-Birkenau slave labour and death camps are between Kraków and Katowice
Nature – it’s all around us in southern Poland, but highlights are Ojcow, Pieniny, the Tatras and the Ciężkowicko-Rożnowski National Park
Cycling – popular – most town tourist offices have cycling maps
Churches – even if we discount the better-known beautiful churches, southern Poland is the land of the wooden churches.
Food and drink – hearty food and good beer and wódka. Cheap, too.
Castle – Wawel, the Royal Castle in Krakow, the Eagle’s Nests, ruined, occupied or museums, there are castles throughout this land of shifting borders.
Hotels – from under £20 a night, the sky’s the limit. Stay in “noclegi” (“roos”), 1* to 5*, simple hotels to luxurious hotels in castles and palaces. Our favourites? The *** Hotel Folwark Stara Winiaria in Mszana Dolna. And, of course, our own 1904 Loghouse!
Website
Hotel Folwark Stara Winiaria http://www.folwarkstarawiniarnia.pl/
1904loghouse 