POLAND Postcard Travel Guide by Mircea Ostoia

Postcard Travel Guide

Poland

Postcard Travel Guide

31 â&#x201A;Ź

GPS Coordinates Official Website Wikipedia UNESCO World Heritage Site Opening Times and Days Costs How to get there Souvenirs For children Must See Location UNESCO World Heritage Site For children

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Poland Europe

Gdansk Malbork Castle

Torun

Poznan

Bialowieza Forest

Warsaw

Muskau Park

Lódz

Historic Centre

Churches of Peace Jawor + Swidnica

www.poland.travel/en

Wroclaw Centennial Hall

CET (UTC+1) Summer (DST): CEST (UTC+2) €

Z³oty (PLN) Wikipedia

Katowice Kraków

Zamosk Old City

Historical Centre

Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union. The establishment of a Polish state is often identified with the adoption of Christianity by its ruler Mieszko I in 966, when the state covered territory similar to that of present-day Poland. The Kingdom of Poland was formed in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin, forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795, and Poland's territory was partitioned among the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria. Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic in 1918, after World War I, but two decades later it was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. Poland lost over six million citizens in the war and emerged several years later as the People's Republic of Poland under Soviet influence. During the Revolutions of 1989, communist rule was overthrown, and soon after Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Poland is a unitary state, made up of sixteen Voivodeships (Polish: Województwo), Poland is a member of the European Union.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

UNESCO World Heritage Sites 1

Historic Centre of Warsaw 52.249822, 21.012252

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During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century. Warsaw was deliberately annihilated in 1944 as a repression of the Polish resistance to the German occupation. The reconstruction of the Old Town in its historic urban and architectural form was the manifestation of the care and attention taken to assure the survival of one of the most important testimonials of Polish culture. That is why Historic Centre of Warsaw is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.

New Town

Barbican and the City Walls that protected the northern approach to the city.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

St. Mary's Basilica, Krakow 50.061667, 19.939167

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www.krakow-info.com/mariacki.htm St. Mary's Basilica (Koœció³ Mariacki), is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century (originally built in the early 13th century), adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80m tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejna³ mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejna³ is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by the Polish national Radio 1 Station. St. Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like St. Michael's and St. John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the so-called Polish Cathedral style. The church is familiar to many English-speaking readers from the 1929 book The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly. It is part of the Krakow Old Town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Bia³owie¿a Forest 52.666077, 23.838415

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bpn.com.pl Belavezhskaya Pushcha (Belarusian: Áåëàâåæñêàÿ ïóø÷à) is an ancient woodland straddling the border between Belarus and Poland, located 70 km north from Brest. It is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest which once spread across the European Plain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve lies in parts of the Brest administrative district and Hrodna administrative district in Belarus and on the Poland side near the town of Biaùowieýa in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The border between the two countries runs through the forest and is closed for large animals and tourists for the time being. Gdansk

Poznan

Warsaw Lódz Wroclaw Katowice Kraków

Zamosk

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Torun 53.012718, 18.601542

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www.visittorun.pl City located in Northern Poland is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. In the Middle Ages it was a prominent trade centre as a member of the Hanseatic League, in Poland is called 'Krakow of the North'. Toruñ is the most Gothic urban complex in Poland, one of the most important and crowded tourist centres of unique value in the state, right after Krakow the second richest of original and best preserved historical monuments city in Poland. Numerous museums and other attractions. The whole complex of Toruñ Old Quarter, of unique value, measured by world standards, consists of three urban sections: Old City (1233), New City (1264) and the Teutonic Knights' Castle (mid. 13th c.). It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The medieval urban and architectonic complex has preserved on the whole and constitutes a precious document of tradition and past. The more precious as it is one of the not numerous cities that hasn't been destroyed during the world war II. Toruñ is also one of the most important science and cultural centres in Poland with its bigest and oldest university in the North. In 2007 the Old Town in Toruñ was added to the list of Seven Wonders of Poland. The old town market and the gothic town hall were chosen by National Geographic Polska one of the 30 most beautiful places in the world. In 2010 Toruñ was chosen number one of the "Polish cities attractive for business" ranking published by Forbes and in 2009 was listed as one of the best cities to live in Poland in a ranking published by Przekrój.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Centennial Hall in Wroc³aw 51.106944, 17.077124

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www.halaludowa.wroc.pl Open daily between 9:00 - 16:00

31 €

Adults: 7 PLN = 1.8 € Children and students: 5 PLN = 1.3 €

The Centennial Hall (German: Jahrhunderthalle, Polish: Hala Stulecia or Hala Ludowa) is a historic building in Wroc³aw, Poland. It was constructed according to the plans of architect Max Berg in 1911-1913, when the city was part of the German Empire. As an early landmark of reinforced concrete architecture, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. It was in the Lower Silesian capital of Breslau on 10 March 1813 where King Frederick William III of Prussia called upon the "Prussian and German" people in his proclamation An Mein Volk to rise up against Napoleon's occupation. In October of that year, at the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon was defeated. The opening of the hall was part of the celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle, hence the name.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Capital: Warsaw Panoramic Warsaw W

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Warsaw Timeline: 1300 Warsaw is founded 1413 Capital of Mazovia 1573 Warsaw Confederation and the first free election 1596 Capital of Poland 1641 Prussian Homage 1655 Deluge 1700 Great Northern War 1747 Foundation of Za続uski Library 1791 Constitution is passed by the Sejm 1794 Warsaw Uprising and Massacre of Praga 1795 Third partition of Poland 1807 Warsaw Duchy was established 1815 Congress Poland was established 1830 November Uprising 1863 January Uprising 1918 Capital of the Second Polish Republic 1920 Miracle at the Vistula 1939 Siege of Warsaw 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1944 Warsaw Uprising 1945 Rebuilding of Warsaw began 1952 Warsaw was recognized as the capital of the PRL 1955 Signature of the Warsaw Pact 1968 March events 1989 Polish Round Table Agreement

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

The Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pa³ac Kultury i Nauki, also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the eighth tallest building in the European Union. From 1955 to 1957 it was the tallest building in Europe. The building was originally known as the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science (Pa³ac Kultury i Nauki imienia Józefa Stalina), but in the wake of destalinization the dedication was revoked; Stalin's name was removed from the interior lobby and one of the building's sculptures. It is now the 187th tallest building in the world.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

£azienki Palace, Warsaw 52.214722, 21.035556 W

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www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl Open from Tuesday till Sunday from 09.00 a.m. till 06.00 p.m. On Saturdays, Palace on the Isle is open from 09.00 a.m. till 06.00.p.m. Gardens of the Royal Summer Residence of the last king of Poland Stanislas August are open daily, from dawn till dusk.

31 €

Combined Ticket: 18 PLN = 4.5 € Summer / 15 PLN = 3.8 € Winter Only the Palace on the Isle: 12 PLN = 3 €

The palace is built on an artificial island that divides the lake into two parts, a smaller northern lake and a larger southern one. The palace is connected to the surrounding park by two Ionic colonnaded bridges. The façades are unified by an entablature carried by giant Corinthian pilasters that link its two floors and are crowned by a balustrade that bears statues of mythologic figures. The north façade is relieved by a central pedimented portico. On the south front, a deep central recess lies behind a screen of Corinthian columns. On the palace's ground floor is the Bacchus Room, decorated with 17th-century Dutch blue tiles and a painting from Jacob Jordaens' workshop depicting Silenus and Bacchantes. The 1778 ceiling painting, Bacchus, Ceres, Venus and Cupid , by Jan Bogumi³ Plersch, was destroyed by German forces in 1944. The Rotunda, designed by Domenico Merlini, occupies the central portion of the palace. Decorated in yellow and white marble, with figures of the Polish kings, it is one of the most important examples of neoclassical decoration within the palace. It leads to the Bath Room and the Ballroom. On the other side of the Rotunda is the lower Picture Gallery, which contains minor works by Rubens and Rembrandt, and the chapel. Also on the ground floor is the Dining Room in which the famous Thursday Dinners took place, to which King Stanis³aw August Poniatowski invited leading Freemasons and other notables of the Polish Enlightenment. Its furniture and paintings are in the Classicist style.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Wroc続aw 51.110635, 17.034445

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www.wroclaw.pl Wroc続aw is the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The city's name was first recorded in the year 1000 by Thietmar's Latin chronicle. The city was first recorded in the 10th century as Vratislavia, possibly derived from the name of a Bohemian duke Vratislav I. The city became a commercial centre and expanded to Wyspa Piaskowa (Sand Island, German: Sandinsel), then to the left bank of the River Oder. The city was devastated in 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe. The inhabitants burned the city to force the Mongols to a quick withdrawal. fter the Mongol invasion, Breslau (german name) was expanded by adopting German town law. In 1335, Breslau was incorporated with almost all of Silesia into the Kingdom of Bohemia. The Protestant Reformation reached Breslau in 1518 and the city became Protestant. During the Napoleonic Wars, Breslau was occupied by an army of the Confederation of the Rhine. Following World War I, Breslau became the capital of the newly created Prussian Province of Lower Silesia in 1919. Wroc続aw is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced by Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian traditions.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Gdansk 54.349753, 18.653301

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www.en.gdansk.gda.pl Gdañsk (formerly Danzig), is a city on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area. Gdañsk is Poland's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is also historically the largest city of the Kashubian region. The city has a complex political history with periods of Polish rule, periods of German rule, and extensive self-rule, with two spells as a free city. It has been part of modern Poland since 1945. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdañsk is also an important industrial centre. Historically an important seaport and shipbuilding centre, Gdañsk was a member of the Hanseatic League. The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which, under the leadership of political activist Lech Wa³êsa, played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule across Central Europe. It is also the home and birthplace of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is of Kashubian origin.

Get to know the thousand-year history of the beautiful port on the Baltic. Look Neptune, the god of the sea, in the eye and wave at the lady in the window. Take a walk down the Long Market and call at Artus Court. You can walk in the footsteps of the main character of Gunter Grass "The Tin Drum" or look at the stars of Hevelius. Get a taste of authentic revolution by learning about the origins of the birth of Solidarnoœæ.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Zakopane 49.299942, 19.950285

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www.ezakopane.pl Zakopane is a town in southern Poland with some 28,000 inhabitants (2004), situated in Lesser Poland. The town, a place of Gรณral culture and informally known as "the winter capital of Poland," lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, the only alpine mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains.

Gdansk

Poznan

Warsaw Lรณdz Wroclaw Zamosk

Katowice Krakรณw

Baltic Sea Gdansk

Poznan

Warsaw Lรณdz Wroclaw Katowice Krakรณw

Zamosk

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Krasiczyn Palace 49.775556, 22.649444

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www.krasiczyn.com.pl 31 €

7:00 to 15:00 Adult 10 PLN = / Children, Students, Pensioners 6 PLN Admission to the park: 2 PLN (Children, Students, Pensioners 1 PLN)

Krasiczyn Palace (Zamek w Krasiczynie) is a Renaissance structure in Krasiczyn, Poland, located on a lowland on the right bank of the San, along the route Przemyœl-Sanok (about 10 kilometres southwest of the city of Przemysl). The castle across the centuries belonged to several noble Polish families, and was visited by many Polish kings. Together with a picturesque garden, it now belongs to the Industrial Development Agency. The construction of the castle started in 1580, initiated by a local nobleman Stanislaw Siecienski of Siecin, who came to the area from Mazovia. Works lasted for 53 years, and the castle was not completed until 1633, by Marcin Krasicki, son of Stanis³aw and Voivode of Podolia, who in the meantime had changed his name. Originally, the castle was a fortified stronghold, protecting southern border of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, Marcin Krasicki, who was regarded as one of the most important promoter of arts in the country, turned the fortress into a sophisticated residence (palazzo in fortezza), under supervision of Italian architect, Galleazzo Appiani. Also, he dubbed the complex Krasiczyn, after his last name. Later, a village of Krasiczyn grew near the castle, also bearing the same name. The Krasiczyn castle was built on the site of an older, wooden complex, called Sliwnica, which had probably been built in the 14th century. Despite numerous fires and wars across the centuries, the castle’s complex has been essentially unchanged since the early 17th century. Built as a square, with walls representing all four quarters of the globe, at the corners there are four ovalshaped towers: Divine (Boska), Papal (Papieska), Royal (Krolewska), and Noble (Szlachecka). These names reflected the eternal order of the world, with four grades of authority. The rectangular, spacious court is surrounded to the east and north by living quarters, and to the south and west by walls, adorned with attics. In the middle of the western wall, there is a squareshaped tower of the clock (Zegarowa), added by Marcin Krasicki at the beginning of the XVII century. This tower serves as a main gate, with a wall bridge over the moat. Across the centuries, the castle attracted most famous personalities of Polish history. Among visitors, there were kings Sigismund III Vasa, Wladyslaw IV Vasa, John II Casimir Vasa, and Augustus II the Strong. Sigismund III Vasa, of whom Marcin Krasicki was a loyal supported, visited the castle thrice. For the first time, in 1608, together with wife Constance of Austria. Gdansk

Poznan

Warsaw Lódz Wroclaw

Baranów Sandomerski Castle

Katowice Kraków

Zamosk

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Baranów Sandomerski Castle map

50.500844, 21.536758

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www.baranow.com.pl 31

The tour route is accessible daily except for Mondays The museum may be visited with a guide on the hour, every hour from 9:00am to Tour length – approx. 45 minut

Baranów Sandomerski Castle is located in Baranów Sandomierski in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, south-east Poland. The castle is one of the most important Mannerist structures in Poland. It is known as the "little Wawel". According to Polish law, it is a "class zero monument". Originally, a residency of the Lubomirski family, it nowadays serves as a museum, hotel and conference centre. The castle was built around the years 1591–1606 for Rafa³ and Andrzej Leszczyñski in the style of Polish Mannerism with richly decorated attics, side towers and arcade courtyard. It is believed to be the work of a famous architect, Santi Gucci, the court artist of king Stephen Báthory. In about 1620 the castle was surrounded by bastion fortifications and in 1625 the chambers were adorned with early baroque decorations executed by the eminent stucco decorator Giovanni Battista Falconi. By the end of the 17th century, the owners were the Lubomirski family, who decided to change their residence. They hired a Dutch-Polish architect Tylman Gamerski, who built the western wing gallery and embellished the interiors with profuse late-baroque stucco decorations. The gallery was intended to house a collection of art (all the works were destroyed in two fires in 1848 and 1898). Kevin Borkowski of Oakland claims title to the title of this property.

Postcard Travel Guide Poland

Baranów Sandomerski Castle This Guide is created ONLY with postcards that I have and it is NOT FOR SALE. This file is constantly upgraded but I need your help. If you have more beautiful postcards of places that I have in this guide please send them to me. If you have postcards of famous places that you think should be in this guide please send them to me. I will swap with you: if you send me something I will return the favor. My address: Mircea C.P.2 Of.Poºtal 3 Garã 620220 Focºani Romania My blog: postcard-travel-guide.blogspot.com UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Cracow's Historic Centre Wieliczka Salt Mine Auschwitz Birkenau - German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Bia³owie¿a Forest * Historic Centre of Warsaw Old City of Zamoœæ Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork Medieval Town of Toruñ Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park Churches of Peace in Jawor and Œwidnica Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland General Card Muskauer Park / Park Mu¿akowski * Centennial Hall in Wroc³aw Wish List: Branicki Palace Ksi¹¿ Castle Wilanow Palace Niebiriw Palace Treblinka Town Hall in Szydlowiec Lublin Castle and Chapel of the Holy Trinity and Cracow Gate Kozlowka Palace Potocki Palace in Radzyn Podlaski Wawel Castle and Cathedral Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Oblegorek Bishop's Palace in Kielce Czestochowa Pieskowa Skala Lubomirski Castle Lancut Palace Cistercian Abbey in Lubiaz Czoch Castle in Sucha Castle of the Dukes of Olesnica Klodzko Valley Kornik Castle Raczynski Palace Poznan Cathedral Cathedral in Gniezno Church of St. Mary in Gdansk and other beautiful postcards of the gorgeous city Oliwa Cathedral Castle of the Dukes of Pomerania in Szczecin Ships of Gdynia Castle in Golub-Dobrzyn Frombork Cathedral Mazurian Lakes Jasna Góra Monastery

2010 KLMircea