Experiences in Poland

Kayak & Canoe
Poland is a dream come true for kayakers. River beds paved with stones and those wonderful, twisting lakes just waiting for audacious adventurers. And for those more curious there are always the water labyrinths of Narwia and Biebrza. For the lazy, the Radunia lakes are spread out to explore in a gentler manner.

There are about 150 kayaking routes and 10 000 paddle friendly lakes in Poland – nowhere in Europe will you find such a dense network of waterways. Among the most popular and best equipped (equipment rental, stores, camp sites) are those on the Czarna Hańcza, Rospuda, Krutynia, Drawa, Brda, Wda and Drweca rivers.

Polish waterways are good both for long trips as well as for one-day expeditions. One day is all it takes to sail half the Raduńskie Circle or the Kowaliowy Trail in the Przemęcki Natural Park. Boatmen wait for visitors on the River Krutynia and take them down the prettiest parts of the river at a good pace and with no effort. The Dunajec has its traditional raftsmen –– called Flis –– who can take you on a breathtaking rafting excursion.

If you can’t get enough emotion on the water, you can join rafting trips on the Odra, from Nowa Sol, all the way to Szczecin. Or paddle your way from Bory Tucholskie to Hamburg; the route about 900 km going through Brda, Bydgoski Canal, Notec, Warta, Odra and Laba.

A kayaking excursion is a great opportunity to see historical hydro-technical sites (passing through the lock on the Augustowski Canal, a part of the Czarna Hańcza Trail, is an unforgettable experience) and through unspoiled, untamed nature. Bird watchers are particularly enchanted by the labyrinths of waterways on the Narwia and the zigzagging of the Jegrznia and Biebrza and Plocizna, fast as a mountain creek.

Kayakers looking for that special, intense experience should go down one of the three true Mountain rivers, best suited for kayaking. For example the Białka running through Tatry and Podhale – horrifyingly cold, rushing, foamy and strewn with granite rocks. The Week of Wild Waters on the Dunajec and the Poprad rivers in Beskid Sadecki, in June is a mountain kayaking moment not to be missed.

Sailing
Winrich von Kniprode, a Teutonic Grand Master is known as the boating pioneer in Mazury. He sailed his wooden boat across the Great Lakes from the north to the south in 1379. His boat had to be carried between the lakes in those days but 400 years later the lakes were joined by canals and locks and the most popular Polish yachting waterways were created.

The Great Mazurian Lakes route starts in Nidzkie Lake and goes to Węgorzewo on Lake Mamry and is about 80 km long, but with its many winding branches – this can reach 200 km. The Pisa and Narew rivers are its natural prolongation, along which, through Zegrzynski Bay and along the Zerański canal created in the 16th century, Warsaw can be reached.

You can’t go yachting in the Mazury district without visiting a tavern. They are usually dark, filled with long tables, where the singing of the yachtsmen is boisterous and loud as they compete with different shanties. Zeza in Sztynort is one of the best known taverns.

Interesting cruises can be taken not only in the Mazury. Polish yachtsmen also like the long and twisting Jeziorak or Wdzydze, in the shape of a cross, in Kaszuby, and the star-like Drawsko Lake. White sails can also be spotted on Gopło Lake as well as on the waters around Myślibórz and Barlinek in the west of Poland.

Yachting on the Solinski Bay, encircled by tree clad hills, is also a beautiful adventure. There are islands, fjord shore lines, lots of quiet bays and large empty spaces on a lake as big as a sea. The most important shanty festival in Poland takes place here in summer and very often the most famous maritime celebrities participate in it; for example the goddess Proserpine and her husband Neptune.

To sail – particularly on the sea – a license is required. These can be obtained after completing a course organised in cooperation with the Polish Sailing Association. Without a license you can only use small inland sailing vessels or be piloted by someone who possesses all the necessary documents and has the experience to navigate in these waters.

Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
The Polish record for speed gliding – almost 62 km per hour – was set on Pucka Bay. To achieve this you need to be an advanced windsurfer. For those amongst you who are mere beginners an hour with an instructor is enough to learn how to stand on the board, set off from the shore, and make it back by yourself.

It is best to take your first steps on the surf board in shallow waters; the learning process is less painful when you land in waist deep water. The best conditions can be found in the shallow waters of the north-east shore of Śniardwy Lake and on Pucka Bay, near Chalupy, Kuznice and Jurata. Windsurfer beginners also like the Baltic Lakes: Sarbsko in Leba and Miedwie near Szczecin. There are vast shoals there some of them which can go as deep as 200 meters from the shore into the lake.

You should choose licensed schools, which have professional instructors. You can also rent the equipment from the schools. Licenses are given by the International Association of Water Sports and the Polish Association of Board Surfing.

The experienced surfer needs only the wind and an open space to gather speed to be happy. Real enthusiasts claim a one-and-a-half kilometer long lake or bay is enough. Zegrzynski Bay (where the Polish medalist Wojtek Brzozowski has trained), almost all of the artificial lakes in the south of Poland, the lakes of the Warmia and Mazuria district, the Drawsko and Kaszuby regions are dotted with sails during the season.

The windsurfers in the Lubuskie Lake District are also well organised, the elongated shape of the rivers allows incredible speeds to be achieved. If the weather permits, a New Year’s party on surfboards takes place on the Niesłysz Lake. During winter the frozen lakes are used by ice-yachts and ice-boards.

Kitesurfing requires more space, and is therefore performed only in a few places in Poland – Zegrzynski Bay, Wislany Bay and Pucka Bay, where a separate Kite Zone has been created, so the kite-surfers don’t collide with windsurfers.

Biking
Biking is becoming number one activity in Poland. All newly-built cycling lanes in the cities, bitten forest and river banks’ trails, challenging mountain trails attract thousands of tourists every year. The recent investments in biking infrastructure have made Poland a perfect destination for biking in Europe. Join us for a ride! You’ll love it.

Today Polish cities offer an extensive network of cycling lanes and public bike rentals. You can create your own city tour and discover the place at your own pace. Choose a city Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz, Katowice, Krakow, Opole, Lublin, Bialystok and see the options.

If you wish to enjoy our countryside by bike, there are numerous trails in every region. Is it a one day-trip or weekend-runaway or one-month-journey? There is an option for everybody as there are new tails opened almost every day. Let’s discover the most popular trails in Poland.

SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
The mountainous landscape of Poland is ideal for skiers and snowboarders. In the south of our country there are several dozen resorts, some with a long tradition, some newly opened.

The better known ski slopes are in Zakopane, of course. The longest one in the Tatry leads from the mountain revered by Polish skiers – Kasprowy Peak, to the Gąsienicowa Meadow – and is over 7 km long.
The routes from Nosal and Gubalowka are also very popular, with the Szymoszkowa Clearing the favourite place for the snowboarders. Snowboarders have not been forgotten in Witow and Bialka Tatrzanska near Zakopane, where special slopes for hurdling and tricks have been prepared.

In Sudety the piste near Karpacz and Szklarska Poreba are the most crowded. The most famous Polish cross-country skiing piste is in Jakuszyce, where the biggest winter international event takes place – the Piast Race.

The Beskidy Mountains resorts have modern facilities and are competition for the foreign resorts – the equipment of the skiing resorts in Jaworzyna Krynicka or in Wierchomla matches any on the best European slopes. The Jaworzyna Mountains have modern gondolas and the longest lit route, 2,5 km. Wisła, Szczyrk and Korbielow also have their faithful fans.

In the past few years, due to the increasing popularity of winter sports new piste have been created in Mazury, Podlasie and Kaszuby regions, as well as the artificial slopes which have been created in the Szczesliwice park in Warsaw and the Malta park in Poznan.

The route in Polanczyk, by the Solinski Bay, on the Sosna clearing by the shore of the Czorsztynskie Lake and the Lysa Mountain in Sopot are worth recommending to those who like to ski in surroundings with beautiful views. Perhaps the slope in Sopot is not very impressive from the point of view of altitude but it does give a rather unique experience, a view of the Baltic Sea whilst you ski!

HIKING
In Poland, hill-walkers will find a network of some 15,000 miles of marked trails, including some of the Polish sections of the trans-European routes.

Favourites among the walking routes includes the dunes, lakes and forests of the seaside Slowinski National Park, the high peaks of the Tatra Mountains, the most eastern of the Alpine mountains, which frame the horizon at the mountain resort of Zakopane in southern Poland and the Sudety Mountains where the Polish, German and Czech borders meet and the region is rich in castles, caves and wildlife.

Walking trails in and around Zakopane range from winding paths suitable for leisurely strollers to rocky ridges and high mountain treks for the more adventurous hikers.

The small country inns capture the Polish way of life along the trails in the Carpathian highlands near the Slovakian and Ukrainian borders.

Specialist walking tour operators offer a three country tour which in Poland includes Krakow and Kazimierz, in Slovakia the Tatra Mountains and in Hungary the Tokaj vineyard country.

Hikers can walk all the way to the summit of the highest peak of the Rysy at 8,197ft, the highest peak in Poland or to Teryho Chata in Slovakia at 6,609ft, a mountain shelter built more than 100 years ago or to the base of Mount Gerlachovsky also in Slovakia at 8,710ft the highest peak in the Tatra Mountains.

SPA & WELLBEING
There are over 40 health resorts in Poland – modern and tranquil. Located in quiet, pure, and wholesome places, free from industrial pollution, abundant in therapeutic mineral substances, and a beneficial climate. Here you will find your inner peace, heal your body and your soul.

SHOPPING IN POLAND
You can buy traditional leather Highland shoes and socks made from that itchy, sheep’s wool in Zakopane, in Kaszuby you can buy pictures painted on glass, hand made snuff-boxes from horn (with the snuff as well of course!) and tablecloths embroidered with seven colours, and in Koniakowa, intricate lacework.

Poland is famous for amber and silver. Apart from the classic necklaces and those polished, gold like nuggets it is worth looking for original examples from young artists. Beautiful items can be found in the Metal gallery and in the Warsaw M. Gallery. The jewelers, Kruk, sell pieces with Kujawian patterns painted on ceramics and jewellery with that unique striped flint stone, the stone of optimism.

High quality Polish linen can be found in the Cepelia chain of shops. Visitors to Poland also appreciate the work of Polish artists-craftsmen: custom made shoes from the Warsaw workshop of Jan Kielman and Son (in 1921 Charles de Gaulle ordered his shoes here) or the unique handbags from the designer Marianna Tomaszko.
In the BB Gallery in Krakow and in the Warsaw Opera gallery original ceramics signed by artists can be bought. If not a painting or a graphic illustration, then what about a pillow with a satiric commentary by Andrzej Mleczko or a glass with the reproduction of a painting by Agata Bogacka, one of the most fashionable contemporary painters in Poland?

The area around Wałbrzych is the place to buy Silesian porcelain, for glass you need to go to Krosno and for cut glass – to Szklarska Poręba. The cobalt-cream faience from Boleslawiec has its devoted fans. Poland is also famous for hand painted Christmas tree baubles; the fragile jewel can be bought for example in the Calik-Radko gallery in Krakow.

It is also worth buying slow-food products in Poland: sausage, oscypki, or apple wine. In Torun you should buy spicy gingerbread, in Warsaw, sweets from Wedel, and in the Suwalki region – a jar of linden honey. One of our export successes are luxury liquors: Krzeska vodka with the addition of herbs from the Podlasie region, sweet liquors and high percent alcohol mead.