Why is Poland a popular tourist destination in Eastern Europe?

Dzien dobry! That is how they say “Good day!” in Polish.

When planning a holiday vacation to Eastern Europe, a visit to Poland usually tops the must-see destination list of most. Especially this Slavic country is full of so many remarkable destinations, so trust me when I say you should make it a priority to visit Poland. It is a part of the global tourism market with a constantly increasing number of visitors.

Poland’s main tourist offers consist of sightseeing within cities and out-of-town historical monuments, mouth-watering foods, museums, mountain hiking (trekking), climbing among others and it is a cheap place to spend your holiday trip.

Yes, you read it right, the cost of living in Poland is fairly affordable compare to other countries in Western Europe which I found so expensive.

Here are the reasons why Poland is considered as one of the popular tourist destinations in Eastern Europe:

1. Beautiful historical places.

One of the main reasons people come to Poland is its history in the form of medieval architecture, monuments and other interesting sights in of old Polish cities.

Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, Poland. It is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today.

The entire medieval old town is among the first sites chosen for the UNESCO’s original World Heritage List, inscribed as Cracow’s Historic Centre. The old town is also one of Poland’s official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii) chosen in the first round, as designated September 16, 1994, and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

Warsaw Old Town is a bustling tourism hub, with cobblestone alleys and medieval buildings reconstructed after WWII. At its heart is Rynek Starego Miasta, a busy square lined with burgher houses and upscale Polish eateries. Nearby, St. John’s Archcathedral dates back to the 14th century and hosts summer concerts. The area is also home to the restored apartments and manicured gardens of the Royal Castle

Wilanów Palace is a royal palace located in the Wilanów district, Warsaw. Wilanów Palace survived Poland’s partitions and both World Wars, and so serves as a reminder of the culture of the Polish state as it was before the misfortunes of the 18th century.

It is one of Poland’s most important monuments. The Palace’s museum, established in 1805, is a repository of the country’s royal and artistic heritage and receives around 3 million visitors annually. The palace and park in Wilanów hosts cultural events and concerts, including Summer Royal Concerts in the Rose Garden and the International Summer Early Music Academy.

Other famous cities in Poland are:

* Gdansk
* Poznan
* Turon
* Sopot
* Zakopane
* Lodz
* Katowice
* Lublin

2. Traditional Foods

Polish foods are one of the reasons why you need to consider visiting Poland. It is a must to try the famous traditional Pierogi (polish dumplings). They are made of thinly rolled-out dough filled with a variety of fillings like meat, mushroom and seasonal fruit (blueberries, strawberries and cherries).

Kielbasa, also known as Polish sausage, is a tasty smoked sausage.

I was lucky because when I was in Krakow, there was an event in Old Town where they set-up food stalls and they selling varieties of full-flavored Polish foods like kielbasa and pierogi. I recommend you to try these flavorful traditional foods including Bigos, Rosół and Polskie naleśniki when you get to Poland.

3. A great place for adventure!

If you are a person who is seeking for a thrill and adventure like mountain hiking (trekking) and skiing, Poland’s Tatra mountain is the best place to be.

During my trip to Zakopane, Poland, I was not able to make it to Tatra mountain but I was still lucky I got the chance to hiked Morskie Oko and Nosal Mountain.

It was raining during the first 2 days of my trip in Zakopane but it didn’t stop me from exploring. I hiked Morskie Oko along with other travelers. It was one of the best hiking experiences I had so far.

On the 3rd day, finally, the sun showed-up so we managed to continue our hiking adventure to Nosal Mountain. It took us over 2 hours to reach the summit and the view from the top was stunningly beautiful.

4. Affordable place to travel

Another reason to consider why Poland’s tourism industry booming is because of the country’s cost of living which is reasonably low. I remember paying less than $9.00 staying in a Hostel for 1 night and it already includes free breakfast. And not only that, even eating in restaurants in touristic places is very affordable.

I tried to book for 3 nights of stay in random places in Poland on Booking.com and the current prices are very low! $9.00 for 3-night stay!

But please keep in mind that prices will still be vary on what season of the year you are planning to book your stay . During pick season, expect that the rate will go up a little bit.

Your travel experience will never be complete without buying souvenirs for family and friends. The most popular and best-selling items are mugs and fridge magnets and you might end up buying dozen of those as the prices are also budget-friendly.

5. Learn the history of WW2 and visit the historic site of Auschwitz

The Auschwitz concentration camp was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschwitz I, the main camp (Stammlager) in Oświęcim; Auschwitz II-Birkenau, a concentration and extermination camp built with several gas chambers; Auschwitz III-Monowitz, a labor camp created to staff a factory for the chemical conglomerate IG Farben; and dozens of subcamps. The camps became a major site of the Nazis’ Final Solution to the Jewish Question.