Warmia-Mazury Province is a region where you can find lakes, forests, nature and history. Unique cuisine will surprise you with extraordinary combinations of ingridients and flavors. This is the area where you can experience surprising history, stunning nature and good food.

The Boyen Fortress is a former Prussian fortress named after Prussian Minister of War Hermann von Boyen, was built between 1844 and 1856. There was a workforce of about 3,000 soldiers. During First World War, the fortress supported the German troops. During World War II, the fortress was not involved in military operations. It was a site for a field hospital and headquarters of the German military intelligence service. It was abandoned by Germans without fight in 1944. After the war the Boyen Fortress became administered by the Polish Army. In 1975, it was declared a monument and opened as a tourist attraction with a small museum on its grounds.

The Land of the Great Masurian Lakes is a Mecca for sailors – lakes connected by canals create perfect conditions for swinging on the water and discovering places where unspoiled nature is not only a cliché, and sunrises reflected in the water mirror remain in memory for a long time. The abundance of lakes, natural water canals and rivers create perfect conditions for organising a one day trip or a few days long canoeing trip.

Copernicus Trail leads through unique places. It’s nearly 300 km of exciting journey in the footsteps of great discoveries that have changed the perception of the universe forever. In Warmia, Nicolaus Copernicus spent 40 years of his life as a canon of the Warmian Chapter, and regardless of that he observed the sky and worked on the heliocentric theory.

The Copernicus Trail in Warmia and Masuria leads through the following towns: Elbląg, Tolkmicko, Frombork, Braniewo, Pieniężno, Orneta, Lidzbark Warmiński, Dobre Miasto, Olsztyn, Olsztynek, Lubawa and Nowe Miasto Lubawskie. No matter where you start your journey from, be ready for great discoveries.

The cuisine of Warmia and Masuria combines flavours of old Polish, German and borderland cuisine. It is delicious, natural and simple, yet full of flavour. While travelling in region you should try some of the most unique dishes in region.

Smelt

Smelt is a tiny fish that’s hard to taste elsewhere. Its fishing is only carried out in the winter, when the Masurian lakes are gathering ice. Smelt’s meat has a specific smell, completely different from the typical smell of fish, because it smells of… fresh cucumber. After frying, these fish are mild in taste and their bones are completely soft. This Masurian delicacy can be tasted in the form of a crunchy miller’s smelt floating in sauces or accompanied by salads, cheese toast and mayonnaise sauce.

Dzyndzałki with hreczka and skrzeczki

Where did the name “dzyndzałki” come from? That is, “ears” on the edges of dumplings. Hreczka is buckwheat, and skrzeczki are popular bacon or pork fat greaves. The whole secret of “dzyndzałki” is inside them. The buckwheat groats stuffing is enriched with chopped boiled egg, smoked bacon and onion, and the “skrzeczki” additionally contain garlic and marjoram.

In the Warmia-Mazury Province you will find a lot of castles. Do not forget to visit at least a few of them. You will be amazed. You can explore their history by following the Gothic Castles’ Route.

Nidzica Castle

The largest Teutonic Castle in Masuria. Erected in the 14th century. Surrounded by vast swamps and wet meadows, it served an important defensive function. It also played a role in the great war with the Teutonic Order – both the fortress and the town were taken over by Władysław Jagiełło, on his way to Grunwald. Currently it houses a cultural centre, a museum, a library, a seat of the Knights’ Brotherhood as well as guest rooms and a restaurant. Knightly tournaments are held here both in summer and in winter.

Castle in Lidzbark Warmiński

The castle in Lidzbark Warmiński was built in the 14th century as a new seat of the Warmia bishops. There is much to admire, the castle is considered a historical monument and is undoubtedly one of the most valuable monuments of Gothic architecture in Poland. The castle in Lidzbark is sometimes called “Wawel of the North”. Inside there are preserved undergrounds that once served as warehouses and prison, and you will find priceless paintings. You can learn more about the history in the Museum of Warmia and Masuria, which operates in the castle. You can also stay in the stylish Krasicki Hotel, which operates in the castle’s bailey and spend a truly royal holiday there.

Wolf’s Lair was Adolf Hitler’s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.The complex, which became one of several Führer Headquarters. The top-secret, high-security site was in the Masurian woods. Three security zones surrounded the central complex where the Führer’s bunker was located.  Hitler first arrived at the headquarters on 23 June 1941. In total, he spent more than 800 days there until his final departure on 20 November 1944. On 25 January 1945, the complex was blown up and abandoned 48 hours before the arrival of Soviet forces.

Elbląg Canal is 80.5 km length, which runs southward from Lake Drużno (connected by the river Elbląg to the Vistula Lagoon), to the river Drwęca and lake Jeziorak. It can accommodate small vessels up to 50 tons displacement. The difference in water levels approaches 100 m, and is overcome using locks and a remarkable system of inclined planes between lakes. Today it is used mainly for recreational purposes.

All of those beautiful places you can visit as a one day tour but we recommend you to stay longer and explore more. Region is worth to discover. You can soak the nature and touch the soul of the cities. Contact us and we will prepare an itinerary for you 🙂

Coming to Poland may seem a complicated undertaking. Poland is a thriving country where young people speak English. All airports, train stations, bus stops and metro stations have signs in English. Poles are extremely friendly and helpful. Nature is breathtaking, architecture is amazing and history very rich.

If you want to visit Poland and experience all its charms, plan your trip and let Poland delight you  🙂

You wonder if you should visit Poland? Is it Worth it? We say „YES” and tell you how to plan trip to Poland.

Let’s answer a few question!

The best time to come to Poland is between May and September because of the weather. It is warm outside and all the touristy places are open. High season is from June to September. It is summer time and you can enjoy sun. All museums, restaurants and tourist attractions are open. Restaurants usually have tables outside so you can enjoy your meal sitting outside and relaxing on the sun.

Do not be afraid coming to Poland during the winter time. There is a lot of snow everywhere. You can enjoy your time in the city strolling around, drinking muled wine, visiting christmas markets and soaking atmosphere. In the mountains you can go skiing, hiking or even try dog sledging. If you like atmosphere of Christmas you can find great tour packages in reasonable prices here.

First! Book your flight to Poland.  Try to find a flight in a good price. Planning your travel to Poland start searching a few months before your estimated time of travel. You will have a chance to find a cheap flight to Poland when you will be flexible with dates. First find your flight and then plan a days off at work.

The biggest airport in Poland is in capital city – Warsaw. So try to find flight to Warsaw. However Poland has 12 international airports in smaller cities. National carrier flying to and from US and in Europe in a qiet good prices is LOT Polish Airlines. You can find flights for instance from:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Minneapolis
• New York
• Orlando
• Phoenix
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Washington DC

Poland offers wide range of places to stay. You will find accommodation in Poland in genius 4 and 5 star hotels, guest houses and also hostels or apartments to rent. Good choice you will also find on popular websites like booking.com or AirBnB. When staying in rented apartment you can experience being as Poles. We recommend to stay in eco-friendly farms or houses in remote places in the middle of nowhere. Those kind of places usually offers food from their own farms made in a traditional way. Hosts speaks english or use a body language 🙂  They are very hospitable, you will feel as a family member. Try to use this website to book your very unique place to stay.

All those places you can book online in advance. However you have to remember that only hotels and some hostels are open 24 hours. Apartments and some hostels can have a check-in on request or the host will send you a codes to open the door.

Nowadays it is easy to travel around Poland. You can:

• travel by bus
• travel by train in Poland
• rent a car

Poland Railways are very efficient. Prices are affordable, connections fast and country is well-covered by train networks. You can buy ticket on the train station but we recommend to do it online before departure (you will get the ticket by e-mail). We reccommend to travel by train in Poland because it is the most efficent mean of transport. You can relax and admire Poland landscape.

If you want to be very mobile and independent you can rent a car at the airport. You do not need international driver license. But you have to be aware that it is different to drive in Poland then in US. Driving in Poland is a great topic for next blog article so stay tuned 🙂

Remember that roads in Poland are differrent and the average speed is 60km/h (around 40mph) so be aware that  time of driving can be longer than you expect. You have to be patient while driving  but you will have amazing views and time to enjoy your time in the car.

Poland is in European Union but you will  not pay Euro here. So the currency is Polish Złoty (PLN). The Exchange rate is around 3 to 4 złoty to one US dollar. You can find Exchange boureau (in Polish „kantor”) in cities. Avoid to exchanging money at the airports, train stations and banks.They charge big commission. You can easily withdraw money in ATM or simply pay by credit card al most everywhere (even in a small grocery stores in countryside). It is worth to have some change to pay for example for using restrooms which usually has to be paid cash. Single use of toilet cost around 3pln which is 1USD.

Poland is an affordable country where you can find accommodation in a reasonable price. It is easy to find a restaurant with traditional food and had a dinner for around 10USD with something to drink 😉 See below a few examples of prices:

• ticket to cinema theater – 6USD
• double room in 4* hotel – 80USD
• gas – 1USD/liter (4USD/gal)
• Happy Meal in McDonald’s – 3USD
• two hours tour with guide – 60USD

If you take trip to Poland, you will have to choose how to organize your stay: taking care by yourself or ask for help the local tourist agency? Programming a trip on your own, remember to choose the dates and define the route first, then to take care of transportation and accommodation.

If it sounds too complicated we can handle it! Just let us know what you are thinking of and we will tailor-made an itinerary for you. Feel uncomfortable with a dedicated, tailor-made propositions? Do you prefer to be a part of the group with the same travel enthusiasts as you? We have a plenty of tours that you can sign up for. It’s a perfect option for everyone looking for a relaxed atmosphere in small groups and assistance of professional English-speaking guides and tour leaders. We guarantee that you’ll have a chance to see all the most interesting places in Poland even if you haven’t heard much about our country before and simply don’t know what is worth visiting.

What is #must see in Poland? (click to see offers)

• Kraków
• Warsaw
• Toruń
• Bydgoszcz
• Gdańsk
• Food tour

I hope that you are already convinced to visit Poland and you know what to do to have a unforgetable trip to Poland!

Contact us and discover Poland 🙂