Where to go on holiday in Poland?

Basically, we Poles are quite lucky. Regardless of which region you come from, within a few hundred kilometres you have access to the sea, mountains, rivers, lakes, health resorts, reserves, national parks, and an endless number of monuments, many of which are hundreds of years old. How to choose the right place for a holiday? This article will help you plan your vacations in Poland.

Active holiday or lazy beach time?

First, you need to determine the character of your holiday in Poland. If a holiday for you means blissful lounging – don’t plan sightseeing, just opt for one of the seaside resorts or lakes. If you belong to those who can’t sit still for more than an hour – basically all of Poland is open to you. You can choose from a network of cycling paths, mountain hikes, kayaking trips, and plenty of places for water sports, as well as sightseeing cultural and natural monuments. Of course, in winter there is also skiing madness in the mountains. So what to choose?

Holidays by the Baltic Sea

For a moment, forget about the weather roulette. Holidays by the Polish sea will be successful not only if you spend a whole week lying on the beach. Seaside resorts offer a plethora of additional attractions, so besides traditional sunbathing, you should carefully choose your accommodation before departure. If you like it when something is always happening around you, larger holiday towns like the following will be a hit:

- Sopot (iconic pier, cycling and walking paths, lighthouse, close to Gdańsk. Sopot needs no introduction);

- Łeba (moving sand dunes and Słowiński National Park, Lake Łebsko, and plenty of seaside attractions);

- Ustka (a health resort with peat and brine deposits. There’s a port with a drawbridge, a lighthouse, and countless attractions);

- Jarosławiec (“Polish Dubai”. In recent years, it gained fame thanks to beach revitalization, becoming the largest artificial beach in Europe and reportedly the cleanest in Poland. It also boasts a fishing harbour and a lighthouse);

- Kołobrzeg (another health resort with peat, brines, and mineral springs. Additionally, tourists can enjoy the longest pier in Poland, promenades and parks, a lighthouse, numerous monuments, and of course beautiful beaches);

- Międzyzdroje (where did the film 'Młode Wilki' party? Right here. Międzyzdroje is one of those places where there’s always something to do both day and night. Additionally, the resort is located on the edge of Wolin National Park);

- Świnoujście (did you know that Świnoujście is situated on islands and can only be reached by ferry? It is also a health resort located by Szczecin Lagoon, where the number of attractions is truly countless. Świnoujście is also home to a lighthouse).

These are just a few suggestions. There are many more smaller and larger seaside towns with great accommodation facilities. If you prefer peace and quiet, along the Polish coast you can still find places with wild beaches and breathtaking cliffs. There are quite a few along the entire length of the shore.

See also: Bulgaria off the beaten path: lesser-known places worth discovering

Holidays in Poland by the lake

When thinking about holidays in Poland by the lake, Mazury immediately comes to mind, attracting visitors with its quantity and size of water bodies, as well as well-prepared infrastructure for water sports. Major centres in Mazury are concentrated around towns like Giżycko, Mikołajki, Mrągowo, or Ruciane-Nida, but considering that Mazury consist of 3000 lakes connected by rivers, it’s easy to count that there are many more holiday spots here.

If you think that Polish lakes are limited to Mazury – you are very much mistaken. In other regions of Poland, you will find numerous bodies of water created for water sports enthusiasts:

- in Bieszczady — Lake Solińskie,

- in Pieniny – Lake Czorsztyńskie,

- Lake Rożnowskie near Nowy Sącz in Lesser Poland,

- The Pogoria reservoirs and the Kuźnica Warężyńska Reservoir near Dąbrowa Górnicza,

- Lake Turawskie near Opole,

- Lake Otmuchowskie and Lake Nyskie near Nysa,

- Jeziorsko near Łódź,

- Lake Drawsko and Lake Wielimie near Czaplinek and Szczecinek,

- Lakes around the Tuchola Forest National Park and Wdzydze National Park,

- in Pomerania: Szczecin Lagoon, Lakes Jamno, Wicko, Kopań, Gardno, Łebsko, or Żarnowieckie.

These are just a few of the largest ones, and if you look at a map, you will find even more. Plenty to choose from!

Holidays in Poland in the mountains

Fans of hiking and fairy-tale views are invariably attracted to the Polish mountains, which occupy nearly all of southern Poland. In addition, tourists can look forward to mountain ranges that offer diverse natural and landscape experiences. There are so many that walking routes can cater to both beginner hikers and experienced mountaineers. In short, we have available:

- Sudetes (including Karkonosze, Table Mountains, and the Śnieżnik Massif), where the most famous resorts are: Karpacz, Szklarska Poręba, and health resorts: Kudowa-Zdrój, Polanica-Zdrój, Duszniki-Zdrój, and Lądek-Zdrój);

- Carpathians (including Beskidy, Bieszczady, Tatra, Pieniny, with holiday towns such as: Ustroń, Wisła, Szczyrk, Zakopane, Polańczyk, Ustrzyki Górne and again with health resorts: Szczawnica, Krynica, Muszyna, Piwniczna);

- Świętokrzyskie Mountains with the famous Łysa Góra and towns like: Nowa Słupia, Święta Katarzyna, Bodzentyn. The Świętokrzyskie region is definitely quieter than the other mountain ranges.

Sea, mountains, and lakes in Poland – that’s not all

It’s impossible to summarise all the opportunities that Poland offers tourists. Besides obvious destinations like a holiday by the Baltic Sea, a vacation in the mountains, or relaxation by the lake, our country also offers the beautiful Kraków-Częstochowa Jura with its castles on the Eagles' Nests Trail, the enchanting Roztocze, the wild Białowieża Forest, countless National Parks and reserves, as well as several sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage. To see all the wonderful places in Poland, surely one holiday won’t be enough! One thing is for sure – each region is unique and full of gems worth discovering. And remember that it can also be active by the sea, and lazy in the mountains. It all depends on you.

Photo and text author: Agnieszka Soszka