Transcript POLAND

POLAND
Population: 38.6 million
Capital City: Warsaw (Warszawa) 1.6 million pop.
Currency: Złoty (PLN)
Poland is bursting onto the European travel scene. Visitors revel
in the medieval cities and towns, castles, and the most pristine
forests in Europe.
Poland's travel jewel is Kraków, the country's ancient capital.
With a spectacular Old Town and Market Square, history thrives
side-by-side with a lively urban atmosphere.
Many people also visit Warsaw, the current capital city. While
much of Warsaw is modern, the rebuilt Old Town is worth
a visit.
Kraków
Kraków came through WWII
unscathed; the 20th century's impact having
been confined to acid rain. It has retained
a wealth of old architecture from different
periods; the tallest structures dominating
Krakow's skyline are the spires of old
churches. It's a city alive with character and
soul.
Ringed by parkland, the Old Town is
both charming and compact. The Main
Market Sq is flanked by historic buildings,
museums and churches. St Adalbert's
Church is one of the oldest, dating back to
the 10th century. And the museum of
museums, Czartoryski Museum, exhibits
a fascinating and impressive collection of
European art.
Royal Castle in Warsaw
Walking through the Royal Castle, one has to
constantly remind oneself that most of it was
reconstructed between 1971 and 1984, although
the darker elements of the decor were actually
salvaged from the ruins. The castle, located on
a plateau overlooking the Vistula River, was built
for the Dukes of Mazovia and expanded when
King Zygmunt III Vasa moved the capital to
Warsaw. From the early 17th until the late 18th
century, this was the seat of the Polish kings. It
subsequently housed the parliament and is now a
museum displaying tapestries, period furniture,
coffin portraits and collections of porcelain and
other decorative arts. Work is underway to
recreate the castle gardens, set on the slopes of
the Vistula River, which were also badly scarred
when the Nazis levelled the rest of the castle
complex.
Toruń
Toruń, city and port in central Poland, capital of
Toruń Province, on the Wisła River. A road and
rail hub, the city is also an industrial center, with
manufactures including chemicals (especially
fertilizers), textiles, machinery, tools, armatures,
and furniture and wood products. Toruń has
been famous for its honey cakes and
gingerbread ever since the Middle Ages.
Preserving many medieval Gothic and baroque
buildings, the old city still has a leaning tower,
gates, and walls along the river. Among the old
buildings of interest are the rebuilt town hall
(13th-14th century), containing a museum; the
churches of Saint John, Our Lady, and Saint
James; ruins of a castle of the Teutonic Knights
(1231); an ethnographic museum housed in
a former arsenal; the Pomeranian Theater; and
Gothic and baroque mansions.
Łódź
You will have the opportunity to take
pictures of local historical monuments, visit
the old church or cemetery. Even finding
your family that remained in the land of the
fathers is possible. We will be your guides
and translators during the trip. Genealogy is
not everything. Certainly you will be
interested in seeing other tourist attractions
of Poland, too. We are able to show you not
only the "standard" ones, mentioned in all
guides for foreigners, but wonderful sights
that only "the locals" know. Come see
Greater Poland, the cradle of Polish history,
region of breathingly beautiful old
churches, castles and palaces with its 1000
year old capital - Poznan. Poland is
a wonderful adventure any time of the year
and each region is worth a visit
Częstochowa - Jasna Góra
Jasna Gora sits on a hill above the city, and
consists of a complex of buildings including the
chapel where the painting resides, the basilica,
the monastery, and other buildings. The complex
is enclosed with fortified walls.
The painting is hung above an altar in the
Chapel of Our Lady. It is often dressed with
decorative overlays made of gold and precious
jewels.
Many visitors also enjoy viewing the
Baroque Basilica, with its ornate altars. Those
who are fit can climb the 519 steps of the bell
tower to get a magnificent view of the complex
and city. Also of interest are the Treasury, the
Knights Hall, and the 600th Anniversary
Museum, which has on display Lech Walesa's
Nobel Peace Prize among other historical
artifacts.
Szczecin
View of the Chrobry Embankment
from the Castle terrace. On the top of
earthwork stand three distinctive
buildings: the offices of the regional
government with two towers. The
National Museum building together
with the Contemporary Theatre with its
massive tower and the buildings of the
Maritime Academy. The composition
of the Embankment is embellished by
two pavillions and the monumental
flight of steps with its fountain and
semi-circular terrace with a statue of
Hercules and Centaur.