Posts

?✨✨As Christmas is on the way, the night of Warsaw has started to glow with illumination! From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

Although this year’s light decorations are less than in the previous years, the main attractions become more concentrated and easy to visit, include:

?The 27-meter-high Christmas tree on Castle Square;
?The “balloon seller” and the “Warsaw barrel organ” on Castle Square;
✨54 m long “light tunnel”, “chess pieces”, and “chessboard” in the square of ks. Jan Twardowski;
?“Horse tram” at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus;
?“Carousel”, “gazebo for lovers”, and a “greeting card” in Hoover Square.
The magic of Christmas has returned to Warsaw and the show is about to begin! Are you ready?

Photo: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa/Facebook

✨???✨ Poznan Christmas Market was nominated again in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets and compete for the honor of being the best Christmas Market in 2021!

Actually, Poznan was also selected as one of the Top 10 best Christmas destinations 2019 in Europe. In the last year, the Bethlehem themed Christmas market was held in the center of Poznan and was filled with the smell of burned wood, mulled wine and delicacies, and sounds of carols and laughter. Wander around the cobblestone streets of Poznan’s Old Town, apart from exploring the vast array of wooden stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats, the International Ice Sculpture Festival displaying 24 sculptors’ work from 11 countries was also one of the great highlights that captivated all who visit here.

Besides the lively Christmas Market, Poznan boasts much historical architecture as well, like its renaissance town hall and the country’s oldest cathedral. In good weather, visitors can walk to all the main sights which aren’t far from the Christmas market in Poznan. With Christmas around the corner, the street in Poznan was illuminated by the light ornaments and dotted with festive decorations and shinny Christmas trees, which make the whole city seems increasingly vivid in the dark of night. Although the Market has been canceled due to the pandemic, you can still enjoy the Christmas atmosphere here.

Photo: poznan.travel

Forbes, a prestigious American business magazine, lists Poznań as one of the 20 BEST Places selected from 120 destinations For Americans To Live, Invest, Work In Europe! if you haven’t been there yet, you should definitely add this charming city to your travel bucket list!

POZNAN is a warm, colorful and friendly city with a history of thousands, rich culture, traditional regional cuisine, impressive architecture and a pleasant environment surrounded by nature.

? Stroll into the most picturesque market squares in Poland, you will be fascinated by the colorful townhouses. The famous Renaissance Town Hall stands in the center of the square, where you can watch the traditional duel of the Town Hall goats at high noon!? ?

? Along the Royal-Imperial Route, you can find the former Imperial Castle that used to be a residence of the German emperor. The architecture of its Neo-Romanesque style harks back to medieval castles, and the most impressive room in the edifice was the Throne Room in Byzantine style. Today it houses a cinema, art galleries, a puppet theater, music clubs, and others.

⛪️ Whether you are a history buff or just want to get a much deeper understanding of Poland, the cathedral located in Ostrów Tumski is one not to be missed. It’s the oldest church in Poland, dates back to the 10th century, where the first two sovereigns of the country were buried.

? If you have a sweet tooth, St. Martin’s Croissants, a local specialty in Poznan won’t let you down. You can learn the story of this baked goodie and even make a croissant yourself in the Poznan Croissant Museum.

? Check out our tour package, there are plenty of fantastic attractions in Poznan and other amazing polish cities you can discover by joining our 10 Days Poland Highlight Tour! ?

? Please don’t feel hesitate to contact us, you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun adventures that we have planned for you.?

??? The fantastic light show in the gardens of Książ Castle is already underway! 

By day, visitors can admire the majestic sight of the third-largest castle in Poland, which is full of different styles including Romanesque, Baroque, and Renaissance style. Take some time to wander around the Książ gardens designed in French style and palm house nearby.

By night, over a thousand colorful lights get turned on, the Książ Castle shines brightly in the darkness and seems like a fairy tale of glittering. Over the next five months, the Castle terraces will turn into an extraordinarily light show, which brings the castle to life. You will be fascinated by the light flowing from the fountains, shimmering flowers blooming on the Terrace and neon figures set against the majestic castle, which will bring you into a dreamlike world full of colorful lights and blow you away! 

? Come and feast your eyes on the magic view of the Gardens of Light Ksiaz castle!

Photo: ksiaz.walbrzych.pl

Poland boasts thousands of impressive architectures, visitors may marvel at majestic castles, splendid palaces and magnificent churches. Apart from these historical buildings, a wooden house completed in 2007 also attracts thousands of tourists each year. 

Located in the tiny village of Szymbark in Northern Poland, the house is the only one in Poland, as well as the first in Europe, that was built on its roof, hence the name Upside Down House. It is essentially a fully furnished home like any other and the interior is furnished in the socialist style of the 1970s as well as furniture. There is even an old television that blares vintage propaganda. Visitors have to climb through an attic window to enter the house, but once inside, they are able to take a stroll through the house on the ceiling and experience the Polish family atmosphere of the 70s when Poland was under Communist rule. Another highlight of the house is the world’s longest plank, which is 36.83m long and is registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

This amazing two-story wooden house is part of the Centre of Education and Regional Promotion where is not just a place of fun but is also a place of education that visitors can learn Poland’s history. Besides the Upside Down House, there is also the Museum of Carpentry with its 2300 exhibits of woodworking tools and the Museum of Snuff, both worthy of a visit. The place is about 39 km from Gdansk, if you are planning to come and visit Gdansk or Tri-City, don’t forget to stop by here!?

? Check out more must-see attractions in our 3 days trip to TriCity (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot)!

? Congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the Polish State Folk Ensemble of Song and Dance Mazowsze’s stage debut! ???

I’m so excited to introduce you to the gem of Polish folk art. You might have heard about “Mazowsze” from the film Cold War, which tells the story of the history of ensemble and received three nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. 

Founded in 1948, Mazowsze began as a folk ensemble organized by Professor Tadeusz Sygietyński in order to preserve regional artistic traditions and the traditional folk repertoire of songs and dances of the Masovian (Polish: Mazowsze) countryside, hence the name Mazowsze. After two years of hard training and rehearsals, the ensemble made their stage debut in 1950 at the Polish Theater in Warsaw and stood out as one of the most famous Polish artistic ensemble, as well as one of the largest in the world.

Through a variety of art forms such as ballet and choir as well as symphony orchestra, Mazowsze attracted audiences worldwide to understand the real charm of Polish folklore, its beautiful songs, and over 1,200 authentic folk costumes representing the distinctive styles of 43 ethnographic regions of Poland. During each performance, they present around 20 dances from different regions of Poland, changing their costumes 7-10 times, so that audiences will be able to feast their eyes on a concert to enjoy a thousand costumes.

Today, Mazowsze is still considered an ambassador of Polish culture to underline the authentic beauty of Polish national culture and brings with it a taste of the motherland to many Poles scattered throughout the world. The members of the ensemble performed almost 7,000 concerts in 50 countries, for 23 million viewers. If you are planning to visit Warsaw next year, don’t forget to stop by here and enjoy a brilliant performance!?

Photo: mazowsze.waw.pl

The Old City of Zamość in southeastern Poland is one of the few cities in the world that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a whole! This charming little town was considered an outstanding example of a Renaissance planned town of the late 16th century, which was designed and built in accordance with Italian theories on the creation of “ideal” cities.

The history of Zamość dates back to 1580 and was conceived as an economic center due to its special location on trading routes linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea. Its inhabitants, who came from different countries, brought their own culture into the city making it home to multi-cultural and multi-religious, which created the unique character of Zamość. 

The heart of Zamość is located in the Old Town, where visitors can find most of the tourist attractions in the city that are worth a visit and can easily walk everywhere. The old town features one of Europe‘s imposing city squares, surrounded by the impressive fortifications which was one of the biggest fortresses of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wandering the old city square, visitors will marvel at its magnificent Town Hall with a fan-shaped double stairway and a tall clock tower, and picturesque townhouses with arcades of varied shapes. Zamość is often referred to as the Pearl of the Renaissance because it features a large number of unique buildings blending Italian and Central European architectural traditions, and its original layout has remained unchanged since its creation in the 16th century. 

Besides the well-preserved architectural gems, visitors can enjoy the beauty of the Roztocze National Park as well as five other pleasant parks around the city, which offer many possibilities for people to relax, hike and take a short bicycle trip. Zamość is definitely an underrated Polish treasure and well worth a visit.

? Happy birthday to Copernicus Science Centre, which has been in operation for 10 years. 

As one of the largest and most modern institutions of this type in Europe, the Copernicus Science Centre is a real paradise for science buffs containing over 400 interactive exhibits that enable visitors to carry their own experiments and unlock the secrets of science by themselves. It features five galleries, a large exhibit for teenagers, a distinctive rooftop garden, the Discovery Park and the Heavens of Copernicus Planetarium where visitors could enjoy some of the films, shows, and concerts about natural science.

The Copernicus Science Centre beautifully sits on the banks of the famous Wisła River, just a short walk away from the Old Town. After a fascinating scientific adventure, visitors often enjoy unwinding on the grass in the Discovery Park.

If you are interested in this place and want to explore other full-filled attractions in Warsaw, click on the link ? Worth to Visit in Warsaw to find out more about Must-Visit Attractions in Warsaw.?

Photo: Kalbar/TFN

Sandomierz is a lovely historical town located in eastern Poland, with a charming Old Town and a 14th-century brick and stone castle. Though there are not many tourists in the town, it used to be – with Krakow and Wroclaw – one of the main 3 towns in Poland during the Middle Ages and still retains some of its former glory. This picturesque town is a nice place to while away the day exploring its quaint historic lanes and enjoying the views of the Vistula river.

? What to see in Sandomierz?

?Sandomierz used to be called the little Rome because it located on seven hills just like the Italian capital. You may start your visit at the Opatowska Gate, which is the town’s only surviving entry gate, built over 650 years ago. Climbing the 130 steps to the heart of the Sandomierz’s Old Town is the best way to explore the city, you can find many traces from the past along the way. One of the highlights in the Old Town is an impressive Gothic town hall standing in the center of the old market and surrounded by lots of pastel-colored Baroque townhouses.

?Besides the exquisite architecture and buildings aboveground, there is another exciting option to travel underground. Over 500m beneath the Old Town, the Underground Tourist Route in Sandomierz is 470 meters long and connects to 34 gothic cellars. On the 40-minute guided tour, you will learn a lot about Sandomierz’s history and a legend of how brave Halina Krępianka rescued the city from the Tartars.

?High on a hill overlooking the Vistula river is the Sandomierz Royal Castle, it was built by Casimir III the Great on the site of a previous wooden stronghold and was gradually extended in the 16th century. It is one of the oldest buildings in the Old Town as well as a mysterious place. According to an old legend, there were three underground passages constructed for the castle crew in case of need, but no one has ever found it. Now the castle is home to the Regional Museum and is the best place to appreciate the amazing views of the Vistula river.

This beautiful town feathers enough points of interest for those looking for a perfect weekend and is only two hours away from Krakow.

Photo: sandomierz.pl

??? The annual light show in Wilanów Palace is already underway! located south of Warsaw, Wilanów Palace is one of the must-see attractions in Warsaw during late autumn and winter evenings. 

✨?✨ The Royal Garden of Light at the Wilanów Palace is an outdoor exhibition in which thousands of colorful diodes forming tunnels, trees, installations, and sculptures, emphasizing the history and beauty of the royal palace and gardens. After dark, you will be seduced by a 75-meter-long tunnel of light at the entrance, and there are numerous illuminated decorations, that are displayed in the courtyard as well, including a new carousel dressed with lights and the popular sparkling swans. In addition to the light show,  the exhibition is also accompanied by classical music and projection mappings on the palace.

☀️ By day, you can admire the stunning 17th-century baroque royal residence at Wilanów Palace and stroll through the surrounding park of 45 hectares containing a series of individual gardens, such as a two-level Baroque garden, a Neo-Renaissance rose garden, a classical English landscaped park, and a Roman Bridge. 

✨ By night, the wonderful exhibition of the Royal Garden of Light will bring you into a dreamlike world full of colorful lights and blow you away! Apart from fantastically illuminated gardens, you will have a chance to participate in mappings displayed on the facade of the palace.

The Royal Garden of Light at the Wilanów Palace invites everyone to the open-air exhibition from October 22 to February 28, except on November 1, December 24, and December 31.

Opening hours: 

? October 10, 2020: 5 pm – 10 pm (last entry 9 pm)

? October 11-31, 2020: 5 pm – 9 pm (last entry 8 pm)

? November 2, 2020 – February 28, 2021: 4 pm – 9 pm (last entry 8 pm)

Photo: Go2Warsaw