winter attractions in poland
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
Polish Tourist Organisation
in PolandWinter attractions
www.poland-tourism.pl
www.poland-tourism.pl
The winter rest and recreation season in Poland is longer than in west-ern or southern Europe. This especially refers to our northeastern regions and the mountain areas in the south of the country. The snow cover stays there from November till March, creating excellent conditions for enthu-siasts of winter rest and recreation, skiers and other fans of winter sports.
The amateurs of winter rest and recreation can choose from the ample offer that includes renown winter resorts as well as quieter and enchant-ing little spots, better suited for family holidays.
Very attractive are also the spas located in the mountains, full of tour-ist attractions and organising many sports and cultural events in order to make the stays of their clients more interesting.
All visitors to Poland can find accommodation in comfortable hotels and pensions that offer delicious cuisine and high quality of services, al-ways accompanied by traditional Polish hospitality.
Welcome to Poland.
Polish Tourist Organisation
the nearest winter holiday – in Poland!
PolishInternet System of Tourist Information
Snowboard
Zakopane
Wisła
SzklarskaPoręba
KrynicaSzczyrk
Karpacz
• Zakopane • Szczyrk • Wisła • Szklarska Poręba • Karpacz • Krynica
snow games on the snowy skiing trailsThe Polish mountains are smaller and
not so high as the Alpine massifs. Howev-er, they boast equally scenic landscapes and the wintertime in the Polish mountains is as much captivating as in the Alps. They may even be considered friendlier, especially for those tourists who treat the winter holidays as a wonderful recreational adventure rather than as a sporty challenge.
For such visitors, the Polish mountains are the best choice: they offer them many vari-ous attractions plus numberless possibilities of practicing different winter sports. Alpine skiing and snowboard are the most popular of them all.
Now, we invite you to the most popu-lar winter sports centres in Poland. The un-questioned leader among them is Zakopane, which is believed to be the winter capital of Poland. It is nicely located in the mountain valley, with a beautiful view over the near-by peaks of the Tatras. The highest of them reach the altitude of 2500 metres above sea level. With its multiple slopes of different difficulty, Zakopane attracts both beginners and experienced skiers. Its unique ambience
is due to the authentic highlanders’ folklore, original houses, colourful crowds of tourists on ul Krupówki, the Zakopane’s pedestrian mall, stylish and atmospheric cafés and res-taurants, and jazz and rock clubs.
Winter sports enthusiasts flocked to Za-kopane already one hundred years ago. The present slopes of various difficulties are well prepared and can satisfy requirements of eve-ry skier. Several dozen ski-lifts help the ski-ers get up the slopes. The best skiing grounds are found around the region of Mt Kasprowy Wierch. Its summit can be reached by the cable car. The route is nearly 4300 metres long and during the 20-minute journey you climb nearly 1000 metres. The slopes of Mt Kasprowy Wierch are equipped with chair-lifts. There are many skiing trails to choose from and the season lasts till May.
Other attractive skiing grounds with many ski lifts and artificial snowmakers are locat-ed on the slopes of Mt Gubałówka range, Mt Nosal and on the Polana Szymoszkowa. Skiing gear for hire is available and the pro-fessional ski instructors offer their services on nearly every slope. Bukowina Tatrzańska,
Białka Tatrzańska and Poronin are popular holiday spots close to Zakopane. Their gen-tle slopes are equipped with many ski lifts and picturesque, well-prepared skiing trails.
There are many other attractions to make your winter holiday in Zakopane a fascinat-ing adventure. Very captivating are the hik-ing paths running along the valleys of the Tatra National Park, located in the close neighbourhood of the city. A bit further is the Chochołowska valley with its magnif-icent views over the snow-covered moun-taintops.
Situated in the Silesian Beskid, Szczyrk is a real paradise for skiers. Thanks to the number of its skiing trails and their attrac-tiveness, it is considered to be the most im-portant winter sports centre in Poland. The skiing grounds are very diversified. They in-clude the FIS route for expert skiers, the fa-mous Bieńkula and Golgota trails that are always well maintained and provided with sufficient amount of artificial snow if nec-essary, and many smaller skiing grounds designated for beginners. The nearby Sal-mopol Pass and Biła also have much to of-
fer to skiers of different skills. The slopes of the mountains in the neighbourhood of Szczyrk are covered with snow from Decem-ber to April. The highest peaks reach the al-titude of 1100-1200 metres above sea level. The alpine skiers can use the network of 30 ski lifts and enjoy the chairlift to the top of Mt Skrzyczne.
In the Silesian Beskid, there are many smaller winter sports centres worth recom-mendation. One of them is Wisła with its well-prepared ski runs on Mts Stożek, Ma-linka and Soszowa. Other centres are locat-ed near Bielsko-Biała, in the region of Mts Szyndzielnia and Klimczok. Here the skiers can enjoy many pistes that vary in character, and use a modern funicular. Ustroń has a ca-ble car on Mt Czantoria and a ski lift in the nearby Jaszowiec.
Korbielów is a very popular winter sports centre in the Żywiec Beskid. There are many ski lifts on the slopes of Mt Pilsko, and the snow holds on them till the end of May.
Szczawnica is an important spa in the Pie-niny Mountains. It has recently become a popular destination for skiers. They are lift-
• ZakopaneTourist Information Centreul. Kościuszki 17, 34-500 Zakopanetel. +48 -18 201 22 11, fax 206 60 51www.zakopane.pl, [email protected]
• SzczyrkTourist Informationul. Beskidzka 41, 43-370 Szczyrktel./fax +48-33 815 83 88www.szczyrk.pl, [email protected]
• WisłaVistula Culture and Information Centrepl. B. Hoffa 3, 43-460 Wisłatel. +48-33 855 34 56www.wisla.pl, [email protected]
• Szklarska PorębaTourist Informationul. Jedności Narodowej 3, 58-580 Szklarska Poręba tel.+48-75 717 24 49, fax 717 24 94 www.szklarskaporeba.pl, [email protected]
• Karpacz Tourist Informationul. Konstytucji 3 Maja 25, 58-540 Karpacztel./fax +48-75 761 97 16www.karpacz.pl, [email protected]
• KrynicaTourist Information Centreul. Piłsudzckiego 8, 33-380 Krynica tel. +48-18 471 56 54, fax 471 55 13www.krynica.pl, [email protected]
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o np r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
t
UstrońZwardoń
Zieleniec
KorbielówZawoja
Brenna
Wisła
SzklarskaPoręba
Karpacz Ustroń
KrynicaZakopane
Zawoja
• Zieleniec
• Ustroń
• Brenna
• Zwardoń
• Korbielów
• Zawoja
Karpacz
Krynica
Szklarska Poręba
Szczyrk
Ustroń
Zawoja
Zakopane
Wisła
• ZieleniecTourist Information and City Promotion BureauRynek 9, 57-340 Duszniki Zdrójtel./fax +48-74 866 94 13www.zieleniec.pl, [email protected]• UstrońMunicipal Tourist Information Rynek 2, 43-450 Ustrońtel./fax +48-33 854 26 53www.ustron.pl, [email protected]
• BrennaCommunal Officeul. Wyzwolenia 77, 43-438 Brennatel. +48-33 853 62 22, fax 853 63 70www.brenna.pl, [email protected]• ZwardońRajcza Communal Officeul. Górska 1, 34-370 Rajczatel. +48-33 864 31 55, fax 864 38 87www.rajcza.com.pl, [email protected]
• Korbielów„Pilsko” Ski Centreul. J. Sitki 8, 34-335 Krzyżowatel./fax +48-33 863 40 68www.pilsko.gat.pl, [email protected]• ZawojaCommunal Centre of Culture, Promotion and Tourismul. Wyzwolenia 77, 34-222 Zawojatel./fax +48-33 877 55 33www.zawoja.pl, [email protected]
ed to the top of Mt Palenica with a cable car. Besides, there are two ski lifts and the slopes are artificially lit and snowed. The area of-fers excellent conditions for snowboarders for whom a special half pipe was construct-ed.
Szklarska Poręba still remains the ma-jor centre of winter sports in the Sudeten Mountains. The skiers and boarders can en-joy the local slopes from December till mid-April. The most attractive is the area of Mt Szrenica with its Ski Arena, cable car and di-versified ski trails. The latter include the FIS downhill run, a very long Lolobrigida trail (4444 metres) and the lit at night Puchatek. Various championships in alpine skiing and snowboarding are organized in the area.
Equally attractive in summer and in win-tertime, Karpacz has recently improved its offer for skiers and boarders. Besides the old chairlift on Mt Kopa, they can now enjoy two new ski lifts that can transfer them to Hala Złotówka. In the very centre of Kar-
pacz, there are two mini-centres with artifi-cially snowed and lit pistes, where skiers and boarders can enjoy their hobby also at night-time. The annual snowboarding champion-ship for the National Cup is held at Karpacz in January.
Extremely popular family skiing centre in the Sudeten Mountains is Zieleniec, where the snow holds for a very long time and ski-ers can use more than twenty ski lifts. Ziele-niec feels the competition of a newly devel-oped skiing centre of Czarna Góra, nestling at the foot of Mt Śnieżnik. Czarna Góra has a cable car and six ski lifts.
The Polish mountains and our numerous winter sports centres are quite well prepared and sufficiently equipped to receive fans of traditional skiing as well as enthusiasts of snowboarding and other free skiing games on snow. They are ready to welcome those who seek fun and relaxation.
Welcome to the winter sports centres in the Polish mountains!
snowboard & ski
KarpaczRecommended hotels*** www.hotel-karkonosze.pl*** www.hotelrezydencja.pl*** www.orbis.pl/index.php4?h=4*** www.vivaldi.pl/karpaczRecommended pensions** www.paradise.karkonosz.pl** www.skalen.com.pl/
KrynicaRecommended hotels*** www.pegaz.krynica.com.pl*** www.hotel.saol.com.pl*** www.hotel-motyl.pl
Szklarska Poręba Recommended hotels*** www.hotel-krysztal.com.pl*** www.hotel-las.pl*** www.hotel-sasanka.pl*** www.hotelbosman.ta.plRecommended pensions*** www.villa.romantica.ta.plwww.magdalena.karkonosz.plwww.fantazja.com.plwww.reszyniec.dt.pl
SzczyrkRecommended hotels**** www.klimczok.plwww.skalny.szczyrk.com.plwww.orle-gniazdo.pl
UstrońRecommended hotels***** www.hotelbelweder.pl*** www.jaskolka.com.pl** www.hotel-magnolia.pl
ZawojaRecommended hotels*** www.lajkonik.zawoja.pl
ZakopaneRecommended hotels**** www.belvederehotel.pl**** www.litwor.pl**** www.hotele-marilor.com.pl*** www.kasprowy.pl*** www.giewont.net.pl*** www.sabala.zakopane.pl** www.hotel-helios.plRecommended pensions*** www.polskie.tatry.pl*** www.czarnypotok.pl** www.nosal.pl/pensjonat
WisłaRecommended hotels*** www.hotelgawra.plwww.golebiewski.plwww.krokus.plRecommended pensionswww.yooz.com.pl/wisla/arkawww.usmiech.com.pl
on powder snow
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
Białka Tatrzańska
Jakuszyce
Bukowina Tatrzańska
UstrzykiDolne
Suwałki
SokołowskoRajcza Szczawnica
NowySącz
Bielsko-Biała
• Bukowina Tatrzańska
• Ustrzyki Dolne
• Białka Tatrzańska
• Suwałki
• Jakuszyce
• Sokołowsko
• Szczawnica
• Rajcza • Bielsko-Biała
• Bukowina TatrzańskaCommunal Office, ul. Długa 144, 34-530 Bukowina Tatrzańskatel. +48-18 207 72 02, fax 207 08 79, www.gmina.bukowinatatrzanska.pl, [email protected]
• Ustrzyki DolneThe Bieszczady Information and Promotion Centre, ul. Rynek 16, 38-700 Ustrzyki Dolne
tel./fax +48-13 471 11 30, www.ustrzyki-dolne.pl, [email protected]• Białka TatrzańskaBania Sports and Holiday Centre, ul. Środkowa 181, 34-405 Białka Tatrzańskatel. +48-18 265 41 33, fax 265 47 06, www.bialkatatrzanska.pl, www.bania.pl, [email protected]
• SuwałkiPolish Tourist and Country Lovers’ Society, ul. Kościuszki 37, 16-400 Suwałki
tel./fax +48-87 566 79 47, http://suwalki.pttk.pl
• JakuszyceTourist Informationul. Pstrowskiego 1, 58-580 Szklarska Porębatel.+48-75 717 24 49, fax 717 24 94 www.szklarskaporeba.pl, [email protected]• Sokołowsko Union of the Książ Cities and Communes ul. Mickiewicza 7, 58-300 Wałbrzychtel./fax +48-74 843 94 91www.zmigk.org.pl, [email protected]
• SzczawnicaCity Promotion Officeul. Szalaya 103, 34-460 Szczawnicatel. +48-18 262 22 03, fax 262 25 30 www.szczawnica.pl, [email protected]• RajczaRajcza Communal Office ul. Górska 1, 34-370 Rajczatel. +48-33 864 31 55, fax 864 38 87www.rajcza.com.pl, [email protected]
• Nowy SączTourist Information Centreul. Piotra Skargi 2, 33-300 Nowy Sącz tel./fax +48-18 443 55 97www.sarr.com.pl• Bielsko-BiałaMunicipal Tourist Information Centrepl. Ratuszowy 4, 43-300 Bielsko-Białatel. +48-33 819 00 50, fax 819 00 61www.it.bielsko.pl, [email protected]
Contest is organized at Jaworze near Bielsko-Biała in February. Part of it is the “romantic” run for couples along the track lit with torches. Very popular is the Ski Run for Peasants held at Rajcza and Zwardoń. It has become an inter-national event of repeated character, includ-ing a contest entitled “The Beskids without Frontiers” organized partly on the Slovakian side.
Jakuszyce near Szklarska Poręba is a real paradise for cross-country skiers. The area is crisscrossed by trails of the total length of 50 kilometres, representing different lev-els of difficulty. The long distance, annual Piast Race is held in March. It is the most important event of national character. The Gwarków Race ranks second in Poland and is organized at Sokołowsko near Wałbrzych in the Sowie Mountains in January.
The Bieszczady Mountains with their snowy and beautiful winters could receive many more cross-country skiers. Relative-ly low ranges and hills with gentle, often treeless slopes dominate the area. Ustrzyki Dolne, Ustrzyki Górne, Wetlina, Solina and Polańczyk are comfortable starting points for fans of this type of recreation.
The Suwałki region in northeastern Po-land offers similar winter conditions to cross-country skiers, but the landscape is quite different thanks to the great number of lakes and dense forests. However, the season is equally long and the snow lays thick on the ground for a long time. There are many very scenic trails north of Suwałki. The annual “Wandering in the North” event is organized in February.
More and more people seek recreation during their winter holidays. They are not looking forward so much to the downhill runs on steep slopes as to the improvement of their health and general physical condi-tion.
The best way to achieve such an objective is to put on the cross-country skis. Poland never lacks snow, and the sports adventures are easy to find on the picturesque cross-county tracks.
The most renowned alpine skiing cen-tres in Poland, such as Zakopane, Szczyrk, Wisła, Szklarska Poręba, Karpacz and Zie-leniec have not only steep pistes to offer to downhill skiers, but also flat plateaus and scenic valleys. These are often very beautiful trails with splendid, panoramic view over the mountain peaks.
Cross-country skiing provides number-less opportunities for closer contact with nature. The areas located at the foot of the Tatras are perfectly suited for cross-coun-try skiers. They can also enjoy runs along the marked hiking trails and flat ridges of the hills. Such terrains can be easily found in the vicinity of Zakopane at Bukowi-na Tatrzańska and Białka, or a bit further north in the Gorce range, near the Zako-pane – Cracow road.
Also the Beskid Mountains offer a number of opportunities to the enthusi-asts of cross-country skiing. The areas near Szczyrk, Bielsko-Biała, Wisła, Ustroń and Korbielów can be recommended, and further east – the environs of Nowy Sącz, Krynica and Szczawnica. Gathering participants of all ages, the annual Jaworze Cross-Country Skiing
wandering on skiscross-country skiing
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
Krynica
Olsztyn
Zakopane
KarpaczSzczyrk
• Zakopane
• Karpacz
• Szczyrk
• Olsztyn • Krynica
gliding on ice phenomenal Adam Małysz• ZakopaneTatra Ski Unionul. B. Czecha 1b, 34-500 Zakopanetel. +48-18 201 53 08, fax 201 25 88www.zakopane.pl, [email protected]• Karpacz Tourist Informationul. Konstytucji 3 Maja 25, 58-540 Karpacztel./fax +48-75 761 97 16www.karpacz.pl, [email protected]• Szczyrk Main Sports Centreul. Plażowa 8, 43-370 Szczyrktel. +48-33 817 84 41, fax 817 97 93www.cos.pl, [email protected]
With the appearance of the phenomenal Adam Małysz a few years ago, ski jumping gained in popularity in Poland and abroad. The best national teams participate in nu-merous contests in the atmosphere of fierce rivalry. More and more young and talent-ed sportsmen join the small group of old champions. Therefore, the level of competi-tions seems to be growing from year to year. This belief was confirmed during the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, during the annual Four Ski-Jumps Tournament and in the course of many other World Cup con-tests.
Ski jumping contests attract thousands of spectators. The fans often follow their favourite competitors and show up dur-ing subsequent competitions of the World Cup. Adam Małysz, three-time winner of the main trophy, also has a great number of fans. Crowds of them appear when the con-tests are held in Zakopane.
It is a worldwide known centre of win-ter sports. The first skiing competition was organized in Zakopane in 1910. The pro-gramme also included a ski jumping contest. Ever since the Nordic skiing has become one of the Zakopane’s favourite sports.
Zakopane hosted the FIS world champi-onship (3 times) and the academic world championship (3 times). A few contests for the World Cup in ski jumping were organ-ized on the modernized Wielka Krokiew ski jump. Many sports events of different stand-ing are organized in Zakopane every year.
Szczyrk also has a ski jump that can host international events (International Memori-al of Olympic Games Participants).
Our champion Adam Małysz lives in Wisła, also a centre of winter sports, where he started his career. With ski jumping be-coming more and more popular, Wisła will soon have a modern ski jumping facility to host high ranking sports events.
In wintertime the lakes and canals of northeastern Poland turn into huge, flat and snow-covered ice fields. Over two thousand lakes of different acreage plus hundreds of rivers and canals are situat-ed in that region. The Śniardwy, Mam-ry, Niegocin, Bełdany and Nidzkie are the largest lakes.
In the northwestern part of the coun-try there are also many lakes that freeze over in wintertime, however, they are not so large as those in northeastern Poland. The artificial water bodies by the dams in southern Poland freeze as well.
Very popular with sailors in summer-time, all these natural and artificial lakes offer excellent conditions for ice-boating in winter. Fans of ice-boating can find in
Poland all they need: huge ice-covered ar-eas and strong winds that allow them to reach great acceleration.
Warmia, Masuria and Pomerania as well as southern Poland can cater to the needs of ice boaters as they have neces-sary facilities and comfortable hotels and pensions.
These natural ice fields are also very at-tractive for skaters. There, besides skating, they can also find lots of opportunities to spend time in an interesting way.
Fans of skating do not have to leave cit-ies to enjoy their hobby. Outdoor and in-door skating-rinks are available in all big-ger cities. Warsaw, for example, has an ice-track and an all-year skating-rink.
• OlsztynDN Polish Fleet Associationul. Kołobrzeska 2/1, 10-442 Olsztyntel./fax +48-89 527 46 01www.bojery.pl, [email protected]
• WarsawTorwar IIul. Łazienkowska 2a, 00-449 Warszawatel. +48-22 625 53 06www.torwar.pl
• KrynicaMunicipal Centre of Sports and Recreationul. Park Sportowy 5, 33-380 Krynicatel. +48-18 472 38 24, fax 471 65 04www.mosir.krynica.com.pl [email protected]
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
Warsaw
BukowinaTatrzańska
Zakopane
Karpacz
KrynicaZakopane
• Bukowina Tatrzańska • Zakopane
•Karpacz • Krynica • Zakopane
The sleighing cavalcades or kuligi were al-ways a part of old Polish winter tradition, es-pecially during the carnival period. The races combine fun and entertainment with rivalry. The latter one does not play any important role any more, but…
At the beginning of February the annual Highlanders’ Parade is held in Zakopane and in Biały Dunajec. It’s a big feast for the local highlanders who can present their nicely em-bellished sleighs and colourful costumes. One of the top attractions of the parade is the ku-moterki race of small sleighs drawn by one horse or the skijoring contest. This parade re-minds the people of the old winter cavalcad-ing tradition.
Nowadays such events are quite frequent-ly organized for tourists by the stud farms. A sleighing cavalcade with torches is not only a vivacious show but also an exciting adven-ture. The programme often includes an out-door barbecue in the company of a folk band and dancers.
The kuligi organized in the Beskids are an attractive conclusion of a day spent on ski-
ing trails. Very famous are the cavalcades held in the winter scenery of the Bieszczady Mountains. Equally attractive are the kuligi on the lowlands of the Warmia, Masuria and the Podlasie region, especially in the pictur-esque Suwałki Lakeland and the Białowieża Forest. The ski touring has recently become very fashionable and can be practiced on the trails of the Tatras, the Beskids and the Sude-ten Mountains.
Polish stud farms organize winter rides, very popular with amateurs of that kind of rest and recreation. The Gładyszów stud farm in the Beskid Niski, with its Poland’s largest herd of the hucuły, is worth recommendation. Our stud farms near the Baltic Sea coast and those located in Pomerania offer equestrian experi-ence also in the wintertime, arranging rides on horseback as well as in sleighs or buggies.
Rides on snow-scooters is a modern version of the old horseback adventure. They are very exciting and certainly much easier, but the at-mosphere is not the same. Some winter sports centres have snow-scooters on hire (Krynica, Piwniczna, Szczyrk, Szklarska Poręba).
All-year artificially iced chute was construct-ed on the Kolorowa slope in Karpacz. Poland’s longest metal pipe meanders on the distance of 1060 metres. It has fourteen bends, two tunnels and the world’s only spiral turn. With the possibility of running at the speed of 35 kilometres per hour, this chute provides lots of excitement.
Any little elevation covered with snow is enough for children to come out and play with sledges. All Polish winter sports centres host kids, although not all of them have so at-tractive sledge runs as Karpacz, Bielsko-Biała
or Szczyrk. Szczyrk boasts a natural 1000 me-tre-long chute leading from the Karkoszczon-ka Pass to Szczyrk Biła.
Sledge riding for recreational purposes can be enjoyed in many places. Winter sports or-ganizers prepare slopes for both skiers and sledge riders. Sledge riding can be enjoyed in Zakopane as well as in the nearby Bukowi-na Tatrzańska. Slopes for sledge riders in the Bieszczady and the Beskids can also be recom-mended, especially in Krynica, Żegiestów, Ra-jcza, Zwardoń, Wisła, Ustroń, Rabka, and in dozens of smaller winter sports centres.
the kumoterki racessledge-runs
• Bukowina TatrzańskaPromotion Bureau of the Communal Officeul. Długa 144, 34-530 Bukowina Tatrzańskatel. +48-18 207 72 02, fax 200 08 79www.bukowinatatrzanska.pl,[email protected]
• Zakopane Kumoterki RacesPodhalanie Union, Zakopane Branchtel./fax +48-18 201 33 30www.zakopane.pl
•Karpacz„Kolorowa” Sports and Recreation Centreul. Parkowa 10, 58-540 Karpacztel./fax +48-75 761 90 24www.kolorowa.pl, [email protected]
• KrynicaTourist Information Centreul. Pułaskiego 4, 33-380 Krynica tel. +48-18 471 56 54, fax 471 55 13www.krynica.pl, [email protected]
• ZakopaneTourist Information Centreul. Kościuszki 17, 34-500 Zakopanetel. +48 -18 201 22 11, fax 206 60 51www.zakopane.pl, [email protected]
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n
Milicz
BydgoszczOlsztyn
Augustów
Giżycko
• Giżycko • Milicz
• Bydgoszcz • Augustów
• Olsztyn
f shing under iceWinter is a difficult period for the enthusiasts of angling
because they have to give up their hobby for a long while. However, the winter holiday in Poland can be combined with fishing in air holes.
The best areas are located in northern Poland, especial-ly in the Pomeranian and Kashubian Lakelands as well as in the region of the Great Masurian Lakes with its major lakes of Śniardwy, Mamry, Niegocin, Roś and Bełdany. There are thousands of such natural fishing grounds in Poland, all teeming with various fish species. So finding excitement and big catch is not such a serious problem.
Excellent opportunities are available on artificial lakes and rivers in southern Poland as well as on fish nurseries, for ex-ample, on the Milicz Ponds located several dozen kilometres north of Wrocław.
• GiżyckoTourist Information and Promotion Centreul. Warszawska 7, 11-500 Giżyckotel. +48-87 428 52 65, fax 428 57 60www.gizycko.turystyka.pl, [email protected]
• MiliczTourist InformationRynek 20, 56-300 Milicztel./fax +48-71 383 11 11www.milicz.pl, [email protected]
The fans of water sports are very fond of watching the world from their kayaks; the kayaking is not only an adventure or a sports experience for them.
In winter, even a relatively wide river course turns into a narrow pipe with a very rapid current. The heaps of snow on the riverbank have fantastic shapes and the trees and tussocks of grass are covered with hoarfrost. The beauty of nature is at your arm’s length. Win-ter kayaking is very exciting. Sometimes the river that is quite safe in summer may become a threat in wintertime. Dangerous are en-counters with the floating ice-cakes, and the ice-covered riverbank makes getting into the kayaks hazardous. Difficulties of winter kay-aking do not bother those who enthusiastically gather for years to welcome the New Year on the watercourse of the Czarna Woda (northern Poland) and raise a toast sitting in their kayaks. Here at the beginning of February, the National Winter Kayaking Trip is organized on the distance of twenty-eight kilometres.
kayaking trips
• BydgoszczWinter Kayaking Trip on the Brda RiverPTTK Oddział Miejskiul. Słowiańska 7, 85-950 Bydgoszczhttp://ombydgoszcz.pttk.pl• WarsawPolish Kayaking Unionul. Ciołka 17, 01-445 Warszawatel. +48-22 837 14 70, fax 877 24 60www.pzkaj.pl, [email protected]
• AugustówSzot Tourist Companyul. Konwaliowa 2, 16-300 Augustów tel./fax +48-87 643 43 99www.szot.pl, [email protected]• OlsztynOlsztyn PTTK Branchul. Staromiejska 1, 10-950 Olsztyntel. +48-89 523 53 20, fax 527 34 42www.pttk.olsztyn.pl
downhill ride on anything
Sledging is no the only mode of riding downhill. The Na-tional Downhill Riding on Anything Contest is held in Kar-pacz in February. The participants try their chance on all sorts of unusual vehicles.
Organizing many such events, the hosts of the winter sports centres try to entertain their guests and make their stay as attractive as possible. Thus, there are contests for the big-gest snowman, for the champion of carving in snow as well as snowball wars, and many similar events.
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www.poland-tourism.pl
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• Jakuszyce • Istebna • Rabka
climates of the far northThe readers of Jack London’s novels know
well the taste of adventures that his liter-ary heroes experienced moving through the endless, snow-covered areas of the far north. Dogsleds were the only mode of travelling there and men had to wear snowshoes in or-der to be able to move through the snow.
Sometimes it is good to abandon the com-motion of modern civilization and find one-self in the scenery resembling that of the far north, feel the rhythm of nature and experi-ence at least a substitute of real adventure.
In Poland as well as in some other Eu-ropean countries there are people who rear sled dogs of northern breeds. There are clubs and organizations that associate those lovers of adventure. They will cer-tainly appreciate Polish winter, especial-ly in those regions of the country that are sparsely populated.
The ideal conditions for travelling with teams can be found in northeastern Po-land, amidst forests and lakes, and also in the Bieszczady, where one can still en-counter free-roaming wolves in the wilder-ness of the mountains. There are few sim-ilar regions in Europe, where one can hike in snowshoes for hours on end, covering snow-blanketed, endless distances.
In the neighbourhood of some winter sports centres in the Beskids or the Su-deten Mountains, trackers with teams or snowshoers can also be encountered. In Ja-worze near Bielsko-Biała, the Internation-al Contest of Dog Teams is organized in December. The shows of teams that are of-ten arranged on the occasion of other win-ter sports events always attract crowds of tourists.
• JakuszycePolish Sports Federation of Teams with Sled Dogs of Northern Breedsul. Rolnicza 242 D, 05-098 Łomiankitel. +48-22 751 43 37, fax 751 43 38www.psyzaprzegowe.pl, [email protected]
• IstebnaSiberian Husky Club ExtremeDziewicza Góratel. +48 601 511 077www.husky.com.pl, [email protected]
• RabkaNunatakiRabka Zdrójtel. +48-18 267 66 86, 267 67 70www.nunataki.region-rabka.pl
p r a c t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o nWARSAW
PRAGUECRACOW
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airportsmain roadsborder crossing ferry linksspas
winter sports centresdownhill ski runsski hoistsski trailsski jumps
bob-sleigh trackice-boatingice-rinksnational parkssnow cover that holds more than 90 days
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Practical information
Republic of Poland Area: 312,000 sq km. Location: Central Europe. Poland borders on Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Its northern border – 500 km long – runs along the Baltic Sea coast. Population: 38,000,000. Flag: White and red. Official language: Polish. Capital city: Warsaw. Other major cities: Łódź, Cracow, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin, Katowice, Lublin. Climate: Temperate, the average temperature in July is 19°C (67°F), but there are many summer days when temperatures rise to 30°C (86°F). The best time of the year for practising winter sports is between January and March.
Public holidays and work-free daysThe free days are Sundays, Saturdays, and the following holidays: New Year’s Day (Jan. 1st), the Easter (Easter Sunday and Monday are moveable holidays), Labour Day (May 1st), the anniversary of the Constitution of May Third (May 3rd), Corpus Christi (Thursday, movable feast), Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15th), All Saint’s Day (Nov. 1st), National Independence Day (Nov. 11th), Christmas Holidays (Dec. 25th and 26th).
Where to stay?All hotels are classified and their categories range from inexpensive to luxurious.• Rooms can be booked by telephone or Internet:
www.discover-poland.pl www.hotelsinpoland.com www.polhotels.com www.hotelspoland.com www.polhotel.pl www.warsawshotel.com www.visit.pl www.orbisonline.pl www.pph.com.pl
• Many historic and old buildings (palaces, castles, manors, mills) were adapted for tourist purposes – tel. +(48-22) 826 92 32, fax 826 92 33, www.wwz.pl, www.leisure-heritage.com.
• Booking of rural B&B accommodations: tel. +(48-52) 398 14 34, mobile +(48-602) 459 137, www.agritourism.pl, [email protected].
• Youth hostels: tel. +(48-22) 849 81 28, fax 849 83 54, www.ptsm.pl.
• Camping: tel./fax +(48-22) 810 60 50, www.pfcc.info.
• Polish Tourist Country Lovers’ Association: www.pttk.pl.
PaymentMoney can best be changed at banks or exchange counters. Credit cards are accepted in shops, travel offices, airlines agencies, fuel stations, etc. There is no time limit on the use of credit cards – they can be used round the clock. Loss of a credit card should be reported: tel. +(48-22) 515 31 50 or 515 30 00 (open 24 hrs). The Polish currency is the zloty (PLN) divided into 100 groszy. Coins in circulation: 1, 2, 5 zlotys and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 groszy. Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zlotys.
AirSeveral airports operate in Poland in the following cities: Warsaw, Cracow, Gdańsk, Katowice, Łodź, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Wrocław and Bydgoszcz. LOT Polish Airlines is Poland’s national carrier. In order to find necessary information, all travellers planning to come to Poland and move around the country by air should visit the LOT website: www.lot.com. In addtition, several other carriers, including budget airlines such as Centralwings – www.centralwings.com, Easy Jet – www.easyjet.com, Germanwings – www.germanwings.com, Sky Europe – www.skyeurope.com, WizzAir – www.wizzair.com, Ryanair – www.ryanair.com, Norwegian – www.norwegian.no.
TrainPoland has a well-developed rail network. Major Polish cities are interconnected by Intercity express trains running between European cities. The national railway network is administered and serviced by the Polish State Railways (PKP). All necessary information can be found on the PKP website: www.pkp.pl.
BusAny place in Poland can be easily reached by an extensive network of national and local roads. Coach services are operated by the state and private bus companies throughout the country.
Taxi Taxi stands are marked with the TAXI sign. Taxis can best be booked by phone. Higher rates are charged for travel out of city limits, on Sundays and holidays; a special night fare is applied between 10 pm and 6 am.
Traffic regulationsThey are compatible with the rules in the EU countries. The relevant speed limits on Polish roads are: 50 km/h during daytime and 60 km/h from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all vehicles in built-up areas; 90 km/h on lane roads; 110 km/h on expressways; 130 km/h on motorways;Between October and February headlights must be switched on at all times while driving.
Useful telephone numbersThe nationwide toll-free 24 hour emergency phone numbers include:• Ambulance 999• Fire Brigade 998• Police 997• Mobile Phone Holders Assistance 112• Tourists can use the following emergency number
in operation during the whole summer season: 0-800 200 300, +(48-608) 599 999.
Customs regulationsCustoms rules and procedures are similar to those prevailing in the majority of EU countries. Detailed information is available from the Ministry of Finance, tel. +(48-22) 694 31 94, www.mf.gov.pl/sluzba_celna.
WarsawVienna
Budapest
Rome
BerlinBrussels
Amsterdam
ParisLondon
Madrid
Stockholm Moscow
Tokyo
New York
Branches of the Polish Tourist Organisation Abroad
• AUSTRIA • Vienna tel. +(43-1) 524 71 91 12, fax 524 71 91 20 www.poleninfo.at, [email protected]
• BELGIUM • Brussels tel. +(32-2) 740 06 20, fax 742 37 35 www.polska-be.com, [email protected]
• FRANCE • Paris tel. +(33-1) 42 44 19 00, fax 42 97 52 25 www.tourisme.pologne.net [email protected]
• GERMANY • Berlin tel. +(49-30) 21 00 920, fax 21 00 92 14 www.polen-info.de, [email protected]
• GREAT BRITAIN • London tel. +(44-0) 8700 67 50 12 fax 8700 67 50 11 www.visitpoland.org, [email protected]
• HOLLAND • Amsterdam tel. +(31-20) 625 35 70, fax 623 09 29 www.poleninfo.info, [email protected]
• HUNGARY • Budapest tel. +(36-1) 269 78 09, fax 269 78 10 www.polska-tourist.info.hu, [email protected]
• ITALY • Rome tel. +(39-06) 482 70 60, fax 481 75 69 www.polonia.it, [email protected]
• JAPAN • Tokyo tel. +(81) 3-5908-3808, fax 3-5908-3809 www.poland-tourism.jp, [email protected]
• SPAIN • Madrid tel. +(34-91) 541 48 08, fax 541 34 23 www.visitapolonia.org, [email protected]
• RUSSIA • Moscow tel. +(7-495) 510 62 10, fax 510 62 11 www.visitpoland.ru, [email protected]
• SWEDEN • Stockholm tel. +(46-8) 21-60-75, fax 21-04-65 www.tourpol.com, [email protected]
• USA • New York tel. +(1-201) 420 99 10, fax 584 91 53 www.polandtour.org, [email protected]
GB 2006Publisher: Polska Organizacja Turystyczna / Polish Tourist Organisation ul. Chałubińskiego 8, 00-613 Warszawa, tel. +(48) 22 536 70 70, fax +(48) 22 536 70 04, e-mail: [email protected], www.pot.gov.plEditor: Wydawnictwo SOWA, www.sowa.pl; Text: J. Wysokiński; Translation: J. K. Milencki;Photographs: Ł. Biederman, J. Ciszak, A. Klimkowski, M. Kolasa, M. Kołosiński, Z. Kulik, G. Momot, M. Odziemczyk, D. Rafalski, Z. Rylański, M. Stasiński, Z. Żyburtowicz, “East News” and the POT archives.
www.poland-tourism.plPolish Tourist Organisation, ul. Chałubińskiego 8, 00-613 Warszawa,tel. +(48) 22 536 70 70, fax +(48) 22 536 70 04, [email protected], www.pot.gov.pl
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