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Difference between revisions of "Poland"

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There are many international schools and great universities in Poland and of them the '''Jagiellonian University''' [] in particular is renowned as member of the '''Coimbra Group''' and is also a core member of the '''Europaeum'''.  The '''University of Warsaw''' is the top ranked public university in Poland.  '''National Film School''' in [[Łódź]] is the most notable academy.   

Revision as of 13:46, 18 March 2008

The Old Market Square in Poznan
Quick Facts
Capital Warsaw
Government Republic
Currency Złoty (PLN)
Area 312,685 km²
Population 38,636,000 (2006 est.)
Language Polish
Electricity 230V/50Hz (European plug)
Country code +48
Internet TLD .pl
Time Zone UTC+1

Poland [1] is a large country in Central Europe. It has a long Baltic Sea coastline and is bordered by Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovakia, and Ukraine.




Warsaw in 1900s

Poland was first united as a country and baptized in the middle of the 10th century. It experienced its golden age beginning in the 14th century, under the reign of the Jagiellonians, whose rule extended from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic Seas. In the 16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the biggest country in Europe. Thanks to the freedom of confession guaranteed by the state and the atmosphere of religious tolerance, exceptional in Europe at the times of the Holy Inquisition, the country attracted significant numbers of foreign migrants, such as Germans, Jews, Armenians and Dutch people. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, the strengthening of the nobility (which implied the erosion of the king's prerogatives) and several exhausting wars weakened the Commonwealth so much that parts of its territory were annexed by its neighbors in 1772 and 1793 and in 1795, after a failed uprising, it ceased to exist for 123 years, being partitioned between Russia, Prussia and Austria. However, this long period of foreign domination was not met without fierce resistance; In the Napoleonic Wars, a semi-autonomous Duchy of Warsaw was created before being erased from the map again in 1813. The 29 November uprising of 1830-1831 (mainly in Russian Poland), the 1848 Revolution (combat mostly took place in Austrian and Prussian Poland) and the 22 January 1863 were clear indicators that Poland showed very little tolerance of subjugation to any of these three equally autocratic powers. Figures such as Józef Chłopicki, Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki and Józef Bem and Wincenty Konstanty Kalinowski led Poland during these troublesome times.

Poland was the 1st country in Europe and the 2nd in the world (after the US) to pass a constitution. The consitution of May 3rd, 1791 was the key reform among many progressive and far-sighted but belated attempts to strengthen the country during the second half of the 18th century.

Poland regained its independence on November 11th, 1918 with the end of the World War I. Soon, in 1920-21, the newly-reborn country was urged to fight for its borders again, this time defending itself from a Soviet invasion. The communist attack on Warsaw was defeated on August 10th-15th, 1920 in what is remembered today as the Miracle at the Vistula (Polish: Cud nad Wisłą) effectively ending major warfare, even though the truce was only signed the next March.

After a period of relative peace and development, just as it was recovering from the great economic crisis of the 1920s, Poland was overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in what became the World War II. After the war it became a Soviet ally country following the Yalta and Potsdam agreements between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union which to this day are viewed by many Poles as a betrayal. The Soviet Union and the rest of Eastern Europe were the first to immediately recognise Poland's new 1945 forntiers, which are virtually the same as to which the country was born in c. 966 AD; Most western countries, especially, West Germany, did not follow suit until 1970. After the brief but sometimes bloody Stalinist era of 1945-1953 Poland was comparatively tolerant and progressive as compared to other Eastern Bloc countries.

Strong econmic growth in the post-war period alternated with serious recessions in 1956, 1970, 1976, resulting in labour turmoil over dramatic price rises of several goods. Another protest in the summer of 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" (Polish: Solidarność) [2] that over time became a political force and by 1989 had swept the first Warsaw Pact State parliamentary elections and the presidency. A shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe.

Nowadays, Poland is a democratic country with a stable economy and a not-so-stable political scene Poland has been a member of NATO since 1999 and European Union since May 2004, when it joined with 9 other countries.


The countryside throughout Poland is lovely and relatively unspoilt. Poland has variety of regions with beautiful landscapes and small-scale organic and traditional farms. Travellers can choose different types of activities such as bird watching, cycling or horseback riding.

Culturally you can sight-see at many churches, museums, ceramic and traditional basket-making workshops, castle ruins, rural centers and many more. A journey through the Polish countryside gives you a pefect opportunity to enjoy and absorb local knowledge on its landscape and people.


  • Lany Poniedziałek, Dyngus, Easter Monday. Traditionally, early in the morning boys awake girls by pouring a bucket of water on their head and strike them about the legs with long thin twigs or switches made from willow, birch or decorated tree branches. Nowadays people awake each other by pouring a handful of water on their faces, but children, especially outdoors and in the countryside, still use buckets and don't have mercy on innocent bypassers.
  • Topienie Marzanny (drowning of Marzanna), Spring Equinox, 21st of March. Marzanna is a mannequin made of straw and old rags, which is drowned in river on first day of spring. The symbolic meaning is to bury winter and welcome spring. This ritual, with obviously Pagan roots, is not common nowadays but floating Marzannas still can be seen in rivers on that day.
  • All Saints Day (Zaduszki, Wszystkich Świętych), 1st of November. In afternoon and evening people visit graves of their relatives and light candles. After dusk cemeteries glow with thousands of lights and offer a very picturesque scene. For the most part, stores and restaurants will close, although, not to the extent on Christmas Eve. You should be able to find a few restaurants, if you're persistent. If you have the chance, be sure to visit a cemetery, although you may have to wait for public transportation as services are drastically cut.
  • Christmas Eve (Wigilia), December 24th. One of the most important, if not the most important day in Poland. This is the day when everything closes down as people go home to celebrate Christmas with friends and family. It's also one of the most interesting holidays due to the customs. Typically, Poles will prepare a twelve (representing the twelve apostles) course vegetarian meal and will begin eating after they see the first star in the night sky. Rest assured, even if the sky is cloudy, Poles will find a star. They also leave an extra chair and place set at the table just in case anyone (including a stranger) stops by for dinner. In Poland, Wigilia is more important than Christmas Day, so do not expect to find anything open on Christmas Eve. Many stores and restaurants will again open up on Christmas Day.
  • New Year's Eve (Sylwester) December 31st. One of the party nights of the year. Consider yourself extremely lucky, if you can get into even a decent club as most clubs will be packed. Most clubs will sell tickets in advance, but you'll probably have to dish out at least 150 PLN and that's just for entrance and maybe a couple of drinks. If you're a little more flexible, you might be able to get into non-club parties, otherwise there are always the firework displays.


Polish regions
Central Poland (Łódź Voivodship, Masovia, Wielkopolskie Voivodship, and Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship)
A varied landscape being location to Europe's largest natural forest, profusion of wildlife, bird-watcher's paradise, inland dunes, the enormous cityscapes of Warsaw and Łódź.
Northern Poland (Pomeranian Voivodship, Warmian-Masurian Voivodship, and West Pomeranian Voivodship)
Home to Poland's attractive seaside, sandy beaches with dunes and cliffs; lakes, rivers and forests.
Western Poland (Lubuskie Voivodship, Lower Silesian Voivodship, and Opolskie Voivodship)
Eastern Poland (Podlaskie Voivodship and Lublin Voivodship)
Southern Poland (Małopolska Voivodship, Silesian Voivodship, Subcarpathian Voivodship, and Świętokrzyskie Voivodship)
Home to spectacular mountains, the world's oldest operating salt mines, fantastic landforms in jurassic limestone, caves, historical monuments and cities.


There's a lot of big cities in Poland that are worth seeing. Most of them have a flourishing medieval history.

Jasna Góra Monastery
  • Warsaw - Poland's capital city is one of the most historical and important cities in Europe and has become one of the EU's thriving new business centers.
  • Krakow - the most popular Polish city, "cultural capital" of Poland and the country's first capital during its early formative years of the Middle Ages. For years considered by Poles to be the most beautiful city in their country - in modern times Krakow became one of the largest tourism centers in Europe with millions of tourists from around the world annually. Historical center, countless ancient monuments, the largest European medieval market-place (with free WiFI); plenty of magical pubs and cafes; Nowa Huta district - unique entirely planned and built socialist-realist city; great starting point for trips of any kind.
  • Łódź - once renowned for its textile industries, the Polish Manchester has the longest walking street in Europe, the Piotrkowska Street is full of picturesque 19th-century architecture.
Warsaw skyline
  • Wroclaw - a perfect mixture of Gothic and baroque architecture, it was also destroyed and successfully rebuilt. It has more bridges than any other European town except Hamburg (2500), Venice, Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg.
  • Poznan - one of the first co-capitals of Poland in Xth and XIth cent. Well preserved monuments from that period, as well as medieval Old Town and many monuments from later epochs. Now considered to be polish "business-and-banking capital" and the main Trade & Fair Centre. As well known as a sport-supporting-city with e.g Europe's best canoe competition track on Malta Lake, just 3 kms from the downtown.
  • Gdańsk - one of the most beautiful European cities. Although it was destroyed in World War II, it has been perfectly rebuilt. The city is a good departure point to the many sea resorts along the north coast.
  • Lublin - largest city in eastern Poland. Has well preserved old town with typical Polish and at the same time unusual architecture.
  • Katowice - one of the largest cities in southern Poland, is the capital of the Silesia region. The city is a large coal and steel center as well as business and trade fair center.
  • Bialystok - largest city in north-eastern Poland. Gateway to Masuria Lake District (north) and Bialowieza Forest (south-east) nature reserve which is home to Europe's only free-roaming bison population.

Other destinations

  • Coastal resorts along Poland's 500 km long coast in Pomeranian and West Pomeranian voivodships, with sandy beaches as well as the highest dunes in Europe.

Lake districts

Just after Finland, Poland has the biggest number of lakes relative to its area worldwide. The lakes of glacial origin are in the north of the country.

  • Masuria is probably the most famous lake district in Central Europe with more than 3000 lakes.
  • Suwalki in the east is considered by many Poles to be the most beautiful lake district.
  • Kashubia is also called the Kashubian Switzerland due to the hilly landscape around the lakes.
  • Pomerania Lake District has many lakes connected by rivers and creeks, ideal for canoeing.
  • Greater Poland has many historically important lakes, as on their islands big settlements like Biskupin were built even before Romulus founded Rome, and the first Polish rulers built their capitals here in the early Middle Ages

National parks

  • Biebrza National Park – national park along the Biebrza river with the greatest number of birds in Europe time.
  • Karkonoski National Park – national park in the Sudetes around the Śnieżka Mountain (1602m) with beautiful waterfalls
  • Pieniński National Park – national park in the Carpathian Mountains with the break-through of the Dunajec river through the Pieniny Mountains.
  • Tatrzański National Park – national park in the Tatra Mountains around the Rysy Mountain, with bears, wolves and other animals.

UNESCO World Heritage list

  • Churches of Peace in Silesia in Jawor and Świdnica
  • Park of Duke Muckow in Łęknica
  • Białowieża Forest – a primeval forest near Bialystok with very old trees and the last bison at large in Europe
  • Malbork Castle in Malbork. A beautiful huge castle, the largest one in Europe
  • Wieliczka Salt Mine in Wieliczka. Founded in the 13th century
  • People's Hall (Hala Ludowa) in Wrocław.
  • Old Town districts of Warsaw, Krakow, and Toruń, and Zamość.

Get in

Map of Poland


Poland is a member of the European Union and has joined the Schengen agreement, which means that you can enter on a European Union Schengen visa and there are no longer any ID/passport controls on the EU borders.



Downloadable Visa Application Form

Ukrainian citizens do not require a seperate visa for transit through Poland if they hold a Shenghen or UK visa.

By plane

Most of Europe's major airlines fly to and from Poland. Poland's national carriers are LOT Polish Airlines, and a low cost airline Centralwings (owned by LOT). There are several low cost airlines that fly to Poland including WizzAir, SkyEurope, EasyJet, Germanwings, Norwegian and Ryanair.

Apart from direct air connections from many European cities there are also direct flights from United States and Canada. LOT operates direct flights from Toronto, New York and Chicago, however tickets for those flights are far from cheap and most people with limited budgets fly with other airlines which stopover in major European airports.

International airlines fly mainly to Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) in Okęcie. Other major airports in Poland are: Kraków-Balice (KRK), Katowice-Pyrzowice (KTW), Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN), Poznań-Ławica (POZ), Wrocław Copernicus Airport (WRO), Szczecin-Goleniów (SZZ), Rzeszów-Jasionka (RZE), Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport (BZG) and Łódź-Lublinek (LCJ).

Domestic flights operated by LOT (under Eurolot brand) connect Warsaw with Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Kraków, Gdańsk, Poznan, Łódź, Szczecin Wrocław and Zielona Góra. Other smaller cities don't have airports with facilities that would allow commercial airlines to operate internationally, however there are often charter flights available - of course, these are for people with thick wallets.

As the number of flights and passengers has significantly increased since 1990, a new terminal has been opened at the Okęcie airport which will significantly increase the airport's capacity. Also airports in Kraków, Poznan and Wrocław have been expanded to increase their standards and capacity.

By train

Direct connections [3] with:

  • Berlin, EuroCity "Berlin-Warszawa-Express (BWE)", 3 trains per day, 6 hours + 1 train per day Berlin - Poznan, 3 hours, EuroCity "Wawel" to Krakow, every day, 10 hours
  • Hamburg, EuroNight "Jan Kiepura", everyday, 15 hours
  • Vilnius, Night Train "Balti", 10 hours - temporarily operated by bus
  • Kiev, Night Train "Józef Chełmoński", 16 hours

By car


However, the queues on the borders with Poland's non-EU neighbors are still large and in areas congested with truck traffic it can take up to several hours to pass. You can check the current waiting times on Polish Border Guard page (wjazd - entry, wyjazd - exit, osob. - passenger cars, autob. - coaches, ciężar. - lorries).

By bus


  • PEKAES part of Eurolines (from: A, BY, B, HR, CZ, DK, GB, EST, F, D, GR, NL, I, LV, LT, N, RUS, E, S, CH, UA), +48 22 6269352, +48 22 6522321, online reservation
  • Orbis (from: B, BG, F, GR, E, NL, D, CH, GB), +48 22 6227356, +48 22 5001500, +48 22 5001550
  • Polka Service (from: F), +48 22 8275050
  • Gullivers (from: D), D +49 30 31102110, Intl +80048554837
  • Visitor from London (their buses feature numbered seats)
  • PPKS Warszawa +48 22 7208383 (from: BG, D, LT, S, UA)
  • Certain routes are operated under the EuroLines brand

By boat

By yacht

Although there are many ports along Polish coast, at least at every river mouth, don't expect high standards there. Bigger marinas are located in Szczecin, Łeba, Hel, Gdynia and Gdańsk but some of them are still lacking basic facilities. Although there are many sailors in Poland, overbloated bureaucracy still inhibits growth of sea sailing tourism.

Get around

Polish road infrastructure is well-developed but poorly maintained and lacks badly-needed highways. Public transport is quite plentiful, both buses and trains. Some local trains are considered dangerous at night.

By car

Speed limits in Poland

Polish road network is below par by Western European standards, but quite functional and dense. The biggest problem is that there is sparse intercity highway system and most of the country is linked only with single-carriageway roads, which are not suitable for the traffic volume they are experiencing. The roads are generally well-signed but various surface defects, most notably ruts, are commonplace.

As long as you keep by the main roads, you should get to where you want fairly easy. But estimate twice as much time and exhaustion compared with driving in countries like Germany or France. When travelling between cities or towns, you should always add about 30 minutes for every 100 km that you travel to leave time for getting stuck behind slow moving vehicles.

Poles drive aggressively, which means that they usually disrespect the speed limits and overtake recklessly.

Some peculiarities of driving in Poland include:

  • Speed limits are: 50km/h in city (60km/h at night), 90km/h outside city, 10km/h more if directions are separated, 100km/h on car-only roads (white car on the blue sign), 110km/h more if directions are separated, and 130km/h on highways.
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence. BAC limits are: up to 0.02% - not prosecuted by law, up to 0.05% - an offence, above 0.05% - criminal offence (up to 2 years in jail). Despite the strict laws, DUI's are a serious problem in Poland. Be especially careful during (and after) national holidays and on the small roads in the countryside.
  • On T-crossing or crossroads without traffic signs, traffic at the right always has right-of-way unless your road is a priority route, shown by a road sign displaying a yellow diamond with a white outline.
  • After turning into a crossing street, driver can select any lane.
  • Driving with lights on is obligatory at all times.
  • When driving in the countryside, other drivers (sometimes those approaching from the opposite direction too) may expect you to evade to the verge of the road to facilitate overtaking. This is a custom, not a law so you are not obliged to follow it. Before you do it, make sure there is a hard shoulder and it is safe to do so.

Some drivers flash their headlights to warn those approaching from the opposite direction of a police control nearby (you are likely to encounter this custom in many other countries). So if you see somebody flashing their headlights, it doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with your car or sth.

In Poland you can encourage three ways of saying "thank you". More common, and what may be misleading for foreigners is using hazard lights (all indicators simultaneously) once or twice. It is beeing slowly phased out by flashing right/left/right indicator sequence or similar. Third way of saying "thank you" mainly used when letting someone do a left turn is by showing right hand.

Be aware about hazard lights - Drivers also use them as a way of showing, that vehicle is rapidly slowing down, or alredy stopped in a traffic jam on a highway.

By train

In Poland, the national railway carrier PKP has recently been divided into several different companies, among them are: PKP InterCity (Intercity, Express, Night Express, TLK), PKP Przewozy Regionalne (pospieszny and osobowy) and PKP Cargo (which incidentally owns all the locomotives). There are also some local competitors emerging (KM Koleje Mazowieckie). Tickets are valid for trains operated by the issuing company only.

Tickets are quite cheap, but travel conditions reflect the fact that majority of railworks and wagons are from few decades ago. Unfortunately, sometimes it's not very safe to travel by train (although this can be equally true in some other European countries as well), especially on some non-express suburban routes - it is recommended to travel close to the front of the train (where train staff are more likely to provide assistance), and to avoid traveling by night. Express and InterCity routes are much safer than slower connections.

However, Poland is generally a non-violent country. With sensible precautions (for example, making sure the door of your compartment on a night train is locked securely while you are sleeping), Poland does not present a greater danger to travellers than travelling at night elsewhere.

You can expect a fast connection on modernized routes, such as the Warszawa - Katowice, the Warszawa - Kraków and the Warszawa - Poznań lines.

Train types

  • Express / IC InterCity / EC EuroCity - express trains. usually compulsory reservation 25PLN in IC, 10 PLN in EX(paid); popular routes include:Warsaw-Katowice,(298 km, 2 hours 40 minutes, 81 zł) Warsaw-Poznan (306 km, 2 hours 50 minutes, 84 zł);Warsaw-Kraków (290 km, 2 hours 45 minutes, 81 zł); Warsaw-Zakopane (430 km, 7 hours, 84 zł) You can buy a weekend ticket (99/149 zl).
  • TLK - express trains, held by same company. Slower, but cheaper than above and more safe than below types. Not many routes, but very good alternative for budget travellers. Check usually compulsory reservation but very cheap (3PLN)
  • Pospieszny - long distance, priority trains, stop only in larger cities; popular routes include Warsaw-Kraków (320 km, 5 hours, 46 zł), Warsaw-Zakopane (460 km, 7.5 hours, 50 zł), Warsaw-Łowicz (80 km, 50 minutes, 20 zł). You can buy a weekend turystyczny ticket (60/80 zl) or a weekly one (160/240 zl).
  • Osobowy - long distance, ordinary train usually slow, stops everywhere. Warsaw-Łowicz: (80 km, 80 minutes, 12 zł)
  • Podmiejski - suburban train


Tickets for any route can be purchased at any station. For a foreigner buying tickets can prove to be a frustrating experience as many employees at the railway ticket offices do not understand anything but Polish. It is recommended that you buy your train tickets at a travel agency. Also, trying to pronounce your destination will often not be understood. Polish railways' ticket salespersons are not known for any service minded attitude. The long queues in front of the ticket sales offices is another good reason for foreign travellers to choose a travel agency. Be also aware that it may be easier Buying in advance and it may be necessary for peak seasons (eg. end of holiday period, New Year, etc.) for those trains where place reservation is obligatory.

If you change trains between InterCity and Regional you have to buy two tickets. It connects all major cities, but it is also good choice to get to many small towns on internal routes.

  • PKP timetable search (in English, but station names only in Polish)
  • You can use German DB search service as well
  • PKP information: +48 22 9436, international information +48 22 5116003
  • PKP Intercity serves express connections (tickets can be bought online)
  • Polrail Service offers a guide to rail travel in Poland and online purchase of tickets and rail passes for Polish and international trains to neighboring countries.

Travellers under 26 years are entitled to 33% discount on travel fare in Intercity, excluding the price of seat reservation. There is also an option of buying a cheap ticket for 27/59/69 PLN (regarding type of train) that allows you to travel on a selected route regarding the distance. Ticket must be bought at least one week ahead and is vaild for one train.

By taxi

Use only those that are associated in a "corporation" (look for phone number and a logo on the side and on the top). The unaffiliated drivers are likely to cheat and charge you much more. Be especially wary of these taxis near international airports and train stations (but then, shouldn't one be wary of them everywhere?). They are called the "taxi mafia".


You can also find phone numbers for taxis in any city on the Internet, on municipal and newspaper websites. There are also stands, where you can call for their particular taxi for free, often found at train stations.

Never negotiate the fare with the driver as you will probably end up paying more than you should. Just make sure that the driver turns the meter on and sets it to the appropriate fare (taryfa):

  • Taryfa 1: Daytime within city limits
  • Taryfa 2: Nights, Sundays and holidays within city limits
  • Taryfa 3: Daytime outside city limits
  • Taryfa 4: Nights, Sundays and holidays outside city limits


Every taxi driver is obliged to issue a receipt when asked. You can ask the driver for a receipt (rachunek) before you get into cab, and resign if his reaction seems suspicious or if he refuses.

By bicycle

Bicycling is a good method to get a good impression of the scenery in Poland. The roads can sometimes be in quite a bad state, but mostly they are ok. The cars drivers are not as careless as they are said to be. Especially in the south you can find some nice places for bicycling; e.g. along the rivers Dunajec (from Zakopane to Szczawnica) or Poprad (Krynica to Stary Sacz).

By thumb


Not necessarily a thumb but waving an extended hand is a much better recognized sign that you need a lift in Poland. Use a cardboard sign and write the city name on it.




The official language of Poland is Polish.

Non-Polish speakers will find that most of the younger generation (35 and under), speak, or at least understand, English reasonably well. Since English is taught at a very young age (some start as early as 4 years old), only Poles who grow up in isolated towns or communities will not be given English lessons. Older Poles, however, especially those outside the main cities, will speak little or no English at all. Most people, however, will know German or Russian and can speak them more fluently, the latter more so being a Slavic language.

A few phrases go a long way in Poland. Contrary to some other tourist cities where natives will often scoff at how bad a foreigner's use of the native language is, Polish people generally love it when foreigners learn Polish, even if it's only a few phrases. Younger Poles, however, will jump at the chance to practice their English as well.

Do your homework and try to learn how to pronounce the names of places. Polish has a very regular pronunciation, so this shouldn't be a problem. Although there are a few sounds unknown to most English speakers, mastering every phoneme is not required to achieve intelligibility. It's rather about catching the spirit: practice asking for driving directions to Szczebrzeszyn.

Poland's history has made it a very homogenous society today, in stark contrast to its long history of ethnoreligious diversity; almost 99% of the population today is ethnic Polish; before World War II it was only 69% with large minorities, mainly Ukrainians, Russians, and Germans and less than two-thirds Roman Catholic with large Orthodox and Protestant minorities as well as having the largest Jewish community in Europe that composed 10% of Poland's population of the time. Outside of the very touristy areas of the major cities, you'll find that there are few, if any, foreigners. Most of the immigrants in Poland (notably Ukranians and Vietnamese) stay in the major cities for work. Be advised that if you are heard speaking English in a public setting you will get looks; many people will listen in to practice their understanding of English. However, speaking English loudly in public also marks you immediately as a tourist, which can be dangerous in certain areas of the cities.

Foreign visitors should be aware that almost all written and spoken information will usually be in Polish only. Tickets for buses and trains, public signs and information posters generally have no English on them. Even information displayed at museums, churches, etc. will usually only be in Polish, while important messages broadcast through loudspeakers at a railway station will not be followed by a translation.


Polish 100 zł banknote


The legal tender in Poland is the Polish złoty (zł, PLN). Poland is expected to adopt the common European currency Euro (€) in ca. 2010 but it can be used to pay in many bigger shops ("hypermarkets") even now. Remember to always check the conversion rates though!

  • 1 zł (złoty, pl. złote (2, 3, 4, then 22, 23, and so), or złotych (5-21 then 25, 26 and so)) = 100 gr (grosz, pl. grosze or groszy as above)

Private exchange offices in Poland usually offer better rates than commercial banks. They are called Kantor and are very common, especially in places like railway stations. Be cautious about those in tourist hot-spots, such as the Warsaw Old Town, since they may overcharge.

Plastic money can be used to pay almost everywhere in the big cities. Popular cards include Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard and Maestro. AmEx and Diners' Club can be used in a few places (notably the big, business-class hotels) but are not popular and you should not rely on them for any payments. There is an extensive network of cash machines (ATMs).

Cheques were never particularly popular in Poland and they are hardly used nowadays. You're likely to accumulate several hundred single grosz (1/100th of a złoty), while the grosz is legal tender some vendors and stores will refuse to accept them, but they have no problem giving you grosz as change. You'll want to be sure to always have larger groszy coins to satisfy the vendors that refuse the single grosz coin. Other vendors will seem to become irate if you cannot pay exact change.




Super and hypermarkets

Hypermarkets are dominated by western chains: Carrefour, Tesco, Auchan, Real. Usually located in shopping malls or suburbs.



For the most part, Polish restaurants and bars do not include gratuity in the total of the check, so you're server will be pleased if you leave them a tip along with the payment. On average, you should tip 10% of the total bill. If you tip 15% or 20%, you probably should have received excellent service.

It is no longer difficult to avoid meat, with many restaurants offering at least one vegetarian dish. Also many major cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznan, Szczecin and Wrocław have vegetarian restaurants, especially near the city center.

If you want to eat cheaply, you should visit bar mleczny (milk bar). Bar mleczny is a typically Polish kind of a fast food restaurant. Nowadays it has become more and more seldom to spot one. It was invented by the communist authorities of Poland in mid-1960s as a means to offer cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen. Its name originates from the fact that until late 1980s the meals served there were mostly dairy-made and vegetarian (especially during the martial law period of the beginning of the 1980s, when meat was rationed). The milk-bars are usually subsidized by the state. Eating there is a unique experience - it is not uncommon that you will encounter people from various social classes - students, businessmen, university professors, elderly people, sometimes even homeless, all eating side-by-side in a 1970s-like environment. Presumably, it is the quality of food at absolutely unbeatable price (veggie main courses starting from €0.50!) that attracts people.

Restaurants and other types of food service are generally inexpensive for those accustomed to price in Western Europe or the United States. Finer restaurants are on par with the best in those regions but cost two or three times less.


Poland is on the border of European "vodka" and "beer culture". Poles enjoy alcoholic drinks at least as much as other Europeans. You can buy beer, vodka and wine. Although Poland is known as the birth place of vodka, local beer seems to have much more appeal to many Poles. Another traditional alcoholic beverage is mead. Polish liqueurs and nalewka (alcoholic tincture) are a must mention.

Officially, in order to buy alcohol one should be over 18 years old and be able to prove it with a valid ID (which is loosely enforced).


Poland's brewery tradition comes from far middle ages. Today Poland is one of TOP beer countries in Europe.

Although not well known internationally, Poland traditionally sports some of the best pilsner-type lagers worldwide. The most common brands include:

  • Lech (pronounced LEH)
  • Żywiec (pronounced ZHIV-y-ets)
  • Tyskie (pronounced TIS-kee)
  • Okocim (pronounced oh-KO-cheem)
  • Warka (pronounced VAR-kuh)
  • Łomża (pronounced Uom-zha)
  • Tatra
  • Van Pur


  • Żubrówka - vodka with flavors derived from Bison Grass, from eastern Poland.
  • Żołądkowa Gorzka - vodka with "bitter" (gorzka) in the name, but sweet in the taste. Just like Żubrówka, it's an unique Polish product and definitely a must-try.
  • Żytnia - rye vodka
  • Wyborowa
  • Biała Dama

Deluxe (more expensive) brands include Chopin and Belvedere. Expect to pay about 100 złoty a bottle (2007 prices). Most Poles consider these brands to be "export brands", and usually don't drink them.


Poland does make a few quality wines around Zielona Góra, the Southeast, in the Beskids and Central Poland. You usually can buy them only at the places where they are produced or at wine festivals, like in Zielona Góra. There are also popular Polish fruit wines. They are sold in much of shops, also actively exported. As for imported wine, apart from the usual old and new world standards, there is usually a choice of decent table wines from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania or Moldova available. It the winter time, many Poles drink "grzaniec"(loosely translated as something that warms), a beverage consisting of hot red wine, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. It can also be made using beer, although wine is the most popular method.





Tea and coffee

Throw stereotypes out the door. For Poles, one of the most important staples to quench their thirst is not wódka or beer, but rather tea and coffee. As such, you'll likely come across dozens and dozens of cafés. There aren't any Starbucks in Polad, yet, but Poland does have its own version – Coffee Heaven [4], but, unfortunately, its coffee products can be a let down compared to the heavenly delights of Frappucinos. No worries, though, AmRest [5] is slated to start opening Starbucks in Eastern and Central Europe.

For those that believe pouring boiling water on to a tea bag is the way to make a good cup of tea, beware! When ordered in a cafe or restaurant, it is common practice in Poland (and some other mainland European countries) to receive a cup of hot (not boiling) water, with a tea bag on the side. Perhaps also accompanied by a small carton of lemon juice. It is then the customer's job to make the tea. Add to this that the majority of tea bags are weaker than the UK equivalents, and this can be one area of Polish 'tradition' that the average UK tea drinker may be not be taken aback by. Still, fortunately, Poland has a great deal more to offer than this.

For the most part, a good coffee can be had for 5 - 10 zł a cup, while a cup of tea can be purchase for the same, unless you happen to order a small kettle, in which case you'll probably pay something between 20 - 30 zł.


Most Polish people will tell you not to drink the tap water in Poland, regardless of where you are. Almost all Poles drink bottled spring water or boil water to filter it. In some places (Warsaw) you can find "studnia oligoceńska" - a public deep-drilled well that serves water from Oligocene period - water from those should be safe to drink(boil it if unsure).

Foreigners should note that drinking water with a meal is not a Polish tradition; you will almost always have to ask for water with your meal. Some Westerners will be surprised to discover that most Poles drink carbonated water, although non-carbonated bottled water is generally widely available. The phrase "woda niegazowana" ("non-carbonated water") works well. Poland is known for its mineral waters. You can buy it in every shop, or try real mineral water with salts in "pavilions of water" (Pijalnia wód) in mountain resorts, where this water is produced. For example, Szczawnica or Krynica.


With Poland's recent accession into the European Union the accommodation landscape is changing. Many hotels are now catering to business people and EU citizens taking advantage of the favorable Euro-Zloty and Sterling-Zloty exchange rates. This means that hotels are charging more than they would a few years ago. For non-EU citizens, the situation may be a tad more painful as many hotels, especially larger ones, post their rates in Euro, rather than in Zloty.

For budget travellers, the news isn't much better. Hostels affiliated with the national hostelling association are often horrid options for backpackers because of imposed curfews. Additionally, Hostelling International (HI) affiliated hostels are frequently used by large school groups, which means young children may very well be screaming their heads off and running around the halls. Probably the best option for backpackers or budget travellers are private hostels, which are often cleaner, often do not have a curfew, and usually have staff that are more helpful. The trade off is, you're likely to pay more than at a HI affiliated hostel, but if you're also looking to mingle with a more international group, private hostels are the way to go.



There are many international schools and great universities in Poland and of them the Jagiellonian University [6] in particular is renowned as member of the Coimbra Group and is also a core member of the Europaeum. The University of Warsaw is the top ranked public university in Poland. National Film School in Łódź is the most notable academy.




Stay safe




Pickpockets operate in larger cities, including in public tranportation, rail station areas, and clubs/bars. The Warsaw bus route 175 running between the airport and the city center is notorious for pickpockets operating there. Immediately check you pockets if someone bumps into you in a large crowd. Even if it may seem harmless at the time, your cell phone might be missing minutes later.

Polish ambulance in Torun
  • Keep an eye on your belongings when traveling on a bus or train.
  • Don't display any bags, valuables or your car radio if you leave your car parked in the streets. Use guarded parking lots whenever possible.
  • Use common sense.

Walking around is usually safe, particularly in city centers. It may be unsafe to walk in the suburbs, depending on the time of day, your dress and behavior (that is, how obvious it is that you are a foreigner) and other factors. Again, use common sense.

Watch out for the Polish equivalent of thugs, called dresiarze -- young people with shaved heads, usually dressed in counterfeit Adidas tracksuits (and sometimes with a leather jacket on top of that). These are the young generation of the Polish underclass, whose sole purpose is to fight, especially foreigners. If you get into some sort of discussion or altercation with these thugs, run away as fast as possible and call the police. Do not expect help from roaming security guards or passersby if you're attacked. Fighting should absolutely be avoided so you are not arrested or seriously injured.

Organised crime has reduced sharply in recent years, but it is still a large problem in Poland. Many mafia-run hostels have been opened since Poland's entry to the EU in major tourist destinations, such as Wroclaw, Krakow and Zakopane. These hostels are located far from the centres of these towns, and make money by charging for internet, breakfast, city tax, cleaning, damage and many other small things on top of the money you pay for the nights stay. These extra charges can add up to a hefty bill. Do not dispute or argue with the people who charge these rates, or you could end up in a lot of trouble. The former manager and two members of staff of the Goodbye Lenin Hostel in Zakopane were recently convicted of the rape and murder of a female guest who refused to pay the hidden charges. The "Good Bye Lenin" hostel chain should be avoided, as should any unmarked hostels on the edge of cities. Major youth hostels in city centres are generally safe and have no mafia presence.

Gay and Lesbian travellers should be extremely careful as there has been an increased amount of attack on homosexuals in the country. It is best that you don't show any affection to your partner or tip off anything that may make locals think you are a homosexual.

Stay healthy

Avoid drinking tap water in older areas of major cities and in the countryside.


Almost all Poles dislike Poland being thought of as a "Holocaust Tourism Country". There's much more to Poland than just the Nazi concentration camps and World War II monuments. Likewise, avoid bringing up Nazi war crimes and the Soviet intervention in Poland during the early part of the war; millions of Polish people were killed during this bleak period and they are painful topics to the often-patriotic and proud Poles. They are less constrained when talking about the Communist period, which many show a love-hate relationship through its many different phases and often get nostalgic over it.

Touchy topics

  • World War II (mostly with the elderly people)
  • Polish-Russian, Polish-German and Polish-Austrian relations: Russia and Germany alike both crossed Polish soil on different occasions and wiped the country off the map between 1795 and 1918; Austria also took a slice of the south in Krakow. All three empires also ruthlessly crushed the Polish uprisings on 1830-31, 1848 and 1863-1864.
  • The Catholic Church - Poland fought and was occupied (or strongly influenced) by Protestant Prussia (later Germany), Protestant Sweden, Orthodox Russia, Muslim Turkey and atheist USSR- thus the Catholic faith was and for many still is a strong element of national identity, Pope John Paul II is considered by vast majority as national hero.
  • Poland's geographical borders; Poland's borders today (since 1945) are relatively the same ones which the country was born with during the Middle Ages.
  • Current political issues, which always end with heated debate among Poles.
  • Be careful when you bring up the issue of LGBT rights; more than 90% of Poland is Roman Catholic and many are deeply religious, especially outside of the large cities.

Uncommon customs

  • Take off your glove/mitten, stand up, and take your other hand out of your pocket before you shake hands with somebody (this also applies in many other countries).
  • Some men kiss (rather than shake) women's hands to greet them or fare them well. Kissing a woman's hand is considered to be more chivalrous, but of course be sure as not to insult the woman you're greeting if she prefers you not kiss her hand.
  • Some people will ask you to take your shoes off when you come to their home. Others will never let you do this even if you come in mid-winter bringing in all the snow on your boots. Use common sense and follow your host's practices.


  • Be aware that in Poland and throughout Europe comma is used as decimal point, and space to group numbers. eg. 10 500,46 zł is ten thousand five hundred zlotych and 46 groszy. Occasionally dot is also used as grouping character.


Public toilets run by cities were popular during the communist era, but most of them were closed down after transformation as expensive. From another point of view, most of them were in such poor condition that using them was a challenge. Some of them (often built underground) were rented out and now serve as restaurants or pubs.

Some toilets available to the public are decrepit, but those that require you to pay are often clean since they are normally tended to by attendants who regularly clean the toilets, sinks, and fill soap and toilet paper. Expect to pay 1 - 2 zł to use restrooms that charge for use. If there isn't any toilet paper in a stall ask the attendant.


All restaurants and bars are forced by law to have toilets inside (but not all comply). It's not a common practice to use their toilet without ordering (at least coffee), but if you ask a waiter, he wouldn't mind in most cases. Sometimes you have to get a key to the toilet at the counter. If there seems to be a lack of public toilets you may want to try to visit McDonald's (or another place) just to use the toilet, however, some places have implemented policies, such as requiring people to show the receipt before you can use the restroom, because of scale of that phenomenon.



Landline phones


There is also a number of smaller operators (Dialog, Netia, NOM, Energis). They are mainly serving the business market.

Mobile phones

There are four mobile phone operators in Poland: Plus GSM (code 260 01), Era (260 02), Orange (260 03) and Play. The last one is mainly using Plus GSM coverage network. Nearly all of the country's surface is covered by the standard European GSM 900/1800 MHz network. UMTS is available in some bigger cities.

Due to the introduction of virtual brands, some operators now have two names for their pre-paid services: Plus has Sami Swoi and Simplus, Era - Heyah and Tak Tak, Orange - Pop and Orange Go.

Domestic call rates are roughly the same across all services.

Polish telephone numbers

All telephone numbers in Poland are 10 digits long and start with 0, though many numbers are written the old way, that is often only the last 7 digits are listed, in which case you need to prefix the number with 0 and the area code. Now:

  • When calling from a landline telephone, the number starts with zero (except the emergency numbers).
  • When calling from a mobile phone, the number never starts with zero. Just omit it.

There are some special numbers, notably:


Also, texting (= sending SMSes) to:

  • 7xxx - Premium SMS, 2nd digit is cost in Zloty plus 22% tax, eg 72xx costs 2.44zł, 70xx is less than one Zloty.
  • 7xxxx - can cost quite much (again, read the fine print)
  • 8xxx - is toll-free

International calls

To call abroad from Poland:




  • buy "phone cards" for international calls
  • talk over the Internet


  • With your mobile phone you can use: CSD, HSCSD, GPRS or EDGE, but the cost may be unattracting. UMTS is only available in some bigger cities. If your phone is not SIM-locked, you may consider purchasing a pre-paid SIM card designed for data access. Inquire for one at the mobile operators' points of sales (hint: check PlusGSM's SimDATA). With Polish pre-paid plans the cost may be down to 0.3 PLN/1MB.
  • Wireless LAN Hot-Spots are available in distinct places, sometimes free, otherwise not very cheap. Best chances of finding one are at airports, railway stations, in cafés, and yes, shopping malls. You can ask in your hotel but prepare to pay.
  • Then, there're always those old-fashioned Internet cafés




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