Poland, a country in Central Europe, has a wide variety of landscapes because of its location on the North European Plain, the Baltic Sea to the north, and a hilly area to the south.
While there is plenty of gorgeous scenery all around the country, the Swietokrzyskie and Beskids Mountain ranges stand out. The Masurian Lake District is especially noteworthy, as it is home to more than 3000 glistening lakes. Krakow and Gdansk, two of its major cities, have some of Europe’s most stunning old districts and are well worth the effort to find amid its various ecosystems.
16-Greater Poland (Wielkopolskie)
Greater Poland, which spans the country’s central and western regions, is immersed in history. As the area was under Prussian and German Empire administration for the whole of the 19th century, many of its cities retain a distinctively Germanic flavor.
This results in a fascinating array of different building styles being on display. Poznan, the region’s capital, and Gniezno, one of its most renowned attractions, both include stunning old towns and are home to a number of remarkable landmarks.
The Greater Poland Lakes in Wielkopolski National Park are one of the primary attractions of the lovely region, which consists mostly of unending farmland with picturesque villages strewn around.
15-Kuyavia-Pomerania (Kujawsko-Pomorskie)
Church in the city center in Greater Poland, Janowiec Wlkp. Image source: Piotr Wytrazek/Shutterstock.com
Located in the heart of Poland, the areas of Kujawy and Pomorze are home to some of the country’s most exquisite architecture.
Kuyavia-Pomerania boasts a lot of excellent environment, including rolling hills and sparkling rivers running through its patchwork-looking farms, despite the fact that old towns like Bydgoszcz, Torun, and Chelmno are some of the most popular destinations to visit in the area owing to their magnificent old towns.
Towns like Biskupin, which is also home to some fascinating ancient monuments, and Ciechocinek, a popular spa town, showcase the distinctive cultural legacy of Kuyavia-Pomerania, which was once controlled by numerous German states.
14-Lesser Poland (Malopolskie)
A breathtaking aerial view of Piwniczna-Zdroj, Poland. Image source: Curioso.Photography/Shutterstock.com
Lesser Poland, which is located in the south of Poland and shares a border with Slovakia, is the most visited part of the country. The stunning Tatra Mountains, the historic city of Krakow, and the terrifying Nazi-German concentration camp of Auschwitz all contribute to Poland’s popularity.
All around you, the Beskid, Jura, and Tatra mountain ranges rise majestically, and the area is dotted with no less than six national parks that showcase the country’s natural beauty.
Krakow (Poland’s second-largest city) and the solemn Auschwitz Memorial and Museum draw the most tourists, but the salt mines at Wieliczka and the spa resort at Rabka-Zdroj are other wonderful attractions in the area.
13-Lodz (Lodzkie)
Freedom Square, the main square in Lodz, Poland. Image source: Adam Kraska/Shutterstock.com
Located in the Central Polish Lowlands, not far from the Swietokrzyskie Mountains, this stunning area is centered around Lodz, the third-largest city in Poland.
The landscape parks of Lodz Hills, Przedborz, and Sulejow are especially enjoyable to visit, despite the fact that most of their terrain is extremely urbanized and industrialized.
The city of Lodz, with its amazing 19th-century industrial architecture, has the primary appeal, but Piotrkow Trybunalski and Lowicz, with their two charming market squares, are also well worth visiting. Many other once-thriving industrial towns in the area have fallen into disrepair yet retain an eerie beauty.
12-Lower Silesia (Dolnoslaskie)
A beautiful view of Wroclaw’s historic old town by the Odra River in Poland. Image source: ALEX_UGALEK/Shutterstock.com
Lower Silesia, in southern Poland, is home to an impressive variety of scenery, from the gently undulating Trebeznica Hills to the picturesque Jeleniogorska Valley and the mountainous Klodzko County.
Being so close to both the Czech Republic and Germany meant that the area alternated between Bohemian and Prussian authorities. Cities like Wroclaw, Boleslawiec, and Swidnica are excellent examples of this; they are packed with fascinating historical sites and cultural landmarks.
Lower Silesia has the ideal mix of historical sites, cultural attractions, and outdoor pursuits with its abundance of unspoiled natural landscapes in the Karkonosze and Stolowe Mountains national parks. One of the many attractions of this part of Poland is the abundance of wonderful spa towns.
11-Lublin (Lubelskie)
Lublin’s old town as seen from a bird’s eye view. Image source: g_art08/Shutterstock.com
Lublin, in eastern Poland, is a lush and beautiful region that shares a border with Belarus and Ukraine. Poleski National Park and Roztocze National Park are the best places to see the country’s magnificent wildlife.
Numerous Jewish Heritage Tours are available, showing tourists through the area’s many historic cities and cultural attractions, including the somber Belzec, a Nazi Germany extermination camp where many people from Lublin sadly ended there.
Lublin, the baroque town of Chelm, and Zamosc, with its outstanding Renaissance architecture, are among the best of the region’s numerous preserved historic centers.
10-Lubusz (Lubuskie)
A beautiful aerial view of the Old Town in Zary, Lubuskie Voivodeship, Poland. Image source: Dziajda/Shutterstock.com
Lubusz is a beautiful region tucked away in the western part of the country, just on the border with Germany. Its stunning surroundings are dotted with beautiful forests and lakes, and in the southern part of the country, you’ll find a lot of vineyards and wineries.
The city of Lubusz, the historical capital of the territory now known as Lubusz Land, is actually situated in Germany, where it is known as Lebus. Both regions and countries are split in half by the Oder River. In spite of the fact that the current border was established in 1945, this area and its towns have changed hands several times throughout the ages, resulting in a beautiful fusion of German, Polish, and Czech cultures.
Lubusz has a very low population, but the province’s two main towns, Gorzow Wielkopolski and Zielona Gora, are well worth a visit. Zielona Gora lies in the center of the country’s renowned wine region.
9-Masovia (Mazowieckie)
Most tourists who visit central Poland don’t go out of Warsaw, but Ciechanow’s majestic Gothic castle ruins and Plock’s charming old medieval center are well worth the trip out of the city.
Masovia is known for its abundance of nature, especially its stunning landscape parks such as Bug Landscape Park, Kozienice Landscape Park, and Kampinos National Park.
Of course, if you’re going to Poland, you should see Warsaw. Highlights of the dynamic city include the renovated old town as well as several historical sites, the enormous Palace of Culture and Science, and a thriving nightlife scene.
8-Opole (Opolskie)
It should come as no surprise that Opole, having been governed by the Poles, the Prussians, and the Austrian Hapsburgs, offers a variety of interesting historical attractions and cultural landmarks for you to check out. There is also Poland’s only German minority that lives in this area.
The city of Opole on the Odra River, the medieval town of Nysa, and the Renaissance town of Brzeg are just a few examples of the fascinating cultural diversity found in the region’s cities and villages. The most impressive of all is the magnificent Moszna Castle.
There are forested areas in Opole, but most of the city is made up of farmland, and the Opawskie Mountains Landscape Park has some breathtaking views.
7-Podlaskie (Podlaskie)
Podlaskie, in northeastern Poland, borders Lithuania and Belarus and is a beautiful, wild, and isolated region. Its extensive forest cover has given it the nickname “the Green Lungs of Poland.”
Given that its sparsely inhabited terrain is dotted with 88 natural reserves, the name is fitting. It also has four national parks that work to conserve the natural forests, which are home to a wide variety of animals. An abundance of bird life coexists with large mammals, including bison, lynx, moose, and wolves.
Bialystok and Tykocin in particular are home to many spectacular monuments and old buildings, despite the region’s lack of urban prominence.
6-Pomerania (Pomorskie)
Northern Poland’s Pomerania region has some of the country’s most beautiful Baltic coastline and is a popular vacation spot because of its abundance of charming seaside towns and quaint fishing villages.
Great things to see and do can be found in plenty in both Gdansk and Gdynia, the country’s two major cities. Many consider the former to be one of Europe’s most attractive cities due to its stunning historic center filled with Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture.
Pomerania’s long and narrow Hel Peninsula is a must-see, with sparkling waters and lovely beaches on each side, while Slowinski National Park is home to Europe’s largest sand dunes.
5-Silesia (Slaskie)
Silesia, in the south of Poland, is a historically significant area that has been partitioned up into smaller regions within Poland and even into neighboring Germany and the Czech Republic.
Wonderful natural scenery abounds throughout Silesia. Among the many outdoor activities available in Poland are rock climbing in the Jurassic Highlands, skiing in the Silesian Beskids at Szczyrk and Brenna, and hiking the Trail of the Eagle’s Nests, which passes through 25 medieval castles.
You can find many wonderful Polish cities and towns in Poland’s most populous area. Czestochowa is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations in the world for Roman Catholics, and both Katowice and Bielsko-Biala are fascinating to visit.
4-Subcarpathia (Podkarpackie)
Subcarpathia, in the country’s far southeast, is a mountainous paradise thanks to the presence of the Beskid and Bieszczady ranges. It’s also at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains.
As a result, its mountains and valleys provide excellent opportunities for hiking, and the sport of rock climbing is quite popular there. The region has some of the wildest and most isolated areas in all of Europe.
Subcarpathia’s capital and main city is Rzeszow on the Wislok River, although the region also includes the historic towns of Jaroslaw and Krosno.
3-Holy Cross Province (Swietokrzyskie)
The southern part of Holy Cross Province is very stunning, and it got its name from the breathtaking Swietokrzyskie mountain range that cuts across it. Much of it is undulating hills and farms, with some beautiful landscape parks thrown in for good measure.
Among its beautiful scenery are a number of health resorts and spa towns, the most well-known of which is Busko-Zdroj. a nature lover’s paradise, thanks to the breathtaking views that follow you everywhere you go.
Many visitors come to enjoy the region’s pristine natural beauty, but history buffs will appreciate the magnificent castle and palace in Kielce, as well as the medieval and Renaissance architecture in Sandomierz.
2-Warmia-Masuria (Warminsko-Mazurskie)
Northern Warmia-Masuria has a very limited coastline on the Bay of Puck, which is isolated from the open Baltic Sea by the Hel Peninsula due to its proximity to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad to the north and Pomerania with Gdansk to the west.
However, the area is most known for its many lakes, of which there are an incredible 3,000 in the region to explore and enjoy sports like swimming, sailing, and fishing.
There are several beautiful towns and cities hidden amid all the canals and shimmering lakes. Mikolajki, a beautiful town that serves as a gateway to the Great Masurian Lakes region, and the gothic old city of Olsztyn are both famous tourist destinations.
1-West Pomerania (Zachodniopomorskie)
West Pomerania, in the far northwest of Poland, has a stunning coastline along the Baltic Sea, dotted with excellent beaches. The area also features several lakes and forests.
West Pomerania is a popular destination for tourists since it is one of the greenest regions in the country. Its cities and towns have incredible examples of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture.
Szczecin and Koszalin are the most notable, but the gorgeous beaches in and around Swinoujscie, Kolobrzeg, and Darlowo make them all well worth a visit.
