A trip to Poland - five top destinations

Poland offers many interesting travel destinations - between historically significant cities and magnificent natural landscapes.

When traveling through Poland, a visit to the capital city of Warsaw is a must.

In 1980, Warsaw's Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The foundation of Warsaw's Old Town, the historic center of Warsaw, dates back to the 13th century.

The Old Town is bordered by the triangular Castle Square. On the east side of the Castle Square is the baroque Royal Castle from the 17th century, which also has Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements.

The Sigismund Column, which commemorates King Sigismund III. Vasa of Poland-Lithuania (1566 to 1632), who made Warsaw his capital in 1596.

The sights in Warsaw include numerous other palaces and castles as well as church buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist architectural styles.

Visit Krakow, the "secret cultural capital" of Poland. The capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship is located in the very south of Poland on the border with Slovakia. (The voivodeships form the highest administrative districts in the Republic of Poland).

Every year, well over 10 million tourists travel to Krakow. As Krakow remained largely undamaged during the Second World War, you can visit many historical buildings from different eras in their original state.

Most of Krakow's sights are located in the historic Old Town, which was rebuilt in 1241 after the Mongol invasion. The square Main Market Square was laid out in 1257, the year the city was founded.

The brick Gothic St. Mary's Basilica also dates back to the 13th century. The basilica reveals various architectural styles - from Gothic to Art Nouveau. Among the many works of art housed in the church building is the Marian altar by sculptor and painter Veit Stoß (1447 to 1533).

From Krakow, you can quickly reach the High Tatras National Park, which serves to protect the Polish part of the High Tatras mountain range.

The national park covers over 200 square kilometers and stretches close to the border with Slovakia. It takes two hours by bus or train to reach the protected area, which is just under 100 kilometers from Krakow.

One of the most beautiful cities in Poland is Wrocław, the former capital of Silesia and current capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Wrocław is located around 250 kilometers northwest of Krakow.

One of Wrocław's landmarks is the Wrocław Cathedral. The church building was erected between 1244 and 1341 in the Gothic style and subsequently rebuilt several times and reconstructed after destruction. Today's cathedral is the fourth church building on the same site.

Wroclaw's historic town hall, which is well worth seeing, is located on the "Great Ring", a square ensemble of buildings in the city center. The town hall, whose construction began in the 13th century, is one of the most impressive secular buildings built in the Gothic style in Central Europe and Poland.

The Wrocław City Palace served as the Silesian residence of the Hohenzollern kings. The oldest parts of the building date back to 1719. After Silesia fell to Prussia, Frederick II ("the Great") had the palace extended in 1850.

Poland fascinates not least with its natural landscapes. In the north-east of Poland lies Masuria, which includes not only the southern part of the former East Prussia, but also regions further south.

The Masurian Lake District has thousands of lakes near the Baltic Sea coast, which offer water sports such as sailing and kayaking, as well as hiking in the midst of unspoiled nature.