Attractions: When sightseeing around Poland you'll find all the hallmarks of
European charm in abundance: alpine mountains, historic buildings,
resplendent lakes, lush meadows, untainted beaches and, as a
less-than-rosy bonus, the setting for some key events from the
Second World War. The capital of Warsaw was the first city to fall to Hitler and
had to be almost completely rebuilt after the 1944 invasion. Parts
of the Old Town were built to replicate the city as it had stood in
the 17th and 18th centuries and is the site of the Historical
Museum of Warsaw, a salute to the city's violent past. About two hours north of Warsaw is the Bialowieza Primaeval
Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is one of the last
remnants of the European primeval forest. Further north we find
another rare vestige of olden Europe, the Gothic Castle in Malbork,
the largest and most impressive brick fortress in Europe. There are
several other wooden and stone churches, temples and other
constructs throughout Poland's vast and glorious countryside, which
can be chartered by bus or train. An overview of the must-sees of Poland would not be complete
without a mention of the most significant landmark of the country's
violent past, Auschwitz - Hitler's biggest and most notorious
concentration camp.
|