Product Description

Now in its 6th edition this Rough Guide has been fully updated and revised. Its 24-page full-colour section introduces the author's “things not to miss”, a selective taste of the country's highlights: outstanding buildings, and historic sites, natural wonders and vibrant festivals. Throughout, there are discerning reviews of all the best places to stay, eat and drink, to suit any budget, from the fast-changing cities of Warsaw and Krakow to the laid-back lakeside resorts of Mazuria. There is extensive coverage of the countryside, from Slowinski National Park's sand dunes to the alpine Tatra mountains, with practical advice on how to explore it. Finally, the Contexts section provides an authoritative background on the country's politics, history, literature and folk music.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #234134 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 720 pages

About the Author
Jonathan Bousfield is an experienced freelance writer and author of Rough Guides to Croatia, the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Austria and a regular contributor to the Rough Guide to Europe.

Excerpted from Poland: the Rough Guide by Mark Salter, Gordon McLachlan. Copyright © 1999. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Where to go

Poles delineate their country's attractions as "the mountains, the sea and the lakes", their emphasis firmly slanted to the traditional, rural heartlands. To get the most out of your time, it's perhaps best to follow their preferences. The mountains - above all the Carpathian range of the Tatras - are a delight, with a well-established network of hiking trails; the lakes provide opportunities for canoeing and a host of other outdoor pursuits; and the dozen or so national parks retain areas of Europe's last primeval forests, inhabited still by bison, elks, wolves, bears and eagles. Yet you will not want to miss the best of the cities - Krak-w, especially - nor a ramble down rivers like the Wis'a for visits to Teutonic castles, ancient waterside towns and grand, Polish country mansions, redolent of a vanished aristocratic order. The ethnic regions offer insights into cultures quite distinct from the Catholicism of the majority, while the former centres of the Jewish community, and the concentration camps in which the Nazis carried out their extermination, are the most moving testimony to the complexity and tragedy of the nation's past.

Unless you're driving to Poland, you're likely to begin your travels with one of the three major cities: Warsaw, Krak-w or Gda7sk. Each provides an immediate immersion in the fast-paced changes of the 1990s and a backdrop of monuments that reveal the complexities of the nation's history.

Warsaw, the capital, had to be rebuilt from scratch after World War II, and much of the city conforms to the stereotype of Eastern European greyness, but the reconstructed Baroque palaces, churches and public buildings of the historic centre, the burgeoning street markets and the bright shopfronts of Poland's new enterprise culture are diverting enough. Krak-w, however, the ancient royal capital, is the real crowd puller for Poles and foreign visitors alike, rivalling the Central European elegance of Prague and Vienna. This is the city where history hits you most powerfully, in the royal Wawel complex, in the fabulous open space of the Rynek, in the one-time Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, and in the chilling necropolis of nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau, the bloodiest killing field of the Third Reich. Gdansk, formerly Danzig, the largest of the Baltic ports and home of the legendary shipyards, presents a dynamic brew of politics and commerce against a townscape reminiscent of mercantile towns in the Netherlands.

German and Prussian influences abound in the north of the country, most notably in the austere castles and fortified settlements constructed by the Teutonic Knights at Malbork, Chemno and other strategic points along the River Wisa - as the Vistula is known in Poland. Torun is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful of the old Hanseatic towns here.

Over in the east, numerous minority communities embody the complexities of national boundaries in Central Europe. The one-time Jewish centre of Bialystok, with its Belarusian minority, is a springboard for the eastern borderlands, where onion-domed Orthodox churches stand close to Tartar mosques. Further south, beyond Lublin, a famous centre of Hassidic Jewry, and Zamosc, with its magnificent Renaissance centre, lie the homelands of Ukrainians, Lemks and Boyks - and a chance to see some of Poland's extraordinary wooden churches.

In the west, ethnic Germans populated regions of the divided province of Silesia, where Wrocaw sustains the dual cultures of the former German city of Breslau and the Ukrainian city of L'viv, whose displaced citizens were moved here at the end of World War II. The other main city in western Poland is the quintessentially Polish Pozna9, a vibrant and increasingly prosperous university town.

Despite its much-publicized pollution problems - problems it is now finally making a serious attempt to address - Poland has many regions of unspoilt natural beauty, of which none is more pristine than the Biaowie3a Forest, straddling the Belarusian border; the last virgin forest of the European mainland, it is the habitat of the largest surviving herd of European bison. Along the southern borders of the country lie the wild Bieszczady mountains and the alpine Tatras and further west, the bleak Karkonosze mountains - all of them excellent walking country, interspersed with less demanding terrain. North of the central Polish plain, the wooded lakelands of Mazury and Pomerania are as tranquil as any lowland region on the continent, while the Baltic coast can boast not just the domesticated pleasures of its beach resorts, but also the extraordinary desert-like dunes of the Slowinski Park - one of a dozen National Parks.

When to go

Spring is arguably the ideal season for some serious hiking in Poland's mountainous border regions, as the days tend to be bright - if showery - and the distinctive flowers are at their most profuse. Summer, the tourist high season, sees plenty of sun, particularly on the Baltic coast, where the resorts are crowded from June to August and temperatures consistently around 24C. The major cities can get pretty stifling at these times, with the effects of the heat compounded by the influx of visitors; accommodation can be tricky in the really busy spots, but a good network of summer hostels provides a low-budget fall-back.

Autumn is the best time to come if you're planning to sample the whole spread of the country's attractions: in the cities the cultural seasons are beginning at this time, and the pressure on hotel rooms is lifting; in the countryside, the golden "Polish October" is especially memorable, the rich colours of the forests heightened by brilliantly crisp sunshine that's often warm enough for T-shirts.

In winter the temperatures drop rapidly, icy Siberian winds blanketing many parts of the country with snow for anything from one to three months. Though the central Polish plain is bleak and unappealing at the end of the year, in the south of the country skiers and other winter-sports enthusiasts will find themselves in their element. By mid-December the slopes of the Tatras and the other border ranges are thronged with holidaymakers, straining the established facilities to the limit.

Customer Reviews

Essential companion
I opted for the Rough Guide after reading the negative reviews of the Lonely Planet, and was not disappointed. There is a wealth of historical and cultural information as well as the usual accommodation, restaurant and sights. All the info was well presented and structured and easy to read considering the sheer amount.

I was travelling with 2 Poles as well as other Brits and they were impressed with the accuracy of the guide, even learning something themselves! We tried several of the recommended restaurants in Krakow and found all the descriptions to be accurate, and also some fantastic nightspots that we would never have found otherwise. The guide even told us how many trains a day ran, which was handy when half the party missed the train back to Warsaw.

A great guide, the only downside being that my travelling companions got mildly annoyed by my constant 'interesting' titbits.

In Very Good Company
Bousfield's and Salter's "Poland" is a very good travel companion to everyone around in Poland; the book is full of practical and historical information (which is very accurate, as far as I could ascertain) and written with a good dose of wit.
And mind, I am saying this as a German and can tell you that the English-speaking world should be proud of guides like this one. German travel guides come, in most cases, with many high-res photos but with only very superficial practical information and with much condensed information on people, places and monuments. So the near-absence of photos and plates in the Rough Guide to Poland is to be welcomed because the visitor needs to get to know a place by being said something about it; there is actually little need for visual presentation in a travel guide (if you want to get to know Poland via colour plates, buy yourself an illustrated book and stay at home...). To sum up: A very good travel companion and enjoyable to read. - And yet another advantage of being German and having a British travel guide at hand in Poland: The dreadful episodes of WW II and the countless Nazi crimes are presented and commented upon in Bousfield's guide in a very objective and straightforward manner, quite different from the self-abasing (yet ultimately slightly hypocritical) manner to be found in many German guides to Poland. There is, therefore, much painful objectivity in Bousfield's book, yet lacking the appaling effect of the German "Schuldkomplex" - and this is much to the credit of his guide as well. So, in case you are German (or Austrian or Swiss for that matter) and reading this, get yourself this guide rather than any of "our" travel handbooks and find about about Poland!

A great introduction to Poland
This article refers to this new edition of the Rough Guide to Poland.

What I like about Rough Guides is that as well as giving you potted information about sights and attractions they are very strong on historical and cultural contexts. This edition is a balanced overview a fascinating country.

The introduction of the book gives you some 'must sees' and 'when to go' advice. For those interested in Krakow I would recommend travelling in late Spring when the weather is warm and you beat the crush of tourists.
The main part of the book is split up into Poland's different regions. There are chapters on Warsaw, Silesia, Krakow etc.

I went to Warsaw but mainly stuck to the Krakow area. I found the information on this area very useful and I used it as a basis of my trip. At the end of each section there is information regarding train/plane times. I found this essential, and Rough Guides are the best in this respect.

Places are always being touted as the 'next Prague' but I think Krakow comes the closest. It truly is a beautiful place. The main square brought me back time and time again. The place has such a great ambiance and I especially liked the classical street music. If I did have a slight grievance it is that many of the wonderful churches seemed to have constant services and the museums have strange opening hours, so watch out for times. One of the most interesting days was wandering around the district of Kazimierz, away from the crowds, highly recommended. The nightlife in Krakow is also excellent with over 100 pubs and great restaurants! Overall, it is one of the most enjoyable destinations you can head for.

There are lots of possible excursions, and to the south there are the beautiful Tatras mountains. Many fellow travellers recommended the mountain town of Zakopane to me, and there are the famous saltmines of Wielicza which appeared on the recent BBC show 'Around the World in 80 Treasures'

Nearby, Auschwitz-Birkenau is one of the most moving places I have been to. The first camp (Auschwitz), where the museum is, is sadly crushed with tourists on tour groups (some of them not showing much respect). I would reccommend skipping the short guided tour and walk around the museum at your own pace- it can be very emotional, and you need time to reflect. Birkenau is completely different and the majority of the murder took place there. I will never forget the size of the place. I don't think you can explain it to people. Because there are less tourists here, you could really reflect and contemplate the past. In some places there was no one around. I believe that everyone should go at least once in their lifetime, the place speaks for itself.

Another reason I liked this guidebook is it's 'reading list' towards the back of the book. In this section, the editor recommends reading material. Using this as a cue I read the various books on Polish history which really brought it's interesting and often tragic past to life. I particulary reccommend Norman Davies' 'Rising 44'.
On several occasions on I leant my book to fellow travellers as the historical and cultural sections were much more instructive then the LP guide books.

My only slight criticisms are that Rough Guides can sometimes be a bit political and left field. Readers are not stupid. Without out this it would be perfect. Also, the photographs are extremely dated and seem to originate from the Communist era.

All in all, I found this guide to be very useful. You can enjoy reading it before your trip to Poland, and as invaluable and entertaining read (especially on the long journeys) whilst you are there.

Poland is a cheap, safe, fascinating country with lots to reccommend it.

Enjoy your trip!