Poland - Ba Lan

Poland is a country belonging to Europe. The capital is Warsaw. Poland is adjacent to the countries virtue, Slovakia, Czech, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia; an area of ​​312,685 km², a population of 38.56 million nearly pure ethnic Poles, most (95%) Roman Catholicism was introduced here when the first Polish state was formed in the 10th century. The territory of Poland has historically undergone many changes, the current border dates back to after the Second World War under the Yalta Agreement.

overview

History

The territory of Poland has historically undergone many changes, the current border dates back to after the Second World War under the Yalta Agreement. The country has a long Baltic coast and borders Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia (Kaliningrad province), Czech Republic, Belarus. The official language is Polish.

The nation of Poland was founded more than 1,000 years ago and reached its heyday near the end of the 16th century under the Jagiellonian Dynasty, when Poland was one of the largest, richest and most powerful countries. Europe. In 1791, the lower house of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth accepted the Constitution of 3 May, the first modern constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Europe and second in the world after the US Constitution. Soon after, the country ceased to exist after being divided by its neighbors Russia, Austria and Prussia.

Poland regained its independence in 1918 after World War I as the Second Polish Republic. After World War II the country became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union with the name of the People's Republic of Poland. In 1989 the first semi-free elections in post-war Poland ended Solidarity's struggle for freedom (Solidarność) as it defeated the communist rulers. The current Third Polish Republic was established a few years after a new constitution was created in 1997. In 1999 it joined NATO, and in 2004 it joined the Union. Europe.

Geography

Poland's geography includes almost all of the lowlands of the Nordic Plain, with an average elevation of 173 meters (568 ft), although the Sudetes (including Karkonosze) and the Carpathian Mountains (including the Tatra Mountains, where there are Poland's highest point, Rysy, 2,499 m or 8,199 ft) forms the southern border. Many great rivers flow across the plains; for example, Wisła, Odra, Warta (West) Bug. Poland has more than 9,300 lakes, mainly in the north of the country. Mazury is the largest and most visited lake in Poland. Remains of ancient forests remain: see List of forests in Poland, Bialowieza Forest. Poland has a mild climate, with cold, cloudy, mild winters and pleasant summers, often with showers and lightning.

Climate

Political regime

Cultural

Human

Region

City

• Warsaw — the capital of Poland, and one of the EU's thriving new business centers, the old town, almost completely destroyed in World War II, has been rebuilt in a style inspired by the classic paintings of Canalletto.
• Gdańsk — formerly known as Danzig, one of the cities Europe ancient and beautiful, rebuilt after world war II. Located in the heart of the Baltic coast, it's a great departure point to the many beach resorts along the coast.
• Katowice — the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, both an important commercial center and a cultural center.
• Krakow — the "cultural capital" of Poland and the historical capital of Poland during the Middle Ages, the center of the city filled with old churches, monuments, Europe The largest medieval market-place - and recent trendy pubs and art galleries. Its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Lublin — the largest city in Eastern Poland, it has a well-preserved old town with typical Polish architecture, along with unusual Renaissance elements.
• ódź — once famous for its textile industry, the "Polish Manchester" with the longest walking track Europe, the streets of Piotrkowska, full of picturesque 19th-century architecture.
• Pozna — merchant city, considered the birthplace of the Polish nation and the church (along with Gniezno), presents a mixture of architectures from all epoques.
• Szczecin — Pomerania's most important city with a large port, monuments, old parks and museums.
• Wroclaw — an ancient Silesian city with great history, set on 12 islands, it has more bridges than any other city in Europe, except for Venice, Amsterdam and Hamburg.

Other destinations

• Auschwitz - The Nazi concentration camp became the Holocaust center for European Jews during World War II. UNESCO World Heritage Site [1].
• Białowieża . National Park - a large area of ​​ancient forest stretching the border with Belarus. UNESCO World Heritage Site [2].
• Bory Tucholskie National Park - National park that protects the Tucholskie forest.
• Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - monastery in the Beskids from 1600 with Mannerist architecture and the Complicated Way. UNESCO World Heritage Site [3].
• Karkonoski National Park - national park in Sudety around Śnieżka mountain with its beautiful waterfall.
• Malbork - home of Malbork Castle, the beautiful large brick Gothic castle and one of the largest in Europe. UNESCO World Heritage Site [4].
• Słowiński . National Park - national park next to the Baltic Sea with the largest sand dunes in Europe
• Wieliczka Salt Mine - the oldest still in existence worldwide, this salt mine has been mined continuously since the 13th century. UNESCO World Heritage Site [5].
• Wielkopolski . National Park - national park in Greater Poland protecting the wildlife of Lake Wielkopolskie.

Arrive

Visa

Ba Lab is a member of the Schengen Agreement. There is no border control between countries that have signed and implemented international treaties - Union Europe (except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, visas issued to any Schengen member are valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But beware: not all EU members have signed the Schengen agreement, and not all Schengen members are part of the Union. Europe. This means that there may be a customs check location but no immigration check (traveling within the Schengen area but to/from a non-EU country) or you may have to clear immigration but no customs (traveling within the EU but to/from a non-Schengen country). Airports in Europe thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" areas, which in effect act as "domestic" and "international" parts elsewhere. If you are flying from outside Europe If you become a Schengen country and so on, you will clear immigration and customs in the first country and then proceed to your destination with no further checks. Travel between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in normal border checks. Note that regardless of whether you are traveling within the Schengen area or not, many airlines will insist on seeing your ID card or passport. Citizens of the EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) countries only need a valid national ID card or entry passport - otherwise they will need a long-stay visa at any time. People of non-EU/EFTA countries will usually A passport is required to enter a Schengen country and most will need a visa. Only nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania *, Andorra , Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia */**, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea snail, Taiwan *** (Republic of China), United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, additional British National (overseas), Hong Kong or Macao. Visa-free non-EU/EFTA visitors may not be able to stay more than 90 days in a 180-day period in the Schengen area in total, not being able to work during the break (although a Some Schengen countries do not allow certain nationalities to work - see below). People count the days from when you enter any country in the Schengen area and do not reset it by leaving a particular Schengen country for a Schengen country, or vice versa. However, New Zealand citizens can stay longer than 90 days if they only visit special Schengen countries.

By air

Most major European airlines fly to and from Poland. The national airline of Poland is LOT Polish Airlines [6], a member of Star Alliance, has a frequent flyer program Miles & More with a number of other star European Star Alliance members. Its domestic and short-haul subsidiary, Eurolot, operates all domestic routes and some international routes. Most other heritage carriers in Europe maintain at least one connection with Poland, and there are also some low cost airline fly to Poland including WizzAir [7], EasyJet [ http://easyjet.com], Germanwings [8], Norway [9] and Ryanair [10].

While there are many international airports throughout Poland, and international air travel is a constant increase, the airport of Warsaw is Chopin Airport (WAW) [11] remains the country's main international hub. It is the only airport that offers direct intercontinental flights - LOT flies to Beijing, Toronto, New York and Chicago, while Qatar Airways and Emirates flights to their hubs in the Middle East, allowing connections to their extensive international networks. Most European airlines will also offer a connection to Warsaw, allowing you to take advantage of connecting flights through their hubs.

Warsaw is also the only Polish city to have two international airports - Modlin Airport (WMI) is located near Warsaw and is often used by low-cost airlines. Due to technical problems, the airport remained closed in the first half of 2013 and all Warsaw land-bound flights at Chopin Airport. This may change Modlin's official reopening allocation.

Other major airports served by airlines offering intercontinental connections include:

• Krakow (KRK) [12] - via Vienna, Rome, Moscow, Berlin, Helsinki, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich and Warsaw
• Katowice (KTW) [13] - via Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Warsaw
• Gdańsk (GDN) [14] - via Berlin, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Oslo and Warsaw
• Pozna (POZ) [15] - via Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Warsaw
• Wroclaw (WRO) [16] - via Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen
• Rzeszów (RZE) [17] - via Frankfurt and Warsaw
• ódź (LCJ) [18] - via Copenhagen (due to proximity to Warsaw Chopin Airport, there are no flights to Warsaw from Łódź)

Smaller regional airports that offer international flights include:

• Bydgoszcz (BZG) [19] (intercontinental connection via Warsaw)
• Szczecin (SZZ) [20] (intercontinental connection via Warsaw)
• Lublin (LUZ) [21], opened in late 2012, served by Wizz Air and Ryanair, with a seasonal connection to Gdansk by Eurolot
• Radom () [22], will open in late 2013 and may be served only by low-cost airlines.

By train

Direct connection [23] with:

• Berlin, EuroCity "Berlin-Warszawa-Express (BWE)", 4 trains per day, 5.5 hours, EuroCity "Wawel" to Krakow, everyday, 10 o'clock
• Amsterdam, through the Cologne, Hanover, EuroNight "Jan Kiepura", daily,12 o'clock
• Kiev via Lviv, Night train, 16 hours
• Vienna, Night train "Chopin", every day, 9 hours', EuroCity "Sobieski", daily, 6 o'clock, EuroCity "Polonia", every day, 8 o'clock
• Prague, Night train "Chopin", EuroCity "Praha", every day, 9.5 hours
• Moscow, Night train "Ost-West", every day, 20.5 hours

By car

By bus

By boat

Go

Language

The official language of Poland is Polish. Foreign visitors should know that almost all official information is usually only in Polish. Street signs, directions, information signs, etc. are often only in Polish, and schedules and announcements at train and bus stations are also in Polish (airports and some major train stations seem to be an exception). When it comes to informational signs in museums, churches, etc., signs in many languages ​​are usually found only in popular tourist attractions.

Most young people and teenagers know English well enough. Because English is taught from a very young age (some people start learning as early as 4 years old), only Poles who grew up in isolated towns or communities are not allowed to learn English. Older Poles, however, especially those outside the main cities, know little or no English at all. However, chances are they speak either French, German or Russian (however, if you use Russian when asking a Polish person, first say you don't know Polish and that's why) you speak Russian - using Russian as an official Polish language was done as an offense as a result of the Russian occupation and the time of communism), Russian was was taught in schools as the primary foreign language until the 1990s.

Russian, with many similarities with Polish has now been largely abandoned, but German is still taught in schools throughout the country, and is especially popular in the Western counties. Ukrainian also has many similarities with Polish.

Contrary to some other tourist attractions, where native speakers mock how bad it is to use foreigners when speaking their mother tongue, Polish people generally sympathize with foreigners who learn Polish or at least It's best to try to learn, even if it's just a few phrases. Young Poles will also take the opportunity to practice their English.

Poland's recent history has made it a very homogenous society today, in contrast to its long history of ethnic-religious diversity, almost 99% of the population today is ethnically Polish. , before World War II, it was only 69% with large minorities, mainly Ukrainians, Belorussians, and Germans and less than two-thirds Roman Catholic with Orthodox and Protestant minorities big is good.

Poland also had the largest Jewish community in Europe: estimates varied as at 10% to 30% of the Polish population at the time. Outside the touristy areas of major cities, you will find that there are very few foreigners. Most of the immigrants in Poland (mainly Ukrainians and Vietnamese) live in big cities for work. The small group of modern Polish ethnic minorities are Germans, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Silesians and Kashubians all speaking Polish and few regional dialects remain except in the south and in small patches of the Baltic coast.

Shopping

Expense

Food

Famous Polish dishes include bigos, kiełbasa, barszcz (red beet soup), czernina (duck blood soup), schabowy z kapustą, pierogi, gołąbki and many other potato dishes.

Drinks

Accommodation

Learn

Do

Safe

Medical

To respect

Contact

This tutorial is just an outline, so it needs more information. Have the courage to modify and develop it !