The Republic of Poland is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east; Russia and the Baltic Sea to the north.
Climate
Poland has a moderate climate with both continental and maritime elements. This is due to humid Atlantic air which collides over its territory with dry air from the Eurasian interior.
landscape
The natural landscape of Poland can be broadly divided into three relief groups: lowlands, highlands, and mountains. The eastern extremes of Poland are typical for eastern Europe, while the rest of the country is more like western Europe by climate, structure and the character of its vegetation.
Poland’s landscape is very diversified.The Carpathian and the Sudety Mountains stretch in the south. Lowlands and uplands occupy the central part of the country. The northern part of Poland, comprising Pomeranian and Masurian Lakelands, is gently undulating, relatively well forested and covered by hundreds of lakes; still further to the north are the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea coast.
National Parks cover a mere 1% of Poland’s territory. But what a 1%! You can find everything there: mountains, sea, lakes. You can see bison, shifting sand dunes or the tree beneath which King Jagiello once rested. Water is one of Poland’s greatest riches. The often unappreciated queen, the Vistula, is the last of the great European rivers not to have been completely regulated.
Poland is also famous for its bogs and marshes, including the Biebrza Valley with the largest complex of low-lying peat bogs and the marshy valley of the Narew, Europe’s only anastomotic river, which seen from above resembles a loosely plaited braid. There is only one other river like this in the world: the Okawango river in Africa.
A pearl of nature renowned throughout Europe is the Puszcza Bialowieska – the last natural lowland forest on the continent, honoured with entries on both the List of Biosphere Reserves and the UNESCO list.
Capital
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. You will be truly fascinated by the history and atmosphere of this magnificent city, which combines the influences of Western and Eastern Europe, and where tradition meets modernity.Today Warsaw is a city with many faces where tradition intermingles with modernity. From the terrace on Zamkowy Square, where the Royal Castle and St. Anne’s Church are located, is a view of the new Świętokrzyski Bridge. The dominating silhouette of the city centre belongs to the Palace of Culture and Science, which today shares the city skyline with numerous office towers. You can feel the breath of history in the Old Town, on Nowy Świat Street and everywhere where the city’s roots have been preserved.
Cultural and heritage
The culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1000 year history. Its unique character developed as a result of its geography at the confluence of Western and Eastern Europe. The panorama of Poland culture has been adorned with rich heritage of art, music, dance and literature. The World Heritage List includes 830 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. The 13 places is located in Poland.
