Central Poland is split into northern lowlands and southern uplands, including the Kraków-Wielun Upland with its limestone areas, caves and medieval castles. The Carpathian Mountains, including the Tatras, lie in the extreme south; their mountain scenery, folklore and sports facilities contributing to their charm.
Poland is a nation with a proud cultural heritage, and theatre, music and opera companies abound. The former textile city of Lodz is proud of its film school, alma mater to directors Roman Polanski and Krzysztof Kieslowski. There is also a strong tradition of graphic design and glassware.
Although the native soil for composer Frederick Chopin, scientist Marie Curie (neé Skladowska) and astronomer Nicholas Copernicus, Poland is best remembered for being the birthplace of the former Soviet bloc's first officially recognised independent mass political movement when strikes at the Gdansk shipyard in August 1980 led to agreement with the authorities on the establishment of the Solidarnosc (Solidarity) trade union.

There are a lot of big cities in Poland that are worth seeing. Most of them have a flourishing medieval history.

•  Warszawa - the biggest city and capital of Poland, and one of the EU's thriving new business centers. The old town, demolished during World War II, has been rebuilt in a style inspired by classicist paintings of Canalletto.
•  Kraków - the "cultural capital" of Poland, and its historical capital during its formative years in the Middle Ages. In modern times Krakow became one of the largest tourism centers in Europe. The historical center is filled with old churches and many monuments, the largest European medieval market-place, and plenty of magical pubs and cafes; all attract millions of visiors from around the world each year. Its location is a great starting point for trips of any kind.
•  Gniezno - first capital of Poland in the 10th and 11th centuries. Well-preserved monuments from that period, as well as a medieval Old Town and many monuments from later epochs.
•  Łódź - once renowned for its textile industries, the "Polish Manchester" has the longest walking street in Europe, the Piotrkowska Street, full of picturesque 19th-century architecture.
•  Wrocław - the old Silesian city presents a perfect mixture of Gothic and baroque architecture which is one of the biggest and finest in Europe (the number of churches is even greater than in Kraków); it was also destroyed during World War II and successfully rebuilt. Placed on 12 islands, it has more bridges than any other European town except Venice, Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg.
•  Gdańsk - one of the old, beautiful European cities, right on the Baltic coast. Although it was destroyed in World War II, it has been perfectly rebuilt. The city is a good departure point to the many sea resorts along the north coast.
•  Szczecin - one of the most important cities in Pomerania since the Middle Ages. An enormous harbour, monuments and old parks in the centre, museums, etc.

Gdansk	River
Mazury	zakopane