5 Polish regions to visit with your children
When it comes to summer vacation, most people decide to go to the seaside. And although nobody can deny that the Baltic sea resorts have their special charm, they are usually crowded and noisy, and it’s difficult to stay away from they ever-present „attractions” – which never fail to tempt children and have no mercy for the parents’ wallets.
So, instead of taking the most popular full-season destination once again, maybe you should think about something different? We recommend 5 less popular tourist regions, which might be a great vacation suggestion for the entire family.
1.The wilderness and National Parks, a.k.a. the green Podlasie
Not long ago, this place was treated as B category Poland, but now, there are more and more families with children eager to explore it. The Biebrza Valley, the Biebrza National Park, the Białowieża National Park, the Knyszyn Wilderness and the Wigry National Park are perfect places for an active vacation: long walks, bicycle trips, kayaking trips. Apart from the incredibly picturesque landscapes and places with practically primitive nature, this is also an amazingly interesting area in terms of culture. In the border regionh you can find Tatar monuments, Jewish monuments, Russian monuments and of course, Polish monuments. There are two tourist walking trails in Podlasie dedicated to the Polish Tatars – the Big Tatar Trail (57 kilometers) and the Small Tatar Trail (19 kilometers). They both cross through the famous Tatar village of Kruszyniany, where you can see the Tatar mosque and the Muslim cemetery. Meanwhile, the 4 villages of Narew, Trześcianka, Puchły and Soce are places, where you can find Russian monuments, including orthodox churches. Together, these villages create the so-called „Land of Open Windows”.
There are also plenty other attractions – in the regio of Augustów you can go for a tourist cruise through the Augustów Lake District, and in Ełk or at Lake Wigry – ride the narrow-gauge railway. There are more and more organized agrotourtism places eing created, where families with children will have no problem finding not only accommodation, but also delicious, regional, and often also ecological food. This is a perfect place to take a break from the noise and crowds of the big city and go for a slow-styled vacation.
2.Kaszuby for fans of cycling
The nature in Kaszuby is phenomenal! In this area there are nearly 700 lakes, more than 50 nature reserves, two national parks and four landscape parks. There are four rivers flowing through Kaszuby: Wda, Słupia, Wierzyca and Radunia. In the northern part they almost grapple the Baltic Sea areas (Tricity and Puck), while in the southern part they reach Bory Tucholskie. This is a perfect place for fans of walking and cycling trips. For younger children, we recommend the surroundings of Mechowo, where little ones can take a short and simple tourist trail, at which you can find various grottos and caves.
Older children mightb enjoy the Kashubian Etnographic Museum. Where you can admire the reconstructions of the Kashubian cottages, court buildings, windmills, churches and buildings of local craftsmen, as well as the Centre of Education and Region Promotion in Szymbark, where apart from the Upside Down House, children can have fun at the playground, the rope park and ride a horse. Another interesting adventure might be the labyrinths in the town of Bliziny – this is a great opportunity to practice logical thinking and field orientation. The greatest attraction is the corn labyrinth, which takes up a huge area – there are 4.5 kilometers of paths located on 3 hectares of ground!
While visiting Kaszuby, you just have to try regional treats; the icon of this region is the Kashubian birch soup (prepared from dried fruit with noodles and with the addition of milk or sour cream) and the Kashubian rutabaga soup. You should also try the Kashubian strawberries – somee people say
that this is the place where they taste better than anywhere else in Poland!
3.Silesian gold and walking in the clouds
Although this place is associated mostly with mining and bad air quality, it might also be a great place for a vacation escapade. The area of Lower Silesia is especially picturesque; the Sowie Mountains, the Stołowe Mountains and the Kłodzko Valley are great places for wandering and climbing. Youngest tourists are sure to be delighted with hte Rocky Town in the Stołowe Mountains (Aspardch, Czech Republic) or Błędne Skały at the Polish side, where you can admire natural rocky constructions and squeeze through rocky slots.
At the walking trails of the Kłodzko Valley (in Międzygórze) children can visit the Fable Garden with well known characters (including those from the times of their parents’ youth). For those who are searching for peace and relaxation, a perfect place will be the Japanese Garden by Lewino Kłodzkie.
Apart from the active vacation in the surroundings of nature, Lower Silesia can also offer something for young adventure seekers! The Gold Mine, the Uranium Mine and the Podgórze Mine in Kowary, which are actually an underground tourists route, are attractions guaranteed to draw the attention of preschoolers and early-school aged children. Other places that are worth seeing include the famous Czocha Castle, and the not less known Książ Castle, as well as the Railway Museum in Jaworzyna Śląska. The artistic soul should definitely go to Wolimierz, where the headquarters of the Klinika Lalek Theatre is located.
Meanwhile, an undoubtedly interesting experience at the Czech side might be a walk in the clouds in the town of Dolni Morava, which is walking through the 55-meter high tower, located at the slope of the Slamnik Mountain, at the height of 1116 meters abovev the sea level. At the feet of the construction there is a fantastic, Montessori-styled „fun fair” – the Morava Water Park. There, you can find movable wooden constructions, wooden houses, slides, labyrinths and swings. This is a wonderful place where people of any age are sure to find something special!
4.An idyllic summer in Warmia and Mazury
Peaceful village, happy vilage… This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of vacation in Mazury. The idyllic landscape, peace and quiet and more than 2000 lakes – you probably don’t need anything more to get convinced to take a break from the everyday life in the crowded city. Apart from lots of attractions for fans of water sports (kayaking trips, sailboats, water bikes etc.) and perfect areas for walking and riding a bicycle, Mazury are also full of other propositions. In the Piska Wilderness, the Wild Animal Park was created – this is one of the last places in Poland, where we can get a chance to observe wild animals in conditionsc that are similar to the natural ones. Meanwhile, in the Borecka Wilderness, in the village of Wolisko you can visit the European Bison Park. For fans of nature topics there is also a place called „Bociania Wieś” in Żywkowo – we can find 60 stork nests in 9 farms! Not far from Giżycko we can find the Indian Museum with a reconstruction of an Indian village. Children can also test themselves in skill games and takes part in various organized events.
For fans of history and knight atmosphere we recommend a trip to the surroundings of Grunwald – there we can see shows of knight tournaments and a reconstruction oif the battle at Grunwald, and in the town of Strębark you can visit the Museum of the Battle at Grunwald. On a rainy day you can go to the planetarium in Olsztyn, were special shows for childrren are organized.
5.Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska for fans of big thrills
People who enjoy active vacation, should plan a family trip to the surroundings of Kraków. Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska is a perfect place ot begin your adventure with walking trips, climbing and bicycling. There are plenty attractions waiting for younger and older tourists, including the Eagle Nest Trail, which is a 163-kilometer tourist route, extending from Częstochowa all the way to Kraków. On this route we can find several castles and strongholds, such as the Orgodzieniec Castle, the Bobolice Castle and the ruins of the Ojców Castle. Another interesting place is the Błędowska Desert (currently overgrown, but still interesting). 100 years ago, this was the placec where a mirage and sand storm were noticed, and 50 years ago, preparation practices for fights in the Sahara were organized here. A perfect place for walking trips will be the Ojców National Park, which is famous for numerous grottos and caves. Meanwhile, in Częstochowa you might be interested in visiting the only Match Museum in Europe and hte Railway History Museum.