Little known places in Poland.
7 unusual places everyone should see
The Azure Lake referred to as „The Polish Maldives”, The Crooked Forest covered with deformed pine trees, the Colorful Lakes, whith surprising colors of the water and the gorgeous Lavender Fields – these are some of the very few, incredible places located in Poland. Without a doubt, each of these places is unique in its very own way. And all of them are worth seeing.
Poland is undoubtedly home to many special, one of a kind places. Some of these attractions are strongly besieged by countless tourists each year. However, there are other places, which are not that hugely popular, yet they should have no problem competing with tourist attractions from other countries.
The Azure Lake in the Przykona community
Light sand, azure water and paradise views – although such a landscape might make you think of the Caribbean, we can also find it in Poland. The Azure Lake, sometimes called the „Polish Maldives”, was created in Greater Poland, in the Przykona community. Why does the water have such a color? The Azure Lake looks beautiful thanks to its huge amount of calcium carbonate. That’s because this water reservoir was created in the place of of the former lignite mine.
Today, this place is an original tourist attraction – people who pass by are eager to take a commemorative photo and post it in the social media. But because of the strongly alkaline composition of the water, swimming is strictly prohibited. Walking too close to the coastlie is not recommended either, because it is quite slushy and unstable. However, there is a viewing point (at the height of of 115 meters above the sea level) in the northern part of the lake.
The Colorful Lakes in Rudawy Janowickie
The Colorful Lakes, or actually the four ponds, are located not far from the village of Wieściszowice, in the Lower Silessia. The secret of this place’s uniqueness lies in the unusual colors of the lakes and the surrounding of wonderful nature. The four water reservoirs were created in place of the former German mines. When the mines were gone, nature could finally speak up. The water covered the former excavation areas, creating artificial lakes. The color of the water in these areas depends on the chemical composition of the subsoil.
When you get there, you can see the Green Lake (also calles the Emerald Lake), the Blue Lake, the Purple lake and the Yellow Lake. They are located on various heights and are part of the green tourist trail, which runs from the village of Wieściszowice to Wielka Kopa – the highest peak of the eastern part of the Rudawy Janowickie range. Today, the Colorful Lakes are conisdered one of the natural wonders of Poland.
The Land of Open Windows in Trześcianka
The Land of Open Windows is actually a trail leading through the villages of Trześcianka, Soce and Puchły (In Podlasie) The atmosphere of this place is created by the character of the villages, which are famous for their peculiar culture with visible eastern influences. Ancient architecture, beautiful wooden churches, small, monumental chapels, a dialect, which can still be heard today… and a calmer way of life.
An advantage of the place is the fact, that it is still little known, undiscovered.
The Crooked Forest in Nowe Czarnowo
This is one of the most surprising and mysterious forests in Poland. It is located in the surroundings of the village of Nowe Czarnowo, in the zachodniopomorskie region. Why is this place so unique? Here you can see almost 100 pine trees growing against the laws of nature – they bend under the angle of 90 degrees, creating the shape of the letter „C”.
The creation of the Crooked Forest is shrouded in countless legends, but there are very little references confirmed by historical sources. The age of the pine trees that create the Crooked Forest are estimated for more than 85 years – they were probably planted around 1934. Today, it is difficult to give an unequivocal reason why the trees were deformed. It is certain however, that this was a result of mechanical damages. Today, the „Crooked Forest” is officially a nature monument
The Lavender Fields in Warmia
The lavender Plantation is located in the small village of Nowe Kawkowo, not far from Olsztyn. This place is sometimes referred to as the „Polish Provence”. The aromatic lavender became an inseparable part of Warmia’s landscape back in 2001. Three years later, the Living Lavender Museum of Jacek Olędzki was created in a wooden house At the bottom floor there is an exhibit dedicated to lavender, and in the attic, finished bouquets are drying.
The best time to visit the lavender plantations is in the summer (between mid-June and the second half of July) – that’s when the purple color covers the entire field. It makes the landscapes look spectacular.
The underground waterfall in Złoty Stok
This is th only underground waterfall in Poland and one of the largest ones in Europe. It is approximately 8 meters high and located in the „Czarna” groove, in the former gold mine in Złoty Stok. To get to the waterfall, you need to climb down the metal steps seven floors below.
The cascade is beautifully illuminated, creating an incredible atmosphere.
The bridges in Stańczyki
The railway bridges in Stańczyki make an enormous impression on visitors. Both viaducts are 36 meters high and 200 meters long. Meanwhile, the design of the pillars was based on… roman aqueducts. The bridges were built in 1917, and are today included in the register of motionless monuments of the warmińsko-mazurskie region. Most recently, the bridges were also used in bungee jumps.