Attractions
Attractions in Poland
The sights worth building a day around.
Poland's attractions run from the medieval market squares of Krakow and Wroclaw to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Teutonic castle at Malbork. Each page below covers what the place is, how long to spend and how to get there, grouped by city.
All Attractions in Poland
Olsztyn
Garrison Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland
Olsztyn's military garrison church, an early 20th-century Neo-Gothic brick building known for its tall red-brick tower and its organ from an Elbląg workshop.
Poznań
Adam Mickiewicz University Botanical Garden
A 22-hectare university botanical garden in Poznań's Ogrody district, home to around 7,000 plant taxa across roughly ten themed sections and free to walk.
Toruń
Dąmbski Palace (Pałac Dąmbskich)
A Baroque palace on Żeglarska Street in Toruń's Old Town, built in the late 17th century for a Dąmbski bishop and known for its ornate sculpted façade. It now houses the Kuyavia-Pomerania Music Theatre.
Warsaw
Neon Museum
The Neon Museum in Warsaw preserves the glowing signs of Poland's communist era, with more than 100 restored neons on display at its home in the Palace of Culture and Science.
Wrocław
National Forum of Music
A modern concert hall complex on Freedom Square in Wrocław, opened in 2015 and known for the acoustics of its 1,800-seat main auditorium.
Zakopane
Wladyslaw Hasior Gallery
A branch of the Tatra Museum in Zakopane devoted to avant-garde artist Wladyslaw Hasior, showing his banners, assemblages and sculptures built from found and everyday materials.
Zamość
Monument to Jan Zamoyski
An equestrian statue of Jan Zamoyski, the Crown Chancellor and Grand Hetman who founded Zamość, standing on the square in front of the Zamoyski Palace.
Białowieża
Execution Site Memorial (Miejsce Straceń)
A memorial at a former gravel pit near Białowieża marking the wartime execution of around 500 local people by Nazi German forces. It is one of the village's most important places of remembrance.
Gdańsk
Great Armoury (Wielka Zbrojownia)
The Great Armoury is an ornate former arsenal in Gdansk's Main Town, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Dutch Mannerist architecture in the city. Its richly decorated facades now front the Academy of Fine Arts and a shopping arcade.
Katowice
Silesian Centre for Freedom and Solidarity (Wujek Mine Memorial)
A museum beside the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice that commemorates the nine striking miners shot dead by riot police on 16 December 1981, and tells the wider story of Solidarity's fight against communist rule.
Kraków
Corpus Christi Basilica
A towering Gothic basilica in Kraków's Kazimierz district, founded by King Casimir III the Great in 1335 and known for its 70-metre tower, five historic bells and a rare boat-shaped Baroque pulpit.
Łódź
Se-ma-for Animation Museum
A museum in central Łódź devoted to the Se-ma-for studio, home to original puppets, sets and props from classic Polish stop-motion films and the Oscar-winning Peter and the Wolf.
Poland fits a lot into one country: medieval market squares, a salt mine carved into underground chapels, the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau, mountain trails and a long Baltic coast. Seventeen places hold UNESCO World Heritage status, and most of the headline attractions cluster around the cities you are likely to base yourself in, so a first trip rarely means long transfers.
Where the big attractions are
Krakow has the densest cluster: the Main Market Square, laid out in 1257 and among the largest medieval squares in Europe, the underground Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial within a day trip. Warsaw rebuilt its Old Town from wartime rubble, Gdansk lines the Motlawa with tall merchant houses, and Wroclaw and Torun keep intact Gothic centres. The mountains around Zakopane and the lakes of Masuria add the outdoor side.
How to choose
Group attractions by the city you are staying in rather than chasing them across the map. Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk each reward two or three days and put more sights within an easy day trip. For the classic sights that define the country, see the best viewpoints and our city guides.
Before you go
The busiest sites use timed entry, so book Wieliczka and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial ahead, especially in summer. Many state museums have one free day a week. Tickets are good value by European standards; our note on costs in Poland has the typical prices.
Attractions by city
Travel guides
Best Castles in Poland
From the Teutonic fortress at Malbork to the royal seats at Wawel and Warsaw, the Polish c...
3 Days in Krakow
A practical three-day plan for Krakow, pairing the Old Town and Wawel with Kazimierz and o...
Things to Do in Krakow
The sights, neighbourhoods and day trips that make Krakow worth several days, ranked by ho...
Poland in 10 Days: The Classic Route
A practical ten-day route across the country, pairing Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk and Wroclaw w...