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Best Places to Visit in Poland in Autumn
Autumn is one of the finest times to travel in Poland, when the crowds thin and the light turns gold. Lazienki Park in Warsaw glows under old trees around its island palace, and the Japanese Garden in Wroclaw is at its most colourful in October. In the Tatras, the walk to Morskie Oko and the meadows of Dolina Koscieliska are framed by golden larch, while Krakow's Planty ring and Wolski Forest make for easy leaf-strewn strolls before the first snows.
Best Places to Visit in Poland in Autumn
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Warsaw
Lazienki Park
Warsaw's largest park, a landscaped royal garden with a palace on an island, peacocks and free Chopin concerts in summer.
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Zakopane
Morskie Oko
The largest lake in the Tatras, a glacial pool ringed by high peaks and the most popular mountain destination in Poland.
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Wrocław
Ogrod Japonski
A tranquil Japanese garden created for the 1913 World Exposition beside Szczytnicki Park, with ponds, bridges and a small waterfall. It was faithfully restored in the 1990s with help from Japanese specialists.
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Kraków
Planty
A green ring of parkland encircling the Old Town, laid out in the early 19th century where the medieval city walls once stood. The shaded path of roughly four kilometres links most of the historic sights on an easy walk.
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Zakopane
Dolina Koscieliska
A broad, gentle valley of meadows, caves and limestone walls, the easiest of the great Tatra walks.
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Kraków
Wolski Forest & Kosciuszko Mound
The city's big western woodland, with trails, the zoo and a viewpoint mound over the whole valley.
Autumn is one of the best times to travel in Poland: the parks turn gold, the Tatra larches light up, and the crowds of summer have gone. We picked places that look their best in September and October, from city parks to mountain valleys, all easy to enjoy on a crisp day.
Where autumn shines
In Warsaw, Lazienki Park glows with colour around its palace and ponds, and in Krakow the Planty ring the old town in falling leaves. In the Tatras, the Koscieliska Valley fills with golden larch, and the glacial lake Morskie Oko reflects the turning forest. Wroclaw's Japanese Garden is at its most colourful in this season.
Planning an autumn trip
Days are mild but evenings cool, so pack layers and a light waterproof. This is a quieter, cheaper time to visit the cities. For the full seasonal picture, see when to visit Poland.