Polish Learning Community and Resources

Most foreigners who come to Poland limit themselves to visiting the cities that are usually listed in the tour guides – Cracow, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Gdansk... While these cities are definitely worth visiting and have their charm, don’t you think that sometimes it’s nice to go off the beaten path and explore some of the lesser known places? In this article I’ll tell you about some places that aren’t usually visited by foreigners but are extremely interesting and you should definitely put them on your list! Ready? 

Biskupin 

Have you ever wondered what life in Bronze Age Poland looked like? Head to Biskupin – it’s a small village where, in the 1930’s the archeologists discovered a fortified settlement. Now you can visit the site, see the reconstruction of the houses and imagine what life was like back then. Thanks to archeological festivals organised regularly on site, you can see with your own eyes, for instance, how pottery was made, what people were wearing, etc. Next to the reconstructed fort there’s an archeological museum where you can see what artifacts have been found there. If you’d like to learn more about Polish history, the first capital of Poland – Gniezno, is just around 40 km south from Biskupin. Other nearby cities worth-visiting include: Bydgoszcz, Toruń and Poznan. 

Ciechocinek 

Around 100 km east from Biskupin there’s a charming little town of Ciechocinek. The town isn’t really well-known by foreigners but among locals it gained considerable fame as a health resort. The saline springs found in Ciechocinek have extremely beneficial health effects, particularly for those suffering from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Tężnie (saline graduation towers) are the symbol of the town. They are wooden structures stuffed with twigs, salt-rich water trickles down these twigs and, by evaporation, releases beneficial minerals. Taking a walk around the towers is said to have good health effects, similar to a stroll on the seaside and breathing iodium-rich sea air. Other than tężnie, Ciechocinek has some beautiful parks, ideal for anyone who just needs to relax. The town is also known for its mineral waters (some of them have very particular taste, be careful!) and salt. If Ciechocinek turns out to be too quiet for you, Toruń is just under 25km away – the birthplace of Copernicus, famous for its gingerbread with beautiful medieval old town, perhaps more popular than the other places mentioned in this article but definitely a must-see! 

Bohoniki and Kruszyniany 

As I’ve mentioned in one of the previous articles, one of the first associations with Poland is its homogeneity. However, as you know from the text about the regional languages, Poland is home to numerous minorities. One such group are Lipka Tatars (also called Lithuanian or Polish Tatars), who inhabit the rural areas close to the Belarussian border since 14th century. Although Polish Tatars have lost their language (they all speak Polish nowadays), they’ve preserved their faith (Sunni Islam) and customs. If you’re curious about Lipka Tatars and their traditions, you must visit the small villages of Bohoniki and Kruszyniany (not far from Białystok), where you can find the two remaining Tatar mosques. They are small, wooden constructions – I bet it’s unlike other mosques you might’ve seen! After visiting the mosque in Bohoniki you may stop by the nearby restaurant that serves authentic Tatar cuisine. 

Zalipie 

If you’re tired of visiting historical sites or perhaps you’re more of a country lover, I’d recommend a quick visit to Zalipie – a small village in southern Poland. This place is absolutely unique on the map of Poland, as it’s known for the tradition of colourfully painting wooden village houses. This tradition is said to have started sometime in 19th century, when the inhabitants started colourfully decorating their houses, both the interior, as well as on the outside, mostly with floral motifs. One of such houses has been turned into a museum, where you can admire local folk art. Make sure to have your camera ready, this is probably Poland’s most photogenic village!