Lodz is located in the middle of Poland. Academic and cultural center of country, there is six public universities and twenty private colleges. Lodz is the third city in the country in terms of population and fourth in terms of area. The name of the city, which in English means boat, has not been historically explained yet. The hypothesis are that the name came from the boat as a way of transport, the special kind of willow or the name of river called Lodka, but none of them has been proofed. It is one of the youngest cities, the first information about it we have from 1332. In the next centuries the number of citizens had increased and in other times decreased, the lowest number of inhabitants was 150, they lived in only 30 houses. In the nineteenth century the populations had grown from 191 to 500 000 people, over 2 500 times. From now on Lodz became one of the most important industrial areas. 50 years after second war it also became the biggest textile center in Poland. Łódź today may not have the glitz and glamour of its heyday, however there is a certain charm to Łódź in its partially renovated façades, not to mention its large artistic traditions, even if not immediately evident. With a little bit of persistence, you’ll see the magic Łódź has to offer. For a different and eye-opening experience of the world and its cultures, Łódź is certainly a recommended destination.

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Lublin is the biggest city located on the east bank of Wisla. It is a city of nearly 700 years of history, rich in important events emerging at the crossroads of Polish culture and the eastern provinces of Poland. You can’t understand it without the knowledge of city’s tradition of Jagiellonian multi-religiousness and pre-war Jewish Diaspora. Currently, a magical atmosphere of Lublin is created by the Old Town, which no doubt has its own soul. City hall and the entire Old Town is located in historic houses, with many stylish restaurants and pubs. Lublin is a city where history is intertwined with the present, and the rich cultural heritage affects everyday life. Before World War II there used to be the best equipped rabbinical school in the world. To see this, you need to experience it. Lublin is a candidate for The European Capital of Culture 2016. It is a thriving, leading center on the right side of the river. A city with a large economic, educational and cultural opportunities. Thanks to the European Union it invests in science and education. Since 2008 on a former industrial grass airport in Swidnik arises airport of Lublin Swidnik. The city is also a member of the Union of Polish Metropolises.

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Szczecin is the biggest city of north-west part of Poland and the biggest seaport of the country, even though it is 80 km away from Baltic Sea. This city is located on the Oder River, south of the Szczecin Lagoon and the Bay of Pomerania. Szczecin is full of green parks and squares, because of that it is called the floating garden. It is beautiful city with a lot of interesting places to see. It is also historically interesting, one of the places you have to see are: Zamek Ksiazat Pomorskich (The Pomeranian Prince’s Castle) and its tower Waly Chrobrego (Old Town Walls), Jezioro Szmaragdowe (The Green Lake) and whole Puszcza Bukowa. It is also worthwhile to visit Cafe22 at the top floor of the Pazim building, from where a picturesque view at whole center can be seen. The architecture of this city is also amazing, many fabulous buildings, churches and other interesting complexes are stunning. Szczecin is surrounded by parks and forests. There is also a lot of lakes, among them Dabie Lake, which is the second biggest lake in Poland. These places are great to walk and go on bike trips. When you feel that you want to rest from the city you can take a car and go to the seaside which is only an hour away. Szczecin is a place of many Universities, its localization and very good level of education, make this city especially attractive for students. Many interesting cultural events take place there. Szczecin is a candidate for The European Capital of Culture 2016.

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Katowice

This relatively young city, with the history tied up with the extraction of coal is not the first destination in Poland. Katowice and cities around are the biggest urban agglomeration in the country. It is not the biggest cultural center of Poland, but it does not mean there is nothing interesting to do! Many surprising things are located there! One of them is Poland’s larges cathedral, one of the best museums in the south of the country, a huge park filled with truly magnificent things to see and do, a lot of bars and a reinforced concrete building that looks like a spaceship and were many great concerts take place. Katowice are located in the south of Poland, it is very well communicated with other parts of the country, because of highway A4 and A1, which is being built now, and the rest of Europe, because of the international airport. Katowice for many years were considered the center of mining and metallurgy. In recent years, many mines and mills have been closed. Currently operating mines merged to form the Katowice Coal Holding. Mining, metallurgy and energy sector generates more than 25% of the total city revenue from property tax. The buildings of closed factories are being converted into shops, galleries, shopping and entertainment, museums and view points.

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Wroclaw is famous for its vibrat night life and student spirit. Sometimes Market Square is more crowded and you have to wait for your kebab or slice of pizza longer at night that during the day.

There are 3 major areas where most of the pubs & clubs are situated in: Market Square area (Market Square with its closest street and corners), Pasaz Niepolda (Ruska 51 street) area (small, open courtyard a few minutes walk from Rynek, behind Helios Cinema and also places located in Św. Antoniego, Ruska, Włodkowica streets and surroundings) and Grunwaldzki Square area (Grunwaldzki Square and surroundings).

Each of them offers plenty of places that provide many different kinds of music, drinks and interior and will definitely satisfy even the most demanding clubbers.

Here you can find a list of various pubs & clubs to be visited in Wroclaw.

Market Square Area:

• ****Puzzle (Przejscie Garncarskie 2 street, 2^nd floor) – recently opened place that combines both a pub & club for more sophisticated clubbers. Puzzle’s motto is: (yet) “Missing element in the city map” what seems to perfectly fit to this place. If you want to have a drink with your friends and sit in a nice and alternative place to listen to good music, that place should definitely be your choice. What’s more they organize small concerts and real music performances in Puzzle at least once a week ! Normally entrance is free but if you want to attend a concert you need to leave around 40 PLN there. Anyway it is worth its price ! There are also some movie screenings organized in this interesting pub regularly !
• ***Casa de la Musica (Rynek-Ratusz 11) – pub/club refers to famous Cuban nightclubs from 20s and 30s like Cigar Club (architecture). There is also an obvious similarity between the bar in Casa de la Musica and the one from popular Cuban restaurant El Floridita. Each wall represents symbols, documents, pictures, company flayers of pre-revolutionary Cuba. Special place in the walls is reserved for great Cubans: Fidel Castro, Ernest Hemingway and finally Bacardi Family that has founded Bacardi company specializing in Rum production. All of that is combined with Latin American music and exotic drinks based mostly on Rum !
• **Los Cubanitos (Sw. Mikolaja 63 street / The Times Building) – another club with Latin spirit and Latin music. Salsa lessons are organized there! Free Wi-Fi zone for customers!
• ***PRL (Rynek 10 street) – club/pub refers to PRL (Polska Republika Ludowa – Polish People’s Republic) period in the history of Poland when the country was ruled by the Communist Party (from 1952 till the end of 80s when Solidarity Movement enabled the democratic transformation). That period was absurd, people were forced to follow communism, censorship was overarching, the shops were empty and when finally some goods arrived the lines were ridiculously long and finally people couldn’t buy almost anything anyway. Nevertheless that was also a time when people were fighting against the authorities, they were meeting, writing some anti-governmental slogans, talking about hard times, listening to music bands that were banned by the authorities, dancing and drinking alcohol… PRL club/pub tries to refer to both communism, its leaders and hard but also extremely specific times.. That’s why we can see a few faces of communists like Lenin,
  Stalin, Mao, Bierut, Gomułka watching at you from the pictures on the walls. You will also listen to old songs popular during those times. And you will bump into people all the time and drink with them and spend a night dancing and partying in a crowded space… And next day it may happen that you see a small car with a huge poster with Lenin’s face in it parked somewhere close to Rynek! Yes it is a car hypes PRL pub!
• *Daytona (Rynek 35 street) – very popular club that serves good electronic and club music. Many clubbers say it is the best club in Wroclaw but there are also a lot of its critics. What we may say for sure is that Daytona invites plenty of DJs who present their music there: from UK (like DJ Leo and  DJ Chris Warne /Ministry of Sound/), the Netherlands (Dj QT), Denmark (DJ Jorgensen) and many others. There were also a few well-known artists and groups who have visited Daytona before: Garou, Lou Bega, Funkerman, Asian Dub Fundation. The club is open every day from 8pm till the last guest. There are 2 rooms and 4 bars inside! It is designed in a modern and rather sophisticated way.
• BISTROS: Przeymyslowa, Przedwojenna, Lubu Dubu – Long live the BISTROS! They became very popular In Wroclaw recently. What is typical for them? They serve both food and alcohol in very moderate prices ! You won’t pay more for a shot of vodka than 4 PLN (1 EURO) ! Décor is rather basic but it is also a part of Bistro’s style. Bistros in Wroclaw are especially populr among students who meet them for a before party and then finish they long night’s journey there as well. Bistros are open almost 24/7 (they close them for 1 hours to clean up).
  • *****Przedwojenna (Sukiennice 1/2 street) – well-known and most popular bistro in Wroclaw. You may feel like in a small dive (shitty and cheap bar) from 80s there but there is no other place where you have only 2 kinds of prices: 4 PLN (shot of vodka, small beer, glass of coca-cola etc.) and 8 PLN (drinks, food). They serve only basic alcohol and food. If you want to have a drink you can choose only between vodka & coca-cola, vodka & sprite and … vodka & juice J But that’s the main idea of a place – simplicity ! When it comes to food you can eat delicious Polish  meals! Don’t forget to try “Tatar” (raw meet – tartar steak) or “Gzik” (cottage cheese with potatos).
  • ***Przemyslowa (Kurzy Targ 3/2 street) – another well-known bistro in Wroclaw. They idea of the place is exactly the same as in Przedwojenna. There also 2 kinds of prices here: 4 PLN and 8 PLN. What’s important, they serve whisky (4 PLN ) or whisky with coca-cola/sprite (8 PLN), which you can’t find in Przedwojenna Bistro.
  • *****Lubu Dubu (Odrzanska 24-26 street) – recently opened bistro that became extremely popular lately. It is definitely bigger than Przedwojenna and Przemyslowa. The idea is similar again, you have cheap alcohol and food in here. The décor is simple but obviously refers to communist times in Poland. This alternative place serves food for 8 and 12 PLN and alcohol starting from 3 PLN for a shot of white vodka. Lubu Dubu is famous for its beer pitchers for 10 PLN (1l of beer inside). Once a week, on Saturday, there is a guy who plays accordion and sings old polish songs there. People often join him ! If you like board games you may also play one there.
• *****Manana (Sw. Mikolaja 8-11 street) – very popular and well-known club In Wroclaw where you can Dance to various kinds of music: new jazz, reggae, latino, big-beat. The club is located in a courtyard where more clubs and pubs have its location as well (Il Gusto, Regeneracja, Lewitacja) what makes the place more interesting and more often chosen by clubbers. What’s typical for Maniana? Lots of international clients, good music, long and vibrant parties (they don’t close before 4-5am during the weekends) and great decorations inside. Manana Club is situated in looking-like-block-of-flats building so when you enter the club you need to climb up the stairs and you feel like you enter a normal flat. But then on the 1^st floor you are amazed by lights and music and you know where you are (and you wanna come back!). During Spring and Summer there is also a terrace open for clients where you can sit and relax for a moment after crazy dances on the floor. According to the fact the club is a destination place for plenty of clubbers, there are 2 bars (and 2 rooms) inside. You can stay in the first (main) one or go further and use so-called “VIP room”. Both rooms have lots of  tables for smaller and bigger groups. The atmosphere is hot like hell in there ! It is one of Wroclaw hot spots!
• ****Il Gusto – (Sw. Mikolaja 8-11 street) – modern and well-designed club located In the same courtyard as Manana Club is both a pub/club and a restaurants where you can eat great pizza, ravioli, past Or a salad till late night (they close the kitchen before 2am Or earlier, depends on clients). The most impressive part of the club is its bar that glitters from colourful bottles and lights ! Entrance fee is around 10 PLN (ladies) and 20 PLN (men) on Saturdays.
• *Regeneracja – (Sw. Mikolaja 8-11 street) – other club in the same courtyard! Dance and Electronic Music.
• **Lewitacja – (Sw. Mikolaja 8-11 street) – other club in the same courtyard. Interesting design: murals and bicycles hanging from the ceiling ! Rock Music (Satisfaction bank plays its music on Mondays and Fridays there).
• Beer Pubs (Spiz, Piwnica Swidnicka, Bierhalle)
  • ***Spiz (Rynek-Ratusz 2 street) – Mini-brewery opened in 1992, very famous for its brewing tradition – they do that in the pub’s basement, in fron of customers. Then you can book one of the beer tables (20l of beer + bread with lard and pickled cucumbers) and taste one a few kinds of light and dark beer. If you are a beer gourmet, don’t forget to try honey-flavoured and caramel-flavoured beers. But the most wanted one is definitely the light wheat beer !
  • ***Piwnica Swidnicka (Rynek-Ratusz 1 street) – The oldest pub and restaurant in the city with tradition of beer serving that is longer than 700 years. Firstly opened in medieval ages and never closed again. Got its name after the beer transported from Swidnica (city located close to Wroclaw). Today it is a place where all beer fans should go and taste every possible kind of this liquid. Every time you buy a beer you get also a slice of bread with lard in there. You can also try delicious Polish food and admire historical decorations there. Everything is tasteful and sophisticated there! But no worries, it’s not an expensive place just for rich and important people! The motto of the pub/restaurant is “Dla każdego! Dla studenta I radnego!” what means that it’s open for everyone, both for students and city authorities!
  • ***Bierhalle (Rynek-Ratusz 24-27) – a chain of restaurants where you can drink one of beers produced by the brewery in all of their locals. There are a few kinds of beers in Birhalle: Bierhalle Wheat, Bierhalle Pils, Bierhalle Dark, Bierhalle Koźlak, Bierhalle Altbier and also Marcowe Beer. The most popular is one of Bierhalle Wheat Beers – Weizen, that has been number 1 in Poland for the last 3 years (according to „Chmielaki Kranostawskie” beer competition). You can buy a small beer (0,4l) or a huge one (1l) there.
• ****13 Igiel (Igielna 13 street) – stylish venue that is named after its location in Igielna street (“Igla” means “a needle”) combines a few attributes: a few big screen TVs for matches and a huge projector to show the biggest sporting events, very comfortable chairs which could be almost called “beds”, loft design with visible pink pipes and finally great big and cheap drinks in several colours served in pitchers.
• ****Salvador (Plac Solny 16 – Solny Square 16 / Entrance from Szajnochy street) – pub/club inspired by Salvador Dalli (he is “watching” the crowd from the wall behind the bar), kept in warm, distinctive and live colours (red, orange), specialized in serving Spanish wine-based drinks such as sangria. There are also one of the cheapest Tequila Shots in Salvador. Mostly recommended for dance parties and DJ nights but also for let’s-have-a-drink meetings before 6pm when you can check out its happy hours!
• **Coolturka (Odrzanska 6 street) – loft-style lounge bar where you can go to have a drink with couple of friends (ground level) or dance till morning (basement). Good and nicely prepared drinks are served there!
• ***Czeski Film (Kielbasnicza 2 street) – Czeski Film (Czech Film Pub) is a cosy spot where you can go to drink a good Czech beer (you can order so called “beer tube” if you are too lazy to go to bar or ask the staff to come by to your table J), admire some black and white paintings and drawings of Prague and eat great pancakes with sweet cheese, chocolate and fruits. Ladies will probably also take a look on a larger than lifesize painting of a naked man J.
• **Olawska 9 (Olawska 9 street) – club named after its location in Olawska 9 street with a combination of moder and classic design. Various kinds of music. 2 big bars with a great choice of alcohols ! What definitely makes this place recognizable is the fact it guests musicians from time to time and they play their live-music (trumpet, saxophone) with club music background! Nice combination!
• ***Pulp Fiction (Sw. Mikolaja 61) – pub & restaurant inspired by Quentin Tarantino and his “Pulp Fiction” movie. There are plenty of wall paintings connected to the movie there: faces of Samuel L. Jackson or J. Travolta. There is also an imitation of blood on a bar downstairs but looks so real you may get scared! You can brink a beer or any other drink in hear and additionally order cheap and tasty food (great pancakes with spinach).
• ***The Times Building and its roof (Kazimierza Wielkiego 1 street) – there are great parties organized on a roof of “The Times” Building in Summer. You can buy some basic drinks or a beer and then dance and admire an awesome view of the city and the roofs of the nearest buildings from there!
• ***Tabasco (Rynek 26/27 street) – hot spot inspired by Mexico. Go there, buy a drink, start dancing, wear a typical Mexican Sombrero and simply chill out! The designer of that place has spent 3 years in Mexico so you can be sure he has tried to keep original Mexican style in there! Place is especially famous for its Tequilas (they serve 14 kinds of that alcohol) !
• ***Guinness (Plac Solny 5 – Solny Square 5) – you can call it Irish House ! Go there, enjoy folk music, drink a special Green Beer (which is said to be brewed on clover) and watch a game in one of huge screens situated there!
• **No Name (Wita Stwosza 16) – club with tropical design that also has a special “sandy beach” outside in Summer. Most known for its Wednesday Erasmus Parties!

Pasaz Niepolda Area

• *****Szajba (Sw. Antoniego 2-4 street)- club/gallery located In a small courtyard In front of Helios cinema. It is definitely one of the most popular and fancy places to hang out in Wroclaw recently! It combines both a pub/club with its modern music and vibrant parties and gallery with old but stylish tables, chairs, lamps, hanging paintings and old radios and music recorders. To visit this magical place you need to enter huge glass door. Then you are just in the middle of colourful, impressive, looking cluttered in the beginning (after a moment you completely change your mind and fall in love with all the furniture and trinkets inside) and full of chatting, drinking and dancing people spacious room. Yes! You are in Szajba! Grab your cocktail, beer, shot of tequila or vodka (if you come there in the afternoon you can also order your coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc.) and become a part of the show. But please don’t be shocked when suddenly you realize it’s a Digital Fashion Show organized in Szajba! This club is well-known for its alternative ideas and performances! They are really interesting! Don’t leave!
• ***Włodkowica 21 (Wlodkowica 21) – spacious pub with plenty of tables and bar equipped with flavored vodkas typical for Poland. A few shelves full of old books covered with dust what surprisingly is not creepy but rather stylish.
• ***Mleczarnia (Wlodkowica 5 street) – club/pub (you can also eat there; they serve tasty breakfasts between 8am and noon) located in the Four Temples Neighborhood (Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Orthodox Christians have their churches located in that area) which has real multicultural value for the city. Mleczarnia tries to refer to that fact and organizes special Piwnica Artystyczna (platform for artists) and invites Polish, German, Russian and Jewish artists there. There were also some well-known Polish musicians performing in Mleczarnia: Maciej Maleńczuk, Marcin Świetlicki czy Maria Peszek.
• **Stara Kanapa (Sw.Antoniego 15 street) – „stara kanapa” means an „old couch” and couches there (they are really old but can be used, there is no threat of collapse J ) are comfortable so you may spend long hours chatting with friends on one of them! Best table-places are situated next to the big window in one of 2 levels. You can watch people walking through Sw. Antoniego street.
• ***Bezsenność / Insomnia (Pasaz Niepolda, Ruska 51 street) – it is probably the most popular and crowded club in the city, especially on Thursdays that are so-called “students’ Thursdays” in Wroclaw. Most of students start their Weekends and go out on Thursdays. Their destination place is Bezsennosc (or Insomnia, what means exactly “bezsennosc” in Polish) and a few other clubs in the city. Nevertheless Bezsennosc seams to be the most popular one. It is a spacius club with 3 long bars, dancefloor, DJ and plenty of tables and sitting chairs. There is also so-called “aviary” there where you can go and smoke a cigarette (and buy another drink if 2 other bars are too crowded). Club, electro, popular music.
• **Drugie Dno (Pasaz Niepolda, Ruska 51 street) – club located exactly in the same place as Bezsennosc, but instead of going upstairs (Bezsennosc) you need to take direction – downstairs! There you will find another club with popular music, big tables with long sofas, long bar and dancefloor. It is called Drugie Dno what figuratively means “second meaning” but obviously refers also to its location “under” Bezsennosc (second bottom or deeper level). Clubs are not connected so if you want to visit both of them you need to buy 2 tickets ! Anyway…bottoms up!
• *Metropolis (Pasaz Niepolda, Ruska 51 street) – one of the biggest clubs In Wroclaw with its 1000m2 footage. It has 3 levels and 2 rooms with 2 bars (3^rd level is just a sitting place but you can stand next to balustrade and watch people dancing on lower level. Mostly club or r&b music. Piano Bar in -1 floor is definitely the best (**for Piano Bar)!
• **Klub 13 (Pasaz Niepolda, Ruska 51 street) – pub’s name refers to one of its founders – basketball player Jerzy Kolodziejczak who used to play for Slask Wroclaw – famous basketball team from Wroclaw – with number 13. When Slask Wroclaw was celebrating its biggest glory and winning Polish League (18 times in general) and playing in EuroLeage, Klub 13 was extremely crowded because it was possible to watch the games in a huge screen. Now it is not as crowded as a few years ago but pub is still recognized as sport oriented one. You can watch football matches, basketball games etc there. Nevertheless it is also possible to play pool, table football, drink a beer or other cocktail, sit in one of long sofas and chat with friends or dance in Klub 13 as well.
• ***Za szyba (Pasaz Niepolda, Sw. Antoniego 15 street) – another club with various music (R&B, rap, elektro, pop, Dance), 2 bars (cheap shots) and plenty tables and chairs. You may feel like in a labyrinth there but when get to know the place better you won’t have any problems with orientation. Place is popular for its Monday parties.

Grunwaldzki Square Area

• ***Grawitacja (Grunwaldzka 67 street) – thanks to its location (Grunwaldzki Square is a student life center), moderate prices and crazy atmosphere inside, club is especially popular among students (both Polish and international ones). There are long shelves with books located in one room and long bar with swings instead of chairs or bar stools (Yes! Swings!) and dancefloor in other one. When you enter that place you can be sure there almost only students around! Club is famous for its Monday parties (special parties for Erasmus students!)
• **Alibi (Grunwaldzka 67 street) – another student club located near to Grunwaldzki Square!
• ***Fuga Mundi Snooker Club (Grunwaldzki Square 12-14) – snooker club with numerous pool tables and professional equipment. Cheap beer (discounts for students with student cards) and snacks. Great place both for the beginners and more advanced snooker players! Possible to play also darts and table football.
• *Dziekanat (Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27) – Pub for students located in canteen-building of the University of Technology. Student prices! Interesting thing is that “dziekanat” means “dean’s office” J.
• *Tawerna (Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 40) – Pub for students with additional open space (terrace) where most of Summer parties take place. Possible to organize a BBQ. Many events hosted by Academic Sports Association is organized there (Official Season-ending parties etc.). Cheap beer!

*, **, ***, ****, ***** are rates given by the author of this article to all places listed above. They present her personal and very subjective opinion about pubs & clubs added to the list. All you need to do is to check them and agree or disagree with an author J

Have fun and enjoy city night life !

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Polish culture is derived from more than 1,000 years of Polish history and traditions of the Slavic culture. Its unique character is also the result of cultural ties with Western and Eastern Europe and the Middle East . Over the last 200 years, Poland was independent and sovereign only for about 40 years, which must affect us and probably has. Polish culture is specific
and still imperfect but constantly changing. Poland has a great cultural heritage and rich tradition.

Since the second millennium BC Indo-European people settled in many areas of Europe, leaving behind a trail of languages. A very large impact on the character of our culture has had a Hellenistic culture.

In the Middle Ages the intense development of Christianity occurred. Its influence is visible in the culture and art. In literature and art you can find many motives of the biblical story and values ​on which the Christian religion is based. The architecture also were impacted by the Christian religion, high structures and pointy towers were supposed to reflect “divine perfection and beauty”. Examples of buildings in this style are the cathedral in Gniezno, Plock, Poznan, Krakow, the church in Kruszwica Tumnie near Łęczyca, portals of the churches in Czerwińsk, Wroclaw (Church of St. Mary Magdalene), Strzelno (Church of the Holy. Trinity), Krakow (Church St. Andrew) and the famous Gniezno Doors, made of bronze.

Neglected during the middle ages science, literature and art flourished again in the era of revival, modeled on the ancient cultures and the principals of humanism. The main representative of the Renaissance in Poland was Jan Kochanowski, who studied at Königsberg and Italy. New ideas and currents came to Polish with the teachings of Luther and Calvin. Nowadays, we observe a dynamic influx of American culture, which changes our behavior and affects the style of contemporary art.

What are polish people like? Culture in everyday life. Polish nation is perceived by others as full of contradictions, defects, complexes and national
idiosyncrasies. At the same time full of mysterious life, which enabled it to survive over 100 years of slavery. The mentality of Poles for years has been shaped by the myths that are often unrealistic ideas about themselves. Poland is seen as a bulwark of Christianity, the myth of true solidarity.

In other words polish people feel good about themselves, even though they surely have some defects, like everyone. We like to have fun and go out, but we spend less money on the cultural activities than other big countries in Europe do. Tourists and foreigners are welcomed in Poland. Long and well-known history of Polish openness to other cultures left the permanently changes in our lives. Even though the history was brutal and in many ways
tried to kill that features in us, polish people remain open and kind to other cultures. Poles enjoy getting to known other habits in the same time watching very closely not to forget their own.

Art, music, film

Polish art is very diverse and rich. Throughout the ages Poland accumulated a wealth of works of art. Nowadays young artists create their own style, which we can admire in the numerous galleries in the whole country.

The history of polish music started in pagan times. The oldest know song is “Oj, Chmielu, Chmielu”. It was sang during the wedding ceremonies. Artists from Poland, including famous composers like Chopin or Lutoslawski and traditional, regionalized folk musicians, create a lively and diverse music scene, which even recognizes its own music genres, such as ‘poezja śpiewana’. As of 2006, Poland is one of the few countries in Europe where rock and hip hop dominate over pop music, while all kinds of alternative music genres are encouraged.

The history of cinema in Poland has universal achievements, even though Polish movies tend to be less commercially available than movies from several other European nations. Starting in 1955, the works of directors from Polish Film School had a great influence on the contemporary trends in Europe such as French New Wave, Italian neorealism or even late Classical Hollywood cinema. After World War II, despite censorship, the best known polish filmmakers like Roman Polanski, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland, Andrzej Wajda, Andrzej Żuławski impacted the development of the cinematography. In the most recent years, while no longer and struggling with censorship, and with a large number of independent filmmakers of all genres, the Polish productions tend to be more inspired by the American film.

Polish Cusine

Traditional Polish cuisine is a real calorie bomb. It is rich in meat dishes cooked in various ways. We particularly recommend dishes such as bigos (stew), kotlet schabowy (pork chops), pierogi and gołąbki (stuffed cabbage). Polish cuisine is famous for its excellent bread and delicious sausages. The basic ingredients used in Polish cuisine are sauerkraut, beetroot, cucumbers (cucumbers and pickels), sour cream, kohlrabi, mushrooms, different types of sausages. Dishes owe their unique taste because of properly selected spices such as marjoram, dill, cumin, parsley and pepper. Among the sweets the best are cakes. It is common to have a glass of vodka, which facilitates digestion, for a typical Polish meal. Polish cuisine has also borrowed many dishes from neighboring nations and we also use many Jewish recipes.

Festivals

Poland is a country of festivals. There is so many of them that everyone will find something interesting for them. More information about each festival you will find when you click on the city.

Music festivals

• Open’er Festival in Gdynia – the biggest festival in Poland, first edition in 2002 was held in Warsaw, all next editions are on the old airport in Gdynia. Thousands of people wait every year to go and have fun there.
• Coke Live Music Festival in Krakow – it was nominated to UK Festival Award 2009, in the category Best Overseas Festival.

Other festivals

• Przystanek Woodstock w Kostrzynie nad Odrą
• Off Festival w Mysłowicach
• Festiwal Energii w Jaworznie
• Malborski Przegląd Muzyczny w Malborku
• Open Air Rock Festival w Wejherowie
• Solo Życia w Lublinie
• Rockowisko w Hajnówce

International Film Festivals

• Era New Horizons in Wroclaw
• Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
• Krakow Film Festival in Krakow
• International Independent Film Festival Oskariada

Theatre Festivals

• Dialog Wroclaw Festival
• “Kontakt” International Theatre Festival in Torun
• “Bez Granic” – Without borders in Cieszyn
• “Malta” Theatre Festival in Poznan
• Przegląd Piosenki Aktorskiej – review of stage song in Wroclaw

Religion

Poland is a Christian country. 95% of religious people are Catholics, the rest 5% of them profess a different religion. A characteristic feature of Polish religiosity is attachment to traditional practices and Christian ceremonies such as pilgrimages to holy places, liturgical processions, Advent and Lenten retreats, parish carnivals. People in big cities such as Warsaw, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Krakow are less religious then people from smaller towns and villages. Religion in Poland took on a new dimension after the election of Karol Wojtyla to the Holy See in 1978. Polish Pope, who took the name John Paul II made ​the Catholic Church a great revolution, he opened it to the problems of the modern world. In Poland, the person of John Paul II is seen very exceptional, his activities are associated with major socio-political changes that have occurred in the eighties. Pope John Paul II remains an unquestionable moral authority, not only for the religious part of Polish society.

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Krakow

Like almost all polish cities Krakow is located on a river, Wisla river. It is a great scientific and cultural center. In Krakow, there are 12universities, among them the oldest in Poland, Jagiellonian University, 6 theaters, opera, philharmonic orchestra and many museums. There is the largest and most valuable team in the country’s historic buildings, mostly gothic, secular and sacred. Krakow is also a large industrial center. In the VIII/IX century it was a trading village at the foot of the Wawel castle. Since 1000, the seat of a bishopric, from the reign of Kazimierz Odnowiciel (Casimir the Restorer, ca. 1038) by the end of the sixteenth century Krakow was the capital of Poland. Krakow is one of the most important cultural centers in Poland, many people consider it as the cultural capital of the country. It is also one of the most important tourist destinations, cultural and historical in Europe. The area of ​the historic Old Town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Annually visited by three to four million visitors. In Krakow, there are many cultural institutions that are important to cultural life in Poland. This is also a great city for students. The old buildings of the University give your studying a special taste. Having classes in the beautiful classes, and spending your time in a historic libraries make you feel like a real time student. You can feel the spirits of the past. There is also a thriving night life, lots of clubs, discos, pubs. Great restaurants and a lot of cultural events going around. Krakow is a beautiful and convenient to live city.

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Warsaw (capital)

Warsaw is the capital and the biggest city in Poland. It is located on Vistula River. The population of the whole Warsaw region is about 2,6 mln. After the World War II when the bombing and demolition had ended Warsaw was in ruin. It is called “Phoenix City” because after that tragic events it recovered the extended damage. Nowadays it is a business center of Poland and the seat of the government. The symbol of the city is mermaid. There is a legend concerning this symbol, about the mermaid, which was saved by the fisherman’s son, since then the mermaid armed with the sword and shield has been protecting the city and its inhabitants. Numerous theaters, cinemas, galleries and museums make it the culture center of the country. It is also the academic centre of the country, and despite the venerable image of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Warsaw’s is the country’s leading university, and its offshoots, such as the School of Economics, are leaders in their fields. The lively student population numbers some 150,000 alone. Warsaw’s Old Town is one of its main attractions. This Polish World Heritage Site is a recreation of Renaissance-era Warsaw. It is a city with the enchanted soul in locations that don’t exist anymore, and the ambiance produced by brilliant combination of modern urban development and historical architecture. Warsaw is a modern and well developed capital, with many worth seeing monuments and interesting places to visit.

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Poznan

Poznan is a city of over half million inhabitants. It is a fourth biggest academic center in Poland. Poznan is a modern city, with over a thousand years of history associated with the beginning of Poland. The rich history is reflected by the high – class monuments, such as the Renaissance city hall, located on the Royal-Imperial Tract. Legendary flips in the tower of city hall attract thousands of tourists. The atmosphere of the Old Market is worth exploring, in particular, in the evening, when the area filled with cafes and pubs shows its real face. The highlighted town hall and fountain are amazing and are one of the views you must see in Poland. Poznan is also the capital of of Polish trade , mainly due to the Poznan International Fair, it is as well strong academic, scientific and cultural center. Easily accessible from various Polish regions and Europe through roads, railways and airport Lawica. Only in Poznan you can try a regional delicacy – swietomarcinskie croissants, baked on the occasion of the Holy Martin. In the borders of the city there are located four big lakes, three of them are in the western part of Poznan. Malta is the most popular lake and recreation area. A large number of restaurants, eateries, professional sporting facilities attract locals and tourists. You can go for a bike ride there, do water sports, walk or just relax from the noises of the city. Poznan is also considered a Polish capital of music. It has the only Museum of Musical Instruments in Poland, and there are only three similar museum in Europe. Poznan’s Archicathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest church in Poland.

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