Geography of Poland
National Parks
Poland offers a high variety of landscapes and parklands with rich fauna and flora almost unspoilt, in their natural state. Poland's natural parks extend on 297 000 hectares, which means 1% of Poland's whole area. These are the most valuable protected natural regions. 6 of the national parks are recorded on the Unesco's list, the World Biosphere Reserves. These are: Babiogórski, Bialowieski, Bieszczadzki, Karkonoski, Slowinski and Tatrzanski National Parks. The Bialowieski National Park is also listed in the Humanity's World Heritage. Poland's national parks offer interesting sights as beautiful natural forests and seaside dunes. This is a paradise for nature lovers, who can find here a high variety of bird species or even the bison, Europe's biggest animal. Also the nature museums and the educational paths help us to get more acquainted with the nature treasures of Poland.
Mountains
In the Tatras you can join a great tour in the nature and discover the beauty of the Polish mountain: the Karkonosze with it's highest peaks, the Stołowe Mountains with typical rock formations, Sowie and Kaczawskie Mountains with geological sights. Also there are several other possibilities to make a great hike, for example in the trappers' trails of Bieszczady Range. The Pieniny Mountains are a smaller mountain range, but it offers many sights for tourist and sport lovers. The Dunajec Gorge is the most spectacular attraction here, where the Dunajec River lures with unforgettable adventure of rafting. The majority of the trails in the Pieniny Mountains will take you to Beskid forests, where you can find plenty of hiking trails running through magnificent forests and glades and to beautiful high peaks. The well kept and marked tourist trails, the accommodations of all levels, the experienced guides, chair lifts, cable cars and several hiking and cultural sights serve the comfort and satisfaction of the hikers.
Waterways and lakes
Poland's waterways (navigable waterways are 19 000 km long) and lakes offers great possibilities for water sports as sailing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting. You can enjoy kayaking on rivers Czarna Hancza, Brda, Biebrza and Krutynia or rafting on some mountain rivers. Masurian lakes and on the Szczecin Lagoon are very suitable for sailors. On the Mršgowo Lakeland or on the Bay of Puck and the Baltic coastal waters it's the best to windsurf. Also very attractive are the Pomeranian and Lubusz Lakelands.
Winter recreation and sports
The winter season in Poland lasts longer than in western or southern Europe, especially in mountains and north-eastern areas, where the snow stays from November till March. Visitors can find accommodation in various levels. You can find possibilities for family holidays or even active sporting. The spas, the tourist attractions and cultural events make your stay more interesting.
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