Old Town Warsaw

View to the Old Town Warsaw

25 May 2015 | From Dorota of Poland

POSTCROSSING SWAP

I received this postcard swap request from Dorota - who previously goes by the nickname of Neo, and now calls herself Mairon (which I would always misspell as Marion). She's such an unusual, introverted person in an interesting kind of way. Wherever you are Mairon, in case you are able to read this, I wish that you are well and always happy and loved.

The Warsaw Old Town, and collectively with the New Town, known colloquially as Starówka, is the oldest part of the capital city. It is bounded by the Wybrzeże Gdańskie, along with the bank of Vistula river, Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale Streets. It is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Warsaw.

The Old Town was established in the 13th century. Initially surrounded by an earthwork rampart, prior to 1339 it was fortified with brick city walls. The town originally grew up around the castle of the Dukes of Mazovia that later became the Royal Castle. The Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta) was laid out sometime in the late 13th or early 14th century, along the main road linking the castle with the New Town to the north.

The heart of the area is the Old Town Market Place, rich in restaurants, cafés and shops. Surrounding streets feature medieval architecture such as the city walls, the Barbican and St. John's Cathedral.

The Land of 44 Islands

Świnoujście

14 May 2015 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Świnoujście ranks among the most attractive destinations on the Polish seacoast. Located at the north-western end of Poland, is the only Polish city located on several dozen islands. Świnoujście is situated in the Land of 44 Islands – it is the only place in Poland of such exceptional insular character. The Land consists of several dozens of islands and islets of which three are inhabited. Those are – Uznam, Wolin, Karsibór.

Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Usedom and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by the Piast Canal  dug in the late 19th century to facilitate ship access to Szczecin.

Święty Jan Paweł II

Saint Pope John Paul II

14 May 2015 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Pope John Paul II made history in 1978 by becoming the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years. He was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX.

Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. He was ordained in 1946, became the bishop of Ombi in 1958, and became the archbishop of Krakow in 1964. He was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1967, and in 1978 became the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years. He was a vocal advocate for human rights and used his influence to effect political change. He died in Italy in 2005. It was announced in July of 2013 that he would be declared a saint in April of the following year.

He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and canonised 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated a large number of the world's bishops, and ordained many priests. A key goal of his papacy was to transform and reposition the Catholic Church. His wish was "to place his Church at the heart of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians in a great religious armada."

Treasured Polish Folk Melodies

Polish Folk Music

24 Apr 2015 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Artists from Poland, including famous composers like Chopin or Lutosławski and traditional, regionalised folk musicians, create a lively and diverse music scene, which even recognises its own music genres, such as poezja śpiewana (sung poetry).

Polish folk music was collected in the 19th century by Oskar Kolberg, as part of a wave of Polish national revival. With the coming of the world wars and then the Communist state, folk traditions were oppressed or subsumed into state-approved folk ensembles. While folk music lost popularity in Poland, especially in urban areas, the tourist destination of Podhale has retained its traditions lively. The regional capital, Zakopane, has been a center for art since the late 19th century, when people like composer Karol Szymanowski, who discovered Goral folk music there, made the area chic among Europe's intellectuals.

Local ensembles use string instruments like violins and a cello to play a distinctive scale called the Lydian mode. The distinctive singing style used in this scale is called lidyzowanie. The lead violin (prym) are accompanied by several second violins (sekund) and a three-stringed cello (bazy). Duple-time dances like the krzesany, zbójnicki (Brigand's Dances) and ozwodna are popular. Folk songs typically focus on heroes like Juraj Jánošík.

Sosnowiec's oldest building

Sosnowiec and the Zamek Sielecki

17 Apr 2015 | From Marcin of Poland

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Sosnowiec is a city county in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland and also part of the Silesian Metropolis municipal association. Located in the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, it is one of the cities of the Katowice urban area. Its name comes from Polish word sosna, referring to the pine forests which were common prior to 1830. It was originally known as Sosnowice.

The postcard shows the Zamek Sielecki, the oldest building in Sosnowiec. Situated on the left bank of the Black Przemsza, its history dates back to the Middle Ages. Today the castle houses the Sosnowiec Art Center. This self-government institution establishes the cultural life of the city by organizing exhibitions, concerts and various meetings of cultural creativity.

The Historic Lagow

Town of Lagow

3 Dec 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Lagow is a village at the centre of the Lubuskie Lake District, in the west of Poland. It is a picturesque location popular with many tourists, not only from Poland and Germany, but from all over Europe. The town of Lagow is located next to two lakes, Trzesniowskie and Lagowskie, which are great for swimming, fishing and water sports.

Lubuskie is defined as a dark and fantastical Polish land. It is filled with historic buildings, medieval castles, and dense forest. Lagow is no different. It is like something out of a fairy tale - like a setting out of one of Grimms’ fairy tales.

Lagow itself makes a wonderful place for a vacation. It is home to a number of good restaurants and the excellent castle hotel. Lagow also stages the well-known Lubusz film festival, a Jazz and Blues music festival, and a motorcycle event every summer.

Source: PolandPoland

The Golden Polish Autumn

Autumn in Lubiewo Village

3 Dec 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Golden Polish autumn, or Złota Polska Jesień, is the phrase commonly used to describe autumn in Poland. Polish autumn starts in September. The first autumn month, September, is usually beautiful, sunny and warm. The first signs of autumn are yellow leaves, which seem to appear overnight, quietly and unnoticed. The landscape of forests is becoming gold and the roadside trees are turning dark red. The views are stunningly beautiful during autumn.

Autumn in Poland is a great time for tourism. The Fall in Poland is the most beautiful season of the year. The weather is pleasant and there are many harvest festivals. But this is short lived as it gradually turns colder and foggy by November.

The Golden Polish Autumn is a period of few days sometime between the end of September and the beginning of October, when fewer sunny days come after the initial drop of temperature. The Golden Autumn lasts in Poland usually less than two weeks. One of the best regions to see in Autumn is Zakopane -southern part of  Poland. Zakopane lies at the feet of the Tatra Mountains.

Sights and scenes: Ziębice

Ziębice, Poland

26 Sept 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. It has a sister city relationship with Brighton, Colorado.

The municipality Ziebice is one of the largest municipalities in Lower Silesia and the largest one in the district (powiat) of Zabkowice Slaskie (Frankenstein). In Ziebice there is a unique museum of household appliances with the largest European collection of irons. In the close vicinity of Ziebice there are Cistersian Monastery in Henryków (Heinrichau), castle in Kamieniec (Kamenz), skew tower in Zabkowice (Frankenstein) and gold mine in Zloty Stok (Reichenstein).

The Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Chamber of the Dwarves

26 Sept 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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The „Wieliczka” Salt Mine is one of the largest tourist attractions in Poland. Grzegorz described it as one of the prettiest places in Poland and is registered on the UNESCO list. The mine, built in the 13th century, produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest salt mines still in operation.

The mine's attractions include dozens of statues, three chapels and an entire cathedral that has been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The oldest sculptures are augmented by the new carvings by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.

Historical region of Cieszyn Silesia

The town of Cieszyn

6 Aug, 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Cieszyn is a border-town and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies opposite Český Těšín in Czech Silesia.

The town is situated on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder River, which forms the border with the Czech Republic. It is located within the western Silesian Foothills north of the Silesian Beskids and Mt. Skrzyczne, a popular ski resort. Cieszyn is the heart of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia, the southeasternmost part of Upper Silesia. Until the end of World War I in 1918 it was a seat of the Dukes of Teschen.

Trzepnica Teklin - Rzeczka

Luciąża River in Trzepnica

6 Aug, 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Trzepnica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łęki Szlacheckie, within Piotrków County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. The postcard shows the Luciąża River. It is a small river in Trzepnica - it measures only at 49 km.

The Wroclaw ZOO

A jelenie in The Wroclaw Zoo

4 Jul, 2014 | From Ilona of UK

POSTCROSSING FRIEND | POSTCARD SENT FROM UK

Ilona bought this postcard at Wroclaw ZOO during her visit to her hometown in Poland and then in Slovakia. Wroclaw ZOO, established in 1865, is the oldest zoo in Poland and has the largest collection of animals in Poland, with almost 7,000 in number from 600 different species, in an area covering 33 hectares.

In the postcard is a jelenie or a red deer. They are typical in the rainforests of of Poland. Ilona describes them as very beautiful creatures.

Xawery Dunikowski Boulevard, Wrocław, Poland

A stroll by the Oder River

Sometime in June 11~18 2014 | From Wiola of Poland

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Wrocław, pronounced as Vrots-swaf, is the largest city and capital of Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. Wroclaw is also one of the historic capitals of Silesia. Its perch upon the Odra (Oder) River, a river in Central Europe which starts in the Czech Republic and flows through Poland and Germany, and the veritable maze of islands and bridges that make up the city have gained it the title of the "Venice of Poland".

World's most lovable animal

A bunny in a vase

12 May, 2014 | From Aleksandra of Poland

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

"Spokojnych Swiat" translates to peaceful world. Well, the bunny seems peacefully asleep in that little white vase. 

The postcard is from Rachael Hale's photography. See more of these lovable animals here.

The Licheń Sanctuary

Sculptures in Licheń Sanctuary

15 Apr, 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Lichen Old is a small town in Wielkopolska province, in central Poland. Sanctuary located there is one of the greatest Marian shrines in Poland, visited annually by about 1.5 million pilgrims and tourists.

The central part of the Sanctuary contains the concrete and stone Mount of Golgotha. There is a very folk style of presenting the Way of the Cross with colorful grottos, sculptures, written votives on walls, a great deal of colorful glass work and a lot of folksy kitsch.

Sources: Globe Tourism, The Visitor

Gdansk's most recognizable symbol

Neptune's Fountain

15 Apr, 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland's principal seaport and the center of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.

Neptune's Fountain, in the center of Dlugi Targ (the Long Market) has grown to be one of Gdansk's most recognizable symbols. The bronze statue of the Roman god of the sea was first erected in 1549, before being aptly made into a fountain in 1633.

Sources: Wikipedia, Local life

Winter in Skarżysko

Kierz Niedźwiedzi

15 Apr, 2014 | From Grzegorz of Poland

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Kierz Niedźwiedzi is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Skarżysko Kościelne, within Skarżysko County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. Kierz Niedzwiedzi is a place with a very small population.

Sights and scenes: Szczecin

Szczecin, Poland

31 Mar, 2014 | From Zuzanna of Poland

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Szczecin (shcheh-cheen) is a lively city awash with students and a muddle of  architecture inherited from wildly different ages. It is a maritime port city in  Pomerania and the capital of West Pomerania in Poland. Home to the largest seaport in Poland, Szczecin is Poland’s seventh largest city.

In more recent history, the city was (together with Tricity) one of the birthplaces  of Solidarity movement.

Source: Lonely Planet

A Youth Band

Młodzieżowa Kapela Gajdoszy

31 Mar, 2014 | From Piotr of Poland

OFFICIAL POSTCROSSING

Learning to play a musical instrument has always been a dream (and frustration) of  mine. But it really seems like I am really not that musically inclined. Learning  music does not come easy for me. Maybe I am just better off listening and  appreciating music :p

A Commandment of Blessedness

The Second Beatitude

14 Mar, 2014 | From Magdalena of Poland

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The text in the postcard is Polish for "Blessed those who are tormented, for they shall be comforted." It is one of The Nine Beatitudes, or the commandments of blessedness, given to us by Jesus Christ.