11 Most Unique Cities of Poland to Visit
Let's discover the most magnificent cities of Poland that not many people know about. Are you looking for the best places to visit in Poland? Let's see some of them.
Uncover the Most Unique Cities of Poland
Get out of the very well-known places which everyone visits in Poland and enjoy the most unique cities of Poland. Not very well known by many tourists wait for you to visit them and discover their uniqueness, history and worth to see!
1. Underground City of Osówka, Poland
Very well camouflaged and hidden in the heart of the Owl Mountains in Poland, an underground city whose actual purpose was never definitely identified in the many years of investigations by various people. Many rumors exist, but none is known for sure.
Maybe it's time to visit the underground city, which is also believed to be a part of Project Riese, where the Nazis were planning possibly the construction of V1 and V2 parts. It is also believed that it is also related to Hitler's Golden Train. It is definitely a very unique city of Poland covered with a lot of mystery.
Definitely, the whole area of lowest Silesia is a very interesting and unique place. It is highly recommended to stay for 1-2 nights in Wroclaw and make a few daily trips to see the most amazing places in the close area.
2. Oswięcim
Right, this is the city of Auschwitz, and despite the fact that people use the German name of the city, the city tries hard to get out of the shadow of Auschwitz, and it is a very unique normal city of Poland, just like all the others. Just in every corner of the area, you will discover monuments related to the holocaust.
Everyone who visits Poland is planning to visit Auschwitz but forgets this little amazing city of Oswięcim. Supermarkets, banks, McDonald's, fuel stations, industrial areas, a beautiful old town square, but it is surrounded by camps and monuments related to Auschwitz.
Oswięcim dates back to the 12th century, while the preserved monuments and the traces of the past give the city a special atmosphere and make the experience even more interesting.
An innocent town that became infamous during WWII for the atrocities of the Nazis. The whole area and the civilians suffered a lot during that time. But the people never stopped fighting the Nazis, helping Auschwitz prisoners, and trying to make the crimes known to the rest of the world. See Auschwitz Facts.
Now, Oświęcim is a center of numerous peace initiatives, a meeting place for people of various nationalities, regardless of religion and beliefs, a place where new generations want to build a future without wars and violence.
In case you plan to visit this city of Poland and combine your visit with a visit to Auschwitz, don't forget to include a visit to the famous castle with the underground tunnels, but also to walk and see the old town.
3. Ustka
A relatively small city of Poland, but with an even humbler beginning, as it used to be a tiny fishing village at the estuary of the Słupia river with first references to dating back to 1337. In the next two centuries, the small fishing village transformed into an efficiently operating seaport.
I have visited many different cities in the Polish seaside, but I don't know why Ustka stayed deep into my memory, even that we have visited for a very short time. It might be the Pirate atmosphere of the city, the Indian music which was played at the square, or the waves of calmness and the vibrant life of the city.
Ustka not only offers one of the most beautiful promenades in Pomerania, with the Solidarity Route, but also a marshy lake with a great mystery called the Seekenmoor Pond recently renovated with an educational path and the Blucher's Bunkers which you can visit with a guide or an audio guide.
Finally, it is a picturesque town with a spa park, called by many people the Summer Capital of Poland and for me is one of the most unique cities of Poland and highly recommended for a visit.
Very close to Ustka is a small village. Like a summer village which operates around 2-3 months during the summer. Is named Rowy and it has a nudity beach. If it happens to be in the area during the summer, it is also definitely worth a visit, especially with kids, as there are many kids attractions.
We also highly recommend staying at Rowy, as there are a lot of accommodation places, yet there are more guesthouses than large chain hotels. There are also many pubs, restaurants, and cafes, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner and have a glass of old beer while the kids will be playing around.
Check the best hotels to stay for a night in Usztka city of Poland.
4. Bydgoszcz
Did you know that Bydgoszcz has been voted one of the top 10 trendiest destinations visit in 2020 as a result of the «European Best Destination 2020» competition? Bydgoszcz is a unique, and authentic city of Poland that offers a place to live real and unique experiences.
It definitely worths visiting Bydgoszcz because of its unique museums, the breathtaking architectural designs, the international festivals, and the water with its trams, boats, and other vessels which welcome you to have a ride and admire this very unique city of Poland.
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5. Swidnica
It is not only unique because is the home town of my wife, but it is also one of the oldest cities in Poland with over 750 years of tradition which is visible across the city. Świdnica was settled as early as in the Neolithic (4500-1800 BC), but it was first called a town in a document from 1267.
In Swidnica you can enjoy the medieval urban layout of the Market Square in the old town, and the mixture of styles and atmosphere shaped for centuries. It will be difficult to find a similar city in Poland.
Two churches are the main germs of this city of Poland, first, the gothic Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus which has the largest tower in the region and it is located close to the old town, visible nearly from every spot of the city and second the Church of Peace.
Something also notable is that in Swidnica many streets are preserved and the traffic lights are not working during the night and the weekends. You might be interested in the antique outdoor market which is taking place in the city during the weekend.
6. Zamość
Zamośc is a historical city in southeastern Poland which it's historical center was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992. It was recognized being a unique example of a Renaissance town in Central Europe and remains a perfect example of the late 16th century.
It retains its original street layout, fortifications (see: Zamość Fortress), and a large number of original buildings blending Venetian and central European architectural traditions. Zamość in 1617 looks exactly like the old town of Nicosia within the walls.
During the 2nd world war, the Germans set up an execution site (Zamość Rotunda) and a transit camp on Okrzei Street in Zamośc, while the city also suffered massive arrests of intellectuals as part of the A-B Action (eliminate the upper class of the 2nd Polish Republic).
Zamość was an important center of Chasidic Judaism and on the eve of World War II, more than 12,500 Jews lived in Zamośc, which were 43% of the total population of the city. the Germans, in order to control the Jewish population, created an open ghetto in the Nowa Osada neighborhood.
Finally, the ghetto was liquidated before the end of November 1942 and many Jews were sent to the Bełżec extermination camp, others were shot in the streets, and others managed to escape to the Soviet Union.
7. Zalipie
I am sure that you have seen at least one picture of this very unique village of Poland. It is the place where all the houses are painted with flowers and it is also named: «The village of flowers». One of the most beautiful places in Poland.
As it is located only 80 km from Krakow, you might want to include it in your travel list of places to visit in Poland. Definitely it worth the effort as it is one of the biggest worth seeing in Poland.
The custom of decorating houses has existed for more than a century. In the old times, there were no chimneys in the houses and the smoke circulated around the main room and blackened the interior of the house. In order to cover the stains, the women and girls were painting white limes on the dark walls.
Unfortunately, the women could not afford to buy brushes and paints, so they made their own using cow hair from their tails and fat from the dough. Despite the beauty of the village and the so many articles and pictures that exist on the internet, not many tourists visit this magnificent place in Poland.
8. Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny is a charming town located on the Vistula River within the borders of the Lublin Province with rich history, a charming old town, mansions built in the Lublin Renaissance style, and loess ravines surrounding them.
The contemporary Kazimierz Dolny is a typical tourist destination, visited by thousands of tourists every weekend. However, you can visit it during the weekday or outside the tourist season so that the place is not too crowded.
In the last century, this unique city became a favorite among artists who still flock to Kazimierz today. When you walk through the graphical streets of the old town, you are going to come across private art galleries over and over again.
The central point of the city is the medieval market square, the buildings of which have changed several times over the centuries. Just check this article about Kazimierz Dolny in Polish with many pictures, and you definitely going to fall in love with this amazing and very unique small city of Poland.
Finally, the suggested time for a visit to Kazimierz is a maximum of 2 days, but 1 full day might be enough to make the most of the city. Find the best hotels in Kazimierz and enjoy amazing moments with wine tasting and SPA in this artistic city of Poland.
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9. Hel
Once in Hel, always in Hel. I have been there once and I still remember the amazing beach. Definitely a very unique place with a very unique way to get there, as it is located at the end of a very thin line which is surrounded by sea.
Enjoy the video below and get in Love with Hel. Why not, put it on your travel list as it is just an amazing and very unique city of Poland with amazing beaches. The only minor is that the water is freezing.
Should they rename this place to heaven?
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10. Nowa Huta
Travel back in time to the communist era in Poland and visit this very unique city which was designed and started its construction from scratch only in 1949, after the 2nd World War, when Poland was under the communists.
Although today is a separate district of Krakow, the constructions which were funded by the Soviet Union were to be an entirely separate and self-sufficient city of Poland with the intention to be even superior to its neighbor.
Some people call it Krakow's younger sister. A city that was built to impress in a Socialist Realism architectural style with wide, tree-lined avenues, parks, and lakes. While most of Nowa Huta is the product of the last century, a true tour of the area reveals numerous sites of much older historical value.
If you are planning to be in Krakow in the closest future, don't forget to visit Nowa Huta. Just take the tram 4 or 40 from Teatr Słowackiego and in only 20 minutes, you will arrive at the central square (Plac Centralny) or take an amazing tour from Krakow and see both Kazimierz and Nowa Huta.
Unfortunately, after the Thaw of the People's Republic of Poland, Nowa Huta's old town began to gradually be forgotten and neglected. But thanks to the commitment of residents who are fighting to preserve the historic character of the district, restore its former glory.
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11. Skansen w Maurzycach | Łowicz
The Łowicz Ethnographic Park in Maurzyce also known as an open-air museum depicts traditional architecture from the areas covering the former Duchy of Łowicz, inhabited by Księżaków (Łowicz citizens).
In this unique place in Poland, you will find 42 objects gathered: residential, religious, and utility. Most of them come from the 19th and 20th centuries. The interiors are equipped with items appropriate to the facilities, including furniture, household items, agricultural tools, paintings, and textiles.
Wooden buildings dominate the structure of coronary and sumikowo-year-olds, covered roofs czterospadowymi with thatched roofs. Read more about the available objects at Skansen_w_Maurzycach.
Useful to know: A visit to this very unique place in Poland, can be combined with a trip to the birthplace of Frederick Chopin, Zelazowa Wola, a visit to the Sanniki Palace where Chopin was spending time during the summer, and also see the very unique city of Lowicz in Poland.
Finally, if you have some more time, you can also visit the church where F. Chopin was baptized in Brochów. A fortress-like temple and a unique example of sacred defense architecture. His parents were married there, and his eldest sister Ludwika was baptized there as well.
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Thanks for Reading!
Don't forget to see Toruń.
Another very Unique city of Poland
Discover the Capitals of Poland
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