Outdoor activities in Poland

Funds raised? Vacation taken? Destination set and flights and accommodation booked? Good! It means that there is just one more crucial thing left for us to consider, usually solved by thousands of travellers by googling very frequently repeated phrase; THINGS TO DO IN POLAND. Occupying our time with fun activities while being abroad is absolutely a key factor regarding the final outcome of our trip, so to avoid wasting time and our resources it’s important to get familiar with what our stopping place has to offer in order to plan everything accordingly! Fortunately, Poland flourishes with interesting sites to see and ventures to undertake. To get to know what there is to expect from polish mountains like Tatras or Bieszczady, Baltic Sea or Mazury and other Lake Districts make sure to check out below what outdoor activities they encourage us, travellers, to experience!

Poland has 23 National Parks greatly varying from each other. Depending on the region, available attractions hinge on the landform making it easy to divide these parks into two groups. The first one consisted of mountainy parks offers huge number of amazing trails filled with breathtaking views along their paths and many peaks to conquer, of which the most difficult ones require some experience and proper equipment. What’s more, some of these parks hide mysterious caves, abandoned mines and old bunkers built by Germans during World War II which await to be explored. The second group is concentrated mostly around water and forests, so if you’re willing to admire beautiful lakes of Mazury, polish rivers on which Krakow or Warsaw stand on or venture through the coast seeking stunning cliffs and exceptional dunes then make sure to choose park either in central or northern Poland. Having mentioned flora, we can’t forget about the reason why most of these parks were created- animals! Familiarize yourself with the park of your interest to find out, what species you could possibly observe in these charming regions!

Many polish rivers are perfectly suitable for kayaking, making them a real highway of those long boats in spring and summer regardless the weather conditions! Lake districts are pumped by enormous amount of these water veins, creating impressive water systems which connects numerous lakes with either streams or rivers, enabling people to paddle through many locations and waterbodies. Of course, it’s also possible to choose slightly more lazy way of taking advantage of these boats and limit ourselves to the lakes themselves. However, if that’s the case then you might also consider renting a paddle boat, a popular paddle board or a regular boat and sail through the best areas of polish lake districts, either on the west or the east, where capital’s region Olsztyn and Mazury, are located with the biggest and most marvellous lakes in Poland like Sniardwy or Mamry. And for the fans of more open space, all these outdoor activities could be performed at polish coastline on a Baltic Sea.

Speaking of lakes and Baltic Sea it’s probably needless to say that waters of these reservoirs attract tens of thousands of people every summer who can’t wait to finally put their swimming gear on and get some tan! Swimming and sunbathing are at one’s disposal pretty much everywhere in northern Poland due to the seaside and the most recent Weichselian glaciation that left vast lands covered with various types of waterbodies. However, there is one region that stands out from the crowd - Hel Peninsula (Półwysep Helski)! This relatively small piece of terrain is famous in whole Poland because of couple things, of which the most prominent ones are definitely surfing and kitesurfing! Hel’s region weather conditions found recognition among surfer's society due to its unique waves, that are great not only for those starting their journey with this sport but also the experienced flow riders! However, if you’re an adrenaline aspirer, then get on the plane and jump with a parachute! Hel is known in the entire Europe for spectacular views while skydiving, making this whole thrilling experience unrepeatable!

Hel peninsula is greatly spotted with camping sites, of which the most famous ones are very often already booked 6 months in advance! These spots differ from each other, offering calm and relaxing atmosphere as well as access to many events and parties that regularly take place in summer, especially in little fishing village – Chalupy (Chałupy)! Aside from the sea, the surroundings of lakes and rivers are also full of charming places for camping and due to the proximity of forests, experience provided by taking advantage of this form of leisure is truly one of a kind, without a doubt worth giving it a try! On top of that, recently in Poland agriculture has been widened by glamping areas, that usually come up with already prepared tents or trailers and the most crucial infrastructure such as public open kitchens, showers and toilets. It’s perfect for those who feel that traditional camping could be a bit too much as for a first approach to such activity. Nevertheless, glamping still provides great exposure to nature and amazing locations worth scouting!

Walking and strolling are good for keeping us in a good shape, especially if done regularly but so is cycling! Riding a bike in Poland is widely spread thanks to the network of well executed bike trails, which stretch across the entire country. The EuroVelo path which runs through multiple European countries has its significant chunk in Poland too, providing many regions with lots of roads for cyclists to use, making it great alternative to sightseeing on foot. By following these trails, we can visit the seaside, as well as polish mountains, lake districts and even the capital itself – Warsaw! Except EuroVelo, there is also an ongoing project called WTR, which is a bike route that goes along the Vistula River, on which Warsaw and Krakow are located. We can either choose the section on the south, within Malopolskie and Silesian voivodeships or the northern one which cuts Kujawy and Pomeranian voivodeship. The route aims to be a complete trail that runs alongside the longest river in Poland, Vistula. Choosing this path allows to see great number of attractions in the vicinity of this exceptional polish river, so provided the good weather, consider this journey and discover the potential of polish bicycle tourism.

Southern Poland is occupied by couple of mountain ranges and highlands of which Holly Cross Mountains (Góry Świętokrzyskie), Sudetes (Sudety), Tatras (Tatry), Bieszczady and Polish Jurrasic Highland are probably the most prominent ones. Naturally, there is plenty of skiing resorts that are always gladly attended by skiing and snowboard lovers but it’s worth to know, that each one of these uplands has its own particular features worth discovering! You can choose from dozens of trails of various level of difficulty to hike along to ensure that your trip is perfectly suited to you. If you’re willing to dive into the most idyllic landscapes of almost entirely green, relatively low mountains and relax amongst the beauty of local wilderness then absolutely aim for Bieszczady! There is even a polish idiom that states “I’m done, I’m leaving for Bieszczady!” which perfectly reveals what influence this iconic region has on people who decide to visit them. Sudetes are known for their unique rock formations called Bledne Skaly (Błędne Skały) which are available to see and hike upon in Stolowe Mountains National Park (Park Narodowy Gór Stołowych), where Table Mountains dominate the landscape. There is also Owl Mountains (Góry Sowie), which hide mysterious old German bunkers originating from World War II that are presented to tourists with proper guidance. Besides, the highest mountains within Sudetes, Giant Mountains (Karkonosze) include the highest peak of this range called Sniezka, which altitude is 1603 meters above sea level and grants amazing panoramic views! Holly Cross Mountains and Polish Jurassic Highland are one of the best regions in Poland to explore caves, thanks to the presence of limestone substrate attractions such as Paradise Cave (Jaskinia Raj) were formed as well as Ojcow National Park (Ojcowski Park Narodowy) founded to protect more of these distinctive grottos. Aside from that, thanks to the limestone rock formations Polish Jura has great reputation among climbers, who found these sites ideal for climbing! And of course, the cherry on the top – Tatras! This mountain range is filled with well-known attractions, that tens of thousands of tourists decide to visit every year. The largest lake located in this range, Eye Of The Sea (Morskie Oko), Kasprowy Wierch with its amazing skiing infrastructure and cableways or Pieniny with the remarkable Three Crowns summit (Trzy Korony), Gubalowka Highland and the region's fabulous views. Each one of these regions within Tatras is unforgettable thanks to exceptional highlights, making them a must-see!