Poland’s finest holiday spots and the Polish phrases you’ll need to know!

Poland is often overlooked as one of Europe’s top destinations to visit. That’s why this week, we’re looking at seven of Poland’s finest holiday spots. But before we start, we’d just like to teach you some of the phrases you might need to use during your trip (though don’t worry, most Polish people speak awesome English!).

Ten Polish translations of commonly holiday phrases

• Do you speak English? – Mówisz po angielsku?
  • (Pronouced Move-esh po ang-eel-sku)
• Where is…? – Gdzie jest….?
  • (Pronouced G-jeah  yest)
• Excuse me/ Pardon/ Sorry – Przepraszam
  • (Pronouced pshe-prasham)
• Please – Proszę
  • (Pronouced proshia)
• Thank you – Dziękuję
  • (Pronouced Jenk-co-yea)
• Hello – Dzień dobry
  • (Pronouced Gen Dob-ray)
• Goodbye – Do widzenia
  • (Pronouced Do Vee-gen-ya)
• How much does it cost? – Ile to kosztuje?
  • (Pronouced il-eh ta Kosh-too-yea)
• Can I have a beer/wine? – Jedno piwo/wino
  • (Pronouced jed-no Pivo/Vino)
• Can I have the bill/check – Poproszę o rachunek
  • (Pronouced po-pro-she o ra-who-neck)

Kraków

We thought we’d start off with the beautiful city of Kraków. You can’t go to Poland without visiting Kraków’s breathtaking market square and Wawel, which even has its own fire breathing dragon! Although you simply have to try Polish classics like bigos or pierogi, we’d definitely recommend paying MoaBurger a visit while you’re in town. We’d also recommend taking a trip to the outskirts of town, to the Wieliczka salt mines. The mines go for miles underground and have been painstakingly decorated by one of the miners. It’s also the perfect place to go if you find the summer heat a little too much.

Auschwitz

Once the largest of the Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz has over 1.1million visitors a year and it’s located just outside of Kraków. Although it may not be the happiest of places to visit on your holidays, it is somewhere that you really have to experience.

Warsaw – Poland’s capital city

Warsaw is incredible. Being a major European capital, it has most of the big-name shops that you might not expect to see in Poland. There are plenty of low cost walking tours to do, or if you have 20 euros, you can see the whole city by doing a 3-hour cycling tour. The city is also home to more history and monuments than you can shake a stick at. There are also plenty of companies doing day trips to Kraków and Auschwitz.

Zakopane

Most cities boast both an old and a new town. Zakopane, on the other hand, has never forgotten its traditional roots and incorporated this traditional style into its newer buildings. If you like skiing, it’s the perfect spot for a winter break as it’s right at the base of the Tatra mountains.

Gdańsk

Poland’s not really famous for its beaches, but one visit to Gdańsk will change your mind. The city is home to an old town and a new town, and has a very rich history to it. Must see spots include The Great Mill, the Solidarity museum and Malbork Castle. But….as beautiful as the city is, the beaches in Gdańsk are even better 😉

Wrocław

It may be the hardest city in Poland to pronounce (well, maybe Szczecin beats it), but it is definitely worth seeing (not just because we’re based there!). Last year it was voted the European Capital of Culture. If you are looking for a romantic weekend away, Wrocław is the place to go. The city is known for hosting many street festivals during the summer, as well as being famous for its farmers markets. It is also the proud home of Aploq Translations (sorry, we couldn’t help mentioning it again :D).

Masurian Lake District

Last but definitely not least, in the north-eastern region of Poland, Masuria is home to over 2,000 lakes! The region was one of the 28 finalists for New7Wonders of Nature. The lakelands cover roughly an area of 52,000 square kilometers. If you’re an outdoorsy type like we are at Aploq, you will love it here. The region is perfect for boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking, and generally anything sporty.

If you’d like more info about Poland, or just want to pay us a visit, all you have to do is get in touch. We’ll also help you with all your Polish translations 🙂

P.S. Thank you to MaxPixel and PxHere for all the great free images for this post!