Poland Top 10 Travel Places

1. Gdansk - seaport on the shore of the Baltic sea
2. Malbork - medieval Teutonic Knights castle
3. Kazimierz Dolny - old Jewish town
4.Czestochowa - Black Madonna
5. Auschwitz - Concentration Camp
6. Wieliczka Salt Mine -near Krakow
7.Zelazowa Wola -Chopin birthplace near Warsaw
8.Morskie Oko - the lake in the Tatra Mountains
9.Kanal Ostrodzko-Elblaski and Mazury Lakes
10.Szlak Piastowski - Near Poznan

note: Auschwitz - the sad monument, but 'must see' as a witness of the past

In 997 Saint Adalbert reached Gdansk with his mission to baptize pagans of Pomerania. Sooner after the place became the part of Piast state and since that time is connected with Polish and Prussian history.
Gdansk is the birthplace of philosopher Artur Shopenhauer, astronomer Hevelius (good beer with this name !), another citizen of Gdansk is Gunter Grass(Nobel for Literature 1999).
The Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk became the cradle of Solidarity' - movement that has shaken the Communist regime and give the initial spark to all the present changes in Central Europe. The famous head of Solidarity -Lech Walesa (Nobel for Peace 1983 ) has its house in the city as well. Near the entrance to the shipyard Jean Michell Jarre had his performance in 2005.
The old echoes of city's membership in medieval Hanseatic League one can find in the famous Dominican Fair, which very year for two summer weeks the fair bring the tourists and merchants to the city. The fair tradition dates back to the 13th century. If you miss the fair don't worry, everyday in the hundreds of shops you can buy souvenirs, polish crystal, and the Amber from the Baltic Sea. You can also try to find amber on one of the local beaches, especially after the storm, the water washes back the stones to the shore, but you have to wake up very early as there are many of people trying to find it ( and later sell to the shops or tourists).
The best beach with Pier you can find in Sopot, the most popular Polish Baltic Spa with several events, the best known is International Music Festival , held in August every year since 1964.
The classical music lovers will be delighted by the concert of one of the most famous european Organ from 18th century. Everyday concerts take place in the former Cistercian church in Oliwa.
The scenic view of thousand year-old port with medieval Gates, Granaries and Crane (Zuraw Gdanski) you can see on Long Waterfront near the Old City.
In Gdynia, once an old fishing village, nowadays the part of Gdansk, close to the modern port you can see numerous ships waiting for unloading, you can also visit the WWII ship-museum 'Westerplatte', or take a short cruse around the Gulf of Gdansk, the embarkments are in Gdynia, Sopot's Pier, and old Gdansk. These three places form so called Tri-City (Gdynia,Sopot,Gdansk) with total population 780,000, second in Poland after Warsaw.

In 1226 Duke Konrad I of Masovia invited Teutonic Knights to Poland.
Order of the Hospital of Saint Mary has been established to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, and so they were supposed to help strengthening Christianity on Polish borders.
Soon, the Order became very powerful, and start to fight its way in Pomerania.
Between 1226 and 1410 there were 120 castles built within a distance 20-30 km from each other, and finally in 1309 the Grand Master transferred his headquarters from Venice to new fortress in Malbork.
The Castle in Malbork is one of the few Teutonic castles that were preserved to present times.The Gothic fortress attracts half a million tourists every year, some of them searching for
the legendary Treasury of Teutonic Order outnumbering the legendary wealthness of the Templars.
[the nice lens about Malbork Castle]

Although the town Czestochowa is more than 600 years old, millions of pilgrims just pass it by,
on the way to the old Pauline monastery called - Jasna Gora. The most spectacular is the week around the Assumption of St.Mary ( 15th of August ) where thousands and thousands of people from all over Poland walk on feet ( some more than a week ) to see the famous painting of 'Black Madonna'. The miraculous painting according to tradition executed by one of the apostles, according to scientists from circa 5th century shows the Holy Virgin and Infant Jesus adorned with numerous votes, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and amber.

The German Concentration Camp built by Nazis on the territory of occupied Poland during WWII.
Between 1940 and 1945 about one and half million people were killed here. Visitors can see the conditions in which prisoners lived, also their personal belongings.
The items from Auschwitz-Birkenau are the base of the Washington Holocaust Memorial Museum collection.

50 km from centre of Warsaw you can find the spleen of 19th century Romantizm in Zelazowa Wola, where in 1810 came to the world the great polish composer Fryderyk Chopin . In the preserved mansion house he spend his childhood, you can see the room, where before sleeping time he listened to his grandma's songs, the folk songs that later became the base for many of his piano works.
The best time to visit Zelazowa Wola is the beginning of Autumn, where all the trees from the park surrounding the mansion change the colors in the 'Indian Summer' fashion.
The park is the place of piano concerts played almost everyday, outside, when the weather allows, or inside of the house of Chopin.

Somewhere high in the Tatra mountains hides the lake 'Morskie Oko'
( the eye of the sea ). The name of the lake is explained by the story about underground connection between the lake and the Baltic Sea, so 'The Sea can see' what is going on in the mountains.
Polish Aspen - Zakopane town joined the competition for holding Winter Olympic Games.

The area near Poznan is a bot off the beaten track, I admit, but if you want to discover the roots of Poland - go there. This is a land of first rulers of our country - the Piast family, in Gniezno, the first capital of Poland there are the relics of the country's patron Saint Wojciech, in Strzelno,Trzemieszno and Mogilno are the remains of the oldests Polish churches, in the nearby Kruszwica (romanesque church on photo) the unfortunate king Popiel has been eaten by mice in the tower on the shore of lake Goplo.
The new built basilica in Lichen, one of the biggest churches in Europe closes the millenium chapter of Polish history.

So, indeed Poland is the country of the thousand lakes.
Here in Mazury there are the big lakes, like Sniardwy or Mamry, for sailing and surfing, and the smaller ones perfect for fishing of birdwatching. Some, like Wigry, are the part of National Parks.
The water route near Augustow was favourited by the Pope, who used to do canoing every summer in Mazury.
And if you don't want to be bothered with paddling, you can enjoy the boat tour along 150 years old water channel - Kanal Ostrodzko-Elblaski in nearby Wamia.