Opole, the historical capital of Upper Silesia

29 October 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

North part of Opole's centre © Kaww

North part of Opole’s centre © Kaww

Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River (Odra). It has a population of 126,000 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County. Opole hosts the annual National Festival of Polish Song. The city is also known for its 10th century Church of St. Adalbert and the 14th century Church of the Holy Cross.   read more…

Poznań on Warta river

10 October 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Old Market Square © Lvova Anastasiya/cc-by-sa-3.0

Old Market Square © Lvova Anastasiya/cc-by-sa-3.0

Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 551,627 in the end of 2010. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań’s cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be the first capital of the kingdom of Poland.   read more…

The Way of St. James

22 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Editorial, EU blog post series, European Union, Bon voyage, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  12 minutes

Ways of St. James in Western Europe © Manfred Zentgraf/CC-BY-SA

Ways of St. James in Western Europe © Manfred Zentgraf/CC-BY-SA

The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way (Spanish: El Camino de Santiago) is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.   read more…

Theme Week Warsaw – The Polonia Palace Hotel

28 July 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  7 minutes

© poloniapalace.com

© poloniapalace.com

The Polonia Palace is a unique hotel in central Warsaw: boasting a long history, it has survived war and political crises with dignity, and today stands as a symbol of the best of both old and new Warsaw. The hotel is an easy walk from Warsaw’s shopping districts and financial centers, and enjoys an enviable location it is directly opposite the Palace of Culture and Science, and offers its guests an unimpeded view of this landmark building.   read more…

Radom at the foot of the Holy Cross Mountains

25 July 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Building of the City Council by night © Voytek S/GFDL

Building of the City Council by night © Voytek S/GFDL

Radom is a city in central Poland with 224, 000 inhabitants. It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship (1975–1998); 100 km south of Poland’s capital, Warsaw. In spite of being part of the Masovian Voivodeship, the city historically belongs to Lesser Poland.   read more…

The European Federation of Napoleonic Cities

6 June 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  4 minutes

© napoleoncities.eu

© napoleoncities.eu

“This heritage deserves to be better known, highlighted, shared and visited”. Those observations led us to create a Federation for European cities of Napoleonic history. If we look into the great man’s deeds, the French Revolution, the French Age of Enlightenment, the ideals of ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’ are values which bind us together. Rehabilitating historical sites, encouraging historical research, promoting our museums and our culture through live events, opening up to our country and European citizens is a bit like travelling through the complex, contradictory and sometimes opposing tracks whereby those ideals established themselves in Europe.   read more…

Theme Week Warsaw – The National Stadium

1 June 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, House of the Month, Sport Reading Time:  7 minutes

National Stadium in Warsaw © Pjahr

National Stadium in Warsaw © Pjahr

The National Stadium (Polish: Stadion Narodowy) is a football stadium located in Warsaw. It is used mostly for football matches and it is the home stadium of Poland national football team.   read more…

The Masurian Lake District

6 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Orzysz Lake © JaGr

Orzysz Lake © JaGr

The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland (Polish: Pojezierze Mazurskie; German: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria. It contains more than 2,000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New7Wonders of Nature. The Lakeland extends roughly 290 km (180 mi) eastwards from the lower Vistula River to the Poland-Lithuania border, and occupies an area of roughly 52,000 square kilometres (20,000 sq mi). Administratively, the Lake District lies within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Small parts of the district lie within the Masovian and Podlaskie Voivodeships. The lakes are well connected by rivers and canals, forming an extensive system of waterways. The 18th-century Masurian Canal links this system to the Baltic Sea. The whole area is a prime tourist destination, frequented by boating enthusiasts, canoeists, anglers, hikers, bikers and nature-lovers. It is one of the most famous lake districts in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot, with the highest number of visitors every year.   read more…

Country overview

9 November 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

In addition to the regular search function, a country overview is available here. Click on the country name to see all currently available blog entries.   read more…

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