Welcome to Poland. Poland is the home of: Nicolaus COPERNICUS, Fryderyk CHOPIN, Lech WALESA and Pope John Paul II. My country, located in the plains between Germany and Russia (today Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania as well), bordered in the south by Slovakia and the Czech Republic has suffered severely from the ravages of war. But each time it has been rebuilt by its inhabitants. Poland has really opened up after the fall of the Berlin wall and is becoming a very attractive destination for travelers. It has many historic towns and cities that testify of the long history of the Polish state, great natural beauty and a unique coast. The two primary destinations are the present capital Warsaw, which like a phoenix rose from the ashes of total destruction in World War II, and the ancient capital Krakow, untouched by war, which is an exquisite treasure of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Another popular places are Krynica-Zdroj, and Zakopane. Poland is too large to be properly appreciated in one visit. There is too much to see. Discover central Poland, with its many wild national parks easily reached from Warsaw, or the north and the Baltic coast with the ancient port of Gdansk. In the western part you will find Wielkopolska, the cradle of the nation, and in the south Malopolska and the Tatry mountains easily reached from Krakow. In the southwest Silesia with its many old castles and mounains is worth a visit.