Planning a Multigenerational Trip to Poland

With its rising popularity, you and your family may soon find yourselves planning a trip to Poland. Enticing food, UNESCO World Heritage sites, fascinating architecture, outdoor activities, a wealth of culture and a long history means there are plenty of things to taste, see and do during a multigenerational visit.

Jeść! (Eat!)

When it’s time to eat in Poland, there are plenty of delicious options from which to choose. Even the pickiest eaters will enjoy trying the local specialties, especially if they are dessert aficionados. Makowiec is one of Poland’s most popular sweet treats — a strudel-like cake roll filled with ground poppy seeds, honey, butter, raisins and walnuts. Another option is budyń, a custard you may find in chocolate, vanilla or even banana. Another traditional cake option is šakotis, a sponge cake cooked over the flame of a rotary spit; it may seem unconventional, but give it a try. Or, try Poland’s traditional cheesecake, sernik, an authentic version of the American classic that uses a farmer’s cheese called twarog, and commonly referred to as “Viennese cheesecake” across the country. And who doesn’t love donuts? Give paczki a try.

Sztuka (Art)

Fryderyk Chopin was Polish, and the country’s musical and arts history is long and rich. Make plans to check out the National Museum in Warsaw, founded in 1862 and one of the oldest museums in the country. More than 830,000 works of art from Poland and abroad are found within the museum, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, coins and more.

Park in Warsaw, Poland © Liubovyashkir | Dreamstime.com

Parks

For a country more than 120,700 square miles, Poland has an impressive number of parks and national parks in which to explore, play and simply enjoy. Within them, you and your family can see Europe’s biggest shifting sand dunes, walk through a labyrinth carved out in stone or come across bison in the last primary forest on the continent. There is something to see and experience in all of Poland’s parks — check them out for yourselves.

Festiwals (Festivals)

The Polish are a people who take celebrations seriously and invite you to join in the festivities. From January through December, there are myriad festivals the public is invited to attend. A few to consider planning around are Poland’s National Independence Day on Nov. 11, Constitution Day on May 3, and, of course, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Epiphany and Easter. Go in, join the fun.