Poland is an ancient country with a proud cultural heritage. It is a fascinating destination with welcoming people. It has maintained its traditional culture even though it is a modern and progressive state. The country is located in the heart of Europe. It achieved independence on 11 November, 1918. One of its major events is Music in Old Kraków International Festival every August. The other events are Warsaw Theatre Meetings in January and Polish Film Festival in November. The Warsaw Theatre Meetings review the achievements of the best Polish theatres over the past year. The Polish Film Festival is the foremost presentation of Poland on celluloid. In early summer and autumn, local feasts, fairs and contests takes place throughout Poland. Christmas and Easter also are of huge importance there.

The attractions of the country are Warsaw, Krakow, The Tatras and Great Masurian Lakes.

Warsaw is a thriving cultural centre. It is one of Europe’s grandest city with churches, palaces,

galleries and museums. The city’s main attractions are the Royal Castle and the Lazienki Palace. It is the country’s most popular tourist destination. The Tatras is a region of towering peaks and steep rocky cliffs plunging hundreds of metres into glacial lakes. In this region winters are long and summers are short. And is not steamy enough to melt all the snow. Zakopane, the tourist centre of the Polish Tatras, is a pleasant town. It is a good base for skiing or hiking in the mountains. The Great Masurian Lakes are located in the central part of Masuria with over 15 percentage of the area under water. The main lakes are the Œniardwy and the Mamry. Towns are dotted around the lakes boundary. The cuisine of Poland includes thick soups and sauces, rich in potatoes and dumplings and meat. The country’s popular dishes are Bigos — sauerkraut with meat and Barszcz — beetroot soup.

The Polish favoured beverages are tea and vodka.