Poland Guide
Mazovia and Łódź
Mazovia – the sandy plain surrounding Warsaw – contains a sprinkling of sights that make good trips out from the Polish capital. West of Warsaw, the beautiful forest of the Kampinoski National Park is an easily accessible area of natural wilderness; while the village of Źelazowa Wola just beyond is home to the delightful country house where composer Chopin was born. Another likely day-trip destination is Płock on the banks of the Wisła, where a historic old town harbours a couple of worthwhile museums.
Southwest of the capital, the great manufacturing city of Łódź offers a rich cultural scene and, unusually for Poland, a wealth of nineteenth-century architecture. With a generous handful of museums and a burgeoning nightlife, Łódź merits a stay of several days.
Highlights
1 Kampinoski National Park A patchwork of virgin forest and squelchy bog, this former hunting ground of Poland's kings is covered in well-marked trails and is easily accessible from central Warsaw.
2 Żelazowa Wola Chopin's birthplace and nowadays a national shrine; there's a museum dedicated to the composer and you can attend summertime piano recitals in the surrounding park.
3 Arkadia and Nieborów The landscaped gardens laid out for the Radziwiłł family are among the best-preserved aristocratic parks in the country.
4 Industrial architecture in Łódź The red-brick factories and warehouses of the "Polish Manchester" are a must for lovers of nineteenth-century industrial architecture.
5 Łódź Art Museum The best modern art collection in Poland, full of insights into the avant-garde side of the nation's culture.