Poland

Poland officially known as the Republic of Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east, and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. Poland has a population of over 38 million people. Warsaw is the capital and largest city. The climate is mostly temperate throughout the country. The climate is oceanic in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and continental towards the south and east. Summers are generally warm, with average temperatures between 17 °C and 20 °C. Winters are cold, with average temperatures around 3 °C in the northwest and −6 °C in the northeast. The most attractive urban destinations for tourists are Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Lublin and Toruń; in addition to these the historic site of the Auschwitz concentration camp near Oświęcim is a noteworthy place of pilgrimage and a now constitutes a major monument to the prevention of war and suffering in Southern Poland. Popular areas of natural beauty include northeast Poland's Masurian Lake District and Białowieża Forest. Poland's famous buildings are the Gothic St Mary's Basilica on the Main Market Square in Kraków, Renaissance City Hall in Poznań, St. Andrew's Church in Kraków, Bishop’s Palace in Kielce, Wawel Castle, the Old Town of Gdańsk, Branicki Palace in Białystok, Branicki Palace in Warsaw, the Palace on the Water, Lublin Castle.