#939 Zakopane, Poland

In the mountains up from Krakow, where you can stand on top of a mountain and look down into valleys of both Poland and Slovakia is beautiful Zakopane.

The pine covered mountains offer super walking trails and ski fields, and one of the popular pastimes is to take a sleigh up one mountain, to end up eating delicious Polish sausages and drinking mulled wine! A sleigh is romantic wonder -- imagining you hear the bells of Santa's reindeer, warming your hands under the thick pelt over your knees, snuggling up to your companions! In summer, they change to carriages and it's just as fun.

The wooden houses evoke a bygone era of isolated hill villages and changing emperors, and the market stalls offer up a delight of cheeses, woolies, and meat. In summer, the mountain resort is also popular -- I guess I'll have to go back again!

#943 Krakow, Poland

Beautiful cityscape from Wikipedia, as viewed from the Krakow Mound.

Beautiful Krakow: ancient, academic, artistic, cultural, catholic, charming!

From the main square, the Ryneck, the biggest square in Europe, a delight in summer when it's filled with restaurants and cafes, with it's unusual twin brother towers of the old St. Mary's basilica and St. Peter and Paul church to the Wawel Castle and the military-like Barbican, there are many things to see. The ancient university can be seen in the Collegium Magnus, and the old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. World War II has left a fresh history in it's ghetto and graveyards across the river in formerly-Jewish Kazimierz.

Majestic poignant music, quaint little old streets, and a history of monarchies, duchys, small tribes, as well as Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin. Krakow is the cultural heart of Poland, with heritage as old as it's ancient city can have.

I feel sad that I have only visited Krakow in the middle of winter, when the Wistula River is frozen and the snow deep, but that means that I have a summer gem to return to, discovering a whole new city.

Outside the Sukiennice -- the main square, the Ryneck.

Looking up at Wavel Castle

View of the Wistula River

Photo courtesy of Nellie Bednarek

Krakow Street. Photo courtesy of Nellie Bednarek

Mulled wine stand. Photo courtesy of Nellie Bednarek

Sukiennice market. Photo courtesy of Nellie Bednarek

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w

Belovezhskaya Pushcha Belarus

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, this immense forest range, consisting of evergreens and broad-leaved trees, is home to some remarkable animal life, including rare mammals such as the wolf, the lynx and the otter, as well as some 300 European Bison, a species which has been reintroduced into the park. The Białowieża Primeval Forest is the last remaining primary deciduous and mixed forest of the European lowlands. Located on the watershed of the Baltic and Black seas, this immense forest range consisting of evergreens and broadleaved trees is the home of some remarkable animal life, including rare and interesting mammals. The park comprises about one-tenth of the entire Białowieża Primeval Forest, which has a wide range of flora and fauna typical of both Western and Eastern Europe.

Continent: Europe

Country: Belarus

Category: Natural

Criterion: (VII)

Date of Inscription: 1979

Example of original forests

The park protects a part of the last and one of the largest surviving areas of European primeval lowland mixed forest: pine, beech, oak, alder and spruce. The forest dates back to 8000 BC and is the only remaining example of the original forests, which once covered much of Europe.

These wilderness areas are inhabited by European bison, a species reintroduced into the park in 1929, elk, stag, roe deer, wild boar, lynx, wolf, fox, marten, badger, otter, ermine, beaver and numerous bats. It is also a showplace reserve for tarpan (Polish wild forest horse). The avifauna includes corncrake, white-tailed eagle, white stork, peregrine falcon and eagle owl.

National Park Entrance

Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline

Oldest National Park

Białowieski National Park is the oldest national park in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded as 'Reserve' forestry in 1921 but officially established as a National Park in Białowieża in 1932. In 1947 it was restored as the Białowieski National Park. At one time the property of Polish kings, the Białowieski Forests have survived in an almost unaltered form. It is without doubt the most valuable natural area in the European lowlands.

Slideshow for this Heritage Site

Browse All UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belarus. The original UNESCO inscription Here!!!

Wieliczka

Wieliczka in southern Poland in the Kraków metropolitan area, and situated (since 1999) in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, previously, was in Kraków Province (1975-1998). The city was founded in 1290 by Duke Premislas II of Poland.

Located under the town of Wieliczka Salt Mine Wieliczka is. One of the world's oldest operating mine salt (the oldest is at Bochnia, Poland, 20 km (12 miles) from Wieliczka), which has been operating since prehistoric times.

Mines for tourist attractions, including dozens of sculptures and an entire chapel that has been carved out of rock salt by the miners. Approximately 1.2 million people visited the Wieliczka Salt Mines every year. Commercial mining was stopped in 1996 because of low prices and flooding the salt mines.

And keep in mind that the mine was used as an aircraft factory during World War 2. Interesting instead of staying on top of the salt mine. Obviously all the salt water.