Tourism in Poland

Tourism in Poland
Poland's top ten urban destinations
Kraków, Royal palace at Wawel on the Vistula river, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Warsaw,Old Town Market Square, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wrocław,The Old Town Hall in the Market Square
Gdańsk,Baltic beaches of the Gdańsk Bay
Poznań,International Fair (since 1921) with exhibitors from 70 industrialized countries
Zakopane, "the winter capital of Poland", view from Gubałówka in the Tatra Mountains
Szczecin,New Philharmonic Hall
Wrocław Zoo
Bydgoszcz, red-brick Lloyd Palace and marina on the Brda
Kołobrzeg, historic lighthouse restored to its former glory

Poland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Lublin, Toruń and the historic site of Auschwitz - German nazi concentration camp in Oświęcim. The best recreational destinations include Poland's Masurian Lake District, Baltic Sea coast, Tatra Mountains (the highest mountain range of Carpathians), Sudetes and Białowieża Forest. Poland's main tourist offers consist of sightseeing within cities and out-of-town historical monuments, business trips, qualified tourism, agrotourism, mountain hiking (trekking) and climbing among others. Poland is the 17th most visited country in the world by foreign tourists, as ranked by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2012.

Poland, especially after joining the European Union in 2004, became a place frequently visited by tourists. Most tourist attractions in Poland are connected with natural environment, historic sites and cultural events. They draw millions of tourists every year from all around the world. According to Tourist Institute's data, Poland was visited by 15.7 million tourists in 2006, and by 15 million tourists in 2007, out of the total number of 66.2 million foreign visitors. In 2012, Poland was visited by 13.5 million foreign tourists (those who came during Euro 2012, but did not stay overnight, were not included in official statistics). In year 2013 Poland was visited by 15.8 million tourists.