11 historic places
Historic Places in Poland
Royal Kraków, the Holocaust, and Solidarity
A map-based guide to historic places to visit in Poland — Kraków and Wawel, Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Warsaw Uprising, the Teutonic castle of Malbork, and the birthplace of Solidarity.
Heritage1257Kraków Main Market Square
Medieval Europe's largest market square, unbroken since 1257.
Heritage1274Malbork Castle
The world's largest brick castle, fortress-capital of the Teutonic Knights.
Heritage1290Wieliczka Salt Mine
A cathedral carved from salt, 300 metres beneath the earth.
Heritage1333Wawel Royal Castle
The hilltop seat of Polish kings, crowned and buried beneath its cathedral.
Cultural1382Jasna Góra Monastery
Home of the Black Madonna and Poland's holiest shrine.
Historical1410Grunwald Battlefield
Where Poland and Lithuania shattered the Teutonic Knights in 1410.
Historical1939Westerplatte
Where the first shots of World War II were fired at dawn on 1 September 1939.
Historical1940Auschwitz-Birkenau
The largest Nazi death camp, where over a million people were murdered.
Historical1944Warsaw Uprising Museum
The 63-day revolt in which Warsaw rose against the Nazis — and was destroyed for it.
Heritage1953Warsaw Old Town Market Square
A medieval old town rebuilt brick by brick from wartime ruins.
Historical1980European Solidarity Centre
The Gdańsk shipyard where Solidarity was born and communism began to crack.