Even though I come from Lithuania which is closely related to Poland, I didn’t know a lot about this country. The only thing I was sure about is that Polish people are extremely nice and this post definitely proves it! I got to meet the sweetest girl in the world – Joanna, who was happy to share some interesting facts about her country. So now I cannot wait to meet more Polish people, visit Krakow and eat pierogi at the oldest restaurant in Europe!
Here are more awesome facts about Poland:
- Marie Skłodowska Curie, a Polish chemist and physicist was the first woman in history to win a Nobel Prize.
- Forests and fields occupy 90% of the area! Maybe it’s not just a coincidence that the country’s name Poland originates from the tribe Polanie which literally means ‘people living in open fields’.
- Poland is home for the European bison. Even though it is on the list of endangered species you can find about 800 of them in Białowieża Forest.
- Are you going inside? Take off your hat, please! It is considered as a rude behavior in Poland. Moreover, if you wear it while visiting someone, the person may feel disrespected or offended.
- Name day in Poland is as important as birthday! However, many Poles, especially the older generation prefer to celebrate name day and think that you should forget about your birthday when you turn 18.
- If you are planning to spend Easter in Poland, equip yourself with a raincoat to survive Smingus Dyngus! On that day everybody is chasing one another with water guns.
- True gentlemen still exist! Some Polish men tend to kiss woman’s hand to greet her. It is considered as a sign of respect and sympathy.
- You can still eat at the Europe’s oldest restaurant in Wrocław! Piwnica Swidnicka has been waiting for you since 1275…
- Poland has it all: a desert, access to the Baltic Sea, moving dunes, thousands of lakes and a huge number of mountains!
- The Old Town of Krakow happened to be on the FIRST World Heritage List of UNESCO! It is a truly beautiful city that should be visited at least once in a lifetime.
- Many people in Poland go to the forest to gather wild mushrooms. It is one of the most popular family activities during autumn.
- Fat Thursday – give me some doughnuts! On that day everybody is eating traditional Polish doughnuts called pączki. They are so delicious and it’s definitely a must-try while being in Poland!
- The Constitution of 1791 was the second in the world and the first one in Europe!
- It takes a few days to prepare the traditional Polish soup bigos! So if you don’t have that much time but still want to try out typical Polish cuisine, look for pierogi!
- Polish way of dubbing TV movies is a little bit unusual. There’s always a voice of one man used – even for the parts where there are children or women talking. Moreover, the original version is still there and you can hear it quite well. At least it’s a good opportunity to practice foreign languages!
