Hundreds of lakes, giant bison, and ships that travel on land: The Poland you didn't know

Ships that leave the water and continue their way on land, giant bison roaming the forests, hundreds of lakes, and a city where little gnomes hide in almost every corner. This is not exactly the Poland that most Israelis know.

For many travelers from Israel, Poland is still identified mainly with Warsaw, Krakow, and sites related to Jewish history and World War II. However, off the beaten path, a completely different country is revealed: with the Baltic Sea coast in the north, vast lake districts, ancient forests, medieval towns, canyons, and the Tatra Mountains in the south.

"Green Poland is amazing," says Sapi Frank, a tour guide at Ayala Geographic (Ayala Group), who has been guiding in the country for years. For him, the connection to Poland is also personal: his mother was born in the country, he holds Polish citizenship, and returns there again and again.

From the Baltic Sea to ships that travel on land

One can start discovering the lesser-known Poland in the north. One stop is Torun, a beautiful medieval city on the banks of the Vistula River, and from there continue to Gdansk on the Baltic Sea coast.

Opposite Gdansk stretches the Hel Peninsula - a narrow strip of land penetrating the sea, with beaches and resort towns. Gdansk itself is much more than a port city: in its shipyards, the "Solidarity" movement grew, which became one of the most important symbols of the struggle against the communist regime in the 80s.

In the city, there is also the World War II Museum, which presents the events of the war from a much broader perspective than the one many Israelis are used to encountering. But one of the most surprising attractions is actually outside the city. At the Elblag Canal, a sight that seems almost impossible awaits: ships sailing in the water, then leaving it to continue on land. Due to height differences, vessels are transported on special platforms and land tracks. Not far from there is the huge Malbork Castle, one of the most impressive medieval sites in Poland.

Hundreds of lakes, and bison inside the forest

As one continues to the northeast, the cities give way to forests and water. The Masurian Lake District is one of the most prominent nature areas in Poland. In the Augustow area, forests and nature reserves stretch out, showing a completely different side of the country.

One of the animals most identified with Polish nature is the European bison. "Giant bison, it's just unbelievable," says Frank about the encounter with the animals. Inside the forested landscape, some of the darkest historical sites are also hidden, such as the "Wolf's Lair," the headquarters complex where Adolf Hitler stayed for a significant part of World War II. Today, remnants of bunkers remain in the forest.

Further along the way, one can reach Bialystok. In the area, one can also combine a baroque music concert in a church where there is an extraordinary organ, which includes elements that move using an air mechanism while playing.

The city where everyone is looking for gnomes

In Wroclaw, a completely different kind of experience awaits. In the streets, hundreds of tiny gnome statues are hidden - next to cafes, banks, and shops. Each has its own design and story, and what started as a local symbol has become one of the attractions most identified with the city.

Travelers can equip themselves with a map and go out to look for them. "I give travelers a map and say: now a competition, who marks more gnomes," says Frank. "In the end, everyone gets into it and enjoys it very much." Wroclaw, built on islands along the Oder River, offers an old center, bridges, and colorful buildings, yet it is usually not at the top of the list for the Israeli traveler.

From the canyon to the Tatra Mountains

In the south, the landscape changes again. In the Pieniny National Park area, one can go on a boat trip inside a canyon, between cliffs and green mountains. Frank notes that the landscape there reminded him of a canyon he visited in southern Mexico.

From there, one can continue to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains. The mountain resort town serves as a starting point for many routes, and one of the most famous leads to Morskie Oko, "Eye of the Sea," a mountain lake surrounded by peaks. Frank returns to the area both in summer and winter, noting that these are two completely different experiences: in summer, green and water dominate, and in winter, the snow changes the entire landscape.

Warsaw and Krakow may continue to be the most familiar stops, but for those willing to deviate from the classic Israeli route, it is precisely the Poland outside the big cities that may be the big surprise of the trip.