The new territorial division of Poland was introduced in 1999, and since then 16 voivodships have appeared on the country's map. This is what the first level regions of Poland are called. Voivodships include counties, of which there are 379. Territorial units of the third level are communes and there are more than two thousand of them on the country's administrative map.
Repeating the alphabet
The largest area among the territorial entities of the state is occupied by the region of Poland, located in the very center of the country. The Mazovian Voivodeship is home to the largest number of Poles - more than five million. The smallest regions in Poland are the Lubuskie, więtokrzyskie and Silesian Voivodeships, and the smallest are Podlaskie and Opolskie.
Three whales of local tourism
When planning a vacation in Poland, travelers usually choose one of three tourist destinations that this European country has to offer. The first two depend on the season, but the third can be available at any time of the year and perfectly complement any program both in winter and in summer:
- Three regions of Poland offer beach holidays in their well-equipped Baltic resorts. West Pomeranian, Warmińsko-Mazurinskoe and Pomorskie Voivodeships have access to the sea, and resorts in these areas have a high reputation in Western Europe. The main international fame of the Polish beach resort invariably goes to Sopot, but other cities on the Baltic seaside are worthy of a traveler's attention.
- Polish ski resorts compete with Austrian or Italian ones in terms of equipment and infrastructure. They cannot boast of too difficult tracks or significant differences in altitude, but for beginners and intermediate athletes, Wisla and Szczyrk, Zakopane and Ustron are quite suitable places for an ideal winter active vacation. The main points on the map, where the ski slopes are located, are the Silesian, Lesser Poland and Subcarpathian Voivodeships.
- The excursion program can be generously diluted with both active winter rest and lazy beach idleness. Medieval castles in Warsaw and Krakow amaze all fans of chivalric romances, and the Malborg Fortress in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which served as the residence of the Masters of the Teutonic Order, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
