The occasional summit soars above the treeline, at spots like Wielka Sowa and Kalenica, to more than 1,000 meters. Of course, there are oodles of hiking trails that crisscross the range, peppered with rustic timber lodges and pretty little country hamlets.
Northern Poland’s answer to the regal majesty of southern Kraków comes in the form of historic Gdańsk. Since the city’s official establishment in 1235, it’s passed under the rule of the Teutonic Knights, the Polish monarchy and the Prussian Confederation.
Słowiński National Park is famed for its deserted beaches, densely linked forests and rugged, windswept sand dunes that move like waves from year to year. But the beauty doesn’t stop there because Słowiński is also prime wildlife spotting territory.
Karkonosze National Park is dominated by the soaring peaks of the eponymous Karkonosze Mountains, which find their summit at the pass of Śnieżka, 1,600 metres above sea level. Like the Owls, these have majestic vistas of fir and spruce forests and deep river valleys.
A long-time favorite of domestic Polish holiday-makers, the Masurian Lake District continues to fill up with campers, hikers and sailors during the warmer months of the year, when the scintillating swathes of its famous waters glimmer in the Baltic sun.