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Mazovia is a place with amusing number of places worth seeing. We would like to show you all, but we present only 20 of the most impressive and worth visiting.

POLIN: MEETING IN THE MUSEUM

POLIN, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, was established in 2005. The modern historical museum commemorates 1000 years of the history of Polish Jews. In addition to its exhibitions, it also serves as a cultural and educational centre and a meeting point for those interested in learning about Jewish culture. Next to the futuristic museum building, there one may also admire the famous Monument of the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, designed by Natan Rapaport.

For more information visit:  www.polin.pl 

WARSAW REACHES FOR THE STARS

Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw is a unique place, which combines the opportunity for learning with entertainment. It was designed to constitute an attraction for both the youngest visitors and adults.  Since the facility opened in 2010, visitors have been conducting various experiments on their own to learn about the laws of physics, natural phenomena and chemical properties. The centre works each year with the Polish Radio to organize Scientific Picnic, which is the largest outdoor event in Europe that promotes science.

For more information visit: www.kopernik.org.pl 

THE FIGHTING CITY

The Museum of Warsaw Uprising was launched on the 60th anniversary of its outbreak. It commemorates the history of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. It is also a tribute to the people who took part in the fight for the Polish independence. Visitors to the museum will learn about the cause of the fight, its historical background and the everyday life of the insurgents. There is even a specially arranged canal entrance where visual and sound effects create a strong illusion of the realities that the poles needed to face. It’s an extraordinary experience, allowing visitors to truly understand what it was like for the inhabitants of insurgent Warsaw.

For more information visit:  www.1944.pl 

OLD TOWN: THE PEARL IN THE CROWN

Old Town in Warsaw is its historical center, and the oldest part of the city. The compact architecture compound comes mainly from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Though Old Town was in 90% destroyed by Nazi occupiers during World War II, it was successively rebuilt with great attention to detail. In 1980, Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as an example of the restoration of historical buildings. Today, a walk along the climatic streets of Warsaw's Old Town allows you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and puts you in a unique mood.

For more information visit:  www.warsawtour.pl 

VISITING THE KING

'Łazienki Królewskie' is an 18th-century palace and garden complex that once was the summer residence of King Stanislaw August. The diverse historic park contains classical buildings and small architectural marvels. The best known are: the Palace on the Island, the Old Orangery with the Royal Theatre, and Myślewicki Palace. Before visiting 'Łazienki Królewskie', it is recommended that you buy nuts for the tamed squirrels which one can meet there. From May to September, excellent concerts of Fryderyk Chopin's music take place here, attracting crowd of tourists.

For more information visit:  www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl 

THE FOLKLORE OF MAZOVIA

The Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc is an open-air museum covering an area of over 60 hectares. About 80 objects were gathered under the open sky. The open-air museum is a reconstruction the original character of the old village - the appearance of the cottages, the furnishings of their interiors and the home crops — even the presence of farm animals. The exhibition also includes a reconstructed manor house, an 18th-century church, and a wooden windmill. All of this makes up a multicolored picture of the former village, as if time itself has stopped.

For more information visit:  www.mwmskansen.pl 

SECRETS OF MODLIN FORTRESS

Modlin Fortress is formed by many fortifications located at the confluence of the Vistula and Narew rivers in the immediate vicinity of Warsaw. With its length reaching 2,250 meters, Modlin Fortress Citadel is the longest building in Europe! During a siege it could serve as a shelter for up to 100,000 people. There is a tourist trail within fortifications, which attracts great interest and serves as an arena for urban games organized in the fortress. The tour route includes, among other things, the Military Park, the Polygonal Front and the terraces of the Tatarian Tower.

For more information visit:  www.twierdzamodlin.pl 

FACTORY CITY, GARDEN CITY

The history of Żyrardów began around the year 1833 with the launch of flax factory. The technical director of the factory, which initially operated in Marymont, was a French engineer - Philippe de Girard. The city was named after him, and became known throughout Europe as a linen capital. The industrial landscape of Żyrardów is softened by specially designed vast green areas, formed in line with the concept of a garden city. The park, located in the heart of the city, is a great place for residents and tourists to relax.

For more information visit:  www.zyrardow.pl 

THE CRADLE OF MUSIC

Żelazowa Wola, a charming village situated near Sochaczew, is the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin, considered to be one of the most outstanding composers of all times. The pianist’s family home now houses a biographical museum. The manor house and the landscape park on the Utrata River provide a setting for summer concerts, presenting Chopin's most outstanding works. The mission of the institution is to spread knowledge about the life and work of the composer and to reach the widest possible audience.

For more information visit:  www.chopin.museum 

THE PATH OF THE CIRCUS SCHOOL

Julinek is a small settlement located in the municipality of Leszno. The town became famous in Poland as a circus base. It is also the home of the State Circus School, founded in 1967 to educate, among others, illusionists and acrobats. Currently, Julinek hosts the largest amusement park in Mazovia and one of the largest ones in Poland, which through a number of attractions provides great fun for the whole family. Revitalized circus facilities, outdoor attractions and the Kampinos Forest make this an obligatory stop on your route of tourist adventure.

For more information visit:  www.julinek.com.pl 

A TRAIN FROM THE OLD TIMES

The Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum in Sochaczew was established as a branch of the Station Museum in Warsaw. The collections made available to the public currently include 163 units of rolling stock. It is the largest collection of this type in Poland — and perhaps in all of Europe. During tourist season, the museum’s main attraction is the possibility of taking a trip with a historic train to Kampinos Forest. The institution also organizes Meetings with the History of Sochaczew, and many other events.

For more information visit:  www.mk.e-sochaczew.pl 

PEACEFUL VILLAGE...

The Radom Village Museum is located on the southwestern outskirts of the city. The large 32-hectare open-air museum gathers 80 objects of former rural construction. Among the mosaics of meadows, crops and mid-field trees, it presents folk architecture monuments such as cottages, manors, blacksmiths, windmills and water mills. The museum also conducts educational activities. You can expand your knowledge of old crafts by participating in various workshops, like bread baking. The picturesque Kosówka River flows through the open-air museum.

For more information visit:  www.muzeum-radom.pl 

CENTURIES-OLD FORTRESS

Ciechanów Castle upon the Łydynia River was built in the 14th century by Prince Siemowit III. The massive building was designed to protect the local population in the event of an attack by enemy force. The ten-meter high walls of the castle have rectangular shape, and the two round towers in the corners, located from the river side, defend the access to the gate. During the 1960s, reconstruction of the castle was commenced after the devastation of the Swedish Deluge and also to the reign of Prussia, which ruled the nearby areas as a result of the Second Partition of Poland.

For more information visit:  www.zamekwciechanowie.pl 

UNDER THE CARE OF ATLAS

The Regional Museum in Siedlce, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, occupies the interior of the Old Town Hall. The Baroque-Classical building is crowned by a tower with an Atlas figure carrying a golden ball on its shoulders. Apart from exhibitions devoted mainly to the history of Siedlce and the region, the museum engages in educational activities, organizing lessons, lectures and meetings with historians. It also runs a library containing nearly 5,000 volumes.

For more information visit: www.muzeumsiedlce.art.pl 

FROM SECESSION TO ART DÉCO

The pride of the Mazovian Museum, founded in 1821 in Płock, are its famous historical collections as well as archaeological and numismatic collections. The rich art department boasts 5500 Art Nouveau exhibits, which makes the museum collection absolutely unique in Poland. The Museum of Mazovian Jews is located in the synagogue, and the renovated Granary.

For more information visit:  www.muzeumplock.eu 

MUSEUM OF ROMANTICISM

The Museum of Romanticism in Opinogóra occupies the interior of a neo-Gothic palace from the 1940s and the manor outbuilding. The historic buildings are situated in a 22-hectare landscape park, designed in the English style. The Museum collects memorabilia related to the Krasiński family, with particular emphasis on Zygmunt Krasiński, whose crypt is located in a church outside the park is open to visitors. The Museum conducts educational activities by organizing classical music concerts and poetry meetings.

For more information visit:  www.muzeumromantyzmu.pl 

CULTURE IN THE KURPIE STYLE

Decorations, costumes, everyday items: this and more can be seen at the exhibitions of the Museum of Kurpie Culture in Ostrołęka. Life in Kurpie, on the other hand, is faithfully recreated by Kurpie Homestead in Kadzidło. It is an cameral open-air museum consisting of traditionally equipped huts, barns, granaries and oil mills, among other things. In the summer, for the benefit of visitors in Zagroda, the workshops "Disappearing Professions" (VI), the "Kadzidlańska Sunday" event (IX) and the reconstructed "Kurpiowski Wedding" (VI) are held.

For more information visit: www.muzeum.ostroleka.pl 

GOTHIC ARMOURY

The Museum Armoury in Liw Castle was established in 1963 by the ruins of a 15th-century Gothic ducal castle. The historical museum commemorates the history of the fortress, and presents art, weapons and armaments from various eras. In the summer, numerous staged events and outdoor festivals are organised, including the National Knight Tournament and the International Tournament of Flavours. The Museum also invites primary school students to participate in museum lessons and living history encounters.

For more information visit: www.liw-zamek.pl  

THE THING ABOUT CHOPIN

The European Artistic Centre of Frederic Chopin in Sanniki is a unique place where art and artists meet with ordinary audiences. The mission of the institution is to promote national cultural heritage by popularising the work of Fryderyk Chopin. The Centre organizes concerts, vernissages, theatre performances, films, and multimedia shows. In addition, it runs courses and workshops, and provides library collections on music and ethnography.

For more information visit: www.ecsanniki.pl 

SINGING MUSEUM

The Museum of Folk Musical Instruments in Szydłowiec owns a collection of over 2,000 folklore instruments, which are often rare and always interesting. Visitors can see for themselves how the hurdy gurdy or a Polish violin looks like. Particular attention should be paid to the largest collection of harmonies. The facility is located in a 15th-century castle in Szydłowiec, the former Gothic-Renaissance residence of the Szydłowiec and Radziwiłł families.

For more information visit: www.muzeuminstrumentow.pl