Those holiday makers who also consider themselves classical music lovers may considering heading to Poland this year for a city break. An internationally famous classical music tour will be visiting cities associated with the famous pianist and composer Frederic Chopin.

The classical music tour has launched with the help of the Mazovia regional tourist organisation in Poland, where Chopin was born and raised as a child. The start of the tour will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the famous musician’s birth.

Starting in Poland’s capital city of Warsaw, the musical tour will visit Niepokalanow and Milanowek amongst other local regions before travelling to Sochaczew, where Chopin first started to perform his music before he finally emigrated.

Holiday makers will enjoy seeing Zelazowa Wola, the Mazovian village and birth place of the composer and Brochow, where the composter saw his parents married and where he was baptised as a baby.

Director at the Polish office, Ewa Bikin said:

“At a time when we are celebrating Chopin’s 200th birthday, this tour gives visitors to the region a unique insight to his life. It gives people the opportunity to walk in his footsteps in a wonderful part of the country.”

Flights available direct to Warsaw from the UK are operated by British Airways, LOT Polish and KLM.

Those searching for bargain holidays in Poland might like to book their trip to coincide with one of Poland’s classical music festivals being held in Krakow.

The Sacrum-Profanum Festival is to be held from the 13th to the 21st September this year and will be focussing primarily on German composers this year.  The festival celebrates music from the 19th and 20th century.

Through the festival, different concerts will be held at a variety of venues across the city.  Several popular acts have been confirmed including the London Sinfonietta, the Theatre of Voices, Frankfurt’s Modern Ensemble and the Aska Ensemble.

Previously, much of the action has taken place in Krakow’s former Tadeusz Sendzimir Steel Mill.  This is a large industrial section of Krakow’s district of Nowa huta.  The exact location of most of the concerts has yet to be confirmed.

Poland has proved a particularly popular holiday destination with travellers from the UK because it is a relatively cheap European city to visit.

Many may not have heard of the Great Masurian Lakes.  Poland’s Great Masurian Lakes are a huge system of lakes in the north east of Poland.  It consists of 45 lakes, 12 canals and 8 rivers and is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

It is a beautiful landscape of hills and forests with farms and lakes, making up Europe’s largest stretch of water.

If you are looking for an active holiday somewhere different and that will not cost the earth, this area is incredibly popular with tourists and locals alike for sailing, caoeing, biking, hiking and fishing.

The largest lake in the system, indeed in the whole of Poland, is Lake Sniardwy, covering 100 sq km (42 sq miles).  As you can imagine in a system of this size, it is home to a huge range of animals and plants and other wildlife and several nature reserves are established in the region.  One of the reserves is home to the largest breeding ground for mute swans.  You can see bitterns, herons, rare black storks, raptors and kites.

A good place to stay is the nearby town of Augustow as its close to three of the lakes.  All the local towns get very busy in the summer.  If you do not want to sail, you can hire a local pleasure boat to travel the lakes or you can take a trip on the Elblag canal, over 150 years old and a peaceful trip for those who want to enjoy the ambience.

You would be forgiven for having not heard of Gdansk before, but if you’re looking for a cheap holiday and are at all interested in European history, this is one picturesque city worth a look.

Gdansk was originally known as Danzig and is located on the coast of Poland, close to the Baltic Sea. In the mid-16th century, this was one of the richest cities in Poland and that still shows to this day.

However, it was also here that World War II started in September 1939 when the Germans fired on the naval fort. The city was devastated in the war and has been lovingly reconstructed over the years. (more…)