Hiking
There's little more inspiring than a hike in some of Poland's national parks and nature reserves. Nature enthusiasts can visit the Kampinos National Park, near Warsaw, while the Bieszczady National Park, part of the Carpathian mountain range, contains the surviving fragments of the Great Bieszczady Forest, home to the brown bear, lynx, wolf and wildcat.

Bialowieza National Park
The Bialowieza National Park (www.bpn.com.pl) is the last major refuge of the European bison as well as being home to many other rare forest-dwelling species and trees over 400 years old. Nature trails, cycling and exploring with a ranger are on offer.

Polish countryside
The Polish countryside lends itself perfectly to horse riding and enthusiasts have a large choice of riding schools to choose from. Polish stud farms are internationally renowned and welcome guests. Inexperienced riders may prefer riding a Hucul - a very rare Polish mountain pony.

Mushroom picking
Going for long meandering walks in the woods to pick mushrooms in the early autumn is a long standing Polish tradition. Mushroom picking has been a Polish tradition for centuries and several delicious varieties exist.  

Tatras
For alpine diversions there's nowhere better than the Tatras. Zakopane is a centre for climbing and winter sports where a fairytale atmosphere pervades with its ‘gingerbread' wooden cottages - some inhabitants still wear traditional Goralskie dress. Visit the beautiful Koscieliska Valley, the mountain of Kasprowy Wierch and the glacial lake Morskie Oko.

Sleigh rides
A horse-drawn sleigh ride is a magical experience, though be sure to have either warmed beer or heated honey vodka afterwards. Snow falls throughout Poland during the winter months so these types of rides are on offer all over the country.

Beaches
It may be hard to convince people, but Poland really boasts some of the very best beaches in northern Europe, especially the resorts of the Pomeranian coast, such as Kolobrzeg (large and fashionable) or Leba (with a beach of fabulous white sand). The beach connects to the Slowinski National Park (www.slowinskipn.pl), known for its giant ‘wandering sand dunes' which can shift several metres each year.

Hel Peninsula
The perfect escape from the crowds can be found in a trip to the Hel Peninsula in the country's north east, a perfect place to escape by bike or on foot that also has some good beaches and camp sites.

Malsurian Lake District
The Malsurian Lake District (consisting of over 1,000 lakes) is a favourite angling and boating destination. A popular lake-trail can take you through several lakes and canals. Local towns such as Mikolajki and Gizycko host sea shanty festivals and other lively events.

Canoeing
The best way to explore the Brodnica or Mysliborz lakelands, or the rivers Brda, Czarna Hancza and Obra is by canoe.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.