Explore vast culture and entertainment potential
Thanks to a wide range of cultural and entertainment attractions in Poland, even the most demanding tourists will have a great time and enjoy an experience that will remain in their memory for a long time. Poland currently has five cities belonging to the UNESCO Creative Cities network.
Kraków: City of Literature
Kraków was the first Polish city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2013. It is the Polish city most visited by foreign tourists. Situated on the banks of the Vistula River, it is one of our oldest cities, a true gem of our national cultural heritage. Full of legends, priceless architectural and art monuments – and good fun – the historical capital of Poland, with its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, captivates visitors from first sight.
Wrocław: City of Literature
Reflecting in the waters of the Oder River, Wrocław is sometimes called the “Venice of the North” thanks to its numerous islands and bridges from massive to minute. It is a very important cultural, economic, academic, and tourist center. It joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2019, becoming the second Polish City of Literature after Kraków. New places such as the Pan Tadeusz Museum and the Wrocław Literature House emphasize the role of literature in this city. You will also find a unique UNESCO World Heritage site here: the one-of-a-kind Centennial Hall, made of reinforced concrete.
Katowice: City of Music
The Katowice Culture Zone, situated next to the legendary Spodek Sport and Show Arena, is one of the most recognizable spaces in the city. In the place of a former coal mine you will now find the International Congress Centre, with a green valley instead of a roof; the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra; and the Silesian Museum. Today’s Katowice is a modern city, the heart of Poland’s first metropolis and host of many important events. Katowice joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015.
Łódź: City of Film
Łódź is a unique city where history and modernity intermingle to form a single whole. The famous Łódź Film School was the alma mater of such renowned filmmakers as Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieslowski, among many others. The Se-ma-for studio, specializing in children’s animations, produced Tomek Bagiński’s The Cathedral and The Animated History of Poland. The Museum of Cinematography and a special film-themed walking trail are also part of the Łódź film tradition. It is no surprise that Łódź joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017 as a City of Film.
Gdynia: City of Film
Built 100 years ago as a base for the modern port of newly free Poland, the Gdynia of today has many excellent tourist sites. One of them is the Gdynia Modernism Route – a real treat and not only for architecture enthusiasts. The city of Gdynia is also the home of the Gdynia Film Festival, the seat of the Gdynia Film School, and where the Gdynia Film Centre was founded. Since 2021, Gdynia has been listed on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Film.
