Podlasie

The Eastern belt of Poland, and particularly Podlasie, remains largely undiscovered—not only by international, but even by domestic tourism. In many ways, it seems that time has stopped here, or at the very least, that it flows more slowly—this is Poland's Enchanted East. This means that Podlasie remains quite unspoiled, but—a nice surprise—it is not wholly undeveloped or lacking tourism infrastructure. In and around Janów Podlaski, you will find some excellent places to stay, including a brand-new luxury hotel on a historic castle site, and a more rural and quaint, comfortable pension at the edge of the woods. Podlasie is a perfect holiday destination, especially if you like outdoor adventures. There are nice and easy hiking and biking trails through the woods and meadows; fishing and hunting opportunities; and of course horse-riding. Janów Podlaski is particularly famous—in Poland and abroad—for its herd of Arabian horses, bred here since 1817 (this means that in 2017, the stud farm celebrated its 200th anniversary!) But there are even more reasons to visit, such as the annual Land Art Festival, which held its seventh edition in July 2017 (but you can see the artworks from previous editions any time, all year round). All this is easily accessible from Warsaw by road or rail in under 2½ hours—there are several trains daily to Biała Podlaska, where you can catch a taxi to Janów. Podlasie is certainly worth the trip, if only to sample the local cuisine and experience the legendary hospitality of the region.