In 2002, two historic Lutheran churches, in Åšwidnica and Jawor, were also put on the UNESCO list. But several other places are still waiting in line.
Gdańsk, a thousand-year-old city with the largest historic quarter in the country, is also waiting its turn. It was designed, built and decorated by the greatest European architects. Gdańsk also has the largest Gothic, brickwork church in the world, St. Mary's Basilica, and the Oliwa Cathedral ,with its famous organ.
When travelling around Poland, you should not miss the chance to see WrocÅ‚aw either. Situated on the River Oder, interlaced by numerous canals, it has 12 islands and scores of bridges. This city grew around the cross-roads of ancient trade routes, which left its mark on WrocÅ‚aw's layout and prosperity. It has one of the largest groups of mediaeval Gothic religious buildings in Poland. The jewel in Wroclaw's crown is the island Ostrów Tumski, packed with historic churches and quiet lanes.
Kazimierz Dolny on the River Vistula is another must-see for the visitor – it is a place particularly favoured by painters and photographers. Centuries ago, this town lay on an important trade route and rich merchants built splendid, intricately decorated townhouses there. Today, the town looks like an extraordinary open-air museum. The market-place is not only an architectural jewel, but also a crowded, jolly place in which you can buy beautiful handicrafts and the well-known pastries that come in the shape of Kazimierz roosters and other animals. Other mementos of the glorious past preserved in Kazimierz are the storehouses, reminding visitors that the town was once a river port. The town is surrounded by a natural landscape park which combines green stretches and natural monuments with a labyrinth of paths and wild loess gorges. In late June, the colourful National Festival of Folk Groups and Singers takes place in Kazimierz.
