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During 2007 a competition was held to find the seven wonders of Poland. The Polish daily newspaper, the Rzeczposolita worked with experts to compile a shortlist of the seven wonders of Poland which was subject to an online vote.

The winning sights were:

1. The Wileickza Salt Mine

2. The Old Town, Torun

3. Malbork Castle, Malbork

4. Wawel Castle and Cathedral, Krakow

5. Eldberg Canal, Warmain-Masurian Voivodeship

6. The Old Town, Zamosc

7. Main Market Square and Old Town. Krakow

1. The Wileickza Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine. A Salt carving of Da Vinci’s Last Super. Source: Wikipedia

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is found in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland. It was a commercial venture that produced table salt from the 13th century  until 2007.  Commercial mining ceased in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.

The mine is famous for its salt sculptures and has become a major tourist attraction. The salt mine reaches a depth of 327 meters and contains 300 km of passages (about 1% is open to visitors).  The oldest sculptures were carved from the rock salt by the miners. These are supplemented by those of contemporary artists.  The rock salt often appears white when photographed but has actually has a grey appearance.

2. The Old Town, Torun

Source: Wikipedia

Torun is a historic city with associations with the Teutonic Knights and the Hanseatic League.  The town developed and a crossing point and inland port on the River Vistula in Northern Poland. In 1230-31 the Teutonic Knights built the castle. The city became prosperous by joining the Hanseatic League (a trading alliance) in 1280.

Unlike many other cities in Poland Toruń avoided wholesale destruction during World War II.  Some of the highlights are a gothic cathedral and two gothic churches, an old town hall (built in 1274), many Gothic townhouses, a castle of the Teutonic Knights and numerous partially preserved city gates and watch towers. Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, was born in the town in 1473. It is possible to visit his birthplace.

3. Malbork Castle, Malbork

Source: Wikipedia

The castle at Malbork is one of the great castles of the Middle Ages. This castle, built by the Teutonic Knights in the delta of the River Vistula became the headquarters for the order. The castle is the largest brick built gothic castle in the world. It once housed 3,000 knights and encloses an area 4 times that of Windsor. The town of Malbork developed nearby as a protected trading centre. In 1945, as World War II drew to a close, the castle was heavily damaged.  This was followed by a fire in 1959.  The castle has been rebuilt following a restoration program that stated in 1962. The cathedral within the castle grounds was fully restored before the war and remains in ruins.

4. Wawel Castle and Cathedral, Krakow

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Wawel Castle: Source Wikipedia

The Wawel Castle used to be a Polish Royal Castle. It was built in the fourteenth century by Casimir III the Great. In the early 16th century King Sigismund I the Old restyled the castle into the most sumptuous Renaissance palace in Eastern Europe. In 1609 King Sigismund moved the capital of Poland to Warsaw.  From 1795 to 1905 the castle was occupied by the Austrians.  When the Austrians withdrew in 1905 attempts were made to restore the castle through public subscriptions. In 1921 the castle became the official residence of the President of Poland.  After 1945 it became a museum.

Source: Wikipedia

Wavel Cathedral has a thousand year history.  The Cathedral is the traditional coronation and burial site for Polish monarchs.

5. Eldberg Canal

The Elbag Canal showing one of the inclined sections. Source: Wikipedia

The Eldbag Canal connects Lake Druzno with the river Dweca. The canal is remarkable because it uses a system of four inclined planes in place of locks. The canal rises 100m over 80.5 km.  

. The Old Town, Zamosc

 Source: Wikipedia

Zamość is a historic Baroque town in southeastern Poland.  In 1580 Jan Zamoyski, the leader of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, founded a new town sited on the  trade route that links north western Europe with the Black Sea.  Zamoyski employed an architect, Bernardo Morando from Padua. Morando built a Baroque town that still retains its original layout and fortifications. Many buildings blend Italian and central European architectural features.

7. Main Market Square and Old Town. Krakow

Source: Wiipedia

The Main Market Square in Krakow dates back to the 13th century and is the largest medieval square in Europe. (It is a 200 by 200 meter square).  The square includes St Mary’s Basilica, the Cloth Hall, St Adalbert’s Church, the Town Hall Tower and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument.

Source: Wikipedia

The Old Town in Krakow is a well preserved medieval town. Until 1596 when Sigismund III relocated the capital to Warsaw Krakow was the royal capital of Poland. The medieval town was surrounded by a 1.9 mile (3km) defensive wall with 46 towers and seven main entrances. During the19th century most of the Old Town fortifications were demolished and replaced by parkland.