The oldest mountain formation in Poland is Pieprzowe Mountains near Sandomierz, estimated to be 500 million years old. The Sowie Mountains, on the other hand, are made of the oldest rock material – gneiss – which dates from the time when liquid lava on the surface of our planet began to cool, forming the earth’s shell. This happened 4.5 billion years ago.

The youngest mountains are the Tatras, which are also record-breakers for many other reasons. They contain the highest Polish peak (Rysy), the grandest waterfall (Wielka Siklawa), the longest cave (Wielka Sniezna) and the most challenging mountain trail (Orla Perc).

The lowlands are not to be neglected, either. The largest monolyth in Poland is the Tryglaw of Tychowo, while Wiezyca is the highest point, not only of Kashubia, but also of the whole central European plain. And at the neighbouring sawmill, the longest plank of wood in the world has been milled. It is over 36 metres long and comes from a Douglas fir of record height.

The oldest tree in Poland is not one of the oaks in Rogalin (which together form the largest cluster in Europe), but the yew in Henrykow Lubanski, whose age has been put by dendrologists at 1,250 years! Other pedigree trees, like the Chrobry oak of Piotrowice (720 years), the Komorow elm (440 years) and the pine near Minsk Mazowiecki (380 years), are mere youngsters in comparison.

Some places attract record breaking. Swinoujscie has not only the widest beach, but also the tallest lighthouse in Poland and the longest stone breakwater in Europe! The nearby isle of Wolin is the largest Polish island, with the highest cliff and water in the lake with the deepest shade of turquoise.

Poland also holds several world records: the world’s most imposing terminal moraine with a horseshoe shape (Luk Muzakowa), the only plate-structured mountains in Europe (the Table Mountains), the longest unregulated river in Europe (the Vistula) and the most favourite village for the whole world population of storks: Zywkowo Bociania Wies near Gorowo Ilawieckie, which is home to over 200 storks.