Sixteen destinations in Poland have been awarded Google Maps’ coveted Golden Pin award. The awards are handed out to those locations which, based on the opinions of Google Maps’ users, are rated as being top notch. From the world’s largest castle in Malbork and an African oceanarium in Wroclaw, to the world’s first UNESCO site in Kraków and 220 acres of green space in Poznan, Poland is the gold standard when it comes to holidays!
Africarium is Poland's first oceanarium and the only one in the world devoted to uncovering the flora and fauna of just one continent - Africa.
Proudly sitting in the centre of Torun’s historic Old Town, the Living Museum of Gingerbread is a celebration of the sweet city’s baking heritage that stretches back to the 13th-century.
The baroque and neoclassical palace-and-park complex in Kozlowka is one of the best-preserved aristocratic residences in Poland and now one of the country’s national historic monuments.
This historic attraction offers a unique insight into Poland during the Second World War. The region was a fortified military defense line created by the Nazis between the Oder and Warta rivers during the 1930s.
Lodz's Rose Passage must be seen to be believed. It joins Piotrkowska 3 with Zachodnia street but this side street is extremely special - the facades of the outbuildings are lined with millions of tiny mirrors laid out in irregular shapes.
The Wawel Royal Castle is one of the most recognized castles in Poland and probably appears on more postcards than any other. This iconic royal setting is located in Krakow and holds the title of the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. This extraordinary sanctuary determines the Poles’ identity and is their national and cultural symbol.
Warsaw’s Sunday hotspot is a park and palace complex that is best known for its calming green spaces and stunning Palace on the Island. The park’s centrepiece was originally built as a private bathhouse in the 17th century for Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski.
Founded in 1947, the Opole Philharmonic is one of Poland’s leading Orchestras and one of Poland’s proudest exports. They received the State Award for Arts Excellence from the Ministry of Culture of Poland in 1969 in honour of the Polish Composer Josef Elsner.
The Rural Architecture Museum of Sanok is one of the biggest open-air museums in Poland and offer a unique insight into 19th and early 20th century life in this region of Poland.
Aptly nicknamed ‘the Polish Versailles’, the Branicki Palace and park complex in Bialystok is one of the most beautiful stately homes in Poland and the baroque gardens around the Palace are some of the most beautiful in Europe.
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Also known as the ‘Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork’, this breathtaking structure is the mightiest fortress in Europe and considered the largest brick structure ever built with human hands.
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Located in the centre of Zabrze, the iconic Kolejowy blue mining tower serves as a landmark for the historic Guido Coal Mine, a symbol of Poland’s strong mining heritage and a Polish historical artefact.
Krzyztopor Castle is one of Europe’s most unique castles and acts as a magnificent testament to the imagination of eccentric governor Krzysztof Ossoliski.
The Stanczyki Viaducts are among the largest bridges in Poland. The reinforced concrete behemoths from the 20th century stretch nearly 600 feet long, stand 120 feet tall, and boast arches that clock in at just under 50 feet long.
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Just north of Poznan’s Old Town sits Winiary Hill and 220 acres of verdant green space known as Citadel Park.
Beauty on the banks of the river. “Chrobry Embankment” is a 500-metre-long terrace built between 1901 and 1921, featuring picture perfect, monumental buildings along the river Odra.
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Africarium, WroclawTHE LIVING MUSEUM OF GINGERBREAD, TORUNZAMOYSKI PALACE AND MUSEUM, KOZLOWKATHE MIEDZYRZECKI FORTIFIED REGIONROSE PASSAGE, LODZWAWEL ROYAL CASTLE, KRAKOWLAZIENKI ROYAL PARK, WARSAWOPOLE, PHILHARMONIC OF POLAND, OPOLETHE RURAL ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM OF SANOK, SANOKBRANICKI PALACE, BIALYSTOKMALBORK CASTLE, MARLBORKGUIDO MINE, ZABRZEKRZYZTOPOR CASTLE, UJEZDZIESTANCZYKI VIADUCTS, STANCZYKICITADEL PARK, POZNANCHROBRY EMBANKMENT, SZCZECIN
Here is the full list of Golden Pin Destinations:
| 1. Malbork Castle, Marlbork | 9. Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujeździe |
| 2. Chrobry Embankment, Szczecin | 10. Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków |
| 3. Stańczyki Viaducts, Stańczyki | 11. Rose Passage, Lodz |
| 4. Branicki Palace, Bialystok | 12. Citadel Park, Poznan |
| 5. The Living Museum of Gingerbread, Toruń | 13. The Rural Architecture Museum of Sanok, Sanok |
| 6. Africarium, Wroclaw | 14. Guido Mine, Zabrze |
| 7. The Miedzyrzecki Fortified Region | 15. Opole, Philharmonic of Poland, Opole |
| 8. Zamoyski Palace and Museum, Kozłówka | 16. Lazienki Royal Park, Warsaw |
