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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 40 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Poland
Germany. Poland's borders have changed many times.
Vistula (Wisla). Warsaw was almost totally destroyed in World War II. It has since been rebuilt.
Danzig . Danzig was declared a free port in the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It was to gain control of this port that Hitler's troops marched into Poland in 1939. Protests against the COmmunist government were centered in this city.
Oder. The Oder, or Odra, rises in the Czech Republic and runs north to the Baltic Sea.
Carpathians. The Urals are in Russia and form part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Jura are on the French Swiss border.
Baltic Sea. Poland's coastline is on the Baltic sea, the easternmost part of the coastline is a bay of this sea, the Gulf of Danzig (Gdansk), and it is here that the port of Danzig (Gdansk) is located.
| Ludwik Zamenhof was a Polish Jew who invented the artificial language Esperanto. Where was he born? | Tough Poland Quiz
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Sandomierz. In the town of Sandomierz there is a Gothic house (now a museum) that once belonged to Jan Dlugosz.
| Akademia Gorniczo Hutnicza (a.k.a. Stanislaw Staszic university) is located where? | Tough Poland Quiz
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Krakow. AGH is one of three famous universities in Krakow in addition to the Jagiellonian University and the Krakow Polytechnic.
Kalisz. Believe it or not, Kalisz was mentioned in Ptolemy's atlas in the 3rd century AD. It bore the name Calissa and it was a stopping point on the amber route.
| The ruined grave housing Poland's first documented ruler Mieszko I is located where? | Tough Poland Quiz
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Poznan Cathedral. Mieszko I and Boleslav (Boleslaw) Chrobry both originally had graves in the crypt of Poznan Cathedral, but both graves are now in ruin.
Kalisz. Kalisz is considered to be the oldest Polish town, because it was mentioned by Ptolemy as Calisia. Modern Kalisz was probably founded in the 9th century. The city is located in central Poland in Greater Poland Voivodeship and has a population of over 100,000 citizens.
Bledow Desert. Since the Bledow Desert is the only desert in Poland, therefore it's also the biggest one. It's one of the five natural deserts located in Europe and it has a total area of 32 square km. The average depth of the sand layer on the Bledow Desert is about 40 meters, however it has been measured at about 70 meters in places.
| What was the tallest building in Poland from the time of its construction in 1955, until 2008 when its height was overtaken by Zlota 44? | Fantastic Poland
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Palace of Culture and Science. Prior to 2008 the Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki) was the tallest building in Poland (237 m) and the 187th tallest building in the world. The construction, which lasted three years, was completed in 1955. The Palace was "a gift" from the Soviet Union to Polish citizens. Today, this huge building contains a museum of technology, a museum of evolution, a very big congress hall, three theaters and an observation balcony located on the 30th floor.
Wolin Island. The total area of the Wolin Island is 265 square km. This island is one of the biggest tourist attractions in northwestern Poland due in part to the Wolin National Park which is situated in the middle.
| What is the name of the largest National Park situated in Poland? | Fantastic Poland
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Biebrza National Park. Biebrza National Park (Biebrzanski Park Narodowy), located along the Biebrza River, is the largest (592 square km) of the 23 Polish National Parks. The most valuable part of the Biebrza National Park are the marshes. It's also a home for many birds and mammals such as elks and beavers.
Lake Hancza. In Europe, only Finland has a greater density of lakes than Poland. The largest lakes are Lake Sniardwy and Lake Mamry in Masuria and Lake Lebsko and Lake Drawsko in Pomerania. However the deepest lake is Lake Hancza (108,5 m depth) in the Wigry Lake District, east of Masuria in Podlaskie Voivodship.
| Poland shares borders with seven countries. Which border is the longest? | Fantastic Poland
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Czech Republic. Poland shares borders with Germany (467 km) to the west, the Czech Republic (796 km) and Slovak Republic (541 km) to the south, Ukraine (535 km), Belarus (418 km) and Lithuania (104 km) to the east and Russia, Kaliningrad Oblast (110 km) to the north. Poland also borders the Baltic Sea from the north.
Vistula. Yes, Vistula (Wisla) is the longest river in Poland (1047 km). The next one is Oder (Odra) - 854 km, and then Warta which is 808 km. The source of the Vistula River is at Barania Gora (1220 m above sea level) in the Silesian Beskids (western part of Carpathian Mountains). The Vistula passes through several large Polish cities including: Cracow, Warsaw, Torun and Gdansk.
Rysy. Poland's highest point lies in the High Tatras and it's called Rysy (2,499 m above sea level), which can be translated into "scratches" or "crevices". Rysy consists of three peaks: middle (2,503 m), north-western (2,499 m) and south-eastern (2,473 m), but only the south-eastern peak lies on the Polish side of the Polish-Slovakian border.
| Krakow's "Old Town" attracts many tourists due to its abundance of museums, churches and landmarks. What is the name given to the collection of gardens and works of art which encapsulates the "Old Town"? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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Planty Park. Planty Park was brought in at the beginning of the 19th century to replace the city walls. Many monuments of famous Poles were later erected in Planty Park. These Poles included King Wladyslaw Jagiello and his wife Jadwiga, Copernicus, the painter Artur Grottger, and a few characters from the works of Polish writers, like Adam Mickiewicz or Juliusz Slowacki.
The charm of Planty Park still remains, even after the damage caused during World War II. There seems to be works of art at every turn, subtly positioned around the thirty gardens (approx) which make it up.
This seems an appropriate place to end the quiz, as many often choose to go to Planty Park and relax after a long day of site seeing.
| Which area of Krakow was founded by a king of the same name, and is now known as "the old Jewish quarter" due to its previously large Jewish population? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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Kazimierz. King Kazimierz III (aka King Casimir III) is said to have built Kazimierz as a place for his lover, Esterka, to live. However, after Casimir's numerous sexual affairs with other women, Esterka eventually committed suicide.
Another king, King Jan Olbracht, decided to move all of Krakow's Jews into this city (as Kazmierz was originally a separate city) in the late 15th century. Here they lived alongside Christians peacefully for many years. Due to Nazi hostilities during World War II many of the 45,000 Jews in Kazimierz were killed and the rest fled to Israel. The city still contains several synagogues and other signs of the past Jewish presence. After much neglect following World War II, Kazimierz began its rebirth at the beginning of the 21st century. The previously poor district is now one of the liveliest areas in Krakow and accounts for much of the nightlife there.
| Opposite St. Mary's Basilica in the main market square of Krakow is another church. This church is known as The Church of St. Wojciech (St. Adelbert). Can you tell me what is special about this particular church? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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It is one of Poland's oldest churches. Construction of this church is said to have began in the 10th century. It stands in Europe's largest medieval town square and outdates the square itself! It was one of the main meeting places of the city during the "golden age" of Krakow (16th century). The church is not large at all and is even smaller inside than it appears from the outside. Nevertheless, it continues to be a place of prayer for Krakow inhabitants.
| Back in the main market square of Krakow, one of the largest and most visually spectacular sites is St. Mary's Basilica. A tradition in Krakow is that every hour a trumpeter would play atop the tower to the people in the main square. What is unusual about the tune which is played? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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It cuts off mid-stream. The story of this bugle call (known as the heynal) is linked to the numerous attacks made on the city. The legend goes that in the 13th century (estimated 1241), the bugler at the top of the tower spotted a large army of Tartar warriors and so sounded the horn to warn the people of Krakow. His early warning is said to have saved the city. However, he was shot in the throat by a Tartar archer and was killed in the middle of his bugle call, thus explaining the significance of the broken tune. Because the tune is played on the hour every hour it is often said that when in Krakow you need not wear a watch.
| The history of Krakow has been one of invasion and destruction at the hands of numerous armies. This is seen in the huge fortifications which were built to protect the city from such attacks. Which structure, which has also been home to many early Polish kings and is currently a museum, shows these typical fortifications? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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Wawel Castle. The defensive walls which surround Wavel Castle were built by the Austrians in the late 18th century to prevent further damage to this stronghold.
The original importance of this area (known as Wavel Hill) began as many tradesmen gathered, and trade began to flourish. The increasing prosperity of the area attracted nobles and Kings, who were to eventually make the castle their home. It is still possible to visit this grand castle as it has been made into a museum, allowing visitors to see the vast courtyard and striking architecture.
A folk tale tells us of a dragon which lived in the western slope of Wavel Hill. The story goes that the people of Krakow had to offer virgins to the beast and in return the dragon would leave the city in relative peace. Eventually, the only virgin left was the King's daughter, whom he was unwilling to sacrifice. He declared that the first man to slay the dragon would have his daughter's hand in marriage. A shoemaker (although there is significant debate over the occupation) was the hero of this tale. He fed the dragon poison, causing it to have never-ending thirst. The dragon drank and drank until it exploded. Following this, the man married the princess and they lived together in Wavel Castle. A right-wing Polish politician recently claimed that the story of the Krakow dragon was proof that man and dinosaurs once walked the Earth together.
Karol Josef Wojtyla. This man became Pope John Paul II. He was born in the nearby town of Wadowice, but moved to Krakow to study in 1938. During his time as Pope, John Paul II kept a house in Krakow and this has become a popular site to visit, especially after his death in 2005.
The university was closed by Nazi Germans in 1939 and, following the death of his father, Karol began to realise that he was destined to become a priest.
| Also found in the main market square of Krakow is a statue of a man often referred to as the "Polish Shakespeare". This comparison intends to show how famous and well respected this man is within Poland. To which poet is this statue dedicated? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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Adam Mickiewicz. Mickiewicz is highly regarded as one of the country's best writers and is classed as one of "Poland's Three Bards."
The statue of Mickiewicz is a popular meeting place for tourists and groups of friends. There are a huge range of shows and performances (e.g. break-dancing and fire juggling) which take place by the statue in order to raise money for charity and entertain visitors. The shows are so seemingly spontaneous that I found myself watching what I believed to be a staged fight, and did not realize it was serious until the police carriages came rushing in.
| Upon walking into the large open main square in the centre of Krakow, you are surrounded by several historical buildings. One of the most eye-catching features of the square is an attractive building at the centre. This has been a major market of international trade and is still home to traders of many goods. What is the name of this building? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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Draper's Hall. The Sukiennice Cloth Hall (also known as Drapers' Hall) provided the people of Krakow with products from the East; such as silk and sought after spices. The market also acted as a place to sell the clothes and lead which was produced in Krakow itself.
Today the market stalls, which are positioned around the Cloth Hall, sell a variety of clothes, souvenirs, flowers and sweets. Although the hall no longer serves as a major centre of Polish industry, its well-kept appearance and historical relevance attracts many to the city. The site of the Cloth Hall at night is even more impressive than in the day as it is well lit and fits the calm mood of the city centre.
| First of all, where is Krakow? Krakow is located in southern Poland at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. On which river does this historic city lie? | Krakow - Poland's Second City
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The Vistula. Krakow is Poland's second largest city and was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596. It is also recognised as one of the most important economic centres of Poland, as many sectors of private trade began to grow in the city following the fall of communism. The Vistula River runs from West to East, cutting Krakow almost exactly in half and dividing its 18 districts.
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