Legend and Folktales

According to legend, Poland (which means "land of fields") was founded by a man named Lech who, when he saw an eagle in a tree, decided to stop and make that spot his home. With beaches to the north along the Baltic Sea and borders shared by 6 other countries, Poland has had an amazing and varied history: from its golden age in the 15th century to the Holocaust to the first non-communist government in Eastern Europe since World War II.

Poland is rich with legends and folklore, some particular to Poland and others you might already know. Storks, who like to nest close to chimneys to keep warm, come back to the same nests each year. It is said that when the stork returns a baby will be born to the family in the house. A handsome young prince called Krak killed a monster under the walls of a castle and was rewarded by having the town named after him --- that town is Krakow, Poland's 3rd largest city. In Wroclaw, a town with 84 bridges, you can visit 2 small houses where Hansel and Gretel lived before they met up with the witch!

Many Polish people have contributed to the world of science, art and religion. Nicolas Copernicus theorized that the earth was round and revolved on an axis. He didn't talk about his work until he was much older and became known as the Father of Astronomy. The pianist and composer Fredric Chopin was born outside the capital, Warsaw, and you can visit a museum that has his pianos on display. Marie Curie lived much of her life outside Poland and won two Nobel Prizes for her work in science. You may not know who Karol Jozef Wojtyla is, but he became the first Pope who wasn't Italian back in 1978 --- he is better known as Pope John Paul II.