Eastern Poland is a region mainly associated with the extensive areas of intact nature, not contaminated by the influence of civilisation contrary to other voivodeships, with historic buildings being keepsakes of the common past of Catholics, Jews and the followers of the Orthodox Church. This is where you will find, among other places, the Great Masurian Lakes District, the Białowieża Forest, Roztocze and the Bieszczady Mountains.
Innovative regional economy
Eastern Poland comprises five voivodeships: the Warmia and Mazury, the Podlaskie, the Lublin, the Świętokrzyskie and the Podkarpackie Voivodeships. Over recent years, numerous activities have been undertaken with the aim of the economic development of individual voivodeships in order to diminish the level of the region’s civilisation backwardness in comparison with the rest of Poland. The business assets of Eastern Poland include the aviation industry (the Aviation Valley in the Podkarpacie region), the furniture industry, the metals and machine industry, and the food industry. There are five special economic zones here: the Kraków, the Mielec, the Starachowice, the Suwałki and the Warmia-Mazury Special Economic Zones. The largest metropolitan areas are the capitals of individual voivodeships: Białystok, Kielce, Lublin, Olsztyn and Rzeszów. Eastern Poland focuses on increasing the level of innovativeness in sectors based on regional specialisations, such as aviation, the metallurgical industry, high quality food and eco-innovations. Over recent years, there have been more investment areas, innovation centres and qualified specialists in this region.
The pearls of eastern Poland
Tourism is another direction of development for Eastern Poland. The local national parks, i.e. the Wigry, the Białowieża, the Narew, the Biebrza, the Polesie, the Roztocze, the Świętokrzyski, the Bieszczady and the Magura National Parks, are to protect the diversified natural ecosystems, including marshes, extensive grass areas, post-glacial areas, river valleys and mountains. One of the tourist jewels of this part of Poland is the Białowieża Forest, which is the last primeval forest in Europe, entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List. This list also includes the Old Town in Zamość and the wooden Orthodox churches in the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. A major monument of technology is the Ostróda-Elbląg Canal – this water route is unique on a world scale. The Green Velo Eastern Cycle Trail, with a length of 2,000 km, was opened at the end of 2015. Take your bike and explore the beauty of eastern Poland!
Melting pot of east-european cultures
Tourists interested in becoming acquainted with other cultures can deepen their knowledge during a visit to the mosques in Bohoniki and Kruszyniany, on the Holy Mount of Grabarka. Important monuments of sacred art include the former monastery complex in Wigry, the post-Dominican complex in Sejny, the Orthodox churches in the Podlasie and Podkarpacie regions, the monastery on Święty Krzyż, and the Chapel of the Holy Trinity in Lublin.
