重获新生的波兰

尽管经历了东欧剧变，东欧各国正以前所未有的速度向前发展。让我们一起前往波兰和捷克两国，了解当地的人文历史，领略魅力无穷的东欧风情吧！

数个世纪以来，波兰一直是连接东欧和西欧的桥梁。它坐落在欧洲中心，是一个多姿多彩的国度。首都华沙及许多中世纪小镇吸引了穿着时髦的现代都市人；穿梭在田间路上的马车也没有因国家的发展而退出舞台。

波兰的国土形状略呈方形。其西北面是波罗的海，西临德国，南靠捷克共和国和斯洛伐克共和国，东依乌克兰、白俄罗斯、立陶宛以及俄罗斯。波兰中部平原地带是主要的农业区，全国最长的河流——维斯瓦河灌溉着这里的土地。与所有波兰河流一样，维斯瓦河从南向北流，最后流入波罗的海。

在过去十年里，波兰已发展成一个充满活力、不断进步的现代化国家。与此同时，它却依然保留着其传统文化。波兰有两大城市是你应该知道的——克拉科夫和华沙。克拉科夫曾经是波兰首都，时间长达五百年，它比其它任何一个波兰城市都具有更加深厚的历史底蕴。它既是波兰最受欢迎的旅游胜地，又是建筑与文化的瑰宝，整座城市经历二战后幸存下来。它还保留了许许多多不同时期的古老建筑。克拉科夫最高的城市轮廓线便是那些历史悠久的教堂塔顶。克拉科夫是一个充满特色与活力的城市。每年7月，众多节日都会在这里举行，从街头戏剧到爵士乐，节目丰富多彩。

华沙是一个实实在在的战后城市，它犹如一只从二战废墟中腾飞的凤凰。这里的几个历史名区已被小心翼翼地重建了，然而大部分的城市面貌都非常现代。糅合了迷人的新旧建筑，波兰首都华沙正突飞猛进地向前发展，并已成为一个生机勃勃的繁忙都市。华沙皇家城堡从17世纪开始一直是帝王活动的中心。城堡在二战期间被完全毁坏，于20世纪70年代才被修复，其新姿能与昔日媲美。现在，它成为了一座金碧辉煌的博物馆，向公众开放。

另一个值得一提的博物馆便是与二战有关的奥斯威辛博物馆。奥斯威辛就不用多介绍了。这个博物馆是人类最悲惨的暴行的有力证据之一。馆内允许照相。在奥斯威辛电影院内，游客只需给少量费用便可以观看15分钟的纪录片。这里肯定能让你想起那些在希特勒主义大屠杀中惨死的波兰裔犹太人。

数个世纪以来，波兰的国王与大资本家们建了众多防御敌人的城堡以及庄严的宫殿。颠簸的历史已把许多建筑化为一堆堆的碎石瓦砾。然而，当中还有一些建筑幸存至今，经过一番修复后，它们的美丽依然令人心动。

坐落在波兰港口城市格但斯克南部的马尔波古堡据说是欧洲最大的哥特式城堡。它既是波兰最古老的城堡，又是古典派中世纪堡垒的绝佳典范之一。它拥有多重防御围墙、如迷宫般分布的房间、会议室以及一些别致的建筑细节。1997年，该城堡被纳入联合国教科文组织的世界遗产之列。

波兰的小镇能反映出整个欧洲风格的无穷韵味。波兰东部边界上的建筑物体现了西方建筑学给欧洲大陆带来的影响。时至今天，你仍然可以看到保存良好的中世纪式、哥特式以及文艺复兴式的小镇——其中一些还是欧洲最美的小镇。

自中世纪以来，波兰文化就已经与西方世界相辅相成。当地丰富多彩的现代艺术生活在音乐、电影、文学以及美术等领域都赢得全世界的高度关注。艺术鉴赏家一定会对在肖邦与潘德列斯基的故乡的艺术盛事感兴趣——享誉全球的肖邦国际钢琴比赛以及维尼亚夫斯基国际小提琴比赛。音乐是波兰文化中举足轻重的一部分。波兰还是许多诺贝尔奖得主的故乡，比如亨利克·显克维奇、弗瓦迪斯瓦夫·雷孟德、玛丽亚·居里等。

除了圣诞节和复活节之类的盛大宗教节日以外，在波兰人生活中最重要的节日便是他们的“圣徒纪念日”——这是一个为与本人同名的守护神庆祝的宗教节日。波兰人会在家里庆祝他们的“圣徒纪念日”，有时在餐馆里庆祝，偶尔也会在下班之后才庆祝。

波兰人民好客友善，他们热爱并且尊重自己的习俗。尽管历史的骚乱与巨大的转变形成今天所见的波兰国家面貌，波兰人一直精力旺盛地保存着其独特的文化感与社会感。波兰绝对是一个魅力无穷的旅游目的地！

For centuries， Poland has been a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe. Set in the heart of Europe， Poland is a multi-faceted country where the capital Warsaw and medieval towns attract contemporary city slickers； and where horse-drawn carts pass through country lanes， untouched by the progress of the country.

Poland is roughly square. Its bordered by the Baltic Sea to the northwest， by Germany to the west， the Czech and Slovak republics to the south and Ukraine， Belarus， Lithuania and Russia to the east. The flat central belt is the main agricultural area， watered by Polands longest river， the Vistula. Like all Polands rivers， it runs towards the north， draining into the Baltic Sea.

Over the past decade， Poland has developed into a modern， vibrant and progressive country. Yet at the same time it maintains its traditional culture. There are two major cities in Poland you should know about Krakòw and Warsaw. As the royal capital for half a millennium， Krakòw absorbed more of Polands history than any other city in the country. As Polands most popular tourist destination， as well as an architectural and cultural gem， the city came through WWII unscathed. It has retained a wealth of old architecture from different periods. The tallest structures dominating Krakòws skyline are the spires of old churches. Krakòw is a city alive with character and soul. During July every year， there are numerous festivals held in Krakòw， everything from street theatre to jazz.

Emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of WWII， Warsaw is essentially a postwar city. Its handful of historic areas have been meticulously reconstructed， but most of its urban landscape is modern. With an intriguing mix of old and new， the capital of Poland grows by leaps and bounds. Warsaw has turned into a thrilling busy city. The Royal Castle in Warsaw was the seat of kings from the 17th century on. Totally destroyed during WWII， the castle was restored to its former beauty during the 1970s. Now， it is open to the public as a splendid museum.

Another museum worthy of mentioning is the war-related Auschwitz Museum. Auschwitz needs no introduction. The museum is a fitting testament to one of humanitys most deplorable atrocities. Photography is permitted. Theres a small charge to see the 15-minute documentary shown in the Auschwitz cinema. It definitely reminds you of the Polish Jews， whose presence died due to the Hitlerite Holocaust.

Over the centuries， Polish kings and magnates erected numerous defensive castles and stately palaces. Turbulent history has reduced many of them into piles of rubble. Some of them， however， have been spared and today carefully restored enchant us with their beauty.

Situated in the south of Polands harbor city Gdansk， Malbork Castle is reputedly Europes largest Gothic castle. Its one of Polands oldest and a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress， with multiple defensive walls， a labyrinth of rooms and chambers and some exquisite architectural detail. In 1997， the castle was included on UNESCOs World Heritage list.

Polish towns reflect the whole spectrum of European styles. Polands eastern frontiers mark the boundary of the influences of western architecture on the continent. Still today， you can see well-preserved Medieval， Gothic and Renaissance towns some renowned as the most beautiful in Europe.

Polish culture has been connected with the western world since the Middle Ages. Affluent modern artistic life wins huge interest across the world in the spheres of music， film， literature and fine arts. Connoisseurs of the arts are sure to be interested in the calendar of artistic events in the homeland of Chopin and Penderecki the Chopin Piano Competition and the Wieniawski Violin Competition are well-known throughout the world. Music is a significant part of Polish culture. Poland is also the homeland of many Nobel prize winners， for example， Henryk Sienkiewicz， Wladyslaw Reymont， Maria Curie， etc.

Besides the greatest religious feasts， such as Christmas and Easter， the most important day in a Poles life is his or her “name day the day of observance for the patron saint after whom the person is named. Poles celebrate their name day at home， sometimes in restaurants， and occasionally after work.

Poland is a country of kind and hospitable people who enjoy and respect their customs. In spite of a turbulent history and the dramatic changes shaping Polish society today， Poles have vigorously maintained a distinct sense of culture and community. Poland is definitely a fascinating destination！