POLAND - Old City of Zamość

Postcard sent in a Private Swap by Stasy2212.
Sent 18/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1982

Zamosc was founded in the 16th century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea. Modelled on Italian theories of the 'ideal city' and built by the architect Bernando Morando, a native of Padua, Zamosc is a perfect example of a late-16th-century Renaissance town. It has retained its original layout and fortifications and a large number of buildings that combine Italian and central European architectural traditions.Old City of Zamość in southeastern Poland is an outstanding example of a late 16th-century Central European town designed and built in accordance with Italian Renaissance theories on the creation of “ideal” cities. This innovative approach to town planning was the result of a very close cooperation between the town’s enlightened founder and the distinguished Italian architect Bernardo Morando. The Old City of Zamość today retains its original rectilinear street plan and its unique blend of Italian and Central European architectural traditions, as well as parts of its encircling fortifications.

Located on the trade route linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea, Zamość was conceived as a trade-based economic centre. From the outset it was intended to be multinational, and had a high level of religious tolerance. It became the tangible reflection of the social and cultural ideas of the Renaissance, which were readily embraced in Poland, as exemplified by the establishment of a university (Zamość Academy) by Jan Zamoyski, the founder and owner of the town. His architect Bernardo Morando’s city plan combined the functions of a residential palace, an urban ensemble, and a fortress, all in accordance with Renaissance concepts.

The Old City of Zamość has two distinct sections: on the west is the Zamoyski palace, and on the east is the town proper, laid out around three squares. The central Great Market Square, located at the junction of the town’s two main axial streets, is enclosed by arcaded merchants’ houses and anchored by a magnificent Town Hall. These and many other notable structures such as the cathedral, arsenal, and fortification gates illustrate a key feature of this great undertaking: a creative enhancement realized through the incorporation of artistic achievements attained in local architecture. The consistent implementation of Morando’s plan over time has resulted in a stylistically homogeneous urban composition with a high level of architectural and landscape values.

  Thank you, Anastasia! For the amazing postcard and the experiencies you written on it.

POLAND - Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System

Postcard sent in a Private Swap.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2017

Located in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, one of the main mining areas of central Europe, the property includes the entire underground mine with adits, shafts, galleries and other features of the water management system. Most of the property is situated underground while the surface mining topography features relics of shafts and waste heaps, as well as the remains of the 19th century steam water pumping station. The elements of the water management system, located underground and on the surface, testify to continuous efforts over three centuries to drain the underground extraction zone and to use undesirable water from the mines to supply towns and industry. Tarnowskie Góry represents a significant contribution to the global production of lead and zinc.Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System is located in the Silesian plateau of southern Poland, in one of Europe’s classic metallogenic provinces. It possesses a monumental underground water management system that reflects a 300-year ingenious development of hydraulic engineering.

The mining and water management system was constructed in flat and technically challenging terrain, a gently undulating plateau at an elevation between 270-300 m above sea level; the difference between the highest and lowest points amounts to less than 50 m. This is unusual in that most European metalliferous deposits are located in mountainous terrain, an occurrence that heavily influenced drainage techniques, in particular. The underground system at Tarnowskie Góry experienced up to three times the volume of water inflow compared to other major European metal mines at the time and eventually comprised a water catchment of over 50 km of main drainage tunnels and 150 km of secondary drainage adits, access tunnels, shafts and extraction areas. This surviving network is complemented by substantial remains of the principal water management infrastructure, both above and below ground, together with directly connected surface elements that comprise essential mining landscape features.

POLAND - Medieval Town of Toruń

Postcard sent by sebiusz in a missing unesco tag.

Sent 15/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1997

Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed a commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. In the Old and New Town, the many imposing public and private buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries (among them the house of Copernicus) are striking evidence of Torun's importance. Toruń in northern Poland is a remarkably well preserved example of a medieval European trading and administrative centre, located on the Vistula River. Toruń was founded in the period when Christianity was being spread through Eastern Europe by the military monks of the Teutonic Order, and when rapid growth in trade between the countries of the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe was being spurred by the Hanseatic League. Toruń became a leading member of the Hanseatic League in the territories ruled by the Teutonic Order.

The Medieval Town of Toruń is comprised of three elements: the ruins of the Teutonic Castle, the Old Town, and the New Town. The combination of the castle with the two towns, surrounded by a circuit of defensive walls, represents a rare form of medieval settlement agglomeration. The majority of the castle – which was built in a horseshoe-shaped plan in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia – was destroyed during an uprising in 1454, when the local townspeople revolted against the Teutonic Order. The ruins and the archaeological remains have been excavated and safeguarded. The Old Town was granted an urban charter in 1233, which swiftly led to its expansion as a major commercial trading centre. The adjacent New Town developed from 1264, mainly as a centre for crafts and handiwork. Both urban areas bear witness to the interchange and creative adaptation of artistic experience that took place among the Hanseatic towns.

Thank you for this beautiful card, Sebastian. I love the card! The town was wonderful and I really enjoyed the stay, the culture and the gastronomy. Maybe we can meet next time!

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by Andrea during the 2023 trip to Poland

Sent 11/03/2023.

POLAND - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage

Postal enviada por Bartosz  en un Direct swap.

Envío - 28 de Octubre del 2017.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1999

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a breathtaking cultural landscape of great spiritual significance. Its natural setting – in which a series of symbolic places of worship relating to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary was laid out at the beginning of the 17th century – has remained virtually unchanged. It is still today a place of pilgrimage.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska es un paisaje cultural de gran belleza y trascendencia espiritual. Su entorno natural, en el que están emplazados diversos santuarios y lugares simbólicos creados en el siglo XVII para recordar la pasión de Cristo y la vida de la Virgen María, ha permanecido prácticamente intacto. Hoy en día sigue siendo un lugar de peregrinación.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/905

Thanks for this nice card Bartosz! I'm afraid that I haven't been in Poland yet.

POLAND - Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)

Postal enviada por Ania en un Unesco tag.
Envío - 03 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place in the former concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest in the Third Reich. According to historical investigations, 1.5 million people, among them a great number of Jews, were systematically starved, tortured and murdered in this camp, the symbol of humanity's cruelty to its fellow human beings in the 20th century.

Los recintos, las alambradas, las torretas de vigilancia, las casamatas, las horcas, las cámaras de gas y los hornos crematorios de este campo de concentración y exterminio, que fue el más vasto de los creados por el Tercer Reich, dan fe de las condiciones en que se perpetró el genocidio nazi. Según los trabajos de investigación histórica, entre 1.100.000 y 1.500.000 prisioneros –en gran parte judíos– fueron sistemáticamente privados de alimentación, torturados y asesinados en este campo, símbolo de la crueldad ejercida por el hombre contra sus semejantes en el siglo XX.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/31

Thank for this beautiful but sad card Ania!

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by me during the 2023 trip to Poland
Sent 11/03/2023.

POLAND - Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork

Postal enviada por Bodex en un Direct swap.

Envío - 17 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1997

This 13th-century fortified monastery belonging to the Teutonic Order was substantially enlarged and embellished after 1309, when the seat of the Grand Master moved here from Venice. A particularly fine example of a medieval brick castle, it later fell into decay, but was meticulously restored in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the conservation techniques now accepted as standard were evolved here. Following severe damage in the Second World War it was once again restored, using the detailed documentation prepared by earlier conservators.

Ampliado y embellecido a partir de 1309, año en que la sede del Gran Maestre de la Orden Teutónica fue transferida de Venecia a Malbork, este antiguo monasterio fortificado del siglo XIII llegó a ser el ejemplo más acabado de castillo medieval construido en ladrillo. Deteriorado con el correr del tiempo, fue meticulosamente restaurado en el siglo XIX y a principios del XX con técnicas que hoy se han convertido en normas en materia de restauración. Tras los graves desperfectos sufridos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, se restauró de nuevo sobre la base de la detallada documentación elaborada por los especialistas en conservación que efectuaron la primera restauración.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/847

Best regards from Spain. -Edgar

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by Andrea during the 2023 trip to Poland

Sent 11/03/2023.

Gracies, wapi!

POLAND - Białowieża Forest

Postal enviada por Ania en un "Direct swap".

Envío - 04 de Marzo del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site, on the border between Poland and Belarus, is an immense range of primary forest including both conifers and broadleaved trees covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. Situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, this transboundary property is exceptional for the opportunities it offers for biodiversity conservation. It is home to the largest population of the property’s iconic species, the European bison.

El sitio del patrimonio mundial del Bosque de Bialowieża, situado en la frontera entre Polonia y Belarrús, abarca una vasta extensión de bosques arcaicos de hoja perenne y caduca de una superficie total de 141.885 hectáreas. Situado en la divisoria entre las cuencas de los ríos que van a parar al Báltico y el Mar Negro, este sitio transfronterizo es único en su género para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Alberga la mayor población existente de bisonte europeo, especie animal emblemática de la región.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/33

Una UNESCO de tipo Mapa! Es la primera de esta clase que recibo y me encanta!

Thanks for the card Ania! Your cards are always awesome!

POLAND - Historic Centre of Kraków

Postal enviada por  un UNESCO tag.

Envío - 13 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1978
EXTENSION: 2010

The Historic Centre of Kraków, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with their magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town's fascinating history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, Jagellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried.

El centro histórico de Cracovia, antigua capital de Polonia, se extiende al pie del castillo real de Wawel. Además del núcleo de la ciudad mercantil del siglo XIII, con la plaza del mercado más grande de Europa y sus numerosas mansiones históricas, iglesias y palacios magníficamente ornamentados en su interior, el sitio comprende otros testimonios del fascinante pasado histórico de Cracovia como los vestigios de las murallas del siglo XIV, el sitio medieval de Kazimierz –situado al sur de la ciudad– con sus antiguas sinagogas, la Universidad Jagellona y la catedral gótica, panteón de los reyes de Polonia.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/29

Otro sellete con unas setas, mis favoritos!

Thanks for the card and the stamp !

POLAND - Historic Centre of Warsaw

Postal enviada por Mariusz en un direct swap.

Envío - 10 de Setiembre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1991

During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.

El centro histórico de la capital polaca fue destruido por las tropas hitlerianas en más de un 85% en agosto de 1944, durante la insurrección de sus habitantes contra el ocupante nazi. Después de la guerra, una campaña de reconstrucción de cinco años, llevada a cabo por los propios varsovianos, dio como resultado la restauración meticulosa de sus iglesias y palacios, así como de la plaza del mercado de la ciudad vieja. El sitio es un ejemplo único de reconstrucción prácticamente total del conjunto de un patrimonio arquitectónico histórico de los siglos XIII a XX.

-http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/30

Thanks for the great card Marius!

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by Andrea during the 2023 trip to Poland

Sent 11/03/2023.

Gracies, wapi!

POLAND - Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica

Postal enviada por Ania a cambio de una UNESCO española.

Envío - 04 de Agosto del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1999

The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe, were built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th century, amid the religious strife that followed the Peace of Westphalia. Constrained by the physical and political conditions, the Churches of Peace bear testimony to the quest for religious freedom and are a rare expression of Lutheran ideology in an idiom generally associated with the Catholic Church.

Las iglesias de la Paz de Jawor y Swidnica son los edificios religiosos de entramado de madera más grandes de toda Europa. Fueron erigidas en la antigua Silesia a mediados del siglo XVII, en el periodo de conflictos religiosos subsiguiente a la Paz de Westfalia. Construidos en función de una serie de imperativos de índole material y política, estos dos templos luteranos constituyen un testimonio de la búsqueda de la libertad religiosa y presentan características arquitectónicas generalmente vinculadas a los edificios de culto católico, que muy raras veces se dan en las iglesias protestantes.
-http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1054

Postal con un "matado" fantástico realizado en el mismo lugar de la UNESCO.

Thanks for sending me this marvelous card Ania! 

POLAND - Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines

Postal enviada por Bodex a cambio de una UNESCO de Trabajos de Gaudi.

Envío - 12 de Noviembre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1978

The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka and Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century. This major industrial undertaking has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe. The site is a serial property consisting of Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines and Wieliczka Saltworks Castle. The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines illustrate the historic stages of the development of mining techniques in Europe from the 13th to the 20th centuries: both mines have hundreds of kilometers of galleries with works of art, underground chapels and statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past. The mines were administratively and technically run by Wieliczka Saltworks Castle, which dates from the medieval period and has been rebuilt several times in the course of its history.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/32

Posiblemente la postal más breve que he recibido.

Thanks Bodex.

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by Andrea during the 2023 trip to Poland

Sent 11/03/2023.

POLAND - Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski

Postal enviada por Bogdan (bogclanes) de Polonia como parte de un "tag" de sitios UNESCO en Postcrossing.
Envío - 22 de Octubre del 2017.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2004

A landscaped park of 559.9 ha astride the Neisse River and the border between Poland and Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from 1815 to 1844. Blending seamlessly with the surrounding farmed landscape, the park pioneered new approaches to landscape design and influenced the development of landscape architecture in Europe and America. Designed as a ‘painting with plants’, it did not seek to evoke classical landscapes, paradise, or some lost perfection, instead using local plants to enhance the inherent qualities of the existing landscape. This integrated landscape extends into the town of Muskau with green passages that formed urban parks framing areas for development. The town thus became a design component in a utopian landscape. The site also features a reconstructed castle, bridges and an arboretum.

La creación de este parque paisajístico de 559,90 hectáreas – que se extiende por las dos orillas del río Neisse, a ambos lados de la frontera entre Polonia y Alemania – duró desde 1815 hasta 1844 y se debió a la iniciativa del Príncipe Hermann von Puckler-Muskau. El parque, que se integra perfectamente en las tierras de cultivo circundantes, fue el precursor de nuevos métodos de diseño paisajístico que influyeron de manera determinante en el desarrollo de esta disciplina, tanto en Europa como en América. Diseñado como una “pintura con plantas”, no intenta imitar los jardines clásicos ni evocar paraísos vegetales perdidos o alcanzar un pretendido perfeccionismo botánico, sino que utiliza la flora local para realzar la belleza inherente al paisaje. El parque penetra incluso en la ciudad de Muskau, formando zonas verdes que enmarcan las áreas urbanizadas y haciendo de la ciudad un componente de un paisaje utópico. El sitio posee también un castillo restaurado, así como varios puentes y un arboreto.

If you come to Valencia just send me an mp and I'll guide you throught the city, showing you the most interesting sites. Thanks for the beautiful cards Bogdan!

POLAND - Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska

Postal enviada por Bartosz (Dankenvill) a cambio de un lugar UNESCO de Marruecos.
Envío - 28 de Octubre del 2017.

The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture. Built using the horizontal log technique, common in eastern and northern Europe since the Middle Ages, these churches were sponsored by noble families and became status symbols. They offered an alternative to the stone structures erected in urban centres.

Estas iglesias son ejemplos excepcionales de los diversos medios tradicionalmente utilizados para la construcción de los lugares de culto católicos romanos en la Edad Media. Para edificarlas se utilizó una técnica muy extendida en Europa Septentrional y Oriental desde los tiempos medievales, que consiste en la colocación horizontal de cilindros de madera. La construcción de estos templos era costeada por familias nobles y llegaron a convertirse en un símbolo de prestigio social. Desde el punto de vista arquitectónico ofrecieron una alternativa interesante a las construcciones realizadas con materiales de albañilería en los centros urbanos.

-http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1053

Desde que estuve en las iglesias de madera de Rumanía, tengo un especial amor por este tipo de arquitecturas. Siempre es un placer saber que existan otros estilos en los diversos países del este; Veremos si en un futuro podemos visitarlos también!

POLAND - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage

Postal enviada por Bartosz (Dankenvill) a cambio de un lugar UNESCO de Marruecos.

Envío - 28 de Octubre del 2017.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a breathtaking cultural landscape of great spiritual significance. Its natural setting – in which a series of symbolic places of worship relating to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary was laid out at the beginning of the 17th century – has remained virtually unchanged. It is still today a place of pilgrimage.

Postal con sello con relieve!

I've not been in Poland yet Bartosz but I'd love to travel there in the future! Thanks for this awesome card and the beautiful stamp too!