Lubuskie

Lubuskie is a region far away from the hectic and day-to-day stress of the big city. This jewel of nature, still amazingly undiscovered by mass tourism, is a fascinating area combining the natural beauty of its landscapes with the richness of its cultural heritage, created as the result of century-long influence of various nations, cultures and traditions. Unique fortifications, nature and bird reserves, countless lakes and rivers, local vineyards, original festivals, historical towns, castles and palaces all harmoniously blend together into a paradise for tourists. www.lubuskie.travel

"The Bird Republic" – a unique Republic

The heart of the Bird Republic is the picturesque town of Słońsk, which is located close to the "Ujście Warty" (Mouth of the River Warta) National Park. This is the habitat for innumerable species of birds – its flood plains, canals and abundant meadows making it one of the most important areas in Europe for birds, ornithologists and people who just enjoy looking at birds. Some days, up to 250,000 are counted. Incidentally, you can become a citizen of the Bird Republic on the spot and be issued with the Bird’s Republic’s very own passport. www.pnujsciewarty.gov.pl  www.tps-unitisviribus.org.pl

The Oder-Warthe Rampart – a fortress system á la Maginot Line

The Oder-Warthe rampart fortifications (popularly known as the Eastern Wall), built soon after Hitler came to power in 1934, are – after the Maginot Line and the Atlantic Rampart – the largest system of fortifications of its kind in Europe. The biggest attraction consists of bunkers interspersed with armoured cupolas, connecting to each other via underground tunnels each up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length and having a total length of over 30 kilometres (19 miles). There are two places where you can visit this priceless example of 20th century fortifications, now preserved as a monument: the Fortress and Bat Museum in Pniewo (Pinnow) and the Pętla Boryszynska (Burschener Loop). Both of them are open throughout the year, but admittance is restricted in autumn and winter, because the underground fortifications are home to the biggest bat reserve in Europe with over 30,000 bats hibernating there in the winter. www.bunkry.pl www.bunkry.lubrza.pl

"Bus-stop Woodstock" in Kostrzyn on the Oder

It’s the largest open-air rock festival in Europe. Every year for the last dozen years, hundreds of thousands of rock fans come together at the end of July in Lubuskie under the guiding slogan “Love, Friendship, Music”. In 2011 a record number of 700,000 lovers of rock music from all over Europe gathered in the 100 hectare (250 acre) festival field. www.wosp.org.pl/woodstock

“The Great Escape”

There are surely few people who haven’t seen the film “The Great Escape” starring Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson at least once in their lives! But who knows that the true story that the film was based on took place at Stalag Luft III prisoner-of-war camp near Żagań (then called Sagan) in Lubuskie? This is where on the night of 24th to 25th March 1944, 80 Allied prisoners escaped via a 110 m (360 ft) tunnel called “Harry” built under the barbed-wire fence. Only three of them, however, managed to get back to England, the other 77 were recaptured and 50 of them shot by the Gestapo on Hitler’s orders. Today a Martyrs’ Museum for those Allied prisoners stands on the site of the former POW camp, where visitors can examine a model of tunnel “Harry”. www.muzeum.eline2.serwery.pl