Poland is one of the leaders in the CEE region in the agro tourism sector. Rent of homes near Warsaw, rural houses in Poland on the Baltic Sea, apartments on the farm at the foot of the Polish Tatra Mountains - such objects of rural tourism can be found in every Polish voivodship.
Poland is an agrarian country. So, it is not surprising that rural tourism in Poland is widely developed. After all, almost every third Pole is a farmer, and the number of farms, in Poland is comparable with USA.
Active development of agro tourism in Poland began in the late 90's. Today Poles joke that tourists do not necessarily have to be brave, to drink a glass of milk on the farm. The level of quality control for services that Poles offer tourists wishing to relax in the rural area meets the EU standards.
Nowadays in Poland there are over 50 different agro tourist associations. Some of them are divided into sub-sectors – agro tourism on the farms, eco-tourism, equestrian tourism and so on. Nowadays in Poland there are about 8,000 agro tourist estates.
So what means agro tourist holiday in Poland? Firstly - it is living. A number of farms in Poland offer tourists several options - from rooms in a traditional Polish country house to comfortable rooms in a hotel or a mini-hotel, built on the farm. The second indicator is type of activity. In Poland there are two key types of farms - those that specialize exclusively in agro tourism, and those that use agro tourism as a source of additional income. In the first case, tourists can expect not only to stay in rural Poland, but also informative tours, learning of rural wisdoms, studying of the local folklore, cuisine and traditions. In the second case, the tours are prepared on your own, the dinner will be very tasty, but unpretentious, and folk stories will be replaced by real life of the Polish countryside.
Among the regions of Poland where you can find the most extensive selection of agro tourist cottages, farms and residences are Pomerania, Mazury, Wielkopolska, Silesia and Lubuskie Poezierze. Among the brightest places that are famous for its scenery and original way of life are Beskidy Mountains to the south of Krakow, environs of such cities as Zielona Gora and Poznan.
