January - March

January and February are the low season months for international travel to Poland. Note that there may be long lines at certain tourist attractions, especially winter sports and ski resorts, because January and February are the months in which Polish students tend to take their winter vacations. Poland staggers vacations by region, so the entire country`s children are not on vacation at the exact same time. With that said, it is easier than ever for Polish vacationers to visit any part of the country they wish, so be prepared for lines no matter where you go. You will find the lowest prices on accommodations during this time, except for the ski resorts.

Snow can be seen across the country during these months, but you will probably have the highest chance of seeing it in the northeast of the country, in and around Bialystok, and in the south, around Krakow and Zakopane. The Tatra Mountains are at their snowiest at this time, which lures many vacationers that way. Poznan, Gdansk, Bialystok and Szczecin will see higher precipitation chances than the rest of the country on average between January and March. This precipitation may be a wintry mix, just rain, or just snow. Make sure to pack warm and smart for a winter trip to Poland: bring a coat, gloves, warm socks and underwear, and sweaters.

Highs in the north and northwest of the country (Szczecin and Gdansk) will be in the 30s Fahrenheit in January and February and the 40s in March, with lows below freezing for nearly the entire three months. In Torun and Poznan, highs will be in the 30s and lows in the 20s through the end of February, with highs warming into the mid-40s by March, and lows hovering around freezing. Bialystok is located in the coldest portion of the country, so except highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s until March, when it warms slightly into the low 40s with lows in the upper 20s.

Warsaw, Lodz and Lublin will see temperatures in the mid-30s during the day, with temperatures in March rising to the mid-40s. Lows will be below freezing in all three cities for the first three months of the year. The south of Poland varies by only a couple of degrees: highs and lows in January, on average, are 37/25 in Wroclaw, 34/22 in Krakow, and 33/20 in Zakopane. Highs rise into the low-to-mid 40s by March, with lows in the low 30s in Wroclaw and Krakow but not in Zakopane, where the lows will still be in the mid-20s. Note that temperature fluctuations are possible, and that temperatures in any part of the country can plunge to as low as 0 or below.

Holidays and Festivals:

January 1 - New Year`s Day (Nowy Rok). National holiday in Poland.

January 6 - Epiphany (Trzech Kroli), or the Day of the Three Kings. National holiday in Poland.

March 1 - National `Cursed Soldiers` Remembrance Day (Narodowy Dzien Pamieci `Zolnierzy Wykletych`), established in 2011, honoring the soldiers and insurgents who fought against the Communists during and after World War II. National working holiday in Poland -- most businesses should be open on this day.

March or April - Easter Sunday (Niedziela Wielkanocna). National holiday in Poland.

March or April - Easter Monday (Poniedzialek Wielkanocny). National holiday in Poland.