• Norway!

    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

  • Vatican City!

    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

  • Macedonia!

    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

  • Austria!

    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

  • Spain!

    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Social Life in Poland

Behavior

The Poles are conservative in most aspects of their lives and this is best seen in their behaviors, dress, and dining etiquette. They tend to dress and act conservatively, much of which is based on the doctrines of their Catholic faith.

As a visitor to Poland try to follow the lead of the locals by dressing conservatively (see below for details), dining in the local etiquette (see our Poland Dining & Food Page), and avoid sensitive conversation topics, such as politics, finances, and business unless initiated by your local counterpart. Also try to avoid being loud, rude, or showing off wealth.

Dress

The traditional dress in Poland varies from region to region and city to city; in the southern Tatras Mountains the style is so particular and varied the locals (at least historically) could tell where a person was from based upon their dress. Despite the vast differences, and the many details for each localized traditional dress, there are a number of commonalities that cross the entire country. For women, loose-fitting long sleeves was the norm, then the dress got a bit tighter in the upper body, but the lower part of the dress was always quite free-flowing. The colors of these dresses greatly varied, but were generally based on white and could include reds, blues, or greens. For the men, the traditional dress consisted of loose-fitting pants or knickers with a similar loose-fitting long-sleeved white shirt. However, men often wore a vest or varying lengths, which was again often in reds, blues, or greens.

Today the traditional dress can only be found on souvenir dolls, folk singers and dancers, and perhaps a few others during special occasions or holidays. For everyone in Poland, modern western-styled clothing is the dress of choice today, but the particular styles vary from person to person. As a visitor to Poland, wearing any western-styled clothing is acceptable, but the Poles are quite conservative so don't wear anything too revealing by being either too tight or by revealing too much skin. In churches long pants are often required.

This page was last updated: November, 2013