Medical tourism in Poland: costs, clinics and travel guide

Poland’s countryside is traditional and unspoiled. Tourists can visit museums, churches, rural centres, castles and traditional Polish workshops. Since Poland joined the European Union there was an influx of international travellers coming into the country and discovering its rich cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage. Travellers can indulge in history, architecture, different types of food and nature.

Poland has a reliable state-funded healthcare system. Generally, doctors in Poland are extremely well trained. Soon after Poland entered the European Union, the private healthcare sector thrived and more private clinics and hospitals were opened.

Poland also has plenty of medical universities and university hospitals: The Medical University of Bialystok, The Medical University of Warsaw, The Medical University of Poznan and many others.

Many tourists visit Poland solely for medical care, with dental care and plastic surgery being the preferred choice. Most patients come from the Scandinavian countries, Germany and Belarus but patients from the United Kingdom and United States are also quite common.

Some of the most important cities in Poland are:

Warsaw – The capital of Poland and a thriving business centre

Gdansk – Formerly known as Danzig

Cracow – The Cultural Capital of Poland

Poznan – It is considered to be the birthplace of the Polish nation

Cracow is the Cultural Capital of Poland. It’s also Poland’s historical capital in the middle ages. The old town of Cracow is filled with monuments, churches and traditional Polish buildings. Cracow is also the home to Europe’s largest medieval market place. Cracow’s old town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bialowieza National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site – it’s a huge area of woodland on the border with Belarus.

Malbork Castle is the biggest red brick Gothic castle in Europe. This is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Slowinski National Park is the home to the biggest dunes in Europe. It’s also very close to the Baltic Sea so a trip is well worth it.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is the oldest enterprise in the world and one of the most beautiful places in Poland. The salt mine has been operational since the 13th century and it has its own Church built entirely out of salt. The salt statues built by the miners themselves are also worth seeing.

● Poland has a temperate climate mostly. Summers are generally quite warm and delightful while winters are rather cold. Polish winters are generally dry and precipitations are a bit rarer than in the summer months.

● Poland’s main airport is Warsaw International Airport (WAW). Tourists can find direct flights to almost any European capital. Intercontinental flights to the US or China are also quite common.

● The official language in Poland is Polish but English, German and French are also popular languages, especially among younger individuals.

● Poland uses the Zloty (PLN) as currency. One Euro is roughly 4.2 PLNs. Tourists are advised not to use the currency exchanges in airports or hotels.

● Poland uses the 230V, 50Hz electrical system fitted with European style plugs but it’s not uncommon to find adapters for British or American style plugs.