盡管經(jīng)歷了東歐劇變，東歐各國正以前所未有的速度向前發(fā)展。讓我們一起前往波蘭和捷克兩國，了解當?shù)氐娜宋臍v史，領略魅力無窮的東歐風情吧！

數(shù)個世紀以來，波蘭一直是連接東歐和西歐的橋梁。它坐落在歐洲中心，是一個多姿多彩的國度。首都華沙及許多中世紀小鎮(zhèn)吸引了穿著時髦的現(xiàn)代都市人；穿梭在田間路上的馬車也沒有因國家的發(fā)展而退出舞臺。

波蘭的國土形狀略呈方形。其西北面是波羅的海，西臨德國，南靠捷克共和國和斯洛伐克共和國，東依烏克蘭、白俄羅斯、立陶宛以及俄羅斯。波蘭中部平原地帶是主要的農業(yè)區(qū)，全國最長的河流——維斯瓦河灌溉著這里的土地。與所有波蘭河流一樣，維斯瓦河從南向北流，最后流入波羅的海。

在過去十年里，波蘭已發(fā)展成一個充滿活力、不斷進步的現(xiàn)代化國家。與此同時，它卻依然保留著其傳統(tǒng)文化。波蘭有兩大城市是你應該知道的——克拉科夫和華沙?？死品蛟?jīng)是波蘭首都，時間長達五百年，它比其它任何一個波蘭城市都具有更加深厚的歷史底蘊。它既是波蘭最受歡迎的旅游勝地，又是建筑與文化的瑰寶，整座城市經(jīng)歷二戰(zhàn)后幸存下來。它還保留了許許多多不同時期的古老建筑?？死品蜃罡叩某鞘休喞€便是那些歷史悠久的教堂塔頂?？死品蚴且粋€充滿特色與活力的城市。每年7月，眾多節(jié)日都會在這里舉行，從街頭戲劇到爵士樂，節(jié)目豐富多彩。

華沙是一個實實在在的戰(zhàn)后城市，它猶如一只從二戰(zhàn)廢墟中騰飛的鳳凰。這里的幾個歷史名區(qū)已被小心翼翼地重建了，然而大部分的城市面貌都非?，F(xiàn)代。糅合了迷人的新舊建筑，波蘭首都華沙正突飛猛進地向前發(fā)展，并已成為一個生機勃勃的繁忙都市。華沙皇家城堡從17世紀開始一直是帝王活動的中心。城堡在二戰(zhàn)期間被完全毀壞，于20世紀70年代才被修復，其新姿能與昔日媲美?，F(xiàn)在，它成為了一座金碧輝煌的博物館，向公眾開放。

另一個值得一提的博物館便是與二戰(zhàn)有關的奧斯威辛博物館。奧斯威辛就不用多介紹了。這個博物館是人類最悲慘的暴行的有力證據(jù)之一。館內允許照相。在奧斯威辛電影院內，游客只需給少量費用便可以觀看15分鐘的紀錄片。這里肯定能讓你想起那些在希特勒主義大屠殺中慘死的波蘭裔猶太人。

數(shù)個世紀以來，波蘭的國王與大資本家們建了眾多防御敵人的城堡以及莊嚴的宮殿。顛簸的歷史已把許多建筑化為一堆堆的碎石瓦礫。然而，當中還有一些建筑幸存至今，經(jīng)過一番修復后，它們的美麗依然令人心動。

坐落在波蘭港口城市格但斯克南部的馬爾波古堡據(jù)說是歐洲最大的哥特式城堡。它既是波蘭最古老的城堡，又是古典派中世紀堡壘的絕佳典范之一。它擁有多重防御圍墻、如迷宮般分布的房間、會議室以及一些別致的建筑細節(jié)。1997年，該城堡被納入聯(lián)合國教科文組織的世界遺產(chǎn)之列。

波蘭的小鎮(zhèn)能反映出整個歐洲風格的無窮韻味。波蘭東部邊界上的建筑物體現(xiàn)了西方建筑學給歐洲大陸帶來的影響。時至今天，你仍然可以看到保存良好的中世紀式、哥特式以及文藝復興式的小鎮(zhèn)——其中一些還是歐洲最美的小鎮(zhèn)。

自中世紀以來，波蘭文化就已經(jīng)與西方世界相輔相成。當?shù)刎S富多彩的現(xiàn)代藝術生活在音樂、電影、文學以及美術等領域都贏得全世界的高度關注。藝術鑒賞家一定會對在肖邦與潘德列斯基的故鄉(xiāng)的藝術盛事感興趣——享譽全球的肖邦國際鋼琴比賽以及維尼亞夫斯基國際小提琴比賽。音樂是波蘭文化中舉足輕重的一部分。波蘭還是許多諾貝爾獎得主的故鄉(xiāng)，比如亨利克·顯克維奇、弗瓦迪斯瓦夫·雷孟德、瑪麗亞·居里等。

除了圣誕節(jié)和復活節(jié)之類的盛大宗教節(jié)日以外，在波蘭人生活中最重要的節(jié)日便是他們的“圣徒紀念日”——這是一個為與本人同名的守護神慶祝的宗教節(jié)日。波蘭人會在家里慶祝他們的“圣徒紀念日”，有時在餐館里慶祝，偶爾也會在下班之后才慶祝。

波蘭人民好客友善，他們熱愛并且尊重自己的習俗。盡管歷史的騷亂與巨大的轉變形成今天所見的波蘭國家面貌，波蘭人一直精力旺盛地保存著其獨特的文化感與社會感。波蘭絕對是一個魅力無窮的旅游目的地！

For centuries， Poland has been a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe. Set in the heart of Europe， Poland is a multi-faceted country where the capital Warsaw and medieval towns attract contemporary city slickers； and where horse-drawn carts pass through country lanes， untouched by the progress of the country.

Poland is roughly square. Its bordered by the Baltic Sea to the northwest， by Germany to the west， the Czech and Slovak republics to the south and Ukraine， Belarus， Lithuania and Russia to the east. The flat central belt is the main agricultural area， watered by Polands longest river， the Vistula. Like all Polands rivers， it runs towards the north， draining into the Baltic Sea.

Over the past decade， Poland has developed into a modern， vibrant and progressive country. Yet at the same time it maintains its traditional culture. There are two major cities in Poland you should know about Krakòw and Warsaw. As the royal capital for half a millennium， Krakòw absorbed more of Polands history than any other city in the country. As Polands most popular tourist destination， as well as an architectural and cultural gem， the city came through WWII unscathed. It has retained a wealth of old architecture from different periods. The tallest structures dominating Krakòws skyline are the spires of old churches. Krakòw is a city alive with character and soul. During July every year， there are numerous festivals held in Krakòw， everything from street theatre to jazz.

Emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of WWII， Warsaw is essentially a postwar city. Its handful of historic areas have been meticulously reconstructed， but most of its urban landscape is modern. With an intriguing mix of old and new， the capital of Poland grows by leaps and bounds. Warsaw has turned into a thrilling busy city. The Royal Castle in Warsaw was the seat of kings from the 17th century on. Totally destroyed during WWII， the castle was restored to its former beauty during the 1970s. Now， it is open to the public as a splendid museum.

Another museum worthy of mentioning is the war-related Auschwitz Museum. Auschwitz needs no introduction. The museum is a fitting testament to one of humanitys most deplorable atrocities. Photography is permitted. Theres a small charge to see the 15-minute documentary shown in the Auschwitz cinema. It definitely reminds you of the Polish Jews， whose presence died due to the Hitlerite Holocaust.

Over the centuries， Polish kings and magnates erected numerous defensive castles and stately palaces. Turbulent history has reduced many of them into piles of rubble. Some of them， however， have been spared and today carefully restored enchant us with their beauty.

Situated in the south of Polands harbor city Gdansk， Malbork Castle is reputedly Europes largest Gothic castle. Its one of Polands oldest and a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress， with multiple defensive walls， a labyrinth of rooms and chambers and some exquisite architectural detail. In 1997， the castle was included on UNESCOs World Heritage list.

Polish towns reflect the whole spectrum of European styles. Polands eastern frontiers mark the boundary of the influences of western architecture on the continent. Still today， you can see well-preserved Medieval， Gothic and Renaissance towns some renowned as the most beautiful in Europe.

Polish culture has been connected with the western world since the Middle Ages. Affluent modern artistic life wins huge interest across the world in the spheres of music， film， literature and fine arts. Connoisseurs of the arts are sure to be interested in the calendar of artistic events in the homeland of Chopin and Penderecki the Chopin Piano Competition and the Wieniawski Violin Competition are well-known throughout the world. Music is a significant part of Polish culture. Poland is also the homeland of many Nobel prize winners， for example， Henryk Sienkiewicz， Wladyslaw Reymont， Maria Curie， etc.

Besides the greatest religious feasts， such as Christmas and Easter， the most important day in a Poles life is his or her “name day the day of observance for the patron saint after whom the person is named. Poles celebrate their name day at home， sometimes in restaurants， and occasionally after work.

Poland is a country of kind and hospitable people who enjoy and respect their customs. In spite of a turbulent history and the dramatic changes shaping Polish society today， Poles have vigorously maintained a distinct sense of culture and community. Poland is definitely a fascinating destination！