Poland in May: tips for making the most of your spring in Poland
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- Jump to ideas for outdoor activities and things to do outside in Poland in May
- Jump to weather in Poland in May
- Jump to things you can’t miss in Poland in May
- Jump to Sunday trade ban in Poland in May 2021
- Jump to public holidays & dates to remember in Poland in May 2021
- Jump to foodsharing in Poland: places in Poland where you can leave food for others and help yourself with what other people have left
- Jump to mandatory Census in Poland in 2021
- Jump to new regulations for electric scooters in Poland from May 2021
- Jump to current covid restrictions & regulations in Poland
- Jump to the current status of covid vaccination & vaccinations of foreigners in Poland
Ideas for outdoor activities and things to do outside in Poland in May
The weather in Poland is growing warmer by the day, it’s time to enjoy the outdoors! Luckily, in Poland, there are plenty of things to do outside that you can enjoy even while social distancing. Meet your friends outside safely, take your workout outside, explore the best photo spots, take a hike, ride a bike, have a date watching a sunset or just go for a walk.
Below you will find our resources recommending outdoor destinations in Poland where you can get your fill of fresh air and which are open now to visitors:
- Botanical gardens in Poland. The best places to visit in Poland to admire nature’s blooming beauty! There are many wonderful parks in Poland, and botanical gardens are the largest and most diverse oases of nature. The botanical gardens in Poland are run by universities and scientific research institutes and include a wide range of collections of plants – both Polish ones as well as plants from other countries, including exotic ones. Our post features 9 botanical gardens in Poland: in Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, Gołubie (50 km from Gdańsk), Mikołów (the Katowice area), Rogów (near Łódź), Warsaw, and Powsin (near Warsaw).
- National parks in Poland. National parks in Poland contain many of the most treasured landscapes, from the majestic mountain ranges to the beaches, ancient forests, lush green valleys. It’s tough to choose which natural wonders in Poland you should visit first. If you’re a lover of the outdoors and fancy yourself as a bit of a discoverer, these selected destinations in Poland should be on your travel bucket list. Some of the national parks in Poland are located close to big cities, so you can go there without staying overnight – for a day trip. Our post features 9 national parks in Poland: by the Baltic sea, the Kampinos Forest near Warsaw, the Białowieża National Park in eastern Poland famous for bison, and six mountain national parks located mostly in southern Poland.
- Zoos in Poland. Poland has so many great zoos that it’s really hard to pick the best ones! Like all over the world, zoos are one of the most popular family-friendly attractions in Poland, a great day out for the whole family or a date. One of their main advantages is that most zoos in Poland are open every day, including public holidays. Our post features the seven most popular zoos in Poland: from the largest to the oldest, and the most fascinating.
- Lakes in Poland. Poland is rich in lakes, most of which are located in the northern part of the country. The lakes are a beautiful part of the Polish landscape – picturesque postcards of the Polish countryside with a lake in the background. Our post features five picturesque lakes to check out: to admire, swim, sail, camp, kayak, bike along.
- Mountains in Poland. Mountains in Poland are, next to the Baltic Sea and lakes, one of the biggest attractions for tourists who value contact with nature. Mountains in Poland include 3 main mountain ranges: Sudetes (Sudety), Carpathians (Karpaty), and Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Góry Świętokrzyskie) and 28 smaller mountain ranges within them. The highest and the youngest are the Carpathians with the Tatra Mountains, and the oldest and lowest are the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Those who like mountain hiking can choose among various trails in Poland, including trails suitable for families with children, seniors, and all those who love nature. Our post features 3 main mountain ranges and several smaller mountain ranges within them: the breathtaking scenery, towering peaks, dense forests, postcard-perfect views.
Weather in Poland in May
May in Poland is usually warm and reasonably dry. Sunny weather can even turn hot. The average monthly temperature in May in Poland is 13,7°C / 56,7°F, and the average monthly rainfall level is 62,1 mm.
The name of the month (maj) comes from the Latin name Maius. May and March are the only months whose Polish names derive from Latin. Polish names of the remaining months have Slavic roots.
Read more about the weather and changes in nature in Poland in spring.
Things you can’t miss in Poland in May
Enjoy the lilac in Poland – it blooms only for 2 weeks in May!
Lilac (bez) is a queen among spring flowers that bloom in May in Poland. In Poland, the most common are purple and white lilacs. It smells awesome but unfortunately, it is very fragile and withers quickly in the home vase. Lilac came to Poland from Turkey through the Balkan Peninsula. For years, an essential part of Polish rural gardens. Blooming usually lasts only up to two weeks so hurry to admire lilac!
Try the first fresh seasonal Polish vegetables in cooking
After months of winter root vegetables and frozen or canned veggies, spring in Poland welcomes us with the first fresh local treasures. In Polish they have a special name – ‘nowalijki’ – bringing something new. Don’t miss them! Some of the vegetables come and go quickly, so make the most of them while they last.
Soup is the queen of Polish cuisine – so Poles use the first fresh vegetables to prepare soups: sorrel soup, botwina beetroot soup, and chłodnik – a cold beet soup.
Sorrel (szczaw) – green leaves triumphantly announcing the end of winter in Poland
Sorrel is a leafy, edible green plant (similar to spinach) with characteristic acid, lemon flavor. In Poland, it can be found in grassland or a woodland edge, it’s also cultivated as a garden herb. Sorrel is in season in Poland in late spring until mid-summer (usually May – June). As sorrel is incredibly sour, it shouldn’t be eaten in large quantities. You can use it fresh in salads. But of course, Polish cuisine is all about soups so… voila – the traditional way in Poland is to cook a sorrel soup (zupa szczawiowa)!
Botwina beetroot – young beet leaves, stems, and roots uprooted in early spring. They make a delicious soup with the graceful name botwinka. Young beet leaves are also used as an addition to salads and vegetable cocktails. Because of the richness in many vitamins and minerals, botwina beetroot is recommended as part of a vegetarian diet. When you notice the botwina beetroot at the market stall – there is no doubt that spring has come to Poland for good!
Botwinka is the queen of spring soups in Poland. You can use the botwinka soup as a base to prepare another delicious Polish soup of spring and summer season – chłodnik. It’s a cold (chłodnik meaning ‘chilled’) beet soup served with hard-boiled eggs.
Other springtime vegetables you must try while they are in season in Poland include kohlrabi/cabbage turnip (kalarepa or kalarepka), rhubarb (rabarbar), cress (rzeżucha), and asparagus (szparagi).
(including many delicious photos:)
Go out of town a bit and you will be surprised by blooming fruit gardens
Poland in May turns into an orchard full of blooming fruit trees. It’s the time when fruit trees are in fool bloom. Wonderful sakura cherries receive special admiration in Japan, they are the symbol of Japan. In Poland, in the spring, pear, apple, cherry, plum trees bloom. Apple trees, however, dominate in Poland, with their white, slightly pinkish flowers. May also means the start of a busy season for bees!
A walk among the blooming chestnut trees
You can’t miss pinkish-white cone-shaped flowers of chestnuts (kasztan / kasztanowiec) that have become a symbol of high-school final exams in Poland that take place in May.
In Poland, chestnuts grow mainly in parks and along roads. It is a huge tree – in Poland, the largest chestnut trees reach about 30 m in height and about 600 cm in the circumference of the trunk. The oldest chestnut in Poland grows in the Wielkopolskie Province and is over 200 years old!
Read more about the weather and changes in nature in Poland in spring.
Sunday trade ban in Poland in May 2021
In May 2021, all Sundays are trade ban Sundays. The next shopping Sunday in Poland is June 27, 2021. Click here to read our post about shopping Sundays in Poland in 2020. Read our post with the list of online stores in Poland delivering groceries to home.
Public holidays & dates to remember in Poland in May 2021
- May 1
Labor Day
A bank/public holiday in Poland. Stores, malls, shopping centers are closed. Only some smaller local convenience stores can be open. Stores at gas stations are open every day, 24 h. Usually, in Warsaw and other major cities in Poland, there are political marches to promote workers’ rights.
- May 2
Flag Day
A regular working day (Sunday in 2021). It’s a relatively new holiday in Poland (introduced in 2004). You can notice Polish flags in some private windows and balconies as well as displayed in public institutions buildings.
- May 3
Constitution Day
A bank/public holiday in Poland. The May 3rd Constitution was passed in 1791 and is claimed to be the first written constitution in Europe and the second one in the world (after the American one). Usually, Constitution Day is celebrated with speeches, military parades, picnics, however, this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, most events are prohibited.
- May 23
Whit Sunday / Pentecost / Zielone Świątki
A public/bank holiday in Poland (always on Sunday anyway). The Day of Descent of the Holy Spirit – Zielone Świątki (Green Holidays). In Poland, some people decorate their homes with branches with green leaves.
- May 26
Mother’s Day
It is a day when you call your mum, send her a card, flowers or other gifts. Father’s Day in Poland is celebrated on June 23.
Click here to read our post about public holidays and dates to remember in Poland in spring.
Foodsharing in Poland: places in Poland where you can leave food for others and help yourself with what other people have left
Does this sometimes happen at your home: leftovers from lunch? you bought too much fruit and you know you won’t have time to eat it? cans gathering dust at the back of your cupboard?
Would you rather share your food and leftovers instead of throwing them away?
Foodsharing point (jadłodzielnia in Polish) is a place where you can leave food for others if you are unable to consume it. There you can also help yourself with what other people have left behind.
Each point has its volunteers who manage them. The goal is to reduce everyday food waste. Foodsharing points are used by indigent people, but not only. Anyone can take any leftover food, no matter how wealthy they are.
- In our new post on the website, you will find a map of foodsharing points in Poland run by Foodsharing Polska and a list foodsharing points in Warsaw by districts: Foodsharing in Poland.
Mandatory Census in Poland in 2021
The National Census of Population and Housing is carried out in Poland every 10 years. This year’s edition started on April 1 and will last until September 30, 2021. The Census is mandatory for each resident of Poland, including foreigners living in Poland on a temporary or permanent basis.
Each resident of Poland is required to complete the ONLINE form. Parents or legal guardians make the census on behalf of the children. For foreigners without a PESEL number, a separate login mode using e-mail is available. Only in exceptional cases, when the person covered by the census cannot complete the form online, data is collected over the phone or in person.
- Find out more in our post: Mandatory National Population and Housing Census in Poland in 2021: info, links, guidelines.
New regulations for electric scooters in Poland from May 2021
Changes in the regulations on electric scooters in Poland from May 19, 2021
- Where can you ride an electric scooter? Obligation to ride an electric scooter on the bicycle path or bike lane. The electric scooter can be used exceptionally on the sidewalk when there is no separate path for bicycles (however, you will have to go there at a speed close to the speed of a pedestrian and give way to a pedestrian). You can drive an e-scooter on the street only if there is no bicycle lane and a bicycle lane (but this only applies to a street where vehicle traffic is allowed at a speed of no more than 30 km / h). Please note that this only applies to people over 10 years of age – children under 10 are not allowed to ride e-scooters in public spaces.
- Are there age limits? People from 10 to 18 years of age must have a bicycle license or a driving license to drive the electric scooter. For persons over 18 years of age, such a document is not required. Children up to 10 years old can ride the electric scooter only in the residential area, under the supervision of an adult.
- Can two people ride an electric scooter? Only one person is allowed to ride the electric scooter.
- Speed limit: 20 km/h.
- Do the tickets apply to riding e-scooters? There is a fine from 100 PLN to 350 PLN for exceeding the speed limit or failure to comply with the rules of moving on the pavement. The highest fine, up to 500 PLN, is for riding an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol or other substances that disrupt perception.
Current covid restrictions & regulations in Poland
From May 1
- Beauty salons, hairdressers, beauticians open in all voivodeships in Poland.
- Change of the limit: it is possible to do sports in the outdoor sports facilities – within the limit of 50 people.
- Possibility to practice sports in indoor sports facilities and swimming pools:
- for organized groups of children and youth,
- up to 50 percent of capacity of the facility.
From May 4
- Children from grades 1-3 of primary schools return to school in all voivodeships in Poland (the hybrid model is no longer applicable).
- Opening of shopping malls, DIY, and furniture stores (limit of 1 person per 15 m²).
- Opening of museums and galleries (limit of 1 person per 15 m²).
- Change of the limit of people in churches and places of worship: 1 person per 15 m². Recommendation to hold the ceremonies in the open air.
From May 8
- Opening of hotels (50 percent of the hotel capacity, closed restaurants and wellness & spa area). Hotel restaurants remain closed, meals can only be served in rooms. The hotel’s swimming pools, spa areas, and gyms will also be unavailable. May 15: Opening of open-air gardens in hotel restaurants. May 28: Opening of hotel restaurants (also inside, 50 percent of the capacity). May 28: Opening of swimming pools, gyms, fitness areas.
From May 15
- There will be no obligation to wear masks in the open air. The obligation to cover the nose and mouth with a mask inside the buildings will remain the same.
- Opening of restaurants open-air gardens (every other table may be taken).
- Opening of open-air cinemas and theaters (50 percent of the capacity).
- The audience can take part in outdoor sports events (maximum 25% of the capacity).
From May 17
- Children from grades 4-8 of primary schools and grades 1-4 of secondary schools return to schools in a hybrid model.
From May 21
- Opening of cinemas and theaters (moved from May 29).
- Opening of cultural centers, educational centers (indoor).
- Opening of open-air amusement parks.
From May 28 (previously announced – from May 29)
- Opening of the restaurants (also inside, 50 percent of the capacity).
- Possibility of organizing events inside, incl. weddings and communions (limit up to 50 people). Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 does not count.
- Opening of cinemas and theaters (50 percent of the capacity).
- Opening of swimming pools and indoor sports facilities for everyone (50 percent of the capacity).
- Opening of gyms, fitness clubs, solariums (limit of 1 person per 15 m²).
From May 31
- Children from grades 4-8 of primary schools and grades 1-4 of secondary schools return to schools (the hybrid model is no longer applicable).
Find out more in our posts to stay up to date:
- Information about current covid regulations in Poland, updates, government announcements – updated daily.
- Information about covid vaccination in Poland, info for foreigners living in Poland, the order of coronavirus vaccinations, updates, application & registration process – updated daily.
- Quarantine and isolation regulations in Poland – updated once the regulations change.
The current status of covid vaccination & vaccinations of foreigners in Poland
- There are currently 4 COVID-19 vaccines in Poland available for everyone: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson (a single-dose vaccine).
- From May 10 – everyone over the age of 18 will have e-referrals issued and will be able to register for a specific date of vaccination against COVID-19.
- Vaccinations in Poland are free and voluntary.
- To reserve a vaccination slot, you must have an e-referral issued.
- You can check if you have a referral issued and register for vaccination in 3 ways:
- Online: https://pacjent.erejestracja.ezdrowie.gov.pl/. With “Fast registration” (Szybka rejestracja) you enter your name, PESEL number, and phone number. With “Full registration” (Pełna rejestracja) you log in using the trusted profile (profil zaufany) created by your bank account. People who have an online bank account at cooperative banks, PKO Bank Polski, Bank Pekao, Inteligo, BOŚ Bank can log in with the same data as they log into their online bank account.
- Through the free hotline number 989 (24/7).
- Contacting directly a vaccination center (here you will find the list/map of vaccination centers in Poland: https://www.gov.pl/web/szczepimysie/mapa-punktow-szczepien#/.
- When going for vaccination, it is recommended that foreigners have a passport with them and a notification granting a PESEL number (powiadomienie o nadaniu numeru PESEL), unless they have a residence card in which the PESEL number is entered.
Foreigners who reside in Poland can be vaccinated in Poland on the same terms as Polish citizens. If you have a PESEL number, you can register for vaccination in accordance with the above instructions.
If you do NOT have a PESEL number and you have the right of residence in Poland because you work, study or your family is here:
- Then ask your primary care physician (lekarz podstawowej opieki zdrowotnej) to issue you an e-referral (e-skierowanie) for vaccination.
- If you do not have a primary care physician assigned, go to the clinic and sign up (the clinic will assign you a primary care doctor who can provide you with an e-referral). More about the healthcare system in Poland in our post.
- Then sign up for vaccination for a specific date.
- The primary health care physician has the right and should issue you an e-referral for vaccination via the “gabinet.gov.pl” application. When issuing a referral, in the field “patient data”, the physician should select “other identifier” (instead of “PESEL number”) and enter the number of the identity document you use. Ideally, it should be a passport number or a foreign ID card.
- Do not forget to bring the identity document, the number of which you have given to the doctor, to the vaccination. Remember to use exactly the same document that was used to issue your e-referral at each stage of the vaccination process.
Click here to read more in our post on the covid vaccine in Poland (including schedule, info for foreigners living in Poland, the order of coronavirus vaccinations, updates, privileges for the vaccinated person).
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