Poland is one of the last bastions of Catholicism in Europe. The country is more religious and more conservative than its European neighbors. Ironically, in spite of a Pope from Poland, many church officials acknowledge that Polish society is moving toward a more secular view of life, one with a greater separation between church and state, and a rejection of church mandates on individual morality.
“We are considered the European museum of Catholicism, but let me tell you we are no longer,” said Szymon Holownia, program director for Religia TV, a relatively new station that aims to convince Poles that faith can be relevant in today's world. “The relationship between faith and state is changing; it is changing dramatically in Poland,” Mr. Holownia said. “It is really huge.”
Weather
Poland's climate blends the moderate conditions of Western Europe with the more severe continental ones of Eastern Europe. Temperatures vary across the country.
For example, the average January temperatures are below freezing at -1C (30.2F) in the west and -5C (23F) in the southern mountains. In the summer, average temperatures are around 20C (68F) in the southeast to 17C (63F) on the Baltic coast. However, if you are visiting Poland in the winter, be advised that temperatures can drop quickly and in the summer, you may find heat over 100 degrees Celsius.
Average annual precipitation is 18.5 inches, but it reaches 30 - 50 inches in the south, just south of Krakow. July is the wettest month and March the driest. Winter precipitation is half the summer rainfall.
So, try to pick the right time to go to Poland, since even in the summer you probably will need a jacket.
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