Poland in January: tips for making the most of your winter in Poland

Our Partner of the Month

Virtual Open Day at Akademeia High School. Are you interested in learning more about Akademeia High School? This event will be an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with our ethos,  philosophy of education and curriculum. Join us online to meet our Headmaster, hear from our students and  alumni and take a peek inside our school premises. The event launches on Thursday, 17th February at 10:00 am on Microsoft Teams. For more information see here: https://akademeia.edu.pl/en/apply-now/. Online registration.

Weather in Poland in January

January is the coldest month in Poland. The average temperature in January in Poland is -1,5°C / 30,2°F. The average rainfall level in Poland in January is 37 mm. The Polish name for January – styczeń – comes from the word stykać meaning to connect old and new year. The day keeps getting longer – sunset on January 1: 3.33 pm, January 31: 4.20 pm.

Winter in Poland is cold and usually snowy. To stay cozy in cold weather in Poland, you will need a hat, coat, scarf, gloves, and winter boots. The weather during the winter in Poland differs. Usually, the temperature is around freezing or a few degrees below, but it happens that the temperature drops below -20 °C (-4 °F). Recent years have seen an increase in average winter temperatures compared to previous years. Trends also indicate that we can start getting used to relatively warmer December in Poland and winter shifting for the period from January to March.

Read more about the weather and winter in Poland.

Shopping Sunday and trade ban Sundays in Poland in January 2022

In January 2022, there is one shopping Sunday in Poland: January 30. January 2, 9, 16, and 23 are trade ban Sundays in Poland. Click here to read our post about shopping Sundays in Poland in 2022.

Public holidays and dates to remember in Poland in January 2022

New Year’s Day (Nowy Rok)
A public holiday in Poland – stores, malls, shopping centers are closed, only some smaller local convenience stores can be open (eg. Żabka). You can do basic shopping at gas stations.

Epiphany / The Three Wise Kings (Trzech Króli)
A public holiday in Poland, stores are closed. Christian holiday commemorating the three wise kings’ visit to infant Jesus. In Warsaw and other big cities, there are street parades. There is a tradition in Poland to write with chalk brought from the church above the entrance of your home: K+M+B (or C+M+B). The letters have two meanings: they represent the initials of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar (Kacper, Melchior, Baltazar); it’s also the abbreviation of the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless this house).

Grandmother’s Day & Grandfather’s Day (Dzień Babci & Dzień Dziadka)
People visit or call their grandparents to honor them. In kindergartens, there are usually events for grandparents.

Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, 30th Grand Finale (Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy)
The biggest charity event in Poland. 2022 winter fundraiser will be held to raise funds to aid children’s eye diseases and disorders. Many concerts, shows and other events all over Poland. Volunteers (including many children) collect money on the streets giving away to all donors red stickers in the shape of a heart. The Foundation’s website in English.

Read more about public holidays and dates to remember in Poland in winter.

Winter school break in Poland

The school year in Poland is divided into 2 terms: the first/winter term (pierwszy semestr) and the second/summer term (drugi semestr). While the first and last days of school are set the same for all of Poland, the winter break (ferie zimowe) times differ for each Polish province/voivodship each year.

The following voivodships: kujawsko-pomorskie (Kuyavian-Pomeranian – Toruń & Bydgoszcz), lubuskie (Lubusz – Gorzów Wielkopolski & Zielona Góra), małopolskie (Lesser Poland – Kraków), świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross – Kielce), wielkopolskie (Greater Poland – Poznań).

The following voivodships: podlaskie (Białystok), warmińsko-mazurskie (Warmian-Masurian – Olsztyn).

The following voivodships: dolnośląskie (Lower Silesian – Wrocław), mazowieckie (Masovian – Warsaw), opolskie (Opole), zachodniopomorskie (West Pomeranian – Szczecin).

The following voivodships: lubelskie (Lublin), łódzkie (Łódź), podkarpackie (Subcarpathian – Rzeszów), pomorskie (Pomeranian – Gdańsk), śląskie (Silesian – Katowice).

Read more in our post about school holidays in Poland: dates of winter (2022 & 2023) and summer breaks.

Winter illuminations in Poland: beautiful light displays in selected cities in Poland

During the wintertime season, many parks in Poland transform after dark into a magical world of lights, allowing you to spend time outdoors, walking in winter festive scenery. We take you through magical places across Poland where you can cut yourself off from everyday matters and enjoy winter in Poland.

You will find detailed information about illuminations festivals in Poland in January 2022 in our post: Festivals of lights and illuminations across Poland.

WARSAW: illuminated winter botanical garden “Magiczny Botaniczny”

The guests can enjoy light structures prepared especially for the Garden (incl. light sculptures of flowers, shrubs, birds, forest animals), referring to the most interesting plants in the Garden’s collection, the relationship between nature and man, but also fairy tales and legends related to nature.

Photo source: Lumagica Warszawa

POZNAŃ area: winter illuminations and decorations in Deli Park

Deli Park is a park with mini landmarks, giant insects, mini zoo, located 18 km from the city of Poznań. During Christmas and the wintertime, festive illuminations are installed there. You can walk among the illuminated and decorated with colorful lamps the alleys of the park and various types of light illuminations such as a globe, a giant Christmas ball, illuminated light tunnels, a traditional Christmas nativity scene with live animals and Christmas decorations. There is also a Santa’s Grotto, his sleigh with reindeer, at the Santa’s desk, children will be able to sign up for the Book of Good Children.

Photo source: Deli Park

LUBLIN: Lumina Park – “Botanical Journey”

The exhibition is located in the Botanical Garden in the city of Lublin. Its main theme is – “Botanical Journey” around the world. By getting to know the trees and shrubs of different continents, you will be able to discover new lands decorated with light, sound and multimedia effects. 

Photo source: Lumina Park

Things you can’t miss in Poland in January

Treat yourself with angel wings – you can buy them in Poland only during the carnival! 

Traditional Polish carnival pastry – angel wings. Their Polish name has different versions, depending on the region: faworki / chruściki / chrusty. However, the most common name is faworki, the word derived from the French ‘faveur‘ (meaning ribbon).

In Poland, they are eaten during the carnival period and on Fat Thursday (in 2022, Fat Thursday/Tłusty Czwartek falls on February 24).

It’s a sweet crisp pastry, twisted and shaped into ribbons, always sprinkled with powdered sugar – sounds like the perfect indulgence on a winter day in Poland!

Warm up with winter tea – a natural way to stay healthy during frosts 

Poles love tea! As many as 80 percent of Poles drink tea every day or several times a day. The most popular types of tea in Poland are black tea, Earl Gray, and green tea. In Poland, when we arrange a meeting, it is often said that “I invite you for coffee” (Zapraszam cię na kawę) and the meeting ends with tea…;)

Before 1989, under communism in Poland, tea with sugar was often drunk. The tea was served in a special glass in a wicker or metal basket with a handle so as not to burn yourself.

Now habits are changing – tea, if anything, is more and more often sweetened with honey, not sugar. Teas from all over the world are available in stores in Poland. The classic is still black tea with a lemon slice.

In winter, it is worth trying warming tea – it is complemented by ingredients that can be added according to your preferences. There are as many variants of winter tea as there are drinkers! The base is always tea infusion – most often it is black tea, but not only. The classic is tea with ginger and honey. Many people also cannot imagine it without cloves, lemon, orange slices, cinnamon sticks or raspberry juice. You can also add a little ground chili, anise, rosehip. Smacznego!:)

Take a walk along the streets of the nearest town, magically illuminated with winter lights

Most Polish cities install thousands of lights on the streets in winter, usually in the city center. The illuminations (with the Christmas tree) are turned on at the beginning of December and usually remain on until the end of January or even mid-February. Don’t miss this magic and go for a walk in the streets of the city after dark. The illuminated streets look fabulous regardless of the weather! The photos below present the festive winter illuminations in Polish cities.

Go to top

Skiing in Poland: the most popular ski resorts in Poland and small local ski slopes

When the temperature drops below zero, you can start planning your ski adventure in Poland. And the best part is that you don’t need to drive for hours south of Poland, to the mountains! You can enjoy many small ski slopes all over Poland, including big cities.

In our post about skiing in Poland, you will find information about local small ski resorts within a relatively short distance from the biggest cities in Poland. They are perfect for children and adults who want to learn skiing or if you want to have a weekend ski break in Poland.

The post covers also some of the most popular ski resorts in Poland for those who plan their winter holidays in Poland or are looking for more advanced ski runs.

Our post covers the area of Zakopane, Poznań, Warsaw, Wrocław, Katowice, Łódź, Kraków, Tri-City: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot.

Read more about skiing in Poland in our post: Where to learn to ski in Poland and where to spend winter holidays in Poland.

Go to top

Stores offering grocery home delivery in Poland

Responding to the needs of our readers, we have compiled a list of online stores that deliver grocery shopping in major cities in Poland. We hope our list of shops will make your daily life a little easier in these challenging times!

In the post on our website, you will find organic food stores and regular stores, by city:

Subscribe to our monthly newsletters in English to explore Poland and to learn about Poland! Once a month you will receive a Newsletter: ‘Explore Poland with Kids‘. You will find there family-friendly destinations in Poland – beautiful places in Poland worth visiting with children – from city break destinations to hiking in the mountains (lots of practical tips!); things you can’t miss in Poland in a given month; dates to remember, holidays, observances in Poland in a given month so you can mark your calendars accordingly:

Click on the photos below to read other posts: