Innovative property investments
Investment property in Poland
Buying Guide
Introduction
A bright future
Poland is emerging rapidly into a bright future after one of the most turbulent histories of any European country.
Centuries of being fought over by the Austrians, Prussians, Swedes, Germans and Russians have given it a complex historical legacy.
The country and its people suffered appallingly during World War II and then the communist years gave it a reputation as a grey and bleak land of concrete and leaden skies.
The reality is very different - Poland has warm summers, an abundance of beautiful countryside, stunning renaissance cities and a rapidly growing market economy.
It is also turning into an attractive destination for overseas property buyers, predominantly as an off-plan investment location, but also in its coastal and mountain holiday resorts.
A tourist draw
Poland is experiencing considerable growth in its tourist industry, particularly as a city break or day-trip destination.
In 2005 there were 64.6 million arrivals to the country from abroad, up 4.3% on the previous year.
Among the growth areas was a large increase in day-trippers from Germany, and a 12.6% growth in visits from other, non-adjacent, EU countries.
Arrivals from the main non-EU overseas tourist (defined by the Polish Tourist Board as USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Canada) went up by 27.6%.
Of the 64.6 million arrivals, 15.2 million were classed as tourist arrivals, that is visitors who stay at least one night.
This figure is up 6.4% from 2004’s figure of 14.3 million.
An accessible destination
By far the easiest way to get to Poland from the UK and Ireland is by air, and the country is becoming increasingly accessible as budget carriers open up new regions.
The best example of this is Ryanair which now flies from Stansted to Gdansk, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz and Rzeszow, and from Dublin to Warsaw, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw and Szczecin.
Among the other airlines flying direct are Air Berlin (Stansted to Warsaw), British Airways (Gatwick to Krakow), Centralwings (Gatwick to Krakow and Warsaw), EasyJet (Luton to Warsaw and Krakow), LOT (Polish national carrier - daily flights from Heathrow to Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk, and from Dublin to Warsaw), SkyEurope (Stansted to Warsaw and Krakow) and Wizzair (Luton to Gdansk, Warsaw and Katowice, Liverpool to Warsaw and Katowice).
Airlines which fly to Poland via a European stopover include Aer Lingus, Alitalia, British Midland, CSA, Lufthansa and Malev.
If your destination in Poland is not served by a direct flight, LOT flies to all provincial destinations from Warsaw.
Checking it out for yourself
If you need to go on a fact-finding mission, you could take advantage of the increase in the number of tour operators offering weekend breaks to Polish cities.
These flight-plus-accommodation deals offer good value for money and take away the need to sort out your own lodging when you arrive.
Typical prices for a three-night city break are 250 to 350 GBP in low season, rising to 350 to 450 GBP during high season.
Key facts
- Population: 38.5 million
- Area (km2): 312,685
- Capital: Warsaw
- Languages: Polish
- Religion: Roman Catholic
- Currency: Zloty (ZL or PLN) divided into 100 groszy. PLN 1=0.17 GBP
- Dialling Code: +48
- High Season: summer, plenty of sun and crowded especially in the Baltic coastal resorts
- Happy Planet Index: 114th / 178
- Big Mac Index: 2.10 USD
Downloadable Reports and Documents
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