Located to the east of Germany, and bordered by several Slavic countries, Poland is a land filled with northern beaches, pristine lakes, delightful rivers, dense forests and lovely mountains—a real paradise for those who love nature, hiking, cycling, fishing, canoeing or photography. Poland is also deeply rooted in the performing arts, with the larger cities offering a wide range of musical and theatrical programs.

In many ways, Poland is one of the success stories of the new Europe, transforming itself from a one-party state to a parliamentary democracy in a remarkably short period of time. More than a decade of non-communist governments has wrought profound changes on the country, unleashing entrepreneurial energies and widening cultural horizons in a way that pre-1989 generations would have scarcely thought possible. Gleaming corporate skyscrapers have taken root in Warsaw, and private shops and cafés have established themselves in even the most provincial of rural towns. The country has a radically different look about it, having exchanged the grayish tinge of a state-regulated society for the anything-goes attitude of private enterprise - and all the billboards and window displays that go with it.

However at the heart of modern Poland lies an all-too-familiar paradox: the very people who made the country's democratic revolution possible - militant industrial workers and anticommunist intellectuals - have found themselves marginalized in a society in which street-smart businessmen and computer-literate youth are far better poised to take advantage of the brave new Poland's burgeoning opportunities.