Lower Silesia has become one of Poland’s most dynamic tourism destinations. Continued investment in high-quality accommodation, expanding visitor attractions, and major improvements to transport infrastructure have significantly strengthened the region’s appeal. As a result, Lower Silesia is not only welcoming record numbers of visitors but is also increasing its share of Poland’s tourism market faster than any other region.
Its strategic location on the borders with Germany and the Czech Republic, combined with growing cross-border connectivity and strong economic ties, is also attracting an increasing number of international visitors.
Tourism Is Reaching Record Levels
Poland’s tourism sector has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, surpassing even pre-pandemic records. According to Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS), accommodation providers with at least ten beds recorded nearly 105 million overnight stays in 2025 – an increase of more than 7% year-on-year and 12% above 2019 levels.
While domestic tourism continues to be the primary growth driver, international demand has also accelerated significantly. Foreign visitors now account for approximately 20% of all overnight stays in Poland, attracted by the country’s strong economic development, modern infrastructure, and expanding tourism offer.
Research conducted by the Polish Tourism Organisation further shows that 95% of international visitors consider Poland a safe travel destination, reinforcing its growing appeal abroad.
Lower Silesia Leads National Growth
Although tourism has expanded across the country, no region has grown as rapidly as Lower Silesia.
Between 2022 and 2025, the number of overnight stays in the region increased by almost 30% – the fastest growth recorded among all Polish voivodeships. With more than 12.4 million overnight stays in 2025, Lower Silesia ranked as Poland’s fourth-largest tourism market, trailing only West Pomerania, Małopolska, and Mazovia.
The region’s performance becomes even more impressive when analysing domestic tourism. During the 2022–2025 period, Poland recorded an increase of approximately 9.3 million domestic overnight stays, of which more than 1.9 million were generated in Lower Silesia alone. In other words, roughly one in every five additional domestic overnight stays in Poland occurred in this region.
International tourism has followed a similar trajectory. Foreign overnight stays nationwide increased from 14.8 million in 2022 to more than 20.2 million in 2025, representing nearly 5.5 million additional overnight stays. Almost one out of every six of those additional nights was recorded in Lower Silesia, where international tourism grew by over 72% during the same period.
Historically, visitors from Germany have represented the region’s largest international market, while travellers from the Czech Republic have ranked second. As new transport links between Poland and the Czech Republic continue to develop, the share of Czech visitors is expected to increase further.
Investing in Quality Tourism
The region’s success has been supported by substantial investment in premium hospitality infrastructure.
Between 2020 and 2025, Lower Silesia added more than 7,000 hotel beds in four- and five-star properties, increasing its premium accommodation capacity by nearly 60% – the fastest growth of any region in Poland.
High-quality hotels do more than capture existing demand; they attract entirely new visitor segments. Business travellers, conference delegates, international guests, and premium leisure tourists often choose destinations based on the availability of modern accommodation and comprehensive guest services.
This helps explain why hotel occupancy in Lower Silesia has remained consistently strong despite the rapid expansion of hotel supply, particularly within the four-star segment.
As the market matures, the success of new developments increasingly depends on differentiation. The strongest-performing projects combine accommodation with restaurants, wellness facilities, conference spaces, leisure amenities, and professional hotel management – creating a complete hospitality experience rather than simply offering a place to stay.
Four Independent Drivers of Hotel Demand
Lower Silesia benefits from a uniquely diversified tourism economy built around four complementary demand generators.
The first is its exceptional natural environment, particularly the Sudetes and Karkonosze Mountains, which continue to attract outdoor enthusiasts throughout the year.
The second is the region’s proximity to Germany and the Czech Republic, supporting both leisure and business travel.
The third is its outstanding wellness and spa sector. Lower Silesia is home to 11 of Poland’s 45 officially recognised spa towns, generating stable year-round demand from health, rehabilitation, and wellness visitors.
The fourth pillar is Wrocław, one of Poland’s leading business, academic, and cultural centres, which creates significant demand for business travel, conferences, and international tourism.
The Region’s Core Tourism Markets
Tourism activity within Lower Silesia is concentrated in five key destinations.
The largest is Karkonosze County, home to the mountain resorts of Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba. It is followed by Wrocław, Kłodzko County, Lubań County (including Świeradów-Zdrój), and Jelenia Góra.
Together, these five destinations accounted for more than 80% of all overnight stays in Lower Silesia during 2025.
Karkonosze County alone attracted nearly 30% of all visitors to the region, while Jelenia Góra and Lubań County experienced exceptionally strong tourism growth, recording increases of 40–60% between 2022 and 2025.
Each destination serves a different market segment.
Wrocław is primarily driven by business, conference, weekend, and international travel.
Jelenia Góra combines business activity, urban services, tourism, and the renowned spa district of Cieplice, creating balanced year-round demand.
Meanwhile, Karkonosze, Kłodzko, and Lubań counties focus predominantly on mountain tourism, spa stays, active holidays, and wellness experiences.
Regional development strategies also place increasing emphasis on diversifying tourism beyond traditional leisure travel by supporting hiking, cycling, wellness, culinary tourism, and cultural experiences. One of the key objectives is to distribute visitor demand more evenly throughout the year rather than concentrating activity during holiday seasons.
Improving Accessibility Creates Long-Term Growth
Transport infrastructure remains one of the strongest catalysts for the region’s future development.
Better road and rail connections not only reduce travel times from Poland’s largest cities but also improve access for international visitors.
Only a few years ago, limited transport accessibility was considered one of the principal barriers to tourism development in the Sudetes.
Today, that picture is changing rapidly.
The continued expansion of the S3 expressway has significantly improved access from northern Poland. Future plans include connecting the Polish S3 with the Czech D11 motorway, further strengthening cross-border accessibility and encouraging greater numbers of Czech visitors.
Additional projects – including the planned S5 expressway, which will substantially reduce travel times between Wrocław and Jelenia Góra, and the completion of the S8 expressway extending towards the Czech border – will make the region even more accessible.
Rail infrastructure is also undergoing a major transformation.
Passenger services have already returned to Świeradów-Zdrój and Karpacz, while approximately 300 kilometres of railway modernisation and the reopening of additional regional connections are planned by 2029.
The growing importance of rail travel can be illustrated by the example of Zakopane, where 1.3 million passengers arrived by train in 2025. For comparison, Tatra National Park welcomed approximately 5.3 million visitors during the same year – demonstrating the increasingly significant role that rail connectivity can play in supporting tourism growth.
As accessibility continues to improve, Lower Silesia is exceptionally well positioned to strengthen its status as one of Central Europe’s leading year-round tourism destinations.
5S Invest Research & Analysis Team
5s.com.pl
