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Horse riding

Horse riding has long been considered a fairly exclusive pastime - and one with very ardent devotees. While it is rather unlikely that anyone today will repeat the offer made by Shakespeare's Richard III, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!", many of those who love these magnificent animals are ready to give a lot to be able to spend their holiday in the saddle. This is easily arranged in Poland, which can claim stables and studs of established international repute. Pure-bred Arabs and English thoroughbreds from Poland win numerous prizes every year at international shows and fetch record prices at auctions, where they are mainly bought by breeders from Western Europe and America.

Some stables welcome guests. They provide not only board and lodging (often in restored historical palaces and manor houses), but also splendid steeds, professional riding instructors and a unique atmosphere, found nowhere else, in which the horse is man's best friend. Contact between horse and rider, as enthusiasts know very well, constitutes an excellent way of relaxing, of keeping fit - for some, even a way of life. ORBIS Incoming Tourism Bureau offers its guests holidays at six riding centres, guaranteed to satisfy the most discriminating of horse fans:

• Lack (Plock voivodship), famed for its pure-bred Arabs, English thoroughbreds and horses of Poland's own Wielkopolska breed;
• Racot (Leszno voivodship), specialising in the Wielkopolska breed;
• Sierakow (Poznan voivodship), also known for its Wielkopolska horses;

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• The Country Club at Wilkasy (Suwalki voivodship);
• The Equestrian Centre at Wojcieszow (Jelenia Gora voivodship);
• The farm at Osiniec (Poznan voivodship).

Experienced riders can enjoy short rides or longer excursions and cross-country treks. Beginnners, on the other hand, can receive tuition from expert instructors, while more advanced can learn from champion showjumpers. The youngest equestrians can win their spurs on the small and sturdy Hucul ponies, friendly animals which hail from the Polish mountains. Meanwhile, all those not so keen to leap into the saddle can enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn chaise. The order of the day, then is: "Mount up!"

Hunting

Poland is the only European country to have retained such huge expanses of virgin forest as the Great Augustow, Bialowieza, Knyszyn, Notec, Kozienice and Sandomierz forests, the Tuchola and Lower Silesian forests, and many others. Despite the passing of the centuries and the destructive impact of human civilisation, these areas still boast glorious scenery and a rich diversity of game. They represent a hunter's dream come true (especially when we consider that there are a total of 2.5 million hectares of hunting grounds in Poland). Small wonder that the attractions of hunting in Poland have been appreciated by foreign guests for many years. Our western neighbours, the Germans, are especially keen on stalking red deer, elk and wild boar, as are the Scandinavians. The Austrians, French, Spaniards, Dutch and Italians, on the other hand, prefer smaller game, in contrast to the Americans, who come to Poland primarily to cull the European bison, the largest land animal on our continent.

It is not just the beauty of the flora and fauna that fascinates visitors from abroad: so do the age-old Polish hunting rituals. Some of the hunting customs still practised date back to ancient Slav times. These include the election of a King of the Hunt, the sounding of hunting horns, the presentation of trophies and the evening feast by the campfire. These are all recalled in Polish literature, which contains many descriptions of hunts for bison and bear, wild boar and wolf, elk and red deer. Proof that these descriptions are not simply poetic fantasy is furnished by the impressive trophies from those olden expeditions that still adorn many of the country's palaces and manor houses.

Once hunting was the privilege of those of noble blood, today all that is needed is a well-padded wallet. All of those who would like to experience the joy of the hunt in Poland will find professional advice and assistance in arranging their stay forthcoming from the ORBIS Hunting Bureau, an expert in the field for over thirty years, and from our many agents in various countries.