Poland

IH Opole is a small, friendly, quality-focused language school in south Poland with a strong emphasis on teacher development. For more information see: http://www.teachers_opole.ih.com.pl

City
Opole with a population of 150,000 and a thriving University and Polytechnic, Opole offers a wide range of entertainments and Wrocław or Krakow are easy accessible by train ( as are Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw and even Kiev and Frankfurt). Opole is also ideally placed for weekend excursions ( skiing or walking) to the mountains and hills in the south and west of the country. In the town centre lies the elegant ‘rynek’ (square) an architectural gem and home to bars, shops and restaurants. All the major attractions, as well as the school itself, are a short walk from the centre. Restaurants provide cuisine from Italy, China, Vietnam, Hungary and, of course, Poland. Bars range from upmarket wine bars through fake British to seedy spit’n’sawdust, and you should find a nightclub to your taste whether you like mirrored walls and white stilletoes or prefer student sheds whose only decoration is a torn poster advertising beer. Sports offered include ice-skating, swimming, football, horse riding, tennis and fitness activities. Getting out into the fresh air is easy in Opole; Bolko Island, in the middle of the River Odra, is one big park and, to the east of town, forests stretch 15km to Turawa (the less energetic can travel by bus) where three lakes provide opportunities for swimming and sailing. Finally, Opole is famous as the site of the National Song Festival in June and as the ancient capital of the Polish Kings - Piast Dynasty.