There are at least a few Dinosaur Parks in Poland. Some are big and some are small, but all of them try to take us back to a time on our planet when there were animals the size of houses, there were sharks in the seas as big as buses, and the air was ruled by flying animals the size of small planes. This year we have visited probably the biggest park of this kind in Poland. Jura Park in Krasiejów proposes not only a classic encounter with dinosaur mock-ups; it is also a real time journey, which we made using our imagination, supported by cutting edge technological achievements.

Dinosaur Park is only a little part of what we may see in Krasiejów. We started with the Science and Mankind Evolution Park. This inconspicuous building on the other side of a car park hides a real time machine. Tooled up with helmets like Lord Vader, we observed and listened to stories of mankind's evolution. We flew a space shuttle, we docked at an orbital space station, we went back in time 66 million years where we saw the extinct world of the dinosaurs and other species' shy attempts to colonize the Earth. Flying the space shuttle you have to grip your chair strongly. The kids were overjoyed with these learning techniques and were able to memorize loads of information.

Following this, we passed by the car park and continued our journey through time. I do not know whether you have seen the "Dinosaur Train" cartoon with your children. The dinosaurs can move between different time eras by driving a train through a time tunnel. We were able to experience a similar adventure. Sitting in a time capsule, wearing 3D glasses, we started from the Big Bang and travelled through all the cataclysms and changes which formed the Earth's surface.

Following a bend in the route, the dinosaur mock-ups started to appear. We went to meet the prehistorical inhabitants of our Earth. This part of the park is vast. The dinosaurs are split between the ages in which they lived and their variety is astonishing. The walk takes around an hour. Luckily the path is partially in the shade, so visiting the park even during very sunny days is not too difficult. When walking with little kids it is worth renting a little wooden cart. This will spare you from distracting and annoying whining. Looking at dinosaurs is not just for kids. The dinosaur mock-ups are arranged so as to show probable scenes from their life and look very realistic. Putting together the giant Argentynosaur, the lesser Stegosaur and the very small Troodons is a good idea. It shows how varied and different the world of prehistoric reptiles was from our own. Going along the dinosaurs' path we see the Paleontological Pavilion. We could see that the work of a scientist is not easy, and looking for bones and other paleontological artefacts is also not simple. We were able to see Europe's biggest Trias reptiles and amphibian fossils. You may see a reconstruction of the oldest known skeleton of a pradinosaur (granddinosaur?) Silesaurus opolensis.

If you still feel like you haven't seen enough after all this, please go to the 3D oceanarium. Behind the glass display windows you will see giant sea reptiles, which look at you as if you would be a tasty meal. You will see why there is a warning sign at the entrance about possible strong emotional reactions inside the aquarium. You have to carefully watch the exhibition until the last moment. After a while, in the 5D cinema, you will feel like a mythological discoverer of Atlantis, which was inhabited by prehistoric sea reptiles as well.

An undeniable asset of Jura Park in Krasiejów is its placement on a vast area of land by the lake. If tired, you may rest on the beach, swim in the lake, spend some fun time in the amusement park, and very young children may play in the playground. If hungry, you will for sure find something to eat in the nearby food court.

My kids rated Krasiejów as the best dinosaur park in Poland, and I do fully agree with that statement.

I do recommend it!