Photographer Vincent Jansen travels throughout Europe, visiting beautiful abandoned places. He explores churches, factories, sanatoriums, mortuaries, villas and theaters, all quietly waiting for renovation or demolition. His photos show a unique perspective on what is happening behind the “no trespassing” signs: where nature is slowly gaining ground and the desolation, loneliness and decay leave their stunning traces. Photo: This piano was located in one of many rooms of a huge chateau in Poland. (Photo by Vincent Jansen)

Sports Finalist – Ian MacNicol. Michalina Kwasniewska of Poland competes in the Women's high jump during day one of The European Athletics U23 Championships 2013 on July 11, 2013 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Agence France-Presse)

A woman wears a flower crown during a Summer Solstice celebration on June 21, 2021 in Krakow, Poland. The summer solstice represents the longest day of the year, with the most hours of sunlight, and is celebrated by various cultures worldwide. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Poland's Piotr Lisek reacts after competing in the men's pole vault qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (Photo by Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters)

Kinga Drozdz of Team Poland reacts against Xufeng Zou of Team China during the Women's Sabre Category A quarterfinals on day six of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Grand Palais on September 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Italy's Arianna Valcepina falls during the women's 500 m qualifying race at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Gdansk, Poland, 16 February 2024. (Photo by Adam Warzawa/EPA)

“Eye of a toad”. Animal Portraits, Łukasz Bożycki, Poland. Early spring sees a pond near Łukasz’s home city of Warsaw, Poland, full of mating frogs and a few toads. On this March day, Łukasz shared the pond with them for an evening, sitting in the icy water in his chest-high waders, keeping as still as possible, despite the numbing cold, so that the amphibians could get used to him. “I wanted to find a fresh way of portraying the amphibians”, he says, “at water level”. Using a telephoto lens, he focused on one lone toad and waited for the sun to dip almost below the horizon before pressing the shutter, using flash to bring out the details in the shadow. His prize was “the glorious pool of sunset colour” and fiery glow of the toad’s eye. Nikon D80 + 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 lens + extension tube; 1/125 sec at f9 (-2.3 e/v); ISO 100; built-in flash. (Photo by Łukasz Bożycki)

Poznań is now Poland's fifth largest city. It is sometimes claimed to be the first capital of the kingdom of Poland. Poznań has many historic buildings and sights. The European Football Championship will take place in Poznan 2012.

Photo by: tiseb ; Source: Flickr