Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze, PTTK, (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society) is a Polish non-governmental tourist organization founded in 1950. It is one of the oldest tourist societies in Europe, created by the merger of the Polish Tatra Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie) founded in 1873 and the Polish Sightseeing Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Krajoznawcze) (1906). The Society aims to promote qualified tourism and sightseeing. It plans and marks tourist trails as well as cycling, horse and river trails throughout Poland. It also has a network of tourist accommodations, including museums and libraries. It runs several courses and workshops, training and certifying official travel guides. It publishes various maps and guidebooks.
Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society has approximately 61,000 members, with over 260 branches throughout the country. It brings together about 2,500 rings and nearly 200 clubs. It runs accommodation facilities of a broad array of standards with over 20 thousand beds; including, in 60 tourist homes, 77 mountain chalets, 35 hostels and water sports facilities, 5 inns, and 33 camp grounds; not to mention, a network of 16 museums and numerous regional authorities with its own staff. The membership fee and the PTTK membership card allow for a discount at all accommodations and courses offered by PTTK. Each member of the Polish Tourist Association is a paying member awarded with one of a system of over a dozen badges, including Climbing, Hiking, Skiing, Cycling, Sailing and even a Diving Bagde.[1][2] The PTTK Society is a member of international tourist organizations such as the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme, Naturfreunde Internationale, Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe and Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques.