Experience the Rich Culture
In recent years British travellers have re-discovered Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland has gained a new and deserved popularity. The locals are happy about the development and proud to show their rich culture and beautiful country to visitors from all over.
The Capital is Always a Good Starting Point
British airlines serve numerous Polish cities, but chances are you will start your journey in Warsaw. The capital is young and European – the Euphoria can be felt in pubs and squares as much as the government buildings – with a good splash of history and great architecture.
Take a Glimpse at What Poland Use to Look Like
The town most frequented by tourists is Krakow, a magnificent example of what Poland used to look like during centuries gone past. Heavily damaged during the war it has been lovingly restored to former beauty and the wealth once present in this city is still evident in the architecture and townscape. Your rental car will give you the accessibilty to explore.
Continuing a round trip, the next stop would be Wrocław, formerly German and called Breslau. This town is less known among British tourists, yet it is very much worth the visit. The Old Town, an assembly of mercenaries’ villas, old burgher houses and a magnificent town hall, has an air of Paris to it, and the locals are immensely traditional, serving poppy seed cakes and selling crafts on the Salt Market. The town’s origin is on the small island in the Odra river, fist settled around 900 A.D. At the site of the first settlement now rests a cathedral.
Shop for authentic handmade gifts
Back on the road in northern direction make sure you stop in Poznań and Bydgoszcz for a cup of coffee on the market squares before heading on to Gdansk, birthplace of Solidarność. One of the main ports of the medieval Hanseatic League this was once one of the richest towns on the Baltic sea, trading with corn and amber, its trademark luxury product. Numerous little shops in ul. Mariacka sell hand-crafted amber jewellery in all price categories.
Gdansk's main landmarks are St. Mary church, the largest brick church in the world, and the 15th century port crane, which is now part of a great museum. The harbour panorama is a classic motif on Polish postcards and you can spend a whole afternoon strolling along the water, checking out the old warehouses and grain silos. Other sights include the town hall and St. Nicolas, built in the 12th century.
Enjoy Picturesque Landscapes
From Gdansk it is only a short drive with the hired car to the national parks of Słowiński as well as Masuria, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe.
Gripping Exhibitions
Any trip to Poland is also a harrowing trip to 20th century European history, as it is a journey to the lands of the Holocaust. Poland was the first country to be invaded by Nazi Germany and a high number of Poles did not survive the following six years. The country goes to great length to honour the dead and keep their memory alive, and some of the places where humanity reached its lowpoint have been preserved as eerie reminders. Visiting the memorials and museums of the Warsaw ghetto and Auschwitz concentration camps close to Krakow are experiences that will most likely haunt you for quite a while, but it is also a unique opportunity to show and experience first hand the sort of solidarity among peoples which these places instantly create, and it is and it is a detour many regret not having made. The exhibitions are done as tasteful and respectful as humanly possible, yet you are not advised to take children under 14 to Auschwitz, as it is too much for them to understand.
