Poland has always been on my bucket list unlike most Indians’ who prefer tour packages to Spain, France or Greece — I think these are better advertised commercial destinations. I’ve been to Russia before and I loved the vibe of this place. I figured Poland, which is located in central Europe, had to be the definition of diversity of Europe. I was right.
I landed in Warsaw at noon. I remember it was scorching hot —- summers in Poland are quite unbearable, which is quite amusing for me to say. They only get three months of relatively hot weather a year and they absolutely love the Sun and tanning etc. Right after I reached my hotel overlooking the palace of culture, I went straight out to discover the capital of Poland. I was amazed by how good the infrastructure is. colossal roads, convenient public transport with metro, trams, and buses running every three-four minutes, and… to my surprise lots of Indians!
My favorite place in Warsaw is the Palace of Culture and Science located next to the main train station “Warszawa Centralna” and a huge mall “Golden Terraces”. The palace was constructed in 1955 and it is the tallest building in Poland — 237 metres. It was a gift from the Soviet Union and its original name was Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science. I stayed in Warsaw only for 3 days and then wandered straight into Wroclaw — the capital of Lower Silesia . It is also only a four-hour drive to Prague from Wroclaw
I took a train that cost me 1400 rupees (a first-class ticket). After four hours I reached Wroclaw and I fell in love with its gleeful vibe. A year later, the city was announced European Best Destination 2018, winning with Barcelona, Rome, and Paris. only a handful of us have even heard of this but it’s true!
The city centre called “Rynek” was full of foreigners, street artists, singers, students and it only got better at night. I sat on a small island surrounded by the river Oder and enjoyed the view. I realised it was a party spot for young people. If you are looking for a funky place to chill and have fun with lots of bars and loud music “Wyspa Slodowa” is where you want to go. I love the buskin culture of Wroclaw honestly.
The next day I did a little sightseeing. I visited “Pergola,” an amazing multimedia fountain, one of the biggest in Europe by the way, then I decided to go to the ZOO as it was close by. A couple of years ago it was renovated and it looks really high-tech now. I strongly recommend it. But none of these tourist spots compare to the centre, where I spent most of my time. As a restaurateur, I had to check a couple of burger joints and “Whiskey in the Jar” was my number one.
A year later I decided to come to Poland again, but this time I went to Krakow and Torun. Krakow is a big city in the south of the country and it was once the capital of Poland and it is much more historic than Wroclaw. I went to “Wawel” — a fortified complex, located by the Vistula River with the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral.
I spent a lot of time in the centre too. There are lots of cafes, bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and museums there. This place is actually a tourist attraction itself with the famous horse chariot rides to give you a short tour of the centre. I realised they are quite an attraction for many people.
I also visited Torun — Nicolaus Copernicus’s hometown. we all had him as a part of our curriculum at school, didn’t we? I didn’t even know he was Polish! Of course, one of the first places I went to was his house which is now a museum. Amazing experience. Torun is also known for gingerbread and it’s absolutely delicious. I brought a lot of it back home. The old town was nice too, but not as beautiful as Wroclaw’s.
If you happen to be in Poland during the summer you just can’t leave without visiting the beach at Sopot. again just a four-hour train ride from Warsaw. you must visit the crooked house and the one of a kind Starbucks right beside the sea. its located by the Baltic sea and is also known for its health spas.
Some of their delicacies you must try are the pierogi which are probably a more surreal version of the Indian momo. cafe wedel has dominated the dessert space and their hot chocolate is to die for! Easily one of the best I’ve tried from across the globe.
There are so many places I haven’t discovered yet and there’s so much more to Poland as a country that has come far from the destruction of itself from world war 2 all the way to being a super developed country with some rich culture and beautiful people. Next time I’m planning to see Auschwitz (Hitler’s concentration camp) and some nature — Tatry mountains, Mazury (the area full of lakes), and of course more of the Polish seaside.
