PAGE 8
THE SIGNATURE
May 6, 2016
May 6, 2016
Poland: Europe’s Often Overlooked Gem By Bleecker Marquez
Poland is yet another Eastern European country that I feel is often underrated and overlooked as a vacation destination. It is a beautiful country, with incredibly friendly people, a rich history, delicious food and gorgeous pottery, and very low prices compared to most of the EU. Although my first stop in Poland was Warsaw, my flight was significantly delayed, and so I did not get to explore as I had planned. The entire city of Warsaw was virtually razed to the ground in World War II, but the Old Town has been meticulously rebuilt, using as many of the original bricks as possible. Just a few hours from Warsaw by train is Krakow, with its famous medieval Old Town, one of the first sites chosen for the UNESCO’s original World Heritage List. The architectural design of the Old Town has retained its original medieval form. As it was spared destruction in WWII, much of the city’s character and many of its historical buildings have been preserved. It is truly one of the few original Old Towns left in Europe, and a gorgeous one at that. Outside Krakow is the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which produced table salt continuously from the 13th century until 2007, making it one of the oldest salt mines in operation. The mine includes dozens of statues and four chapels, all carved out of the rock salt by the miners. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt – it is really incredible to behold. Also near Krakow is Auschwitz concentration camp. Although it is impossible to describe the experience of visiting Auschwitz, I can say that it is incredibly powerful and sobering, and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to go. Another few hours on the train will take you to Wroclaw, an absolutely
stunning town in western Poland. While the architecture in Krakow and much of Poland has a simple beauty, Wroclaw’s buildings tend to be more embellished and richly decorated due to the influence of nearby Germany and the Czech Republic. It is absolutely one of the prettiest towns I have ever seen. The oldest part of the city is called Ostrow Tumski, or Cathedral Island, with settlements dating back to the 10th century. One of only two cities in Europe to still employ a lamplighter (the other is Brest, Belarus), the 103 gas lamps on Wroclaw’s Cathedral Island are lit by hand every day of the year at dusk by the Wroclaw lamplighter, in a top hat and cape no less – witnessing it is quite a magical experience. Another adorable quirk of this wonderful town is its dwarfs. There are over 300 small dwarf figurines spread all over the city, and you can stumble upon them as you explore, or get a map or smartphone app to find them all. The first figurines were intended to commemorate the Orange Alternative, a polish anti-communist movement, and they have grown into quite a tourist attraction. Poland uses its own currency, the Polish Zloty, one of which is worth roughly $0.25. The amazing thing is that the prices you see look similar to those you would see in the US or most of Europe, until you realize they are in Zloty, and therefore cost a quarter of what you would expect! Traveling through Poland is very easy (and cheap) by train, but driving is also a great option. I flew into Warsaw, and took the train to Krakow, Wroclaw, and then on to Prague, but taking the train to or from Berlin or Vienna would be quite easy as well. Tack a few days in Poland onto your trip to Germany, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or if you have more than a few days, consider exploring the northern and eastern parts of the country.
THE SIGNATURE
PAGE 9