Westerplatte

Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 11:27 AM
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Westerplatte

Who's been to Westerplatte? How did you get there?

Thanks for any information, impressions, etc.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 11:51 AM
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I have not been, although I had it in mind for my recent Poland-Latvia trip. Didn't get around to it. I had this saved from http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/r...t-westerplatte

"There are three primary ways to arrive at the battleground and memorial. By car is the most efficient and parking is free. (It should cost around 25zł by taxi from the city center.) City bus 106 runs everyday, year round and leaves from Gdańsk’s central station. The last option is by ferry on the Żegluga Gdańska boat.

The outdoor exhibition is free, open 24/7, and takes between 2-3 hours to explore. Reading material is in Polish, English, and German."

Hope this helps.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 12:02 PM
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Thanks so much. I was in Gdansk last year but didn't realize it was so close, so I didn't make any attempt to visit it. I want to visit Malbork and thought I'd add in Westerplatte.
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Old Jan 24th, 2017, 07:23 PM
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I was there in May 2015, took the boat.

In 1966, we went by bus. My scout troop was at the dedication of the Westerplatte monument.

Mark
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Old Jan 24th, 2017, 07:48 PM
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I was in Westerplatte when I was in Gdansk.

I had a private tour guide and took in Malbork Castle also.
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Old Jan 25th, 2017, 03:54 PM
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Percy, I knew that you had been to Westerplatte. Did you post a comment on Malbork castle? I have read a favorable comment about the good tour/tour guide recently and wondered if it was you.

I had not planned on returning to Poland, but I started thinking about the Katyn massacres and am now filled with a desire to investigate a little.

This may be my last trip. I"m getting pretty darned old.
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Old Jan 28th, 2017, 09:00 AM
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Hi! I was in western latte in 2001 - about 7 days after 9-11. It was eerie! One reply said take bus 106 from the gadnsk station. Nothing changed. This is exactly what I did back then. It's a ways out in Hel but so worth it. The bunkers, memorial r all frozen in time. It's out in the country. I remember thinking it was interesting scenery. Just check the schedule coming back to town. It didn't run often. Drops you in the parking lot. It was my first trip to Poland and I knew zip! But I managed to not get lost. I was staying in a private room in sopot as a base. I also got the train to meal irk and toured around myself. Was back in malbirk in 2011 and town gas grown. Easy to get around walking as with most polish towns. Not sure how this forum works but is there a way for us to chat about your travels outside of this. I'm interested in where you went. I'm from British Columbia in my 60s now retired and going to solo travel after having a partner for 12 yrs for support in travels. Let me know!��
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Old Jan 28th, 2017, 09:02 AM
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Oops! Need spellcheck, malbork
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Old Jan 28th, 2017, 12:17 PM
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Thanks for the reply, Indiana. So you're from B.C. What city? I'm from Spokane, Washington. I'd love to exchange emails with you. If you want to do that, just respond on this thread and I'll send you my email address.

I'm very interested in WWII and the Cold War. My interest in WWII is long-standing, but much of my interest in the Cold War was sparked by a trip in in 2015 to eastern Europe, especially the Baltics and Poland.

I hadn't known much except about the collapse of the East German government in 1989, but learning about the Baltics and Poland really captivated me. I'm a great admirer of the courage of the Poles in WWII and the Cold War.

I think I spent about 10 days in Poland, first in Gdansk, which was fascinating, especially the Solidarity museum, then in the Wolfschanze (Hitler's "Wolf's Lair") not too far from Gdansk. That visit was on my own, without a guide. On the way to Warsaw, I spent a couple of days in a lovely town called Torun, which I first interested me because it's the hometown of a 7-foot tall Gonzaga University basketball player (Go Zags!).

I then went to Warsaw. I did take one half-day tour, which gave me an overall look at Warsaw, but most of the visit was pretty aimless. I planned to go to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, but left it until my last full day, which turned out to be a Monday. Aarg! The museum was closed, so I decided to wander to the Old Town. Good decision! because on my way, I saw the memorial to the Ghetto uprising and signs pointing right to the monument to the Warsaw Uprising and left to the Memorial to those Murdered in the East.

Both of them were powerful, especially the monument to the Warsaw Uprising.

I hadn't seen as much as I wanted to see, so I resolved to return in 2016 and to take guided tours. On my trip this past June I took a WWII tour and a Cold War tour of Warsaw and a guided excursion to the Wolf's Lair.

The one I liked best was the WWII tour. We saw two of the remaining sections of the Ghetto Wall, the Umschlag Platz, Pawiak prison museum, the aforementioned monuments and I forget what else. The Cold War tour dealt mainly with the socialist realist architecture, in which I'm very interested, especially in the sculptures/bas reliefs dotted around the city and the hideous Palace of Science and Culture (a gift from Stalin). On the Wolf's Lair tour, I think my local guide was a little concerned about my mobility (I'm 80 years old), so the tour wasn't as extensive as I would have wished.

In the meantime I became interested in the Katyn massacres. Its listing on the Memorial to Those Murdered in the East jogged my memory, as I'd heard of it before. Later I saw a Polish film called "Katyn," which impressed me deeply, and I've been reading about it. (Philip Kerr's "A Man Without Breath," and "Katyn, Stalin's Massacre and...," by Allen Paul.

I decided I wanted to visit one of the sites--there are several, mostly in Russia. I don't really want to go to Russia, but that's where the major sites are, especially the massacre in the Katyn forest, near Smolensk. The book by Philip Kerr is set in/near Smolensk, and many of the characters in the book were based on real characters--von Kluge, etc.

I decided I'd contact the tour company I used last time to arrange a tour, and as long as I'm going back to Poland, I'd like to see Malbork, Nowa Huta, Westerplatte and hopefully a visit to a Jewish cemetery and to a synagogue in Warsaw.

I'm afraid I have answered questions you haven't answered. I can't help it. I was an English teacher, and really do love to write. I also love to talk about travel.
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Old Jan 28th, 2017, 01:45 PM
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So you're about to embark on solo travel. Nowadays that's all I do, since I don't seem to know anyone compatible who's in good enough shape to walk and can also afford to travel.

For seven years I traveled with my sister, which was ideal. We had lots of fun together, but she's now not in good enough shape to travel. I'm no prize myself, but I can still walk a couple of miles without having to call an EMT for resuscitation.

I did go to Spain several years ago with a friend from college. She's a lot of fun, but she had trouble walking more than a block or two without resting her hip. If we had to walk a mile, we called a cab.

I decided at that time that I would have to travel alone, and I found that I liked it. For one thing, either people start conversations with me, or I start conversations with them. I also bring along a digital recorder and record my impressions, music I hear, etc., on my recorder.

When I return I write a long trip report, which is very useful for bringing back memories of a trip.
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Old Jan 28th, 2017, 05:11 PM
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I don't think we should put email addresses on this forum. Are you on Facebook? You can friend me and I can PM you my email id love to chat. You might have found yourself a travel companion! Your interests r similar to mine it appears
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Old Jan 30th, 2017, 09:31 AM
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Indianabanana; My facebook address is Peggy Coffey.

It's a shame that we didn't connect at some time in the past, because, as you said, our interests are similar. I have been thinking that this is the last year I will travel on account of my age (I think I said I was 80. That was a slip, due to the fact that I spent all last year being 80, and I'm not used to being 81 yet. I turned 81 on Jan.3.)

After last year's trip, to eastern Germany and then to Warsaw, I decided that I needed to find a way to travel that didn't involve so much walking. As I said, I can walk 2 miles, but that is with a rest after each mile.

I decided I'd go to Málaga, Spain, in April for the wonderful Holy Week processions. I can rent a chair along the parade route (about $100) and keep the walking/standing to a minimum.

After Semana Santa, I'll go to Nerja, to a school for languages, and study Spanish for a month. At the end of the first week of school, I'll cut classes and go to Alcoy for the weekend for the fabulous Moros y Cristianos festival. People dress up in wild costumes and re-create battles between Moors and Christians a thousand-plus years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moros_y_cristianos

Since my age and physical condition will continue to be a problem in traveling, I decided that I'd go to eastern Europe for one last trip, mainly to visit a site of the Katyn massacre, but also to see some things I didn't see on my previous trips to Poland.

If you'd like to go to Poland and Katyn, we could talk about that. I want to visit Malbork Castle, Westerplatte, Nowa Huta, which is a suburb of Krakow, but I'm not sure about that. It's kind of out of the way. I'd also like to visit a Jewish cemetery and a synagogue, and maybe the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

If you are interested in joining me, let's talk about it. If you wanted to go to Málaga in April, do something else for a few days and then go to Moros y Cristianos, we could talk about that.

P.S.I speak German and Spanish. I'm a non-drinker, but don't have a problem with others drinking. I'm Catholic but not crazy. I like to stay in decent places. In Warsaw I think I'll stay in the Polonia Palace. In Málaga, I'll stay in the Hotel Don Curro. They're both reasonably priced.
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Old Jan 30th, 2017, 10:40 AM
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Hi! I will find you on FB and we can chat more. I am interested in your travels (future) We can discuss later. Don't even think of age if you are still travelling at 81 and managing. I'm 61 and feel 45 in my head and am constantly looking for new travel locations (about 10 travel books on my table at this moment) My Facebook Page is under Elizabeth Brown (picture of a border collie). Long story for the name. look you will find me! talk soon.
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Old Jan 30th, 2017, 06:57 PM
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Re your travel books--I have 34 travel books in my bookcase, ranging from late 90's to 2016. I am obsessed.
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Old Jan 31st, 2017, 05:01 AM
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New World War ll museum in Gdansk.

http://www.muzeum1939.pl/en/home-page

Their Facebook page has more info.

There ware plans to combine the Westerplatte museum with the new museum, but it is meeting with some resistance.

Westerplatte is taking up valuable space which the port of Gdansk would like to put it to a more profitable use.
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Old Jan 31st, 2017, 05:29 AM
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Did you see the movie 'battle of Weaterplatte ' ?
Low budget slow some caricatures but the slowness in itself gives a better impression than a fast action movie with a lot of action. You have time to see the soldiers getting scared and asking themselves questions such as 'is it worth dying ? '
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Old Jan 31st, 2017, 06:47 AM
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» I want to visit ... Nowa Huta, which is a suburb of Krakow, but I'm not sure about that. ... I'd also like to visit a Jewish cemetery and a synagogue, and maybe the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.«
Nowa Huta is indeed a suburb of Kraków. You can easily get there with a tram leaving from the Central Station.
One of the most impressive Jewish cemeteries I know is that of Lódz, north-east of the city centre.
Kraków has also a Jewish cemetery in the suburb of Kazimierz. I don't know whether one of the synagogues is open to the public.
Tarnów, not too far from Kraków, has one. Tarnów also has a small, but well-tended Jewish cemetery.
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Old Jan 31st, 2017, 07:05 AM
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Thanks for the additional information, folks.

Woinparis: Any ideas about whether I could find the film "Westerplatte"?

My trip seems to be expanding.
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Old Jan 31st, 2017, 08:07 AM
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There are two, The Secret of Westerplatte , 2013

and Westerplatte, 1967

http://www.cda.pl/video/60462338

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62fX6fPyZnY
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Old Feb 1st, 2017, 07:48 AM
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Well, rats! I seem to have ordered "1939: Battle of Westerplatte." I have no idea of the quality.
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