Berlin & Krakow Trip Report July 2007
Aug 4th, 2007, 07:51 AM
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Berlin & Krakow Trip Report July 2007
Hello all
I recently returned from a great trip to Berlin & Krakow. It was certainly a tale of two cities; two very different and contrasting places. I ended up loving both of them for different reasons. Berlin has an amazing buzz and energy; and Krakow is a beautiful place to relax and watch people go by.
I've spent so many hours reading other people's trip reports on here (what better way to spend a rainy lunch hour?) that I thought I ought to post my own. I hope somebody finds it helpful.
A bit of background about me - I'm from Brighton, UK. This was my first trip to both Berlin and Krakow. I'd not been to Eastern Europe before (apart from a few days in Moscow), and I've only spent a few days in Germany before, a couple in Munich and a couple in the lovely Gelsenkirchen.
It was the history of WW2 and the Berlin Wall that attracted me to Berlin, and Auschwitz, the salt mines and the picture book architecture that drew me to Krakow. I had originally wanted to go to Zakopane as well, but had to reluctantly concede that I didn't have enough time on this trip.
Anyway, here goes with the report.
I recently returned from a great trip to Berlin & Krakow. It was certainly a tale of two cities; two very different and contrasting places. I ended up loving both of them for different reasons. Berlin has an amazing buzz and energy; and Krakow is a beautiful place to relax and watch people go by.
I've spent so many hours reading other people's trip reports on here (what better way to spend a rainy lunch hour?) that I thought I ought to post my own. I hope somebody finds it helpful.
A bit of background about me - I'm from Brighton, UK. This was my first trip to both Berlin and Krakow. I'd not been to Eastern Europe before (apart from a few days in Moscow), and I've only spent a few days in Germany before, a couple in Munich and a couple in the lovely Gelsenkirchen.
It was the history of WW2 and the Berlin Wall that attracted me to Berlin, and Auschwitz, the salt mines and the picture book architecture that drew me to Krakow. I had originally wanted to go to Zakopane as well, but had to reluctantly concede that I didn't have enough time on this trip.
Anyway, here goes with the report.
Aug 4th, 2007, 07:52 AM
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Day One – Saturday 21 July
Today was “Harry Potter” day – I was slightly concerned that either the postman wouldn’t deliver my book on time or that I would receive it and then be so engrossed in reading it that I would miss my flight. Fortunately neither disaster occurred and I set off for Stansted in good time. It was a beautiful day here in Brighton. The rain had stopped for once, the sun was out, the sea was bright turquoise and there were throngs of people out enjoying themselves on the promenade and pier. It suddenly seemed ridiculous to spend lots of money on traipsing overseas when I have all this on my doorstep and have yet to do so much as wander through the inside of Brighton Pavillion.
Still, I was able to shake off this peculiar pre-trip homesickness and drive off to Stansted. Incidentally I did look into public transport from Brighton to Stansted – the bus would have taken about 4 hours with stops at Gatwick and/or Heathrow; and I couldn’t be bothered to drag my luggage on the tube through central London to get the train. The drive only took 2 hours and I was able to park at the airport for 8 days for only 38 quid.
Of course, the really sensible option would have been to fly from Gatwick, but this trip only came about because of a fortuitous email announcing a sale at Ryanair that arrived during a particularly quiet period at work.
It was the first day of the school holidays so it was busy at Stansted, but all the queues moved quickly. There was an additional security check where everybody had to remove their shoes; first time I’ve had to do this (granted I hadn’t flown anywhere for over a year prior to this). The flight was delayed for 45 minutes, but this just provided me (and every other passenger; it was a little freaky to see so many people clutching the same book) with extra Harry reading time.
So we arrived at Berlin Schoenfeld airport after an uneventful flight, and I walked to the train station. It was a well sign posted 5 minute walk down a covered walkway. After a slight battle with the automatic ticket machine I eventually got instructions in English and purchased a ticket to the Ostbahnhof. This seemed a bargain at 7 euros. We got in to the station at around 11.20pm. I am a bit wary of train stations late at night; they always seem to attract dodgy characters. The Ostbahnhof seemed fine. I knew my hotel was close by but I was tired and disorientated and couldn’t see any street signs. Fortunately a helpful taxi driver quite literally pointed me in the correct direction. The hotel was a 2 minute walk down the road.
I was very happy with the hotel, which was the Ibis Ostbahnhof. Ibis have never let me down, at this one was no exception. Ibis hotels are a bit like Travel lodges and Travelinns in the UK, but they always seem much nicer. Unlike Travelinns they have proper lobby and reception areas, give you a decent breakfast, and always have a 24 hour bar. What more could you want? ;-) It was clean and tidy with very helpful, polite and friendly staff. There was even a computer terminal in the lobby with free internet access for guests. The location was good; being so close to the S Bahn lines at Ostbahnhof. It was also excellent value for money. Saturday night cost 65 euros including breakfast, Sunday and Monday were 49 euros. Bargain.
So I checked in, had a drink in the bar and read a little more Harry before heading to bed, happy that I was finally there and my holiday had begun.
Today was “Harry Potter” day – I was slightly concerned that either the postman wouldn’t deliver my book on time or that I would receive it and then be so engrossed in reading it that I would miss my flight. Fortunately neither disaster occurred and I set off for Stansted in good time. It was a beautiful day here in Brighton. The rain had stopped for once, the sun was out, the sea was bright turquoise and there were throngs of people out enjoying themselves on the promenade and pier. It suddenly seemed ridiculous to spend lots of money on traipsing overseas when I have all this on my doorstep and have yet to do so much as wander through the inside of Brighton Pavillion.
Still, I was able to shake off this peculiar pre-trip homesickness and drive off to Stansted. Incidentally I did look into public transport from Brighton to Stansted – the bus would have taken about 4 hours with stops at Gatwick and/or Heathrow; and I couldn’t be bothered to drag my luggage on the tube through central London to get the train. The drive only took 2 hours and I was able to park at the airport for 8 days for only 38 quid.
Of course, the really sensible option would have been to fly from Gatwick, but this trip only came about because of a fortuitous email announcing a sale at Ryanair that arrived during a particularly quiet period at work.
It was the first day of the school holidays so it was busy at Stansted, but all the queues moved quickly. There was an additional security check where everybody had to remove their shoes; first time I’ve had to do this (granted I hadn’t flown anywhere for over a year prior to this). The flight was delayed for 45 minutes, but this just provided me (and every other passenger; it was a little freaky to see so many people clutching the same book) with extra Harry reading time.
So we arrived at Berlin Schoenfeld airport after an uneventful flight, and I walked to the train station. It was a well sign posted 5 minute walk down a covered walkway. After a slight battle with the automatic ticket machine I eventually got instructions in English and purchased a ticket to the Ostbahnhof. This seemed a bargain at 7 euros. We got in to the station at around 11.20pm. I am a bit wary of train stations late at night; they always seem to attract dodgy characters. The Ostbahnhof seemed fine. I knew my hotel was close by but I was tired and disorientated and couldn’t see any street signs. Fortunately a helpful taxi driver quite literally pointed me in the correct direction. The hotel was a 2 minute walk down the road.
I was very happy with the hotel, which was the Ibis Ostbahnhof. Ibis have never let me down, at this one was no exception. Ibis hotels are a bit like Travel lodges and Travelinns in the UK, but they always seem much nicer. Unlike Travelinns they have proper lobby and reception areas, give you a decent breakfast, and always have a 24 hour bar. What more could you want? ;-) It was clean and tidy with very helpful, polite and friendly staff. There was even a computer terminal in the lobby with free internet access for guests. The location was good; being so close to the S Bahn lines at Ostbahnhof. It was also excellent value for money. Saturday night cost 65 euros including breakfast, Sunday and Monday were 49 euros. Bargain.
So I checked in, had a drink in the bar and read a little more Harry before heading to bed, happy that I was finally there and my holiday had begun.
Aug 4th, 2007, 07:55 AM
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Day Two – Sunday 22 July
So Sunday dawned and I headed downstairs for breakfast and stared out of the window for my first glimpse of Berlin by daylight. Quite frankly, first impressions were not good. I had brought the English rain to Germany with me; it was cold and grey and the street I was looking at strongly reminded me of Slough. Not good, and due to the weather I had to abandon Plan A which was to take a bike tour of the city.
Still, undaunted I headed out in the rain to Ostbahnhof, bought a one day travel card for the ridiculously cheap (by London and Brighton standards) price of 6.10 euros, and headed off to the number one Berlin sights of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. I wandered around the area, trying to take the obligatory snaps without getting too many of my fellow tourists in them. It was slightly freaky to finally see the Reichstag after it featuring so heavily in the many obligatory school projects that I did on WW2. I put my imagination to work and tried to imagine Hitler and his contemporaries standing where I was. Not getting very far, I gave up and considered climbing up to Norman Foster’s glass dome for a nice view. After studying the queue which stretched all the way down the steps and on to the grass I abandoned this idea, and instead wandered off towards Potsdamer Platz, or Berlin’s Canary Wharf as I preferred to think of it.
After walking around this area looking at lots of new shiny office building, I have to confess that I was still unimpressed with Berlin. I then made a serious error in restaurant selection. I picked a place that had menus outside in every conceivable language, complete with pictures, and basically screamed tourist ;-) Not my best moment, and unsurprisingly the food was horrendous. A lesson well learned.
Leaving the restaurant and walking towards the tube station, I noticed a sign advising a viewing platform at the top of what turned out to be the Daimler Chrysler building. I took the lift to the top (Europe’s fastest lift apparently). There was an exhibition of a series of photos up there that really shocked me, and for the first time gave me a real sense of the momentous nature of Berlin’s history.
The first photo showed Potsdamer Platz in the roaring 1920s. It looks like a thriving, busy city centre, with all the traditional old style buildings and architecture. A world away from the brand new concrete and glass there now.
The second picture shows the Platz in the 60s. The area has been completely flattened. It un recognisable from the 20s picture, there is nothing left; everything has been destroyed.
At this point it is interesting to note that the aforementioned many, many school projects I did on WW2 included a lot of work on life in London during the Blitz, the resilience of Londoners, the terror, etc etc. All true and valid. But never once do I recall any of my teachers saying to me, “Oh and by the way, we were also doing the same thing and trying to wipe Berlin off the map”. Of course this truth had dawned on me in the years since leaving school; but this photograph really brought it home to me.
I said above that there was nothing in the photo. Not really true; there is one new structure: The Berlin Wall, winding its way through the centre of the Platz, and completely unimaginable and appalling now.
There were then a series of photographs showing the awesome reconstruction in the area since the wall came down; before you head outside for a fantastic 360 degree view of modern Berlin. All in all, it was the best 3 euros that I’ve spent for some time.
Inspired by this experience I headed off to the Story of Berlin museum, which was quite informative on Berlin through the ages. By now I was weary and footsore, so I recuperated in erm, sorry, Starbucks. Well my theory is that when I’m on holiday I can do exactly what I want (well as long as it’s legal), so if I want a caramel latte from Starbucks, I’ll have caramel latte from Starbucks. Anyway, it turned out to be a good place for watching people go by.
So I then headed back to the hotel and Harry. I couldn’t resist any longer, and ended up reading the book right through to the end. Incidentally, I thought it was superb, probably the best book of the lot. And I’m one of those people who thought books 5 and 6 were a bit disappointing. Pleased with finally knowing what happens to Harry, I glanced at my watch and noted with alarm that it was 2.30am. Oops, time for some sleep.
So Sunday dawned and I headed downstairs for breakfast and stared out of the window for my first glimpse of Berlin by daylight. Quite frankly, first impressions were not good. I had brought the English rain to Germany with me; it was cold and grey and the street I was looking at strongly reminded me of Slough. Not good, and due to the weather I had to abandon Plan A which was to take a bike tour of the city.
Still, undaunted I headed out in the rain to Ostbahnhof, bought a one day travel card for the ridiculously cheap (by London and Brighton standards) price of 6.10 euros, and headed off to the number one Berlin sights of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. I wandered around the area, trying to take the obligatory snaps without getting too many of my fellow tourists in them. It was slightly freaky to finally see the Reichstag after it featuring so heavily in the many obligatory school projects that I did on WW2. I put my imagination to work and tried to imagine Hitler and his contemporaries standing where I was. Not getting very far, I gave up and considered climbing up to Norman Foster’s glass dome for a nice view. After studying the queue which stretched all the way down the steps and on to the grass I abandoned this idea, and instead wandered off towards Potsdamer Platz, or Berlin’s Canary Wharf as I preferred to think of it.
After walking around this area looking at lots of new shiny office building, I have to confess that I was still unimpressed with Berlin. I then made a serious error in restaurant selection. I picked a place that had menus outside in every conceivable language, complete with pictures, and basically screamed tourist ;-) Not my best moment, and unsurprisingly the food was horrendous. A lesson well learned.
Leaving the restaurant and walking towards the tube station, I noticed a sign advising a viewing platform at the top of what turned out to be the Daimler Chrysler building. I took the lift to the top (Europe’s fastest lift apparently). There was an exhibition of a series of photos up there that really shocked me, and for the first time gave me a real sense of the momentous nature of Berlin’s history.
The first photo showed Potsdamer Platz in the roaring 1920s. It looks like a thriving, busy city centre, with all the traditional old style buildings and architecture. A world away from the brand new concrete and glass there now.
The second picture shows the Platz in the 60s. The area has been completely flattened. It un recognisable from the 20s picture, there is nothing left; everything has been destroyed.
At this point it is interesting to note that the aforementioned many, many school projects I did on WW2 included a lot of work on life in London during the Blitz, the resilience of Londoners, the terror, etc etc. All true and valid. But never once do I recall any of my teachers saying to me, “Oh and by the way, we were also doing the same thing and trying to wipe Berlin off the map”. Of course this truth had dawned on me in the years since leaving school; but this photograph really brought it home to me.
I said above that there was nothing in the photo. Not really true; there is one new structure: The Berlin Wall, winding its way through the centre of the Platz, and completely unimaginable and appalling now.
There were then a series of photographs showing the awesome reconstruction in the area since the wall came down; before you head outside for a fantastic 360 degree view of modern Berlin. All in all, it was the best 3 euros that I’ve spent for some time.
Inspired by this experience I headed off to the Story of Berlin museum, which was quite informative on Berlin through the ages. By now I was weary and footsore, so I recuperated in erm, sorry, Starbucks. Well my theory is that when I’m on holiday I can do exactly what I want (well as long as it’s legal), so if I want a caramel latte from Starbucks, I’ll have caramel latte from Starbucks. Anyway, it turned out to be a good place for watching people go by.
So I then headed back to the hotel and Harry. I couldn’t resist any longer, and ended up reading the book right through to the end. Incidentally, I thought it was superb, probably the best book of the lot. And I’m one of those people who thought books 5 and 6 were a bit disappointing. Pleased with finally knowing what happens to Harry, I glanced at my watch and noted with alarm that it was 2.30am. Oops, time for some sleep.
Aug 4th, 2007, 09:40 AM
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Day Three - Monday 23 July
Unsurprisingly, it’s about 10 by the time I drag myself from bed. Glancing out of the window I see it’s a beautiful warm sunny day; ideal for the bike tour. So I jump in the shower, speed to the Ostbahnhof, grab a healthy breakfast of a jam doughnut and coffee (it’s a holiday, remember?) and head to the 11am tour meeting point at the TV tower.
I chose a tour run by Fat Tire. No need to book in advance in the summer, just show up at the TV tower. Well a lot of people showed up, so they split the group in to two. I was in the second group, so we were able to go at a pretty leisurely place. I think their leaflet says the tour is 4 hours; we didn’t get back to the TV tower until 5. I really enjoyed myself. The (American) guide was informative and funny, but didn’t go on too much; I certainly didn’t suffer from information overload. I certainly saw a lot of the “lesser” sights that I wouldn’t have sought out by myself. And Berlin is a lovely city to bike in. Nice and flat, with beautiful parks, and it’s seemingly OK to cycle absolutely anywhere. I felt a bit guilty at times really, my English “keep off the grass and pavements” mentality that I was brought up with kept surfacing. Lunch was taken at a place in the Tiergarten that did particularly good sausages.
As a figure skating fan, I was interested when the guide pointed out the East Berlin apartments where Katarina Witt lived for a time. I dismayed to learn that unemployment in Berlin is apparently 20% at the moment. The guide pointed out that many of the shiny new offices in Potsdamer Platz are completely empty; much of the expected investment is still to arrive. Incidentally, the city certainly didn’t feel like one with economic problems.
One other interesting factoid mentioned by the guide was that apparently the East German government didn’t do the sewerage works in East Berlin properly, and this accounts for the odd whiff of drains that you get in East Berlin even now, and is a useful way to tell whether you’re in the old East or West Berlin
.
After the tour finished I nipped back to the hotel for a shower, and then, disheartened by the previous day’s restaurant disaster, looked up a Thai restaurant in my guidebook. However, when I was on the S Bahn on the way to this restaurant, I spotted another Thai place by the railway tracks near Alexander Platz. It looked good and was much closer than the guidebook one, so I hopped off the train and walked back to it. It was called Inside Thai and it was excellent. Beautifully presented food; and it was a lovely warm evening so I sat at a table on the pavement and watched the people go by. I had two delicious courses and copious amounts of green tea all for 21 euros.
Unsurprisingly, it’s about 10 by the time I drag myself from bed. Glancing out of the window I see it’s a beautiful warm sunny day; ideal for the bike tour. So I jump in the shower, speed to the Ostbahnhof, grab a healthy breakfast of a jam doughnut and coffee (it’s a holiday, remember?) and head to the 11am tour meeting point at the TV tower.
I chose a tour run by Fat Tire. No need to book in advance in the summer, just show up at the TV tower. Well a lot of people showed up, so they split the group in to two. I was in the second group, so we were able to go at a pretty leisurely place. I think their leaflet says the tour is 4 hours; we didn’t get back to the TV tower until 5. I really enjoyed myself. The (American) guide was informative and funny, but didn’t go on too much; I certainly didn’t suffer from information overload. I certainly saw a lot of the “lesser” sights that I wouldn’t have sought out by myself. And Berlin is a lovely city to bike in. Nice and flat, with beautiful parks, and it’s seemingly OK to cycle absolutely anywhere. I felt a bit guilty at times really, my English “keep off the grass and pavements” mentality that I was brought up with kept surfacing. Lunch was taken at a place in the Tiergarten that did particularly good sausages.
As a figure skating fan, I was interested when the guide pointed out the East Berlin apartments where Katarina Witt lived for a time. I dismayed to learn that unemployment in Berlin is apparently 20% at the moment. The guide pointed out that many of the shiny new offices in Potsdamer Platz are completely empty; much of the expected investment is still to arrive. Incidentally, the city certainly didn’t feel like one with economic problems.
One other interesting factoid mentioned by the guide was that apparently the East German government didn’t do the sewerage works in East Berlin properly, and this accounts for the odd whiff of drains that you get in East Berlin even now, and is a useful way to tell whether you’re in the old East or West Berlin
.After the tour finished I nipped back to the hotel for a shower, and then, disheartened by the previous day’s restaurant disaster, looked up a Thai restaurant in my guidebook. However, when I was on the S Bahn on the way to this restaurant, I spotted another Thai place by the railway tracks near Alexander Platz. It looked good and was much closer than the guidebook one, so I hopped off the train and walked back to it. It was called Inside Thai and it was excellent. Beautifully presented food; and it was a lovely warm evening so I sat at a table on the pavement and watched the people go by. I had two delicious courses and copious amounts of green tea all for 21 euros.
Aug 4th, 2007, 09:41 AM
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Day Four – Tuesday 24 July
My last day in Berlin. Maybe I should have spent it taking in some culture on the museum island, but I didn’t feel like it so I decided to head off to Potsdam instead. After getting up late yet again (left to my own devices I would turn completely nocturnal), I checked out of the hotel and headed to the new hauptbahnhof. Wow. Now that is my kind of building. Superb. Amazing to stand on the middle level and see trains going past both above your head and below my feet. I double checked the time and platform of my night train to Krakow (just call me paranoid), then checked my bags in at the left luggage office. Incidentally that was 3 euros per day per bag which was very cheap. I seem to think that the last time I made the mistake of leaving two bags at Charing Cross for a couple of hours it cost me £10.
I then hopped on the train to Potsdam Hbf. The weather was OK so I decided to stretch my legs and walk out to Sanssouci. It’s quite a way, so only do this if you really do fancy a walk. There were plenty of buses at the station. The park was beautiful, and the setting of Sanssouci Palace itself very impressive. Just as I reached the Palace the heavens opened and it began to rain, so everybody took shelter out the front of the Palace. I checked out the guided tours, but there were very few places left for that day and there were clearly lots of other people there who were more interested in interiors than I am, so I left them to it and when out to explore the gardens further. The rain had clearly set in for the day by this point, but at least it meant I had the gardens more or less to myself. And fortunately I had remembered my umbrella.
There are no signs in the park, and even with the help of the map available from machines near the entrances I still got spectacularly lost, eventually emerging on the opposite side of the park from where I had intended. Ah well. There was a train station not far away, so footsore and weary I took the train back to Potsdam and then the S Bahn back to Zoo Station. I checked my email and the Krakow weather forecast (which was fortunately good) at the easy internet place opposite the station. I then wandered down Oxford Street – oops, sorry, Kurfurstendam – and ended up having dinner at the Hard Rock Café – yeah, I know, I know.
I headed back to the Hauptbahnhof and waited for my train. My previous European train experiences have been couchette based but I decided to upgrade myself to a 1st class single sleeper for this trip. I prebooked it through a UK agency before I left for simplicity’s sake. The cost was £137, not cheap but no doubt a flight and hotel would not have been any cheaper. The train turned up on time. The carriages seemed to be polish. My cabin was very nice, seemed very spacious compared to the UK Caledonian Sleeper. There was space to hang clothes, a sink and a cupboard containing still and sparkling water, a soft drink, croissants for breakfast and, to my delight, a mars bar.
None of my previous overnight train trips have involved border controls. I’ve always had a romantic vision of border crossings by train – something to do with too many war and cold war films as a child no doubt. The carriage attendant had taken my ticket but not my passport. I wasn’t sure whether there would be a passport inspection or not what with Poland now being in the EU. Well, imagine my delight when at 11.45pm there was a knock on my door and two soldiers/border guards demanded my passport. I was delighted (another travel ambition realised!) and the fact that the two guys were young, charming and not unattractive really didn’t hurt. Happy days.
My last day in Berlin. Maybe I should have spent it taking in some culture on the museum island, but I didn’t feel like it so I decided to head off to Potsdam instead. After getting up late yet again (left to my own devices I would turn completely nocturnal), I checked out of the hotel and headed to the new hauptbahnhof. Wow. Now that is my kind of building. Superb. Amazing to stand on the middle level and see trains going past both above your head and below my feet. I double checked the time and platform of my night train to Krakow (just call me paranoid), then checked my bags in at the left luggage office. Incidentally that was 3 euros per day per bag which was very cheap. I seem to think that the last time I made the mistake of leaving two bags at Charing Cross for a couple of hours it cost me £10.
I then hopped on the train to Potsdam Hbf. The weather was OK so I decided to stretch my legs and walk out to Sanssouci. It’s quite a way, so only do this if you really do fancy a walk. There were plenty of buses at the station. The park was beautiful, and the setting of Sanssouci Palace itself very impressive. Just as I reached the Palace the heavens opened and it began to rain, so everybody took shelter out the front of the Palace. I checked out the guided tours, but there were very few places left for that day and there were clearly lots of other people there who were more interested in interiors than I am, so I left them to it and when out to explore the gardens further. The rain had clearly set in for the day by this point, but at least it meant I had the gardens more or less to myself. And fortunately I had remembered my umbrella.
There are no signs in the park, and even with the help of the map available from machines near the entrances I still got spectacularly lost, eventually emerging on the opposite side of the park from where I had intended. Ah well. There was a train station not far away, so footsore and weary I took the train back to Potsdam and then the S Bahn back to Zoo Station. I checked my email and the Krakow weather forecast (which was fortunately good) at the easy internet place opposite the station. I then wandered down Oxford Street – oops, sorry, Kurfurstendam – and ended up having dinner at the Hard Rock Café – yeah, I know, I know.
I headed back to the Hauptbahnhof and waited for my train. My previous European train experiences have been couchette based but I decided to upgrade myself to a 1st class single sleeper for this trip. I prebooked it through a UK agency before I left for simplicity’s sake. The cost was £137, not cheap but no doubt a flight and hotel would not have been any cheaper. The train turned up on time. The carriages seemed to be polish. My cabin was very nice, seemed very spacious compared to the UK Caledonian Sleeper. There was space to hang clothes, a sink and a cupboard containing still and sparkling water, a soft drink, croissants for breakfast and, to my delight, a mars bar.
None of my previous overnight train trips have involved border controls. I’ve always had a romantic vision of border crossings by train – something to do with too many war and cold war films as a child no doubt. The carriage attendant had taken my ticket but not my passport. I wasn’t sure whether there would be a passport inspection or not what with Poland now being in the EU. Well, imagine my delight when at 11.45pm there was a knock on my door and two soldiers/border guards demanded my passport. I was delighted (another travel ambition realised!) and the fact that the two guys were young, charming and not unattractive really didn’t hurt
. Happy days.
Aug 6th, 2007, 02:39 PM
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Day Five – Wednesday 25 July
In the morning the first glimpses of Poland were a bit grim, lots of disused factories and it was grey and rainy again. But then let’s face it, London from the train doesn’t that great either. We arrived in to Krakow at 10am, about an hour late. Not bad, considering we were 40 minutes late leaving Berlin.
I decided it would be a good idea to walk to my hotel, the Holiday Inn. It should have only taken 15-20 minutes, but I managed to get lost yet again. I was determined not to admit to myself that I was lost though. After an hour I was about to give up and grab the next taxi but I rounded the next corner and there was the hotel. Hooray.
I chose the Holiday Inn as it seemed to be the best compromise between location and price. I think it was 90 euros a night. The location was superb, just 5 minutes from the main square. It seemed to be mainly a business hotel – there were several conferences going on while I was there – but no matter. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and I was able to check in straight away.
After showering and resting for a bit, I set out to explore. The sun has come out and I immediately fall in love with Krakow. It’s certainly a beautiful town. I was reminded very strongly of Brugge, only without the canals and mosquitoes I wandered through the main market square (soon to become a home from home), and in a biig loop west, then down along the river past Wawel and up through the old Jewish quarter back to the hotel.
Consulting the guidebook for restaurant recommendations a selected a Tex Mex place. I was intrigued to experience Tex Mex Polish style. Well it wasn’t bad, and was a very friendly place so I ended up staying there having a couple of cocktails. The total bill came to only around £10. No wonder so many Poles are in the UK earning pounds.
In the morning the first glimpses of Poland were a bit grim, lots of disused factories and it was grey and rainy again. But then let’s face it, London from the train doesn’t that great either. We arrived in to Krakow at 10am, about an hour late. Not bad, considering we were 40 minutes late leaving Berlin.
I decided it would be a good idea to walk to my hotel, the Holiday Inn. It should have only taken 15-20 minutes, but I managed to get lost yet again. I was determined not to admit to myself that I was lost though. After an hour I was about to give up and grab the next taxi but I rounded the next corner and there was the hotel. Hooray.
I chose the Holiday Inn as it seemed to be the best compromise between location and price. I think it was 90 euros a night. The location was superb, just 5 minutes from the main square. It seemed to be mainly a business hotel – there were several conferences going on while I was there – but no matter. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and I was able to check in straight away.
After showering and resting for a bit, I set out to explore. The sun has come out and I immediately fall in love with Krakow. It’s certainly a beautiful town. I was reminded very strongly of Brugge, only without the canals and mosquitoes
I wandered through the main market square (soon to become a home from home), and in a biig loop west, then down along the river past Wawel and up through the old Jewish quarter back to the hotel. Consulting the guidebook for restaurant recommendations a selected a Tex Mex place. I was intrigued to experience Tex Mex Polish style. Well it wasn’t bad, and was a very friendly place so I ended up staying there having a couple of cocktails. The total bill came to only around £10. No wonder so many Poles are in the UK earning pounds.
Aug 6th, 2007, 08:57 PM
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Thanks for the report, GoodGrac! I'm enjoying it very much, and can't wait to hear more about Krakow. I'll be heading to Berlin and Krakow in a month - a return trip to Berlin and the first time to Krakow.
Aug 8th, 2007, 03:04 PM
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Day Six – Thursday 26 July
After yet another lie in, I have lunch in one of the open air cafes in the market square. The afternoon is taken up with my visit to Auschwitz. I won’t write about this as it is a sensitive subject. However I will say I am glad I went, as I feel it is important we see and remember these things.
As it was late when I got back, I decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. It was deserted which was a little worrying, but the food turned out to be good if a little expensive by local standards.
Returning to my room, I got engrossed in my post-Harry holiday reading (I needed to take my mind off Auschwitz) and it turned into another very late night.
After yet another lie in, I have lunch in one of the open air cafes in the market square. The afternoon is taken up with my visit to Auschwitz. I won’t write about this as it is a sensitive subject. However I will say I am glad I went, as I feel it is important we see and remember these things.
As it was late when I got back, I decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. It was deserted which was a little worrying, but the food turned out to be good if a little expensive by local standards.
Returning to my room, I got engrossed in my post-Harry holiday reading (I needed to take my mind off Auschwitz) and it turned into another very late night.
Aug 8th, 2007, 03:04 PM
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Day Seven - Friday 27 July
Accordingly it’s another very late start, so I breakfast healthily on a coke and mars bar from the mini bar before setting off to investigate transport to the salt mines. After an hour of fruitless wandering it finally dawns on me that it might be a good idea to ask somebody. So I do and it turns out the mini buses leave from the street corner right by my hotel. D’oh.
So I find the bus (cost 3zl) and it drops me off right by the salt mines. I buy my ticket and only have to wait about 20 minutes for the next English tour. I really enjoyed the tour, it was certainly a different to anywhere else that I’ve seen on my travels. Incidentally I am trying to “collect” UNESCO world heritage sites so it was nice to tick another one off
I was slightly alarmed to note that after walking down the stairs into the mine my legs had begun to shake – clearly my appalling holiday diet was catching up with me so I made a mental note to eat a decent meal that night. So on arrival back in town I headed off to a Chinese restaurant that I’d spotted earlier. The food turned out to be really good – the cost? £2.75.
Feeling better I walked towards the market square. The day had been warm and very muggy, and to my alarm the storm that had been building up finally broke and it began to rain. I was concerned that this would scupper my plans for the evening, which involved me, coffee, pudding, and an outdoor café in the square. I am pleased to report that the cafés kept on serving throughout the rain, as the sun umbrellas also do a pretty good job keeping off the rain.
It was very atmospheric sitting there watching the lightning over the towers and spires, and the storm slowly clearing to reveal blue skies which then turned pink to dusk to midnight blue. The coffee and cake gave way to something rather more alcoholic, and there was a perfect musical accompanist from a nearby club as I watched Krakow gear up for Friday night. It would have been incredibly romantic if I hadn’t been there by myself I did try to leave at one point and even paid the bill, but I couldn’t drag myself away and ended up having another couple. It was a perfect evening.
Accordingly it’s another very late start, so I breakfast healthily on a coke and mars bar from the mini bar before setting off to investigate transport to the salt mines. After an hour of fruitless wandering it finally dawns on me that it might be a good idea to ask somebody. So I do and it turns out the mini buses leave from the street corner right by my hotel. D’oh.
So I find the bus (cost 3zl) and it drops me off right by the salt mines. I buy my ticket and only have to wait about 20 minutes for the next English tour. I really enjoyed the tour, it was certainly a different to anywhere else that I’ve seen on my travels. Incidentally I am trying to “collect” UNESCO world heritage sites so it was nice to tick another one off
I was slightly alarmed to note that after walking down the stairs into the mine my legs had begun to shake – clearly my appalling holiday diet was catching up with me so I made a mental note to eat a decent meal that night. So on arrival back in town I headed off to a Chinese restaurant that I’d spotted earlier. The food turned out to be really good – the cost? £2.75.
Feeling better I walked towards the market square. The day had been warm and very muggy, and to my alarm the storm that had been building up finally broke and it began to rain. I was concerned that this would scupper my plans for the evening, which involved me, coffee, pudding, and an outdoor café in the square. I am pleased to report that the cafés kept on serving throughout the rain, as the sun umbrellas also do a pretty good job keeping off the rain.
It was very atmospheric sitting there watching the lightning over the towers and spires, and the storm slowly clearing to reveal blue skies which then turned pink to dusk to midnight blue. The coffee and cake gave way to something rather more alcoholic, and there was a perfect musical accompanist from a nearby club as I watched Krakow gear up for Friday night. It would have been incredibly romantic if I hadn’t been there by myself
I did try to leave at one point and even paid the bill, but I couldn’t drag myself away and ended up having another couple. It was a perfect evening.
Aug 8th, 2007, 03:05 PM
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Day Eight - Saturday 28 July
My last day. And it was designated culture day – I had to go to at least one museum. But somehow just wandering around looking at buildings, pausing at cafes, was so much more pleasant. I did make it to the Czartoryskich museum though which kept me busy for a couple of hours. It’s a proper old fashioned museum. Note that not all the labels are in English. Most are in French, which I can read a bit, as well as Polish. I believe you can get an audio tour in English.
As for how I spent my evening – I didn’t think the previous evening could be beaten, so I did it all again.
The next day I had an earlyish flight back to London. And then another holiday was over. Where next?
My last day. And it was designated culture day – I had to go to at least one museum. But somehow just wandering around looking at buildings, pausing at cafes, was so much more pleasant. I did make it to the Czartoryskich museum though which kept me busy for a couple of hours. It’s a proper old fashioned museum. Note that not all the labels are in English. Most are in French, which I can read a bit, as well as Polish. I believe you can get an audio tour in English.
As for how I spent my evening – I didn’t think the previous evening could be beaten, so I did it all again.
The next day I had an earlyish flight back to London. And then another holiday was over. Where next?
Oct 6th, 2007, 11:05 PM
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GoodGrac, I just found your trip report and really enjoyed reading about how you and Harry Potter set out to enjoy your trip! I skipped to the parts about Krakow as we're doing our first family trip to Poland and the Czech Republic in September 2008.
You really gave me a feel for Krakow, the way you described your experiences. I think I will love it. And I"ve been to Brugge years ago, so that comparison was helpful to me!
Prague and Krakow are the main focus for our trip, but I'd like to include some stops in smaller towns as well.
Where to next, you ask? Have you decided yet? I love to travel. Have you been to the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland? Italy? New Zealand? Those are all great places!
You really gave me a feel for Krakow, the way you described your experiences. I think I will love it. And I"ve been to Brugge years ago, so that comparison was helpful to me!
Prague and Krakow are the main focus for our trip, but I'd like to include some stops in smaller towns as well.
Where to next, you ask? Have you decided yet? I love to travel. Have you been to the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland? Italy? New Zealand? Those are all great places!
Oct 12th, 2007, 02:52 PM
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boy, two skating fans in Krakow and Berlin this summer! I must have missed your report as it was posted while I was there. I hope that I will get around to writing up the Berlin part of my trip report.... But in the meantime, for anyone going to the Reichstag, you can cut the line by making reservations for the restaurant. We found this worthwhile, and thought going up the dome was terrific. Sounds like the Daimler Chrysler building is a good substitute, though, at least for the view.
I was so impressed in Berlin by the number of cyclists. (no helmets, though...), but so many people get around on their bikes, even for an evening out in the beer garden.
I was so impressed in Berlin by the number of cyclists. (no helmets, though...), but so many people get around on their bikes, even for an evening out in the beer garden.
Jan 8th, 2008, 01:53 PM
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Hi, I've only just seen these replies. I'm glad my report was of some use.
I've just booked my next trip - to Mexico! Well sometimes you just need some tropical beach time and europe doesn't really cut it. Certainly not at this time of year anyway.
I've just booked my next trip - to Mexico! Well sometimes you just need some tropical beach time and europe doesn't really cut it. Certainly not at this time of year anyway.
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