This is not so much a trip report as my observation of Poland and its people.
Often before I travel somewhere I have a preconceived notion of where I am going - the geography, culture and history. In this case I had very little other than having some knowledge of Poland's history during WWII and what friends and relatives have told me of their visits. Unfortunately there is a rather negative sterotype of the Pole due to ethnic humor. It was also thought that the Polish cuisine consisted of only kielbasa and dumplings. Not so. My outlook expanded as Poland embraced me.

The details of my trip were simple. After spending 5 days in Warsaw my husband and I rented a car and drove to Lublin, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk and Sopot for a total time of 22 days.We stayed in mostly 3 and 4 star hotels and one 5 star hotel in Sopot, supposedly the finest in the country. It had every amenity you could ask for except a room safe that worked and hot water in the shower.

We found the roads to be pretty decent - although construction in ongoing. Most of the roads were 2-lane (one in each direction). If we happened to be behind a horse and buggy, slow-moving vehicle or a local farmer on his tractor and unable to pass, we were stuck. Forget trying to average 50mph - and detours were many.

For anyone interested in the details of the hotels and restaurants, just ask and I will be happy to supply them along with a critique.

I found the Polish people to be happy, warm, friendly, helpful and eager to converse in English. The cities were clean and the countryside bucolic. There was no laundry hanging from windows or terraces. Yards had lots of flowers. The food was tasty, prepared imaginatively and presented attractively. Prices for the most part were cheaper than in the US although wine was more expensive. Subtle differences in restaurants: wait staff usually did not come over after the entree was served to see if everything was ok and fresh pepper was never offered (is that only an American custom?). Credit card charges were done in front of us - never having the card out of sight!

Few mishaps occurred - perhaps due to miscommuniication. For example, we hired a driver to take us to the Salt Mines outside of Krakow. After he dropped us off at the ticket booth he said to look for him in the car when we were done. After we were finished we looked all over the parking lot for him - he was nowhere to be found. I had to have someone call our hotel to contact the touring office who then had to track him down and let him know where we were waiting for him. And where was he? Sitting in his car!. We assumed he would at least be standing by the car looking for us! All cars tended to look alike and we never thought to look inside each one!

Next mishap was at Birkenau. After parking our car, my husband opened his door and inadvertently hit the car next to him. The driver was a tour guide sitting inside. He came out to see if there was any damage done to his car. At most, it was a ding no larger than a pinhead. He tried to shake us down for immediate payment or he would call the police. We said to go ahead and contact the police. An hour passed while we sat in our car and no one came. However, the tourists he was driving had finished with their visit andd wanted to go back to their hotel and were unwilling to wait. Besides, they couldn't understand what the big deal was. He finally relented, called off the police and was on his way. Everything else went as smooth as silk.

The most sobering highlight for me was the wall fragment of the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. Birkenau was a close second. No amount of reading or seeing photos could prepare me for the reality of the camp and the atrocities that went on there. I let my imagination go free as I shuddered at the thought of what the people must have gone through. It is indeed something I will never forget.

Warsaw is filled with the spirit and memories of the uprising during WWII. Krakow is filled with vitality and excitement. Gdansk is filled with the history of the fight for freedom and the struggle of the shipyard workers.

While traveling around talking with people we explained that we were spending 3 weeks only in Poland with no family or friends to visit. Most at first were startled and then impressed. Even before we left people seemed to be surprised that we would spend so long in a country that is off the tourist radar map.

But, we got to see and enjoy beautiful Poland. We now have a much deeper appreciation for the Polish people and their country - the first to gain independence from the Communist regime. Their pride is contageous!!

Thank you Lolo, that was fantastic; lucky you to get a good grasp of the whole country. I'm traveling to Warsaw and Krakow this fall and regret that I didn't include Gdansk in the itin, but can't wait to see whatever I can. I grew up with a Polish nana in the neighborhood so I'll look everywhere for her food!

Poland thanks you! And we need remind all that Poland is also a huge outdoor paradise. The Tatra Mountains, The Mazurian Lakes and the Baltic Coast all offer world class outdoor experiences. All Poland is all a bird watchers site. Maybe best of all for a certain few...Local beers!

thanks for the observations. very insightful. My only restaurant peeve was with the tiny napkins which were really thin, small squares.

While I agree with your assessment of Krakow, there certainly are very haunting reminders of the past in both Kazimierz and across the river to where the WWII Jewish ghetto was.

We saw the remains of the ghetto wall in Krakow, but not in Warsaw (where we only spent a day), but in Warsaw, I thought the film in the Jewish Historical Institute which was all live footage from the war, including the bombing and the taking away of corpses in the ghetto, was one of the most unbelievable things I had ever seen.

I would have loved to explore the countryside in Poland, beyond what we saw from the train.

My 14 year old daughter visited Berlin, the Prague, Krakow, Auschwitz, Warsaw, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and St. Petersburg, Russia, with a student group this past summer. Of all of these places, Poland was her clear favorite for all of the reasons you describe. She was impressed that a people with such a history of oppression are so kind and friendly. She was also surprised at the sheer beauty of both the cities and countryside. Although she really liked St. Petersburg, too, she did say that the Russians, who have also suffered through a difficult history, seem to be pessimistic compared to the more optimistic spirit of the Poles.

Lolo12, thanks for sharing your reflections on Poland. Your trip report was very insightful. I have many questions if you don't mind answering.

How wonderful that you had 22 days in Poland. We are going to <b>Poland</b> and the <b>Czech Republic</b> in September 2008...our first family trip to these 2 countries.

My grandparents came from Krakow, though I know little about their family history.

We will have 15 nights to spend in Poland (and the Czech Republic)...plus our nights on the plane. So far the only part that is certain is that we will fly into Prague, spend 5 nights in Prague, then take the train to Krakow with an overnight stop in Olomouc. We will have 5 nights in Prague, 1 night in Olomouc, and 4 nights in Krakow. (That includes any day-trips from those cities, such as a day-trip to Auschwitz.)

That leaves 5 nights to spend...where? It's hard to choose! I've been reading guidebooks and trip reports. Your trip report provides interesting impressions. I am fascinated by your reflections on Warsaw and Gdansk as I just finished reading about them in the Rick Steves Eastern Europe guidebook.

We are interested in culture, history, and nature. We are finding plenty of info on culture and history, but insufficient info on nature. (My husband is a biologist and we like to include a stop near a nature reserve or national park which has some undisturbed natural areas with native flora and fauna.)

Sorry this is wordy and I haven't even gotten to the questions yet!!!

We are considering adding <b>Warsaw</b> and/or <b>Gdansk</b>. (That would be in addition to Prague and Krakow.) I'm not familiar with some of the other towns you mentioned.

Some questions:

What was your favorite <b>nature</b> experience in Poland, and where did you stay nearby?

If you had to choose only <b>2 favorite towns</b> or cities in Poland, which 2 would you choose and why?

If you had to <b>delete one town</b> from your itinerary, due to lack of time, which one would you leave out and why?

Out of all the <b>accommodations</b> you stayed in, which 2 were your special favorites and why? Please give me the info for your top 2 accomodations?

We love eating with the locals and trying local foods. Please tell us about the yummy foods you loved the most in Poland? (Any of your <b>favorite foods</b>, whether they are traditional Polish dishes or not.)

Lolo12, if you manage to answer all of those questions, I'm afraid you will end up writing a second trip report! :-? But if you have time to answer any of my questions it is much appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you Lolo. Your insights have lent me incentives to find myself in Poland in the coming months. It is also good to know that Poland isn't a tourist destination, because I feel that touristy spots often become superficial over time.
Thanks again,
Alex.
Visit my blog: http://thinkandtravel.blogspot.com/

Melissa5,
I don't mind at all answering your questions. As for nature, one of the day trips we took from Krakow was to Zakopane. It is roughly a 2 hour drive. Zakopane is in the southern part of Poland in the Tatra Mountains. It is the highest point in the country. The town is basically a ski resort, but in the warmer weather they have a funicular that you can take up the mountain. Or, some people hike up. But once you get there, there are many nature trails you can explore. Or, you can just take in the view, eat at one of the restaurants and just hang out. The town itself is rather quaint with interesting shops, some museums, etc.

As for which 2 towns would be my favorite, that is hard to answer because Warsaw and Krakow offer so much, and yet I loved Poznan also. The reasons are simple - there is an abundance of historical museums in both places, interesting architecture, good restaurants and both large cities exude their own special sense of history. I also liked Poznan for much of the same reasons, only it is a smaller city.
If I had to delete one town it would be Wroclaw. We only spent 1 night/day there because it was too far to drive from Krakow to Poznan so we overnighted there. It was ok.

As for my favorite hotels, I would have to pick the Hotel Grodek in Krakow and the Hotel Hansa in Gdansk with the Hotel Rialto in Warsaw a very close 3rd. These are all smallish boutique hotels, (not cheap), wonderfully appointed with a staff that is eager to please. They also have great locations which is something important to me.

Now for the food. My expectations were rather low before I went and I was pleasantly surprised just how good the food was. I had mostly fish and pork. Everything was beautifully presented and very very good. The prices on the food were inexpensive compared to what we pay at home (I live in NJ), but the wine was much more money. But, the tax is included and the recommended tip was 10%, so the price of the meal was reasonable.

I hope this is a help to you. Let me know if you need any further particulars.

Every menu lists soups and usually they were terrific! We had a variety of borschts, which seems to be a catch-all for a sort of vegetable soup, sometimes also with meat. In Pod Aniolami in Krakow I had the best chicken soup I've ever had. I can't remember the names of the other restaurants where I liked the soups, but a number of them were memorable.

The food is earthy, hearty fare, by and large.

Hot chocolate and whipped cream are really good in Poland, too.

Just take your own napkins, LOL. Most restaurants had these teeny tiny paper squares set out on the table.

Hi Lolo,

Thanks for this report. Poland has been on my list for several years and your insights are making it more attractive for next year's vacation. Although I'm sorry to hear the wine is expensive.

How much time did you spend in Krakow and was it enough time?

Funny you should mention the fresh pepper. I've never seen that offered in Europe (that I can remember) except maybe in Italy. About the waitstaff asking if everything is OK - that seems to be a US custom. I find it to be annoying as I usually have a mouthful of food when they come around and ask and wind up nodding and grunting. It's refreshing that in Europe you're allowed to get on with your meal with no interruption.

Adrienne,
We spent 6 nights in Krakow which was enough to see the high points and soak in the atmosphere of the city. We went on 3 different day trips = one to the salt mines, one to Zakopane and one to the concentration camps, (Auschwitz and Birkenau). The rest of the time we spent in the city itself in museums, the old Jewish quarter (Kazimierz) and just relaxing while people watching. I'm glad that we spent that much time there because we really got to absorb the feeling of the city.
We usually ordered one of the cheaper bottles of wine, but they would usually run at least 90 Zlotys (and mostly more)which is at least $30. I think that's high for the cheapest bottle. But, my philosophy is - it all equals out
in the end!!
Skatedancer - I also ate in Pod Aniolami and had a wonderful meal. In fact, just about every meal was superb. You're right - the soups are hearty and with some rather chilly weather, a bowl of soup was a welcome start to a meal. Sometimes, we would just go into a place in the afternoon for a bowl.

For anyone who is interested in visitin Poland in the future, you might want to contact the Polish department of tourism. I did this quite some time ago and I found the information that was sent was very helpful. Besides, they send several brochures which are filled with pictures that certainly whet the appetite.

Comments about the napkin/serwetka size illuminate cultural differences between the USA and Poland. Older Poles are still operating in a minimal style environment. I have had rail clerks tear a small piece of paper into quarters and then inscribe information on one of them. Schools still operate with shortages of paper. It may be impossible to find a four-ply 18&quot;x18&quot; napkin in Poland. I have since learned to carry a sheet of paper toweling for emergency use. In restaurants you will note that plates are cleaned! Mothers and fathers will help children with theirs. Poles waste little!

&gt;wait staff usually did not come over after the entree was served to see if everything was ok and fresh pepper was never offered (is that only an American custom?). &lt;

This could have been Switzerland as well.

&gt;And where was he? Sitting in his car!. &lt;

Did you have a time arranged? If not, I don't blame him for sitting inside his car. Could have been Switzerland as well.

&gt;At most, it was a ding no larger than a pinhead. He tried to shake us down for immediate payment or he would call the police. &lt;

This could have definitely been Switzerland as well. One ding leads to a rust spot that can become quite expensive to fix.

In Switzerland, we don't make Polish jokes. Just Austrian and German ones. US too.

Thanks for your insights as an American touring Poland. They were very interesting.

Lolo12, thanks for answering my questions!