Discovering Poland
There is something magical about discovering a place for the first time. Immersing yourself in a new environment, discovering a new landscape, culture, food… I also think that, although the charm of the big cities cannot be denied, it can be very interesting to start exploring a new country from the smaller cities and its more “wild” and real corners. You just get a more real feeling from it. That is exactly what I did in my recent trip to Poland.
In this case, our destination was Olsztyn, and we had Jacek hosting us and providing us the best local guide we could hope for. Really, the trip was lovely and so perfectly organized, thanks so much Jacek! I bet the complaint book will be very thin this time.
After our flight arrived to the airport of Warsaw Modlin, we took a bus to Olsztyn. The bus was very cool, with a toilet (yey), free tea or coffee and they were also showing this American movie narrated by the same Polish voice for all actors, which created a pretty comical effect even when there were people crying on the screen. I remember when I took a bus from Vienna to Bratislava. We paid 5 euros and it had all these cool things, like comfy seats, free coffee and video games attached to the seats - is there something about bus services in central Europe?
My first impression of Poland was: warm! Also the humidity was much higher than in Dublin, and it made me feel a bit like being in Italy over the summer. Also, to note, in Poland they have a different currency, the złoty - one corresponds to around 4 euros, so while you might have the immediate impression of spending a lot, you are actually saving quite enough.
During the bus trip, I enjoyed looking at the landscape from the bus window, and I was mesmerized by the beautiful countryside, the amount of trees and the sense of space.
As soon as we got off the bus, there was a taxi waiting for us (thanks to our guide perfect orchestration) and we finally arrived at our hotel. The hotel we stayed for the first night is Omega Hotel and was very pretty. The location is ideal, right on the banks of a lake with a small beach, cycling lanes, beach-volley fields and overall a very relaxed vibe.
[Click on any of the images to enlarge them full screen].
That evening I had my first ever proper encounter with Polish food and it was delicious. I ate a lot and liked everything. The traditional Polish food I tried, kindly cooked by our friend’s mum, included among other things different types of meats, cabbage, sausages, buckwheat and cucumbers with yogurt sauce. One of my favourite things was definitely pirogi, which are filled dumplings. In my opinion, the boiled one are the best. We had sweet ones at the end of the dinner (filled with blueberries and served with a sweet yogurt sauce) and they were amazing. Also, it seems like one of the most loved drinks in Poland is vodka, so definitely have a try if you decide to experience the traditional Polish taste.
The day after we explored the city of Olsztyn. The city is located on the Łyna River in northeastern Poland, and it is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.
It is a small enough city, with a lovely city centre. Everything was very neat and tidy and the streets were incredibly clean (which is something you might lose the habits to, when living in Dublin). I always enjoy observing the architectonics details of a city, and one interesting thing I noticed about Olsztyn is that many buildings in the city centre have some nice drawings and decorations that are drawn directly on the concrete. So I could not help but making a comparison in my mind, with the exuberant and colorful tiles decoration that I saw in Portugal. The feeling you get from these Polish buildings is different, they look a bit more simple, but at the same time they do not lose in warmth and they add a delicate touch to the architecture of the city centre. Also, I saw some ladies selling flowers in the main square, and it made me think of Dublin! I think it is very interesting how sometimes, when travelling, we appreciate the peculiarities of a place while going back to our memory and finding similarities.
In Olsztyn, we visited the majestic castle. The castle was built between 1346–1353 in the Gothic architectural style. It had the role of being the administrative headquarters for the Bishops of Warmia. The most well-known administrator was Nicolaus Copernicus between 1516 and 1521. There is a connection between the history of the castle, the city of Olsztyn, and Nicolaus Copernicus, as part from living there he also prepared the defense of Olsztyn against the invasion of the Teutonic Knights.
Also, the city is situated in an area perfect for camping and adventures. Indeed, this north-east part of Poland is known as the "Thousand Lakes" region. We spent the next days in a little house among the trees near the lake Dadaj. It was such a new feeling for me, very much used to live in a city, to wake up in the morning and hear only the noise of birds and crickets. And at night, being able to see the stars in the sky so clearly, with almost no lights around.
We had a great time with friends, exploring the nature around the lake, having barbeques, relaxing and chatting. We swam in the lake (I did it with my gym trousers and bra as I could not find my swimming suit at home) and it was pleasantly refreshing, much less cold than I expected. I also did kayaking for the first time ever and I enjoyed it a lot, and was rewarded by some wonderful views. We stayed at a small beach over the lake where there was also a restaurant. The atmosphere was very quiet and relaxed and there were many people, enjoying the weekend. We talked with a couple that came over from Warsaw and brought their cute dog to the lake. The place definitely looked like a destination that is popular among Polish, but maybe not too much among foreign tourists, so I felt happy in having the opportunity to see it.
The following day we went on a Polish road trip. We saw some amazing and untouched landscapes the more we were travelling east. The fields and trees were just extending and extending to the horizon, with a little house appearing every now and then. The first stop was the medieval Castle of Warmian Bishops in a city called Lidzbark Warmiński. The castle is now a museum with many interesting historical items.
Then, we went to the Wolf's Lair (in German "Wolfschanze"). We almost got to Russia when reaching this destination (it is around 30 km to the border).
The Wolf's Lair was Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters during World War II. Hitler spent almost 800 days here. The compound consisted of 200 buildings: shelters, barracks, 2 airports, a power station, a railway station, air-conditioners, water supplies, heat-generating plants and two teleprinters. In 1944 more than 2000 people lived in the Wolf's Lair. On July 20, 1944 count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg made a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. The attempted assassination of Hitler at the Wolf Lair was part of Operation Valkyrie, a covert plan to take control and suppress any revolt in the German Reich following Hitler's death. As a note, these events inspired the movie Valkyrie from 2008. We saw the exact spot where the bunker where the failed assassination took place used to be, and where now is a commemorative monument to Von Stauffenberg.
In November 1944, Hitler left the Wolf’s Lair forever, to escape the advance of the Soviets. It was ordered to completely destroy the complex, to prevent it from being used by the Russian. Tons of explosives were used; one bunker required an estimated 8,000 kg of TNT. Nevertheless, most of the buildings were only partially destroyed due to their immense size and reinforced structures.
Nowadays, when walking through the decaying bunkers covered by leaves and moss, you can see the rods coming out from the decrepit walls, or enormous pieces of concrete opened in half. These destroyed buildings are like ghosts and shadows from a dark time in history. You can’t help but think about everything that has happened here while you make your way through the ruins. This place is creepy but at the same time extremely interesting, especially if you feel the charm of abandoned places (I do). It has an atmosphere to it. You can feel the echo of history through the wind and the trees.
We then returned back to our base, and unfortunately our trip came to an end. After a quick visit to Warsaw while waiting for the train, we headed back to Dublin.
Poland was a pleasant discovery, with an extremely fascinating culture and history and so much nature, that I did not really expect. I really hope to be able to be back and visit more of it in the future. And of course, thanks to everybody that made this trip special; Jacek for the great hospitality, and then my bae Francisco, Edel, Pedro, Luiz and everyone else :)
Serena xx