I had never been to Poland before. But I knew that once I went, I would visit Krakow as well. This summer I received an invitation to visit Warsaw, and on this occasion I was able to go to Krakow and Zakopane.
I stayed in Warsaw for about four days. It was one of those unhurried trips, without any tight plans. My only goal was to go to a Chopin concert. On the first day, my friend and I visited the Old Town, starting from the Supreme Court of Poland. Then we wandered through the Barbakan Warszawski, along the Vistula Boulevards, and to the library of the University of Warsaw. Later we rented bicycles from Venturilo, for less than 1 Euro, and went to another area of the city. Warsaw is a large city, almost five times larger than Paris.
Our next destination was the area with the tallest buildings in the city, where a “gift” of the Soviet Union is located: the Palace of Culture and Science, a building that cannot be missed. We had lunch at Fabryka Norblina, a pleasant space with many options for ‘street food’ from different cuisines of the world.
On the second day, I rented a bike again and wandered further into the old city, including the areas that were once part of the ghetto. Although this area is still referred as the “ghetto”, the whole of Warsaw was rebuilt after World War II. The reconstruction of the city has been done neatly, but still gives you a modern feel. Buildings that look new, with less than 100 years on their shoulders. And 100 years is very little for Europe.
Moving alone by bike, it was difficult to navigate. The roads were constantly intertwining and it was difficult to keep a certain direction. For this reason, it took me almost 30 minutes more to reach the Royal Baths Park. There I took a long walk until I found a quiet place to read. I really like reading in fresh air and I try to do it wherever I travel. Of course, it is not always possible, but the visit to Warsaw was really about enjoying some time with myself. The evening was reserved for classical music at the Fryderyk Concert Hall. A short but very pleasant experience, perhaps the most special in my entire experience in Warsaw. After the concert we enjoyed tea near the Royal Castle, to end the day.
The third day was again about leisurely walking around. This time I started the walk from the ‘Powązki Cemetery’. I visited again the places that left an impression on me and took my time to take pictures. Later, we enjoyed the sunset at the Forest Campus, from where you could see the vast expanse of the city. Afterwards we headed to Nocny Market, a lively place with a collection of different cuisines, similar to Fabryka Norblina, but with a more evening-friendly atmosphere. I can say that it was the perfect end to my stay in Warsaw.
The next morning I took the train to Krakow. The journey took about 2 hours and 40 minutes. I had booked a visit to Auschwitz, but the night before, my schedule was changed and I couldn’t make it on time. It was really hard to book a visit there, so I decided to spend the day in the city. This turned out to be a very good decision, because I got the chance to see a Polish city with original, old buildings.
After a few hours of wandering around the old town and a break by the banks of Vistula, I headed to Schindler’s Factory. Today, it has been transformed into a small museum showing the moments of the Nazi occupation of Krakow during World War II. For anyone who has seen the movie “Schindler’s List”, the museum brings you much closer to the event, or rather brings it closer to your life. With the impressions that the visit left on me, I headed to the bus station to start the journey to Zakopane. The journey took about two hours and I arrived there around 11:30 PM.
My last day in Poland was reserved for hiking. Generally, visitors to this small city stay for several days and follow itineraries that require many hours of walking. But something easier suited me. At 8:00 AM I took the bus heading to Morskie Oko Lake. Payment was only cash, a little less than 5 Euros, and the journey took about 45 minutes to the entrance of the nature park.
As soon as I bought the entrance ticket, I set off towards the lake. The walk there took about two hours, covering a distance of 9.5 kilometers, with a soft climb. Surprisingly, the entire road was paved, even with two lanes for cars. There were no vehicles, except for a few business vans inside the park and horse-drawn carriages for tourists. The asphalt was an unpleasant surprise, since I was wearing shoes suitable for rocky mountain paths, not at all comfortable on asphalt. On the other hand, the destination was very popular and there were groups of people walking non-stop all the way. I would compare it to the promenade of a seaside town during the summer season, only this time we were all moving in the same direction.
Just before we reached Morskie Oko, magnificent views of the surrounding peaks appeared. Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki and Mnich (the most special one) were the views that accompanied you while relaxing by the lake. Since the number of visitors was high, there were strict rules in place to protect the environment. It was forbidden to enter the water, to go off the marked paths or to rest among the trees. For someone like me, who is not used to experiencing nature under such strict rules, it was difficult to find the peace I was looking for, especially with the constant flow of people.
Wandering around, I found a suitable rock to rest on and enjoy the view. Then I took a full walk around the lake and then made my way back to Zakopane the way I came. Storms and heavy rain were forecast for the evening, so I hurried to the hostel. My entire Polish experience ended with the sound of the storm behind the windows.
