My opinion on Gdansk and Poland after 11 days

It certainly was not me who talked about people being murdered or robbed though this can happen in any city. You must have been there in Oliwa at the same time as me, then!


The Main Square was very nice as I remember but as for all the changes I can not make comment. Two days was enough to take in the Square and the Wawel though. Prague and/or Budapest would make much more interesting long-term visits.


I went to burger King on Sunday and as we went in a nice girl opened the door for us. As it turned out, she was Polish from Krakow. I asked her about all the pollution and dirt from Nowa Huta but she says that it has changed a lot since I was there in 1986 and that the steel works has all now gone.

Disagree. How are Prague and/or Budapest more interesting than Krakow ?

Come to think of it, I wouldn't want to stay more than 3/4 days in either Krakow, Prague or Budapest. These cities are ideal for long weekend breaks, nothing more.

I'd argue that's there's only a handful of the cities in the world that can keep you interested for upto a week.

Michal, Dude, everything has changed in Poland. I was here in 1988 as a student and I remember the Pewex stores, but they are gone like most of the communist bs. Good riddance if you ask me.

It depends what someone want to do there. If only check out the most popular places and have some fun then yes but in each of these places there are for example many museums - in each of them one could spend hours If was really interested.


Ignore the Kmiot.

New York is definitely one city that you would never get tired of-love it or hate it there is always something for everybody.


Thanks for that! How very rude of you-you certainly talk a lot of sense at times.

You'd be wrong there because its an opinion.


Yeah...just as soon as you realize what you are saying numb-nuts. 23 years ago teraz rozumiesz?

Numb nuts? I can not be expected to go on six monthly tours once a year of a hell hole called Poland to make analysis of their Godforsaken country, can I? How up to date can someone be? I know Poland very well indeed and I have seen almost everything and I have been to almost every major town, except for Wroclaw.


Krakow is not a city really is it? It is just a big town and yes, two days is enough to see everything quite comfortably. Prague and/or Budapest, well that is something else but Krakow?

I'm intrigued to know where you have been living..and is 11 days a significant amount of time???


This made me laugh.. dont be dissing Dalston, .. there is a great market, lovely old independent cinema and some great Turkish restaurants. OK, there are some oddballs around, but there are worse places in London.. so if you dont like it, move somewhere else.. Brixton or Peckham maybe??

Of course I don't live there. I do use the Silverlink once in a while, though. And yes, I've seen that "great" market. I didn't want to bring it up, but as you mention it... one of the filthiest places I've ever visited. Don't get me started on that one. And Dalston strikes me as particularly depressing because it sits practically next door to the City. Somehow that contrast just gets to me. Dunno.

well I used to live in Dalston and I liked it.. Nothing wrong with the market, although I must admit I wouldnt buy meat there, but great for veg. You would be wrong to think that everyone is poor who lives there, its an area that attracts immigrants, mostly African, but also other nationalities, such as Polish...perhaps that is why you think that it is so poverty stricken and dangerous?

In Dirty Pretty Things, Audrey Tautou's character Senay Gilik lives in a flat overlooking Ridley Road's street market.

Is Senay dirty and Dalston pretty or is it the other way round?

And also Fassett Square was the inspiration for the BBC Soap EastEnders


Wow - so the Rio is still open?

No. I do not care, or know, who lives there. I only speak about my impressions. I have seen the market (smelt it, too - more's the pity!), I have seen the dilapidated, partially torn down and/or burnt out houses, the ingrained dirt, and I must say that to me, it almost seems like occupied territory, or a war zone. I live farther to the east (Waltham Forest), and though that area is relatively poor and run down as well, it does not have that peculiar atmosphere of despair that Dalston has for me.

Maybe not all of Dalston is like that. But that's what I see as I pass through.

it sure is. still going strong.. had a revamp a few years back with Lottery money. Not many independent cinemas left now, so surely thats a good enough reason to visit Dalston? And yes its true that Eastenders was modelled on Dalston.. you can also find a Walford Rd. at the back of Ridley Rd. market and they modelled the EE market on that one. Anyway I do agree that its a bit dodgy at night, which is one of the reasons that I moved. Mind you maybe it seems posh to me since Im from the Midlands :).

I've lived in East Chicago, Indiana, most of my life. It's a small, heavily industrialized city. As close as I am to Chicago, I've never spent much time there. I'm not familiar with public transportation systems, for example. The " hustle and bustle " of big city life is something I've never experienced.

Eleven days is not enough time. Hence the thread title.

23 years ago. Just sit and think for a little bit. You can't possibly believe that they still are in the communist era. You have to be brain dead to say that joining the EU and 23 years to rebuild have been wasted. Try making a visit soon, and you'll see what it's like. Judging Poland for what it was 23 years ago is just blatent ignorance.