Pictures and advice from trip through Poland

hi everyone,

here's the link to my web gallery:

picasaweb.google.de/Isarfreak/Polen08#

there are slightly too many pictures to post them here ;o)

and here's my advice for anyone planning to travel Poland:
- take your time if you can. it's a beautiful country, don't just rush through on your way.
- if tired of the big city rush, go out to Mazurskie. this area holds the most beautiful landscape i have yet set my eyes on. i spent a while in Gizycko (off season).

- don't listen to anyone feeding the stereotype of criminal and dangerous Poland. i travelled as a woman on my own, took buses and trains, went out alone at night and felt perfectly safe. nothing bad happened to me, nor did i hear of anything worrying from other travellers.

- vegetarians won'tfind much to eat in Poland? just another lie. i found things to eat alright, and was never asked to explain myself.
- make sure you see Krakow. and if you do, for once believe what's written in the l.planet and stay at one of two good bye lenin hostels in town. they have a booking desk at the train station.

so, i hope you enjoy your trip as much as i do. i will definitly travel to Poland again.
i just loved it.

Cool. Thanks.

welcome to PF and thanks for your kind words. i'm glad that you enjoyed your trip.

very nice pics..

I came the first time in 1989 to Poland and live in Warsaw since 4 years and I like it very much.

Nice album and welcome to PF. Looking at your ID I take it you are Deutsch. Are youfrom around the Isar. Believe it or not my first trip to Europe was Bad Tolz and the Isar runs right through it. I had fun tubing down the river except for hot July it was Ice ice icey Cold. All that snow melting from the mountains.

yes you're right i'm german, and i live in munich, so close to the isar was also a hit. fair play mate! i've been to bad tölz a couple of times, what with it being so cose to munich. the icey cold water of the river is actually quite refreshing in the summer, don't you think?

i spend lots of times at the riverbanks of isar, hence the nickname ;o) but i stopped swimming for a few days now as fall is here definitely- cold and rainy and not yet colourful...

Those are awesome! Thanks for posting! :-)

I am a woman and also will travel alone for the most part. I went in 2000 and found it safe despite hearing how I will be robbed, etc.

Nice photos Isarfreak.


ditto


It's great you felt safe and nothing happened to you but I wouldn't be so sure. You have to be careful everywhere, no matter which country you visit. I know from my own experience that travelling in Poland, especially by train, isn't always so safe.

hi gosiaczek,

yes you're right, one needs to watch out for dangers when travelling- no matter which part of the world we speak of. what i'm saying is that in my opinion poland isn't as bad as rumour has it in terms of being robbed etc...

sorry to hear you had a bad experience on a train however!

I too have just returned from a trip to Poland. I too am a lady who travelled alone by buses and trains (and trams!) and I, too, went to Gizycko!

I heartily agree with Isar ~ I never felt in danger for one second, not even when walking down an unlit, dirt-track road in a secluded part of Ostroda with my headphones in. In England I might not have walked that way, and if I did would have removed headphones so I could hear anyone creeping up behind me.

Isarfreak and are you celebrating Oktoberfest for us............... Prost

Why were you so convinced you were safe? Of course it's good to feel secure (at least you don't lose self-confidence) but I would be careful even if someone told me the "unlit, dirt-track road..." in the foreign country is the safest place in the world!


probably you're right but I still think you'd better play it safe by avoiding walking alone at night...

maybe I'm too careful or I heard too many stories about muggers, rapists etc.

when I was in London England my ex husband and I and his son went walking around london to a casino at 12am in the morning walked back to the hotel at 2am and I felt very safe in London it was Bayswater London.

we all have a fantasy or two ;)

It wasn't because of anything anyone "told" me. I simply felt completely safe. We are talking about emotions here, not logic. A country that makes me feel that way without trying to persuade me is a country that I love :-)

Haha, Freud said that things you are most afraid of may be in fact your depeest fantasies!


I probably don't understand this emotion because I always feel some anxiety in such situations.

Was poland the first place where you had this sense of security while walking alone at night? Have you ever had any bad experience?

hi all,
no i'm not enjoying oktoberfest for you- sorry to say...