Be wary of those who hold G_d ABOVE man, although we all must bow down to Him in the end. It smacks of sanctimoniousness. Furthermore, Commandant Hoess considered himself a religious Catholic:-)
Gives the thinking among us yet even greater pause to think, doesn't it?
@Lyzko I do understand your English. I understand some of your Polish (still try my best). You make a lot of mistakes. Some make your posts in Polish incomprehensible.
The guy was talking about his trip to Auschwitz. What did you come up with again? Bad Roman Catholics. Of course, first you had to judge the guy about how he had felt about Auschwitz. You have never been there, but you knew better.
@paul02 Have you been to the Wieliczka Salt Mine? It's a must when you are in the area -beautiful chambers carved out of rock salt underground.
Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska with beautiful nature and castles like the one in Ogrodzieniec. The castle in Pieskowa Skała. Ojców National Park. However, they're not in Kraków but close.
In Kraków, apart from the main square and the Royal Castle, I'd recommend Kazimierz - the Jewish Quarter, Rynek Underground Museum, the Archeological Museum. I have also heard about Muzeum PRL u, that presents life in Poland under communism. Or just wander away from the crowds of tourists and get lost in some old streets of Kraków.
I never claimed any such thing! I assert that I know Polish, yet never claimed to be perfect, not nearly close. I use it to communicate with mono-lingual Poles (of whom there appear to me many) along with pretenders to the throne of English:-)
@kaprys,
My remarks to Paul were as follows. Owing to the sacred nature of a collective murder site, I would presume any normally sensitive person would NOT treat a visit to Auschwitz/Oswiecim in the same way as one would a visit to Krakow, Warsaw, Las Vegas or Coney Island!!
As historical memory fades and we all seem to believe ourselves to be on some lifetime pleasure cruise through existence, I for one still think it's critical to regard things in context and not blithely as well as blindly romp through an extermination camp as though it were a summer stroll in the country.
Paul also stated that "things weren't as bad as people claim". I was merely challenging the poster to justify how stuffing bodies into ovens, indescribably sadistic torture and the like were as that person maintains.
The statement I found rather unsettling, that's all, silly meLOL
Someone hijacked this thread. I'd like it back on topic please. I visited Poland because I discovered the families of my ancestors there. They mostly come from southern Poland. Much to my amazement I found hundreds of relatives that just two years ago I didn't know existed.
I plan to return often. I also visited places of historical significance along with those places associated with the Nazi occupation and oppression.
A German acquaintance of mine was just on a rowing tour of the Tatry Mountain area, along with one of the last wilderness parks in Poland! I'd loved to have joined her...were I twenty-nine again and single, but the point is, every country has her beauty spots, not to mention her places of shame.
Auschwitz-Birkenau remains one of Poland's places of shame, "Polish" concentration camps, or not:-)
I'm an American who enjoys many of the beauties of America. I also recognize that many places, such as Stone Mt. State Park in Georgia, for instance, were places for KKK rallies, well up until the '80s!
Poland has places of great natural wonder as well, Tatry, for instance, Zakopane, along with picturesque resort villages along the Baltic etc.. I enjoyed being able to visit Szczecin and have a lovely meal in a first-class Old World-style restaurant in the lovely Stare Miasto, talk to locals in their own language and experience the country which gave us Chopin, Mme. Curie, Paderewski, along with a host of other luminaries.
Please though try to understand that NO country is any one thing. France is long the most popular tourist stop in the world, yet along with the wonders of Versailles, Paris, and so forth, there was Drancy, not something of which any Frenchman is consciously proud.
Germany, the best example after Poland, or Austria, are unparalelled throughout Europe in this traveler's experience for their scenic splendour and preserved elegance. And yet, next to the Oktoberfest Capital of the World, lies Dachau, a source of bruising shame to all but the most monstrous.
Poland, in the end, was no worse, yet surely no better, than any other European country during WWII.
Poland has places of great natural wonder as well, Tatry, for instance, Zakopane,
I don't rate Zakopane much - too touristy. I prefer the Swietokrzyskie hills much more than Zakopane. I also like (as a resort) Ciechocinek. Not spectacular scenery, but the teznia is worth seeing and the town is pleasant and inexpensive. Handy for Warsaw too.
I enjoyed being able to visit Szczecin
Have you been to Gdansk?
DK could be considered one of the 3rd Reich satellite states
Not really. In fact not at all.
The circumstances in Denmark were that news of brutal behaviour would have reached Germans and and weakened support within Germany for the regime. Any civil disobedience in Poland could be (and was) crushed more brutally without the risk of that spreading to Germany or their citizens particularly caring..
No, jon, I've not as yet had the privilege of visiting much of Poland! Gdansk aka Danzig is a city I've always wanted to visit. Once knew a young lady attending the Polytechnika in that city and found the architecture from what I've only seen heretofore in photographs enchanting:-)
Oh it's definitely touristy, but I'm still glad I went otherwise I would always have been left wondering what it's like. Never got to see the mountains though, it rained and there was too much cloud cover :-(
I've not as yet had the privilege of visiting much of Poland
Book a trip Lyzko. Before you get too old to go ;-)
As for Szlak Orlich Gniazd, the Ogrodzieniec Castle is just amazing. Not much to see in the village but the ruins make up for everything.
The castle seems to rise from the rocks on which it was built. It's open to tourists. I think they sometimes organise these medieval fairs (similarly to other castles on the trail).
I used to visit it a lot when I was in my teens. I really loved to wander around. We spent several summers nearby. But that was years ago. Surely before Wajda filmed 'Zemsta' there and uncle Google says the film was made in 2002.
Even then it did have a parking lot, some cafes or bars. There were souvenir shops in some of the chambers.
Some years back, I used to be part of a computer art festival / cult called the "demoscene", and there are quite a few them scattered across Europe, Poland being one of those countries.
So in 2010 I went on my first visit to one of these computer events which was located just outside Katowice, Poland (a town called Czeladz)... this was my first ever visit to Poland from the UK.
At the time, I was only really interested in the event and the people that attended it, but I do remember seeing that part of the country being quite run-down at the time - but this was mainly due to a lot of roadworks and rebuilding the infrastructure around that area. (We're talking about 7 years ago here). I was also with a couple of Polish acquaintances (both who live in the UK and that I met up with) who shared the same interest and that one of them drove me to the place we were going to, so I wasn't in a nervous state of traveling arrangements.
The most positive thing of my experience there was the people I met there... many of them were friendly and gave me a warm welcome. I will have to state though, that some of them didn't understand my English at all (they expected that I spoke like someone from London) ... my accent is North Eastern and I did talk quite fast in those days, so in a way it was a fault on both sides. Other than that, I enjoyed going there and was not treat badly. The booze was cheap as well, but I didn't go there specifically for that - unlike these typical English tourists who go on these stag parties in Krakow.
I've been to Poland about 6-7 times (between 2010-2014), mainly for those computing events. But as for the country itself, I haven't actually checked out the attractions and culture yet. ... this is what I plan to do in late September. :)
Because I've been to those computer events, I've made a very good friend who lives in Poland (Częstochowa) and, in 2013, he showed me around his town with his wife and children... so I have experience of seeing the everyday life of a Polish family in a typical town of the Silesia, Poland. I have contacted him again recently to meet him on one of the days of the week that I go there.
So, if there's anyone who wants to give me advice of what to see around Silesia/Krakow region of Poland, let me know. One of my other friends from Poland suggested me this website on what to see there, so I have some idea what to do already but further advise would be nice. (particularly on car parking, as I also plan to drive in Poland)
orlegniazda.pl/en-US
All in all, I have never thought badly about Poland so far. :)
My mum is from Czestochowa and I have been there many many times. It really depends what you are into. Krakow is a train ride away and even Zakopane is doable if you have enough time.
Other than that then the small village of Olsztyn is about 25 mins from Czestochowa with it's limestone castle ruins. There are also a number of limestone castles in the area that are worth seeing.
@OwCr @spiritus That website is actually about these limestone castles - in some cases the castles are reconstructed. Ogrodzieniec is great. Have you visited Jasna Góra in Częstochowa yet? You may go hiking in the Beskid Mountains but only if you're coming with someone else. The mountains are not very high but still it's best not to go hiking alone.
I visited Jasna Góra in 2013 when my friend showed me around Czestochowa ... very impressive monastery, and I plan to visit there again. :) ... along with the limestone castles shown on the website I posted. What about car parking at the castles? Are most of them free?
I don't plan to hike at all, as it is only myself visiting - last thing that I want to happen to me is get lost (that's another story to tell btw).
