Something old, something new ... Warsaw streets.
From fairytale cities to white-sand beaches, Kamil Tchorek describes some of his favourite spots in oft-maligned Poland.
Long summers; endless nearly-white sand beaches; wild mountains and forests; national parks that are home to lynx, wolves and golden eagles; homely accommodation and affordable transport; rich history; posh cafes and fancy restaurants, a lively music scene and hedonistic inner-city nightlife.
This is the Poland you rarely hear about and it is the Poland that makes expatriates want to stay. Why is it, then, that foreigners like living in Poland but the country has such a dowdy image from the outside?
There is, of course, the bad stuff. The winters are long (not unbearable, though - snow at minus 10 degrees is nicer than drizzle at 5 degrees); the bureaucracy is infuriating; there's a lack of respect for privacy; and many motorists have a death wish.
It's the small price foreigners are prepared to pay. "Such a shame," says a young British woman at a salad bar near her new office building in Warsaw. "I love it here but my friends won't visit because they reckon it's all cold and gloomy, shipyards and Catholics."
How should she persuade them? Best start with the two biggest cities, Warsaw and Krakow. Residents of the two are classic rivals but secretly admire each other. Krakow has the looks, the brains and the vanity that comes with it. Warsaw has the dynamism, the commitment and the scars to prove it. They actually make a great couple, so it's best to meet them both.
Krakow is an undisputed architectural wonder of central Europe; a template for Disney's fairytale city. It has a Renaissance and secessionist citadel of spires and cobbled streets with horses and accordionists; footpath cafes and candlelit bars. It's also a city of magic and legends; of Copernicus and his infatuation with the stars; of King Casimir the Great and his Jewish lover, Esther; of a strapping young Pope John Paul II saying goodbye to his teenage sweetheart. It is worth taking a personally tailored tour with Colours of Poland (coloursof poland.com) to discover the insiders' Krakow.
Warsaw is twice the size and was bombed during World War II. But Varsovians have preserved anything that survived. Large parts of the mediaeval and neoclassical city centre have been restored and are pedestrianised on summer weekends. By some measures, it is the greenest city in Europe (Lazienki Park is a big draw for families). The new Warsaw Rising Museum attracts military buffs.
Warsaw is packed full of Poland's nouveau riche, who work hard and play even harder. The nightlife has both glamour and grime and is a lot of fun - expatriates from Paris, Berlin and London are on the record as preferring it to their native cities. Don't take their word for it, though. Try it yourself - or ask Adventure Warsaw (adventure warsaw.pl) to show you around.
Poland is surprisingly big and there is plenty to explore. Wroclaw, Poznan and Lodz are lively cities and each has its own devotees (Steven Spielberg has been spotted in Wroclaw; David Lynch is in love with Lodz). Gdansk, a rising tourist destination, is the gateway to the north.
The north-western seaside at the long Pomeranian coast has resorts such as Ustka and Leba - the sea can be chilly but the beaches are fun.
Krakow is a good place to hire a car (use back roads to avoid the Polish drivers). Small Renaissance towns such as Sandomierz, Tarnow and Zamosc are within easy reach and there are spectacular views where the Vistula River has carved valleys through the hills. The people of the Tatra and Pieniny mountains along the border with Slovakia are famed for their hospitality.
Poland's "wild east" is the Bieszczady National Park, where Kraina Wilka (krainawilka.pl) runs European safaris and adventure holidays.
The first thing many people associate with Poland is World War II, their impressions often formed by The Pianist and Schindler's List rather than by history books. Some tourists don't visit Poland for this reason.
Poland's small but prominent Jewish community is promoting a fuller picture of the 1000-year history of Polish Jewish life, including its long periods of autonomy, creativity and success. This is a big part of the sweeping narrative of all Jewish people: 60 per cent of Israelis and 70 per cent of American Jews have Polish roots. In Warsaw, a Jewish-history museum will open next year. In Zamosc, a sumptuous Renaissance synagogue has been restored. Helise Lieberman runs tours (polandjewishheritagetours.com).
For some reason, Woody Allen keeps visiting to play his clarinet; British violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy lives here and is an advocate of klezmer, the traditional Jewish folk music. The Jewish culture festival in Krakow each summer has become a raucous street party attended by more gentiles than Jews. Educational trips to Hitler's most notorious inventions are now augmented by these other, happier experiences.
New ways of understanding history provide even more potential for cultural tourism in Poland. Historians such as Laurence Rees are trying to revise popular views of World War II in a constructive and empirical manner.
Who knows, for example, that British-trained Polish special forces undertook a secret war against the Soviets? Films such as Katyn and The Way Back are reshaping associations with Poland. The producer of The King's Speech has bought the film rights to the true story of Jan Karski, a Polish secret agent whose mission was to get the British to help Poland's resistance stop the Holocaust. What happened to him in London beggars belief. This is one of myriad untold Polish war stories and good stories make for great tourism.
Lufthansa has a fare to Warsaw for about $2410 low-season return from Melbourne and Sydney, including tax. You fly non-stop to Singapore (8hr, with Singapore Airlines), then to Munich (13hr), then to Warsaw (90min). This fare allows you to fly via other Asian cities and to fly back from another European city. More information, see poland.travel/en-gb.
- Guardian News & Media
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