Pierogis, Castles and History: Poland

Budapest brought some great vibes to our trip, being one of the most beautiful capitals we had visited in Europe. From there, we had many options on where to go next, as it is central to many different areas of Europe. We settled on heading north to Poland without knowing much about its history and culture. Personally, I knew Poland was known for Kielbasa sausages and its dark history during WWII. Both of these are very true, but Poland has a lot more to offer, from lakes and mountains to medieval towns and bustling metropolitan cities. Our first stop in Poland was the southern city of Krakow, where we rented a trendy rooftop flat. Krakow is an incredibly unique city and easy to explore on foot due to its manageable size. The city has two main areas: the UNESCO World Heritage-protected Stare Miasto (Old Town) and the Kazimierz district, both of which we spent half a day exploring. Stare Miasto features a medieval-style town square and market that was built in the 13th century. Packed with traditional Polish restaurants, shops, and historical buildings, we immediately felt immersed in the culture. On the southern portion of Stare Miasto sits Wawel Castle, a fortified complex along the Vistula River with numerous buildings of historical and national significance. This was home to many kings of Poland, but now it is the country’s premier art museum. Some of the best food of the trip was in Krakow. Throughout the Jewish district, numerous pierogi shops—Thalia’s favorite food—are world-renowned, and we enjoyed them as afternoon snacks. Next to our apartment was a late-night Kielbasa sausage food truck, a local staple since the 90s. Waiting 30 minutes to an hour in line to get one was totally worth it—it was easily the best sausage I had ever had. Just outside of Krakow was Zakrzówek Park, which features public swimming areas in a rock quarry, offering a great escape from the humid summer days.

Learning about WWII in Europe is quite grim, to be honest. Almost every country we visited had been negatively impacted by the wars and their aftermath. Being at the center of the Soviet Union and Germany, Poland unfortunately was no exception and suffered greatly. It was essentially split into two between the two powers in a non-aggression pact at the beginning of the war, but soon became a prominent battleground on the eastern front after the treaty was broken. The most notable atrocity suffered in Poland was the creation of the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Located about an hour and a half away from Krakow, it was the largest death camp in Nazi Germany, resulting in the murder of over a million Jewish people. Visiting this museum was somber, impactful, and truly horrifying, leaving us shocked. How could people be this evil, manipulative, and murderous? It was an important lesson that I believe every person on earth should learn to avoid repeating history. It’s crucial to understand that the murder of innocent people did not happen overnight; it was a calculated process of segregation, eventual deportation, and death that took years of planning. Fascism has no place in this world; love and acceptance do.

We spent our last few days in Poland traveling to the beautiful mountain town of Zakopane. This tourism-heavy city is situated at the base of the Tatra Mountains, serving as a winter skiing destination for many Poles. Spending two days here was a great break from the busy cities where we had spent the previous few weeks. One of the crown jewels of the area is the Morskie Oko lake hike, a long trek to an alpine lake surrounded by glaciers. Despite the heavy foot traffic, the views at the top were great, along with the souvenir beer that I had. Strolling through the downtown area, we discovered many boutique mountain stores, craft breweries, and souvenir shops. Capping off our time in Poland by visiting Zakopane was a perfect way to end our journey in the country.

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Pierogis, Castles and History: Poland