When I set off to see Eastern Europe, I admit that I was most excited about exploring Budapest and Prague, like just about everyone else. I had heard stories about both places and could not wait to see if they were as mind-blowing as everyone claimed them to be (they were, of course). But what I wasn’t expecting was for Poland of all places to steal my heart like it did. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Poland at all, really. I knew it was well-known for its Jewish ghettos during World War II and some particularly devastating concentration camps where hundreds of thousands fell victim to the Nazi regime. I knew it would be a horribly sad place to visit, but I had no specific expectations of anything else.
AND THEN, the most unexpected of unexpected things happened. Poland came in and swept me off my feet. I guess that’s what happens when you least expect it (and you’ve opened up your normally steel-encased heart a little bit). It’s no secret that Barcelona and Prague are my little darlings, my favorite cities in the world, but I can’t pretend like Poland in its entirety isn’t the whole package. If you’re stumped on where to book your next flight and you’re looking for somewhere with a never-ending list of places to see and things to do, there is nowhere I can recommend more highly than Poland. Here are my top reasons to visit.
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Everything is cheap, cheap, cheap
This is really the case with most countries on the eastern side of the European continent, but Poland is in a class all on its own. The current exchange rate is 4 zloty to 1 US dollar, but get this. The average cost of a big meal at most restaurants is anywhere from 15 to 25 zloty, with a beer ranging from 4 to 8. That means you can get a full meal for $4 to $6 and a beer for a buck or two. That is RIDICULOUS. Think of some of the big cities you could be visiting in the USA, where meals are $15 or $20 and a single beer is $8. Plus I bought really nice gifts for three different people in Kraków, one of Poland’s largest cities, for $25 total. A room at a decent hotel is $25 a night. I mean, seriously! This place is your bank account’s very best friend, and the perfect destination for anyone trying to save a little bit of money on a trip to Europe.
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Its cities are beautiful
The colors of Poland really got me. Everywhere you go there are stretches of some of the most vibrant buildings you’ll ever see. The city squares are full of life and staggeringly imposing clock towers, palaces, and town halls. You won’t get tired of wandering Poland’s city streets; they are very easy on the eyes.
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Its countryside is beautiful
For any non-city rats who want to explore what Poland has to offer outside its huge cities, the Polish countryside is something else as well. Some smaller towns that are worth visiting are Lublin, Tarnow, and Zamosc, and with enough time and a good rental car, a drive between them would offer some fantastic countryside photo-taking opportunities.
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Its beaches are beautiful
OKAY, Poland. We got the message…you really do have it all. Beaches are not something that would normally necessarily be associated with a country this far north in the middle of Europe in most peoples’ minds, but Poland has lots of them scattered across its northern border on the shore of the Baltic Sea, plus some more right along the Vistula River in the cities themselves!
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There is a ton of history
Many people are deterred from visiting a place like Poland because it’s so rich in disturbing World War II and Holocaust history. That’s dumb, by the way. The history is just that, rich. To really understand that period of time, there is no better thing to do than immerse yourself right into the heart of where it all happened. I truly believe that travel is the best way to educate yourself, so go educate yourself in Poland, the place where the first European constitution was adopted, the Warsaw uprising took place, and where 70% of American Jews have family roots.
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…Some really, really difficult history
By far one of my most memorable experiences ever, visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau was absolutely unbelievable. It is now a sort of museum for visitors, but just about everything about the former concentration camp has been kept the same as it was seventy years ago, which is one of the most heart-wrenching things about it. Though so much has changed, as you stand there in the middle of the camp, everything looks exactly the same as all those shocking photos. More than a few tears were shed on this visit. It may be hard for some to imagine being able to go to a place where so much hatred and suffering ensued among so many people, but I think that it is important for everyone to go to this place once in his or her life. It is so important to always remember what happened so that we can learn from it, and to honor the victims and survivors forever.
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The people are gems
It astounds me how many people tell me that they are not interested in visiting certain countries because they think the people are huge grumps (France, Germany, and Russia come to mind). I’ve even heard that people are wary of Polish locals (note its close proximity to Germany). I HATE this mindset, because I have discovered all these stereotypes to be unfounded (some of the people I met in Paris were among the most amicable I’ve ever met, and not one Parisian looked down on me for being American and only speaking a bit of French). The Poles are another group of incredibly pleasant people. They’re welcoming, they want to share as much about their beautiful country as they can with visitors, and I didn’t meet one that I didn’t like.
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It is full of beautiful castles
Most notably Wawel Castle at the top of Wawel Hill in Kraków, built in the 1300s under King Casimir III the Great’s orders. This castle is the most culturally important part of Poland (so visiting it while you’re in Poland is a no-brainer. Duh). And if you’re a castle fanatic like me, Poland is the place to be. Other castles of note include Warsaw’s Royal Castle, Gołuchów Castle, Moszna Castle in Upper Silesia, and Malbork Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site! And you know I am all about those!).
Moszna Castle in Upper Silesia, Poland. -
The Wieliczka salt mine is a once-in-a-lifetime experience
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is located just outside of Kraków, stretching nearly 180 miles long and 1,100 feet deep. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the oldest salt mines and the most well-preserved in the entire world, drawing over a million visitors a year. They are all there to see the underground chapels, chandeliers, and statues — ALL MADE OF SALT! It is very, very cool. You can tour via the Miner’s Route or the more popular Tourist’s Route for 84 zloty per person (that’s $22).
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Pierogis.
When we got to Poland we decided we were all going to keep a tally of the number of pierogis we could eat over a five day period. I finished off the stay with 30 pierogis. 30! That’s a lot of pierogis. That’s six per day on average. And the reasoning behind this is because pierogis are DELECTABLE. My favorite are the boiled pierogis stuffed with spinach. Mm mm mm. The best spinach pierogi I had was from Pierogarnia Stary Młyn in Wrocław. To die for.
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And Zapiekanka.
I can barely even look at this picture without drooling onto my shirt while thinking about that zapiekanka (which, for those who don’t know, is essentially a toasty baguette topped with cheese and mushrooms. Mine also had bacon and onions and pickles, but obviously I picked those off because pickles are one of the most foul culinary creations ever to exist on this damn planet). These are an extremely popular snack in Poland, so go and get them while they’re hot!
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…And beer
France and Italy and Spain may be good for their wine, but Eastern Europe has some of the best beer in the world, and it is also home to some of the biggest beer-drinking countries in the world. Tyskie is a Polish-brewed beer, a pale citrusy pilsner that goes great with whatever delicious, meaty, potato-y meal you’re consuming in this country. which has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.
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It is home to the (supposedly) oldest restaurant in Europe
Pawnica Swidnicky, a restaurant as well as a brewery, claims to be the oldest restaurant in Europe, serving its first guests way back in the late 1200s (although, if you do your research online, this is actually not at all true. It may be the oldest restaurant in Wrocław, but that’s it. But SHH. No one needs to know this). The restaurant very much gives off a sense of rustic old world, the meals offered are traditional (i.e. heartily savory), and the beer brewed there is a perfect supplement to your lunch. And it is right on the main square in Wrocław, so it is perfect for satiating your appetite after trying to find all the gnomes that the city is known for having spread throughout its entirety.
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There is a ton of shopping
Remember how I said that Poland is incredibly inexpensive and that your wallet will be doing a happy dance as soon as you make your first purchase? Luckily, there is also a huge selection of places to shop and spend those tiny bucks (the opposite of big bucks, by the way, since I don’t think people actually use the phrase “tiny bucks”). One of my favorite places was Sukiennice in Kraków, but there are also tons of options all over selling lots of artsy, hand-made gifts.
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And it’s a little bit off the beaten path
This is one of the coolest things about Poland. It is not at the top of a whole lot of bucket lists. People plan their European vacations and scribble “Paris,” “London,” “Prague,” “Rome” at the top of their “Cities to Visit” list. Trust me, as you may have already read on this blog, I was not a well-traveled gal several years ago. I was maybe the very opposite of “worldly.” I went on a Panera date once my freshman year of college and the guy I was with was asking all sorts of questions about where I’ve been, what I’ve seen, how I view the world. I hadn’t been anywhere (save Peru a couple times with my family, and London for my thirteenth birthday). I had no world view. I had exposure to next to nothing except the über-conservative farm town in which I grew up. The guy seemed disappointed, and I literally NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN. I was that pathetically boring. Fast forward four years to when I was looking to strike out on my first trip to Europe for the summer after I graduated, and Paris and Rome were definitely at the top of my list. So while tourists of the 22-year-old Robin variety are swarming the big touristy spots in Europe, you can avoid those masses of tourists and head to Poland, where there is just as much to enjoy and will give you some unique stories to tell your friends and family upon your return.
I’m hoping that this list is somewhat convincing and that at least one reader out there is looking into prices of flights into Warsaw right now. I love so many places in the world and could go on and on about most of them, but Poland in particular is fantastic in each and every way and is disgustingly underrated. Thanks, Poland, for everything. Miss you lots.
