Of all the cities in Poland that I visited during my one-week travels, Kraków was the one I…
Times visited: 2
Cities visited: Gdańsk, Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław and Jelenia Gora
Towns and villages visited: Sopot, Zakopane, Oświęcim and Sobieszów
UNESCO sites visited: 4/17
I had recently returned from my very first solo adventure through the Nordics, and I was completely hooked on travel. Eager to hit the road again, I didn’t think twice about booking another trip when a week off work opened up in September 2015. I chose Poland, a country that had long piqued my curiosity. Looking back, I couldn’t have made a better decision. That journey introduced me to one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, and to a country that quickly climbed into my top ten in Europe.
My first stop was Gdańsk with a quick side trip to the seaside town of Sopot. Then came Warsaw, which surprised me with its charm – one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe, in my opinion. Kraków was next, where I connected with a fellow cat feeder in the Jewish Quarter, hiked to a stunning lake with a new friend, and visited Auschwitz-Birkenau – a powerful experience I still struggle to put into words. Finally, there was Poznań, a city that doesn’t often make it onto travellers’ radars. I’d randomly picked it for a school assignment as a kid and never forgot the name. As fate would have it, Poznań ended up being my favourite of all four cities! That week in Poland stands out as one of the most rewarding solo trips I’ve ever taken.
It’s hard to believe it took me seven years to return. But in August 2022, I finally made it back to Poland for five days as part of a two-week journey through Central Europe with a friend. We began our trip in Wrocław. While the city was charming, it didn’t quite live up to our expectations. Wanting to be closer to the mountains, we took a chance on Jelenia Góra after spotting it on the map – and what a gem it turned out to be. Small, picturesque, and nestled near the Karkonosze Mountains, it stole my heart. Chojnik Castle in the Karkonosze National Park was just ten kilometres away, and the whole region offered a glimpse into the “real” Poland – unspoiled and authentic.