Thoughts on Poland
On a travel bulletin board on the internet, I recently saw a derogatory post in which someone mentioned reasons he/she wouldn't visit Poland. The points cited were:
Graffiti ridden poorly
kept old towns and castles.
The service mentality is non-existent bordering on being rude and
purposely unhelpful.
The food is pretty dreadful
The accommodation is either terrible or expensive.
The quality driving on the Polish roads coupled with the state of
those roads goes together to make
it a frightening experience.
I didn't (and still don't) agree with what the other person wrote. I realize that it was probably a troll (translation from "internetspeak" = someone trying to cause trouble and/or provoke a backlash), so, I chose to counter it by writing the following response (that I liked so much, I wanted to put it on here):
POLAND
I’m an American currently living in the Lake District of northeastern Poland. I teach English. I traveled most of Europe 1998 and spent a month in Poland. I loved it so much that I returned to the USA to obtain teaching credentials so that I could return to this fantastic place and teach (one of the only ways that Americans can live here). I have traveled most of the country and agree with the above posters who say that Poland is great. I also agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as there has been a place that I have visited in Europe that I didn’t care for, but others did.
Poland is a fantastic country full of majestic castles, wonderful palaces, brilliant cathedrals, beautiful old churches, and many other places and things to see and do. I have traveled as far north as Gdansk, as far south as Zakpone, as far east as Chelm, and as far west as Poznan. I have also visited Torun, Warsaw, Lublin, Czestachowa, Wroclaw, Olsztyn, Zamosc, Kazmierz Dolny, much of the Lake District, and more, but still have so much left to see.
Previously mentioned were that the roads are in bad condition. I have divided my time up between busses and trains, depending on what is less expensive, and, when on busses, have found the roads to be quite good. However, is the condition of the roads something to base a visit to a country on? Everyone has to answer that question for themselves, but for me, it is not. As long as I arrive at my destination, I am happy.
As far as how the towns, sites, cities, and castles are kept, the only places that have significant graffiti are major cities (mainly Warsaw, a bit in Krakow). However, most major cities anywhere in Europe have graffiti. Also, have you ever seen the graffiti on the Warsaw commuter trains? It actually looks artistic and quite good! Moreover, I agree that some of the Stare Miasto sections are not "prettied up", however, as a person that has traveled extensively around Eastern Europe (including Bulgaria), I prefer places like that over places that have been redone for the sake of tourism. I found the Stare Miasto of Lublin to be one of my favorites in the country because if how "eastern" it still is.
As far as food goes, it is okay. I have had better and have had worse. However, for me, food is not a factor as to whether I will visit a place or not. I travel because I like to learn about the country, meet the locals, and learn more about myself.
Speaking of the locals, I have met many, both in my town and traveling, and can say that they are fantastic people. Poles are nice, very kind, and helpful. I agree that service people at train and bus stations aren’t the best, however, anyone that has traveled Eastern Europe knows that that is generally a common factor for this part of the continent.
Poland is quite inexpensive (except for Warsaw and, recently, Krakow). Admission to most museums and sites cost 3zl (this does not include Warsaw). As far as accommodations go, the hostels I have stayed in have ranged in price from 16zl (in Poznan) – 25zl (in Krakow), with Warsaw being around 34zl. They are always very clean (I have only stayed in one that needed better care). Also, they all have kitchens, as I tend to self cater when I travel to save money, and it is never a problem finding a food shop. However, they usually have a lockout from 10h – 17h. As far as hotels go, I stayed in one in Torun, right on the Stare Miasto, in a room that viewed the Stare Miasto for 70zl per night. That equals about $17.20 US per night. It can be considered expensive only if you’re traveling on Polish wages.
Poland is a great place to visit anytime of the year. The winters are just a bit more challenging, however the snow makes everything look even better. One of the advantages of visiting in the winter is that there won’t be a line to get into anything you want to see. Also, there aren’t any of the umbrella laden outdoor cafés in any of the Ryneks, as there are in the summer. An advantage of visiting in the summer is the excellent buskers.
To me, Poland has a lot of charm. I ask you….Where have you seen people getting around on horse drawn carts? Where have you seen people being driven through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh? Where have you exited a bus just to walk around a random small town and stumbled upon a real blacksmith shop with the blacksmith doing his trade? Where can you find castles and palaces in small towns that normally you wouldn’t bat an eye at?
Should you travel to Poland or not? That's for you to decide, as everyone travels to different places for different reasons. If you the kind of traveler that likes the things I've described above, then I definitely recommend Poland. I have yet to find anyone who has traveled here and hasn't liked it.
Cheers and happy travels.
