Poland Road Trip

We have been back and forth about going to Poland.  It is expensive to get there.  We looked into flying, driving, and taking the train.  There is no cheap way to do it that would work for us.   About ten hours away adds up to several nights in a hotel and gas on the economy, and let’s just face it, it’s not the most kid-friendly trip.  With our time in Germany winding down we had to make a decision. Since this was one place we both were eager to visit, we decided to go for it. 

Our ultimate destination in Poland was Auschwitz, but I decided to break up the drive by stopping in Boleslaweic, Poland to do some pottery shopping and spending a night in Dresden, Germany on the way back.

We left Wednesday morning after Ben played a job In Grafenwoehr.  The girls and I had gone up a few days earlier to get some quality time in with Dan, Kristine, Eva, and Hans.  After lunch at Pizza Hut we began the drive to Poland.  Leaving from Grafenwoehr put us a couple hours closer and so we only had a 4 ½ hr drive this day. 

The town of Boleslaweic is just over the border and famous for its handmade pottery.  I didn’t have much in mind for Polish pottery shopping, just wanted to get a few interesting pieces to have.  We discovered that our GPS was not equipped with the Polish roadways, but luckily I had gathered tips from avid PP shoppers in my research that helped guide our way.  We found the town okay, but had a more difficult time finding our hotel in the dark.  Once there, our bellies were hungry.  We checked in quickly and settled into dinner.  We stayed at the highly recommended Bluebeet Root Hotel, and it did not disappoint.  The room was spacious, the staff was very welcoming and friendly, and the restaurant served delicious food.  The restaurant, located at the hotel, served traditional Polish meals.  Ben ordered goulash with potato pancakes on the side and I ate a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. 

As soon as the girls were up we headed out to shop.  The stores were more spread out than I had thought, some even in neighboring villages.  It was fun to see what we could find, kind of like a treasure hunt to find a good bargain or the most interesting piece.  Admittedly we bought more gifts than pieces for ourselves, but we had a lot of fun going in and out of the shops, each one a little different.   When neither we nor our credit card could take anymore, we set out for our next stop-Krakow.  First, we had to stop and get a map.  Once we were sure we were headed in the right direction, we drove the 4 ½ hours there.

Our gas light came on as we entered town.  We drove around town for awhile before stopping at a sketchy gas station out of desperation, grabbing some gas and a local map. Tired and hungry, we pulled into a McDonalds.  The kids were hungry and restless so we decided to stop for dinner before unloading at the hotel.  This was our Thanksgiving meal J.  We really have a lot to be thankful for.  After dinner, we drove the few blocks to the hotel, showered, and settled in for an early night’s rest.  (We stayed at Hotel Batory- clean rooms, decent size, good location, free parking). 

We started off by touring an old salt mine.  The Wieliczka Salt Mine dates back to the 13^th century.  On the tour, we walked 3 km down many steps and through underground corridors, passing by many statues made of salt and a few chapels.  Everything- the walls, steps, and ceiling- is made entirely of salt!  The guide told us we could taste the walls if we wanted. At first I was disgusted by the idea, but about an hour and a half into the tour, we let the girls lick away.   Ewww! 

Wawal Cathedral

Next, we rode back into Krakow and walked around the town.  We hiked to the Wawal Castle.  We wandered the castle grounds, admiring the buildings and took in the city from atop the hill.  It was a great place to let the kids run and climb for a bit.  We wrapped up the evening at their Christmas market in front of the Cloth Hall.  The Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, is considered the world’s oldest shopping mall.  The hall was lined with booths, each selling various goods and crafts similar to the booths at a Christmas market or maybe evens a flea market.  We were not nearly as interested in what was in the building as much as what was going on outside around the square.  The Krakow Christmas Market was similar to what you would find at a Christmas market in Germany, but with kielbasa rather than bratwurst, pierogi instead of spatzle, and paper cups in place of gluhwein mugs.  We found plenty to keep us content. 

It was finally time to see Auschwitz.  It took us about an hour to travel there from our hotel.  We pulled up to Auschwitz II (Birkenau) first.  With the kids in a stroller, Ipad in hand and headphones to their ears, Ben and I wandered the camp grounds in amazement at how huge of a place it is.  We had previously been to Dachau, a much smaller camp with not much still remaining.  At Birkenau, there were still some barrack rooms standing that you can look it.  It gave us more of an idea of what the grounds were like.  I was also surprised to see that the train tracks run not just up to the gate, but through to the back of the camp.  How awful it must have been!  Next, we went to Auschwitz I, the main camp.  The buildings here were a lot different, huge in size and mostly made of brick.  The camp was a Polish military camp that the Nazis took over.  Most of it was already there; they just added to it.  It was interesting to see the barriers, fences, ditches, courtyards.  Many of the buildings are set up as museums, each with a different theme on what it was like.  We ended by looking in a building that was full of people’s stuff.  I’m talking about a room full of brushes, a hallway of glass filled with people’s shoes, luggage that was left behind- personal items that belonged to people, telling a story of what once was.  Being there was amazing, to see such a piece of our history.  Now that I can check going to Auschwitz off my list, I am good with concentration camps and wondering what it was like.  I have a better understanding than I wanted. 

Memorial at Auschcwitz

Letting it all sink in, we drove to our final destination- Dresden, Germany.  The Christmas market in Dresden is well-known.  The booths were elaborately decorated and the market featured a life-size candle arch, so big that you could walk over it.   We pushed through the crowds as we browsed the stalls, ate food, and drank gluhwein.     While in Dresden we also visited the Zwinger, a palace built in Rococo style.  We parked in front by the street, and weren’t really expecting much.  I must say we were blown away.  The more we saw of the building, the more striking it was.  We meandered through the courtyard and exited the back, which spilled out onto a square lined with beautiful buildings.  Among them were the opera house and a cathedral.  I could have spent the rest of the day sitting on the steps watching time go by.  I was so glad we had decided to take the extra time to go to the palace.  What a treasure it was.  Something else I got to check off my list was seeing the Kunsthofpassage, a building said to play music when it rains.  Although hard to find and debatable about whether or not it would really play music, it still was neat to see.   Alas, it was time for our road trip to end.  5 more hours of driving and we had made it home!

All in all, it was a lot of driving, but totally worth it.  The entire family enjoyed the pottery shopping, we got to experience the Christmas market season in a different country, and we stumbled upon the beauty of Dresden.  We had a great time!

Christmas market in Krakow, Poland- right outside of Cloth Hall

Time to rest up for our next big trips- London & Rome!!!