Poland Auschwitz
Poland | Country 26 | 6 day |
Poland is truly remarkable, from its history to its modern transformation. I am on a quick trip and am so happy to experience and learn.
Some aspects of my Poland trip that I find really unique:
- Ceased to exist twice; first time divided by Prussia, Russia, and Austria - always sandwiched between the Baltic nations
- Polish-Lithuanian common wealth and its geography between Prussia, Russia and Austria
- Modern WW2 history, years on the East side of the Iron Curtain, and its post-1990 rise; so many companies are growing in Warsaw
- Marie Curie, born and raised as Marie Skłodowska in Warsaw; she named one of her discovered elements polonium after Poland
- Staying at Hotel Bristol in Warsaw on hotel points, right by the government buildings and old town
Krakow
I arrived on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Rynek town square; Adam Mieczkowski - Poland’s Shakespeare
The famous Saint Mary Basilica was closed, and I joined a walking tour to the Jewish Quarter.
King Kazimierz invited the Jewish to settle in Poland, and pre-WW2, Poland had half of the world’s Jewish population. However, after WW2, the population became 99% homogeneous.
The Jewish people were forced to relocate to the ghetto and build their own prison walls with their own hands.
When people moved from the ghetto to the concentration camp, they tried to bring chairs but had to leave them behind in this square (70 chairs facing Israel).
After ending the tour, I tasted some fantastic pierogi and explored the adjacent town of Podgorski. The pierogi had potato and minced meat fillings. Despite being similar to dumplings, the taste is quite unique with the sour cream sauce.
The next day, I had some Zapiekanki (open face pizza sandwich spread) and explored the Wawel castle, where kings lived prior to relocating the capital to Warsaw.
Legends have it that the King practiced alchemy and accidentally burned down Wawel Castle. Hence, they had to relocate to Warsaw. The more practical version is that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth parliament was in Warsaw, so the King wanted to relocate for political reasons.
I also had an opportunity to learn about the communist periods of Poland, as well as the Solidarity movement under the Pope, as Poland had an overwhelming Catholic majority during that period.
Poland is quickly growing as a tech hub because of various reasons, and I hope to work with many Central / Eastern European coworkers in the future.
Zendesk in the background
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Of course, since it was my first time in Poland, I took the train to visit Auschwitz. I opted for the 6-hour study version, where our small group took headphones and followed our guide to the various parts of the concentration camp.
I will not be writing much about the experience here, but I remember the museum vividly.
You can still see the traces of Zyklon B stained to the walls, the lethal chemical for the gas chambers
crematorium
Birkenau is much larger than Auschwitz, and is a short 10 minute drive away.
Warsaw
I took a morning train from Krakow to Warsaw. It was very smooth and an opportunity to see the Polish countryside.
I had an opportunity to staying at Warsaw’s hotel Bristol on points. It was an amazing historical hotel right beside the Presidential Palace. It wasn’t destroyed during WW2 because the occupiers slept there.
Hotel Bristol; Warsaw Tower
Warsaw has a beautiful Old Town Market Square. It’s amazing to think that it was completely reconstructed in the 1950s.
Warsaw’s Mermaid
The Warsaw Uprising was a significant event in 1944. The Polish suffered greatly because the Soviets chose not to support the uprising.
Chopin is, of course, world-famous for his music. His heart has been preserved in French alcohol for over 150 years.
My Poland trip was full of ups and downs. And last of all, how can I not mention the food?
Żurek, a fermented cabbage meat soup, was my favorite. The other soup is, of course, red borscht (sweet cabbage soup), and I loved the sarma which I had in Serbia in 2023.
In terms of pastries, the unique pretzel and chimney cakes are both outstanding.
I ended my trip with some pierogi with sour cream dip at the Westfield mall by the airport. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn and experience Poland.
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