2. My parents and I are going on a trip to Poland from December
27, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
Poland is a country with an area of 322,575 km² and a
population of 36,753,736 people.
It is also key to understanding recent Europe, due to the Soviet
occupation and the Nazi footprint it had.
Since we are going to travel in December we will have to go
very warm, since the temperature at that time of year will be
bellow 0⁰C.
To visit this country we will not have many problems, since
Poland belongs to the European Union, and that is why we only
need a valid passport.
The currency of Poland is the zloty. One euro is equivalent to
4.33 zlt, and can be exchanged for zlotys in Krakow, Wroclaw
or Warsaw. Although we will use a free prepaid card (Revolut).
3. Day 1:
We will get up very early, have breakfast and go to Madrid airport
to check in our luggage and take the 10:10 a.m. flight to Warsaw.
The flight will arrive at Modlín airport around 1:45 p.m., after 3
hours and 45 minutes more or less. From there we will take the
Terravision Bus, which costs 9 euros per person, to our
accommodation at the NWW Apartment Zgody i Chmielna, which
is located in the Srodmiesde district of Warsaw, near the Centrum
metro station to leave our luggage and begin our visit.
From the accommodation we will take the bus again to take us to
the Copernicus Monument, which will be the meeting point with
the guide of the Free Walking Tour that we have hired and which
will beging at 5:00 p.m.
The free tour will last 2 hours 30 minutes, and will be conducted
by a spanish-speaking guide.
We will begin by walking next to the residence of the former
kings of Poland.
4. Next, we will walk through the market square observing the colorful
houses of Warsaw’s old town.
This area of the city had to be rebuilt after World War II due to the
destruction caused by the Nazis.
We will also discover the history of Warsaw and the main characters
who influenced it’s development, such as King Sigismund III. This
monarch moved the national capital from Krakow in the 16th century.
The visit to the historic center will allow us to meet some of the most
famous Polish personalities while we walk through the streets where
Marie Curie and Frederic Chopin were born.
Then we will visit the Royal Park of Lazienki (The Royal Baths) with
the monument to Frederic Chopin.
The free tour will end by returning to the starting point.
After the tour we will go to dinner at a bar-restaurant recommended by a
family friend who went to Poland last year. The bar-restaurant is called
Rusatka, and for three dishes to share and water we will pay 38 zlt (about 9
euros) Please note that on this site we can only pay in cash.
Then we will return to the accomodation by bus and test until the next day.
Chopin Monument
6. Warsaw Castle
Warsaw Mermaid Statue
Warsaw Uprising Monument
Lazienki Royal Park
Transitional sculptures in Wrocław
7. Day 2: Wroclaw
We will get up early and go to the central Warsaza station, and take the
express train that will leave around 7:40 in the morning (more or less).
We bought the tickets online and they cost us 150 zlt per person (about
34.60 euros per person).
When we arrive in Wroclaw, we will stop for breakfast at Vinyl Cafe
(recommended by our friend), which is a cafe full of vinyl records and old
musical decorations. According to our friend, we will pay about 52.02zlt
(about 12 euros) for three sandwiches and three coffees with milk.
Then we will go walking around the city.
Itinerary:
Rynek Square: Market Square with it’s colorful houses and where many of the
city's tourist attractions are located, such as: the Wroclaw Town Hall, the oldest
brewery in Europe and the sculpture of the Bear with its tongue sticking out,
Basilica of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
Hansel and Gretel's houses.
Then we will go to the Przedwojenna brewery, which is in front of the Basilica,
to eat where all drinks cost 5zlt (just over one euro) and all dishes cost 10zlt (just
over 2euros).
Afterwards we will go to the accommodation to rest taking the train again.
8. Wrocław Town Hall.
Basilica of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Sculpture of the Bear with
its tongue sticking out. Hansel and Gretel's houses.
There are many goblins in the old town of Wrocław.
9. Day 3: Krakow.
Krakow was the royal capital of Poland for 500 years. It is the city with the most history in the country and is considered
one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
We will get up early, have breakfast and go by bus to the Katyn Cross Square, in the heart of Krakow.
There we will meet our spanish guide to take the Free Tour of Krakow, which will begin at 10:00 in the morning and
will last 2 hours 30 minutes.
Itinerary:
Under the walls of Wawel Castle, we will begin this tour.
We will walk the streets of Krakow's old town and discover what remains of its medieval
splendor by visiting the Barbican and passing through St. Florian's Gate, the traditional
entrance to the walled city.
We will also visit the Tower of the Old Town Hall, the Church of San Pedro and San Pablo.
After the tour we will eat and rest until 6:00 p.m., when we will have a new Free Tour: The
Mysteries and Legends of Krakow, with a duration of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Itinerary:
We will start next to the monument of Adam Mickiewicz, who will watch us carefully
without losing sight of any of our movements.
We will visit the Rynek Glowny and the imposing St. Mary's Basilica.
The tour will end next to the statue of a solitary man who will wait for us a short distance
from Wawel Hill.
Afterwards we will return to the accommodation to rest.
Katyn Cross Square
11. Day 4: Krakow.
In the morning we will rest. Around 4:00 p.m. we will take the
bus to the center of Krakow where we will meet the guide at 5:00
p.m., for an excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Salt Mines,
hired for 294.9 euros.
Itinerary:
First we will go to Oswiecim, the town where the largest concentration
camp of the Nazi era was built.
First stop at Auschwitz I, where we will arrive after 1 hour and a half
of travel. There we will see the prison blocks and the only crematorium
ovens that remain standing.
Next, we will go to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where the extermination
camps are located.
Then we will go to the Salt Mines. We will enter the underground salt
cathedral of Poland, to visit the oldest salt mines in the world. We will
tour labyrinthine galleries and admire its underground lakes. We will also
visit the Chapel of St. Kinga, a 54-meter-long room completely
decorated with salt.
Then we will return to Krakow, and there we will take the bus to return
to the accommodation, prepare our luggage and rest to return home.
Auschwitz barbed wire
Crematorium ovens
12. Entrance to the salt mines
Salt lake
Chapel of St. Kinga
Carved salt sculptures
13. Day 5: Warsaw to Spain.
We will get up at 3:30 and take the bus to the airport to take
our flight that leaves at 6:00 to return home.