Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Poland

  • Gdansk – St. Mary’s Church (Astronomical Clock)

    Gdansk – St. Mary’s Church (Astronomical Clock)

    This impressive clock, located within St. Mary’s Church, was the largest in the world when it was put together between 1464 and 1470. It’s 14 metres in height and was designed by Hans Düringer, a clockmaker who had workshops in Nuremberg. Despite the huge expense lavished on it, the clock had stopped working by 1554, likely because no-one knew how to repair it.

    There is a myth, which is presented as fact in some places, that Düringer was blinded after making the clock as the authorities didn’t want him to make such a beautiful item for any other church. I can’t quite imagine that there’s any truth in this, particularly as he managed to make more clocks after this one was installed.

    The clock was damaged during the Second World War, with efforts made in the 1980s to reconstruct it. It’s a complex item as it doesn’t just tell the time, but it also tracks the position of the sun and the moon, as well as having a saints calendar and zodiac face.

  • Gdansk – St. Mary’s Church

    Gdansk – St. Mary’s Church

    In preparation for my next visit to Gdansk in a couple of weeks, I’m trying to refresh my memory of where I’ve actually been. Unfortunately, the photographs from my visit here four years ago aren’t exactly, well, very good, but they’ll have to do for the moment…..

    It’s a grand church and work commenced on it during the mid-fourteenth century. Constructed as a Catholic church, it was used between 1536 and 1572 for both Protestant and Catholic services, although that situation inevitably changed over the following centuries. The building survived relatively intact until March 1945, when the Soviets attacked it, although the church was swiftly reconstructed after the end of the Second World War. There’s also a story that the Soviets smashed tombstones in a bid to loot the bodies underneath, although I’m unsure as to the veracity of that. In 1965, the church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica and it remains the largest church in the city centre of Gdansk.

    There are seven portals, or doors, to the church, which makes it exciting when trying to work out how to get in.

    The interior, which is modern due to the reconstruction necessary after the Second World War. It’s a little plain inside, but the height of the nave adds to the atmosphere and it’s possible to climb the tower. The tower climb was closed when I visited before, although having seen photos of the stairs I think I’m glad that I didn’t try and get to the top.

    The beautiful astronomical clock is also still in the church, a fifteenth century wooden clock which was the largest in the world when it was installed.

    Another highlight of the building is the Maria Coronation Altar, an enormous five metre high altar from the early sixteenth century. It’s located in the presbytery and it weights three tonnes, dominating the space in which it’s housed.

    An impressive building and it’s one of the largest brick churches in the world. The reviews are very positive on-line, other than for the:

    “The churchbells rings all day AND all night. We lived nearby and the bells woke us up several times every night.”

    How inconsiderate of the church, they should perhaps stop ringing bells which they have done for centuries…. And, this one:

    “I appreciate the church is currently undergoing a renovation but I thought the interior was bland and was a bit of a dump.”

    A bit of a dump…. A building with that much heritage, but perhaps they could install something to amuse visitors, such as strobe lighting or maybe some arcade machines if that would help some visitors. I do sometimes suspect that people forget that many old churches are primarily religious buildings used by the congregation rather than historic relics which should cater for the whims of tourists.

  • Warsaw – Prince Józef Poniatowski Monument

    Warsaw – Prince Józef Poniatowski Monument

    This is a monument to Prince Józef Poniatowski, located within the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.

    Józef Poniatowski lived from 1763 until 1813 and although he was born in Austria and initially joined the Austrian army, he later became an important Polish military leader. He must have been good at this military thing, since he was also invited to join the Russian army at the invitation of Tsar Alexander I. He later supported Napoleon in his military efforts, with Poniatowski managing to judge his allies well and ensuring that his actions were in the interests of Poland. He died in action and he became something of a Polish hero for his bravery and courage.

    A monument in honour of Poniatowski was designed by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and installed in Warsaw in 1832. It moved about a bit, primarily due to the Russians not liking it, with the monument being located in what is now Belarus between 1842 until 1922, before it was returned to Warsaw.

    Like most things in Warsaw, the monument didn’t survive the Second World War. The Germans initially hid the monument behind scaffolding, before destroying it on 16 December 1944. A copy was made after the war and was unveiled at Łazienki Park in 1952, before taking its current place outside the Presidential Palace in 1965. It seems that some remnants of the original are still on display, I shall hunt them down…..

  • Warsaw – Palace of Culture and Science (Observation Deck)

    Warsaw – Palace of Culture and Science (Observation Deck)

    I have more to write about the Palace of Culture and Science, but for now I’ll limit myself to my visit to the observation deck. In short though, the Palace is what I consider to be an eyesore which was forced upon the people of Warsaw by the Soviets in the 1950s. The building is 237 metres in height and is, according to Wikipedia, the sixth highest building in the European Union (it’ll be the fifth soon, as the Shard in London is higher).

    In terms of the observation deck, it’s a professional little operation, with visitors being transported by lifts to the thirtieth floor of the building in around nineteen seconds. There’s an admission charge that equates to around £4 and it’s the highest observation deck in the city, with extensive views over the area.

    I had a little look at TripAdvisor to see what other visitors thought.

    “The tower has 33 floors or so and the local employees suggested buying tickets for the viewing floor. I was disappointed that it was too foggy to see anything and expecting the employees to at least mention it.”

    Personally, I think I might have looked to see if it was foggy before going up…..

    “It was cloudy day and no view at all but they were selling expensive tickets to see whole Warsaw from 30 floor of this ugly building. Shame of them 🙁 I was with kids and asked before if there is option to see something today. Answer was: I have no clue, I’m working here, downstairs.”

    It’s hard to deny that a staff member inside a ticket office downstairs probably isn’t going to know how cloudy it is….

    “Do not go up with the elevator. First you wait in long line than you come up there and the only landmark of Warsaw is the one you are on. Then you wait in the line for going down.”

    I’m not quite sure what people expect to see other than Warsaw city centre from an observation deck overlooking Warsaw city centre.

    And, below are some of the views.

  • Warsaw – Drugie Dno

    Warsaw – Drugie Dno

    Unfortunately, my visit here in February 2018 wasn’t particularly well photographed, so I might have to go back….

    The beer selection was decent, with a well measured range of options, including a few dark beers. I went for a dry stout, which had a richness of flavour, although my memory doesn’t allow me to write further than that.

    The prices were towards the higher end of the scale for Warsaw, but not unreasonable. The staff were busy and helpful, with a friendly barman taking the time to explain the beer options which they had. The beers are nearly all from Poland, but there were a few options from further afield, although the quality of the local beers was high.

    The stairs downstairs were an exciting challenge when others were trying to come up…… I liked the whole modern decor of the bar though, it felt contemporary, on-trend and interesting.

    I was with a group of people when I visited, which was on a weekend evening and the bar was busy to say the least. The food being served looked well presented and generously portioned, although we didn’t partake on that occasion. Anyway, I think I might need to return to try the food, but at least my last visit was all very lovely.

  • Warsaw – Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom

    Warsaw – Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom

    Rather appropriately in some ways, in terms of never forgetting what happened here, this museum is located within the building of the Ministry of National Education. Before the Second World War, the building was used as the Ministry of Religious Beliefs and Public Education, but during the Nazi occupation of Poland, the basement was repurposed as a prison. On the floors above, the secret police set up their offices and began their work in trying to oppose the work of the Polish resistance, the influence of the church and those who sought to damage the rule of the Germans in the city.

    A visit starts with a video presentation, with the staff member helpfully putting on an English translation for me. I was the only visitor for much of the time (I visited in February 2018, at a time when it was cold and starting to snow…) and the staff were warm and engaging, but otherwise let me get on with visiting the museum. Although this did mean that I was then walking around the cells and former torture areas on my own, which does allow for a more atmospheric visit. By atmospheric, I mean slightly unnerving.

    A corridor between offices used by the Nazis, with torture and killings being commonplace in the cellars. One of the rooms used by the officers has been restored to as it might have looked and there’s a radio there, a reminder that this was played loudly during some periods of torture, to drown out the sound. Torture was also often performed in front of the victim’s friends and family, with the individual sometimes being dragged back unconscious into their cell.

    A corridor with located cells off it. During the period of the Warsaw Uprising, a large number of people were executed here and their bodies burned in nearby buildings.

    Graffiti scratched into the wall by the prisoners, usually by using their fingernails. Over 1,000 inscriptions were found in the cells, including prayers, names and details of those who had been killed.

    One of the cells, with some of the rooms having bullet holes in the wall, a reminder of the horror which took place here. Prisoners would be seated in some areas and have to wait in silence for their interrogation.

    After the Germans left the city, a decision was made relatively quickly to preserve the basement area as a museum, dedicated to all those who suffered there. There have though, at the museum’s admission, been some structural changes made to the building since then, so I’m a little unsure of just how much looks the same as it did. Given that so much of Warsaw was destroyed by the Nazis before their departure, this remains though one of the best preserved of the buildings which the Germans used during their time here.

    The TripAdvisor reviews are nearly all positive, with few exceptions, although one Canadian was really pleased with their visit:

    “A dark corridor and rooms with a bed, that’s what we could see.”

    Hmmm…..

    It’s a small museum, with a low admission charge, with everything being well curated and there was plenty of information about what happened in the basement. Much of that information is presented on video screens, with English translations available, a sobering reminder of the past.

  • Warsaw – Monument to Janusz Korczak

    Warsaw – Monument to Janusz Korczak

    Located at ul. Świętokrzyska, in the shadow of the ridiculous Palace of Culture and Science, this monument is to the author Janusz Korczak. His real name was Henryk Goldszmit and he was not just an author, but also an educator who was heavily involved with orphanages. Korczak served as a lieutenant in the Polish army during the First World War and he tried to join the army once again at the outbreak of the Second World War, but he was 61 years old and thought to be too old.

    Korczak ran an orphanage when the Second World War began and he went with it when it was moved inside the Warsaw Ghetto, but he did his best to protect the children in his care. When the ghetto was liquidated in August 1942 all of the children, around 192, were rounded up to be sent to concentration camps and Korczak had two opportunities to leave the ghetto, both of which he declined. It’s not known what happened to Korczak and the 192 orphans, but it’s thought that they were all murdered at Treblinka.

    Władysław Szpilman saw Korczak and the children being marched out of the ghetto and wrote:

    “He told the orphans they were going out into the country, so they ought to be cheerful. At last they would be able to exchange the horrible suffocating city walls for meadows of flowers, streams where they could bathe, woods full of berries and mushrooms. He told them to wear their best clothes, and so they came out into the yard, two by two, nicely dressed and in a happy mood.”

    Some of Korczak’s writings in the ghetto survived, and they aren’t in the form of a descriptive diary, but are more of a literary bent. I particularly liked this text, of which there’s no shortage of existentialist meaning. The PDF of his book is available here.

    “I know that many are dissatisfied at my clearing the table after meals. Even the  orderlies seem to dislike it. Surely they can manage. There are enough of them. If there were not, one or two always could be added. Then why the ostentation, the obstinacy, and even maybe I’m nasty enough to pretend to be diligent and so democratic.

    When I collect the dishes myself, I can see the cracked plates, the bent spoons, the  scratches on the bowls. I expedite the clearing of the tables and the side table used for the  little shop, so that the orderlies can tidy up sooner. I can see how the careless diners throw about, partly in a quasi-aristocratic and partly in a churlish manner, the spoons,  knives, the salt shakers and cups, instead of putting them in the right place. Sometimes I watch how the extras are distributed or who sits next to whom. And I get some ideas. For if I do something, I never do it thoughtlessly. This waiter’s job is of great use to me, it’s  pleasant and interesting.”

    The monument was unveiled in 2003 and was jointly funded by the Shalom Foundation and the Janusz Korczak Association. One of the underlying principles of the monument was to ensure the words of Korczak weren’t forgotten:

    “Sorrow is too cold for the children, so they quickly run into the sun of joy”.

    His sacrifice meant that many children had just a little bit of hope in their final days.

  • CNN – Warsaw In List of Best Beer Cities

    Well, how lovely, Warsaw has been listed as one of the 15 best beer cities in the world according to CNN. I haven’t previously given much attention to craft beer in the Polish capital on my previous visits, but I shall fully investigate this matter in a few days when I arrive there…..

  • Flixbus – Opole to Berlin

    So, after a lovely few days in Opole, it was necessary to get back to Berlin and I went back the same way that I went, via Flixbus. I don’t like Flixbus, based on many previous journeys, but my dislike of them is diminishing (since they’re actually generally turning up at the right place now), so this is positive for everyone…..

    On the morning of the bus journey, there was a notification from Flixbus that there would be a white bus instead of their usual green and orange effort. Unfortunately, there was no message within the app, but at least it alerted me as to what to expect, which was useful.

    I arrived at the bus stop early (as usual) and the departure time of the bus came and went. Thirty minutes later I message Flixbus and ask politely where the bus is, as the on-line tracking had stopped about 150 miles away. Two minutes after sending that message, a replacement coach branded with Euro Lines (another company that Flixbus have now bought out) turned up. Flixbus replied about ten minutes later, so I appreciated their efforts in replying quickly.

    I was able to get my preferred seat at the top of the stairs, so there was no-one in front of me. The bus was pretty quiet and not many customers boarded at any stage of the journey. The price of the journey was cheap and I can’t really complain about the value offered. There was very intermittent Internet and no power, although I’ve yet to be on a Flixbus that has delivered everything that they’ve promised, so I was hardly surprised.

    We eventually got into Berlin an hour late, but in the scale of things, that’s not unreasonable. The driving also felt safe throughout the journey, with no real delays along the route other than the wait for the bus to arrive, and then depart, in Opole. Judging solely by my experiences, Flixbus are definitely getting better.

  • Opole – Mercure Opole

    The Mercure in Opole, situated opposite to the central railway station and a short walk to the city centre. Mercure is part of the Accor Group, and so I booked primarily because of that.

    After an exciting overnight coach journey with Flixbus and then a morning breakfast and coffee in Opole, I decided to try to get an early check-in at the hotel. I use the logic that even if they don’t have a room available yet, I could always drop my bag off before coming back later.

    Anyway, they had a room nearly ready, and it’s probably worth mentioning that the receptionist was exceptional. His engagement and friendliness seemed authentic (or I suppose well acted is possible, although unlikely) and the standard of his English was ridiculously good. Here am I trying still trying not to get the Polish words for nine and ten confused (dziewięć and dziesięć) and here was he with a fluency that was, if I’m being honest, better than many native English speakers.

    He suggested that as there was a short wait that I might want to have my welcome drink immediately, which seemed a good idea. So I had my Żywiec and waited for the room to be ready, which only took around two minutes.

    The receptionist (I say receptionist, but he was probably a manager, and if he wasn’t, he should have been) explained that the welcome gift of fruits wasn’t quite ready and it’d be brought to the room later on. Through long experience, these things often never quite arrive, but true to his promise, he brought a plate with fruits on, and a slice of cheesecake. This was far better than a couple of apples, which is what I was unexcitedly expecting.

    The room, which was on the third floor and overlooked the main road into the city centre. I’m clearly not normal, but I do quite the ambient noise from streets, it adds to the whole ambience of a room. There were no noise disturbances either internally or externally though which irritated me.

    A fully stocked collection of tea and coffee supplies, with two bottles of water also included. These were all kept fully stocked during my five-night stay. The room was also spotless and, indeed, was one of the cleanest hotel rooms that I’ve been in. It reached the stage that I went around the room deliberately trying to find dust or grime, but I wasn’t successful in that hunt.

    The breakfast selection. This was also a peaceful process, as although there were always several people eating breakfast, the room was large and so it was easy to find a seat.

    There were some hot breakfast options, but I was content with the breads and cold meats. My only little complaint here is that they had some peppered salami for the first couple of days, which I became quite partial to, but they didn’t have any on the other days (although that was perhaps because I’d eaten it all).

    The cake selection at breakfast.

    Bread, cold meats, vegetable things, all very lovely.

    Apologies for the gratuitous photos of teabags, but this is definitely what I call proper tea. An innovative and interesting selection. The coffee was rather good as well.

    I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels and I’ve long since given up being frustrated with incompetent hotel management. It appears to be a complete mystery to some hotel managers that guests do actually want regular restocking of in-room drinks and soaps, that they might want to know when breakfast is or have a menu for the restaurant in the room.

    This hotel managed to be the entire reverse of that, it gave me the impression of being competent. I couldn’t manage to find any fault with the hotel at any stage, with the exception that the wi-fi was a little slow at times. The room was clean, the staff were friendly, the breakfast was of an excellent quality and the rooms were cleaned and restocked efficiently.

    At check-out, there was a different member of staff who managed to perform the process efficiently and politely. And, once again, with a fluent knowledge of English. Overall, it was about as perfect a stay as I’ve had in a hotel. All very lovely indeed.