Poland, a Place to Revisit

There are a number of places in the world when one is minded to go but other destinations get in the way. Whether they are adjudged to have more glamour, better facilities or countless other reasons, many places remain on the book-it list.

Poland was one such place but quite by chance there was an opportunity for me to visit at the end of the summer. I suppose Poland is often judged against the conflicts it has endured be it from wartime Nazi Germany or Cold War repression under the Soviet Union. Nowadays Poland is fully paid up member of the European Union but I was not certain what awaited me.

The nearest template I had was Lithuania, a land which had been under complete Soviet control before breaking free and also joining the EU. Lithuania was a hybrid between Soviet style austere buildings such as railway stations and old factories and newer modern glass and concrete structures paid for by European money. Would I find Poland the same after all I had enjoyed Lithuania?

Trams run in all the main cities

What I discovered was a country quite different from Lithuania in that it was quite distinctive and seemed to have very little to remind one of a Soviet Union breathing down its neck. The observations are based on the three places to which I travelled, namely Gdansk, Torun and Bydgoszcz.

Each retain at its heart medieval architecture and Torun was particularly well served in this area. It is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, the man who worked out correctly that the earth rotated around the sun in the mid-16th century.

Striking architecture in Torun

Water is at the heart of all three centres with rivers serving Torun and Bydgoszcz while in Gdansk it is the Baltic sea which gives it its place as Poland's chief port. Torun also has a world class speedway stadium capable of hosting around 17,000 fans.

Pleasure cruises in Gdansk

Torun and Bydgoszcz are situated a couple of hours drive south of Gdansk where there is a growing international airport. The countryside between them is gently undulating without being spectacular.                                                                                                                          I found the standard of roads, accommodation and food of a generally

good standard and your dollar/pound/euro.

It was just a fleeting visit first time around and there is still plenty to do and much more to explore for future journeys to Poland.