Europe is always on my mind. I haven’t been to all the countries on that continent and Poland is one. Some people asked me, “Why Poland?”. Well, why not? How can you deny yourself to explore a country that you haven’t been to before? I am very sure Poland has a lot of stories to tell (just like any country), and it is one of the countries that fit my budget.  Moneywise, Poland is not expensive to visit. I made a budget and still came home with spare money left.

 I only had a couple of days to spend in Poland, so how did I choose which places to explore? My itinerary went like this: Visit Warsaw Old Town first, Krakow Old Town next, then Auschwitz Concentration camp. By the way, most airlines fly to Warsaw, including the airline that I work for.

Warsaw

 I am a fan of old cities because the architectures amaze me. Old towns, especially in Europe, usually have cobblestone alleys and colorful medieval-style buildings, and Warsaw’s old township didn’t fail me.

I wasn’t able to visit any museums due to my limited time. But I didn’t forget to eat pierogies. Pierogi, which means dumpling, is typically filled with meat, vegetables, and even fruits. It can either be sweet or savory.

 Krakow and Auschwitz

 I always associate Pope John Paul II with Krakow. The town played a big role in the Pope’s life. Just imagine the papal window where he used to speak with the crowd, the church where he had his first mass, and the church where he served as a chaplain. It was his home for more than a decade.

 Krakow, the former capital of Poland, was the only city that was not destroyed during WWII. Nothing kept me from admiring the Unesco World Heritage site, even if it rained during the time of my visit.

 Krakow had a lot of interesting stories to tell, like the one with the market square, which holds the title as the largest medieval square in Europe. While walking around the marketplace, I noticed some dragon souvenirs. Our guide explained that there was a legend about the dragon that used to live near Wawel Castle, next to the river. King Krakus discovered the dragon. Now, this creature was said to have created terror in the town. It demanded food from the residents and threatened to kill those who didn’t bid his order. This was what lead the king to decide to pass his throne to whoever could defeat the dragon. It wasn’t long until a shoemaker named Skuba successfully defeated the monster and later became the king. The story was passed on from one generation to another until the mythical creature became one of the symbols of Krakow. 

 Our tour at Krakow Old Town was followed by a trip to the Auschwitz Concentration camp, the largest of its kind during the Holocaust. I only had one word to describe this place: chills. The pictures of the victims, their ages when they first came to the camp, the dates when they first came, and when they died, were posted along the halls in one of the buildings. Personal belongings such as suitcases and shoes were displayed too. We also saw a few gas chambers and barracks while being toured around the camp.

 My trip to Poland was very short, but I could say that it was one of the most interesting trips I did. I would never forget that hair-raising experience at the concentration camp.

 Traveling is a nonstop learning experience. It is not limited to understanding the local’s culture, norms, and traditions. Traveling is also about knowing the stories of the people. Discover the world while you can, one country at a time. Traveling is not a race of who gets there first. What matters is how it made you feel and how it left a mark with you.