Blogs from Poland, Europe - page 11

Today began with a morning sightseeing tour of Wrocław with a local guide. The group boarded our motorcoach over on Nowy Świat, along the Odra River. (Coaches are not allowed along Kiełbaśnicza where the hotel was located. I liked that name--Kielbasa Street!) The coach drove us over to the Exhibition Grounds. The Wrocław Exhibition Grounds opened in 1911 in a then far eastern part of the city. The centerpiece is still the Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia, originally Jahrhunderthalle). (The centennial was that of the proclamation by Frederick William III of Prussia for the Prussian people to resist Napoleon.) The modernist exhibition hall designed by architect Max Berg and opened in 1913 was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006. It still looks like a modern round sports arena, or something one might encounter at Epcot. ... read more

Leaving Oświęcim after lunch, the Globus took us through southwestern Poland via the Autostrady A4 motorway. This was Lower Silesia, an area of Poland that had been under Austrian and then German control from the 16th century until 1945. We arrived at our destination, Wrocław, at about 6:15 p.m. and checked in to the Art Hotel. Our room looked out over the Old Town. Wrocław was known as Breslau until 1945 and was very much a German city at that time. Like Warsaw, it was greatly damaged during World War II, but the historic structures in the old town have been restored.In the evening everyone attended a welcome dinner at Karczma Lwowska on the Market Square (Rynek). (Karczma means Inn and many restaurants around the region use this nomenclature.) We were in for a ... read more

Monday morning would be a full day of sightseeing in and around Krakow, including Wawel Castle and the Old Town. Unlike other Polish cities, Krakow's buildings and monuments were not destroyed during World War II. The Germans want to make it the administrative center for occupied Poland and a showcase "German" city. (It had been under Austrian occupation from 1795 to 1918.) The coach dropped us off outside Planty Park. Planty is a greenbelt around the Old Town. It follows the trace of the medieval city walls. Walking though t to reach Wawel Castle reminded me very much of Łazienki Park in Warsaw. There were monuments and sculptures here, too. I like these peaceful green spaces. At the foot of the park, we came out onto Ulica Podzamcze, with the steps to the castle hill across ... read more

Częstochowa (pronounced Chen-ste-koh-va) is the location of the Jasna Góra monastery that houses the Black Madonna icon. The image of the Black Madonna (Czarna Madonna) or Our Lady of Częstochowa is an icon of Mary. Our Lady of Częstochowa is the Patron Saint of Poland and the monastery is a major pilgrimage site. Our motorcoach arrive at Częstochowa at Noon after a drive from Warsaw. There is a large parking lot here, attesting to the fact that visitors arrive predominantly by car and bus. Our coach parked in the spacious coach lot. One had to remember the zone number. After walking to the monastery, we entered by the John Paul II Gate. There were a lot of visitors and Jasna Góra has arranged it so that traffic moves relatively ... read more

Today we had our formal Collette coach tour of Warsaw. We started at Łazienki Park. It was originally a royal preserve laid out with palaces and monuments. It became a public park for Warsaw in 1918. Many interesting items were to be found here. At the entrance, a monument honors Józef Piłsudski (1867-1935), a leader in the Polish independence movement and twice head of state. (His Cadillac is displayed, too.) Overlooking a pond is the Chopin Monument commemorating the composer. Designed in 1926, it depicts him under a willow tree. Nearby in this musical corner of the park is a bust of Franz List. From the musicians corner, the group began a walk through the park to the Łazienki Palace, stopping to admire the Old Orangery. The Łazienki Palace, or Palace on the Water (Pałac na ... read more