After Warsaw, we then went on to visit Krakow in the south. There we went to the Historical center, the Christmas markets, Oscar Schindler’s enamel factory, and the Jewish districts that were once the infamous ghettos. We took a day trip to the Wielicksa salt mine and to Auschwitz Berkenau labor camps to learn about the WWII atrocities in person. The trip was truly unforgettable and made Poland one of our favorite countries to visit yet!
Category: Notable Sights
Krakow, Poland
Krakow is often overlooked by most tourists and that a real shame as the city is bursting with serious history, great mix of eclectic food, wonderful people, fine art and shopping opportunities. Krakow also has an amazing Christmas market and is home to one of the most beloved Popes of all time, John Paul the Second. Krakow is also a home to the y Schindler factory and nearby the famous salt mines of Wielicksa where they have some amazing underground cathedrals and meeting halls that literally carved entirely out of the salt! We walked the Jewish quarter, Schindler’s factory, Christmas markets in the old town square, and the produce markets just outside of the old town on our visit to the city of dragons. We also visited Auschwitz and Burkenau labor camps and the Wielicksa salt mines on a day trip…
Oscar Schindler’s Enamel Factory – Krakow
Schindler’s factory gives you an interesting perspective of the daily lives of the Jewish workers who were saved by working at the factory. Schindler used his personality and business skills to obtain the factory and its laborers from the occupied city. After witnessing the atrocities and the turning of the tide of the war efforts Schindler famously used the factory to employ as many workers as possible in efforts to save as many lives as he could. He spent most of his ill gotten gains in bribes in a last minute attempt to save as many people as he could before fleeing to South America, where he would eventually die a bankrupt businessman. The factory is interesting to tour and more a museum with a tour guide snaking…
Milk Bars – Poland
Hearkening back to its communist days under soviet rule milk bars continue to serve traditional dishes at incredible rates. These are indeed relics from a different era and here you can find the heart of Polish cuisine to find out why they haven’t disappeared. Perogies, dumplings, cabbage dishes, pickled sides of everything imaginable. They even serve some meat dishes and typical Polish meals. The milk bars were established by the government as subsidized restaurants for people to afford to get a meal out on occasion without breaking the bank. They seem to be a communist version of social security of sorts. That said, the prices are very low and much can be had for very little money. It is worth getting a bunch of items and sharing with the table to experience the cuisine of the people and get a feel for how your gramma might have cooked it at home, as most of the establishments are run by no nonsense, older ladies who expect a quick order and prompt payment. They have no qualms about running out of items or rushing your order. They are there to cook, not for the ambiance, and its kinda charming in its own way.
Wielicksa Salt Mine, Poland
They quickly found salt at Wielicksa and began extracting it to use and export abroad. This sale of salt eventually consisted of 1/3 of the total revenue made in Poland at the time and became a key part of the country’s stability over the next 3 hundred years continuing operations through 2007. Today the mine is a tourist stop filled with stunning carvings of salt made into the most beautiful and inspiring sculptures,
Tchorek Plaques – Warsaw
Named for the sculptor who designed them, Karol Tchorek, they memorialize places of mass executions during German occupation. More than 200 are scattered throughout
Mausoleum of Struggle & Martyrdom – Warsaw
Mausoleum of Struggle & Martyrdom is one of the many places the Gestapo interrogated, tortured, and murdered. It is a free exhibit, just 2 hallways, and by far one of the most enlightening, moving, fascinating, devastating, and underrated (I was the only one there) sites I visited in Warsaw. That evening I remember feeling I was in a dark place…but
Recoleta Cemetery – Stories of Notable Sites
Some legend, some true. Some humorous, some sad. All intriguing. Grudge for Eternity – Salvador & Tiburcia Carril Salvador was a prominent figurehead in Argentinian politics. Met his wife, Tiburcia, 25 years his junior, in Uruguay. Moved to BA where Tiburcia spent lavishly, opening lines of credit in any ‘haute couture’ shop she could. Outraged by…
Isla Rosario, Colombia
One of the last holdouts for authenticity in the world we find paradise close to an international tourist destination. This intimate island holds lots more than just tranquil beaches and friendly faces. Rosario islands consist of 80 archipelago just an hour boat ride southwest of Cartagena! This special island is home to some wonderful local…
La Mercado Bazurto – Cartagena, Colombia
South of the main city center you can find the real Cartagena shopping scene for any and all goods imaginable. The mercato Bazurto is an enormous maze of creole foods, fish vendors, produce merchants, knick knack sellers, and all sorts of characters hawking their wares to the locals. The place in intimidating and loud and…