Gdansk, Poland

Hey guys! I just spent 5 days exploring Poland. And I know what you may be thinking…what the heck is there to do in Poland? That was the question most of us had and still have even now. The morning we arrived to our first official port, the early risers joined together for the sunrise to watch the ship get parked. It was a very beautiful morning and we finally got to see the sun after almost a week of the gloominess.

Hope filled our minds, some jitters ran through our body and it was a rush off the ship to finally touch land again. We spent the day exploring the city of Gdańsk which was a very beautiful and colorful city. We got unlucky because our first day there was a Sunday and just about everything was closed, it felt like a ghost town at times but our time was still enjoyable. 

I opted the next day to to head with a group to Krakow one of the more popular cities in Poland. We boarded our 5 hour train and quickly realized that we didn’t qualify for the “student discount” tickets we bought online, so we got the chance to purchase additional tickets which was awesome. I still think the man was just taking advantage of us so I’m still bitter. Once we made it to Krakow we got to explore the city and wow it was amazing. If for some reason you ever find yourself in Poland make sure it’s Krakow. It’s a vibrant city with very happy vibes and some delicious food. 

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Honestly I lived off mostly pirogies and beer
Really though if you are ever in Poland you have to promise me you’ll try the pirogies. The next day we explored the city more walked up and down the streets, in and out of the shops, and we climbed up the clock tower to overlook the city

Missing this view would’ve been a mistake because it was so beautiful and well worth the 10 zloty ($2). I love being taller than everything else around me. After spending time here we headed to the Jewish quarter which is considered the more historical part of the city to again just walk and explore. We did a lot of this “exploring” since it is free and it’s the best way to find unique places. We stumbled on this old empty cafe almost a risky looking place to enter but it was the best food we had in my opinion. Then we headed out to the Salt Mines.

You would not be disappointed if you skipped the salt mines. Although somewhat interesting you can find better ways to spend your time but we did get to lick the walls and yes they were very salty and no I didn’t get sick (yet). 

Come on you really think I wouldn’t lick the salty walls that was like the most exciting part of the entire tour.

Visit Auschwitz-Birkneau if you want to understand Poland’s history. Honestly I think every person should experience this place once in their life. Although it was super heavy and sad it was so eye-opening to what had actually happened to these people in the concentration camps. It’s absolutely devastating and horrifying to really think about that reality those people faced and the current families today that are affected by the tragedy.

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Please never ever take the overnight trains, that’s what we decided to do once we returned from our Auschwitz tour. We had a terrible experience and it wasn’t worth the money we saved. The train was late, it was cold, I got separated from my group, the cabins smelled, I was surrounded by old polish men that didnt speak English, there was no food or water…. the list goes on. I made it out alive but I will never again make the overnight train mistake.

Maybe if you know me well enough you know I love a good hike so we set out to find a good one the next day and turns out in the little beach town of Sopot just 20 minutes from our port there was a wilderness area overlooking the Baltic Sea which turned out to be my favorite part of the trip. I’ll let the pictures do the talking because I can’t describe it. After this of course we explored the city since you know walking is free.

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In Gdańsk on our final day, we of course ate pirogies and drank some beer as well as explored the city more. Which again means we just walked around for miles since it the only thing we can do for free. That was my entire experience in Poland, I know I learned a few things and hopefully you can learn from my silly mistakes, that is if you ever have a desire to go to Poland. 

Lisbon, Portugal is our next stop!

Ally’s Insights

1. Mexican food in Poland is not good
2. Never take the 10 hour overnight trains even if it does save you $20
3. Eat all the pirogies you can in your life
4. When you can climb to the top of a tower always say yes
5. Polish people do not smile at strangersLick the walls in a salt mine
6. Beer is cheaper than water