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Poland Anonymous
So, I'm going to visit Poland for about a week in the near future.

I'll see Warsaw, Gdansk and Lodz for sure, but where else should I visit?

Any advice on how to go about backpacking? This is my first solo adventure out, and I don't speak a lick of Polish :|
>> Anonymous
>Gdansk

You mean Danzig, East Prussia
>> Anonymous
>>26651
Yeah, Danzig. It's on the map as Gdansk...
>> Anonymous
watch out, if l2 thought me anything. polish people like to pk! D:
>> Anonymous
Cracow should be your PRIMARY destination. It's really the only worthwhile place in the whole country.
>> Anonymous
YOU MEAN DANZIG AND WARSCHAU IN THE STATE OF PRUSSIA, MEMBER OF THE GREAT GERMAN REICH
>> Anonymous
>>26648
In Gdansk a good place to see is the boardwalk (supposedly the largest in Europe). It's not in the city proper but in an adjacent city called Sopot. Public transit can take you there quickly. Taking the train is your best option.
>> Anonymous
>>26662

OTHER PLACES IN THE REICH WORTH VISITING INCLUDE THE BEAUTIFUL ALSACE COUNTRYSIDE AND THE GREAT SUDETENLAND
>> Anonymous
>>26662
But Warschau doesn't exist, remember? It was completely wiped off the map.
>> Anonymous
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ERMLAND UND MASUREN ARE ALSO QUITE BEUTIFUL JA
>> Anonymous
for partying, go to warsaw.
youll meet a lot of twenty-somethings from countries all over the world.
>> Anonymous
>Any advice on how to go about backpacking?
Um.. bring bug repellent that specifically repels ticks. If it doesn't say it repels ticks it's probably too weak and it won't work on them.
This will come in especially handy if you go to the primeval forests of Bialowieza national park. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belovezhskaya_Pushcha
The closed off area that's only accessible by guided tour isn't that interesting. You should see the area with the log path. It's much thicker and really gives you that enchanted forest feel.
>> Anonymous
Thanks a lot, guys! Hopefully I'll be able to return the favor someday when I get some TRAVELLAN experience under my belt
>> Anonymous
If you happen to visit upper silesia , you could rent a bike and travel the eagle nests trail for some nice castles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Nests_Trail
>> Anonymous
Berlin and Milwaukee are also very nice Polish cities.

And check out the weak wanna be Polish St. Paddy's day parade in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. You can eat pirogies, and laugh at their square heads and how they try to spell Solidarity.
>> Anonymous
>laugh at ... how they try to spell Solidarity.
lol
Chicago is the second biggest Polish city in the world after Warsaw. And yeah their parade on May ... 1st was it? I dunno a couple of days ago they were blocking traffic downtown with their lame parade, and yeah it's pretty lame.
I say parades should be restricted to St. Patty's Day, Gay Pride and Thanksgiving... and maybe Rose Bowl although that shit is boring as fuck too.
>> Anonymous
Don't go anywhere, where coal industry was important once. Now, everything there is dirty and the people neither have money or a job. Opole, Katowice etc, stay away from it. Go to the most famous towns with historical value and see the sea and the mountains. That's about it.
>> Anonymous
you can try also visiting Wroclaw
>> Anonymous
>>26959
Yes, Breslau is a beautiful German town.
>>26956
Kattowitz is not unlike our Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area), in that it's a shithole. From what I understand, much like Ruhr, it is actually a sprawling amalgam of many decaying industrial cities, forming a giant metropolis that is twice the size of the largest city in the country.
>> Anonymous
>mountains
tatry, zakopane, rysy, morskie oko
these are things you should see
>> Anonymous
>>26966

Been to Zakopane and i can honestly say that it was absolutely fantastic, even when it was thundering as the mountains echo and amplify the sound, and standing on top of a mountain was an awesome experience.

During winter, it's great skiing as well.
>> Anonymous
>>26934

The PR and DR parades are actually getting pretty good, aside from the rapes and murders
>> Anonymous
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>>26966
just wanted to add a pic, it's 'morskie oko'
>> Anonymous
>>26676
Hey Bialowieza guy, can you write a bit more on what's it like over there and how it works, how many different areas are there and can you go there without a guide, etc?
Also is it possible to sleep in the forest itself?
>> Anonymous
Get a phrasebook, carry it everywhere, use it frequently. Yeah, you'll look like a douche but you already look like an Amerifag tourist douche to them anyway. At least with the phrasebook you're a douche who's making an effort.
>> Anonymous
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>>27042
The trail I was talking about is called Zebra Zubra. Here's a map of it and the surrounding area. The part in yellow is the area under strict protection that's only accessible by guided tour (and a fee). All the other dotted lines on the map, outside the area in yellow, are also freely accessible trails that you might want to explore.
>> Anonymous
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Here's a pic of it.
I don't know about sleeping in the forest but I imagine it could be dangerous because of all the wildlife roaming freely around. There are deer, lynx, bison and what might prove most problematic, various woodland rodents. It might also be illegal but I'm not sure.
>> Anonymous
The sand mines are pretty cool. I just forgot what city it was in. I think outside Warsaw.
>> Anonymous
>>27090

And by sand, I mean salt.
>> Anonymous
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>>27090
No, it's outside Krakow. It's called Wieliczka and everything there is made out of salt (yes, even the chandeliers).
>> Anonymous
Check out Lwow, it's pretty cool.
>> Anonymous
only lwow while a polish city is no longer in poland
>> Anonymous
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>>27075
Thanks for the advice, Bialowieza guy. If I do try to sleep over there it'd be with a camping hammock (pic) which is pretty safe, especially re: rodents.
>> Anonymous
>>27422
Cool. I guess you know what you're doing then.
>> Anonymous
Poland is a shithole
>> Anonymous
>>27422
Yeah, I mostly wanted to know what's the probability of getting caught by rangers/cops and fine/ticket to jail scenario..? Are there a lot of rangers?
>> Anonymous
>>27712
Errr I have no clue. But if I had to venture a guess I'd say the chances of you getting caught are probably pretty slim.
>>27703
Thanks for the useful tip!
>> Anonymous
I strongly recommend Krakow and Wroclaw.