While working on the self-guided town walk of Gdańsk in our Rick Steves’ Eastern Europe guidebook, I came upon an historic mill (whose millstones rumbled 24/7 to produced 20 tons of flour a day for the city in its heyday) and a one-week-old fountain giving local children a giggle-filled dousing. I had to share this scene — so fun and so historic at the same time — with a little video clip.
Historic and Heroic Gdańsk, on the North Coast of Poland
Gdańsk, a port city on the Baltic Coast of Poland, is truly amazing — and amazingly historic. As any resident of the city will proudly explain, it’s where the first shots of World War II were fired, and the was the home of the Solidarity movement, which brought about the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union and its dominance over Eastern Europe. Here’s a little video explanation from Andrzej, who runs my hotel here (Gotyk House).
Malbork Castle, Stronghold of the Teutonic Knights
One thing I love about European travel is discovering places I never knew existed and had never even considered visiting after a lifetime of exploring Europe. Malbork Castle in Pomerania (north of Warsaw in Poland) is a good example.
This biggest brick castle in the world and the largest castle of the Gothic period is one of Europe’s most imposing fortresses. We include it in the Poland section of our Eastern Europe guidebook, and I enjoyed visiting with my local guide to update the material for next year’s edition. Here’s a quick little video clip on a huge and historic heap of Polish bricks.
Torrential Afternoon Rains in Warsaw
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve experienced one strong and recurring weather pattern in this summer’s travels: hot and humid mornings, then torrential downpours in the afternoons. In just one month, on two separate occasions, the Frankfurt airport was closed for thundershowers on days I was flying through — causing me to miss my connecting flights. He’s a little clip of Warsaw during its 4 p.m. daily shower.
Pondering the Cost of War in Warsaw’s Gorgeous Lazienki Park
While in Warsaw, I couldn’t help but fixate on the cost of war. I know how lovingly I collect and organize my physical world in my house. But virtually every house in Warsaw was destroyed in 1945…so many cultural and personal treasures simply gone forever. And, now, just two generations later, Germans and Russians stroll through the city on vacation — joking, licking ice cream cones, and snapping photos. Of course, we need to forgive and move on. I’m just amazed at how good Poland is at it. Perhaps some other countries — victims of similar horrors — can learn from the Poles. As Hubert says in this clip, “Hate changes nothing.”